I just stumbled across this forum and wanted to see what some veterans think of my setup. Other than a firebelly toad several years ago, this is my first attempt at keeping amphibians for the long term, though I'm a veteran myself of insects and herps (mostly snakes).
So, here's the scoop. I went out on a creature hunt after a massive rainstorm yesterday, and lo and behold, dozens and dozens of frogs littered the road and sidewalk. I ended up capturing 7 of them before I decided enough was enough. Last night they stayed in a temporary 2 1/2 gallon tank, but never fear, they have been fixed up nicely now. (I think)
Here's what they're in:
20 gallon tall aquarium with a screen lid. The lid has been loosely wrapped in Saran Wrap, with a couple dozen holes poked in it to try and retain the humidity in an air-conditioned apartment.
Substrate is about 1 1/2 inches of Sphagnum moss, covered with a layer of (I think living) Sheet moss, purchased at my local garden center. Both have been misted thoroughly, and are damp to the touch.
There is a small, shallow (enough for them to submerge, but not much more) plastic dish filled with water in the center of the enclosure. I also acquired some thickish branches from the woods, cleaned and scraped them (made sure there were no ants, termites, etc.) and wound them with faux Ivy. They are propped up to give the frogs something to climb on (besides the walls of the aquarium, of course). They also have a daytime hide, which I purchased, and seems to be something akin to concrete, shaped and colored like old driftwood.
My apartment stays around 75 degrees Farenheit, which according to what I've read so far, is well within their tolerance, so I've neglected to get them any sort of basking light or under-tank heater. (The thermostat stays the same, I don't play with it, even at night)
As for food, I have a family-owned petstore where I can reliably get 75-100 small/medium crickets for about $5 a pop, and I already have a container of calcium supplement to dust them with.
So...Is this a suitable home for them? Are there too many frogs for a 20 gal.? Anything else I should do?
I just want to make sure they're comfortable, and that I'm taking satisfactory care of them.