Today in the frog room

[Frogdaddy]

It is the worst part of frogs.

I have had no success using coffee filters, they disintegrate on me, or fall into the media mix and become mush.

The bottoms may disintegrate a little but most of the filter remains intact. I've also used paper plates and toilet paper tubes. Really the whole reason to have that stuff is just to give the adult flies somewhere to sit and not be crowded. I've rarely seen maggots crawl up and pupate on any paper based material. They always seem to pupate on the sides of the cup.
I've also used plastic gutter shield I found at the hardware store. It's similar to what you see in a culture of hornworms feeders, the gutter shield is easy to clean and reuse.

 

[mickiem]

I use excelsior. I try something new but always go back. It works much better than anything else I've tried. You all are shaming me - you reuse your cups? Dangit. The thought of it gags me.

 

[moricollins]

I use excelsior. I try something new but always go back. It works much better than anything else I've tried. You all are shaming me - you reuse your cups? Dangit. The thought of it gags me.

I always reuse them. My favorite time is the winter: put the cup outside for a couple hours and the media freezes. Makes it SO easy to pop the media puck out afterwards.

 

[moricollins]

New frogs!

Ameerega bassleri Chrome

Ameerega pepperi "yellow gold"

 

[pannaking22]

Welp, found some mold on a few of the clay hydroballs in my false bottom, so that's a bummer. Do I just let the mold finish its course and die off, or is this a case where I have to remove everything and start over? It's only on a couple of the balls so I could remove them, but I figure if I'm seeing mold on a few that means it's probably on most.

 

[moricollins]

Welp, found some mold on a few of the clay hydroballs in my false bottom, so that's a bummer. Do I just let the mold finish its course and die off, or is this a case where I have to remove everything and start over? It's only on a couple of the balls so I could remove them, but I figure if I'm seeing mold on a few that means it's probably on most.

I'd leave it be. The mold should run its course. It'll run out of nutrients to eat and then die off

 

[pannaking22]

I'd leave it be. The mold should run its course. It'll run out of nutrients to eat and then die off

Excellent, that's what I like to hear and that's sort of what I was figuring too. I couldn't imagine there'd be much to eat on the clay balls. I admit I'm still having kind of a hard time with mold being ok in an enclosure like this, but I figure I've got my springtails and isopods having a good time cleaning up, so that's all part of a working ecosystem.

 

[moricollins]

Some more pictures of the new frogs.
Ameerega pepperi " yellow gold"

 

[Frogdaddy]

Those are sweet!

 

[moricollins]

Those are sweet!

Thanks!
One of them started calling today too. It scared me half to death since I wasn't expecting it. I chirp-chirup sound

 

[Nongkym]

It is the worst part of frogs.

I have had no success using coffee filters, they disintegrate on me, or fall into the media mix and become mush.

I use mason jars (bought from the dollar tree) for canning and have had great success using coffee filters for ventilation. I still prefer to use excelsior for the adults. Also, my cultures have less "stuff" remaining at the bottom.

 

[Nongkym]

I use excelsior. I try something new but always go back. It works much better than anything else I've tried. You all are shaming me - you reuse your cups? Dangit. The thought of it gags me.

I agree that cleaning out the fruit fly cups is gross, but I hate adding to the trash pile. I have found mason jars are better than plastic deli cups because I can use a coffee filter for the lid and further reduce the waste. After the culture is spent, I can pop out the excelsior and soak the jar in hot soapy water- and less gross.

 

[pannaking22]

I've got a question. How much mold is too much mold? My leaf litter looks clean, but the soil mix below and even the mesh separating that from the clay balls has more and more mold popping up (not really worried about the clay balls though). I guess at this point it seems like the springtails and isopods are having a hard time keeping up. Getting a few yellow mushrooms too, but from I've read that's pretty normal. I'll add some more of each and see what happens I guess.

 

[moricollins]

I've got a question. How much mold is too much mold? My leaf litter looks clean, but the soil mix below and even the mesh separating that from the clay balls has more and more mold popping up (not really worried about the clay balls though). I guess at this point it seems like the springtails and isopods are having a hard time keeping up. Getting a few yellow mushrooms too, but from I've read that's pretty normal. I'll add some more of each and see what happens I guess.

Pictures would help. I don't really worry about mold in a new tank, it'll settle itself eventually.

 

[pannaking22]

Pictures would help. I don't really worry about mold in a new tank, it'll settle itself eventually.

You got it, will take pics later. The tank is only like 6 months old, so I'd guess there's still some cycling going on.

 

[mickiem]

I agree that cleaning out the fruit fly cups is gross, but I hate adding to the trash pile. I have found mason jars are better than plastic deli cups because I can use a coffee filter for the lid and further reduce the waste. After the culture is spent, I can pop out the excelsior and soak the jar in hot soapy water- and less gross.

And I suppose they could be run through the drying cycle of the dishwasher to sterilize them. This is one of those situations that will nag me until I switch. After a few times it will become the norm. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I KNOW I CAN, I KNOW I CAN!!

 

[Frogdaddy]

And I suppose they could be run through the drying cycle of the dishwasher to sterilize them. This is one of those situations that will nag me until I switch. After a few times it will become the norm. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I KNOW I CAN, I KNOW I CAN!!

Just to be clear, I reuse all my plastic deli cups for FF cultures.

 

[mickiem]

Right now I reuse my deli cups over and over and over - UNTIL I use it for a FF culture and then I shamelessly throw it away. I'll get there.

 

[moricollins]

My Ranitomeya sirensis tank (36x18x24")

 

[Rhino1]

I've got a question. How much mold is too much mold? My leaf litter looks clean, but the soil mix below and even the mesh separating that from the clay balls has more and more mold popping up (not really worried about the clay balls though). I guess at this point it seems like the springtails and isopods are having a hard time keeping up. Getting a few yellow mushrooms too, but from I've read that's pretty normal. I'll add some more of each and see what happens I guess.

Dude, get some springtail cultures going and keep adding them on a regular basis at times like this when you can see you need it, how's the drainage under your balls, do you have a drain tap on the enclosure?