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  1. #31
    BPnet Veteran AAronCap's Avatar
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Focusing on what's next...
    So apparently the parts of my care sheet that was more controversial I asked a herpetologist (one who studies reptiles and amphibians) and a zoologist about what I have suggested and again he affirmed my theory so my care sheet has two subjects that nobody has written about. If you want me to show some of the conversation I would be willing to do that. The person I asked these questions was the guy who has the most articles about these toads and he inspired me when I was first starting out with creating the PA Woods so he is a very qualified and trusted source for information and I'm very happy to have reached out to him and gotten a response. I will ask him this week more about hibernating these amphibians and hear his opinion of that. I believe he may have more tips or something to share with me that I may not get from anywhere else. So I am very excited to be able to ask him these questions. If you think I should put it as a resource in the care sheet I can do that but if you want to see the conversation with what I can share with you I would be happy to share it.

    I'm excited to say that the case is being made for the Gray Tree Frogs to have their own updates. They will come up in the thread talking about the 125 gallon and 75 gallon and in the thread of their own these two tanks will show up occasionally. These 3 enclosures share the native theme and have plants and the ecosystem to match. I am gaining more knowledge on Gray Tree Frogs as well and I'm enjoying the observations of watching mine. I am also very excited to share a Tree Frog battle this Thanksgiving. Instead of the Western PA Woods (125 gallon) facing the Dumpy Family (White's Tree Frogs) the Gray Tree Frogs will take their place. Maybe I'll through a small update on the 125 gallon in that video. I will need some help thinking of the categories that we can compare both species of tree frogs and their enclosures so let me know if you have something in mind whether it's something like who is the better hunter or who appears more intelligent or something like best hunting strategy. Let me know what you think!!

    I am hoping to work on finishing the Perspective video this week. Some of the goals I am attempting to accomplish I will talk about and here are the personal goals I accomplished




    Goals already completed





    Successfully find a method for growing perennials

    Encourage others to keep their native species

    Keep predators and prey in same enclosure

    Successfully create a mixed species ecosystem

    Create Care Sheets for featured amphibians

    Help others care for their amphibians


    What I will share next week is what I am working to accomplish now.

    There was no activity from the toads they were lazy today so I let them rest. The Gray Tree Frogs were having fun jumping around I am happy to see how much they climb around on the bark accessory I got them.

    This week I'll be working with Wellsboro, finishing the Perspective Video and American Toad care sheet. I will be working on the Gray Tree Frog care sheet and awaiting the response or the reptile store. I'll also be reaching out to the herpetologist to ask him about the hibernation process for these toads. I'll be thinking of how I can build the 75 gallon waterfall and background. I will also be thinking about having two different threads for the PA Woods Vivariums. As the updates will be winding down the care sheets and other things will be more of the focus.

    Let me know what categories you can think of for the tree frogs faceoff.

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  2. #32
    BPnet Veteran AAronCap's Avatar
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Another week of progress...

    I am working on the Perspective video and I think it will be around 20 minutes. I am breaking down a 56 minute video to 20 so it's been a very daunting task. I am excited to talk about 3 big topics such as Ace, Wellsboro and the New PA Woods Vivarium. I will also be talking about what my goals are with my enclosure and to give you all more background knowledge on what makes me passionate about a bioactive and native setup. The video is coming along good and should be out I'm hoping in the next few weeks before the Thanksgiving Day faceoff.


    Ace is back to normal and along with Pious they are very healthy and appear to be putting in good weight. Wellsboro is still struggling to put on weight.

    Tonight I'm starting the Gray Tree Frog Care Sheet! I'm still writing the American Toad care sheet and compiling research and looking for the best way to explain fact from assumption. I am excited to finish this care sheet and to start the Gray Tree Frog Care Sheet. I have been learning so much about the native amphibians and more about their habits. I think this has been beneficial because it will allow me to make enclosure updates that will be more authentic to the desired habitat for my frogs and toads.

    I got an odd email from the light company that I bought my light from. I told them that I was using their light and how I enjoyed it but this was months ago. I'll keep you all updated on what will happen with the light company.

    I have not had any massive updates or changes to really report on just small stuff. I am still working on reaching out to the herpetologist to find out his advice on breeding. I am very excited to hear his feedback.

    I hope to have more information and updates next week for you all. As of now everything is going well!

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  3. #33
    BPnet Veteran AAronCap's Avatar
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Some interesting observations...

    Before Wellsboro came Pious was the top hunter in the enclosure and then Ace slowly caught up to him. Surprisingly Pious has emerged as the top hunter once again. I was at the far left side of the enclosure and he was at the far right. He travelled the entire length of the enclosure and sat at the front of the glass looking up at me to feed him. As soon as I dropped in feeders he ate them. Some weren't even moving! Pious is very strong I have seen him snipe large crickets with just his tongue. Ace and Wellsboro can't even do this. Pious has put on some weight and I'm very happy for him. Ace is doing great and she put on some weight as well. She has a little belly. She has been eating so well that she she'd last night! This means she is growing!

    I am trying to finish the video of the Perspective video and then start the commentary tomorrow. I'll keep working on the Gray Tree Frog Care Sheet tonight as well. I will be trying to proof read the toad care sheet this week.

    The Gray Tree Frogs are doing wonderful. Bane croaked last night and the Banded Crickets I put in the tank, some of then are beginning to call for females and the tree frogs are looking around the enclosure for the crickets. I have been seeing them together every night. They seem to be hunting and sleeping together. It will be really really interesting to see when the baby tree frogs are big enough to go into the New PA Woods Vivarium. We will see how 2 families will handle each other. Will they get along and live peacefully or will they cause competition for all Gray Tree Frogs? I will make sure to document this and share my observations with you all. Do you think they will get along?

    Have you ever heard of a male toad becoming the dominant inhabitant of the enclosure? Pious is around the same age as Ace and he has now twice passed her up to become the top hunter. To me this is incredible because I've never observed a male toad being able to compete with a female, but Pious is special.


    Are you excited to hear the story of Ace and to actually see her from before the seizure to after it?

    I'm so excited to share this video coming out with you all. I believe this is something that will really help to give me something to get everyone excited about for next year when I have my PA Woods Vivariums up and running.

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  4. #34
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Another good week...

    I think it took me a while to figure out what it would take to get Wellsboro to eat but finally he started eating. It took an insect I have never fed him before which was the Butterworm. These are the fastest way to build fat. If you ever need to build fat remember this that Butterworms are the best for this. I am very happy to see him eating again.

    The Butterworms have helped Ace and Pious put on weight. They look heavier then they did in the summer! My White's Tree Frogs are getting a little belly from these so I am going to cut them back on the Butterworm. Ace and Pious are doing wonderful.

    The video is still being edited. It's not going to talk about some things I wanted to because of the way I had to edit it. It's going to be more of a conclusion video explaining what happened and what is happening to all the animals in the future.

    We looked at the Refrigerator and the temp starts at 46.5 and down. This is great because I can set the temp after experimentation for a little bit to what temperature I need and think is the safest for the toads! This is a year away but a good update!

    I have been looking at the devices and what's next for the animals of the PA Woods Vivariums and I am going to try to switch to LED lights to create a thunderstorm in all 3 PA Woods Vivariums. I'm going to see if the tree frogs will get a fogger or mister. I have a lot of it figured out! Last year was more about the enclosures and this year will be about the accessories like Foggers/Misters and Lights. That's really what my focus is on which will also be cheaper then buying massive enclosures like last year.

    So I have been researching heavy the past month or two and been getting some personal and precise advice from a herpetologist and the guy who practically wrote the most in depth care about native frogs and toads of my area. He has been helping me understand more advanced behavior of my toads especially. I have asked him this past week about something special that I do not want to ruin. I think he was surprised how much I already knew and he gave me a green light moving forward as I can accommodate my enclosure for it's future and build the 75 gallon to match what the 125 gallon will be updated to. I have really understood more breeding patterns and habitat preferences as well as diet preferences. This will be very beneficial to create care sheets like me updating my toad sheet and creating the Gray Tree Frog Care Sheet!

    So let me ask you. Do you think it's time we moved on from this thread and started the two threads of the PA Woods Vivariums?

    The New PA Woods Vivarium
    (Gray Tree Frogs)

    PA Woods Vivariums
    Western PA Woods (125 gallon)
    Pine Creek PA Woods (75 gallon)

    Let me know what you think?

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  5. #35
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Minor setback with new video...

    So I was trying to finish my video tonight and actually surprise post it, but when I listened to the commentary I just couldn't. This means I have to redo audio like commentary again! I'm really just working tomorrow hard on the video. It'll come out soon! I'm going to work hard on it!

    Wellsboro ate some more Butterworms and looks to be growing a belly and is gaining an appetite. Pious looks like he needs a diet lol.

    I put a cup in the tree frogs enclosure and they jumped right in a ate up all the Butterworms. They both were eating them up.

    I am going to try to possibly finish a care sheet tonight and tomorrow. I'd like to have something to show for because I have a lot of stuff floating around but don't have as many finished products as I'd like.

    I am looking to create two new threads once the video is complete then I will separate into two threads.

    I have found some more feeders for the Swarms Battles 2019 that I am sure will interest and entertain you with new journeys and challenging battles. I believe the Swarms Battles will be more informative and provide more care for keepers.

    I am still looking at having another series the Seasons. I am going to try to get the same light for all three enclosures to make them more connected and to all have the same experience. I am looking to have Foggers and Misters for the enclosures as well. I have given a lot of thought already to what I will be trying to accomplish and what I want to document and how I want to educate others.

    It's going to be a winter of preparation and updates and a spring of execution with being more consistent at videos. As I turn my attention to recording the exotic animals behind the scenes ill be pushing for the updates.

    I don't have any questions for this update I just want to have more things completed asap and that's kind of what I'm focusing on tonight.

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  6. #36
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Gray Tree Frogs Care Sheet!

    Check it out!

    https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url...5&share_type=t

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  7. #37
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Another positive week...

    So someone told me that if my channel were to say get 20k+ views then unintentionally people could want to take some of the animals from the wild even though I don't support that. So the amphibians that I have that are native I should be happy because I don't have a species that could be harmed by poaching. The Gray Tree Frogs are almost impossible to find in the wild and the American Toad is one of the most widespread animals in America and is into Canada. If I were to have another species I was told I should be mindful of this. I wasn't really looking at this aspect but now I am taking it seriously for the safety of the animals I am trying to protect. Like I said the two species currently are safe with how abundant they are so I would have to make sure I the species is safe somehow just in case my channel gets bigger I don't harm any species.

    I think it's good to think about this now before it's too late!

    It was a good week where everyone was just normal. Ace has gotten so fast and is catching prey at a record speed. Pious is heavy and he took it easy because he ate so much he wasn't as interested in eating more! The Gray Tree Frogs are doing wonderful. Bane and Christian are doing so well and the babies are getting bigger!

    I am looking forward to what is coming for the PA Woods Vivariums! Like I have been saying we are going to go back to the basics this time. Nobody necessarily knows what I mean by that but you'll get very excited with it.

    The Perspective video is going to get worked on tonight and hopefully done tomorrow. I'm probably just going to post it since it's so late and start on the Thanksgiving Showdown with the battle of the tree frogs. I have some good news that the three Whites Tree Frogs are all seemingly coming out and getting more friendly. My Gray Tree Frogs are always confident and photogenic. They might get a terrarium in the spring because it would probably be easier for me.

    I have some massive plans for the Swarms Battles next year. I am very excited to see Predators vs Predators as one of my favorite insects will make a guest appearance as a feeder for Ace, Pious, Wellsboro and the rest. I also found other good feeders to use which will be really fun to see how my animals hunt them. Frogs and toads week is going to be really fun I think we are actually going back to where Wellsboro is from and I get to show you where Ace and Pious came from. I'm excited about the opportunities I have next spring and summer to show some really educational footage and to help others care for their frogs and toads.

    Do you think it's important to think about what impact a native species oriented setup could have on people?

    Have you ever seen Shark Week on TV? What do you think about a Frog and Toad Week? What would you want to see in it?

    What do you think about me switching to terrariums over aquariums? Does it surprise you?

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  8. #38
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    Now that we have gotten the care sheets done...

    If you haven't seen yet both the American Toad and Gray Tree Frog Care Sheets are complete! They we're finished a week apart and now before I begin any others I'll immediately turn my attention to the two videos I owe you all!

    I hope you will read and share the care sheet! I believe they are very informative and will be very interesting to whoever reads them. As for the videos I am very excited to say that tomorrow I'm devoting to finish the Perspective video. Like the same urgency I had for the care sheets I'm going to apply to finishing and posting the video lol even if it uploads in the early morning of Monday.

    I got a lot of nice comments from sharing the care sheets around the web and I am very happy to help or just inform you of these incredible animals.

    I explained my process of hibernation of a couple amphibians to a trusted Herpetologist and Biologist who has successfully hibernated native species and he gave me the green light but he made it clear that there is potential risk for casualties doing this. Even the most experienced keepers will lose some animals without any reason. It's a high risk and high reward for keepers and the animals. It needs to be executed precisely or else should not be attempted. Luckily I have around a year to prepare more and ask good questions and have the steps explained a little bit more so I'm more understanding and confident doing this.

    The reason this is so important to me is all about giving back to the PA Woods which I have gotten my inspiration from. I have saved many toads from death and I have raised many frogs over the years. I feel a great sense of responsibility to do something about the decline of amphibians even if it's not in the whole US I can effect my state and especially my area around me which is what I am hoping to accomplish. I can't really put my finger on why I have such a serious desire to do such complicated feats such as publicly breeding these amphibians and keeping big expensive setups with as many accessories as I can. I believe that I was put in this position for a reason and a purpose and I want to make the most of this opportunity that I can.

    When I first started out I didn't see a ceiling to what I could do or accomplish with keeping selective amphibians in a diverse and complex conservation project all while treating the animals as high class as possible. As I have grown in knowledge and experience I continued to see what needed to happen next to accomplish what I had imagined. Finding a way to integrate native plants and insects were first as well as seeing if I could keep the enclosure alive. Next was about getting the lighting and devices right for the animals. Another continuing goal is being successful with 2 species. I have had success with some and had a learning experience with my Gray Tree Frogs. This is something that I still hold onto and something that I want to accomplish. I want to increase two at a time together and now the gray tree frogs as well but single since they are so toxic. The final aspect was finding a way to breed and hibernate these amphibians. As I continued to research and make progress I knew at some point I was going to have to make a decision and I decided to try to hibernate them.

    Honestly when I see my two toads Ace and Pious and the bond they have and how strong of offspring they would make they gave me the desire to go ahead. A lot of people like to say their animals bond and everything but I really wanted to connect Ace and Pious together and produce young. Honestly they aren't going to live forever and if they can't the closest thing I have to them is their young. while I'm breeding to give to the wild I am hoping to keep one toad that has the personality of it's parents. I couldn't think of a better way to honor the animals I have then to give the ecosystem pieces of themselves. Sorry to get all emotional and reminiscent but I just wanted to put into perspective what I am hoping to accomplish. When the question got asked to me "if you could do something to give back would you?" I took this on as some motivation to make the PA Woods Vivariums. So now I ask you that question

    There are no updates the amphibians are all doing well and look good.

    I hope you enjoyed a little bit more of the background of why I am so determined to accomplish the goals I have been striving towards.

    Full steam ahead for the next two videos and for the new threads afterwards. Then it will be all about building the new Skink Dynasty!

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  9. #39
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    I've enjoyed reading this. Thanks for posting the progress.

    One of our *native* plants or one least commonly found, is Plantain. I have both narrow and broad leaf in our yard. It does do well in pots - I used to grow it that way to feed to our budgies and guinea pigs. I was thinking of trying some in the planted tank with our local Kingsnake. He tends to bulldoze stuff (I'll have to surround it with rocks.) I really like purselane, but it only shows up briefly in late summer, and I've never had any luck trying to pot it. We also have a spot of broad leaf ground cover that is quite pretty. It is in full sun and a high traffic area, so it takes crushing fine, but otherwise, I don't know why it is there, and not along our paths elsewhere.

    I wish we had more space - I'd set up some metal racks with lights and raise plants in tubs like that guy from SherpaDesigns does.

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  11. #40
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    Re: PA Woods Vivariums

    The Perspective Video

    https://youtu.be/Epk7bfhCtbg

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