bioactive or easy peasy for an african bullfrog?

[miranda2]

Im fixing to move my female pixie up to a larger tank either the 20 or the 40 gallon, not sure which. I was thinking about putting in a false bottom with a nice bioactive substrate complete with little critters(isopods)..But after some reading Im wondering if its a good idea. Maybe she will be to much of a bioload for the soil to handle and I will just make her sick.
I know with darts this isnt a problem.Then there is the substrate ingestion problem. She goes wacko when I mist her tank and will grab a mouthful of dirt. She is currently on eco earth. But Im still unsure if I change that enough, its getting expensive as well.

I could put down a false bottom and put a terrarium rug(that green stuff) down on that, and just switch it out once a week but how ugly would that be.
Also she loves to dig down into the dirt with just her head out so she wouldnt be able to do that anymore.
Ugly and easy or pretty and complicated..What would you do?

BTW I also have a pacman that is currently in a ten that may also upgrade up.He also is on eco earth atm.

I am thinking of getting a couple more frogs as well.Either a couple of amazon milks or a cb australian whites tree frog.
So maybe easy is better..IDK I cant make up my mind..

[jasonm96]

I wouldn't do it myself, I've heard of many stories of these frogs dying due to waste build up. Of course, a clean up crew and live plants will help, but only to a degree. When large frogs are kept bio-actively, it's usually in large zoo sized enclosures.

How much eco earth are you going through? I only use enough to give 2inches of burrowing substrate and I change the substrate each month, though I might start doing it twice a month soon just to be safe. So will go through 4 blocks a month soon, which is about £10 where I'm from. I usually feed outside the tank in a large faunarium to prevent substrate ingestion and this allows the frog to catch its prey before the insects dig or hide and lose their supplements. Some keepers and breeders keep their frogs on foam and this can be cleaned for several months before being discarded. You can cut holes in it for a burrow or provide hiding spots by fake plants or cork bark. You have to make sure there's no chemicals in the foam, though.

Amazon milk frogs and whites would probably do better a large bio-active tank, but they also need UVB lights and a basking spot and the plants may need additional lighting.

I think simple is better, but with small frogs like darts, bio-active tanks can be good since a 2ft viv will be plenty large for waste to be broke down and will reduce handling, which is good since they're delicate but large frogs usually aren't.

[miranda2]

Thanks for the input. I was afraid the bioload would be to much for a larger frog and a smallish tank even if I went with the 40 gallon. I buy one brick of eco for almost 4 dollars here and It is good for both tanks one change. The price has doubled since I started using it a few years ago on other animals..
Do you have a false bottom for drainage using the eco earth?

Im not going to buy the other frogs until I have these guys squared away. Probably some time next year.

[jasonm96]

You might be able to do it, but yeah probably best with at least 40 gal. I reckon that simple is always going to be a favourite with keepers, though.

What a rip off! Try amazon, I looked on their site and their selling Exo Terra plantation soil right now for 5.99 for 3 blocks on the US site excluding delivery. Stack up

Na, I don't bother, since the soil just needs to be slightly moist and there's no plants

[miranda2]

Thanks, I will have to start buying it online I guess.