The Frog Lady

Wood placed in a terrarium will be subjected to a high moisture level so it is worth spending the time upfront to figure out the best species of wood for your terrarium.  Otherwise you may have found yourself a piece of wood that will break down quickly, not hold up to the humidity or even worse that is harmful to your frogs.

Cork Bark

Cork bark is great for use within a terrarium as even in high humidity it does not rot.  This bark is an environmental friendly, renewable and non-toxic wood which comes from the cork oak tree.  It is found in many varieties.  The most common are flat or round.  The flats are great for creating shelves, recessing into the background or creating hiding niches.  The rounds make lovely plant holders, hide nooks or fake logs.

Driftwood

Driftwood is wood that has been floating on the sea or have washed up ashore.  Seeing that the driftwood has lasted months or even years submerged in water, you can rest assured that it will be long lasting within a terrarium atmosphere.  The best place to buy driftwood is from a reputable pet store.  They will have inexpensive wood that is of good quality and of known origin.  You will also be able to pick out the exact piece you would like in lieu of leaving it up to Amazon to decide.  Driftwood should be sterilized prior to use. Read this article on how to sterilize wood.  Any driftwood is typically real wood which will release tannin’s into any water it sits in which may discolor your water.

Ghostwood

Ghostwood is very popular within terrariums.  It is known for its interesting patterns, branching habits and white sandblasted appearance.  It is a very dense wood which holds up very well to the terrarium atmosphere.  In a humid terrarium, the wood will darken significantly which makes it look more natural.  These are available all over the place including Amazon; however I would recommend purchasing these from Glass Box Tropicals or a reputable pet dealer where you can select the individual wood you would like.

Grapewood Vine

This wood will not last as long as other hardwoods in the humid terrarium environment.  They have some cool knotty features and are excellent appearance wise within the terrarium.  These woods are typically cheaper which can be factored into buying them knowing that they will not last as long as some of the other species of woods.

Manzanita

Manzanita wood is a delicate wood which grows in a twisted shape with new branches forking off left and right.  This creates a unique and natural appearance for within a terrarium.  Like the other woods it is available on Amazon, but I would recommend buying for a reputable pet store or Glass Box Tropicals.

Mopani

Mopani wood is a two color african hardwood with a naturalistic look.  It is very hard and dense and will not rot within the terrarium environment.  It will sink within an aquarium as it is very heavy.  This is real wood so it will leach tannin’s which may discolor the water and reduce the pH level.

Do not use:

Do not use any cedar, pine, eucalyptus wood or any that have thorns.  Treated wood is also dangerous as it was most likely treated with chemicals.

Before using:

All wood should be sterilized prior to placing in your terrarium.  There is no way to sterilize them 100% effectively, however you should still take precautions to avoid contaminating or releasing bugs into your terrarium.  Check out the post here on how to sterilize your decor items.

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