# Is it possible to use an aquarium as a frog/toad habitat?



## supatips (May 29, 2012)

Hi I hope everyones well.

I appologise in advance if my question comes across as a bit daft. 

Could it be suitable with a bit of modification at all or would it be best off starting afresh with a terrarium?

Just curious, I would like to keep some mossy frogs at some point in the future. Didn't know if it was worth keeping my eyes out for an old aquarium or stick to looking for terrariums. 

Thanks in advance for any opinion.


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## treefella (Dec 21, 2013)

I keep my tinctorius alanis dart frogs in a modified corner fishtank a jewel trigon 190 .
Looks amazing but being a very tall tank maintenance was a real pain in the but so I cut a door in the front.
I wouldn't advise doing this I'm very handy with diy but there was a few brown trouser moments with a glass cutting disc in a grinder.


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## Gaz_dbd (Apr 30, 2009)

I keep my African Toads, Asian Flyings and USA Greens, in converted fish tanks (obviously not the same one) You just have to take into account the ventilation isn't great


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## supatips (May 29, 2012)

treefella said:


> I keep my tinctorius alanis dart frogs in a modified corner fishtank a jewel trigon 190 .
> Looks amazing but being a very tall tank maintenance was a real pain in the but so I cut a door in the front.
> I wouldn't advise doing this I'm very handy with diy but there was a few brown trouser moments with a glass cutting disc in a grinder.


How did you modify the tank?

I was thinking along the lines of fitting a mesh top. Sounds like a terrarium might be best for me. My DIY skills are non existant and I would hate to ruin a perfectly good aquarium!


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## supatips (May 29, 2012)

Gaz_dbd said:


> I keep my African Toads, Asian Flyings and USA Greens, in converted fish tanks (obviously not the same one) You just have to take into account the ventilation isn't great


I didn't take into account the ventilation. Is it the shape of the tank or the hood that is the issue? My intention was to fit a mesh top of some sort if I could.


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## Gaz_dbd (Apr 30, 2009)

I have the lids sort of 50/50 mesh/perspex with the perspex on the heated side. Just be careful that you don't over spray/mist it. If you end up with too high humidity you can always replace or drill the perspex


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## Kevindurose (Nov 29, 2014)

It's not difficult. Go to a glass merchant and get them to cut you two srips of glass an inch wide one inch shorter than the tank is wide. Then get them to cut two pieces of glass, both the same dimension of the tank back to front, one half the width of the tank and another slightly larger. Then you need two more strips of glass one inch wide and half the width of the tank. At this point ask the glass merchant to cut you a hole about 8-10 inches wide in the largest piece of glass. Take these 6 pieces of glass home. The two longest pieces are runners that you can stick about half an inch down into the tank on both the front and rear of the tank. You now have two runners in the tank. You will need to place the tank on its front to stick the first runner and again on its back to stick the rear one. They need to be parallel so mark with pen. Obviously wait an hour between for drying. Then take the 2nd largest piece of glass which rests on the runners and covers half the tank. Then take the two smallest pieces of glass and silicon them on the sliders so that the largest piece of glass can rest on them and slide over the other peice of glass you've already installed.. You can silicon some mesh over the hole to stop insects getting out of the tank. To prevent condensation you can use a computer fan blowing over the mesh to create a little airflow. It will not dry or cool your tank..if your worried that it will stick the computer fan in the tank. And don't bother with the ventilation hole.


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## ItsExiled (Oct 24, 2011)

I wish you could get the conversion kits in uk, it depends on what you are planning on keeping in there really.

I have just used glass resting on top in the past for things needing less ventilation.

Hope I helped a little!


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## supatips (May 29, 2012)

ItsExiled said:


> I wish you could get the conversion kits in uk, it depends on what you are planning on keeping in there really.
> 
> I have just used glass resting on top in the past for things needing less ventilation.
> 
> Hope I helped a little!


Thanks I was interested in keeping mossy frogs at some point. I thought it might just be a case of adding a mesh top to a tank. It sounds like I might be better with a terrarium to be honest. 

Do you happen to have a link etc to a conversion kit. I would be interested to know a little more about them.

Thanks.


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

I think quite a lot of people use aquariums for mossy frogs - with the correct research and planning you should be able to achieve a nice vivarium-style fish tank. 

Stuart

P.S. I like the Ron Swanson quote from Parks & Recreation in your signature :lol2:


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## colinm (Sep 20, 2008)

It's perfectly feasable.I keep mine with a couple of inches of water on the bottom of my vivariums so an aquarium may be better.You used to be able to buy vivarium lids which converted an aquarium into a vivarium .these had a small vented section and a sliding glass lid.


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## supatips (May 29, 2012)

Stupot1610 said:


> I think quite a lot of people use aquariums for mossy frogs - with the correct research and planning you should be able to achieve a nice vivarium-style fish tank.
> 
> Stuart
> 
> P.S. I like the Ron Swanson quote from Parks & Recreation in your signature :lol2:


Thanks, I wasn't sure if it was a taboo or anything as I don't really have much knowledge of phibs. I'm quite interested in learning a bit more and keeping some though.

Oh and you're the first person on here to notice where the quote came from (I think!) One of my favorite shows!


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## supatips (May 29, 2012)

colinm said:


> It's perfectly feasable.I keep mine with a couple of inches of water on the bottom of my vivariums so an aquarium may be better.You used to be able to buy vivarium lids which converted an aquarium into a vivarium .these had a small vented section and a sliding glass lid.


A quick google search actually bought up quite a few and they are quite cheap. I have a couple of 3ft tanks doing nothing. Whether or not they are suitable size wise is another matter.

I don't want to spam the section too much at the moment but can anyone point me in the direction of some reading for the vietnamese mossy frog (theloderma corticale) and Theloderma bicolor I read an PRK article a bit ago and wanted to get some more reading done about them. 

I'll start a thread when I'm better placed to ask to specific questions.

Cheers again.


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

supatips said:


> Thanks, I wasn't sure if it was a taboo or anything as I don't really have much knowledge of phibs. I'm quite interested in learning a bit more and keeping some though.
> 
> Oh and you're the first person on here to notice where the quote came from (I think!) One of my favorite shows!


Just keep looking around on the Internet for a month or so, build up your knowledge on care, feeding, enclosure setups etc. and even breeding if you want and go from there. With good planning you can have a fantastic enclosure pretty easily. 
I believe they like quite humid conditions so things like mosses will grow pretty easily.

Off topic, lol2 but, Parks & Recreation has to be my favourite programme, series 7 has just started and it looks like it's going to be good - it's unfortunate that its the last series. 

Stuart


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