The Definitive Guide to Creating a Paludarium (Tank, Plants and Building Suggestions)

October 25, 2018 Fishkeeping WorldA paludarium is an aquarium which has terrestrial plants as well as aquatic plants and aquatic life.

They are much easier to maintain in comparison to fully aquascaped aquariums, because they pretty much look after themselves if you choose the right plants and animal species.

You can include a much wider ranges of creatures in a paludarium than you can in an aquarium. As well as a whole range of freshwater fish you can also include shrimps, newts, crabs and even turtles.

In this article we’re going to take a look at what exactly a paludarium is, the plants and animals you can keep in one, how to build them and much more…

Is there a Haze in your tank's water? Your Tank is Telling You Something

Here's a good topic to discuss, especially since it's been just over a week since Christmas, where many may have set up a brand new tank.

It's about time for newly established tanks to begin to show signs of the going on's within the water habitat. Water cloudiness is often the biggest indicator of how established your tank is.

The two main types of cloudiness in the water boils down to color... a pale milky color or a greenish tinge, both speak volumes as to the conditions in the habitat. For ADF's, one is of more significant concern than the other.
A whiteish colored haze in the water is indicative of excessive ammonia. While ADF's can tolerate ammonia far more than gilled fish, too much is too much and the tank's water needs a partial replacement to dilute the ammonia, but not a total replacement.

The reason for a partial replacement is to give the tanks bio-filter of anaerobic nitrifying bacteria some ammonia to digest. For the bacteria to filter properly it needs ammonia to kickstart it's growth. Over time, as the bacteria culture increases, it's capacity to digest ammonia will increase accordingly. The white haze will eventually go away as the bacteria culture increases, and with it, the need to do partial water changes as well. Once the culture reaches it's peak development, it will stabilize the level of ammonia that's present in the water. There is always some ammonia present, but it's continuously being digested by the bacteria.

The other haze... the greenish tinge..., indicates something altogether different. It indicates the tank has a very efficient bio-filter with plenty of active bacteria, all digesting the waste ammonia & producing nitrates. The greenish haze is microscopic algae cells, A fast-growing invasive plant, living off the nitrates being produced. A greenish tint is a indicator of good health, it's unsightly, but still it shows that the tanks bio-filter is doing it's job. And there's a simple way to get rid of the algae bloom. Simply darken the water in the tank.

Algae is a plant that lives on three things... nitrates, water & UV light. Take away one of those three, Algae cannot grow. Since the tank will have nitrates & water, the solution is to limit the amount of daylight or any light that has UV. Without Ultraviolet, the algae cannot grow. 

But to handle excessive Nitrates, there still needs to be some plant life in the tank. Otherwise the level of nitrites will be overwhelming and harmful. So plant some aquatic, shade tolerant plants to do the job. Once the tank has plants to consume the nitrates, the water will clear right up.

Combating "Conventional Wisdom" with Common Sense

EDITORS NOTE: With the start of the New Year, we thought to reprise an article we published previously. It's certainly good to do so, so that all the new African Dwarf Frog owners who just got their Christmas present, and are seeking out information may be able to find it. 
Anyone searching the internet about African Dwarf Frogs will soon find the following "Conventional Wisdom" in one form or another...

"...Typically, one frog for every 1 or 2 gallons of water is ideal...."

Ideal for WHO? The frog? Or the person selling Aquariums larger than 1-2 gallons?  Many websites seem to follow this common misconception without any real explanation, other than a misguided human emotion that these frogs wouldn't like  confined spaces.  

There's no scientific rationale behind requiring 1-2 gallons per frog.  It's a line of logic for setting up a standard aquarium, and taking in consideration of the needs of fish, who naturally need space to swim, and sufficient amounts of oxygenated water to breathe. Neither of which the species of African Dwarf Frog require. However, 1-2 gallons per frog would be good if you are setting up a unfiltered tank like a Goldfish Bowl... you'd then only have to change the water around every two weeks or so.

No oily skin...

In nature, African Dwarf Frogs only have need of water to keep their skin supple. ADF's do not produce a skin mucus which enables them to emerge out of water onto land like other amphibians, that's the only reason they are fully aquatic. Other than that, they could live in water which can merely keep their skin moist. Of course, they can be at home in larger water volumes, but as for a NEED to have such... emphatically NO!

A more critical water need for this species is WATER DEPTH. Most specifically, THE LESS THE BETTER...

ADF Ancestral Home

In nature... such as in the Rainforests of Cameroon in West Africa, the African Dwarf Frog evolved in shallow rainforest swamps, in a habitat of stagnant low-oxygenated water, in water depths of 8 inches of water or less. Unlike gilled animals such as fish, ADF's breathe air with lungs, and go to the surface to gulp air. As a bottom dwelling creature, the frog subsists quite well in shallow water depths which give them a quick trip to the surface to breathe. Put them in an environment where the water depth is deeper, the frog can survive, but the longer trip to the surface for air is more stressful, and in the wild, would present more exposure to the frog from predators. In a natural environment, you would not find these frog in deeper water than a foot. 
The idea that these frogs need a lot of space, is also a misconception. African Dwarf Frogs main roles in life is simply to eat, avoid getting eaten, and make more frogs. In nature, it's behavior is dictated by instinct & environment, which again, in nature would be in the muddy bottom of a rainforest swamp.

Here's lookin' at you... I think!

The frog is a natural wait & pounce creature in the method of acquiring it's meal. The African Dwarf Frog has very poor eyesight, a heightened sense of vibrations in the water, and a keen nose to smell out food. You may have seen these frogs in a familiar "Zen Pose" standing motionless. This is a evolved trait of still stalking, waiting for something, like a tasty water bug to wander by. It also is a defensive posture that helps make them invisible to larger predators. Unlike fish, ADF's don't school & swim seeking food, preferring instead for food to come to them. Kinda like a aquatic couch potato. They do not migrate, & they do not have a extensive range, except along the shallows of whatever shallow pool of water they'd inhabit.

Remember, when searching the web, seeking out information about African Dwarf Frogs (or ANY topic) there is tons of "Conventional Wisdom" out there... some accurate, some simply a regurgitation of other information posted elsewhere, without much foundation of fact. It sounds right, but really... is it really right? If you have questions, count on us to help give you answers. Our wisdom isn't always conventional, but at least count on it to be grounded in fact.

Frog Calls

THIS IS JUST TOO COOL!
The great folks at the University of Michigan has set up a really neat website for those of us who love frogs.

Ever heard the sound of the Poison Dart Frog? Here's your chance! Check out their Frog Calls page. You'll find sound clips of Mr. Dendrobates auratus, and many more, with links to further information for each. This is a great webpage to refer to when you hear the sounds of frogs in the night. You'll know in flash what frog is singing, and a whole lot more! Check it out & GIVE A LISTEN!

What is "Smart?"

How often have you sat & watched your frog... they watching right back at you, and pondered just what is going on behind those pair of bready little eyes? You just know something is going on in there... there has to... but just what is it? What is it that determines what a little African Dwarf Frog perceives has anything to do with what we would consider as thought? Obviously, they have something... we see personalities, or what we perceive as personalities in them, or have you ever just figured that since these guys are just frogs, there's no way we can ever judge them to be intelligent?
A video of an octopus working out a escape from a boat has gone viral, and lends as an example of how something even more primitive as a frog can show some intelligence in problem solving.
So the next time you get that feeling you're being watched, and you turn around to see a pair of little frog eyes watching you. Don't be too surprised if he's sizing up you figuring out what you're working on. Maybe he can lend a hand? Heck he's smart enough to have you feed him, doesn't he?

Murphy's Law and Aquarium Habitats

Murphy's Law states: "Develop a foolproof system and only a fool will use it", while Aquatic Habitats are far from foolproof, there is commonsense engineering behind them that can make them almost maintenance-free. But there's times that makes us give pause as to how well Ol' Murphy and his laws can be right on the mark.

With anything involving living organisms, there are countless things can happen, all depending on outside influences.

"I was afraid my Frogs were getting too hot, so I placed then in front of the air conditioner... now they just sit there..."   Frogs are amphibian's, meaning they're cold-blooded, they depend on their environment temperature. If the environment is cold, amphibians become cold, and tend to hibernate...or die. African Dwarf Frogs were originally from the rain forests of West Africa, not a place commonly known for Air Conditioning. The Smart Thing: Keep your ADF Habitat within a moderately comfortable temperature of 70 to 80 degrees.

"I didn't think my frog was getting enough air so I took the lid off...now my frog's missing."
Oxygen that live plants produces, and habitat covers allow for plenty of air. A tank cover serves several functions...it keeps the dust and junk out, keeps water from evaporating too quickly...and keeps wayward frogs from exploring too far.


"I didn't use any gravel ...why is my water all cloudy and my frogs dying?" The "Ugly" gravel is the "third leg" of the entire habitats eco-system. The tank gravel becomes infused with beneficial anaerobic bacteria that increases the "filter" capability for a habitat Without it, it's be hard for an external filter to establish a healthy environment.

"I keep my aquarium in sunlight so plants can grow....why is my water green?" You'd think that aquarium plants needs needs lots of sun but that's not always so... most common aquatic plants thrives in indirect sunlight. Most importantly, too much sunlight can trigger an algae bloom, which can really muck things up. Keep your aquatic habitat away from the window sill & it'll do fine.

Happily, most of the problems that may arise can easily be fixed, and while there's always something that may come along that could be a real head-scratcher, with some commonsense, maintaining a happy, healthy habitat can be a snap.

The Vanishing Frogs

It's not a magic act, but all the same, frogs are indeed vanishing from the natural world, and Naturalists are seeking answers as to why. While the conversion of rainforests into farmland has all but wiped out the natural habitat of our own African Dwarf Frogs,  some species are simply vanishing without man's direct encroachment.
That has biologists in a scramble wondering why.  Naturalist Jeff Corwin attributes global climate change along with civilizations demands on the few remaining wild places left on our planet. Check out this video, one of three parts, that search for a rare, almost extinct frog species in Ecuador.

An Eye-Opening Video You will want to Watch

 

African Dwarf Frogs & Strawberry the Orangutang have a lot in common, more than you would imagine, and it's why we work hard at what we do.  

VIEW VIDEO

Frogsong:Music to our Ears

The world of amphibians is not only a rich diversity of different species, but a Symphony of different mating calls as well. Next time you step outdoors on a hot summer night, stop & listen to the different sounds of whistles, peeps, buzzes & croaks you hear.

FEEDING FROGS: When a little is a lot

Wild Creations Co-Founder Peter Gasca responded recently to a customer e-mail which address's a common concern many have with conflicting information given about African Dwarf Frogs. We thought it was worth republishing here on the blog...

Brenda writes:
"Good morning.  I have read articles from PetSmart and PetCo that state the African Dwarf Frog needs to be fed every day but you state that it should only be twice a week.  I am very confused.  I want them to be healthy but if i over feed, they will die and if they don't get fed enough they will die as well.  Can you help out?  Thanks"

A little bit goes a long way.

Thank you so much for the email.  The information you received from PetSmart and Petco is not inaccurate, but it doesn't consider the feeding portions.  Many websites, big retailers included, will tell you that you need to feed daily with blood worms or brine shrimp, which are small and not very dense.  The food we provide is formulated for these frogs and is highly concentrated with the nutrients they need, and therefore feedings twice a week is suffice.  Also, the twice a week feedings is a minimum we recommend, but you are more than welcome to feed more often.  I would not, however, encourage you to feed every day, as most of the food will go uneaten and simply soil the aquarium.
We often receive the question about feeding more often, mostly because many people "humanize" the frog experience and assume they have the same metabolic and nutritional needs as us.  This, as is the case with many other animals, is just not the case.  These frogs could, as they might if left in nature to fend for themselves, go several weeks without feeding.  Their metabolism, however, is such that it will conserve energy until there is a food source.  We would never recommend withholding food for so long, but for these reasons, twice a week is more than suffice.

I would also note that we have been working with these frogs for well over nine years now (over two million in total), and the feeding schedule we recommend, with our food, has proven time and time again to be more than suffice for these little frogs.  They will go on to live as long as two or three years, and in some cases, as many as six or seven (we often receive emails from customers who have had their frogs for that long!).  Our experience is that this feeding is not only suffice, it is the best for their health and the life of the ecosystem habitat.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email or phone our office at 843-448-8880.
Regards
Pete Gasca

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Get to know your African Dwarf Frog 2012

EDITORS NOTE: This was first published back in 2009. Since each Christmas, we gain so many new EcoAquarium Owners, it's a good idea to repost this article since it covers a lot of ground concerning African Dwarf Frogs.

This holiday season, someone somewhere is getting a gift of an EcoAquarium(TM). If you have received one, you may now be searching out more information about your desktop eco-system and it's web-footed inhabitant. Here's some info about our star of the show...Hymenochirus Curtipes, the African Dwarf Frog.
Small in stature, big in personality...

Home Swamp Home

African Dwarf Frogs (ADF) are originally native to the rain forest swamps & wetlands of West Africa, but due to man's development of the land in the region, it's natural habitat has virtually all been erased.

Here's lookin' at you kid...

Over & over, we get comments in emails and on our facebook page, about how captivating these African Dwarf Frogs are. Everyone enjoys how these little frogs seem to stand up and watch the goings on outside their EcoAquarium, or even swim to the surface to see what's going on. It's common for someone to comment that "...my frogs come over to the side of the tank and watch me...".

While we'd love to say that these frogs have the smarts to recognize their owners, we can't, we know better.  Frogs are, like most amphibians, a creature that relies more on instinct & less on self-awareness. On a practical level, lets shed light on what is happening for real when your frogs come over and investigate whats happening over on your side of the EcoAquarium.

In nature, the water world of the African Dwarf Frog is a shallow rain forest swamp. If you have ever been around a swamp, one of the first things you'd notice is how murky the water is. The "turbidity", or the cloudiness of the water, is due to the high amounts of algae and tannins, the byproduct of decomposing plant matter. It is a world where the ability to see clearly is less as important than it is to determine light & dark. A world these frogs are well accustomed to.

An African Dwarf Frog doesn't see things like you & me. Instead of sharp eyesight, the frogs sees shapes, colors, darkness & light. It sees enough to sense movement. Smear a pair of dark glasses with a lot of Vaseline, you'd get the idea of what your frogs see in it's swamp water home.

On the other hand, the world of the EcoAquarium, the water is a lot cleaner and more clear than a rain forest swamp, and the world outside is a world full of light, shapes & colors, & MOVEMENT. Sitting on your desk or counter, your frogs are always on the lookout for movement. To them it means food or foe... something to eat, or something that may eat them. That's why when you come up to the EcoAquarium, you'll likely see your frog scamper behind something...reacting to some big shape moving nearby. But most of the time you'll glance over at the EcoAquarium and see them standing up watching the big world outside.

But why do they sometimes swim to the surface when you come over to the tank, often during feeding time? While for the most part, our frogs rely on instinct, they do learn, they learn when something appears over the tank, food sometimes magically appears.

Personally, do my frogs recognize me? I don't know. I think they do, or at least sense that the big moving shape out there is about to rain down some food pellets their way.