Frog room overhaul

[DigitalPunk]

Hey FF!

I have been flooding the forums the past couple months with Tank build after tank build. I still have one more empty tank to do, but I am considering putting future builds on hold and updating my frog room. Most everyone that knows me knows I setup half my basement as a frog room when we only have 2 tanks running. We now have 6 tanks up and running, though only 5 of them currently house frogs. The space ins't full yet, but it is cobbled together so I feel it is time to address this.

Once my Cit tank is complete I will be shifting my funds from tank supplies to frog room furniture and supplies. My Plan is to get a work bench with wheels so I can work on tanks easier from all side while I am designing them, a better feeder insect breeding rack, Better storage for building supplies (most things you buy to build a tank will last for 2 - 4 tanks so I have a pile of things building up), and better lighting for the humans in the frog room

I know several of you have a space similar to mine and want to hear what items you have bought to setup your frog room. I know a lot of the things we use were designed with a different use in mind and want to hear some of the ideas you came up with so we all can benefit from the ingenuity of our peers

Thanks

Paul

<not technically enclosure discussion, but since it is the enclosure for my enclosures I though this section was appropriate )

[Lija]

That is how i do it for tanks that are 18" deep ( metal shelving from costco), for 12" they sell similar at walmart.



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[DigitalPunk]

Lija,

Nice setup! You have a lot of tanks going! Now I don't feel like I am going to cray lol.

I have one of the smaller shelves down there right now I use to hold feeder insect cultures, left over Hardwoods, and misc tank supplies. Though I think In the redesign I am going to repurpose it for future tadpole rearing/growout tanks. I got an industrial strength self back in Feb that most of my tanks are on. It can hold something like 3000lbs a shelf of something ridiculous lol. 2 of my tanks are against another wall on a cinderblock + MDF make shift tank stand (it is what my 40B use to sit on when it was horizontal, but can hold 2x 18" tanks with vertical tanks on it.

I think I want to get some selves to move the 2 tanks that are on the makeshift stand so I can reclaim that wall space for another rack that can hold 4 - 6 more tanks.... I wish the ceiling in my basement was higher :/

[Lija]

That is a very small part of my basement lol

[DigitalPunk]

Awesome! One of the draw backs to buying a house built in 1845 is the lack of a proper basement, but we make due with what we have. We initially had all the tanks around the house, but the Reds Hated being up where lights were on and off at night so we moved them to the basement and then everyone else followed shortly. It is very much a work in progress, but here is what we have so far.

The shelves on the left are for breeding cultures (Isos, Springs, and Rice Flout Beetles) and other Misc Things. The weird rack beside it was here when we moved in. Right now it has building supplies all over it, but the shelves are at a angle so I think it would do good for a place to angle tadpole cups so the froglets can emerge from the water. Then the Vent tank and the Citronella Tank (still being built) and the 2 wire racks in the other corner are fruit fly cultures.



And the current tank rack. <left> Mantella Tank, <Mid> Cit quarantine tank, and <right> Red Eye Tank>The shelf could hold 4 18x18 tanks, but the 24s are space hogs lol. Bottom of the self is currently storage and the big bin is our cricket tub.



And my folding table work bench.... sort of lol.



I am 6'1" tall and my head nearly rubs the ceiling. Would love if it was 8" tall.. Oh well.

[Lija]

Nice man cave! Very nice! Where did you get these wire racks for ff culture?

[DigitalPunk]

They were in my father-in-laws basement. I cleaned them up and zip tied them to the posts around them. They are perfect for it lol. Fresh cultures are lower and the one I am currently feeding out of is on the top of the stack

I will ask him where they come form. They are old. I don't even know what they would have been used for previously. They were in the trash pile after his basement flooded so I rescued and repurposed them.

here is a better angle of them. This is an older picture, but shows it better. There are 2 of them butted up to each other in the corner.

[DigitalPunk]

Lija I bet they are something similar to these

Storage Dynamics 5-Foot Vinyl Covered Steel Over door Storage Basket Rack: Closet Storage And Organization Systems: Amazon.com

Amazon.com: ClosetMaid Adjustable 8-Tier Wall and Door Rack, 18-Inch: Home & Kitchen

I just have mine turned around so the shelf is open towards me and the lip acts as a back for the cups to not fall through...

[flybyferns]

This is a GREAT way to share ideas

Paul here you go....here's mine
I'm in the basement as well
Our home was built in the early 1930s
The frog area takes up about 1/3 of my basement

There is a slop sink and sump pump on the opposite side of the basement ( next to the W & D ).. I do not know what I would do without !!!
I plan to up-grade this - valuable - area in the winter.
We need to replace the sump pump, and I want to find a close-out counter top/and new double sink. I want to have one dirty sink / one clean sink. I would love to rig a small dishwasher there ? Frogs make a lot of containers !

The black racks are purchase at costco ( the can safely hold the weight of the tanks , as I use gravel substrate) they are 6' x 6'
( the shelves are very adjustable )
The plastic -white- shelves are from HD - I built the bench by adding only 2 shelves.
The poles are cut below the counter top to create the right height for me! ( I'm 5'2" )

Some of the shelves are covered with cheap linoleum ( by the yd) HD . ease to keep clean.

I hang my misting bottles on the ceiling on tension rods between 2 beams.

The shelves I have the tadpoles on are - are 14$ shoe racks from bed bath beyond

The FF cultures - species separated- are sitting in - seedling sprouting trays that were purchased a a hydroponic supply. They came with warmers --- and thermostats - I use during the winter.

I just hate the winter.....
The 'side-view'--- photos of the shelf ---is where I place heater cables. I weave them in and our of the wire shelf. Without them the frogs would get way too cold
The cables, lights, and mist system are all run on timers 24/7.

We re-wired this area recently, purchased a generator , wired the entire frog area to the generator so my frogs are safe if the power goes out. I swore--- I would NEVER live through another power outage ..... during super storm sandy we did not have power for over a week. It was grueling !

These photos are not in any particular order: ( I'll try to get back to label some )

PDF tanks


Plant tanks


PDFs ....plant propagation on top......storage below


Springtail cultures


Tree frogs/ storage below


Tanks are drilled/ they drain into gallon containers


heavy metal racks - costco


work bench w/ shelves from HD


exo terra heat cables go - here on the 3 metal racks


storage for crickets away from the FF cultures! --- ;( mite prevention !


electric - wired up high- to keep it away from any water


cricket bins are covered with tulle fabric to keep the FF out !!!


stupid Bean Beatles


Food safe water buckets for Mist King
try to put buckets on a small table --- this way the pump will not have to work so hard
Distilled water for the mist king


Stray bottles /tension rods


Whew!!!!!

[ColleenT]

I can see the amount of work put into this. Very nice. i would imagine an older basement like that holds humidity pretty well.

Lija- You have really spent a ton of money on all those Exoterra enclosures! I think the company owes you a free one by now!

[Lija]

Lija- You have really spent a ton of money on all those Exoterra enclosures! I think the company owes you a free one by now!

Lol actually i bought probably 3 or 4 new ones only, most of these are kijiji finds, it is canadian classifed site.

Guys i really love this thread, good stuff Lynn, Paul, i see how i can improve my basement. Lots of new for me ideas. Loving it!

[DigitalPunk]

Excellent Lynn! Interesting to see you are facing the same challenges as me in the basement of an older home.

My frog room is about 1/3 of my basement as well. One thing I got lucky on is the previous owner install a geothermal system and put a vent on the frog room side of the basement so it is semi heated in the winter. This past winter I ran a space heater down there as well and everything seemed to do great.


Yeah my older basement holds humidity pretty good. We had to install an air exchanger to suck in fresh outside air and pump out the basement air to combat possible mold growth.

What do you do to combat the cricket smell Lynn? Those are my least favorite part of having reds


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[Mentat]

Hi Paul! Amazon has many options for rolling workbenches; but if space is limited in there, might want to consider a folding one like Lynn has. Benches can be very heavy which makes shipping expensive. Recommend try finding a local source like hardware store or Sears (Craftman benches). Myself don't have a basement, so frogs live in my kitchenette, living room, and bed room .

[flybyferns]

Excellent Lynn! Interesting to see you are facing the same challenges as me in the basement of an older home.

My frog room is about 1/3 of my basement as well. One thing I got lucky on is the previous owner install a geothermal system and put a vent on the frog room side of the basement so it is semi heated in the winter. This past winter I ran a space heater down there as well and everything seemed to do great.


Yeah my older basement holds humidity pretty good. We had to install an air exchanger to suck in fresh outside air and pump out the basement air to combat possible mold growth.

What do you do to combat the cricket smell Lynn? Those are my least favorite part of having reds


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NO cricket smell- ever
I switch out the bins ---- to cleans bins---- weekly
see photo #8 ( spare bins --cleaned -on the bottom self -ready to go)

I number the bins - 1 and 2
I never put left over uneaten cricks from the moreletii enclosure (bin and tank #1)
into the crick bin for the callidryas ( bin and tank #2 )

The moreletii are the very most difficult frog I have ever owned !!!!!!
They are exhausting

Every tank is numbered.all supplies are #ed. I never share anything between tanks. Doing so is asking for trouble.

I buy cloves by the 1000s and change gloves prior to entering another enclosure. After a while you develop a system

Amazon.com: 1000 Synthetic Vinyl Gloves Medium M Case Powder Free, (100 of 10) Latex Free Extra Strong Food: Health & Personal Care

ie you never want to take a plant from one tank and put it in another with out preparing it properly--- and waiting!
ie same for paper towel to clean a door or inside glass !
frog or froglet transportation containers
water dishes
the list goes on and on and on

One tip Heather taught me --- Always clean the 'dirty' frogs last !!!!
for instance ----before you feed your PDFs

[DigitalPunk]

In my search for a work bench I think I might end up building one myself. I am not great with wood working, but I am not a novice either. I think I can make a rolling bench fairly cheaply. Though I am considering other locations to build the tanks and then carry them into the basement for the final steps of it.

Lynn,

That is a great tip for the crickets! I just go through talking with my wife (the crickets and reds are hers lol :P ) a few days ago and told her we should reduce the size of the cricket bin and get a couple we rotate through. I didn't think about cleaning it weekly though! I read a post somewhere where a guy uses old water bottles instead of egg crate in his cricket bins to help keep the smell down and makes it easier to shake the crickets you need into the feeding/dusting bowl.

We don't have a sink in the basement (though it is on my list to add at some point) so we refill gallon water jugs from the sink in the kitchen and treat them with De Chlorinator, I recently switched from using traditional spray bottles to the "pressurized ones" I did this because I took my misting system down in favor of hand spraying everything for now. I have one sprayer that has water+fertilizer in it for the once every to week plant feeding and one with just water. I want to get more of them so they can be used for a specific tank and not shared, but we are careful not to touch anything in the tank with them.

and Holly cow that is a lot of spring cultures lol. I just expanded mine from 1 culture to 3. Once those boom I will expand again. I use plastic shoe box tubs I got from the $1 store for those. I use the sane tubs for my Iso culture and my New Rice Flour beetle culture. I haven't used any of either the iso or Rice culture yet. Letting them grow some.


What do the labels on your tank say (white pieces of paper towards the bottom of each tank?

[deranged chipmunk]

The problem with workbenches with wheels on them is making sure the casters can handle the weight. The best workbench with wheels I used was at one of my old jobs. It was a transmission building table. Big, metal, even had a trough with a drain on it. There are a few new potting tables for gardening one the market now that you can even hook a hose up to for a water supply. Myself though, I have been searching for an old autopsy table to use as a workbench in my new frog room. Stainless steel and a built in drain. And I get the added benefit having a place to rid myself of enemies. Lol

Everyone's rooms are very impressive!!! Nice job!!!


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[DigitalPunk]

Yeah the more I looked at work benches the more I think It will take up to much room. I spent a lot of time in the "Frog Room" today cleaning things up and organizing things more. We went to the store and picked up 4 smaller bins to adopt Lynns 2 bin rotation for Crickets to try and cut the smell out of the process. I started measuring out the space to get an idea on how to best maximize the tanks we can fit in here without being to crowded. I think I have a planish for some future growth. The initial plan was to fill the big rack with the 3 tanks up with 6 - 8 tanks, but now I think I will leave the bottom shelf for storage. I can fit 2... maybe 3 more of those around the perimeter of the room if needed. Each shelf holding 3 - 4 tanks. even if we only put 3 per shelf that is 12 tanks which would be a lot lol. Still not certain though. I am not looking to buy enough shelves for the future right now.... just looking to see what can be improved with our current setup.


I raised the top of the current Tank shelf. The Reds Ceramic heater was to tall. I rearranged a few things and did general cleaning and organizing. Packed up my tank building supplies and put them aside to stop the temptation of starting another build right now lol.

[flybyferns]

It's good to make as many plans as possible to organize the day-to-day care supplies.
Those - drawer bins on wheels work nicely, plus rolling them around gets them out of your way.

The bin switch will work ! You'll see I'm actually doing a switch this AM. I set the bins side-by side
I put clean paper roll in the dirty bin....let the cricks crawl in--- then lift the paper roll out ( carefully ) move it to the clean bin and shake them in.
-repeat till your just about done there are always some stragglers the have to be picked out.

If you use a dirty paper roll for the transfer that 1st shake will be filled with.............well you get the picture

Enclosures on the bottom shelves ? I thought long an hard about this !
I decided not to do this; and want them as eye-level as possible..

A couple things I don't think we have addressed:
Things that keep it enjoyable
1) Spiders- you WILL get spiders !
- so think about his if someone in the family is squeamish
-I keep a feather duster handy-- I would say ----I use it daily !

2) buy a vacuum! You will want to keep the floor as clean as possible

3) tadpoles, off spring and supplies take up a lot of space
-the lower space on the rack could be used for this ?
-I decided against this because of all the bending
-I'm using the lower spaces for supplies

I could take some photos- I use the storage drawers and clear bins .

I think that my counter I recently built has been the most valuable addition to the work area thus far !
Or ....yo could use a small table ! It's nice to sit at a table with a chair.
I have an old wicker chair that I have to share with my 2 cats !

Have you considered an automatic misting system , or are you panning to develop arthritis

3)Spring tails: I keep a "master" culture ! The master is on ABG in a show box size container. The daily use are on charcoal. What are you feeding the springs?
I use powdered "Solgar" brewers ( health food store) yeast for the springs and green zucchini for the isopods
-freeze the left over zucchini
-and store the brewers yest in the frig

You want to become an expert with the springs !
If you have froglets --- and run out---- you are in deep doo-dah!

5) a typed and printed schedule for feeding ei trees vs PDFs, tadpole water changes and feeding schedules

6) black sharpie markers
-these are great to make notes on the outside of the glass
ie I use them to make dated notes as to when eggs are noted , date of when eggs were pulled, when tads come oow etc
-I keep a Mr clean pad handy---dampen it --- it removes the marker very easily - with very little pressure needed

TTYL

[DigitalPunk]

1. Spiders - Yep we have a lot of intricate webs that show up nearly daily lol. Still need to get something to clean the webs up with. Right now I just use some paper towels. I am the only one brave enough to shake the spiders off my hands :P

2. I have a broom downstairs and try to sweep the floor good once a week. Being the basement it gets dirty ALL the time

3. Tadpoles - Yeah I have been thinking about this a lot. We do plan to breed all of our frogs if possible. (Not sure about the Reds) I saw on FB the Tadpole food recipe you use. I wouldn't mind having that explained in detail. Or even seeing you set up with lots of details . Once eggs start showing up I will be in some serious new water and want to know as much as I can before then. I have actually considered getting one shelf and dedicating it to tads and grow out tanks, but I am sure whatever I do stands the risk of running out of space fast.

4. Springtails - I am in the process of upping my culturing. With so many tanks and now with the focus on Dart and Mantellas I was not able to add them to the tanks as often as I would like. I split my 1 culture into 3 a few weeks ago. My current plan is to split those 3 into 6 once I see a significant population boom. All 3 of them are in shoebox size cultures. Hoping to end up with so many springs I don't know what to do with them lol. I bought a drawer system last night on Amazon. Each Drawer is about the size of a shoebox (7 Quarts). I am going to test using them as cultures so I don't have to unstack them to do feedings. I feed my springs brewers yeast. They love that stuff!

5. A typed schedule is a great idea! I will have to do that! I sometimes have to sit and think what supplement I did last. I try to keep things going in a schedule, but my wife likes to help feed the Darts sometimes (She does the Red Eye feedings more often than not) so I think a typed schedule will help us all out.

6. Black sharpie for tank notes. I had noticed this in your pictures and think it is an excellent idea. We always have loads of sharpie markers on hand


I also bought some Rapashey Calcium Plus last night. I wanted to include some Superpig in the rotation of Supplements and their Calcium Plus as 6% superpig in it.

So followup items for you Lynn

Tadpole care system - All the details you can. I wrote your food recipe down, but go into all the detail you can on your system
The labels on your tanks - what do they all say?

[DigitalPunk]

Oh and Misting - I have a pressurized mister I use. Just pump, point, and spray. I may eventually set my misting system back up, but for now I love the one on one time with the tanks