REPTILES and AMPHIBIANS Amphibian enclosure for Frogs or Newts

How to create an

Amphibian enclosure

for frogs or newts

article and photos by Mark Paterson

It is easiest to start with an all glass tank or prebuilt enclosure as it makes humidity and temperature control easier while creating a perfect viewing area. For this build I will start with a purposebuilt 60cmx 45cmx 45cm enclosure that can be found in your local pet supplier or second hand on market pages. This enclosure is the smallest I would recommend starting with. The larger the enclosure the more room for construction while at the same time allowing for a more natural environment to be replicated. Before starting you will need to decide what animal will live in there and design the setup accordingly as to amounts of land area or water and take into account lighting or heating requirements. It also helps to get everything together and ready to use in the construction.

Materials List: - Exo Terra Medium/Wide, 600 x 450 x 450mm (WxDxH) - Ceramic E27 Screw Fitting Holder for heating with Heat Mesh Guard - UVB Tube or bulb Fixture - Timer for lighting - Gravel or ceramic, plastic ball filter media - Egg crate, weed matting or coir fibre - Sponge Foam Sheets for drainage - Expanding Foam or polystyrene sheet -Grout or water based paints - Some tree roots or Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) branches Ensure the enclosure is clean by washing with a 1-part white vinegar to 4 parts water solution to remove any factory assembly contaminants or residue from previous inhabitants if second hand. You may want to create a background for aesthetic purposes or for hiding mechanical equipment. This is best done prior to the substrate going into the enclosure. Commercially made 3D backgrounds are available or it is fairly simple to create your own natural looking one. This can be achieved by sticking either expanding or rigid foam to the back of the enclosure then carving it to look like a rock or wood formation.

Holes can be made in the mesh top for lighting and heating if required

A small pump with a riser pipe is installed in the corner to form a waterfall

Sponge is placed around the waterfall riser pipe and coarse sponge (200ppi) is placed at the bottom to form a drainage layer

Once the foam is applied it can be shaped to look more like rock or a dirt bank, I usually let the expanding foam harden for 24 hours before shaping the foam using a serrated edged knife or a rasp. You can be as creative as you like as the foam holds its structure relatively well. You can even create deep crevices and holes for plants. After you have the look you desire you can cover the cured/dry foam with wet silicone and press sand, peat and sphagnum moss onto the surface for a natural look or use water based house paints covered with a sealant from the hardware store. If you use natural materials and silicone, brush or shake the excess off before it becomes set in place. This will allow you to clean it later with a spray bottle or soft brush. Use an aquarium grade silicon as other types have antifungal additives which can kill amphibians, like frogs and newts, as they can absorb chemicals through their skin. It can be bought from your local hardware store. Adding layers to the vivarium floor allows for a more natural bioactive setup so I start with a 2 - 3 cm drainage layer of 10 mm gravel or small lightweight plastic pellets or balls sold commercially as filter media. Alternatively, you can use a layer of the open pore sponge material that is usually available in small sheets from your local pet store. Cut the sponge with an angled edge so young newly morphed animals can easily climb out of the water. This base layer allows any excess water in the enclosure to drain

With the back of the terrarium laid down on the work surface a sheet of plastic is placed so that the background can be removed. Expanding foam is applied and the wood furnishing positioned on what will be the back wall

Once the foam has lost its tackiness you can use a wet finger to compress and shape the background

The background removed from the terrarium witht he plastic removed

down into it, preventing oversaturation of the substrate layers above. I then place a single layer of egg-crate, weed matting or coconut fibre (coir) on top of the base layer to prevent any soil dropping through and clogging the base layer and to allow any microfauna (the clean-up crew) to pass through. Your ‘dirt’ layer can be gathered from your garden or use a compost or potting mix style substrate. If you are using a commercially prepared product ensure there are no added fertilizers or minerals. You can also create your own mix using 2 parts soil, 1 part sand, 1 part peat or coconut fibre (coir), 1 part charcoal, 1 part sphagnum moss, and 2 parts orchid bark. The dirt layer will create the nutrient diversity and varying textures that create a healthy and welcoming substrate for plant and animal life. The top or capping layer should be about 2 - 5 cm of Sphagnum moss or leaf litter scraped from under established plants. This helps keep your amphibians’ skin away from the dirt layer. You can use a mix of moss and leaf litter if desired. Having a clean-up crew of bioactive invertebrates established also helps as they can clean up debris and frogs’ excreta! You might want to add a humidity control system for your chosen species and enclosure setup as most amphibians require levels of at least 60%, and often over 75%. A lid on the enclosure that is

The bottom of the back wall is carved out to create a depression and a piece of driftwood is added to the bottom section. Large stones are set into the expanding foam to create an edge to the pool

Acrylic paint and Aquamix sealer are applied

Left: waterfall pump

75% glass and 25% screening will also help maintain the humidity inside. There are many commercially available units or you can mist the enclosure each day with a spray bottle of water. You can use heating lamps to maintain the proper air temperature or an undertank heating mat to create a higher surface temperature creating a basking area in one section of the tank. To ensure a stable temperature a thermostat should be installed as too high a temperature may cook the inhabitants. Use lighting to simulate day and night to create a natural photoperiod thus helping recreate the life they may have had before we put them in a box. Ambient light within a house is not suitable for frogs, and neither is sunlight through a window or glass tank as glass filters out UVB rays. UVB is vital as it enables frogs to produce vitamin D allowing them to properly absorb calcium from their food which they use for bone growth, reproduction, and healing. Tadpoles also need calcium to avoid spinal deformities which become really evident once they morph. Good lighting will also help with plant growth within your system so at least