SETTING UP
This page contains information on setting up your
own vivarium.
Important topics:
1. the right temperatures
2. the right humidity
3. enough light
4. hideouts / lay-out
5. ventilation
6. plants
7. buying frogs
1
In general the right temperatures for the vivarium are 27 degrees
Celcius during the day and 22 degrees Celcius during the night.
These temperatures are suitable for most frogs. Measurements should
be taken in de middle of the vivarium. Use a ceramic infra-red heater
as a heat source. The power depends on the size of the vivarium.
It is important that you place a termostate in the vivarium, preferably
somewhere in the centre. In normal conditions the vivarium will
not reach temperatures lower than 22 degrees during the night. However
if this does happen, an extra termotate for night temperatures is
required.
2
De humidity should be about 80% tot 100%. To reach this level of
humidity you can build a waterresevoir under the area of land. Use
strips of glass with gauze on top an put peat on top of this. Put
a heater in the water and set it to 24 degrees Celcius. This causes
humidity to rise to 100% during the evening and night. Also make
sure the vivarium is sprayed at least once a day. You can use an
automatic sprinkler system. Make sure there are enough wet and dry
spots in the vivarium. When you have small frogs in the vivarium
(tricolor, ventrimaculates, pumilio), you should put some Bromelia’s
in the vivarium for them to lay their eggs on. De sprinkler system
will keep the plants filled with water, so that the larva can survive.
3
Use Tube Light with the colour 82, 83 or 84. You can also use
an extra Grolux light for the plants. The amount of light can be
estimated by using the following formula: width x depth in decimeters
= wattage. Then enlarge the wattage with 20% every decimeter of
height. Every day the lights should be on for about 14 to 16 hours.
If you use multiple lights a timeswitch is advised. You can shut
down or turn on one light every 15 minutes. You can also add some
halogan lights for a nice effect, but make sure the frogs can't
reach them (they might burn theirselves). Switch these off during
the summer to prevent overheating.
4
Make sure there are enough hideouts for the frogs, but make
sure you can alway see them (use a mirror if necessary).
5
Add ventilation on the ceiling of the vivarium. A 5cm wide strip
should be enough. The heat in the vivarium causes a natural ventilation.
Make sure the air goes up behind the front window to prevent condensation.
6
The following plants can be used:
7
Before buying frogs, the following points should be taken care
of.
1. The vivarium should be the way you
want it to be, so that you don't have to change much when the frogs
are inside. Also make sure the plants are ok and check the roots
of the plants.
2. Make sure there is enough food
for the frogs. Start breeding fruitflies several weeks before purchasing
the frogs.
If you've just started with this hobby,
you should begin with frogs that are easy to maintain, such as Dendrobates
Auratus, D. Leucomelas, D.tinctorius of Epipedobates tricolor. D.
tinctorius and D.auratus usually live on the bottom. D. Leucomelas
move up and down the vivarium. E. tricolor live higher up in the
plants. Keep this in mind when you buy the frogs. Don't buy to many
frogs at once. Buy them at a store or from a person with experience
and make sure they can provide information on keeping these frogs.
Make sure they're not skinny or listless. Check the legs and the
back and watch the frogs for a while. Make sure that the frogs have
a good shelter during the transportation and keep them warm. Put
the dish with the frog in the vivarium without the lid and throw
in some fruitflies. Keep a close eye on the frogs for the first
couple of weeks and observe them every once in a while without being
noticed.
