Adequate heating for White's Tree Frogs?

[AmberPye]

Hey there! I'm having a bit of trouble and need some help.

I have two White's tree frogs, Freckle and Booger, in an ExoTerra tall terrarium. We keep our house rather cold for cost purposes (About 68* fahrenheit right now, it's Canada.) so I have a lot of heating options on my frog terrarium. Some recent research/experience is telling me this isn't working. I have an ExoTerra desert heat pad on the left side, a small Zoo Med underneath, and a medium Zoo Med on the back, with a Zoo Med mini halogen daylight bulb up top. The wattage is enough for the heat to reach the bottom of the terrarium.

If I put a thermometer in "the hot zone" (Where all three heaters and the light hit) my terrarium reaches 80* fahrenheit. Towards the least heated areas, it's closer to 70* fahrenheit. My frogs often bury themselves under the sphagnum but above the soil in the corner during the day. At night, they take a bath in their bowl and spend most of their time in the corner on the glass where it's warmest. Obviously, I'm not getting adequate heating, AND I'm being told that UTH isn't ideal for frogs, but neither are heat lamps, which was what I was looking into getting (A second mini halogen dome with a night heat bulb.)

My two frogs are often brown, except when they come out for handling, then they like to climb all over us and suck up our body heat and turn shades of green. Booger especially turns a flourescent green when he's warm and happy, and Freckle turns a lovely mossy/forest green with spots.

The terrarium regularly has about 3" of substrate (Which I'm also learning is probably too much, and may switch to a river rock/half flooded scheme, but then I have OTHER issues with UTHs) they have one of those wire/foam jungle vines wrapped with a plastic jungle vine plant, their water bowl, sphagnum moss, and the foam back. I'm hoping to change it up, since this doesn't seem to be working for them, except the moss, and I'm looking at hanging plants, solid wood sticks, and magnetic shelf hides.

But right now, the heat. What can/should I be doing to keep their terrarium at an ideal temperature? What can I do if I switch to a half-flooded scheme? Thank you!

[Bombina Bob]

Have you tried a ceramic heat emitter? they are similar to heat bulbs but give no
light, these may work better if you aren't getting any results with your frogs.

[Mentat]

Hello Amber! Well, can see keeping a frog enclosure that needs warmth and ventilation in a cold room quite challenging. Here are some ideas for you to think about and try.

Get a small light dome with dimmer (Fluker's or others) and a Ceramic Heat Emitter. Using aluminum foil, cover screen area around it (leave a 1 in. gap for ventilation around dome's perimeter), to try and contain heat inside enclosure. There should be branches close to heat emitter and the temperature should read 30C. Also; should have up there an UVB type fluorescent bulb (2.0 to 5.0).

Heat mets are very inefficient as frog enclosure heat sources. Could try and get heat tape and link it to a controller, either a manual rheostat or auto thermostat. Temp should reach 30C in basking area during day and drop no lower than 23C at night.

You do want to keep an eye on the humidity and keep it between 50-65% since by partially covering the top are decreasing ventilation. Not sure a partial water floor area would help the heat issue you have. Could heat the water; but that will also increase humidity, maybe higher than what they like. Hope this helps and good luck .