[the Dregs]

I noticed yesterday that Petco is having a sale on aquariums. I can get a 15 gallon aquarium with lights, filter, and other assorted fishy stuff for 40 bucks. I know the filter is useless, but that is a pretty good deal anyway.

I have had a few false starts and never actually set a tank up. I was discouraged by the Great Stuff Debacle of '10, which my wife still talks about.

I think I am ready to try again. No great stuff. I am not sure what I can do for the background instead, though. Maybe coco fiber? Here is my plan so far. Please PLEASE critique so I don't blow a bunch of money.

I plan on using the 15 gallon tank to house some Terribilis, so I am going to keep it on its side instead of vertical. I'll put in an inch or so of gravel (or LECA if I see it anywhere), and cover it with screen. Then some type of soil mixture and a few rock 'hills'. I am not planning on drilling the tank, so I guess I can leave a spot accessible for draining with a siphon. The tank comes with fluorescent lights, will these be strong enough if I get bulbs in the right color range? After set up, I am going to order some isopods and springtails to get the tank ready for the frogs, which I plan on getting in a month or so.

What am I forgetting here?

 

[frogface]

You're going to want more than 1 or 2 teribillis. IMO, get a larger tank for the money and forget about the filter and lid and stuff that comes with the PetCo 15 gallon kit. You can get pieces of glass cut for a lid, cheap. Also, I've been using cheap (7 dollar) clamp lights with compact florescent bulbs (a couple bucks) which has proved to be adequate (and did I mention cheap?).

I make my backgrounds out of clay. Lots of threads on this so I recommend a search on 'clay'.

There are some good questions and answers on this thread:
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/beginner-discussion/76377-potential-n00b-excited-long-read.html

 

[the Dregs]

I guess clamp lights could work, but I have to keep the tank looking 'nice', so i'd have to build some kind of enclosure over it. I'll do a search on clay backgrounds, i haven't heard of them. Thanks a lot!

 

[BonnieLorraine]

If you're truly feeling lazy, you can always use the cork tile or forest tile backgrounds by zoomed. I just cut them with a scroll saw if they don't fit in the tank I'm putting them in. This is a picture of one of the cork tile backgrounds.

 

[frogface]

The clamp lamp is just temporary while you save up money for some fancy new LED lights

 

[jrgobble]

I agree the tops are useless for humidity control, but if you do not want the top encolure, you can place the glass under the top. It may not fit properly, but it should work. The lighting will be enough for the frogs, but may not supply enough for your plants. Those lids are usually very low wattage and even in the correct frequency, they just do not supply the light that most plants need. You will also need leaf litter for your soil. I use the cork background also. It looks great and can be applied easily. good luck

 

[the Dregs]

I have oak and magnolia in my yard, so I am covered for leaf litter. I have scrapped the 15 gallon idea for now.

I was wondering..can you plant on a cork or fiber background, or do plants generally need to be rooted in substrate?

How are Exo-Terras viewed around here? I may just go that route. Thanks for the advice guys. Right now I am furiously entering terms into the search field as you guys give me more ideas.

 

[suztor]

Call the petco and ask when their next dollar/gallon sale is. The one here is having it early next month. So I'm waiting on getting my 29 on the 5th ish.

Petsmart has the zoo-med brand of hydrotone balls


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[BonnieLorraine]

I plant vines and shinglers at the bottom and let them climb up. In that pic I have a large Rhaphidophora hayi climbing up the back middle, a Philodendron 'Burle Marx Fantasy' making it's way up over to the left, and a Rhaphidophora cryptantha trying to figure out what the heck it wants to do off to the right.

 

[the Dregs]

That looks really nice, Bonnie. I couldn't see the pic when you first posted it.

 

[BonnieLorraine]

Thanks It's one of the displays I take to shows.

 

[the Dregs]

Around here, the petco dollar a gallon sale sells out pretty much instantly. If you can't make it in the first few hours, you get your pick of the 55+ sizes.

 

[gardennub]

They are going to have a dollar per gallon sale in January or February. may want to wait till then...thats what im doing! In the meantime im building fake rocks, getting materials ready etc. And looking for tank on craigslist cus im impatient lol.

 

[suztor]

They are going to have a dollar per gallon sale in January or February. may want to wait till then...thats what im doing! In the meantime im building fake rocks, getting materials ready etc. And looking for tank on craigslist cus im impatient lol.

Exactly what I'm doing! To the T!



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[illinoisfrogs]

Around here, the petco dollar a gallon sale sells out pretty much instantly. If you can't make it in the first few hours, you get your pick of the 55+ sizes.

but if you want terribilis, you want a big tank. You should decide what type of frog you want, THEN design the tank to meet the needs of the frog.

 

[the Dregs]

Just how big a tank would I need for a pair of Terribilis? Also...fake rocks? You're making fake rocks? Whats wrong with real ones?

 

[Froggyplush]

with new tank just do 360 degree lots of cork wood plants water feature done bam

 

[Froggyplush]

make your vines ahead of time with foam then u can put caulk on then what ever u use to cover the vines ,fine coco fiber works well then cover back with caulk lay vines in cover back with what ever u want at that point to cover caulk

 

[ExoticPocket]

Just how big a tank would I need for a pair of Terribilis? Also...fake rocks? You're making fake rocks? Whats wrong with real ones?

Big real rocks are heavy. Fake rocks are really light and if you do it right they look really good.

 

[the Dregs]

I decided to hold off and do a little more research. i have forgotten so much from when I was researching PDF's last year. I went to a local pet store today and they had PDF's! I was so tempted, but they weren't being taken care of at all. there were 23 different frogs of about 6 different species being held in an area about 16" square. they had a plastic log area and a 1/2" deep water/gravel area. that was it. poor guys. But I wanted the orange Teribilis so bad.