56G Tank Progress

[Leefrogs]

What a big project. Thanks for posting picts of process, helps any1 who wantsa custom set-up. BTW, what species are you putting in there, I missed that part. And if they can't swim are u building a bank, what are your plans that way? Maybe a close up of that part if it's odvious and I missed that. Can't wait to see it finished

[1beataway]

Thank you!

This tank is for my Malaysian Leaf Frog (Megophrys Nasuta). Some people believe I should add some more in there, but I want to hear more info from others on how well they do together before I try it.

The pond in the front right is the only water he'll have access to. I plan on putting quite a few more large rocks in there, and am going to attempt to stack rocks in such a way that he can get out easily. I'll definitely post close up pics when that is done.

[Leefrogs]

Cool. 56 gives allot of room for attitude!!! LOL. Keep us posted.

[bshmerlie]

That's awesome Elaine. Thanks for posting your progress it always cool to see how it comes along. I don't know a whole lot about those frogs...I take it they like to swim? What else can you tell us about them? Im curious.

[1beataway]

He's a terrestrial frog, so he doesn't swim, but they like to be near riverbanks and such. And my frog loves spending some time in the water. He also loves making messes in his water, so hopefully the very expensive canister filter will help with that.

Even though they like water, they spend a lot of their time hiding. Obviously, they look like a leaf to blend in. It seems he also prefers being in the shade of plants. And they can spend hours in the same spot waiting for prey to come to them (which is a nice contrast to the White's who immediately pounce on crickets in a clumsy manner). They're also very fast when they snag their food; if you blink you miss it.

They have at least a couple different types of croak. The first, which I've posted in a thread, sounds like the beep of a smoke detector whose battery is dying. It's very high-pitched and in your ear, even if you're a room away. Sometimes, I'll hear one single "beep" a week. But if it storms, he'll go crazy and I'll hear several an hour. From what I've read, I believe that for mating, they need a barometric drop, so that might have something to do with it. The second croak is one I heard for the first time a few weeks ago, when we discovered the bowl was leaking and the soil was soaked. It sounds like that sound from the "This is a weekly test" commercials of local channels, but it has a rhythm to it too.

Males get 4 inches long, and females get 7. Most that are available are wild-caught because there's been some trouble breeding them in capitivity, though I believe it has been done. Males are a lot less expensive because they're smaller, but also because they're easier to find. They follow the croaks, and females don't croak. And, of course, they are pretty great at hiding.

Is that the kind of info you wanted? :P

[smashtoad]

This is my 56 column. Truly beautiful, naturalistic vivs are not that tough, it just takes research. This tank contains a bed of gravel covered in a few inches of sphagnum moss, which two years later is a solid bed of live moss.

All the space under the false bottoms is wasted. It could be used as a natural filter bed, exactly as undergravel filters are used in aquariums. Is there any moving water in your tank? How will you clean the water area? A vacuum cleaner? Throw a pump in there...moving water is the key to vivarium health.

One thing though: using my method for a species as big as M. nasuta would require something along the lines of a 75 gallon tank for a pair.

[1beataway]

This is my 56 column. Truly beautiful, naturalistic vivs are not that tough, it just takes research. This tank contains a bed of gravel covered in a few inches of sphagnum moss, which two years later is a solid bed of live moss.

All the space under the false bottoms is wasted. It could be used as a natural filter bed, exactly as undergravel filters are used in aquariums. Is there any moving water in your tank? How will you clean the water area? A vacuum cleaner? Throw a pump in there...moving water is the key to vivarium health.

One thing though: using my method for a species as big as M. nasuta would require something along the lines of a 75 gallon tank for a pair.

Your tank is very nice, and if you have already, you should create a thread about it.

It is not my intention to have stagnet water, nor do I consider the false bottom a waste. It will allow for 10-12 gallons of flowing, filtered water. I have a Whisper filter merely to act as a waterfall, but it does contain carbon. On top of that, I have an expensive, very nice canister filter. This frog can be as dirty as a turtle in water. Furthermore, I have an air pump and a few air stones under the land side of the tank to help move the water farthest away from the filters. The pond area that the frog will have access to will have water pouring into it.