Green Tree Frog Setup

[carsona246]

I decided to make an enclosure for the green tree frog my fiance found and see how I liked the setup. I'll post a picture once it's completed. It's going to be half filled with water for my fish, and half driftwood/pothos for the frog. It's a 20 H. The only concern I have at this exact moment is the humidity. I know ideally they have at least 75% humidity, but right now it's at 90%. Is that too high?

[carsona246]

Ok here's some pictures, he seems to like it. he's moving around a lot and climbing all over the pothos. My pygmy cories don't seem terribly stressed out either, which is a good plus.

Here's a picture of the whole setup. Feel free to critique, I've never kept a tree frog before and may not know I'm doing something wrong. I have a pvc pipe holding up 3 rocks, and a water pump that leads water to the highest rock. This makes a waterfall. Is this going to bother the tree frog? I like it, but I can easily remove the waterfall. I have more pothos if you guys think it would be helpful. My last pothos plant is pretty huge, and would literally fill up the entire tank though. All the roots are submerged for pothos.







He seems to like it, but I know it's difficult to tell if animals are happy(especially when you have little experience with them). The hydrometer seems to have stopped just short of 90%. Is this too high, and if not does that mean I do not have to mist the tank?

[carsona246]

Good news! Humidity has dropped to 85% and seems to be dropping more. He's still exploring.

[Cypress]

I'll start by saying I have absolutely no experience with a setup like yours, so I have no idea what I'm talking about... I have also never had a green tree frog. I have grays, and their care is pretty similar. First, mine really don't like to swim. I kept a pool in their tank that was about two inches deep when I first got them. They wanted nothing to do with it. I had a smaller water dish with about one inch of water. They loved to soak in it. I have since filled the bottom of the larger dish with decorative marbles so the water is shallow. They seem to like it much better now. That could just be my guys though.

The thing I'd be concerned about is the crickets. Are they staying alive long enough to be eaten? There doesn't seem to be a lot of land there. My crickets, I think, would rather drown than be eaten half the time. They are not the smartest creatures out there.

I'm sure there are good and bad things about your setup, but I'm not the person to help you there. I'm fairly new to keeping frogs as well. Sorry.

One thing I can tell you is that there is one perk to having a native Arkansas frog. The horrible weather in Arkansas actually makes for some very hardy tree frogs. Grays and greens are hardy anyway, but they have to be extra tough to put up with the bipolar temps and humidity. 60-80% humidity is ideal, from what I have read. I try to keep my grays between 70-80%, but just before or after misting I've had it fall as low as 62% and rise to about 87%. The only thing I've noticed is that mine seem to get a little sluggish when it drops to the low 60s. They don't seem to mind or behave oddly when the humidity tops 80.

I don't know what part of Arkansas you're in, but you might check local climate charts. Obviously, the variable humidity throughout the year won't be ideal, but that will give you a better idea of how he was living before you got him. Just a thought.

[carsona246]

I have not fed him since I moved him into the enclosure, but I am concerned about feeding him crickets. I'm just about to go get some D3 calcium/reptile vitamin powder so when I feed him today he can get some extra nutrients. How often do you feed your grays? I accidentally let a super huge cricket fall into the tank while fiddling with the bag of crickets, and before I could get him out the frog had already shoved him in his mouth. I thought it would be best to wait a few days to let him pass that cricket, but I would love to feed him every day if I can. There is a rock platform in the tank, so I'm hoping the crickets stay there. If not I may have to get some tongs.

[Mentat]

Tree frogs prefer tall enclosures and you are losing lot of air space to your water feature height. Also, be aware that if your frog grabs and eats one of those Pigmy Cories it could be it's end too. Corey's can get stuck in frog digestive system due to it's fin spines.

You can use a 2 in. deep glass bowl (at dollar stores) to feed crickets and they will not escape. Once frog figures out how to get them from bowl; you've prevent insect drownings and can monitor feeding too. Good luck !

[Cypress]

I honestly feed my grays way more than most people will suggest. I give the each five ~3/8" crickets every day or two. I usually feed them daily. I only skip a day if I am super busy (I still check on them and mist the tank). The best advise is to watch the frog. Watch his behavior. And watch his figure. Pick a feeding schedule, and stick with it for a few days. If he starts getting too thin, up his feeding. If he starts getting fat, decrease it. I don't know about his behavior. After you've had him for a while, you'll know what is normal for him and when he's acting off. One of my guys has been a little thin since I got him. Even at five crickets a day, he is still thin. So, every frog is going to be different.

I don't know how large you meant when you mentioned the super huge cricket, but be careful! I bought some adult crickets to try breeding my own, about a week after I got my frogs. My husband didn't know anything about cricket sizes. He grabbed one of the breeders, and tossed in the tank while I wasn't looking. I swear, he's worse than a five year old sometimes. Anyway, one of the frogs snatched it up and shoved it down his throat. His intestine prolapsed! I treated him, and the prolapse went away. The next time I fed him, he prolaspsed again. I waited a few days to feed him, and started with one small cricket every other day. I slowly increased his feedings to get him back up with the other guys. The day he first got three, he had a very small prolapse. So, I started over with his feeding. Anyway. It was very scary, and not an experience I ever hope to repeat. He's healthy now. Hasn't had a prolapse since. But that story could have had a much sadder ending.

[carsona246]

That sounds scary, I just checked some pictures, and it doesn't look like he's prolapsed.
So just tried to feed him, and those crickets were suicidal. We had a mini ceramic bowl that was 2 inch deep, so we placed a few crickets in the dish and put that on the rock. He's been sleeping all day, so hopefully he'll wake up now that the lights are off and go eat.

[Cypress]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that yours had prolapsed. You'd know it if he had! I was just letting you know what could happen. Since it happened to one of mine, I feed them smaller crickets than I can. Mine, I'm sure, could handle 1/2". I'm just paranoid. Good luck with your frog. They're a blast.

[Pactolus]

That's simply not an enclosure suited for a tree frog. In fact, it looks pretty dangerous. They need tall enclosures, with a water dish for soaking, where they don't risk drowning if they misjudge a hop.

[kueluck]

Think about the natural habitat for AGTF. This means they live up in the trees, which means a thick canopy of leaves and close to water, not right over it. I think you’re asking for trouble in an enclosure like this. Here’s how I have my 2 AGTF set up.

[carsona246]

I appreciate the concern, and I might have to rethink the setup if i keep him permanently. I'm still trying to decide if I really want to keep him or not, but I have been having a lot of fun setting up the tank and learning about these guys.
However, I will say that I've been browsing the forum posts, and many people seem to keep these frogs in ten gallon tanks. I have a twenty high, with less than half the tank filled, which is taller than a ten gallon. There are many spots throughout the tank that would allow the frog a grip if he did fall in the water, which he has once or twice. He didn't seem to have any difficulties getting out of the water.

[aegillesp]

I like your set up but the amount of water scared me. Marven panicked and couldn't get out of her less than 1/4" amount of water and almost drown because she couldn't get out, I had to help her out. I'd be so nervous having that much water in the tank. Just be careful. They are such cute critters and I don't think they float well...

[Heatheranne]

Your set-up is pretty, but you may think about safety and the frogs needs first. Perhaps a second tank for the fish would be safer. Make the water shallower to about 1 1/2" or less and add more plants and maybe a large rock to climb out on. Take a peak around the tree frog vivariums. You're sure to get some great ideas .

If you're concerned about crickets as feeders, a good guideline is their food should be no larger than the distance between their eyes. You can order smaller crickets online at joshsfrogs, greatlakes horned worms and a few other places.

[carsona246]

I have decided to release the frog and look for something that would be more suited for the setup. I'm currently looking at reed frogs, but would love some suggestions on frogs who would enjoy this setup. I've been watching him and he has really become more outgoing/active in the tank, which has been a ton of fun for me. However, he is getting fairly active, and the tank might look a little cramped if he got any bigger, which is why I'm looking for something a bit smaller. I really don't think there is a huge chance of drowning in this setup to be perfectly honest, there are rocks in the tank for him to perch on, and plenty of leaves in the water in case he were to fall in. I've gone through a number of threads on here, and it seems like there are many breeders who are not concerned about water depth/tree frog drownings. That being said, I would like something that would enjoy the amount of water in the tank, which is why I'm considering reed frogs.
Anyone have any suggestions for tree frogs who would prefer this setup?