Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi:

Just wondering what you guys like to use in your nursery tanks for frogletts. I've got a bunch of little D. Imitators metemorphizing now and I need a flooring material, and other plant material that is going to do ok and cheaply for the nursery tank since its temporary. It will be without soil. I wondered if anyone uses moss(dried sphagnum) with any success and if the frogs will be able to hunt the springtails in it. I suddenly need to hand rear them since there is too many for the mother to manage until I can get them new homes.

Thanks,
Maggie

Hi,

I would suggest a nice simple moist paper towel substrate with lots of pothos cuttings and a few hide holes like film canisters or something. It's cheap, easy to clean up and he froglets can find food easily on this substrate, in my experience. I also keep a few pieces of dried moss in there, and a shallow water dish for them to soak in.

Steph

HI:

Thanks for the info. Its a nice easy set up, came in handy. I appreciate your help!

Regards,

Maggie

Maggie--

Since I really don't like disturbing froglets to change "paper-towel diapers," I've used a layer of damp cocoanut fiber with some plant cuttings, and most recently a moss substrate--a dried crumbled moss that I picked up at the Arizona Frog Day from a vendor there. It is simply labeled "MOSS Growing substrate." The label also includes "Wholesale Vivarium Supply" and a telephone number: 715-212-7378. I just bought it to put in some sealed critter keepers to bring the frogs I purchased there, back to home in--a four day drive with stop-over's at motels and such, but ended up by keeping them on this until they were ready for the larger tanks. They've done just fine on this without substrate changes, with just a few plant cuttings, no cleaning, just misting and wiping off the plastic. Now I wish I'd paid more attention to the vendor's spiel, because it is really nice stuff. He was ranting about pH, and putting down all other alternatives for a substrate, so I rather tuned him out, as I tend to do when someone attempts to snow me under with dubious data about the particular pH of their product that is exclusively essential to darts, when I've been raising them in a healthy condition for over 6 years on other stuff.

While it's certainly not "the only thing," it is truly nice to raise froglets on. I put about two inches of it in my transport/ quarantine/nurseries with some plant cuttings. I used the rest of it to lace around my vivariums as a top dressing, and some nice short live moss is showing up hither and thither. Among the chopped moss are some pieces of charcoal. That's a nice touch.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
7 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
6 P. terribilis mint and organe
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus
2 P. lugubris

Hi Patty:

Thanks for the info. I purchased something like it from LLL long time ago to grow moss on but it stated nothing about PH. I wonder if its the same thing. I'll look into what you have, just might be a miracle product!

By the way two came out of the water and are doing well with springtails, but my springtails just aren't producing very well. What have you done to increase production on the springtails?

Regards,

Maggie

Maggie--I usually just use charcoal over a layer of cocoanut fiber, lace it occasionally with yeast and some sprinkles of brown rice. I also picked up a "spring tail" food from Ed's Fly Meat at the AFD. I suspect it is about the same thing, albeit all ground fine with perhaps some cornmeal. I'm not sure if this is an improvement. My springtails tend to come and go, like yours do. Maybe you need to start some more colonies now that you have all those neat froglets. My newly morphed imitators will usually take melanogasters right off the bat. I'm now culturing a wingless variety that are a little easier for them to swallow, but I do have an especially tiny one that I blow springtails on.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
7 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
6 P. terribilis mint and organe
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus
2 P. lugubris

Thanks Patty:

I figured out that mine will take the wingless FF. It took about 1/2 week or a full week to see them start eating the ff though. The Springtails are slow going. They used to produce like gang busters, don't know whats wrong all of a sudden.

Thanks-

Maggie