# True arboreal thumbs



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

I'm thinking of starting a new tank, probably an 18hi, that I was hoping to use to house a pair or trio of rarer thumbnails (for me that means Pumilo, Intermedius or maybe Retics), and I wanted to make it a true paludarium, with the floor being entirely water. The water depth wouldn't be more than a few inches, and covered with aquatic vegetation, so drowning isn't a concern, but what species would be reccomended for this type of arrangement?


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

*arboreal thumbs*

Retics are terrestrial, you might want to get some Fantasticus although they lay in film canisters on the ground I rarely ever see them on the ground, mostly they are on leaves or the glass. I am sure if you mounted film canisters up high they would lay in them. Imitators and Intermedius also utilize the upper areas of tank predominantly as well and both are good display animals as thumbs go. Pat Nabors has a very nice morph of Intermedius available now which would be near adult size, an excellent value.
Mark


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

*arboreal thumbs*

One other thing you should have some land mass as all dart species available now will utilize the ground at least occaisionally.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Do you think it would be sufficient to have a large chunk of cypress wood in the water feature? I wanted to build at least one tank without having to worry about substrate/false bottom etc...


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## Guest (Dec 10, 2004)

I was thinking about this aswell. I wanted to do a hex with the floor as just water and tetras and then like a small peninsula extending into the water that would provide me a place to drop my ff and for them to chill. Plus i was going to give them a ton of ledges.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

*arboreal darts*

There would be some inherent risk with no land but wood in the water would give an escape area. There would be more risk with a group of frogs if any type of aggression were to show up. Also finding a place to put the feeder bugs would be a bit more of a challenge, pinheads and fruitflys could stay on leaves in enough abundance to keep your frogs fed. I would be anxious to hear your experiences after you get your set up going.
Mark


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## AlexanderStubbs (Feb 18, 2004)

Hi,

I have found that flooded tanks increase breeding in certian species. I have all my imiator group frogs in a tank with at least an inch of water. They all seem to be able to swim quite well, and it does not seem to bother them. In fact, when I really want something to breed I flood the tank, it usually works within a few days. This is the only way my imitator and intermedius seem to lay well, and the panguana lamasi like it as well. I would however be very carefull, make sure you have lots of wood, and cork bark sticking out of the water, otherwise there would not be much space for the frogs to actually live on.

Alexander


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Sounds good, I also have some floating aquatic plants I believe one is called Lemna Polyrhiza that literally carpets the surface of the water, so that should help with some living space.


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## Angieownsbatman (Jul 30, 2004)

I read this post yesterday and I thought of something this morning in the shower, lol. They have, at the office supply store, these little plastic wedge thingies that you stick to the wall for papers and such. Please tell me someone knows what I'm talking about, but they're like a paper organizing basket, and you stick it to the wall with screws. Well, I was thinking, would it be at all safe to somehow fix these to the backwall of the tank or to the background, coat them with silicon and coco-stuff, and then put soil in them for plants? and then it would be a bit like having little shelves of land, and then you wouldn't be limited to hanging plants or epiphytes. What do you think? And of course I mean this for a tank with the bottom just being water.  Just an idea, hehe, though I have no idea how one would go about fixing those to the back wall.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

That's definitely an idea, I think it would be simpler to just carve out hollows in the great stuff for holding terrestrial plants. I usually then "plumb" the bottom of the indentations with a piece of 1/4" air hose so that moisture doesn't build up.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

AlexanderStubbs,

Those are called Brochure Holders and that would be a great idea! Another thing I have done is buy the caves (that they sell at pet stores as hides for your animals) and silicon them to the side of my tank with the opening at the top (I drill the bottom so there is drainage). I too am toying with the idea of a 35 hex paludarium. More research...


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## Darren Meyer (May 22, 2004)

I like Alexander keep quite a few of my tanks w/ no fase bot,and flooded a inch or two. Intermedius and fantasticus, imitator, have breed very well set up like that . The fantasticus even lay inside film containers that are almost floating in the water . Infact it's where I find the majority of their eggs . Though it has yet to work for my Panguana  
Good luck.
Darren


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

Darren and Alex, do you have any substrate at all in your flooded tanks, ie. gravel? I have recently started using leaf litter, and I like it, but my imitator groups arent doing much of anything right now, except one bad egg from my imitators, but they havent courted since. What plants do you have in theese tanks? I use primarily bromeliads in my thumb tanks, but I was thinking about using lots of pothos in theese flooded tanks as it grows well in plain water.


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## Darren Meyer (May 22, 2004)

Yes I do use coco fiber for the sub. packed hard . pothos works very well and is what I mostly use .Side note turn your film container upside down they will usually lay there , atleast that's what works for me .
Broms do well if you have them up and out of the water ( foam background works super good ) but in these conditions I have yet to see them use it as a lay site .


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

Thanks darren, I will try it tommorow.


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2004)

Dude was just planing on makeing ledges out of strophome. THere was a thread like a week or two about making fake rocks from stro. and epoxy that would look cool and save on weight. Plus u can make it whatever shape u want.


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## Guest (Dec 20, 2004)

Guys, whatr about vents. I think if I make a hex paludarium I would want to make with the option to in the future put vents in it. How much time do they spend on the ground/high up. How much cover do they like, water features? Pretty much any info about vent setups-of course, I will search for info but id like to get ure opinions when it comes to water.


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## Guest (Dec 20, 2004)

The bottom of my vent tank has effectively been flooded for the past month or two. there is a bit of dry land towards the back of hte tank.

-Tad


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