# Frog/Cichlid paludarium?



## Ammo (Jun 4, 2013)

Hi guys 
First and foremost, I'd like to introduce myself. Friends call me Ammo and I live in Florida. I'm still new to the Cichlid keeping thing, but I've enjoyed every minute of it so far! I started off with a 30 gallon tank with a Penguin 150B filter. I have 3 Cichlids: Labidochromis caeruleus, Melanochromis auratus, and Metriaclima lombardoi. I'll admit that I didn't know what I was doing at first (although I did read Animal Planet's Aquarium Care of Cichlids over and over). I've had my Cichlids for about 11 months now and they are doing fabulous. I'm the type of person that learns as I go. I've learned so much and have been browsing these forums for probably 7 months now (I finally made an account!). I love love love DIY projects and have been wracking my brain as to what *I'D* like to do (no copying other people's displays!). So here's what I'm thinking: a plywood tank made for a 90 degree corner. The sides will be 40 inches, making the base 56.6 inches. The tank water will be 25 inches deep, which will make it hold 86 gallons of water (well, BEFORE I build the caves, and add substrate and plants). I'll build a sump system with a refugarium to help with nitrate levels.

I don't want to stop there. I have a newly acquired passion for Cichlids and have always had a passion for amphibians and absolutely love frogs. I want to build a frog habitat above the Cichlid habitat. I'm thinking reed frogs. I want to make a rocky type of waterfall/stream (maybe with slate rock?). Do you think that, instead of having the water from the sump tank flow directly into the Cichlid tank, I could have the water flow from the sump tank up to where I'll have my little waterfall which will in turn bring it down to the Cichlids? Or should I just have the water separately pumped up from the Cichlid tank into the waterfall?

I know it's a bit extravagant, but I'm thinking it would work! My main question is if anybody thinks that I should make a barrier between the frog and Cichlid habitats (probably plexiglass with lots of holes for water flow)? I don't want anything killing anything! Also, I wouldn't be putting very many more fish in the tank, but I do want to get a couple more of each type of fish that I already have and maybe possibly a few of another type of Mbuna (not sure which, seeing as there are so many beautiful ones out there!)

I have this whole habitat setup in my head and I have difficulty trying to explain it (and I'm not very good at drawing!) Those are just the basics. There are a lot more things that I'd like to incorporate, but they are minimal compared to what I've tried to explain so far. Lol.

Anyway, give me thoughts/ideas/questions/etc.!

Thanks!


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

My only question would be would the fish kill or eat the frogs if they go into the water...unless there was a way you could seperate them?


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## Ammo (Jun 4, 2013)

Reed frogs grow to about an inch long. They're very small critters. That was one of my questions, though! Lol. Should I make a barrier between the frogs and fish? If so, then I'm thinking a slab of plexiglass with a bunch of 1/4" holes cut into it to allow water flow, but will keep the fish and frogs separated.


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## Ammo (Jun 4, 2013)

I guess I should have said that the tank will be triangular shaped, rather than rectangular, to go into a corner in my bedroom. I want something big, but it needs to take up as little floor space as possible and I want it to kind of "flow" (in lack of a better term) with the room...as if it was meant to be there. Does anybody think that a triangular tank is more unstable than a rectangular tank? When I thought of my requirements, a triangle came to mind. Haha.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Only thing with a triangle tank is with cichlids you need length not height. Triangle don't give you much length but allot more height. You might get away with a dwarf mbuna or something, depending on how big of a tank your going.


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## Ammo (Jun 4, 2013)

The base length is 56.6" long. I figured by making it large and making caves in the back corner and along the sides it would give plenty of space towards the front of the tank. I tried to incorporate as much length in my idea as I could.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

If you do decide to go with frogs, pick a species other than a reed. They're small, fragile, require very small live foods, and may be viewed as food if they venture into the water. Separating with glass won't look right, and could be a pain to clean. Choose a treefrog, like White's or Cuban. They grow large and can be raised on a diet of easily available food(crickets). Being treefrogs, they won't be inclined to sit in water. Glass tops on the tank will provide a high humidity environment for them as well. You'll have to figure out your filtration/equipment while also making the tank escape proof with the frogs. Will be really tricky.

I would suggest stocking the water with something simple like tetras. Then you could choose any species of frog you wanted. Not African Clawed though. They'll eat tetras.


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