The Red-Eyed Tree Frog Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Red-Eyed Tree Frog — Care Cheat-SheetAdvancedStunning but demanding — precise humidity, strong ventilation and gentle warmth.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Tall arboreal 18×18×24 in (2–4), dense foliage
- Temp
- 74–76°F · the mid/high 80s°F can be fatal
- Humidity
- 60–70% WITH strong ventilation (stagnant air kills)
- Food
- Gut-loaded, calcium-dusted crickets + flies
- Lifespan
- ~5–8 years
🛒 Before you buy
- A tall, densely-planted (ideally bioactive) vivarium + a large water dish
- Strong ventilation — a half-screen top (stagnant humidity = skin infection)
- A mister/hygrometer to hold 60–70% without going stale
- Calcium + D3 supplement — and buy captive-bred
A healthy one: Bright, clear red eyes · smooth unblemished skin · good weight · active and climbing at night.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Red or cloudy skin patches (bacterial infection — moves fast)
- Not eating, or weight loss
- Sitting low and listless by day
- Gasping or bloating
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Stagnant humid air (deadly)
- Heat into the mid-80s°F
- Frequent handling
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
