Future Dendrobates Vivarium

[Bombina Bob]

Hello FF, Ive done some serious thinking and im planning to do a dart frog vivarium! I have an empty 20 gallon that i will be using the great stuff method in and hopefully titebond III method. The tank origionally held my FBT pair and the tank was starting to look just plain ugly so Ive bought all my supplies and had to scavenge for some as well, Ive used the leftover from a great stuff can. I cannot find the Pond and stone type anywhere, but that's not stopping me from doing this.



I retrieved a half full can of great stuff. I used a drywall screw to pull the foam plug out of the can and worked great. The Cork in the tank is from a shipment earlier this year from LLL reptile, i attempted to use a huge piece of wood for a barrier for my FBT tank but abandoned that idea. The wood was broken apart later and that's one of the pieces

[deranged chipmunk]

You're off to a great start Ryan!!


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Bombina Bob]

Thanks Bill! im really pumped about doing this build

[Bombina Bob]

Ok..Ive done doing the background with brown GE silicon II. I couldn't find any Titebond at any location
for Canadian tire, Walmart, Home depot Etc. I used two bottles of this stuff and ended up doing two coats on the background.


The Viv-to-be should dry overnight so i can then place the false bottom in later.

[deranged chipmunk]

Digging it!!


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Bombina Bob]

Ive gotten my plants from a local nursery, I have Neoregilia bromeliads, China doll, Creeping fig, and Polka dot plant. because the two broms i have had pups, ill be mounting those epiphitically on some driftwood. Ive also gotten new zealand sphagnum moss at the nursery as well. I had to grab the broms before it was too late because the nursery had its Christmas displays up already!! I also found a cocoanut in the woods that i realized i could use for the ever so famous coco hut. I guess you can now say that cocoanut migrate!

[DigitalPunk]

Looking good. How many of those Broms are going into the tank? Broms can be slow growers, but they get big... even the smaller ones will get to 6 - 10" across. I am loving the "polka dot" plants. I have some in my last to tanks. They propagate very easily and provide excellent ground cover. Pruning the tops of them will prompt new leaf growth further down the stems as well

[deranged chipmunk]

That's a lot of big plants for such a small tank. I'm interested in seeing how you plant it.

Maybe the coconut was carried by an African swallow. A European swallow couldn't carry it. But an African swallow, well, that just might. (Gratuitous Monty python reference)


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Mentat]

Agree with Bill, those Bromelias will overtake the tank eventually. You could place in now as fillers and thin them out as they grow. Maybe add couple moss/fern like ground covers in there too .

[Bombina Bob]

Maybe the coconut was carried by an African swallow. A European swallow couldn't carry it. But an African swallow, well, that just might. (Gratuitous Monty python reference)

Lol, you need to know these things when your king I have two broms that i plan to use and the pups will be mounted, if they do happen to grow too large later on, i can always move them into another tank. I like the idea of the ferns Carlos, Ill eventually get those

[Bombina Bob]

Ive finished the Viv! I can definitely see that the broms will eventually get larger. I used the polka dot plant, broms, and the
china doll. I don't always use all the plants i buy. Right now i only have a screen lid with saran wrap covering, ill get a glass
sheet later for the lid.

[DigitalPunk]

Looks good!

Did you sand down the edges of the door on the coco hut? If not than you should do that. It will prevent the very chirp cocoanut shell from hurting your future frogs.

When the "Polka Dot" plants grow up to the top of the tank just cut them back (just above the leaves you want to stay apart of the main plant. The part you cut off can be replanted and it will easily turn into its own plant. In no time at all you can carpet your tank in it

I really do like it. You did a good job maximizing the space of the 20g tank!

[deranged chipmunk]

Looks great Ryan! Nice job!! More leaf litter!!!


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Lija]

Wow! That looks amazing!

[jarteta97]

This is probably the best budget tank I've ever seen. How much did you spend on it total?

[Bombina Bob]

Thanks guys! Ill file the openings of the coco huts and get more leaf litter. and for the cost of the setup.....Too much
(80-100$) i have no income now so i had to get some odd jobs here and there. Ill be adding it into the Viv contest