Ideas for a 55 gallon tank??

[HerpMan]

Hello everyone!!

This is my first post and I am excited about this forum! I am a herpetologist dealing mostly with snakes and have never kept a frog of any kind. And I am wanted to change that soon. I have a standard 55 gallon (48 1/4 x 12 3/4 x 21) tank that I am wanting to turn into a vivarium. I am not sure what species of frog I am wanting to keep besides that I want it to be terrestrial.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestion?? Think of it like this. You just happen to have a tank (such as mine) not in use, what would you do with it????

Thanks!!

[ToadPaparazzi]

I would first identify what species will occupy it... It's a waste to scape a viv then try to match inhabitants... I would recommend browsing different types of terrestrial frogs. If you want dart frogs, that would be a killer tank for some of the following:

Dendrobates Leucomelas - you could house quite a few in a properly designed and planted 55.

Dendrobates Tinctorius - big and bold, not a good group frog... You could do a pair or a trio (consisting of 2 males and a single female)

Phyllobates - wide variety of different types of phyllobates... Terribilis are bold, huge and in the wild are the most toxic invertebrate known to man!

Ameeregas - wide variety again... Large frogs with beautiful calls... Good group frog but plain in appearance (compared to most other PDFs).

The list goes on and on... That's just for PDFs (poison dart frogs). There are all kinds of other frogs/toads to look into such as Mantellas, bumblebee walking toads, pixies, pacmans, etc.

Be sure to read into not only behaviors, but into husbandry as well... There are different aspects of frog husbandry that send many-a-hobbiest running (or selling their newly purchased frogs).

-Christian

[HerpMan]

I like the idea of leucomelas. They are a very attractive frog and everything says they are good for beginners. If my tank was taller I'd go with red eyes, but I've always wanted some PDF's. Still a lot of options though. Just want to make sure I make the right choice for me!

Thanks for the reply Christian!

Travis

[ToadPaparazzi]

I am glad you are taking the time to find the frog species first . If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

-Christian

[deranged chipmunk]

A 55 is a toughie as far as terrestrial goes. It looks like a big footprint, but it's really not. Especially if you add in a 3d background. I always hated 55's for planted fish tanks, they are so narrow. but with some creativity and planning, it can be done and done well. Good luck with the project and post pics so we can see your progress

[HerpMan]

Yea Christian, I may not be the typical beginner. I've noticed that a lot of people build their viv's and then determine the species. Just doesn't seem logical .

And Bill, I've noticed how narrow these tanks are... It'll be tough for sure. How thick is an average cork background??

Thanks,
Travis!

[ToadPaparazzi]

How thick is an average cork background??

depends on the thickness of your cork... You can put a thick layer of silicone and mash pieces of cork, tree fern, coco fiber, peat, and driftwood(although I recommend foam covered on silicone for driftwood; it adds additional support to hold weight).

[HerpMan]

depends on the thickness of your cork... You can put a thick layer of silicone and mash pieces of cork, tree fern, coco fiber, peat, and driftwood(although I recommend foam covered on silicone for driftwood; it adds additional support to hold weight).

Do you have a link or somewhere that I can see this with the foam. I'm a visual learner!

Thanks
Travis

[ToadPaparazzi]

Here is some HEAVY Mopani Wood:



Here it is after silicone, coco fiber, tree fern and sphagnum:

[HerpMan]

Thanks for those pics! That looks really good and plants would be able to utilize that very well. I also think that would take up less space.