Frog Setup - need advice

[Lovemydragons]

Ingie, do you have any pics of those plants??

 

[ingie]

Ingie, do you have any pics of those plants??

I actually don't have any photos right now sorry without taking some new ones.... But if you google them - Bromeliad - There are many different types, some big some small.. some with cool striped leaves and different flowers... Bunnings will have several types available so if you ask them they will show you!

 

[Lovemydragons]

Cool thanks!

 

[BigWillieStyles]

If you used MDF it might rot in the constant dampness.... Foam or perspex would be better I think...

Also if you are looking for some great live plant to use - I use Bromeliads - They sell them at Bunnings and you can take them out of their dirt and they will survive without a substrate at all - you can sit them anywhere you like in your tank - All they require is to have their centers filled with water occasionally... My frogs love to sit on and in them - I just make sure that when I fill them with water that the water is treated like I would treat the frog's pond water because they will sit in it... They look amazing and tropical!

Yeah I keep changing my mind. I was thinking perspex but have now changed my mind and am thinking of doing it all ontop of polystyrene sheet. Im planning on getting the exo terra background which should fit my tank as it has handy access for the heater/pump cords. Then sticking a sheet of polystyrene either side on my enclosure, so that the frogs will only be able to be viewed from the front. Then carve some rocks into the sides and put some small plastic pots in the wall for orchids with some expanda foam. Then planning on painting it with grought/sand and some acrylic paint. And will try and get a waterfall or drip in there somehow.

I've just finished making a fake background and put a large hose in the foam by laying the hose first then spraying the expando foam over the top. I would recomend using one that has less expanding voluume as it would make it easyer to cover with the silicone and stuff. If your going to try and mount it on foam, make sure its a tight fit because foam floats and you may have trouble keeping it in place. I live in geelong and i use a water heater and a pump/filter and my GTFs are happy and healthy, they even bred last year.

Im looking forward to using the expanda foam. Hope it all works like how im thinking. Im just curious, how did you get your frogs to breed? How deep is you enclosure water?

 

[Cypher]

Thanks for all the info too guys. I'm keen to set up my first frog enclosure & have been following this thread everyday.

My only question, like BigWillie's is...how much water is ideal, litre-wise & depth, to get the frogs interested in breeding?

 

[Snakeluvver2]

The frogs i keep (red eyes and dainty) wont breed till there about 2-3 years old (really depends on how much you feed them and get them up to size)
Water isnt really a big factor you can have as much or as little as you want just as long as its
A) Humid
B) Has a place to be out of the water.

To get frogs to breed you will probably need a rain chamber, they cant be stimulated into breeding with just water alone, they need to be showerd and theres a whole cycle.

So you could even go with no water as long as you spray them down ever day.

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Hey that pump you posted should be fine for the water fall as long as the water fall isnt higher than about 60cm.
So i would put it at MAX 40cm

 

[BigWillieStyles]

Hey that pump you posted should be fine for the water fall as long as the water fall isnt higher than about 60cm.
So i would put it at MAX 40cm

thanks mate.

Just curious, what substrate do you use?

 

[BigWillieStyles]

hey thanks to all the people who offered lots of helpful suggestions. Heres what I have so far. I had so much fun making it that I actually wouldnt mind starting another build. I think an arid styled one will be next, perhaps for either some Smooth Knob Tailed Geckos or a Bearded dragon.

I found some broken polystryene pieces at a local shop and managed to get them for only a few dollars. I cut polystyrene pieces and stuck them on the back. I also cut out grooves for the power cords to hide behind (like exo terra background have).

I also wanted to have a little waterfall, so I cut a tunnel and put in a piece of pipe in the corner. The pipe connects to a cheap ebay filter/pump.

I used plastic planters to make my enclosure design and then sprayed over them with expanda foam.

I also stuck some rocks down one corner, to make a drip for my waterfall.

I then painted black silicone over the top and then placed peatmoss on while the silicone was still drying.

I dusted the excess peatmoss off, then started planting some plants in. They are all different types of ferns. Unfortunately, the top plants have started to look a bit unhealthy. So I moved the enclosure from my living room, which I thought may have been drying the plants out with the heater which is in the room (its really cold in Albury now). Im spraying heaps of water in and Im attempting to heat the tank to around 18 - 25 degrees. Using a water heater to heat the tank.

Instead of having a soil substrate bottom, I have used river stones ontop of finer gravel. Im hoping that will be sufficient for the frogs im looking at getting.
These pictures dont do it any justice, and im sorry that they are so dark. You can see the waterfall in the background which is connected to a small filter under the water. I only turn the pump/filter on for an hour a day just to increase humidity. The pump was actually more powerful than I expected, I was kind of expecting a slight dribble but it still a really cool feature. The tank will hopefully soon house some Red Eyed Tree frogs. Im having a few troubles getting the plants to take off, I think the humdity was too high so I only spray every few days now instead of everyday. Im hoping the plants will take over and grow really quickly.

Let me know what you think?
William

 

[AnimalCollector6]

Beautiful mate, really good lookin!

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Great stuff dude!
As soon as I get home from thailand I'm making one of these for my Red Eyes and then one for my Tree Snakes

 

[BigWillieStyles]

thanks guys!

Cost was heaps cheaper than the pre-made background from the pet store too.

Great stuff dude!
As soon as I get home from thailand I'm making one of these for my Red Eyes and then one for my Tree Snakes

I want to make another one. Im thinking of making a desert themed one for some Smooth knob tailed Geckos.