[Rhino]

Hey I think this is my first post on here.
Ive got 4 juvenile whites tree frogs and I'm surprised at how quick they are growing not to mention the constant trashing of my carefully planted vivarium. Anyways I'm going to start building a new enclosure soon and gathering all the gear for it and wondering-
what would be a suitable diy background material for big heavy frogs?
Enclosure size for 4 adult frogs?
Recommended layout, furnishings, should I incorporate a drain and watering system?
Can anyone post a pic of what works for them in maintaining whites long term?

 

[Kmc]

I have my Whites strategies on flickr which seems to be frozen on me.

Ok, so Ive cared pro and set up a few hundred of these guys with ample follow up, and have 2 guys 20, 21 yrs old. So Ill give you my view, with some unelaborated precautionary of things ive run into in the care field with these guys.

Keep it simple but interesting. Truly the term Jungle Gym was meant for them.

They can ingest substrate. Avoid older recommendations of Orchid Bark and Coco products. Obstructions are often accumulative, and chronic. And as easy as Pie to avoid, so, why not? Arguments about plant and mineral particulates revealed in the gutload of frogs in wild studies do not seraph a seal of safety or translate accurately to the ingestion of loose milled herp beddings ingested by the mouthful in captive situ.

Ive raised hundreds of babies on paper towels. I also like plain peat for many animals, its flat, comparativily fragile fiber under magnification (compared to look-alike coco) has been proven per fecal sieve screening of stool to pass from the gastrointestinal tract of small lizards, including one; a fairly delicate species. This investigation was done by me, so take it as you will.

I still rcommend putting a mosaic of flat cork, to break the dominate character of a peat floor. But peat is safer than coco.

I have to close now or I will lose the post. It says Log in again and its gone.

 

[Kmc]

Australian Whites arent a wet frog.

An immaculately clean water source fostered by easy access. They will seat contentedly am and pm. Oddly timed interims in the water can clue to illness or problems with the environment.

I do think it would be nice to give them sturdy leaved plants, I have in pots, one plant was a not so sturdy purple velvety species (I know little about plants) that my boys enjoyed sitting in so much they sat on it to flat smithereens. I have used artificial plants for this reason. Also because I needed to be able to sanitize them, as I had an exchange/influx of specimens.

Misting is important, but they need dry periods and areas, and plenty of air.

Ive always used UVB tubes with mine. Theres alot of hyperbole with uvb lighting - the tubes, when measured with a meter register in safe ambient zones of exposure. But thats a whole other thread.

I think a well defined photoperiod, at the very least is of value in quality of life for Whites.

Feeding them in a broad bowl or with forceps is what i recommend. Dubia duck fast and disappear and crickets do too.

 

[Kmc]

The number of pet Whites TFs I have encountered with health problems - which had paludarium type set up, or waterfall features were a fair rival to the number I encountered that were ill from neglect and poor care (kept too cold in garage, handled by the kids, etc etc)

However I think a proper biotope atrium style with big planed flora would be Magnificent to apply for these guys, but that construction would fall on the expertise of other members here.

 

[Rhino]

Hi, thankyou very much for taking the time to post this information, its appreciated.
Regards Ryan

 

[Kmc]

There is another way to keep Whites, and some other tree frogs also but its kind of edgy.. Which, with the exception of a moist nz moss cork log is substrateless.

That is how I have kept mine these past few years, and I like it.

It seems counterintuitive to the way we usually think of a replicant environment. It isnt sterile looking as it sounds but concentrates on creating more of an on scale orientation of living area surfaces

It isnt bioactive but is naturalistic in another way.