Total newbie!

lilliemoon5ilver · November 7th, 2012

Hello. I am considering having a frog for the first time! I have long been a fish owner, (in my house there are 4 fish tanks and 2 fish bowls!) but when my 10 gal aquarium became free this past summer I decided I want a LAND animal! I've spent the last several months researching and trying to decide what I wanted to get and I think I'm pretty decided on a Pacman frog. I just love how their size and look! Today I started buying supplies for my terrarium, as I expect it might take some time for me to afford everything I need. I do have some basic set-up questions. 1: Is there a large difference between heat lamps and under-the-tank units? Are there pros or cons to either? 2: If I intend to use live plants should I use something other than coconut fiber substrate? 3: Should I be considering buying a (shallow) waterfall or using an air stone in water for humidity? It gets dry here in the winter, and I usually run a humidifier inside anyway. and 4: Do I need to put the terrarium together beforehand and let it sit for awhile? (We call it cycling with fish aquariums to breed bacteria.)

**IrishRonin** · November 7th, 2012

Ok keep in mind pacs LOVE to burrow themselves so take that into mind when going with live plants, as they can up root them. My suggestion is , this is what i did anyway, get a Lg photos with a strong root base that way even if your frog does up root some of it it wont die. Heat lamps tends to dry out the substrate which lowers humidity, not good. With UTH they add heat without lowering the humidity, they can actually help maintain it. When I plan on live plants I use a mixture of all natural (no fertilizers, pesticides or chemicals) potting soil and coco fiber. As far as the waterfall is concerned I wouldn't use it for a pac, in my experience the little waterfall kits you can get clog really easy and with pacs they dirty there water really good when they get in and out of it. The air stone might work if your water dish is deep enough but remember pacs are not good swimmers so you dont want it to deep. A good misting cycle works just fine for me. It is a good idea to cycle the tank 1st to make sure the plants have time to recover from the shock of being replanted and establish a good root base and you can also check for any leaks or any mold that might appear as well as making sure you've got the right temps and humidity. I hope I've helped. Welcome to the forum, there's lots of great people here with lots of good advice

lilliemoon5ilver · November 7th, 2012

Thanks ton! I was liking the pad heaters better myself, I just wasn't sure if it would be dangerous for a burrowing frog. You have been extremely helpful. This gives me a great place to start!

**Sunshine** · November 7th, 2012

Make sure to place the UTH on the side of the tank above the substrate instead of the bottom. Pacs like to burrow to cool off and they can get burned by it if it is on the bottom.