A suitable tank/terrarium/reptarium that should be able to house the number of pets
you order. Rule of thumb here is
that the bigger the frog the bigger the tank. The more frogs you have…the bigger
the tank. Most frogs only need a
10-20 gallon tank with an enclosed top.
If there is an opening in the tank where a frog can stick its head through
it can get out.
Secondly your tank needs to have a
water source. All frogs and toads
require water for drinking and soaking.
Your water dish should be shallow enough for your frog/toad to be able
to get into and out of easily, but large enough to provide enough moisture for
your pet. If you have a pump/filter
you can make a false-bottom aquarium and fill the bottom part of the aquarium
with water and then adjust the water to land ratio using rocks and substrate. Aquatic frogs need more water than terrestrial
frogs so adjust the water to land ratio accordingly. Some frogs only need 10% of the area to
be land while others do fine with 90%.
Take your frogs natural habitat into
consideration when designing their habitat.
The third thing that you need is a
substrate. The easiest way to make
a substrate for your pet is to fill the bottom of the container with a few
inches of aquarium gravel and then cover it with soil/sand and topping it with
moss/bark to help retain moisture and humidity.
You’ll need a spray bottle to
mist the habitat to keep the humidity level up.
Most people like to keep either
live or plastic plants in the habitat to provide hiding spots and places for
their pets to climb. You should
also supply rocks, wood, or other suitable hiding places for your new frog.
A Frog Habitat on a Budget:
A fully enclosed
small reptarium or plastic/acrylic
tank. (Reptarium Plus 22 Gallon or Kritter Keeper XL.)
A water dish.
ZooMed H20 Bowls or provide your own dish.
Substrate/bedding
material. Flukers Repti-Moss or Flukers Repti-Bark
Materials for
your frog to climb on and to decorate your tank. Plants/wood/hiding spots.
Food for your
frog. Crickets
– Most frogs prefer crickets,
mealworms,
earthworms, or you can buy HBH
Frog Bites. Frogs
will eat up to 10 live insects per week.
Optional Items: Light sources. Frogs unlike many pets do not require a
light source. As long as they are
receiving light during daylight hours they will be fine. If you have them in an area that does
not receive light during the day you may want to provide light for 8-12 hours
per day. A heat
rock or under-tank heater. (Lighting can also provide heat and most
frogs can tolerate temperatures from 60-80 degrees so a heat source is not a
necessity unless your frogs are in an area where the temperature fluctuates. Heat Rocks and Under-Tank Heaters.
A small fountain pump or filter
pump can be used to provide a natural filtration system if you use a
false-bottom aquarium setup. There
are many sites that provide information on how to do this, but basically you
fill your aquarium with rocks and aquarium gravel which will allow water to
flow through them and put your pump in a corner that will be covered with
substrate. Using tubing you have
the pump pull the water from the bottom of the aquarium to the top of the land
substrate (usually you leave part of it rock/gravel for this purpose) and then
it will form a waterfall back into the water. This provides a natural filtration for
the water and means you have to clean less often.
If you cover the aquarium gravel
with moss or bark you will want to change it out when it becomes
soiled/moldy/slimy. The same is
true of any substrate you use. I
have heard of people using leaf-litter to cover the aquarium gravel as it
provides a more natural habitat.
This will also need changed out when it becomes messy.
Again, the most important thing to
remember is that your frogs should be housed in a cage that replicates as
closely as possible their natural environment. Ideally you should have your cage set up
before you get your frogs, but they can tolerate temporary housing for a few
days while you get your habitat set up.
Another important thing to remember is that frogs do not tolerate water
unless it has been dechlorinated.
You can do this by allowing it to sit for 24-48 hours or by dropping
dechlorinization drops into the water.
Some people suggest doing both.
Your frog will eat up to 10 insects
a week. When feeding your frog
choose insects that are roughly about the width of their head or smaller. If it can’t fit into their mouths
it becomes harder for them to eat.
Crickets are one of their favorites. Most people suggest dusting the crickets
with a vitamin powder before feeding them to the frogs, but if you raise your
own crickets and feed them nutritious foods they should provide enough vitamins
for your frog. Other insects should
also be coated with a vitamin dust prior to feeding.
Good luck! With the proper care and setup your new
frog can lead a healthy and happy life.
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