Cycling?

[Mentat]

Hi Colton! Budgetts are great frogs, just got me a juvie at the Hamburg show. You can keep aquatic frogs with no filtering and do large 25-100% daily water changes depending on tank size, frog biomass, and how fast ammonia accumulates. In that system there is no established nitrogen cycle and it's what I'm doing while traveling with my frogs. It is in a small ExoTerra breeding box and gets up to two full, same temperature, dechlorinated tap water changes a day. Mine eats lots and poops even more .

Once I get home, will set it up in a large tank (either a 15G or a 29G). That tank will have an internal filter with a water depth of 1.5-3 times the height of the frog's body. Budgettt's like to reach the surface while at rest in bottom. Maybe will try to build something with a platform in one side that will allow that plus a deeper water section if going with 29G. That tank/filter combo should cycle itself in 4 weeks, without any intervention, other than smaller daily water changes to keep ammonia levels under control until filter is cycled. You can shorten cycling in half by using a product like Seachem Stability.

Once your tank is cycled, weekly 25% water changes will help keep Nitrates level below 50ppm; but if you have growing plants and cut/remove their biomass weekly, that will help too. Growing plants is your choice as is decor. Frogs will do fine without them. Filter media should only be cleaned in tank water. If replacing media, alternate between pads and biomedia, and never replace all at the same time.

There is some information around that you need to estivate the frogs yearly; but many die during process. I'm going with no estivation like I do with my other frogs. Hope this helps and good luck !