First attempt at building a fake background.

[thadmy]

I'm planning on turning an empty 40 gallon tank into a functioning habitat with a pair of Dendropsophus sarayacuensis, a pair of Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis and maybe a pair of small Day Geckos if its possible. I plan on having a water fall that leads into a small pool on the bottom that is four inches deep that will contain a couple Tetras or some other small fish.


As this is my first time I will post pictures and any comments or help you can give me will be greatly appreciated

My empty tank
.

Thanks Thad

[DonLisk]

Sounds like a good plan but your going to find issue with combining species of frogs since the toxins between different species of frogs are going to slowly poison each other over time. The toxins are transmitted through the frogs soaking in water and the trace they leave behind and absorb as they travel and perch throughout the tank.

Sorry to be negative in your idea but you will find on all forums that keeping different species of frogs in the same tank is very frowned upon due to these issues.

You might also rethink water depth unless you provide plenty of escape routes for these frogs since they are not good swimmers and can drown in water they can't get their head out of.

A 40 gallon tank would be pretty awesome if built vertically for either of these frogs since they love to spend most of their time up high in a canopy and are rarely found on the substrate.

Don

[thadmy]

Yeah I had thought of turning the tank upright but I figured I would try doing a fake back and then for my next project turn the tank upright. I was talking to a breeder who said I should be able to keep a pair of clowns and a pair of Tiger strips together without and problems. I plan on doing 3/4 of the bottom of the tank as ground since I was told clowns will hunt and walk on the ground sometimes, I plan on placing that log in the water which should give the frogs a lot of ways to escape.

[thadmy]

If I was going to turn it upright I think I could set the log like this but how do I make a cover for it then and I have a canopy top would I be able to place that on the one side to put light on the plants or would that not work

[DonLisk]

Basicly you would have to make a glass or plexi-glass front and door.
there are kits to do it or you can measure out and have the glass or plexi cut for you. Then silicone the bottom in and use an aquarium glass top piano hinge to use for attaching the door.

Here is a link to one of my builds showing the front glass installation. Just use good glass or even better, nice plexi so you don't have the sharp edges.
At the end you will see how I added the top ventilation using window screen frame and screen material.

http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...cal-build.html


As for lighting you would just have it enter through the top.

There are some good youtube videos of the installation of AAAFrogs front kits for some ideas on making a front too. AAAFrogs is not open currently but their fronts are nicely done.

[DonLisk]

Here is a pic of mine with lighting coming in from the top.

Note: these are for dart frogs but you just design so you have more tree frog related plants and such up high for their perches, places to sleep, and travels.

[thadmy]

So when I go to place the middle section of glass in I stick it to the bottom piece with an aquarium hinge and then the top of that glass piece sticks to the tank by using magnetic strips is there any other way to stick the top part of the glass to the tank. Also for the screen at the top all I do is silicon a small mesh screen across the gap.

[Heatheranne]

Very pretty! Looks fun to climb in .

[thadmy]

I can't seem to get my plants to take root, since i turned the tank up on its side I don't have space for a Fluorescent bulb so I got a compact fluorescent light bulb.

I'm using the Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 Compact Fluorescent Lamp, but my plants after about a month have yet to take hold in the Eco Earth I have them in. I spray them down once a day but have seen little growth in any of the plants. They aren't wilting so I'm not super concerned I just wondered if anyone has tried theses bulbs out with success.

[DonLisk]

Since there are no stones or anything similar for them to grab onto they will slowly just extend through the soil. Eventually they will make their way down to the screen and through or into it.

Stuff on the background will slowly root to the background also but takes a long time. Are your CFL bulbs 6500K color temp?

[thadmy]

So should I add some small rocks into the Eco Earth in the cups that are on the GS wall or just leave it to fill in naturally...

As for the bulb all I can find is that it is Full Spectrum and has a 10% UVB and 30% UVA output. It said on the box that it would stimulate plant growth, I found it at Petsmart.

[DonLisk]

I would leave the plants be.

As for the bulb, its probably 5500K or higher then.
How many watts is the bulb? Does the light look white or yellowish in the tank when lit?

I buy the Reveal bulbs by GE at Walmart at 24 watts and shows 6500K on the packaging. Think the are about 5 bucks a piece.
Yours should be fine and if your plants are looking healthy then I would let be and let it grow on its own. Don't want to ruch anything since the sooner they overgrow the tank the soon you'll be either trimming back or replacing :-)