# R. fantastica 'Lowland' Tank Setup



## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

Hello folks!

I have a standard 40 gallon tank that I would like to turn into a colony tank for R. fantastica 'lowland' imported via the late November Understory import. That gives me two months to build out the tank and get it ready and growing in for the new frogs sometime in early/mid December. 

Personally, I've been interested in frogs since high school, when I was an active member of Frognet. Fast forward several years through college and into the lovely world of software engineering and I'm working for a company that embraces my idea of having a tank of frogs in the office. 

I plan on automating as much of the system as I can, so for example there will be an automated misting system, timed lights, etc. I plan on seeding the tank with springtails and other 'leaf litter' style bugs before the frogs arrive. Do you think this, combined with a heavier than normal feeding on Fridays would get a group of 5 thumbnail frogs through the weekends till Monday morning when they could be fed again? Long weekends, etc - someone would be in the office to feed. 

I was interested in thumbnails simply because they're the 'type' of frog I have the most experience with - my D. imitators (back then it was D!) in high school always had eggs and I raised more than a few froglets as well. R. fantastica also won a department vote against other "common" species.

The plan, after a department wide vote, was to acquire a colony of R. fantastica - so I was planning on 5 individuals in a standard 40 gallon tank. Here's the general layout I was considering for the enclosure:

- In both back corners, cluster of bromiliads. The species here would be some form of broad-leaf bromiliad, which also remained rather short to the ground (it's a standard 40g). The idea being that the frogs would be able to set up territories and avoid each other if they wanted to. There would be film canisters / coco huts on each end as well as the frogs matured. 

- From each corner, pothos, or similar vining plant (baby's tears, etc - probably a mix of 3 or 4 species) giving lots of broad leaf cover along the bottom of the tank. 

- If possible, moss coverage throughout at the soil layer.

- If there is room towards the center of the tank, perhaps driftwood sunk into the soil where small orchids or Tillandsia sp. could be planted as a center grouping. 

- For a substrate green moss covered peat moss/sphagnum/orchid bark/charcoal mix. Below this would be a gravel drainage layer - separated via nylon screen to avoid the soil falling into the rock layer. This rock layer would also contain a piece of aquarium tubing so that any water that collects could be flushed and then siphoned out.

- Along the front of the tank, a small water feature extending back perhaps 2 or 3 inches and a few inches deep. The idea here would be that this body of water would help maintain humidity in the tank - we're in Las Vegas after all and the AC removes whatever humidity might be in the air.

My idea for the water feature is to take a small strip of black rubber pond liner and spread some silicone over it. Onto the silicone would be pressed small aquarium gravel. The resulting mat could be cut and pressed into position inside the tank, and then the edges would be siliconed to the tank glass wall to form a waterproof basin that could be filled. This body of water would serve to raise humidity in the tank, as well as to deter frogs from tracking soil/etc up onto the front panel of glass. 

As R. fantasica are rather shy, I wanted the give this layout time to grow in so that the vining plants were able to create a green 'carpet' of cover across the bottom surrounding the bromeliads so that the frogs felt secure enough to move about if they wanted to. My general idea is that the more places they have to disappear into, the more likely we are to actually see them out and about hunting, etc. 

Lighting would be provided by a 96 watt 6500k power compact bulb. Cooling for this light will be provided by a 12 volt computer fan drilled and wired into the canopy which will be blowing into the reflector and across the bulb's length. Room temperature in our office is anywhere from 70 to 76 depending on the time of the year, so that plus the minor heat that will still be contributed from the ventilated light should keep daytime highs inside the tank around the mid/high 70s. 

Night time lows inside the tank should be in the mid 70s. Misting would be discontinued at night, however the ventilation fan would probably run 24/7 ventilating the canopy.

No special tank ventilation was planned - should I invest in a small 1" computer fan which could pull air out of the tank? I see this as a perfect way for fruit flies to escape though, so I'm not really sure it's needed. 

The misting system would consist of two ultra fine no-drip misting heads, fed from one of those 5 gallon water-cooler drinking water jugs (so it'd be filtered, etc, and should serve to cool the tank a bit). I'd probably set the misting timer to mist 3 or 4 times every photo cycle, with perhaps one cycle in the early afternoon being longer than the others. 

Does this sound like a workable tank, or is it fraught with fail? I don't see any major issues with it.. but that's usually the case when something is about to go horribly wrong!

Any comments would be most appreciated.


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## andy321 (Jun 12, 2008)

You might want to put lots of leave litter for springtails and such to live in. but other than that it sounds good make sure to post pictures.


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

Well I don't have any advice on the fants, the nearest I have to thumbnails are quinquevittatus. However you make 5! 

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/west/44829-then-there-were-4-las-vegas.html

Sally


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

Oh, be sure there will be photos =)


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Might not really need to feed more than normal on Fridays especially if the tanks are seeded, I only feed 3x a week.


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

That's good to hear. I've heard people feed every other day before, but I've always fed every day. I guess I like fat frogs heh.


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## laylow (Apr 6, 2009)

I think its pretty cool your work supports and wants the frog setup thats sick!


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

I'm going to be installing the tank in our office today. I'll be sure to take some photos of the process and then I'll post them here tonight.

I already know that my Tropiflora order isn't going to be enough plants - will have to go ahead and order more soon so they have some time to grow in. 

I already installed our epiweb background and covered it with the tropical moss mix that's all the rage these days. I 'tested' the mix out in my R. imitator 20 tall that I'm setting up at home - it's turned greenish already, so I've got high hopes for the tank at work. 

I'm sure I'll be getting some questions on monday - "so what's all the cr*p all over the background?".


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

Oh, I scrapped the idea for the water strip along the front. I'm just not that artistic..

One thing though -

The tank, except for feedings, will be more or less sealed from the world. I'm considering getting a small 1 or 2 inch computer fan and glueing it into the plastic strip along the back of the cover. This in turn would be on a timer so that it ran perhaps 3 times a day for a few minutes at a time. 

Should I go for the little exhaust fan?


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

Quick question..

The orchid bark I picked up is.. BIG. 










Should I remove that and mix in something smaller? Or, should I just spread some of the moss mix on it, scatter some leaf litter, and let the frogs have fun exploring the nooks and cranies looking for bugs?

Here's a - foggy - full tank shot.


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

Hello folks!

I know, I know, long time no update right? Well, here we are!

Of course, I don't have a full tank shot to show you.. but I do have a bunch of fantastica and imitator shots! I ended up merging my black-widow infested imitator tank at home with the fantastica tank at work - with plans to separate them again because I don't want interbreeding. 

The imitator sure are out a lot more than the fantastica, and everyone at work gets to listen to them chirping all day too! That said, I did find a clutch of fantastica eggs in the tank this week - exciting! I know they're fantastica eggs only because I saw the couple in the act of laying them.. I'm going to let them raise this clutch in the tank and probably try removing others. I added 4 film canisters, and there's probably 100+ bromeliad pools to use as well. 

I'll get a full tank update shot soon - trust me - it's a lot nicer than what you see there now that it's grown in!

The large orchid bark ended up working perfectly. I got a bunch of dried live oak leaves and spread them over the orchid bark and it really looks nice. Springtail heaven too! The hydroponic clay at the bottom (with the aquarium tubing siphon/drain) is working great at keeping the plants from sitting in water, and the tank really is looking great. I want to get one set up at home now! 

I also can't say enough about the tropical moss mix - I'll be using it in all my tanks now - it grows amazingly well and lush. All sorts of other plants have popped out of it as well. I've been giving it no special care, and the stuff is seriously a couple inches thick in places now. Amazing stuff!



















This next one ended with the fant kicking the imitator off the leaf - I think they both wanted to call from it.










The fantastica are on the ground a lot.. gives a good opportunity for a photo!




























"What's down there??"



















Sorry for the grainy iPhone photos. When you have a chance with these guys you gotta take it, so sometimes the photos are sub-par.


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

Ok, sorry for the double post.. 

Here's a couple tank shots.



















My next tank will not have the large bromiliads in it like this one does in the back. I think I'll stick with the fireball hybrids, etc.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Wow, VERY nice!


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

very cool, some of your fants look almost like veraderos


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## jeffr (May 15, 2009)

Julio said:


> very cool, some of your fants look almost like veraderos


Thats because they are


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

thats awesome dude! looks like a freshwater planted tank.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

hahhah, sorry long day at work, well not sure you shoudl keep those toghether being that they can cross breed.


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

The plan is to separate them soon once the second tank is up


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## MSteele (Jun 30, 2004)

have you seen any breeding.
i got 4 of these frogs about 7 months ago and the only time i have seen all 4 was when i put them in the tank. i am constantly wanting to tear the tnak down to make sure they are all there. about a month ago i saw 3 of them in the tank.








at this time i have a pair of regina sharing the tank. i ran out of space and did not think it would hurt. what does everyone else think?








you can see the regina in the picture.


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

My group in there breeds pretty often. I find froglets often.

I'm getting a tank set up at home and at that point I'm moving the fants home and putting the imitator back in the tank at work since they're out more..


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi Michael,

You have a pair of Reginas in a tank with your Fantasticus? I would think that having the big frogs in that set-up would be incredibly stressful for the little frogs (especially as they are a terrestrial species). Others might have a different opinion, but I would think you would want to relocate the Reginas to a different set-up.

Take care, Richard.



MSteele said:


> have you seen any breeding.
> i got 4 of these frogs about 7 months ago and the only time i have seen all 4 was when i put them in the tank. i am constantly wanting to tear the tnak down to make sure they are all there. about a month ago i saw 3 of them in the tank.
> 
> 
> ...


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## MSteele (Jun 30, 2004)

i am thinking about doing that soon. have seen no calling or eggs from the regina and i already have a group that breed well for me.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

LL Fants are mostly terrestrial and would be stressed by the presence of bigger frogs in that small amount of floor space, I would separate ASAP, or move them to a 150!!


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## inktomi (Nov 17, 2007)

I have found that, in my tanks at least, they're almost always in the plants and very rarely on the ground itself.

That certainly doesn't mean they're not terrestrial though - my plants are only 6" tall... just an observation.


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## MSteele (Jun 30, 2004)

a 150? interesting that you said that.... i do have a 150 tll with a lone oscar in the tnak and been wanting to make it a frog tank. i would think that a 150 would be way to bg for 4 small little frogs...
i will take the regina out soon and might redo the tank a bit


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