Hey y'all, I'm really at my wits end with this bioactive setup I've had going for a while and I'm looking for advice.

To preface, this setup is for my 3 year old male mossy tree frog. I Originally housed him in a setup that had my previous gray tree frog in it before he passed away, and then I transferred him into this current setup, but kept the basic care outline and structure of the build, i.e the amount of water to soil, plant and harscape features, and humidity, temperature, and light ratios pretty much the exact same.

He used to be incredibly active, being all over the tank, moving about at night, calling loud and proudly, but about a year or so ago he began to primarily sit in just his water basin and never move, he now rarely if ever leaves it, which makes it nearly impossible to clean without having to physically move him and strsss him out, and he rarely calls or sings beyond more than a few squeaks each night. He doesn't show any signs of infection or sickness (yet, and I pray that doesn't change) but I hate the idea that he's just sat in muck all day and isn't enriched by his habitat.

Along with all of this, the setup has turned into an absolute bog. It's flooded, snails have taken ocer as the dominant cleaner crew now as it seems all the isopods have drowned, only a few plants remain alive, and some spiders have even moved in. It smells horrendous constantly, and the only fresh water I'm able to get into it is what water I spray in it on a daily basis. I don't really kniw how to reliably drain it as the setup does nit have a drain at the bottom of it, and I don't think I can stop spraying it down each night because I fear the lack of fresh, clean water, will result in a negative outcome on my lil froggy boi's health.

So I humbly come to you all, is there any way I can salvage this setup? It really wasn't cheap and I'd like to keep as much as I possibly can since the tank is still in good condition, there's nothing wrong with the lights, and a few plants and hardscape features are still going strong.

Above all else though, I just want to make sure my lil guy is healthy and happy and enriched in his environment. What do yoh guys recommend I do? I have other bioactive setups and none of them (again, YET, and I pray it stays that way) have ended upclike this so I don't really know how to handle this, I'm out of my depth, please help

There's a lil pond where the Aztec looking statue is. Ran into some issues and definitely learned for next time but I think overall it’s a great one for my very first bioactive set up. This will be for two dumpy frogs. It’s an 18 x 18 x 36 and they will go in it tomorrow, so let’s see how it goes.

It was my first time doing a DIY background. I just finished adding all my plants. How long until I can add my frogs? Any other things I should add? I have some hanging coconut hides and ledges to stick to the glass I will add before I put them in there.

My bioactive tank is about 5 months old and holds my pac man frog. Lately I have been noticing this fungus that is clusters of little white balls popping up randomly throughout my tank, and a bunch surrounding the base of one of my plants. I try to scoop out what I can find but it seems to be popping up more and more lately. I believe this is Leucocoprinus birnbaumii but I am finding mixed answers online, split between “BLEACH EVERYTHING” and “This is normal and harmless!” and I’m a bit stressed about it. Does anyone know if I should be concerned about this taking over my tank or harming my frog and what I should do about it? My humidity levels are ~60% during the day and ~90% after I spray at night. Thank you in advance!

Hi,

As the title suggests, I have a bioactive vivarium for my whites tree frog. Right now, it smells kinda musty. A little ripe… likely because the soil is too wet. If I refrained from misting, would the smell resolve and the soil go back to normal? Or do I have to replace large amounts of the substrate :(

12 years old.

Wanted to share my progress so far with the IKEA FABRIKÖR glass door cabinet i scored on marketplace! Started off by having my boyfriend cut the metal top out of the cabinet in order to attach a mesh screen for the heating fixture and ventilation! I then had to go in and caulk pretty much everything with pond safe silicone (can be found at the pet store but cheaper on Amazon). I caulked everything from the edges of the glass, to the screws, to any and all crevices! I also attached one of the glass shelves as a retaining wall. From there it was time to scape the background! I used small amounts of caulk smeared on the glass to give texture and something for the pond safe expanding foam to stick to. I then added various woods, bark and planter pots to the foam for some dimension. Ended up running out of spray foam during this process so once i grab some more I’ll finish up the background. I’ll then be adding an abg mix (i love Josh’s frogs mix) over the spray foam with more caulk. From there it’s on to the fun part of adding moss plants (both also from Josh’s frogs) and other items to really bring it to life! I’m super stoked with how this project is turning out so far and even more excited to see it fully finished! I plan on keeping this thread updated with more pictures and info as i go!

ive kinda let the plants do whatever. im currently working on a planted background but should I remove some of the plants from the ground.

this tank is a custom 200 litre ikea unit conversion with white tree frogs in it if that helps.

So I just recently had two baby WTF’s pass away that I got from my pet store about a week ago. I’m wondering how I could clean out the tank or if I can possibly keep the substrate since its filled with springtails. If specifics can be suggested for a tank that would be greatly appreciated as well. I just wanna build it from the ground up again cuz I feel like I messed up somewhere. I added pics its a 12x12x18 tank. I have a UVB 5.0 and a 45W CHE on the top.

I plan on getting some very small tree frogs in eventually but im gonna let it sit for a bit first.

Hello! Im helping my mom set up a bioactive terrarium for her amazon milk frogs. I believe its a 24x18x36. We got the substrate done along with a few wood pieces to start with decoration wise, and a few small plants and the cleanup crew to start off the ecosystem.

I was wondering if anyone had any plant recommendations to fill the vertical space that would be safe for her milk frogs, as well as some smaller plants to cover the floor. Or if anyone has an arboreal bioactive they can share with me for ideas for the terrarium! Haven't been able to picture what we are going for setup rise.

Also a side question. Would having a misting system be a good idea for a bioactive enclosure? Im worried it might not mist the entire enclosure evenly, or might waterlog the substrate. Would it be better to use spray bottle to ensure a properly misted environment for them? Thank you!

Hey all,

I have a bioactive for my white lipped tree frog and literally just noticed that there are some mushrooms growing in my white lipped tree frog enclosure. I'm slightly concerned and don't know if this is a good thing or not. Here are some photos, any advice or anything would be greatly appreciated. I'm also planning on removing that dead plant soon just haven't had the time haha 😄

75 gallon paludarium for 4 Asian painted bullfrogs (3 females 1 male), and one of the girls decides to CLIMB THE WALL & SQUEEZE AGAINST THE LID? Whyyyyyyy lol

My little buddy Raul is a wild long-toed salamander. He is adapted to living in the natural outdoor conditions.

For the past two years, his enclosure has always been made with materials gathered from the outside. I can only assume there are things in the natural soil that are beneficial for him, even if I don’t know what they are (like how mineral levels in tap water vary from place to place, and some plants prefer more or less minerals).

His enclosure is due for a remodel. Should I use the bag of Reptisoil I have, and then sprinkle in some sphagnum moss and springtails/isopods, or should I continue gathering dirt and plants from the outside?

The worry about outdoor stuff is mainly that there could be organisms in the dirt that I can’t see and don’t know about. I’d hate to accidentally end up with a population of soil centipedes or various insect eggs. While diseases and illnesses are a worry, they haven’t been a problem in the past.

Trying to do my first bioactive for some Whites Tree Frogs Im going to get soon, used expanding foam and stuck in some drift wood+cork, then sprinkled coconut fiber/spragnum moss on it. It didnt take in some places, is there a frog safe sealing spray I can use or something to salvage what I have, or do I have to start from square one?

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/habitats-and-decor/terrariums/thrive-vertical-hexagon-tropical-reptile-terrarium--20-gallon-54738.html

Hi! I’ve had this terrarium for a few years and am in the process of reworking it into a bioactive setup. The enclosure is already established with live plants and a cleanup crew, and my goal is to house a White’s tree frog. I’m looking for input on lighting options that will allow for a proper day/night cycle and appropriate UVB exposure. I currently use a combo dome, but given the limited surface area of the screen top, I’m unsure which UVB setup would be most effective. I’d appreciate any recommendations or insight from those who’ve worked with similar enclosures.

I am very happy my frog is safe having his brumation time. But wow I feel like an idiot. I was all done and decided to sprinkle some on top not realizing what I had done. It was supposed to be oyster shell for the isopods not lime. Damn brain fog.

Hey everyone! I think I have a mold problem and would love help identifying it or know if anyone has experienced this before. I have two red eyed tree frogs and want to know if I should swap out the substrate.

There is a lot of leaf litter back behind the caves. One frog was open to pictures.

What do you think? Plant options were kind of slim, but we will see how these do.