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[tydis]

Hey guys,
I’m totally new to frogs. I’ve kept a chameleon for a little over two years now and I’ve always been envious of how pretty the Dart terrarium at my local pet store is.

Being new to frogs I decided darts were a bit too complex to start off with, not to mention I live in a fairly arid region so humidity can be an issue.

I’ve settled on White Tree Frogs, the permanent smile they have just draws me in.

Anywho, enough about me I’ve done quite a bit of research and think I am ready to start going to work putting together the vivarium. Before I do I figured I’d post my shopping list up here and see if you guys can recommend anything to me? Have I missed anything, overlooked some things not working well together? Impart your experience on me!

• · Exo Terra 18x18x24
• · Hydroballs
• · ABG Mix
• · Sphagnum Moss
• · Leaf Litter
• · Temperature and Humidity gauges
• · Josh’s frogs 18x18x24 Tree frog plant kit*
• · Lighting System**
• · Various branches; drift wood etc.
• · Water dish

*Josh’s frogs 18x18x24 Tree frog plant kit contains 2 bromeliads, 2 pothos cuttings, and 2 "viving plants"

**Note on the lighting, I’m debating between CFL’s and LED’s. I’m hesitant with the CFL’s because when I first started with my chameleon they were deemed very dangerous for chameleons. I’m guessing this isn’t the case with frogs or that the CFL’s are made differently now.
Also with the lighting, due to my job I’m usually awake and at home from 1-5am so I’m wanting to get some sort of ‘Night Light’ that lets me see the frogs but doesn’t disturb their natural day & night cycle. Any recommendations?


Anyways, sorry for the long post and thanks in advance,
-Tydis

[Kisa]

Hello there and welcome to the forum!

White's were a good choice. I have three of them myself, and my first was also my very first frog as well and I haven't regretted it yet!

Your list looks good as far as I can tell. Just a quick note, in an 18x18x24 viv you can really only fit two White's comfortably since they tend to get quite large, up to 6 inches in some cases! O: So if you want to get more than two I would suggest upgrading to a bit larger of a tank. But you were right to go tall, White's are tree frogs after all. They love to climb.

For the substrate you're going to want to use something with coco fiber as the primary ingredient (not sure what ABG Mix is exactly, so if you've covered this I apologize, just want to make sure I cover you. ). For this, Eco Earth, T-Rex Jungle Bed, Exo Terra's Jungle Bed, etc.

As for the sphagnum moss, it's alright to use, but in moderation. White's can be quite aggressive eaters and it is possible for them to ingest the moss and become impacted. What a lot of people seem to do is put a layer of moss over the coco fiber substrate and then cover that with some leaf litter. This way the moss is safety out of harms way for the frogs and it won't stick to them as they walk around. Well...mostly.

As for the night light: You can use Exo Terra's moon glo lights. They work very well to let you be able to see your frogs at night and will usually not disturb their cycle. They're a very dim purple light, and look very nice in a planted vivarium.

I hope this has helped you! If you have any more questions please feel free to ask!

[tydis]

Yeah I plan on only having one frog at first, make sure I am used to the upkeep and then maybe add a second later. If I want anymore than two it will be long enough in the future that getting them another tank wont be an issue.

ABG mix is 2 parts tree fern fiber, 1 part peat moss, 2 parts cocofiber, 1 part charcoal, and 2 parts orchid bark.
Though a quick google shows there are tons of variations of it out there, I suppose I can contact Josh's Frogs and see what the mix they sell is exactly.

I see forum member Rocko is using the ABG mix from Josh's Frogs in this build: http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...ium-build.html . Does this only work because they are using live moss to cover it or would the Sphagnum Moss, Leaf Litter combination work in the same general way?

When it comes to planting the plants should I plant them directly into the substrate or make little pots out of cork and plant them in those?

I've seen both methods mentioned.


Thank you for the quick reply and the recommendation of the Moon Glo Lights by Exo Terra, I will be sure to check those out.

[DonLisk]

I use the sphagnum under the top substrate for moisture retention. Definitely not on top since I've had a Whites swallow a huge piece and it wasn't fun retrieving it after it knotted in the stomach.

Don't forget the screen material for on top of the hydroballs.

I like to plant everything in the top substrate except the bromeliads since the base will eventully rot. I put that in a cork round or into the background.

As for my top substrate I like anything the frogs can digest since your Whites will commonly miss the target when diving for crickets.

I also use a red 15 watt bulb for viewing at night and the frogs usually spend the night hanging around under it.

Nice choice for some nighttime viewing :-)


Don

[tydis]

Great tip on the bromeliads. Thanks Don!

Most of these red and blue light bulbs seem pretty cheap, maybe I'll buy a few of each and decide which I like more.


I think I've decided to scrap the Sphagnum Moss idea and go with a small layer of cocofiber over the ABG mix, with a bunch of leaf litter on top of that for aesthetic reasons.

Does that sound like a good idea?

[Kisa]

Great tip on the bromeliads. Thanks Don!

Most of these red and blue light bulbs seem pretty cheap, maybe I'll buy a few of each and decide which I like more.


I think I've decided to scrap the Sphagnum Moss idea and go with a small layer of cocofiber over the ABG mix, with a bunch of leaf litter on top of that for aesthetic reasons.

Does that sound like a good idea?

Alright, that sounds good to me. The leaf litter will keep the dirt from sticking to your frogs, which is good since it can commonly irritate their skin. I see mine kicking it off all the time.