# Let's see your 10-15 gallon tanks!



## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Hi, i just bought a 10 gallon tank for one leuc, I don't have the frog or the tank set up yet, so I'd like to get some good ideas with the amount of space avaible.



I'll post some of mine if I ever get it set up 


Looking forward to see your vivariums!


note- You can share pics of any sizes of tanks just I rather get ideas more in the 10-20 gallon range =)


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

I don't have a 10 gallon but I can tell you that with a tank that size floor space should be maximized. So I would skip on a water feature. A background will take away from some of the floor space, but with a leuc that extra climbing space would be utilized.

Do you have any questions in particular?


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Thanks for the advice on the water feature, I'll skip that. I was planning on kind of just sticking some broms in the back, a small fern or ivy in the front, and some moss here and there.

oh yeah, and should I have a branch going from top to bottom? Meaning something for the frog(s) to climb up on?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

A branch would be great.


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

well i see you already baught the tank but even for one leuc you might want to get a 20 long.. most people convert there 10 gal. and stand them up, and use them for thumb nail species and froglet tanks. you might find it a little cramped in there with plants and a leuc, IMO

best of luck tho


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

dom said:


> well i see you already baught the tank but even for one leuc you might want to get a 20 long.. most people convert there 10 gal. and stand them up, and use them for thumb nail species and froglet tanks. you might find it a little cramped in there with plants and a leuc, IMO
> 
> best of luck tho


Just 1 leuc should be fine in a 10 gallon as long as it isn't overcrowded with plants. A 20H would be a great size if you wanted to get a little more creative with your design, but I feel that learning on this 10 will be ok.


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

I was taking into cconsidering you will lose about 4 in when putting a background and plants wich only give you about 6 to 8 in. in depth. practicing on a 20 long will enable you to better plant the tank and provide a lot more room for the leuc.. In the end tho im sure it will survive. just a lil stressed with little area to roam


You could easly use the 10 gal. for a grow out tank or qt tank


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

I could see where you are coming from, especially with a 4" background. Mine is only 1"-1.5" though. I have some shelves on it that stick out like 6" but they are also back to the 1-1.5" under them so the frogs have a shelter of sorts (btw my tank is 44 gallon corner style). So if he kept the background thin at the ground level and maybe worked some shelves into it and not heavy on the plants I think that's plenty of room for only 1. That "rule" (rough guideline to me), which is 10 gallons to 1 frogs is best demonstrated in a 10 gallon tank since as you get larger tanks the floor space doesn't really grow much. A 20 long is definitely a nice size tank however I think a 20H would be better suited for leucomelas as they really love to explore and climb (and call from the top of the tank). I can see a 10 gallon being a little on the small side with a very terrestrial frog like any of the tincs.

This is just my opinion from my experience.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Luckily I'm not making a background for this tank- I'm just going to use a premade *paper* background.


I've never had dart frogs before so I will absolutely upgrade to a bigger tank after getting the hang of keeping one.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Well if you aren't doing a background then that leaning over driftwood you were talking about would be a good addition. As long as it isn't huge. 

It's easiest to start in a small tank as you can watch over it a little more until you get used to keeping them. It'll also be easier to feed your frog in a smaller tank since the food won't be getting so lost in there. 

A good idea is to keep him/her in that 10 gallon and try your hand at making a background in a 20gallon or larger tank. That way you can have your frog for now while you build a bigger one for your future frogs (yes, they are addicting).

Good luck and post up some pics when it's done.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

thanks for the advice

I do have another question if you don't mind.

When you place java moss(the java moss is at a petstore fully submerged in water) on cocofiber do you just spread it out then mist it constantly?



edit- I know how to make backgrounds. I've done GS background for a 40 gallon tank and it worked out fine.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

That's how I've always done it but it takes a couple months for me to have it actually start to transform and spread. I've also heard of people grinding it up and adding some buttermilk or something to it and spread it around. I haven't tried it so I can't comment on how it works or what all is involved. So maybe just try and search or spread it around thinly, spray it, and wait.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

alright thanks.


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

Sitting_Duck said:


> alright thanks.


Yeah that sounds like a good idea! Post some pics when you get started. Its kinda like a gloryfied qt tank


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## Link3898 (Sep 18, 2008)

hey didnt he want to "see" our smaller tanks?

well heres my 12"x12"x12" Exoterra cube, with a water feature (look close in background) i drilled the glass and added a bulkhead to the bottom and one to the top rear pannel

pardon the calcium dust stains on the glass in this first shot
(i dust all my feeder insects with calcium and multivitamins)










doors open!










one of the darts appear thinkin im going to feed him/her 










Phyllobates terribilis with a very happy jewel orchid in the background 












by the way, i know this tank is to small for pretty much anything but thumbnails, i only use it as a holding tank for small froglets before moving them to a larger system.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Nice looking tank =)

Do you use a water dish?


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## Link3898 (Sep 18, 2008)

water dish? nah they have running water in the back of the tank.. and i mist it down in morning and when i get home. 
i guess i dont understand the question... a water dish for what?


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## Quaz (Nov 13, 2005)

Here's a picture of one of my nano cubes. This one might be 24gal but the 12 gal looks the same.

Here's another









and another









and more


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Gorgeous vivariums!


About the water dish, I'm a little concerned about my frogs drying out because I'm gone 6 hours of the day every Monday through Friday. I will mist the tank in the morning, after school, and at night.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Sitting_Duck said:


> Gorgeous vivariums!
> 
> 
> About the water dish, I'm a little concerned about my frogs drying out because I'm gone 6 hours of the day every Monday through Friday. I will mist the tank in the morning, after school, and at night.


Don't worry. I'm gone 8+ hours a day and nothing bad ever happens. Get a good humidity gauge (digital w/remote probe, exo terra makes one that's like $20), and cover up most/all the top with glass or something. Keep it setup like that for a little and watch over the humidity. Seriously, with the top covered and temps in the right range humidity is very easy to keep in. What's nice about the exo terra gauge is that it has a min/max recall so you can see how low/high it goes throughout the day and adjust as needed.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

okay thanks.


Does petco/petsmart sell glass tops?

I was thinking of covering a screen lid with ceramic wrap or something. Do you know if a heat lamp will burn/melt the wrap?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

I would assume they sell the glass tops. Beware though that not all tanks are the same (brand wise). If you have an All Glass Aquarium (AGA), Perfecto, etc, you'll have to make sure it fits your brand. They are also very inexpensive. There is 1 part that I don't like though. They have a plastic strip across the back so you can cut into it for filters and heaters. It isn't tight in the back and frogs can easily escape. So what I do is either get a piece of glass cut to fit into that area (Lexan/polycarbonate would work great too), or use packing tape to tape it up really good so no one can escape. Both ways have worked for me fine.

No idea on the plastic wrap. Never tried it.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

okay thanks.


Can't exactly tell what you were saying about the prices of the all glass tops.


Are they more expensive than screen ones or less?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

I'm not sure what the going rate for either is right now but for a 10 gallon I would imagine around $15 for a glass one. 

Another thing I've seen done is to put the glass top on backwards so that the plastic is in the front. Then you can drill some very small holes for ventilation to help keep condensation off of the glass.


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## gretchenellie (Aug 7, 2007)

i have a 15-20 gallon tank that just has plastic wrap as the top ( havent found a glass top here to fit it yet )..

it has worked VERY well.... i havent had any trouble with heat from the lights burning it, etc.

Pic:


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## froggiefriend (Jan 4, 2008)

I have gotten glass cut at my local ace for a ten gallon I was doing for a thumbnail tank. It was like 2.50 for two pieces cut. Mind you the glass was thinner than the walls on the tank but I don't rest lights on the top so it wouldn't make a difference. I siliconed one end in and then created a living hinge, I also siliconed a knob onto the top of the loose end. let me know if you want to see a picture.. 
Kristin


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## gretchenellie (Aug 7, 2007)

was the glass something you brought to them, or did you pick it up there?

i am thinking that is what i will have to do shortly, if i cant find a premade one ( i am not handy at all with DIY's )...


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## froggiefriend (Jan 4, 2008)

I got it from there... I just got some cut for my 55G and it only cost me $9 plus tax.. really cheap and they do a great job.. they just don't round the edges. I don't let anyone really touch the top so I don't worry about it. I have bought hinges from a sponsor here but ran out so I was using living hinges (just a line of silicone - flattened). They don't necessarily look beautiful but they work great!  People aren't really looking at the top they are more interested in my frogs IMO. 
Home depot and menards might cut the glass too but I live closest to the Ace so that is where I go.. 
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Kristin


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

gretchenellie said:


> i have a 15-20 gallon tank that just has plastic wrap as the top ( havent found a glass top here to fit it yet )..
> 
> it has worked VERY well.... i havent had any trouble with heat from the lights burning it, etc.
> 
> Pic:


____

Glad to hear it works, can I see a picture of where your light is?
Or an explanation of where it is?

I'm assuming the plastic wrap is covering a screen top?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Here one could purchase it and get it cut at home depot, lowes, true value, etc. It's very cheap like kristin said.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Set up my tank....All I need now is a lid and the frog(s)


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

?-How come you can't edit the original post?


Threw some stuff together, it's going to be a temporary home for a leuc.
I'll be adding some moss, leaf litter, and a cocohut.
It was hard to get any good pics because something was blocking me from getting to a certain angle.


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

Hey just a quick question. Did you put any kind of screen or divider between the substrate and the drainage layer? If not I would STRONGLY suggest it or you will end up with a soupy mess.

Also the palm on the right side will quickly outgrow your viv.

Other than that nice job!

Justin


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## andy321 (Jun 12, 2008)

It looks alot bigger than 10 gallons. Nice Job!!!!


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Thanks guys.

Jdart, Yes there is a screen divider. Unfortunately it doesn't cover to the sides thats why you can see the dirt going into the rocks. I'm sure in the middle of the tank, at the bottom, not much dirt is going through.

The plants in there (besides the brom) were only around 2-3 dollars. So it's no biggy if they grow out of the tank. I have a 40 gallon for a Green Tree frog so I'll just move plants to there once they've outgrown the 10 gallon.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Small update, bought a cocohut & a "FLUKER's Thermo and Hygrometer". thing.
:lol: it tells the temperature and humidity.
Also through some leaves in, not really considering it leaf litter, but just to add more hiding spots, & rearranged plants.


So far I've been able to keep humidity at 82% and temperature at 73-75, perfect,no?


Here's some pics.

left side









right side










random pics



















Full tank shot from above


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

I know I've asked this before, but just to be sure..


I do not need standing water, if the humidity is from 80-100% they will absorb moisture through their skin. correct?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Ok a couple things to say. Try and get some moss or more leaves for the bottom. The coco fiber sticks to frogs pretty badly. So the more of it you cover the better. You can have a solid layer of leaves on the bottom and it will be good. Other than that they viv looks very good.

Your humidity/temp are good. That gauge is a digital correct?



Sitting_Duck said:


> I know I've asked this before, but just to be sure..
> 
> 
> I do not need standing water, if the humidity is from 80-100% they will absorb moisture through their skin. correct?


   Seriously, if you're that worried you can add a small water dish. Make it small though as you don't have a lot of room to play around with. Keep the water changed frequently (dechlorinated) because it can become soiled. I think you want more to answer you than just me, but it's true. You don't need standing water. Here's a shot of my 44 gallon viv that houses 2 leucs with no water at all.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

:lol: alright thanks. I'll calm down about the water now =p

Yes, the gauge is digital.

I just got more leaves so I'll put a good layer of that. I'll add some moss so humidity will be higher.

- A few questions regarding your leucs.

How old are they? (meaning babies, juveniles, sub-adults, adults)

When you feed them fruit flys, how many per frog each feeding and how often do you feed them?

When (or if) you feed pin head crickets, how many per frog and how often do you feed them?
-when i say how often i mean something like this.

ex.- 5 crickets every other day.

hope you can answer some of those, it'd be a real help =)


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## pacaAndrew (Sep 8, 2008)

I have 2 juvi auratus, and am getting 2 juvi leucs soon. I feed about 10 flies per frog every other day. i dont use pinheads yet and i wouldnt until adulthood.


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## pacaAndrew (Sep 8, 2008)

btw i love the color of that flower on your brom. Is that just a lowes brom?


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

okay thanks.

How many fruit flys generally come in one culture?
(when you buy your first one, how many are in there usually?)


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

pacaAndrew said:


> btw i love the color of that flower on your brom. Is that just a lowes brom?



Home depot!


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

My frogs are all around 1 year old now. I feed them everyday. Not sure on the amount, just a whole bunch  They are pigs! If I notice that there are a ton of flies running around hours later I'll feed less next time. If they gobble them up in 30 seconds I'll add some. You'll have to play around with it.

How many flies in a culture varies very much. If you get a brand new culture you will probably only have 25-50 flies in it until they lay. If you get one that's 2 weeks old it should have a whole bunch!


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

okay thanks, how much does one culture generally cost from petco?


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

I'm not sure how much they are anymore but I know the old ones they used to sell were very small. Best used as a starter culture if anything. If I were you I would just order a starter kit from one of the vendors on here. I've used joshsfrogs media and it smells like something you can eat!


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Lol okay thanks.


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## pacaAndrew (Sep 8, 2008)

I've seen them at petsmart for $5.99, but they are tiny. definately want to do your own.


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

I just really don't want to make my own media or w/e its called. The stuff the flys lay there eggs in, is there any really easy media(?) to use?


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## andyoconnor83 (Oct 6, 2008)

I know you already built your tank, but i still thought I'd share my two 10 gallons. this first is one with the suriname cobalts in it



















the second has a water feature in the log, and has the 2 auratus



















sorry the through glass pics suck, they were all wet and i didn't feel like getting a squigy


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## pacaAndrew (Sep 8, 2008)

this should help you out

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/18630-fruit-fly-culturing-mini-howto.html


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## denfrogs (Dec 10, 2007)

wow ! Andy those are some sweet looking tanks !


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

If you don't want to make your own media check the vendors on this site. Like I said I personally use joshsfrogs.com media for myself right now. All you have to do is add boiling water and mix. Once it cools add a pinch of activated yeast (comes with it), and flies. That's all. I'm sure the other vendors have similar instructions as well


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## andyoconnor83 (Oct 6, 2008)

well thanks for the kind words on the tank...


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

Here are a couple of my 10 verts


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## Sitting_Duck (Sep 28, 2008)

Nice tanks...


Thanks for the link on culturing.


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## pacaAndrew (Sep 8, 2008)

your welcome, it's really easier than it sounds


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

pacaAndrew said:


> your welcome, it's really easier than it sounds


How true that is!


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