Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, here goes. every summer i try to take on some sort of "almost-educational-biology-themed" project, last year i did some experementing with breeding bettas and genetics (quite sucessfully and i get some limited funding from my parents! anyways this summer i had planned to do some breeding with my whites but its still all a little new to me and i failed to locate a male in time. SO i was wondering if anyone has any ideas on building a small (like the size of those tool shed things at home depot) "planted" green house. just plants for now and maybe a water feature. but i would want to add frogs when i do get some breeding done. like, my idea was raise the offspring in there and keep the parents inside in the same 55 gallon indoor inclosure as before. idono, just a thought but id love some IDEAS< PICS? AND FEEDBACK! i was also wondering what kind of insulation would i need??? im in vancouver and the coldest we ever get is -5 C for a few days but mostly our lows are never below 0 C and highs of 30 c in the summer. remember just an idea...if you have more intresting ideas by all means share them!
-----
0.1.0. Leo
1.0.0. Sneaky House Gecko
0.1.0. WTF (looking for a male!)

Buy plants now. All of the large retailers are selling houseplants cheap. Once spring hit it can be hard to find anything besides pothos. I bought tons of plants at lowe's for my mantella tank for $2. They even had some hard to find plants and tropical ferns cheap. Also places like Lowe's will discount any plants that have started to die or that have dried out, so you cna get large bromeliads for $3 or less. You just have to repot them in organic soil without fertilizer.

As far as the greenhouse goes, I have heard fo peopel using old windows or sliding glass doors to frame out a greenhouse. I would check out the local dump and see what you can find. Also you can find greenhouse kits for sale in gardening magazines and on online. Just search for "greenhouse kits."

You don't need a whole greenhouse to breed White's Tree Frogs though, a large tank would be perfectly suitable. How many do you plan on breeding?

Great idea with the plants, actually that reminds me....dose anybody have any sugestions for BIG plants? its kinda hard to describe but i want like a tree or something to draw your eyes upwards (am i making sense?) but i will definatley go pick up some broms. at home depot or at least they used to have them.

after i looked in to building i'd probbaly use the same verigated platic stuff i used on my current 55 gallon but on a wooden frame with some sort of glass door (cant visit the dump though..first of all ewww..and our dumps are different and that kind stuff gets recycled) most likley it will be a flea market find.

to answer your breeding question, i dont really know how many i'll be breeding but it woant be for a while and it woant be mass production or anything. probbaly no more that once a year. and yes i know i can breed in a tank, but i would like the green house for the plant aspect too! actually i didnt even thing of putting frogs in it at first, i was going to do orchids, and i still plan on getting some hardier, orchids.
-----
0.1.0. Leo
1.0.0. Sneaky House Gecko
0.1.0. WTF (looking for a male!)

If you really want to do orchids I would avoid doing it in the same greenhouse as the White's. They are very destructive towards plants due to their large size and clumsy nature. It seems only large bromeliads can really take the abuse that the White's dish out. Their poop seems to damage eaves pretty quicly too. I have to take the plants out of their tank and hose them off once a week. I love orchids but only use them with my smaller frogs. Lowe's just got in some gorgeous Phalanopsis orchids in, but my husband said I couldn't buy any more plants.
I've alrady spent close to $50. They did have some orchids that were no longer blooming for $3, but I won't knwo what kind they are until they bloom again. Last year I bought some like that and they bloomed for everal months once I got them home.

OK, i was thinking that because of the larger space they would not be trampled as often. but dont worry i wasnt planning on putting anything expensive in there once i put frogs in. thanz for the advice though!
-----
0.1.0. Leo
1.0.0. Sneaky House Gecko
0.1.0. WTF (looking for a male!)

I found out the hard way about plants and whites... I put a small philidendron(sp?) in with my three big guys and it was broken off at the roots in a week. I have 2 bromelaids that I got at Lowes for $3 in October, that I plan on putting in there.. I am just too lazy to replant in chemical free potting soil... YEAH.
~Angela
-----

2.2.0 Leopard Geckos (2)shct, (1) normal,(1) rainwater albino
1.0.0 Betta
2.1.0 Whites Treefrogs
0.0.1 Green Treefrog
1.0.0 Red eyed Treefrog
1.0.0 Huge Black Cat
0.1.0 Cocker Spaniel
0.1.0 Brittany
...Next on the list... a FEMALE RETF!!!

OK, i was looking at pre-made green house structures and wow, there expensive. some were way over $1000. but i still think i could build one for less than $300, anyone done this before? after reading some stuff i think if i do go ahead with this i would use double layer verigated platic. and then divide the greenhouse in half using screen, half for growing plants and for frogs and more plants if anyone knows of anywhere i could find some pics of "giant vivariums" it would be greatly appreciated
-----
0.1.0. Leo
1.0.0. Sneaky House Gecko
0.1.0. WTF (looking for a male!)

** excuse my poor proof reading skills, i meant half for just plants (orchids ect) and The other half for frogs and more plants Oops
-----
0.1.0. Leo
1.0.0. Sneaky House Gecko
0.1.0. WTF (looking for a male!)