Ventilation for 40B vertical build

[Crispy42]

I have a 40 gallon tank (dimensions 36x18x16) that I'm going to convert into a vertical vivarium, but I want to make sure that there is enough ventilation for whites tree frogs. I'm roughly following DigitalPunk's build plans here except without the false bottom (I'm using a LECA drainage layer instead).

My initial idea was to do a 6" strip of sealed glass at the bottom, then a 24" tall door, then the top 6" a screen panel. Not counting the screen's frame, this would leave roughly 5x17" of screen for ventilation. I'm worried that this won't provide enough ventilation for a pair of whites tree frogs. Will the screen area need to be larger or will this be enough?

Thanks in advance for any advice! This is my first vivarium build.

[DigitalPunk]

It should be enough. I had a 5" screen counting the frame on my 40b for some Red Eye Tree frogs and it was perfect. The bottom of the tank stayed a bit more humid, but it gave the Reds basically 2 zones they could be in depending on what they wanted.

If you think you need more ventaltion you could always drill some holes in the top of the vertical tank and either install something to frame a screen or silicone window screen over the holes.

[Crispy42]

Thank you for the help!

I'm trying to avoid having to drill holes in the glass because I'm afraid to break it.

[DigitalPunk]

Yeah it can be tricky. If you do decide to give drilling the glass a shot than I recommend you go to Lowes and buy a $3 piece of 1/8" glass and practice drilling it. There are only a few basic tips to drilling glass that will help ensure you don't crack the tank.

If you have any more questions please feel free to ask