Help needed with new Vivarium construction

[mrk]

Help!!! I am setting up a new, 150 gallon vivarium for my 5 WTFs. I have MANY questions.
1. I have purchased live plants- Bromeliad, Sanseveria (snake plant), Aphalandra (zebra plant), Scheffelera, Bamboo, and Pothos. My research said that all of these plants were okay for WTFs but I wanted to double check before using them.
2. The Zebra plant info says to avoid getting water on the leaves as it can turn into leaf fungus, but I am using a Monsoon so of course the leaves will get wet often. Anyone had this problem?
3.) The Bamboo plant is presently in water surrounded by rocks. The plant lady said it grows best this way. Has anyone planted bamboo in their substrate? (I am using Coco-husk) I may just leave it in a water contianer and bury it level with my substrate. I have boiled some large (golf ball sized) creek stones that I could place around it almost up to the level of the water so that no frogs drown. Good idea or not? If so, should I leave a shallow layer of water on top of the creek rocks that is accessible for soaking in? Would this water have to then be changed daily? (UGH!) Are piles of rocks like this okay or can frogs get their little legs caught between rocks?
4.) Should I use frog moss over my CoCo husk substrate or just leave it alone? In my small Viv, I haven't been able to get my frog moss to stay green and it seems the crickets hide in it. Opinions?
5.) Is it okay to use boiled creek rocks, golf-ball sized or larger?
6.) Can anyone explain what light schedule I should use? I presently alternate days with a blue daytime bulb and a white one so that they get UVA & UVB, but I recently heard that might be too much of the white. I have a timer now so I can create a schedule. I also have a black light for nightime. Use this just when viewing or leave it on all night?
7,) Should I bother with Springtails and, if so, how do you keep them from escaping and getting in your house? When I tried to Google them, I only found people wanting to exterminate them because their houses were infested! I don't want that!
8.) Can I just turn crickets loose in there and leave them or will they do harm?
9.) How often do I have to clean, other than poop pick-up daily and wiping down the glass weekly? What is the best way to clean? I am really scared of using any solutions but want healthy frogs. I have also heard of Salmonella- should I be worried?
I hope this isn't too much for one Thread. I wasn't sure whether to put each topic in a different Thread or include it in one.

[bshmerlie]

The plants you mentioned seem like good choices. I would leave the bamboo in the water like you said and don't put it in the soil. You can use larger rocks just be careful nothing is small enough for them to swallow. They lunge rather haphazardly at their food and accidentally ingest other things.I use sheetmoss to cover up my soil but it doesn't do well in wet conditions. Leaf litter would be a good option. You just need something to keep the soil from getting all over the frogs, but also something they can't swallow. I use a cricket bowl to keep my crickets contained. Otherwise they go off and die somewhere in the tank. I have a water bowl for the frogs to soak in as well as a water section. I found that they would foul the water in my water section too quickly. They all poop in the water as they are soaking. So each night I put in two water bowls for them to soak in with fresh water. They primarily use the dishes I put in. It helps me to keep the water clean.
I can only tell you what I use for lighting. I use the reptiglow 2.0. The frogs do fine and so do the plants. I have them on for 12 hours on a timer. Do not leave a light on at night. Only use one for viewing.
Spring tails are not going to escape from your terrarium. I wouldn't be rinsing out their containers in your sink that could be a problem. These are tropical springtails. They wouldn't make it across your carpet to the sink or other wet areas.
If you have a fully live planted tank with a proper drainage layer seeded with springtails and isopods you only have to spot clean your tank to remove poop. And also clean the glass. Although Whites can be pretty messy so you may have to clean up after them depending how active they've been the night before. Use only large sturdy plants as the frogs weight could harm them. Salmonella is not something to worry about as long as you wash your hands with soap and water before and after working in your frog cage. Do not use any cleansors or cleaning solutions in your frog tank. Wipe down the glass with clean water everyday and it wont permanently spot.

[John]

Whatever those people are describing as having escaped in their houses, they are not what we refer to as spring tails. They are likely referring to Silverfish or Bristletails - completely different and unrelated animals. I personally wouldn't bother with spring tails in a tree frog terrarium - the frogs are too big to be interested in eating them, so the spring tails will be little more than a stressor (because they will climb on the frogs when the frogs are on the substrate).

[mrk]

Thank you both so much for your help! Many questions answered in a very short time. This Forum ROCKS!