Tree frogs are among the most popular pet frogs and are known for their docile temperament as well as their vocal habits. They eat just mainly insects, especially crickets, and are pretty low maintenance when it comes to small pets. You just make sure they have what they need to survive such as a proper habitat that you keep clean, and plenty of food. In this article we’re going to talk about the best tree frog terrariums, or enclosures.
First we’ll look at five different terrariums, each of which works best for certain situations. We’ll give a detailed description of each one and discuss its most important features. Then, we’ll delve into the key things to look for in a tree frog enclosure. Finally, we’ll list some important accessories that you’ll want to be sure to buy when creating the best frog tanks.
Below are our top 5 favorite terrariums for tree frogs.
1. Zilla Tropical Reptile Vertical Starter Kit
Best starter tank
- Front opening doors
- Easy to clean and disinfect
- Tons of room
- Waterproof bottom
This terrarium is especially popular with people keeping White’s tree frogs, also called Australian green tree frogs, making it one of the best frog enclosures available. These frogs are about twice the size of the American green tree frog, and many of the smaller terrariums listed here could be a bit cramped for this larger species.
In addition to its larger size and increased height, it has all the features you want in a terrarium. The front opening door and the removable top screen give you two ways to access the tank, depending on where your frog is sitting when it’s time to feed them or clean the tank.
As with other tanks, we’d recommend removing the styrofoam backing. It’s very easy for tree frogs to get in behind that backing and then get stuck, which could prove fatal. It’s easy to remove, so this shouldn’t present much of a problem.
Best for: bigger tree frogs/multiple tree frogs
2. Exo Terra Glass Terrarium Kit, 12 x 12 x 12
Budget option
- Front window ventilation
- Raised bottom frame for substrate heater
- Waterproof bottom
- Closable inlets for wire and tubing
Made by Exo Terra, one of the most trusted brands in terrariums, this one has all the superb features you could want. Raised bottom frames, extra ventilation, double-opening front windows for easy access, and more. This brand consistently offers thoughtfully designed terrariums that balance ease of maintenance with quality habitat for your frogs.
This terrarium is on the smaller side, but for tree frogs that’s not so much of an issue. As long as you provide plenty of climbing space inside the terrarium they’ll be fine.The styrofoam backing is removable- and we’d recommend that you remove it. It probably won’t fare all that well in the humid environment you’ll need to create for your tree frogs.
Best for: one tree frog
3. RepiZoo Mini Glass Terrarium Tank
- Metal top screen ventilation
- Watertight
- Easy to use lift and pull sliding door
- Feeding ports in the lid
This is a solid, barebones tank with only a few unique features, but for the money it’s a good choice. As with all quality terrariums, it’s made from glass with a metal mesh screen top. It does have an inlet for wiring, but most of the time that’s not necessary with tree frogs.
It also has a feeding port in the lid which many people find useful. However, people using this tank for arboreal pets (like tree frogs) have mentioned that having a feeding port on the top of the tank can be a hassle. Since your frogs will often be sitting near the top of the tank, opening that port could allow them to escape.
Of course the same problem applies to the mesh screen; when you remove it to clean the tank you’ll have to act quickly to prevent your tree frog from escaping. It’s not really a knock against this tank, though, because most terrariums follow a similar design.
4. ReptiZoo Mini Glass Terrarium Front Door
- 360 degree view of interior
- Front opening door for easy access
- Feeding port in top
- Easy to clean
- Front window ventilation
- Waterproof bottom
If this will be your first time keeping a tree frog, this is the tank for you. It’s a no-frills, easy to maintain terrarium. It’s small and easy to set up, and won’t take up a ton of space in your home.
The feeding hole built into the screen top is a great feature, but as we’ve mentioned before it’s not always useful with arboreal pets. The front-opening door, however, is fantastic. It allows you to access the tank even when your frog is sitting right underneath the screen top.
The front opening door, small size, and affordable price tag make this terrarium a great choice for first-time frog owners.
5. Exo Terra Glass Nano Terrarium Kit
- Front window ventilation
- Raised bottom frame for substrate heater
- Waterproof bottom
- Front opening doors
Another standout from Exo Terra, this terrarium is an excellent choice as a terrarium for frogs, boasting all the superb features that other models have. Raised bottom frames, extra ventilation, front opening windows for easy access, and more. This brand consistently offers thoughtfully designed terrariums that balance ease of maintenance with quality habitat for your frogs.
This terrarium may be small, but it’s an ideal size for tree frogs, especially if you’re only going to be putting one frog in it. Remember that with tree frogs height matters more than width since they like to climb.
Some users have reported that their frogs have gotten stuck behind the foam backing, so we’d recommend just removing it for safety’s sake. It’s purely decorative so there’s not much benefit to keeping it in.
5 things to look for when buying a tree frog enclosure
1. Enclosure size
Enclosure size is hugely important. Your frog will live its entire life in the terrarium, and these are not pets you can handle, so unlike some lizards and snakes, they won’t get to spend time each day outside the terrarium.
Tree frogs are arboreal, so they like to climb and spend hardly any time on the ground. When considering terrariums for tree frogs, the height of the terrarium is far more important than the other dimensions. 12 inches of height should be sufficient for American green tree frogs, but for other species a taller tank might be needed.
Anything bigger than 20 gallons isn’t necessary, although some people do like the bigger terrariums because they can create more intricate landscapes in them. If you plan to keep multiple tree frogs in the same tank, you’ll need at least a 20-gallon tank, and the more frogs you keep, the bigger it needs to be.
Tree frogs aren’t especially aggressive with each other, but they are solitary creatures that need their space to thrive.
2. Accessibility
You have to be able to access the inside of the terrarium. Your frog needs to be fed, of course. But you also have to keep the terrarium clean. You’ll be accessing the terrarium at least of couple of times a week, so you need to think about how you want to do that.
Almost all terrariums come with a screen mesh top that can be removed. This is the most common means of accessing the terrarium, and it’s popular because it’s harder for most animals to escape through the open top of the terrarium than through a door in the front.
For tree frogs, though, things are a bit different. They’re arboreal, which means they like to climb. You’ll often see them hanging out near the top of the tank and they could easily jump right out of it if you take the top screen off while they’re up there. Feeding ports built into the screen help mitigate that risk somewhat, but front-opening doors are really ideal. These give you a second way to access the tank. Use the doors when the frog is near the top, and use the top screen when the frog is lower down in the tank.
3. Maintenance
The terrarium needs to be cleaned and disinfected regularly. For frogs, it will also have to be kept consistently warm and humid, which comes with it’s own set of challenges. Advanced users will usually have equipment that automates much of the humidity control, and should look for terrariums that allow for that equipment.
All users should look for glass terrariums. These are much easier to clean and maintain and stand up better to heat and humidity than plastic. Plastic should never be used for a permanent enclosure.
4. Quality
Since your frog will spend its entire life in this enclosure, you want to be sure you’re giving it the best possible home. Plus, you probably want a terrarium that you can use for years to come, since they’re not exactly cheap.
Look for trusted manufacturers, and especially ones that consult herpetologists on the design. These will be the best terrariums to buy.
5. Price
Good terrariums aren’t cheap. They’re made of glass, they’re heavy, and they have lots of interesting design features. They’re also built to last, which means the manufacturer has to make more money from each sale.
Of course, you have to be realistic with what you can afford. There are quality terrariums out there for less than $100, and if you need something cheaper you can always buy a small glass or plastic terrarium that a small, young frog can live in until it grows bigger and save your money for when the time comes to upgrade the terrarium.
Tree frog supplies you’ll need for the enclosure
Here’s a quick list of the main items you’ll need to have for a proper pacman frog setup.
- Substrate – 3-4 inches of substrate at the bottom is necessary. Reptile mats are fine, and this coconut based substrate works well
- Shallow water dish – tree frogs aren’t aquatic, and they’re bad swimmers. You need a dish like this one that they drink from without risking drowning.
- Substrate heater – The terrarium needs to be kept between 70-80 degrees. A substrate heater is one of the best ways to do that.
- Thermometer/humidity gauge – The only way to know if the climate inside the tank is right for your frog is with a thermometer and a humidity gauge. This one is great for tree frogs.
- Plants to climb – Since tree frogs like to climb, you need to provide an environment in which they can do that. Something like this could get you started, but also consider using some driftwood or longer accessories to climb and hide on.
- UV light – For optimal health, frogs need exposure to UV light. This is a good one. Just remember to turn it off at night, and while the light is on, you may need to turn off the substrate heater.
- Calcium supplement – It’s very unlikely that your frog will get adequate calcium from its diet. Coat their food in this calcium supplement powder to ensure good health.
Summary
Tree frogs make great pets, and housing them is fairly easy. All you need is a simple glass terrarium and a few other easy to find items and you’re good to go.
The starter kit from Zilla is the ideal enclosure for your tree frog, and it’s sure to last a long time. It will provide your frog with plenty of space while allowing for easy viewing and maintenance.
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