whites tree frogs
WHITES TREE FROG CARE BASICS
Terrarium
We recommend a minimum of a 20 gallon terrarium for one frog, 10 gallons extra for each additional frog. These frogs are arboreal, which means they live in trees, hence the name whites tree frog. It is important to have more height than width to their habitat along with branches, vines and ledges to sit on. They do spend most of their time toward the top of their habitat.
There are a couple different ways you can set up your frog's habitat.
- One way would be to set up a bioactive tank with a drainage layer, soil, ant plants and branches. This method will require some research and you will also need to get a cleanup crew consisting of springtail and isopods. We have found a lot of helpful videos on You Tube on how to set this up.
- The second way is more of an artificial environment using paper towels or a liner on the bottom and fake plants, branches ect. You will need to reguralary clean the liner on the bottom as well as the decor in the tank if you choose this method.
- Or you can do a mix of both. Keep in mind when choosing substrate it needs to be safe for the frog.
- Spagnum moss is commonly recommended in bioactive tanks and can be a choking hazard to your frog.
Décor
- Hides
- Branches or vines to climb on , they also like ledges to sit on.
- Live plants - be sure they are not toxic to them.
- Artificial plants are ok, just make sure they won't scratch them.
Temperature
- These frogs prefer a gradient temperature in their habitat meaning a warmer at the top of the tank and cooler at the bottom.
- Ideal temps: Daytime temp:75-88 F & Nighttime 70-75 F
- You will want a thermometer to monitor the temp in the tank, this is VERY important so that your frog doesnt overheat or get too cold. We recommend a hygrometer /thermometer combo all in one because you will need to monitor the humidity as well.
- You can also check their temperatures regularly with a heat gun.
- For ideal temperature control we recommend a termostat to hook your heating elements up to.
- We recommend using one or a combo of the following to achieve the proper temps: Ceramic heat emitters and deep heat emitters.
- HEATING DON'TS:
- No heat mats
- Keep heat elements from coming in direct contact with or pointing directly at the glass.
- Do not use Red light or Blue light bulbs, these can affect their sleep cycle,
Humidity
Humidity/water
- Humidity levels should ideally be between 30-50%
- High humidity can cause bacterial infections.
- Ensure you have a hygrometer in the tank to monitor the humidity levels. Colorado is a rather dry state, so this will help you monitor and obtain ideal humidity levels. Keep in mind it may take you a bit to adjust things and figure out how to keep the humidity at the right levels.
- If you have plants in the tank you will need to water those as needed and or mist them.
- Ways to keep up humidity levels include:
- A humidifier in the room you have your tank in
- You can cover part of the mesh top of the tank with seran wrap or HVAC foil tape
- Your frog will also need a water dish in their habitat at all times. You will need to refresh their water daily and treat it with a dechlorinator such as reptisafe to remove the chemicals in the tap water.
- If you do not use tap water, only use bottled springs water, no RO water or distilled water! Those types of water have had all of the minerals removed from them.