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A new update...
Hey everyone! It's been a long time since I made a post and updated this storyline. In this update, I'm going to talk about the status of the toads, Queen Laurel, and discuss where we are at with progress.
Wellsboro and Pious are parasite free! We now have both male toads clean and able to live in the large habitat that is to be created. This is fantastic news! However, We still have some work to do. Ace and Navi still have parasites. They have moderate cases, but any amount is too much. Let's hope that the females can get healthy and we can have a completely clean Woods Vivarium!
Queen Laurel is doing well. To my surprise, she is still active and tending to her brood. She's become very fat from the honey and cricket legs. She seems content in the PA Woods and Forests Community. Her kingdom will become the most dominant invert group ever in my care. I'm excited to have a native food source for the toads/garbage disposal of dead insects to be used. The carpenter ants will not be offered as feeders as a regular food source until they clear over 1000 in population. With only two workers and a bunch of brood, there is a long time to go before they make a substantial contribution to the storyline. Let's root them on just as we do for the toads!
The enclosure was decided on. To make sure it fits in the room I have desired, the enclosure is smaller than the 300-gallon tank I hoped. The actual size of the next toad enclosure will be 225 gallons. Still large; the setup will be 8 feet long by 18 inches deep by 30 inches tall. I wanted height for the plants and a more aesthetic looking habitat.
The enclosure design will allow for quality airflow. Small reptile grade fans will push in and pull out air. This will help with getting rid of bacteria and drying out the habitat after I mist or have the fogger run. I have purchased a water chiller and we intend to have a background that will have fresh filtered water running down the background to simulate the mountain runoff that occurs in nature where these animals are from. The chiller was something I always wanted to do and finally, I have my wish.
The Mistking Ultimate system is the "rain-maker" of choice. It allows for more sprayers, and we will need them to make it rain in a massive habitat. The new Evergreen pet supplies reptile fogger is also a new component that along with the misting system will create weather artificially. We can have foggy days, rainy days, rainstorms with clouds, and windy days because of the fans. We can warm the water level if desired to simulate the seasons changing. We can have the water stop running down the background as well to signify changing seasons. I have many more surprises in store as well but am holding on to them!
Lastly, I want to address the primary feeders I'll be using. Things have changed a little bit. Aside from the carpenter ants, I have decided to use both Banded and Domestic crickets instead of collecting grasshoppers at least not for many years. I also plan on using the Canyon isopods colony that I've had for over two years. They will be used instead of native isopods and will be introduced to the habitat as food and inhabitants. The canyon isopods are very big, and the toads already eat them. They get very excited when I throw them in. My canyon isopod colony can live with my banded crickets in a 55-gallon tank. They have lived together for months. The isopods have exploded in population! I see that if I can sustain some feeders then it will save me a lot of money. I also breed mealworms. So there are many good options. I have other inverts I'll be breeding and hoping to get to use as feeders.
Just a side note, the Giant Millipedes and White-Lip Globe Snails are staying in this storyline, but will not interact with the toads. To prevent the inverts from being a snack, and to save the toads from tasting nasty toxins and mucus, I just feel it is best. The snails might be something we experiment with down the road later, but for now, I am content with them being in their own world.
So many things going on all at once! What do you make of the update? Surprised by anything?
Picture order:
1 Wellsboro
2 Pious
3 Queen Laurel
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Sent from my BKL-L04 using Tapatalk
Hey everyone! It's been a long time since I made a post and updated this storyline. In this update, I'm going to talk about the status of the toads, Queen Laurel, and discuss where we are at with progress.
Wellsboro and Pious are parasite free! We now have both male toads clean and able to live in the large habitat that is to be created. This is fantastic news! However, We still have some work to do. Ace and Navi still have parasites. They have moderate cases, but any amount is too much. Let's hope that the females can get healthy and we can have a completely clean Woods Vivarium!
Queen Laurel is doing well. To my surprise, she is still active and tending to her brood. She's become very fat from the honey and cricket legs. She seems content in the PA Woods and Forests Community. Her kingdom will become the most dominant invert group ever in my care. I'm excited to have a native food source for the toads/garbage disposal of dead insects to be used. The carpenter ants will not be offered as feeders as a regular food source until they clear over 1000 in population. With only two workers and a bunch of brood, there is a long time to go before they make a substantial contribution to the storyline. Let's root them on just as we do for the toads!
The enclosure was decided on. To make sure it fits in the room I have desired, the enclosure is smaller than the 300-gallon tank I hoped. The actual size of the next toad enclosure will be 225 gallons. Still large; the setup will be 8 feet long by 18 inches deep by 30 inches tall. I wanted height for the plants and a more aesthetic looking habitat.
The enclosure design will allow for quality airflow. Small reptile grade fans will push in and pull out air. This will help with getting rid of bacteria and drying out the habitat after I mist or have the fogger run. I have purchased a water chiller and we intend to have a background that will have fresh filtered water running down the background to simulate the mountain runoff that occurs in nature where these animals are from. The chiller was something I always wanted to do and finally, I have my wish.
The Mistking Ultimate system is the "rain-maker" of choice. It allows for more sprayers, and we will need them to make it rain in a massive habitat. The new Evergreen pet supplies reptile fogger is also a new component that along with the misting system will create weather artificially. We can have foggy days, rainy days, rainstorms with clouds, and windy days because of the fans. We can warm the water level if desired to simulate the seasons changing. We can have the water stop running down the background as well to signify changing seasons. I have many more surprises in store as well but am holding on to them!
Lastly, I want to address the primary feeders I'll be using. Things have changed a little bit. Aside from the carpenter ants, I have decided to use both Banded and Domestic crickets instead of collecting grasshoppers at least not for many years. I also plan on using the Canyon isopods colony that I've had for over two years. They will be used instead of native isopods and will be introduced to the habitat as food and inhabitants. The canyon isopods are very big, and the toads already eat them. They get very excited when I throw them in. My canyon isopod colony can live with my banded crickets in a 55-gallon tank. They have lived together for months. The isopods have exploded in population! I see that if I can sustain some feeders then it will save me a lot of money. I also breed mealworms. So there are many good options. I have other inverts I'll be breeding and hoping to get to use as feeders.
Just a side note, the Giant Millipedes and White-Lip Globe Snails are staying in this storyline, but will not interact with the toads. To prevent the inverts from being a snack, and to save the toads from tasting nasty toxins and mucus, I just feel it is best. The snails might be something we experiment with down the road later, but for now, I am content with them being in their own world.
So many things going on all at once! What do you make of the update? Surprised by anything?
Picture order:
1 Wellsboro
2 Pious
3 Queen Laurel
Sent from my BKL-L04 using Tapatalk
