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Thread: Plants for WTF Enclosure

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    Default Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Hi,

    I'm thinking about putting some real plants in with my Whites Tree Frog tank, so far I have only used fake plants. The tank is 24W x 24L x 36H (Inches) and houses 4 frogs at the moment. I would still like to have fake plants in there like the suction cup vines and 1 other plant I have, but add in some fake plants to make it look nicer and hopefully mask the bad smell that sometimes comes out of the tank. I was wondering what plants would be good for whites tree frogs and this size thank, as well as what substrate I should use, as I don't use any at the moment, just glass. Thanks!

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    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Low-growing plants that don't mind being trampled and very sturdy plants are probably the best. I have snake plant and lucky bamboo in mine, though I know I will have to prune the bamboo. Many people also have bromeliads and if the frogs are small enough (or the bromeliads are big enough) frogs like hiding in them. As far as substrate I like Josh Frog's ABG mix. It came layered in the bags so I could make sure the big chunks that could hurt a frog if ingested were kept at the bottom. Are you doing a drainage layer or false bottom below the substrate?

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Quote Originally Posted by elly View Post
    Low-growing plants that don't mind being trampled and very sturdy plants are probably the best. I have snake plant and lucky bamboo in mine, though I know I will have to prune the bamboo. Many people also have bromeliads and if the frogs are small enough (or the bromeliads are big enough) frogs like hiding in them. As far as substrate I like Josh Frog's ABG mix. It came layered in the bags so I could make sure the big chunks that could hurt a frog if ingested were kept at the bottom. Are you doing a drainage layer or false bottom below the substrate?

    Thanks, I'll look into those plants. I'm not to sure yet about a drainage layer of false bottom, I only really just started thinking about it and not to sure what ethier is or does. What does both of these do and which would be easier to maintain or easier to clean?

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Also here is a pic of my tankName:  20141102_171850.jpg
Views: 912
Size:  78.0 KB woudl fake reall plants look good it in it? It's tall compared to most tanks, 3ft tall. Can you post a pic of your tank so I can see how those plants look together in an enclosure?

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    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Drainage layers are supposed to take the excess water from when you water your plants so that the dirt doesn't sit in water all the time and get rotten. For a drainage layer you can use about two inches of rocks (which will be heavy) or stuff you get from gardening stores called LECA (Light Expanded Clay Aggregate). There's instructions on this and false bottoms in the White's Tree Frog caresheet in the Tree Frogs section of the forum. This all sounded ridiculously complicated to me, but if a planted tank's set up well it shouldn't have to be cleaned for a long time (besides the occasional removal of poop).

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    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Your tank looks well set up. Lots of places to hide. As far as mixing plants, I've seen tanks with both fake and real plants that looked good. But your own opinion of your tank is what matters, right? Three feet is a good size for Whites. I wish I could find one that tall. Here's a link to a thread where I posted my tank. Keep in mind I'd just planted it and I want to separate the bamboo and snake plant so they're not so close together. I didn't mention the pothos and striped transcendentia/ wandering jew (under the branch). Those are pretty tough plants and it's easy to grow replacements from cuttings. I've also added some low-growing peacock fern since I took the picture. The tank looks a lot better now.

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    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Also if your real plants start small you might need to include your fake ones at least until the real ones get big enough. I'm using fake vines to cover part of the sides

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    So with the drainage, it would go rocks on the bottom aND then the substrate on top? The 3ft tank is good, I just thought it would be hard to get plants to grow tall enough to look good in it. I would still keep the fake plants in there, not all though. The vines on the glass and one of the ground one. AlsI looking at your tank, I can't seem to see the bamboo, I'm not to sure what it looks like, what siDE of the tank is it on?

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Hi!

    are you doing anything for background? If so you can plant pothos in there, they are sturdy and will hang down nicely and take over the space very fast too this will eliminate a need of silk plants with suction cups. You may also look into something bigger for them to perch on. Alternatively you can get something like magnitural pots and suspend these high up with pothos hanging down.

    snake plants are fine as well, anything that is cheap to replace will do, they will tramp most of the plants anyway.

    bottom - false bottom or any other ways of drainage - leca, hydroballs, rocks, then a layer that will separate soil from that layer - most people use window screen mesh for that, they you put proper soil ( ABG mix or similar). ABG mix may not be available where you live just like here in Canada, so I mix stuff to get something similar.

    you will need lots of isopods and springtails to deal with the amount of waste these guys make lol also you need to figure out how to take out excess water of drainage layer. And you will still need to spot clean as soon as you see it.

    Check the the sticky thread about the viv construction..... Having said that do you really want a naturalistic viv for whites? Like full on one?
    Save one animal and it doesn't change the world, but it surely changes the world for that one animal!

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Yeah, rocks/ hydroballs/ LECA on bottom, then garden mesh to keep dirt from falling down there, then substrate. Lucky bamboo and snake plant can grow pretty tall, it just takes time. I know some people grow ornamental fig too and that can get tall and it's sturdy. Here's a thread about a list of frog safe plants if it helps: http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...exception.html In my tank photo, the bamboo shoot is hiding behind the snake plant (It's the tallest one with leaves behind the dark green spiky plant.)

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Check the the sticky thread about the viv construction..... Having said that do you really want a naturalistic viv for whites? Like full on one?
    <- What Lija said. It cost me more to put together a naturalistic terrarium, but I didn't want to keep replacing the substrate so frequently so I did the drainage layer, springtails and isopods thing. If you want the look of live plants but not a planted vivarium, maybe you could use (very sturdy and secure) flowerpots to hold them. Just make sure that the dirt doesn't have chemical fertilizer or anything. (and maybe get someone else's opinion about the flowerpots idea because I'm not entirely sure about it.)

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    I'll look into the pothos idea, I've got some fish tank like background on the outside of the tank that you just spray water and stick on to make it look nicer. Is a naturalistic Viv for whites hard? Im happy to put the time into setting iT up and maintaing it, but is it harder then what I probably think?

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    It's not too difficult to do. Drainage layer, garden mesh, springtail culture (optional), soil, plants and you're done. If you want to make cleanup easier you can cut a hole in the mesh and stick a pvc pipe down into the drainage layer so you can siphon some water off if the drainage layer gets full. Or you can experiment with false bottoms. That looks a bit complicated to me but the people who have done it say it's not that hard. Edit: Okay, getting ABG soil might be harder in Australia. You could try looking up how to mix it yourself, or try plantation soil with a little of the fertilizer they sell for aquatic plants in fish tanks. Something that is fish-safe.

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Ok thanKS, how much would it ruffley cost to setup?

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    It really depends on what you can get, I don't know what's available in Australia. I suggest making a list of what you need and then looking at garden shops both in your area and online. As far as plants, it helps if you can find friends with houseplants and ask if you can take cuttings . If you buy from a nursery, wash the plants thoroughly to remove any pesticide, wash the dirt off the roots and give them a quick dip in 10% bleach 90% water mixture. (You should also do this with cuttings.) Rinse them off again. Oh, and note it's much better to get cheap plants since the white's might dig them up or something. Once my pothos and transcendentia grow large enough I'm going to take cuttings of them for backup plants. Just take off a piece with leaves and little rootlets on it and stick it in a glass of water and leave it. Chances are it will grow. Snake plant and lucky bamboo can be divided at the base when they start to send off shoots.

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    I think I can get most of those plants listed above from the local nussary, and I will look into the substrate more. Thanks

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    No, you can't use plantation soil, nothing will grow in there.
    there are lots of AbG mix recipes on net, you just look what works with what is available.

    and yes properly set up naturalistic tank is pricey, there are ways to cut the corners though. The proper light fixture may be expensive. If I were you I'd put a cost estimation together and see if it's doable.
    Save one animal and it doesn't change the world, but it surely changes the world for that one animal!

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    Ok thanks, I will when I get home. I also have noticed a few tanks that have a different background that looks like rock inside the tank that the frogs can sit on. Do you recommend this?

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    You mean Styrofoam backgrounds like on the Exo-Terra tanks? Those should be fine.

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    Default Re: Plants for WTF Enclosure

    They don't look Styrofoam, maybe they are. But the frogs can sit on them like a cave/cliff ledge.

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