30 Gallon Setup

[Cer]

Hi,
After alot of consideration I have decided to buy a 30 gallon aquarium tank from petsmart. It is just the bare tank with no hood, light, or anything else. There is a Lowes right next to the Petsmart so I am hoping to buy some supplies to make a lid for the vivarium. Does anybody know what I will need for the lid and how to put it together? Also, there is no light so I need to get one. I am hoping for a hanging fixture. Any suggestions? Also, how should I heat the tank? Our house sometimes goes down to 65 degrees farenheit at night. For the inside of the tank I am hoping to use this guide: http://www.frogforum.net/care-articles/4...ction.html Like it? Thank you.

[Philsuma]

Hi Cer,

Your link does not work. We have construction guides and build threads located here on this very forum that will give you everything you need to design the inside of your tank.

Look thru a lot of these threads found in this subforum:
enclosures-setup-and-construction-f23/

A glass factory made lid sold at major pets stores for your tank should only be @ $25.00

Lowes can cut 2 pieces of glass for @ $10-12.00 but you would have to sand the sharp edges. If you go this route, take a large piece of paper or cardboard and trace out the top of the tank for a snug fit and then cut that pattern in half, giving you a left and a right section. You can buy plastic knobs or the equivalent while you are at Lowes and silicone them to the tops of the glass sections, allowing you to pull them up, off the tank easier.

Lighting is 100% per your own preference. There is not real accurate recommendation that can be given. About the only thing that is bad, would be a light fixture that throws off too much heat - like a halogen bulb ect. Any standard fluorescent fixture with a 2400 K bulb is good for plant growth.

65F drop at night is ok, as long as the day temps get back up to 70's. Heaters often "go too high" and are hard to monitor accurately. You really shouldn't depend on under-the-tank heaters and heat from top bulbs to maintain the frogs comfort temperature. A lot can go wrong with this method, resulting in a cooked animal or a frozen animal.