Continuing on with this month's theme I am now profiling my latest enclosure that is home to my two Amazon Milk Frogs Titch and Buster. You can look back on photo blogs (6th and 18th June '25) to see camera images one of the Amazon Tree Frogs. Titch was much smaller than Buster when I brought them home, hence there names. When buying them I thought this may have been due to male v female gender as male frogs are generally smaller than females. (*** edit: they have both ended up being male, now similar size and both croak at night although Titch sounds lower than Buster who just howls through the night)
I bought this enclosure, equipment and the frogs from Reptiles and Exotics in Fishamble Street (Dublin City) which has become my go to reptile shop. The enclosure is a Habistat 24x18x18 tall glass terrarium with mesh list and front opening door.
Heat, UVB Light and Misting
I use an Arcadia clamp lamp with a 80w deep heat projector (DHP) bulb. The DHP does not emit light only heat so can be used at a lower temp during the night during cold winter spells. I have the lamp attached to a Habistat digital day/night thermostat. I aim to have temperatures approx 82 degrees daytime and not drop below 68 degrees at night (but usually room temp is much higher and DHP does not come on).
I have an Arcadia ShadeDweller ProT5 7% UVB tube lights are used to replicate sunlight providing a source of vitamin D which is needed to absorb calcium. Both the heat lamp and the UVB rest on top of the mesh top. This is set on a 12 on and 12 off cycle. I have an Aradia LumenIZE LED bar as a light for the plants which I have scheduled to come on gently and increase the percentage during the day and then reduce the output as the day continues.
Amazon Milk Frogs like high humidity so I have installed a Habistat Rain Maker which automatically mists the enclosure, 30 minutes before heat/lights on and 30 minutes after they go off.
The nozzles from the rainmaker apparently provides a comfy sleeping spot
Substrate, Plants and Decor
I decided to set up this enclosure from the onset as fully bioactive. This meant that I had to put in a drainage layer (Habistat clay sinking balls), a fleece layer (Lucky Reptile HF-100 Hydro Fleece), substrate (Arcadia Earth Mix Forrest) and top it with Habistat fine orchid bark to stop the frogs getting irritated by the soil sticking to their sensitive bodies. A bioactive enclosure reduces maintenance when you add a clean-up crew so I added springtails and isopods.
I bought all the plants from the Reptile Department in Newlands Garden Centre, where I got ample advise about how to set up a bioactive enclosure. I have mixed luck with the plants with some doing well and others dying off. Part of the issue was caused by soil becoming waterlogged as initially my drainage layer may not have been deep enough but I added additional sinking balls which was difficult in a fully kitted enclosure.
For decoration I have added two frog dishes, a ledge and a leaf all suction cupped. I also have some cork bark as Amazon Milk Frogs seem to like the cork bark. I have two large pieces of slate to give frogs a clean resting area that is bark/substrate free. The frogs often chose to sleep on my video camera, therefore this enclosure has two, so they can have one each! I assume that there is a small amount of heat emitted from the camera which makes them a cosy option. One day two of them squashed onto the one camera which was really funny to observe.
Another cosy bed!
Food, Water and Supplements
It is vital to provide a water pools for frogs so they can absorb water to hydrate. My two guys spend a lot of time at night in their paddling pool. I currently feed the two frogs approx 24 crickets (2nds or small 3rds) at night. These are dusted daily with calcium and each weekend I will alternate one feeding with calcium plus vitamin D or Nutrobal or Repashy Calcium plus. (***Edit: I had to get bigger paddling pools as they grew, and they spend most of the night in the pools croaking away. They are now fed every second day)
Maintenance
It is helpful to automate heating, lighting and misting as it reduces pressure and maintenance. My heating is on a digital thermostat with a timer, and both lights and the mister are plugged into digital timers.
- I change the water in the paddling pools (using tap water de-cholorinated with Zoomed Reptisafe).
- I feed black crickets (3rds or small 4ths) every second day by putting food into ceramic escape proof dishes.
- I clean glass as needed and remove obvious faeces.
- I scrub clean the pools weekly.
- I clean slate, ledge and cups regularly weekly or fortnightly depending on need.
Lessons Learned
Two MALE Amazon Milk Frogs croak extremely loudly at night for much longer durations that a male Whites Tree Frog who tends to just croak when just awake or startled. The Milks like to sing in the bath for a lot of the night!!!
NOTE: As per other enclosures, the photos of the enclosures and equipment were taken with my iPhone without adjusting settings and without editing.
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