Nearly finished..220g terrarium

[kittiekuddles]

Well im about done, i just need to gather some leaves from my yard tomorrow, sprinkle them on the floor and then its done
This is my first terrarium, i hope the plants dont die, that would suck
Frogs arent going in for awhile yet. im planning on a pair of whites tree frogs. I put their water bowl lagoon in anyway
I went a little deep on the soil, i didnt realize at the time until i started spreading it out, then i was like oh my thats alot lol..hopefully it will flatten out a bit in time

[peeka]

WOW Beautiful!

I'm new so double check this with the other members but I believe WTFs like to climb so maybe add some more branches or vines for them.

Ally

[kittiekuddles]

thank you

i wasnt sure if the frogs just hang out on the glass or not..but if they go on the branches then i will for sure get them more, and i like the idea of the vines

i bought the temp and humidity thing but i forgot to put them up, and i still have to figure out a way to screen in the back somehow. the glass covers about 90% with a small portion open in the back..i have some mesh screen, do you think duct tape on the outside will be strong enough to adhere the screen to the glass covers?

[kittiekuddles]

I got the leaves in, and while i was scrounging for leaves in my yard i came across two kinds of moss. I scooped them up and put them in my tank and im hoping the moss will take off

[bshmerlie]

If this tank is for whites you're definatly going to need more branches. They prefer to sit up high and look down. If you don't already have frogs you could get a more terrestrial species so you wouldn't have to make as many changes.

[bshmerlie]

Tape to hold down a screen is probably not the best way to do it. Frogs can be diligent and if there is a weak spot they will find it. You can go to hardware stores and many of them can make screens with frames to the dimensions that you give them. That would be more secure and then you could tape down the frame part of it.

[kittiekuddles]

The screen cut i need would be 72" long and only 2" wide, which is all thats open in the back. If i get a total screen cover without the glass then it wont be a true terrarium right? how can i keep moisture in if the tank has a full screen cover? thats like going topless since it will have tons of air going in drying out the tank. so i need to figure out a way to get a screen on that small back portion thats open
I think i have the plastic back pieces that go on the glass hoods somewhere but then that would be a total enclosure and im worried about no air
Adding vines is a piece of cake, no worries there. The vines i found were jungle vines by exo terra(?) I see they dont have suction cups so im wondering how they stay?
the tank is 72x24x31, i lost some height due to all the soil, so basically now its about 25" from soil floor to top instead of 31"
the bark has a perch on top of that also and the whole back of the bark is like one big cave 18" long just in case they need shelter or shade for some reason
the skinny branch is about 40" long. so if a whites tree frog is at the very top of the branch he will be looking down about 24" or so, and their is a large driftwood for perching also on the right hand side which goes up about 20" and is 22" wide. I would only get two whites and most tanks i see with them are only 20 gallons with one or two large branches...i think because the tank is so large its just giving the illusion of emptiness. the plants too have to fill in which will take some time


heres a far away shot

[Tony]

You should be able to have a glass shop make you a screen to fit the gap for a reasonable price.

[kittiekuddles]

You should be able to have a glass shop make you a screen to fit the gap for a reasonable price.

but then how will i be able to attach the screen to the glass covers? i'll still be in the same dilemma
i'm going to have to take a pic of the back space so you can see what i mean



heres the same tank when it was a reef tank. i had it for five years. tore it down because of the expense and upkeep were becoming a burden. my local petshop took all the livestock and i sold the lights to local reefers

[kittiekuddles]

okee heres a pic of the back (not a full 72" shot because it couldnt fit in my cameras focus)
the tank is sectioned on top in three sections, so their are three separate glass covers that fits on the inside lip of the rim. if your familiar with aquariums then you will be aware that these glass lids come with a plastic piece that slides on the glass to cover that back portion and giving the option to cut out for filter intakes etc
I must have those pieces somewhere, and they are uncut and never used
but id prefer a screen back their somehow
i really think my only option is to cut three pieces and afix them all separately this way it will be flat and easier to work with, i cant see a custom one being made for this, i dont think its possible, and the frame on a custom made screen only 2" wide would probably be too thick and harder to adhere to the glass top and plastic rim
So im going to try a mesh screen cut myself and try attaching it with heavy duty velcro..since i do want it to be removable just in case i have to take off the lids for some reason...which im sure i will have to for cleaning, pruning plants etc
i know the velcro sticks solid to the tanks rim, i have some on there and it wont come off for ****
but im sure it wont stick as well to mesh, so i can use silicone or some other frog safe heavy duty sealant to attach the velcro to the screen
and if they get out...then the hunt will be on lol..after reading this forum the past few days i see alot of people lose their frogs regardless, so i wont feel too guilty lol

[Tony]

but then how will i be able to attach the screen to the glass covers?

I would just attach it to the aquarium frame with a little RTV silicone.

Here is an example of the silicone to look for.

[kittiekuddles]

I would just attach it to the aquarium frame with a little RTV silicone.

Here is an example of the silicone to look for.

thanks that sounds perfect

[kittiekuddles]

I went out back and cut off some branches
Next time i go to petsmart i'll buy those vines

[Tony]

thanks that sounds perfect

No problem. If the screen is not going to be big enough you could also have the glass top cut down a bit to open up more space, the cost should be minimal.

[Drewhop]

Awesome setup. I like the room I bet it has a nice relaxed feel to it. Gives me some great ideas for some of my old aquariums.

[onedge30]

I don't know if you solved your gap in the top - but, here is an idea that would work perfectly.

Go to the 10 gal tank vert dart tank construction thread, look at the small framed screen panel they make for the front.

You would make two of them to fit the gaps in the top. And you could tack them in place with silicone. It would be perfect!

Just saying......

[froggiez]

Very beautiful! Those are some lucky froggies!!

[kittiekuddles]

Thanks so much
It's been a few months since i set up so i thought id show some pics from this morning. All four whites tree frogs are doing well, they are all growing at different rates of speed though ...one is enormous already! and how i knew to name that one Jaba from the start lol, he/she croaks often, i love hearing him! My tiny little one, Greedo is putting on weight and trying to catch up. But Jaba literally grew overnight, like a big puppy lol
I got the back portion of the tank closed up with black mesh window screen and camoflauge duct tape...alot of duct tape! its totally secure, not even a cricket can escape. It's neat and tidy and cannot be seen at all unless you go behind the tank and peak.
On top of that i put a string of blue xmas lights so i can have night vision lol
The frogs are pretty active, more than i thought they would be, so that was a pleasant surprise. They make flying leaps and sometimes just "walk" and they look hilarious when they do that, with those long legs walking up the branches lol

[Kara W]

Hi I am new to the forum! I'm not sure how to make my own question so I'm going to piggyback on yours! I'm currently in the process of creating a new terrarium for my froggy friends out of an old curio cabinet. I have everything sealed with aquarium silicone and mod podge to be sure no harsh chemicals get through, however I created my waterfall using a pretty small am punt of duct tape..some of the tape is exposed, and the rest is firmly in place under the rocks and "pond and stone" "great stuff". Its not going to come off easily, so I'm really hoping I didn't screw up..basically all I need to know is, is the duct tape toxic to my whites tree frogs or will they be safe? I've got two 13 yr olds and two 6 yr olds.. I've had them more than half of my life and am not willing to put them in any danger..All answers appreciated!!! Thank you!!