# tads reared in false bottom- to close or not to close?



## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

I guess I neeld some persuasion from people more in the know -then I about closing the access to a 20 H false bottom to the G&B Aratus trio that currently live on both levels.

Background:

When I first got these frogs they had just had their first clutch last Sept. they were determined to sneak down to the 3/4 in water regardless of what their former owner Steve and then I used to block their enterance. After several more attempts on my part I gave up hating to disturb them more after the stress of moving. So instead I opened it up a more to make it easier getting in and out. They really seemed to enjoy running around down there - I am thinking roman baths! Anyway they started laying a clutch a week until just recently. I had been pulling them and they are all either tads of froglets now. 

I did leave a 5 egg cluch in that was on a philo leaf and dad carried 3 tads to the bottom ( I finally broke down a pulled the 2 that had slid off the leaf). 
Now the 3 are probably a week or 2 away from morphing and I have propped the viv so it shallower (less then 1/2 in) and poured a little gravel so they can crawl out. There is almost always at least one adult down there with them perched on plant roots. If the babies make it out of there I will be hard pressed to close it up, the parents really do seem to love it. I guess though my biggest fear is that tad or frog will die down there and it may mean taking the tank appart to reach the body.

I also have on occasion siponed water out and let the misters run a little extra to freshen water .. but I have not noticed it looking partic. cloudy or dirty. I sprinkle algae and fish flakes for the tads as well as fruitflies - any parent that is down below takes this as a sign to come up for dinner when they see the flies drifting towards their perch.

okay enough ...please let me know your opinions I would like to do what is best for these guys!

Sally


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## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

Just let them climb out or die. Survival of the fittest.


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

Yes HappyHippos I agree

but I see I was not clear on my question which is whether to close up the false bottom corner *after *the tads crawl out and block the parents access from that time forward. 

If I did not read dendroboard I know I would leave it open - it doubles their floor space and appears to be a successful rearing ground for tads.


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## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

Let me get this right. So the frogs go underneath the false bottom in the water? 

Make a small pool about what you said, 3/4 inch deep for the parents to transport the tads to. Just have the entrance be gradual like a slope on at least one side so they can get out if they need to. Just use screen or some type of barrier, slate, rock, gravel, shagnum, etc. to make sure that the frogs cannot get underneath the false bottom and get trapped. And I'm assuming you don't have a filter but that is ok. I've got a tank or two that doesn't have any filtration. If I look underneath the tank with a flashlight I can see all sorts of floating peat, etc. that has fallen beneath the FB but I'm not too worried about it yet. I figure in two years or so I'll have to siphon it out. 

Lots of dboarders have small transport pools/baths for the frogs. I know there has been talk about leucs(in particular) loving to sink to the bottom of water only to come up later perfectly fine.


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## argus411 (Feb 17, 2004)

srrrio,

In the past, I have purposely frankensteined a two story viv out of two stacked tens. and plan to make a double story viv again out of a 55 gallon. I had a drainage layer of gravel, then about 5 inches of clearance, and a ramp going to the second floor. The roots from the top floor hung down like vines it sounds like yours is similair.

Unless I am seeing something different in my minds eye, My personal opinion would be to drain some of the water off, add a layer of gravel or other substrate and leave it open, it almost doubles your floor space and stimulates more activity. The only negatives I could see in your situation is if your frogs didn't have enough head room, or if you didn't add a substrate layer I don't know how harmful it would be for your frogs to soak in the false bottom water. I don't know how if the levels of nitrogen, acid, etc. could build up in there, but with enough plant roots I would have to assume at least a mild level of filtration.


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

argus,

Yes you do have it right !
and



> I don't know how if the levels of nitrogen, acid, etc. could build up in there, but with enough plant roots I would have to assume at least a mild level of filtration.


This is the kind of thing I REALLy dont know about. It is a mature tank with quite of a bit of roots hmm - you have given me some ideas to ponder. I also love your double story scenerio :!:


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

I had to update as the last froglet under the false bottom made it to land last night. The others appear to be thriviing ... and one of them is a good model:












an earlier photo of one just coming out of the water---


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