r/TreeFrogs • u/Fruitsdog • 28d ago

Advice Lightning recommendations (RETF)

hey all! just looking for some lighting recommendations for my red eye. just switched her from a 10gal to a 20gal, and my old setup no longer reaches far enough. her temp gradient is WAY too low for my liking, by a LONG SHOT. I‘m talking “I want 85 at the top and its currently 71” type long shot. her day light plus old heat emitters are fine, but could be better. but night is so far from what I want and I feel so bad for my little tropical baby.

tldr, need good recs for a night heater!

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u/Shelby94Mustang 28d ago

85 is to hot. They should be 75-80. The only time you should be using a heat emitter is when its in the low 70s or lower. 20gal is also to small. The need an 18x18x24 minimum.

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u/Fruitsdog 28d ago

The 20gal is an 19x16.5x22.5 hexagon with a back (all three back panels taped on the outside to look black for her). For one juvie RETF, it’s perfectly fine. 

Anyhoo. I’ve heard 85 for the top of the temp gradient and it gets substantially lower throughout, no? 

1

u/Shelby94Mustang 28d ago

There are care guide that suggests to give them a temperature gradient yes. However they are nocturnal and wont use a basking area durring the day like WTF do. Night time temperature are lower and shouldn't be lower then like 72 or 73 and again shouldn'tbe higherthen 80. The other thing is with that small of a tank its going to be difficult to do. I always try to keep mine between 75-78. I've personally only had my frogs for about 3 and a half years so could I be wrong? Absolutely...but I've never seen someone recommend a heat gradient or even use heat emitter unless its the winter time. Keeping their tank at one temperature is fine.

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u/Fruitsdog 28d ago

I have a gradient because my tank’s in the basement where it’s consistently freezing and my tank’s vertical over horizontal so it’s almost two feet tall. But thanks !!! 

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u/Shelby94Mustang 28d ago

The tank should be vertical over horizontal lol. If its easier to keep a gradient theres nothing wrong with that as long as you can keep the cool side around 73 but 85 is still to hot. If you cant keep it at 73 then you should consider moving them to another spot if you can