White dumpy info and help please

[LittleDuudeIsAGirl]

Hi guys,

Im looking into getting a white dumpy tree frog for my boyfriend for our 3 year anniversary. He has had one before but I have not. I currently have one bearded dragon (adult).

And I was thinking of getting a 25 gal tank. with smooth river rocks in the bottom on one half and then soil with moss on top on the other end with a water bowl maybe in the rock area? like put the bowl in then the rocks around it up to the rim of the water bowl.

Ive never owned a frog before and really need some help. Im going to buy him the whole set up and want the best of the best. so please help me with what substrate..half water half land? what should i get?

[Diogo Juliao]

Hi guys,

Im looking into getting a white dumpy tree frog for my boyfriend for our 3 year anniversary. He has had one before but I have not. I currently have one bearded dragon (adult).

And I was thinking of getting a 25 gal tank. with smooth river rocks in the bottom on one half and then soil with moss on top on the other end with a water bowl maybe in the rock area? like put the bowl in then the rocks around it up to the rim of the water bowl.

Ive never owned a frog before and really need some help. Im going to buy him the whole set up and want the best of the best. so please help me with what substrate..half water half land? what should i get?

First I want to say I'm defenitely not an expert in white's, but I've kept mine for more than 18 months and from what I learned, they'll use the water more or less frequently depending on the time of the year.

During the summer, when it gets really hot (at least in Portugal) I provide more or less half-half (water and humus), and they are always in the water or nearby. When the temperature falls a bit, they'll start climbing into the top of the plants or gathering up in the cornes of the land zone and almost stop using the water. That's when I change the setup for a terrarium with a medium plastic lake.

I figured out this is how my Litorias are happy, they never refuse food and they're quite active

I hope it helps

[chubb chubb]

i would get him the exo terra 18 by 18 by 24 and get the zoo mee waterfall kit and get some rock to majke a barrier for the land and water

[1beataway]

What you describe is exactly how I have mine set up for my three. They enjoy it. Check out my photo album to see pictures. And they're very messy (which is why I decided against a water area, after trying it for a while), but this setup seems to stay pretty intact.

[Diogo Juliao]

i would get him the exo terra 18 by 18 by 24

I agree with you, that's the ideal, but I do think they can be housed quite nicely in smaller terrariums such as 18x18x18 for a couple

[LittleDuudeIsAGirl]

i was thinking this tank guys. what do you think?

Zilla Fresh Air Acrylic Atrium Habitat for Reptiles at PETCO




also could anyone put up pics i work better with pics...to show me how to set everything up.

thank you so much guys (:

[Diogo Juliao]

i was thinking this tank guys. what do you think?

Zilla Fresh Air Acrylic Atrium Habitat for Reptiles at PETCO


also could anyone put up pics i work better with pics...to show me how to set everything up.

thank you so much guys (:

I think it would be ok to 1, maximum 2 frogs. Too bad those 12 wide inches, but it's not that bad.
Just make sure you don't put a large background or you will lose precious wide inches.

I posted photos of mine just a few threads below ("My Litorias")

[LittleDuudeIsAGirl]

if i got the 18x18x24 what type of lighting would i use?

i have a bearded dragon so i know all about the uvb lights and such do frogs need just a uvb on top of their screen? or do they need any type of heat pad on the bottom of their tank..ive never use a heat pad before..i know they need humidity thats not a problem and ill get a very nice temp/humid monitor for the tank.

i just wanna know what is the best to put at the bottom..im thinking big flat river stones and live moss..but what kind of moss?

and do you guys reccomend those branches that you get from the pet store that bend everywhere if i sanitize it before i put it in?
orrrr....bamboo rods?

[Julia]

also could anyone put up pics i work better with pics...to show me how to set everything up.

thank you so much guys (:

This is my Whites Tree Frog set up. The front approx 4 or 5 inches is water. I glued glass inserts into the front to divide land/water. I added some neon tetras to the water so during the day when my frogs are sleeping, the fish are active... The land section has a false bottom made from gravel, mesh, and coco fiber. I planted live plants to help with the humidity and placed leaf litter over the soil. If you are interested in this idea there are step by step photos in my album.

[Julia]

if i got the 18x18x24 what type of lighting would i use?

This is debatable. Normally its said that no UVB is required because they are nocturnal. But recent studies are showing that this may not be true. If you want to be on the safe side you could go for a 5.0 uvb stip. It cant hurt!

or do they need any type of heat pad on the bottom of their tank..ive never use a heat pad before..i know they need humidity thats not a problem and ill get a very nice temp/humid monitor for the tank.

It depends on the temps in your house. If it drops below 75degrees then I would recommend one of the "rain forest" heat pads. It can be placed on any of the walls on your tank.

i just wanna know what is the best to put at the bottom..im thinking big flat river stones and live moss..but what kind of moss?

Personally I dont like moss because its hard to keep alive. And the dead stuff you buy at the pet store smells strange. Thats just a personal preference. Most members on this site build a false bottom and then have coco husk with leaf litter on top. If you decide to go with the stones make sure they are larger then your frogs mouth to avoid accidental ingestion.

and do you guys reccomend those branches that you get from the pet store that bend everywhere if i sanitize it before i put it in?
orrrr....bamboo rods?

As long as they are thick and strong enough to hold the frogs weight then they are all good! Keep in mind Whites Tree Frogs get pretty heavy when full grown.

[Diogo Juliao]

if i got the 18x18x24 what type of lighting would i use?

i have a bearded dragon so i know all about the uvb lights and such do frogs need just a uvb on top of their screen? or do they need any type of heat pad on the bottom of their tank..ive never use a heat pad before..i know they need humidity thats not a problem and ill get a very nice temp/humid monitor for the tank.

i just wanna know what is the best to put at the bottom..im thinking big flat river stones and live moss..but what kind of moss?

and do you guys reccomend those branches that you get from the pet store that bend everywhere if i sanitize it before i put it in?
orrrr....bamboo rods?

I think a reptile glo 2.0 uvb 26W would do the job. They are nocturnal, so they don't need much uvb radiation.

I use an heat cable to warm my tank: it's only 18 inches high, so I use it in the bottom but for a tank with 24 inches high t would be a good idea to use it on the back (always attached to the OUTSIDE of the tank).

You can use the exo-terra mosses, both sphagnum or live moss. Your idea of putting rock in the bottom seems cool.

You can collect dead branches in the wild and save a lot of money. You just got to boil them and wash them very well. They you to be even prettier than those you ger on a pet store

I think that's it...

[LittleDuudeIsAGirl]

This is my Whites Tree Frog set up. The front approx 4 or 5 inches is water. I glued glass inserts into the front to divide land/water. I added some neon tetras to the water so during the day when my frogs are sleeping, the fish are active... The land section has a false bottom made from gravel, mesh, and coco fiber. I planted live plants to help with the humidity and placed leaf litter over the soil. If you are interested in this idea there are step by step photos in my album.

Thanks ill take a look.

How does keeping the water work? Doesnt it get..gross i gues you could say, do you have a filtration system of some sort? i was thinking of just using a big natural looking water bowl and replacing the water every day or every other day.


heat pad:
Would it be ok to put on the back of the tank? would the heat still come thru the background? i was thinking of getting one of the cork backgrounds i guess or which one would you reccomend?

uvb:
Sounds great. ill get one just incase. to be on the safe side(:


substrate:
Im worried about cocoa husks only because if its swalowed...hearing the horror stories because im a bearded dragon owner. :/ its safe for whites? i hear they sometimes use their "hands" to push food in their mouths. Ya i was planning to get the biger flat river rocks..like 1-2inches..not the small pebble looking ones..just for that reason to avoid impaction. Which plants are great for whites? Im worried ill put the wrong ones in.

sorry for all the questions, im gonna be a new owner and want to make sure i have everything set up right so that when i do get the frog it will feel nice at home. Its for my boyfriend..but i want it all to be the right stuff..so far..the exo terra or zoo med 18x18x24 with a 2.0 uvb on top to be safe..a heat pad for the back side if my home temps drop too low..a nice big shallow water dish..flat river rocks (big so they wont be injested) soil? cocoa husks? or moss..or a little of all three? im still confused on that part. i plan to mist daily 2-3 times unless the humidity doesnt call for it.

[LittleDuudeIsAGirl]

i forgot to mention i was planning to put in a waterfall as well..i was reccomended the zoomed waterfall kit..all this stuff is so exciting thankyou so much guys.

[Diogo Juliao]

How does keeping the water work? Doesnt it get..gross i gues you could say, do you have a filtration system of some sort?

Only Julia can answer that but I'm guessing she does, or at least she does a lot of water changes. Otherwise the water would get too dirty.

heat pad:
Would it be ok to put on the back of the tank? would the heat still come thru the background? i was thinking of getting one of the cork backgrounds i guess or which one would you reccomend?

Yes you can put it on the back, and as a matter of fact it's the best option for tree frogs, because the heat you get everywhere. Cork backgrounds are cool and you can fix all sort of thing in them

substrate:
Im worried about cocoa husks only because if its swalowed...hearing the horror stories because im a bearded dragon owner. :/ its safe for whites? i hear they sometimes use their "hands" to push food in their mouths. Ya i was planning to get the biger flat river rocks..like 1-2inches..not the small pebble looking ones..just for that reason to avoid impaction. Which plants are great for whites? Im worried ill put the wrong ones in.

I feed my when they are on the top of the tank. That way they don't swallow anything but the food.
You can use big plants which reach the top of the tank with strong leaves that can hold the weight of the frogs.

Hope it helps

[LittleDuudeIsAGirl]

Only Julia can answer that but I'm guessing she does, or at least she does a lot of water changes. Otherwise the water would get too dirty.



Yes you can put it on the back, and as a matter of fact it's the best option for tree frogs, because the heat you get everywhere. Cork backgrounds are cool and you can fix all sort of thing in them



I feed my when they are on the top of the tank. That way they don't swallow anything but the food.
You can use big plants which reach the top of the tank with strong leaves that can hold the weight of the frogs.

Hope it helps

i think ill start with the backing that comes with the tank and then change to cork if i want something different. and great thing for the heat pad ill make sure to put it there also it wont be on just one side and we will be able to see in from all sides too.

so any plants that survive in humid conditions work pretty much?

[Diogo Juliao]

so any plants that survive in humid conditions work pretty much?

I don't know which plants you have available there in the USA, so I can't say all of them are good. Some of them may be poisonous.

But here you have some of the plants I've used with White's with good results:

- Big Bromeliads
- Dracaena marginata (white's love their big trunks)
- Small rubber trees (really strong leaves)
- Aglaonema sp.

And many more, I can't remind the names..

[Julia]

I use a small 5 gallon under water fish filter that runs 24/7. I also do a 40-50 percent water change once a week with a siphon. It takes less then 5 min to clean the water, and it stays crystal clear!

[LittleDuudeIsAGirl]

i dont think im gonna go with having the water in the bottom with a filter but i would really like to put in a self containing waterfall unit..if you get what i mean that way there is a water dish but also a constant flow of water with the waterfall to keep humidity up...but the water would fall into the bottom section of the water fall and get sucked back up to the top to flow down the waterfall...if that makes sense..i think it does..kind of like a little water fountain to get for a house or soemthing but a realistic one for a frog tank.


and ill look into the plants thankyou so much for the suggestions.

[IgbyKibbits]

Here's what we have for our two frog setup:

For the terrarium, we have an extra-large tank like this. It's really nice to have it open from the front and the top.

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products...rainforest.php

We separated the bottom (sealing in a glass piece with non-toxic aquarium sealant) to make a water side. They love it! We have a version of this filter/waterfall system:

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/turtle_cliff.php

We just put rocks down on the bottom (so that they don't drawn), and floating plants, etc.

But you can buy a "self-contained" waterfall like this: http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/waterfall.php

For that last one, you still might want to get a static water holder, just so that he has a little more room to relax. As far as substrate, we use T-Rex Jungle Bed. It's nice and soft for them, and small enough that if they get messy eating (which they inevitably do), there is no fear of impaction.

We use the same light setup as Julia. Anyways, I hope that helps!!! What a great present to get for an anniversary. I think I'm going to "casually" leave your post up in my browser for my fiance to read and see if it gives him some ideas for our next anniversary ; ) HAHA!

[Deku]

i dont think im gonna go with having the water in the bottom with a filter but i would really like to put in a self containing waterfall unit..if you get what i mean that way there is a water dish but also a constant flow of water with the waterfall to keep humidity up...but the water would fall into the bottom section of the water fall and get sucked back up to the top to flow down the waterfall...if that makes sense..i think it does..kind of like a little water fountain to get for a house or soemthing but a realistic one for a frog tank.


and ill look into the plants thankyou so much for the suggestions.

Hmm well here is some information that was passed onto me by a friend from a forum called arachnoboards. Waterfalls tend to splash water onto the whole enclosure. So half of the water will end up in the dirt. Which means you will end up having a soggy bedding. I mean you want the tank to be moist but not dranched. Which is what will happen with a "self containing waterfall". Assumming your talking about pre-designed ones like zoo meds and such. Its falling water which splosches down onto the place where the water goes back up. Again some water may and probably will end up in the soil. I actually did a waterfall once. Where I had sealed off a section for the land area. But the water kept splashing into the soil. then going back onto the basin when it was drenched. Just passing on what i think and was warned about.