First frog tank ever. Probably need help

[Colorblizzle]

Well I need a false bottom because they are not fully aquatic. Yes I could have just used a lot of large stones sticking out if the water or something but I wanted to have soil for plant

[Colorblizzle]

[DigitalPunk]

Not to mention having a false bottom also allows you to mist as often as you need and not worry about swamping out the substrate. It also aides in keeping the terrariums humidity up. Granted you can do the same thing with a drainage layer...

[Colorblizzle]

Yeah my LFS uses the drainage layer I believe. Looks like marble sized balls all under the soil across the whole tank. My water level is touching the bottom of my false bottom so essentially I only have MAYBE 1/4" between the water and the substrate. But I had to put it that high to get the filter to work. It's a weak air driven filter and it only pushes so high above the water level. Even now it's a trickle and sometimes it just stops working. Earlier the frog jumped onto it and it tilted back and stopped flowing I was like dammit! Lol

How often should I mist? I must the soil as well as the walls. I do t want to drown the plants out (which already appear to be dying) but don't want humidity to fall too low either...

[Colorblizzle]

For the next build I was just looking around on amazon...it wouldn't be able to house plants in the background but I found an Exo-terra rock background (18x18) if I cut that in half then one piece in half again I could do the back and sides above a false bottom. And still leave enough space to pot some plants in the substrate. Wondering if it's worth it to save time and money. Idk how much it would cost yet fr the great stuff band acrylic paint and titebond etc. But the background is $11!

[deranged chipmunk]

You can use the premised background. I just prefer making my own. And you can always pin epiphytes to the background.

[Colorblizzle]

Epiphytes?

[deranged chipmunk]

Epiphytes. Plants that don't require soil to grow. Bromeliads and tillandsias are the most common, but also many ferns, peperomias, dischidias, orchids, and many others do very well that way. Even philodendron and pothos can be grown as epiphytes.

[Colorblizzle]

Good to know. I know quite a bit about fish related things but reptile and amphibian if like to slowly increase my knowledge base. So do they just grow no matter what? Or if no soil present they will grow emerged in water

[deranged chipmunk]

Yes, they get nutrients from the water when you most them. And no, if you leave a true epiphyte in water, it will quickly rot.

[Colorblizzle]

Ok. Cuz right now my pothos is planted, but some leaves are hanging in the water and almost fully submerged. Should I pull them up? I like the look

[deranged chipmunk]

No. You can leave them. Potho and philodendrons (cousins) can, believe it or not, grow submerged, they will grow right out of the water.

[Colorblizzle]

Cool. I'd still like to toss a few of the plants I grabbed and replace them with ferns. I don't know if any of my local nursuries are open in the winter so what's the best place to buy terrain plants, specifically ferns, online?

[deranged chipmunk]

Well, I normally would suggest black jungle, but they aren't in my good graces right now lol I have a few links I can post tonight when I am in front of my PC.

[Colorblizzle]

I looked at black jungle last night actually, I'm guessing they didn't pull through with an order?

[deranged chipmunk]

No, they sent my order. Very disappointed with it and they never responded to my emails. I posted about it on my thread.

[Colorblizzle]

Which thread? Steampunk?

[deranged chipmunk]

That would be the one

[Colorblizzle]

I'll check it out. Been meaning to anyways, seen it one e but it wasn't finished. I believe you just painted the PVC last time I looked

[DigitalPunk]

I'll be buying some plants from neherpoculter.com soon and will be able to tell you what I think of there plants. I had a bad experience with Blackjungle as well recently and can't bring myself to order plants form them. I bought some plants from Josh's Frogs, but it was in the dead of winter and nothing survived long after the shipment was planted. I will give Josh another go once the weather warms up more.