Quite a few questions about getting a WTF...please bear with me :)

[blanco]

One thing I should have mentioned about the birch branches is that they came from a tree in my grandpa's yard. he has had that tree growing there for over 40 years and it has never been sprayed with pesticide. I did read the article someone else posted in the terrarium forum and it listed birch as a no-no. It then said to avoid the woods listed because of their higher chance of pesticide contamination. Is that the only reason they should not be used or is it because the wood itself is toxic?

I guess I'm thinking I should just go buy some wood from the pet store....unless someone can tell me a type of wood they've safely used that I could possibly find here.

[deranged chipmunk]

good deal on the upgrade. your future frog(s) will thank you for it

hydroballs are just a company's trade name for leca or hydroton (another trade name). it will suffice just fine if that is the route you are going.

birch is a nice hardwood and should do well in a viv. the bark must be stripped, washed thoroughly, and either baked or boiled for a good amount of time. just because you don't see anything, does not mean there are not dormant critters, eggs or larvae. ALWAYS err on the side of caution when it comes to field collecting anything. woods i have used in vivs without any problems are oak, sycamore, manzanita and mopani. i only collect wood from dead fall in the woods. one thing to look for when collecting wood is to make sure it is a) a hardwood and b) dead, dead, dead. did i mention any wood you collect should be dead?

i really can't offer much advice on artificial plants. i don't use them.

when you say bamboo, i assume you are talking about "lucky bamboo"? this actually is not a bamboo, but a member of the dracaena family. i have never grown it, but it would be happy in a nice, well drained soil. true bamboo is far from vivarium friendly due to the immense sizes it can grow too. there are some small papyrus plants that would do well planted in a small bucket of water, but may not grow as well under the lower humidity that white's require.

as far as the brick o' substrate. you can use a saw to cut that sucker in half and re-hydrate the half you are going to use. otherwise, re-hydrate the brick, and store in plastic zipper bags. i recommend either leaving the remainder out in the sun to dry or baking in the over to dry it and then storing. it will have a shelf life of forever dry and you will never have that mold question in the back of your head.

hope this helps. if you have anymore questions about building your tank. try posting them in the vivarium section so that more people can learn from the discussion

[flybyferns]

One thing I should have mentioned about the birch branches is that they came from a tree in my grandpa's yard. he has had that tree growing there for over 40 years and it has never been sprayed with pesticide. I did read the article someone else posted in the terrarium forum and it listed birch as a no-no. It then said to avoid the woods listed because of their higher chance of pesticide contamination. Is that the only reason they should not be used or is it because the wood itself is toxic?

I guess I'm thinking I should just go buy some wood from the pet store....unless someone can tell me a type of wood they've safely used that I could possibly find here.

Yes ....you should purchase something nice ...........that is frogs safe
such as:
New England Herpetoculture LLC - Natural Wood Vines

[Meefloaf]

can you guys get sumba veined coastal vines over there, got two the other day and they are gorgeous