Setting up a naturalistic terrarium

Setting up a naturalistic terrarium

Introduction: The purpose of a naturalistic terrarium is to provide your amphibian pets with an environment that is both more attractive to the viewer, and provides the pet with more opportunity to exhibit natural behaviors, including breeding. A great by-product of the naturalistic terrarium is that it will usually be lower maintenance than other enclosures, which must be frequently disassembled, cleaned, and disinfected. A balanced naturalistic terrarium may last for years with proper preventive maintenance. The basic components of the well-balanced naturalistic terrarium mimic the nitrogen cycle, breaking down animal wastes into nutrients than can be utilized by plants, and thus, require less frequent cleaning. While some naturalistic terrarium hobbyists have created micro-environments which are so well-balanced that they don't even require the addition of food for the captives, I'm happy at the moment not to have to tear down tanks every month for a thorough scrubbing.

Basic components: To create a successful micro-environment, you must have three things: animals which produce waste; microfauna that break down the waste into nutrients; and plants to absorb the nutrients. So, you need:

• Animals: The biggest beginner mistake I have seen is putting too many animals into the microenvironment, making it impossible for the soil-dwelling critters to break down the waste as quickly as it's produced.

• Microfauna: These are the little guys who live in the soil and eat poop, to put it bluntly (they also will eat dead plant material and deceased feeder insects, too). These range from normal soil bacteria to arthropods such as springtails and isopods such as pillbugs (rolly-pollies). We add a bit of organic potting soil to our substrate mix to help with the bacteria; you can collect or culture the bigger guys.

• Plants: Be sure to pick plants that are A) not poisonous, and B) sturdy enough to handle being trampled by your pets. Some tree frogs can get pretty rough with plants, and need very sturdy ones. Some burrowing frogs will constantly uproot plants that don't have a deep root system. Also, avoid spiny plants that might injure your amphibian's delicate skin. Our plants are grown in a greenhouse that specializes in terrarium plants suitable for use with frogs.

• Substrate: Both plants and microfauna require something in which to live, and dirt is the cheapest substrate that meets both those needs. Several problems with dirt: you never know what chemicals may have been spilled/sprayed on it, and how they will affect your inmates; most soil is too high in organic matter that either dries out too quickly, or decomposes and compacts, leading to "sour" substrate (you'll know it when you smell it). Our substrate is a mixture of coconut coir (ground coconut fiber), which is slow to decompose but retains moisture well; bark chips which provide even more aeration; and inorganic materials such as sand to keep the texture and prevent compaction. We even use a calcium-bearing sand to buffer the normally acidic coconut fiber.

• Drainage: Even the best substrate mixture will decompose quickly if it's constantly immersed in water. We use an expanded clay material from the hydroponics industry to create a drainage layer that is lighter than aquarium gravel, and provides more space for air and water circulation. This material can be reused over and over. Just wash in a very weak bleach solution, rinse very (VERY) well, and it's ready to go again.

Construction:

1.Place the screen material on the bottom of the terrarium.

2. Arrange the driftwood on the screen to divide the land area from the water area. If you are using a filter, make sure you create a water area large enough for the filter, and for a bathing pool for the frogs.

3. Lift the screen on the land side of the driftwood, and place a 2" layer of the drainage material under it. The driftwood should act like a dam, preventing the drainage material from entering the water area. Replace the screen over the drainage material (the screen prevents the substrate from sifting down and clogging the drainage layer.

4. If you plan to use gravel as a substrate in the water area, you can place it on the screen in the water area now. Gravel is not necessary, but some people like the "finished" look it provides. Whether or not you use gravel, your frogs will quickly track various other detritus into the water which will form a sediment layer.

5. Decide where you want your plants and any other cage furnishings before adding the substrate. Heavy driftwood or grape wood vines should be placed before the substrate, to prevent compacting it. Plants can be placed directly into the substrate, or left in their pots to discourage burrowing frogs from uprooting them. Pots should be buried to the rim, so will require deeper substrate.

6. Place the substrate in a layer at least 1" thick, more where your plants are placed. Cage furnishings such as driftwood can be used to create terraces in the substrate, providing a multilevel environment.

7. Cut and fit the live sheet moss around the plants and cage furnishings. There should be a sloped area leading to the water feature. This can be covered with live moss or stone to limit the amount of substrate tracked into the water by the frogs. If you have plants that provide a lot of shade, the moss may not grow directly under them. You can cover the substrate in these areas with "leaf litter" collected from an area of woods that no pesticides are used. Oak leaves last the longest; maple won't last long at all. If you are worried about introducing critters into your microenvironment, you can place the leaf litter in the oven at about 200 degrees for an hour or so. That will kill off just about anything.

8. Wet down the moss well, and add enough water so that the water level is at least 1/2" below the screen separating the drainage layer from the substrate. If you purchased any microfauna, you can add it now. Springtails can be sucked up from the water in the colony easily with a turkey baster, and squirted onto the moss and substrate. Depending on the size of your frog, and whether it finds the little critters tasty, you may have to replenish the microfauna on a monthly basis.

Additional Setup:At this point, you should let the tank "rest" before adding animals. Some people wait weeks or months, and that's great if you have the patience. I usually wait at least 24 hours. We sell our frogs in containers that are big enough for them to live in for several days, as long as you mist and feed them daily.

If you have a thermometer or hygrometer put them in before adding the animals, to avoid escapees.

Place the compact fluorescent bulb in the fixture, and rest the fixture on the screen top. If you have trouble maintaining the humidity, the easiest fix is to place plastic “cling” wrap over the screen top, under the light fixture. If you use glass you run the risk of the heat from the lamp cracking it, and you can make small adjustments in air flow simply by pulling back corners of the plastic film until you maintain the humidity required by your frog.

Don't be surprised if you begin to see spider web-like white mold growing in the tank after about a week. This will bloom and then die off without affecting the inhabitants. If you seeded the tank with springtails, you may even see them making an all-you-can-eat buffet out of the growth. Keep in mind that these are general construction notes, and you should customize your setup to the frogs you are keeping. For example, fire-bellied toads will like a larger water area than most tree frogs, who simply soak in the water to fill their bladders. And, while fire-bellied toads won’t climb (much), tree frogs will be happiest with lots of vines and plants to explore. But, be careful not to over-plant the terrarium. even though our plants are designed for this use, some, such at the pothos and creeping fig, will grow very quickly, and you will have a jungle on your hands!

If you decide to add plants from a home improvement store or nursery, remove the soil in which they were sold and wash the plant leaves to remove any residual pesticides and fertilizers. Most plants will grow fine in our substrate mixture, but if you have one that needs a richer soil, you can replace a small area with an organic potting soil that contains no artificial fertilizers.

Much like an aquarium, you should periodically perform water changes in your terrarium. I usually replace about half the water every other week. This can easily be done with a turkey baster. If you have big frogs, you should also remove any waste left in plain sight, as there will certainly be more you don’t see, so your microfauna will not go hungry. Fallen leaves can be left in place, or removed, if you find that more aesthetically pleasing.

Your tank should smell fresh and “earthy” every time you open it. If it begins to smell sour, add more microfauna, change the water more frequently, and try to remove any waste you find. If you have any questions about your terrarium, feel free to email us: info@forestfrogs.com