What plants to use?

[Poly]

Hello Everyone!

I finally did it!

So, I ordered two CB juvenile D. guineti Tomato frogs!

The 120 Gallon tank I have has been revamped for frogs, I replaced the course grating in the lid for plexiglass and repaired the bottom crack with a piece of plexiglass the spans the entire bottom on the tank, so it's now water tight.

I am making a false rock background, and instead of using concrete, I will be using Drylock. It will be covered on three sides, a background and a waterfall for each side.

I am wondering, what plants are safe to use with Tomato frogs. They arn't really vicious eaters, so I figure I could use moss for sure. I am ordering frog moss, spanish moss and carpet moss. I will be growing bromeliads on the background and drift wood. I plan to plant lots of crepping and climbing plants, for ground cover (along with the moss), and tons of ferns, but I'm wondering if it would also be safe to use some poisonous plants such as Rhoeo or Croton? I don't think they will trample them, and they will mainly be on the background anyway.

I want this set-up to be a real tropical set-up. I've make a bunch of vines by twining small rope together, covering it in GE II silicone, and then pressing coco-fibre onto it. To secure them, I GreatStuffed' the ends of the ropes together over a bolt, leaving only 1/2" of bolt sticking out, then just carved the GS to look like the rest of the "vine". Grimm from Canadart and DenoBoard gave me that idea.

I know the Tomato frogs won't climb on the vines, but I figured they'd look nice covered in crepping fig and bromeliads. I want to make them feel like they are in Madagascar

Royce

[LLLReptile]

They are unlikely to eat any poisonous plants, but just make sure that the sap of any species you use won't hurt them, either, if they do break them.

The only thing I'll say is that tomato frogs have been known to destroy planted cages. One of my staff members is absolutely in love with them, and while he does have a couple of planted cages for his, he rebuilds them / touches them up every week because they make a mess of the cage.

Best of luck, have fun with them!

-Jen

[Poly]

They are unlikely to eat any poisonous plants, but just make sure that the sap of any species you use won't hurt them, either, if they do break them.

The only thing I'll say is that tomato frogs have been known to destroy planted cages. One of my staff members is absolutely in love with them, and while he does have a couple of planted cages for his, he rebuilds them / touches them up every week because they make a mess of the cage.

Best of luck, have fun with them!

-Jen

Thankyou for the information on the plants.

I think I may know the staff member you are talking about, he is the guy in the "LLLReptiles Tomato Frog Care Video".

I don't think the Tomato frogs will destroy the plants if they are placed correctly and the vivarium is given time to grow in. They will not burrow and dig things up if they are provided with many places to hide.

If I also may say, the care video you guys have on youtube is very inaccurate, it is mentioned and shown in the video to keep Tomato frogs on dried orchid bark chips and dried sphagnum moss, two of the absolute worst substrates you could possible keep a frog on.

Bark chips are hard and sometimes sharp, so they can scratch or cut the frog, and sphgnum moss is an impaction risk.

[ViperJr]

(Well, to be fair, spaghnum moss is an excellent substrate as long as you eliminate the chance of the frog eating it (food bowl or something))

[Poly]

(Well, to be fair, spaghnum moss is an excellent substrate as long as you eliminate the chance of the frog eating it (food bowl or something))

Well, we did have a baby Tomato frog on here a while back die from ingesting a piece of spaghnum moss, so I'm sure you can see where I'm comming from Martin. Why take the risk? Just use coco-fibre and then there is virtually no worries of impaction.

[ViperJr]

I hear you, but coco-fiber can cause severe impaction as well if you are unlucky. I have really no experince with tomatoes, so I should probably not say too much, other than good luck and nice purchase

[Poly]

I hear you, but coco-fiber can cause severe impaction as well if you are unlucky. I have really no experince with tomatoes, so I should probably not say too much, other than good luck and nice purchase

Yeah, coco-fibre can, but the frog would have to eat a lot of it! Thanks Martin. I was going to get the darts... but something... ahh hem... came up... lol

[LLLReptile]

(Well, to be fair, spaghnum moss is an excellent substrate as long as you eliminate the chance of the frog eating it (food bowl or something))

We constantly try different substrates, and find that the orchid bark and moss is a fine combination that works well in a store setting. The bark wasn't bone dry - it was damp, and we do spray it at least twice a day. The moss comes from a bucket, where it is kept because we make fresh damp moss every morning - that bucket is half full of water. We have also used eco earth, coconut fiber, and just plain sphagnum moss, all with no complications. There's different methods of every animal, and different keepers will always have differing opinions.
Go easy on him in that video, he has a speech impediment, it was one of the first newer videos made and he was *extremely* nervous. The video's information is adequate for a beginner, despite an inaccuracy in the way he described conditions on Madagascar (the entire island isn't quite tropical), the rest is fine. Notice that when he describes his cage at home, he uses coconut fiber there. We use orchid bark in the store because it's easier to keep clean, and as you can see in the video, the cages get cleaned every week.

Thanks for the concern, though.

-Jen