Humidity vs. Temp : Plants vs. Frogs

[Tongue Flicker]

It is very important to research what the native plants are in the AGTF environment so it is easier to replicate. First off, you should avoid housing anything (and i mean, everything) together that does not have the same care requirements. Like you've noticed, you are already compromising on what to care for more.

Try lowering the humidity by increasing some vent holes. Plants by themselves release moisture thru transpiration and thus increases your humidity levels more. Your substrate is nice as they drain easily and hold moisture easily but you have charcoal in it, a moisture absorber.

Air temps are significantly lower below and around the plants and warmer away and at the top of the plants (because of transpiration). What specific kind of plants do you have anyways?

[RobbW]

Thank you for the input, Neil. Yes, this was not the best way to go about putting a vivarium together. Having previously been a veteran of saltwater tanks and heavily-planted freshwater tanks, I am accustomed to advising newbies to do as much research as possible beforehand and always try to buy good equipment right from the start. Unfortunately, this was a case of desperately trying to console a cute little girl (who has her daddy wrapped around her finger) as quickly as possible. With the hectic, holiday season here, if I hadn't put something together right away, it likely would have been several weeks before we'd have time to get around to it. With all the research and proper planning I have done with past hobbies, I'm hoping I could get a pass this one time as long as I haven't done anything to completely mess it all up or harm the frogs.

Below is a list of the live plants I have added to the viv, as best as I can recall. A couple of them I bought in haste and had to identify after the fact by looking at photos of the plants offered by the LPS. However, I know what most of them are, and as far as I can find, none of them appear to be on a "Not Recommended" list for frog habitats.

Peacock Fern (Selaginella uncinata)
Cryptocoryne wendtii
White Ribbon Plant (Dracaena sanderiana)
What I believe to be Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus)
Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus)
Riccia fluitans


After doing some more research on the AGTF, I think they should be able to do fine at the top end of the recommended ranges for temp and humidity. Those levels should just meet the bottom end of the recommended ranges for most, if not all, of my live plants. I have installed the HygroTherm and hooked up my ReptiFogger and heating mat for automated control. I'm hoping I should be able to get away with programming the settings to 80°F and 80%RH, with a nighttime drop in temp down to around 75-76°F. Would this be acceptable?

[RobbW]

Okay, I think I may be wrong about the Amazon Sword. When I bought it (at Petco), it was planted rubber-banded to another plant (which I cannot ID) in the aquarium, not in a pot or anything with identifying markers. I vaguely remember the aquatics person saying something about Peace Lily and how it really isn't an aquatic plant. So, she couldn't figure out what it was doing in the aquarium. We continued looking at other plants and at the last minute grabbed the alleged Peace Lily plant. After getting home and looking at pics to try and identify it, it looked similar to some Amazon Swords, but in general its leaves were too rounded and stalks too thick. Now that I'm remembering this Peace Lily comment, I think that may be what it is.

There seems to be some confusion about the safety of Peace Lily in a frog habitat, but what I've read so far says that as long as the frogs don't eat it they should be fine. Is this correct?

[Tongue Flicker]

Oh the peace lilies are spathiphyllums. If you plant these in the whole tank it's okay to drop the humidity and lighting specs a little as they can tolerate shade well provided that you plant their roots in water. Don't submerge the leaves, just plant the base of the stem just above the roots in surface water level. Dracaenas will need brighter light and higher humidity or their leaf tips will turn brown.