10g Badis and Firefrog Palace

[WhistlingBadger]

Making a stainless steel mesh top to replace the solid glass, so there's a bit of ventilation. Using some old vinyl soffit to give it rigidity.

 

[JackGulley]

That’s a really cute lil tank! The floating island is a fun idea. I bet it’ll look lovely when it’s fully established/decorated. Can we get a full tank shot?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Buddies

@JackGulley I'll get one tomorrow when the lights come back on.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

@JackGulley Here's a full tank shot from a couple days ago.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Firebellies are starting to color up! Bellies starting to show a distinct orange color, rather than the pale yellow they had when they arrived. Pics to follow if I can ever get a decent one...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Best picture I've been able to get of a frog belly. They won't hold when they're in the water, and they don't show their bellies on land. Despite the light and the blurring, hopefully you can see the definite orange cast starting to develop.

Made a new lid out of stainless mesh, a couple pieces of glass the local shop cut for me, and a bit of vinyl roof soffit.

The moss we recently brought back from the mountains had a big bare patch, but it is putting out new stems and leaves! They're actually called caulids and phyllids. Whatever. It's going to look so much nicer once they fill in.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

 

[gwand]

I’d say those flies didn’t have a chance.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Pleas, sir, I want some more.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've been feeding my frogs crickets lately and they are devouring them. Makes me think I haven't been feeding them nearly enough, and it even makes me wonder if the frogs in the big tank got lethargic and disappeared because they were starving! These things eat A LOT! Tonight we caught a house spider and threw it in. One of the frogs devoured it. The funny thing is that while he was chasing it, one of the badis was hovering just off the edge of the island, watching the whole thing, and I suspect hoping the spider would fall into the water. ha ha

Here's the video I made for the TOTM contest.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Just realized (thanks @Beastije ) that I haven't updated this thread since the end of May! The plants have really filled in, frogs and badis (as far as I can tell) doing fine. Scuds gradually died out, but the badis seem to be living on baby snails and other assorted critters.

New video (or at least some pics) soon.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Well, this is kind of a bummer. One of my frogs is missing--haven't seen it in a couple days. The other one is acting rather lethargic and not eating much. Just like the first batch in the big tank. I am not having good luck with these things...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Well, I just did a big water change, and I am definitely down to one frog and probably one badis. The frog is bright-eyed and colored up very well, but not as active as it once was. It will snap up a fly here and there, but isn't going after them enthusiastically. I sure wish I knew what I was doing wrong with these guys. They're said to be the most absolutely bomb-proof amphib in the hobby, but I can't seem to keep them alive more than a few months.

Thinking seriously about dismantling this tank, putting the badis and frog into the 55, and wishing them luck...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I saw both badis last night, so that's good news. I keep hoping some fry will turn up, but I suspect I have two males. Still no sign of the second frog, and the first continues to look nice but act very lethargic.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I'm going to tear this tank down today, so this is the end of this journal.

Last week I moved one healthy frog and two badis into the 55. Haven't seen the badis since then, but I'm guessing they'll find a calm spot to establish territories and be just fine. There's nothing in the tank now except a few snails and a bunch of plants. It was a fun project, and the floating island idea is definitely something I plan on trying again. Thanks for coming along!