Photo-A-Day 2.0 #00635
I ran through Walmart on Friday morning and was checking out the toys section. There is a company called Jada that made some vey detailed miniature die cast cars from movies and tv. They had some G.I. Joe vehicles and a set of 3 Transformers. I picked up the Transformers one. It came with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Starscream. They have pretty decent weight to them and great detail. They are now sitting on my Game Over sign on my desk.
Photo-A-Day 2.0 #00634
We received an African Dwarf Frog Biosphere from Froggy’s Lair for free to review. Opinions are our own.
With so much uncertainty and anxiety inducing upheaval in the world around us, especially for our children, it is nice to find something that is peaceful and calming. We are now proud owners of a couple of very chill African Dwarf Frogs from Froggy’s Lair and just having them hanging out in my office has had a soothing calming effect.
When the frogs arrived they were packaged very carefully. I only had to pick up a gallon of distilled purified water ($1). Do not use tap water as that will cause a chemical reaction that will cause the Biosphere not to work properly. The frogs came in a secure bag of water. We first added the bioactive sand to the bottom of the octagonal tank. Then we added the colored rocks (blue) plus some decorative rocks (so the frogs can hide). Then we added the bamboo stalk and the water. I tried pouring the water slowly so as not to cloud it but I clouded it up. I missed the crucial step of putting a coffee cup cover in the tank while filling it to prevent that. Then I added the frogs and the water that they were packaged in to the biosphere. The tank was a bit cloudy at first but after 2 days it was completely clear and a week later it is crystal clear.
They are some very low maintenance pets. How low maintenance you ask? Very. Every other month they need a 50% water refresh. They only need to be fed twice a week. There is no filter to set up because the biosphere itself is an aquatic nitrogen cycle and all parts of the Biosphere habitat work together to naturally filter waste and excess food (bioactive sand) while also generating oxygen (Bamboo stalk). The full science behind this ca be explained in the video below.
These guys are so fun to watch. They have a calming effect. However, there are some behaviors that can be seen as odd and sometimes concerning. They will float for long periods of time and not move. Their arms and legs stretched way out, too. This is called “burbling” and is a natural behavior for the frogs. nothing to be concerned about. There are times when they are quite active and are zipping around the tank and other times they lazily float. Either behavior is interesting to observe. The kids are enjoying these guys very much. They live in my office because that has the most room for the tank. The kids say goodnight to the frogs before bed and have named them Magnus Hoppington Chase and Harry Frogger.
We had been considering getting a fish tank but are glad we did not. The care and maintenance plus the expense of a fish tank is no fun, especially when fish die easily. With this biosphere for the frogs we don’t have to test the pH, add a heater or do so many other things. We simply set up the tank, a job that took less than 15 minutes, and we were good to go.
You can learn more about these crazy frogs at Froggy’s Lair and you can order your own. The cost is ($69.95 + Shipping) which includes everything you need plus a year’s supply of food. The one thing that is missing is the water but you can pick up distilled water at $1 a gallon. Super easy.