Supplies for Amazon Milk Frog setup

[ejh805]

Good Day All!

I am getting prepared to set up an enclosure for Amazon Milk Frogs.
Hoping to get 2 or 3.

Right now I have an 18x18x36 headed to me in the mail (Josh's Frogs stated this is large enough for 2-4).


While they're still young, I'll be using eco earth as substrate. When they get bigger, I'll convert to fully aquatic.
My home stays between 70-80 year-round, so do I need to invest in a heater? Or will they be fine in this range? And of course, I'll be getting a thermometer/hygrometer to help me maintain these.

As for filling the tank with things for them to climb on, I'll be getting a mangrove root style "decoration", so it will last once converted to full water. Is there any kind of wood that will last permanently in an aquatic setup? Or should I just stick with this plastic? I saw some beautiful grapewood online but I don't want to shell out that much money if it wont last.


Other than that, an assortment of vines and foliage.
I'll also be getting fake water lettuce and duckweed for when I switch to water.

Do these guys NEED UV lighting, or will D3 with their calcium supplements do?? I'm reading a lot of mixed info on this.
There will be light regardless, but what info I receive on here will dictate whether it's UV lighting or just something simple for day/night cycling.

[deranged chipmunk]

good deal on getting milk frogs. i know nothing about the care of them, but i do know that manzanita and mopani wood will do just fine submersed. so will oak and a few others. you can also get live mangrove if you're feeling up to it. black mangrove is readily available. i have heard both good and bad with grapevine. some say it rots under water and in high humidity set ups, others say they never had a problem, so i guess you can take that however you please. i know, it wasn't a real answer, but the others were....LOL

[deranged chipmunk]

i guess the boyfriend said yes to the Milkies??? LOL

[ejh805]

Where would I find real mangrove/take care of it? I love the way it looks and would be willing to give it a try.

And I have not mentioned it to him yet haha!
Better to ask forgiveness than permission, so they say.

[deranged chipmunk]

absolutely!! i normally bring stuff i buy in the house after the bed bully goes to sleep, then just deal with the aftermath....LOL

you can get mangrove plants here....right down the road a spell, as you folk in bamalama-land would say....LOL
http://www.floridacoastalmangroves.com/

[deranged chipmunk]

and i am sorry Emily, i don't really know much about growing mangroves except that they prefer brackish water? learn all you can then teach me, i love to learn new chit!!

[ejh805]

I'm sure he wont be upset once he sees how pretty it looks. He was iffy about Keroro but his tank looked so nice in the living room, and he's such a cool dude that Jordan actually shows him off now lol.

I visited the everglades one summer and went through mangrove swamps on an airboat. They're such amazing plants! Don't they grow extremely fast though?

Haha, no one I've ever met actually talks like that. Except rednecks and my grandparents

[ejh805]

and i am sorry Emily, i don't really know much about growing mangroves except that they prefer brackish water? learn all you can then teach me, i love to learn new chit!!

Would brackish water be safe for the frogs?

[deranged chipmunk]

no, brackish would be bad for them. and if you go real mangrove, prepare to prune quite often, they do grow fast. if you like, i can start a thread on planted tank. i know a few guys on there who have grown it. maybe they can give me some insight. otherwise, i can recommend some nice aquatics that will grow nicely up and out of the water. some will even flower

[ejh805]

That would be fantastic. And I'd love to get my hands on some plants that will eventually flower.

[deranged chipmunk]

some that will grow emergent are any of the lindernia species (indica,rotundifolia), the bacopas (monierri, salzmani), hygrophilia lancea, and some persicarias, sao paulo in particular. there are also a few ludwigias that will grow nicely that way. and almost all cryptocoryne species will eventually break the water surface as they get larger. if you use natural wood, the wicking action will saturate the wood and you can grow many marginals on there like java fern (microsorum sp.) anubias, and bolbitis. that should get your research project started

and i know people don't really talk like that. i was surprised when i went to talladega for a race. i was really expecting all the redneck speak. boy, was i disappointed....LOL

edit: there are more variations of the genus i mentioned, i just gave examples of common ones

[ejh805]

For anyone interested, here are pics of the tank thusfar

I got in fake plants, vines, etc today so I'll post pics of that this evening after I get off of work.





The second is after the beautiful manzanita from Josh's Frogs came in. I couldn't find anything "mangrove-ish" that would be an appropriate size for my tank so I went with this and am not disappointed at all!

[ejh805]

Just put in all of the decorations )
Won't be putting in substrate until a couple days before the frogs arrive.

[ejh805]

Also does anyone know what this is and if it does well in an aquatic environment/is nontoxic.
There are a ton of them at my office and no one would care if I "stole" a cutting to root.

[deranged chipmunk]

looking good Emily!! (you knew i would care, didn't ya...lol). that's some nice wood. you didn't want anything real "mangrovish", they have very thick roots. it would have ruined the scale. the plant is a golden pothos and will be just fine.

[flybyferns]

Hi Emily
Perfectly safe !
Pothos Marble Queen - House plants - Denver Plants.com

[deranged chipmunk]

yeah, i said that already Lynn :P

edit: dang it, we need a real sticking tongue out emoticon!!LOL

[ejh805]

Haha thanks guys