55 gallon set up

[Swancici]

Hi there,

I am planing on getting amazon tree frogs.

I have a few questions about set up. I have plantation soil and planing on getting just normal soil with out chemicals and pest Also forest moss. What do I use for drainage layer? That's cheap?. For plants is there plants I should stay away from? What about outside plants? I am surrounded by woods and I know we have Pacific tree frogs. If I clean them that is. Also about drift wood? Is there any wood toxic to them? Western red ceder, spruce, hemlock, Douglasfir, pine, maple. Are the main ones we have here. I live in BC, Canada. Anything else I need? Tips would be appreciated as I am new.

Thanks.


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[deranged chipmunk]

First off, welcome to the forum! Now, to your post. Potting soil, or even top soil, for that matter, will eventually settle and pack tightly, preventing drainage. Even mixed with plantation soil, it will still pack tightly. You'll need to add, at the very least, some orchid bark to the mix. You can chop up the forest moss and add it in, but that would be better suited as a layer underneath leaf litter to help with moisture.

As far as a drainage layer, you can use pretty much anything that won't absorb water. Aquarium gravel, landscaping pebbles, lava rock, crushed terra cotta pots, ect.

Plants, your local plants will not make it. They are temperate plants, at best, and your tank requirements are tropical. Keep in mind that it will not be cheap to plant a 55g tank. The most economical way will to be but larger plants, and divide them.

As far as woods you listed, only maple will work. Cedars are toxic, and all the others will rot very quickly. Keep in mind that anything you use from outside needs to be washed thoroughly and then sanitized before use.

That should get you started


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[Swancici]

Plants at my local store are $3-5 dollars. And sometimes have great sales yes I'll think ill do the terra cotta crushed (aquarium gravel expensive $5 for a tiny bag. and use potting soil, plantation soil, and see what I can get here that will not pack tightly. Also will be picking up fake plants from dollar store. I want to build a dyi background too.


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[Swancici]

Could I use a bin for water? And change it daily?


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[Swancici]

Also for dyi background, what do I use? To seal everything in? Like if I use concert?


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[deranged chipmunk]

A water dish is definitely a viable option. background materials are a matter of preference. You can use clay, expanding foam, styrofoam, ect. I wrote an article in this section a while back about construction materials. I would suggest searching for that and read it over


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[Swancici]

Thank I read it: ). some very good info. Plus I looked at your other threads some awesome builds. How do you have a mini pond in the enclouser? How do you filter it? And close it off from the land part?

So yes I will go with clay pots as drainage and a mesh top, with potted soil, plantation soil and some other soil( can't remember what it's called but it will have chunks of coconut fibers ect), and then moss. As for the background will be using the expanding foam and getting my hubby to design it.. Lol he never done it before but neither have I. And I don't need to seal it? Right?


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[deranged chipmunk]

I use submersible filters hidden under the false bottom or canister filters. I don't always close the land off away from the land, especially when using a false bottom. Only if I plan to keep some form of aquatic life in the pond area, do I block it off and I use fiberglass screening for that.

Hate to hear you're going to break up terra cotta pots for drainage! Never tell a plant guy that! Lol it can be economical, but if you consider a 50lb bag of lava rock is about $5 at Home Depot, maybe not

No, you do not need to seal expanding foam. But unless you want a yellow foam background, you'll want to cover it with something.


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[Swancici]

Thanks want to mKe it cheap as possible and use stuff I have( hence the cotta pots) lol. Here it's hard to find stuff couldn't even find vermiculite here. But I will have to look around to see what I can get.. Thanks oh what could I use to color it then?


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