Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Greetings. I was just hoping to get some feedback regarding my terrarium and the White's Tree frog that lives in it.

I have a 65 gallon tank set up as a terrarium. I've set up a false bottom, to allow for a waterfall (and pond) at the bottom. I use only bottled spring water. Plants in the terrarium are primarily Bromeliads and Salvia Divinorums. The landscape is complete with all real moss (two different kinds) and rocks. I've used natural wood aquired from my backyard to allow for climbing space for my one frog (white's tree frog). I have a fogger, which I stopped using because the humidity gets too high, and a cpu fan hidden inside the terrarium to provide air circulation (it curculates the air inside and brings in small amounts of fresh air from outside the terrarium). There are two tank bottom heaters which I have on the bottom (both of them cover the whole surface of the bottom) but only leave one on to allow for a temperature gradient. The other one is kept as a backup. I use Hagen Lifeglow fluorescent tubes on digital timers, and simulate day/night and seasons appropriately. The terrarium conditions are as follows:

60-70% humidity constantly
70-80 degrees during the day, and 70-75 degrees at night.

I am wondering a few things...

Firstly, I've been monitoring waste levels and such in the terrarium. It seems that because there is so little waste for such a big terrarium, the plants handle the clean up. Have anybody any comments on this? I've been told that I can use fish emulsion as a fertilizer, what's the difference?

I clean the water every couple weeks but it is essentially still clean (what else should I test for besides Ammonia?). The plants and mosses are automatically watered by the water features, so the water is continously filtered through the mosses and substrate and end up cycling through again and again. Basically I have no need to open the lid of the terrarium (except to throw in his insects).

Since the plants are THRIVING in there, I look at it this way...

7 plants 6 square feet of moss should be able to handle the waste of 1 white's tree frog. (comments?)

WoW! sounds like the ultimate set up! any chance you have any pics of it?

I'd say that the moss should do a fairly good job of filtering the water, so you could (in theory) leave it, if all your levels check out. as for what to test for, i'd just make sure you have a stable PH, maybe do a nitrate test once in a while, and stick to partial changes like you would in a fish tank. you will, over time, build up a very stable bacteria culture, and this will be benificial for everything, so full water changes would dramaticly effect this balance!

as for poo...personally i'd still scoop out the poop i saw in there (for asthetics!) but i woldnt go "searching" for it, i agree that the plants/ bacteria can handle it!
-----
0.2.0. Leo
1.1.0. WTF
0.1.0. Irish Setter
2.2.0. Holland Lop Bunnies
1.1.0. House Cats
Too Many Fish!

Check out my site ~ www.freewebs.com/stephsgeckos

I added pothos which grow fast with good lighting for my fire belly toad terrarium after getting that idea from toad forum and love it.
Some plants esp fast growers that you have to prune back really do "eat" waste. I wouldnt add any fertilizers tho.
I say this because even tho your tank is large frog urine,waste will intime accumulate tho ofcourse some plants might just eat it but why add any fertilizer .
Let the hungry plants eat the frog waste instead.

Lia

"I've been told that I can use fish emulsion as a fertilizer, what's the difference?"

What I meant by this is that fish emulsion is essentially the same thing as frog waste (digested insects) and was comparing the use of the former to allowing the frog's waste to be handled naturally. I do not use any fertilizer (organic or chemical) in any of my terrariums.

I am quite familiar with plants and terrariums, but have never put a frog in one before. I'm just trying to balance waste versus consumption, and think I might be able to do it. I really don't want a 'frog tank', and would rather an aesthetically pleasing environment housing a frog. So far so good, but any feedback from people who are familiar with WTFs may avert problems that may arise.

I guess my question is "What exactly does my WTF produce for waste chemically?" and "Can these be kept at levels that will not compromise the health of the frog naturally?"

Thanks for the feedback Steph!

I would love to make one of those. The only thin is, I have no clue how, or what it should look like. Do any of you know any good web sites for this? Or, could you post a picture?