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Ade
Tadpole
United Kingdom
153 Posts |
 Posted - 19/07/2010 : 10:35:59
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Well, despite saying we were probably going to get Mantellas, my wife saw pics of dendrobates tinctoreous azureas, and fell hard. I wasn't going to argue with this, they are absolutely gorgeous frogs, and supposed to be ideal beginner frogs. Now before anybody panics we HAVEN'T bought ANY of these yet. We're doing things my way this time, which means weeks and weeks of getting their home, and food supply, ready before buying.
So, to that end, I have ordered the following:-
Exo-Terra 60cm x 45cm x 60cm terrarium (gorgeous sized terrarium).
2 x Pro-Rep 20 watt heat mats (those of you who have followed my progress in the hobby so far will know that I learned this trick right here! I put 1 on the bottom to help keep up the humidity, the other goes on the side by this to raise temps).
Habistat Mat Stat.
Lucky Reptile Humidity Control II - With 4 kids and my life things get forgetten, so I like to automate important stuff..
Lucky Reptile Super Fog humidifier.
1 x exo terra 2% linear lamp 15 watts (I already have a spare controler for this).
1 pack of Namibia Terra background to cover the back and sides.
Hydrofleece to separate the drainage layer and 'earth' layer.
5l Dendrosoil - Already contains custodians like springtails and woodlice. :).
100 oak leaves (I'm running low as my crayfish LOVE these as well, nom nom nom)- I use these on top of the 'earth' layer, helps to keep your frogs clean and look really natural.
3-pack-Sapucuja-small - Naturally occuring very shallow small water bowls to make 'puddles' in which they can put their tadpoles if I am lucky enough to breed them.
Savu seed pod - I intent to put a film canister in this to provide a laying site (already have some home made coconut caves for the 2nd site) I like things to look natural, rather than visible plastic.
Corkscrew-Liana-Medium.
Tropical Sheet Moss x 2.
Cryptanthus novistar - I LOVE these little broms!
Tillandsia bulbosa - My wife LOVES airplants, been able to merge this hobby with our phib hobby is fantastic!
Ficus pumila sunny pot - Creepers, I love em. ;)
Bean-weevil-culture kit - Nom noms for the froggies, so I can get into the hang of culturing these.
Drosophila-melanogaster-Advanced-Culture-Kit - As above. Can't see these been too difficult, my single attempt to culture micro-worms (for aquaria) quickly turned into a fruit fly culture. lol
Still need to grab a couple of thermometers and a hygrometer, but these are easily obtained locally, as in a short walk away.
So, what you folks reckon? Gonna let this stuff all run for 3 - 4 weeks before looking to ordering frogs.
Ade
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Ade
Tadpole
United Kingdom
153 Posts |
Posted - 19/07/2010 : 10:38:44
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Just to add (as editor is throwing a VB Script error), to the plants add a LARGE bromeliad, some pothos (I have a huge plant that I am taking cuttings from already) and a prayor plant I bought months back. :)
Ade |
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Kazerella
The Amphibian Administrator
United Kingdom
969 Posts |
Posted - 22/07/2010 : 13:44:39
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Sounds great Ade, but beware of the bean weavils. They invade oyur house and you find them everywhere.
Ended up with one in my bath the other day  |
 
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Ade
Tadpole
United Kingdom
153 Posts |
Posted - 23/07/2010 : 02:22:47
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Aye, last place we lived in got invaded by grain weavels that came in in a sack of commercial rat food. We used to breed pet mice back then, and rat food was a cheap but healthy (for them) source of food for them.... Until the weevils start hatching.... So yeah, I have experience with weevils, to which end whenever the tub is opened it will be in the bottom of our big rub (currently housing the dendrosoil to stop the European woodlice in it from having a wander...)
I have a few updates to add, but my wife is already in bed and getting crosser by the minute, so laters... lol
Ade |
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Ade
Tadpole
United Kingdom
153 Posts |
Posted - 23/07/2010 : 18:01:09
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Right, the update I promised, I'll try to remember everything... lol
First off, I grabbed 2 thermometers and a hygrometer from Pets @ Home. Our local one is actually quite good, with fairly knowledgeable staff. It's also only a 10 minute walk from where I live, so often gets used for "eeek we need xxxxxx quick!" dashes. lol
The coco panel that came turned out to be the one with 4 planting pockets in it. I like it though, so kept it. Siliconed that in yesterday, and ran short of silicone... I wish I had put it in the terrarium and done some measurements before ordering more coco panels... I ordered 2 x 100cmx50cm Lucky Reptile coco panels.
Today, I popped out to my LFS (who also do reptiles and amphibians and kit) for more silicon. Bought some silver label which comes in an excellent tin with a trigger action which makes use really easy. I should have checked how much was in it though! I only got 1 side panel and a gap between the back panel and side glass, then ran out. Oops. So, cue one of my famous dashed to Pets at Home for more silicon sealant... All they had was 25g tubes, so I walked out of the store with 4 of them. Just as well, it took 3 to do the remaining panel. Now to explain why I should of measured... Back panel was 50cms x 50cms square, and left an 8cms gap (pretty clear that the 60cms x 45cms x 60cms is an external measurement) to the left of it. With the back on, the 2 side panels need to be 43 cms wide. Now had I of measured properly, and done the maths BEFORE ordering more, I would have known that 43+43+8=94cms, 94cms easily goes into 100cms... Guess who has an unused, unopened, 100cms x 50cms coco panel now? lol
So, all 3 sides are now covered with nice coco panels, too which I can attach some nice borms and creepers, and with luck some moss. I'd love to get hold of some little epithytic orchids eventually as well:D
Oh, and the dendrosoil seems a good buy to me. It's crawling with both European and tropical woodlice, not to mention tropical and probably European springtails (only spotted tropical ones). Seems to be a mixture of orchid bark and an eco-earth type substrate. My plan is to use it as a top layer.
Slowly sorting out more and more plants for this terrarium. I bought 2 more ficus pumilla today, 1 of which will be going in here, and a nice fern that can go in. I also have a 6 plant collection on order from DartFrog, which should come with at least 1 more bromeliad.
I'm now going to give the silicone sealant until Sunday to cure, then time to put the terrarium on it's shelf, fit the heat mats etc and fill it with substrates. I can then start planting it up.  I have 1 tube of silicon left, so can use a dab to fix the tilandsia, perhaps to the vine wood I think.
All ticking along nicely now, I'll post some pics once I have some that aren't just boring ones of me siliconing the coco panels. Oh and a tip, nitrile gloves are fantastic things to wear when working with silicone sealant. Especially if like me you tend to end up with it all over your hands usually..... ;)
Ade |
Edited by - Ade on 23/07/2010 18:01:45 |
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Memoirs of a dartfrog newbie.
