purchasing new RETF

[wesly2009]

ho meant to ask how often do you break down and clean your cages? and what does it take to do so?

Removal of everything and rebuilding?

[John]

for that reason im trying to take this very slow, make sure I have it how i want it, and how it needs to be for the frogs.

I commend you on your diligence this time around - it's good that you care.

ho meant to ask how often do you break down and clean your cages? and what does it take to do so?

Removal of everything and rebuilding?

How often really depends on how many occupants and how big the terrarium is. It also depends somewhat on what substrate you use. I tend to use simple terraria. I have a base of top soil or coconut fibre - top soil is safer for longer. I usually have a few potted plants that I leave in the pots, just making spaces in the substrate for the pots - leaving them in the pots makes them easier to remove at cleaning time. In the small size tall-type exoterra or zilla terrariums with two frogs I would clean them out every month or so - if you do spot cleanings of poop during that time then you could probably get away with leaving it a few weeks longer. A larger terrarium for the same number of frogs would require less frequent cleaning, but bigger, messier species like White's Dumpy Treefrogs would need cleaning sooner.

Breaking down, cleaning and renewing a terrarium like I just described takes less than an hour because of how simple it is. you should wipe the surfaces in the tank, including any cork backing and such, fake plants, etc. I just use a damp cloth and give it a good wipe but some people use dilute detergent - if you do so, make sure you really wipe well afterwards with a water-soaked cloth to ensure you remove any detergent residue because this could harm your frogs.

All the best,

-John

[wesly2009]

good to know. thanks very much

[John]

You are most welcome!

[wesly2009]

one more quick question what do i need to use for lighting for these frogs. I have just a regular light fixture for the typical aquarium. would that work? what color temp should i get for the plants.

[John]

It really depends on what kind of plants you want to keep. If it's tough plants like Pothos then a normal "daylight" light is fine. If you are trying to grow less hardy plants you will need to find something that gives out more in the UV spectrum. I notice our article doesn't have anything on light in it. I think we will have to make an addition.

One important thing to keep in mind is that incandescent light and fixtures can give off a lot of heat. Fluorescent bulbs use a lot less power and produce a lot less heat, so bear that in mind before you make your choices.

[Kurt]

Red-eyes don't need lights.