First terrarium - tree frogs

[Mikey von]

Santa brought our 6 year old a note saying we would get him the tree frogs he has wanted. We have a 10 gallon plexiglass tank (22"x10"x12") that we would like to use. We are thinking about setting it up similar to this http://www.frogforum.net/care-articl...struction.html

What kind of plants should we use? We have a lot of manzanita available to use for thicker branches.

Heat source?

Lights?

We are headed to town (an hour drive) this week and would like to get the tank all set up. There are Petco, PetSmart, and some reef stores there.

Any suggestions for us?

[HatchettUK]

Looks like your in a similar position to me! Santa too brought me some tree frogs!

What species are you looking at getting?

As for plants, there is a comprehensive list of suitable plants on this link Vivarium Plant Pricelist

I've currently got some baby Red Eyed Tree Frogs in a small plastic tank, i'm using a small heat mat to provide gentle heat throughout the night, attatched to a thermostat of course! Daytime temperatures need to be slightly higher so i'm using a small red light bulb. It's warm enough to keep the temperature up, but not affect the humidity too much.

Hope everything goes well for you! I'm new to this too

James

[bshmerlie]

If you posted your location in the profile it would be easier to give you suggestions. You can get plants from just about anywhere that sells indoor plants usually those are your tropical variety. Also it depends on what size tree frogs you're getting. The larger the frog the thicker the stems should be to support their weight. Pothos is just one large leaf plant that I use a lot because it is very easy to keep and it does well in water areas as well as land areas. Just remember to clean the plant before you put it into your tank. I take it out of the pot wash off all the original soil, rinse it with a 5% bleach solution/water, then rinse it completely again with treated tap water. Then I replant it with the soil that I'm using for the tank. This will make sure there are no fertilizers on the plant. Some reptile shops do sell plants but they are usually more expensive and never look very healthy. Then use a moss or leaf litter so the soil doesn't stick to the frogs. Try Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowes for the plants. For lighting I use the repti 2.0. For heat I use a side mounted heat pad stuck to the glass.

[Mikey von]

Thank you for the quick responses.

We are in the Mtns of Northern California, a small logging town an hour NE of Redding. It gets cold here, so heat will definitely be needed. Is the heat mat better on the side or bottom of tank? Any brands/types that or more popular or should be avoided?

We are not sure on the species? We want something that is not too difficult or big. Owen (our 6 year old who is the oldest of three boys) wants tree frogs, but was not specific and like fish, the final choice is up to me. What do you suggest?

I will have a look at the plant list and figure it out, thanks for the link.

Do frogs need UV-B like reptiles? We have kept red footed tortoises and a red eared slider (out doors in a pond). I see the repti 2.0 is UV-B in a compact floerescent, perfect. They did not have those when we kept reptiles.

How deep should the water part be?

[bshmerlie]

If you don't have a frog yet...let me suggest firebelly toads. They are awake both day and night and are some of the most active frogs you can own. Two or three would be fine for a 10 gallon just keep it horizontal. They do love a water section and will spend a lot of time swimming. You can ramp up to your land section. They aren't tree frogs but they might be better suited for the enjoyment of young children. Tree frogs are nocturnal and may not even wake up before your kids bedtime. Firebellies are also quick moving and interact with each other where as the tree frogs are slower moving and young boys may find them boring. Just a suggestion.

[Leefrogs]

my suggestion is whites tree frogs. they look like kermit. Not real active in the day, although they will wait in appointed feeding spot. They are friendly enough to eat from your fingers. Same as you, my son wanted frogs. Through my study, pacman frogs bite, cubans are toxic enough to cause alergies. And fire bellys toxic. Whites are the most handleable frogs. Simply washing hands after handling. I've had mine 3 weeks and they know when it's feeding time and will stay awake to be fed. They are 2 1/2 and 3 inches in a 33 gal tank. My 3 year old hasn't held them yet (suprise) since we are waiting for them to adjust to new noisey environment. Good luck with your choice. But the kids will want sumthing to hold eventually. I suggest getting cage going and ready before u bring frogs home.

[Tony]

I agree with Cheri, firebellies are a great beginner frog and are better suited for a 10 gallon than a tree frog. Even the smaller tree frog species are very active at night, I wouldn't use anything smaller than a 20.

[bshmerlie]

Firebellies are not toxic by touch. Nothing about them is going to hurt you or your children. Don't drink the water that they are swimming in or eat them and you will be fine. Simply wash your hands before and after handling them just as you would with any other frog. They are very friendly frogs and very outgoing. They are also very forgiving and tolerant. You won't have to worry so much out heat and humidity as they can handle a pretty good temperature range. You could just get one of those Tetra Fauna submersible heaters for their water area and the overhead light should be fine for them. If your house is super cold get a side mounted heat pad for extra heat. They eat like pigs so as long as they're healthy you won't have to worry about hunger strikes. Check them out...you can get them at Petsmart and they come in bright green with a red underbelly. They also come in muddy greens.. I just prefer the brighter colors. Type "Firebelly toads" on YouTube and you can see them in action.

[Mikey von]

I have Owen sold on FireBelly's. So I can just use a water heater and no heat pad? I will be using one of those 24 watt repti 2.0 UV-B bulbs.

Should I do 1/2 water and 1/2 land or so abouts? How deep should I make the water?

[Tony]

I wouldn't use any heat at all, they are from temperate regions in Asia and can handle temperatures down into the upper 30's with no issues.

[Mikey von]

The room does not get cold, maybe 60 min when we are not home and do not have a fire going, so that sounds perfect.


What about a filter or pump? It will be a small volume of water, maybe 4 gallons. Do most run a filter or just do frequent water changes?

Thanks again for all the help!

[HatchettUK]

Use a small internal filter, and do regular water changes


James

[Mikey von]

Well,we got two cute fbt last night and got the tank set up. We have a wisper 10i filter and 2.5 uvb light. The tank looks great, but we already want to make a change.

With the river rock in, we want to make the water depth higher by 1-2". This will make the water level go above our clay pellets and into our fine coco fiber substrate. Is this OK or do we need to raise our false floor so the coco fiber is completely out of the water?

Pictures to come soon!

[HatchettUK]

Providing your FBT has at least one dry area in the enclosure, it should be fine. However i would be worried about the coco substrate clogging up your filter.

Regards