# 40 breeder for D. Tinctorius



## James (May 14, 2013)

I am new to this forum and the hobby so I guess I'll start with how I ended up here. It started of course with freshwater tanks, I had the guppies and goldfish, bettas and all the other freshies besides discus or cichlids. I then became the owner of a Florida Cooter which got his own pond will a nice school of fantail guppies and mosquito fish to accompany him. After the turtle was freed from the pond a group of native frogs took up residence in the pond and laid a batch of eggs. The pond was to be drained and filled in so I scooped up the now tadpoles and placed them into a 10 gallon. They proceeded to grow into juvenile frogs and they were released into the backyard from where they came. 
After that I figured my time with frogs was over and I began my first reef tank. I started with a 10 gallon then upgraded to a 20 and now a 50 gallon. The plan was to setup a mantis shrimp tank but after seeing a thread on the reef forum of a person who made a custom vivarium I was sold and decided that it was time to get my amphibian cravings going again.

I am planning on making this out of a 40 gallon breeder tank made for turtles. I really have no idea what I want to go for plant, substrate, or even the general scape but I do know that I want to get the Brazilian Yellow Head D. Tinctorius so I would like to emulate its natural environment at least somewhat.


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## Mike1980 (Apr 10, 2013)

Welcome and goodluck! Before i started my first viv i spent alot of time searching and getting ideas crom this forum. The info here is endless! Check out members vivs to get different ideas on hard scapes and placement of plants. All you need to know is right here. Piece of addvice.... Take your time and do it right as well as your way, put your personal touch into the viv. Even though i took my time i wish i did things a little different for my first. I have tincs and love them, def use lots of leaf litter, they love it, hide in it, rely on it!


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Thanks for the tips. I really want to get the vivarium part established for a while before I introduce any frogs. I have some pothos that I am getting anchored to a rock but I would also like some moss and living in florida there isn't much growing unless it is hurricane season. Any ideas of where I can order some odds and ends plants like that?


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## GP dynamite (Feb 19, 2013)

Welcome to the forum. The search function is extremely useful. If you can't find it, we're all here to help and learn as well. Best of luck to you.

This link will get you to al the suppliers and I pm'd you a link to some of my favs
http://www.dendroboard.com/index.php?pageid=sponsors


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## James (May 14, 2013)

I really want to try and emulate this vivarium because it is just amazing to say the least. I like the variable lighting throughout the tank as well as the fog on the bottom. 



Edit: turns out that person is a member on this forum. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/71866-vics-display-paludarium.html


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## GP dynamite (Feb 19, 2013)

Haha. I know whose that is. He's posted he's progress on here and another forum I belong to. That is a very large, expensive and ambitious viv. He will tell you himself he ran into a great deal of hiccups in the building of that viv. Originally built as a palludarium it began to leak on him so he converted to vivarium. 

Baby steps my friend. One foot in front of the other. I've built 4 display vivariums all of which I'm proud of, all have had snags, none have been that amazing. I lack the funding. Build something you're proud of because you created it with your own hands.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Not sure if there is a rule against posting about another Forum but I saw his pics on Nano-Reef originally. I wanted something like a paludarium or a riparium at first when I saw his tank but considering that Tincs cannot swim I am just doing the vivarium setup.

As for funding this hobby is proving to be much more affordable than keeping a reef tank so far. I ordered some substrate and a wooden centerpiece from Joshs Frogs and when everything gets settled I will have to order some ferns and bromeliads to test how everything is going. 


I want to do a waterfall or something of the sort but I am worried about getting the substrate too wet from the splashing.


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## GP dynamite (Feb 19, 2013)

You can use cork bark to allow water to run down it into a pond. 

Another reef guy. You reef guys always seem to find your way to PDFs. Never mind my last post, you'll be fine. This is cheap compared to what you guys seem to spend on the reef hobby.

Common misconception. They can swim not as well as most frogs but they do swim. They're terrestrial but can survive a fall into water so long as they have adequate areas to climb out. Branches, cork, islands, plants all acceptable for climbing out of water. If you decide on palludarium, research research research. Not easy to do but beautiful once completed properly.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Thanks for the tip with the cork board. I'll just have to do a few trails to see what works.


I want to do one, a paludarium, but considering that this will be my first PDF tank I want to minimize the possibility of a mistake every chance I get. So I'll probably just settle for a vernal pool.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

So what morph of D. Tincturius is the Brazilian Yellow Head? I figured them for cobalts but upon closer inspection I realized that they are not the same pattern. Are they just called BYH?


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Nevermind about the different morph question. After a bit of shopping around I found out that they are in fact a different morph which now means that I want the Cobalts instead of BYH.



Now I really have not seen an explanation for this next question at all. I assume that it has to do with lineage or male/female ratio. When people put in their signature something like "2.3 Tincturius", what does that mean?


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## Moriko (Jan 29, 2013)

James said:


> Nevermind about the different morph question. After a bit of shopping around I found out that they are in fact a different morph which now means that I want the Cobalts instead of BYH.
> 
> 
> 
> Now I really have not seen an explanation for this next question at all. I assume that it has to do with lineage or male/female ratio. When people put in their signature something like "2.3 Tincturius", what does that mean?


The first number is the amount of males, second is the amount of females, 3rd is the amount of unsexed. 

Basically 2.3 would be 2 male and 3 female.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Thanks! I figured it was something along those lines but I couldn't find an answer.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

The pothos that I have anchored to a small rock which will hopefully become covered in moss as well.









Excuse the poor quality photo but that is the stand and tank


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## James (May 14, 2013)

I fitted some eggcrate and .5" pvc risers for the false bottom and I have some screen material fitted to the eggcrate. Now I am just waiting for my ABG substrate mix and wooden centerpiece from Joshs frogs which should get here this Saturday and hopefully I can start visualizing what I want this tank to look like.

Still debating the waterfall. I am trying to get some ideas flowing for a good alternative because I would still like to have a spot in the tank where a vernal pool will form when I simulate the rainy season and raise the watertable.


I'm thinking for plants that I want the pothos to be the primary vine throughout the tank and about 5-6 bromeliad of different shades/sizes and then some variety of plant that is sturdy enough to be a ground cover that won't be trampled by the frogs. Any recommendations or favorites?


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## James (May 14, 2013)

I am going with the waterfall. I just went to petsmart to get some stuff for the tank and I found this wonderful piece of manzanita wood that looks perfect for a stream of water to flow through. 

Unfortunately I am still trying to decide what I want to do with the background because the wooden panels are too expensive for me to cover the entire back and sides with.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Alright I had a change of plans and unfortunately I have no clue how to edit the title but I am going to be using a 10 gallon instead of the 40. I just want to get a hang of getting the vivarium running and have it nice and grown in before I introduce the frogs.

I will also want to work out the kinks in my vernal pool idea. So no update pictures for awhile until I start getting plants.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

James said:


> which now means that I want the Cobalts instead of BYH.


Are you sure?? Haha


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Definitely. The BYH are nice little frogs but I prefer the more black coloration of the Cobalt with just a pop of the yellow.

I'll have to update the pics of the tank since I downgraded to a 10 gallon. I am trying to figure out where I want the vernal pool considering that the single piece of manzanita wood that I had for the 40 takes up the entire space in the 10 gallon. I also had a cork round that I may break up and use when I make the background. I just have to locate some aquarium safe spray foam.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

Progress! I installed the new false bottom and ditched the idea of a small vernal pool because the tank is simply too small for an appreciable sized one. The background is also sprayed and going to get a coat of eco earth as soon as I find aquarium safe silicon that doesn't cost $20 for a 1oz tube :/


If you can tell in the pic I am using a cork round as a coco hut which the frogs could enter via the top or through the port at the bottom. I also went to home depot and picked up some bromeliads one has about 5-6 pups so I should have a decently planted tank by the end of the month


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## James (May 14, 2013)

I have managed to achieve a constant 90% humidity throughout the day without fans or lights so hopefully it won't drop to much when they get added. The mites and fungus/molds have already moved in so once everything balances out I cant start putting real plants in there like bromeliads and fig vines.


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## srfdan (May 1, 2012)

The bare base of the viv looks great. It'll look even better with plants!


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## James (May 14, 2013)

srfdan said:


> The bare base of the viv looks great. It'll look even better with plants!


Thanks, it's getting there. I am just having trouble picking out what plants to put in there.

My first bromeliad. I may put one or two more in there to fill up the tank a bit more and to give the future frogs a place to soak.


A full tank shot. The moss has taken hold and is starting to grow a little bit. The spiderplants have already shot roots into the substrate even though they are mounted inches from the floor. But for some reason the pothos hasn't changed at all. No new leaves and the vine hasn't lengthened either.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

A problem that I have been having is that even though my humidity is at 85%-95% the leaves, wood, moss and the water in the bromeliad seems to dry up. I spray in the morning and at night with a pressured hand mister but everything is no longer moist by the time I get back to the tank. 

It isn't a huge issue but I know that the moss would be growing faster if it didn't keep drying up. I also don't want this issue to be a problem for the frogs if there is not a spot for them to become moist.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

James for Tincs I would not use broms, though they will sleep in axils. I would get some really neat vines and peps, that way you won't need to worry about the lighting so much. It would give the tank a very natural look, I like the cork bark hide and I would create a 2nd one, putting petri dishes under both for eventual egg deposition.


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## James (May 14, 2013)

markpulawski said:


> James for Tincs I would not use broms, though they will sleep in axils. I would get some really neat vines and peps, that way you won't need to worry about the lighting so much. It would give the tank a very natural look, I like the cork bark hide and I would create a 2nd one, putting petri dishes under both for eventual egg deposition.


That sucks to hear I was just starting to like bromeliads . 

I am thinking about pulling out the pothos since it has not started to grow yet and putting creeping fig in its place. Hopefully the fig will cover the exposed portions of silicone where the coco fiber didn't hold.

I had planned on adding a peperomia next to the cork hut but I haven't found one locally yet.

As for the petri dishes I have some but since the frogs are not in the tank yet I have not placed them inside.


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