Newbie, Vivarium Build? Help Appreciated!

[cruentusanima]

Hello to all,

I just joined this forum today because I'm a proud owner of three Fire Belly Toads that I have had for the last 8 months and I think it's time to start a vivarium build with help of course. This whole venture originally started when my daughters obsession with reptiles and amphibians finally got the best of me and I broke down and bought her some Fire Belly Toads. My setup right now is very mainstream for lack of a better word and I would like to start to build a custom one for my daughter. I can't believe this started as a hobby for my daughter and now myself and my wife are completely obsessed with these creatures! What I have in mind is a half water half land type of vivarium and I want to start with a 24x18x18 Exo Terra Glass Terrarium. These are the following items I'm planning on using and please guide me if I'm wrong. 2 Exo Terra Compact Tops (Day Top - 2 Repti-Glo 2.0 and 1 Repti-Glo 5.0 bulbs, Night Top - 3 Exo Terra Night Heat Lamp), Zilla Digital Timer Power Center, Exo Terra Digital Hygrometer and Thermometer, and a Fluval 206 Eternal Canister Filter. Basically I want to not worry about the day time lights and night time lights and that's the reason I want two compact tops and the Digital Timer Power Center will control this so I don't have to worry about forgetting to turn of the day lights and night lights. I also don't want to worry about cleaning this vivarium very frequently and I think the Fluval 206 should help out with this unless there is other suggestions. From what I read the best way to start a vivarium is a false bottom vivarium and that is definetely the route I want to go, the problem I'm having is finding something specific to my frogs needs. I really want to do the whole custom thing but honestly I don't even know where to start. Any suggestions or ideas would be much appreciated and since this is something I'm really interested in creating for the family money is not really an issue I just want to do this right once and then move on to another species, possibly a tree frog. Thanks to all in advance.

[DonLisk]

Welcome to the forum.

Your selection for materials has been well thought out and should work great in your build. Your first task will be to design your bottom to have both a false bottom on one part and a water area on the other.
You will have to decide if you want the water area completely separate from the water in the drainage area of the land mass, or if the water that gets to the false bottom under the land mass is going to have the ability to filter into the water area. There are many pros and cons here but the biggest is that the filter system will work harder to keep clean water if the drainage water from the land mass mixes with the water area.
If you keep them separate then you may have to drain off excess water from under the land mass.

Are you going to be using live plants in your build?
I have seen some builds with large stones as the land mass and then soil, moss, and plants on top of the stone work. Some looked pretty impressive. There was also a recent image posted by someone where cork bark was used to create an island and the land inside the cork island area. That was one beautifully designed work.

If I find the pics I'll link them here for you.



I would look through some of the members photo albums and see if something catches your eye.

[DonLisk]

Here is a link to a thread on a build and the picture show where the individual used cork bark flats and siliconed them together to create a land area and had the water from the filter system flow over the land mass and back into the large water area.
My though would be to have it lower so it would be easier for your frogs to gain access to the land.

http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...n-terrain.html

[DonLisk]

And another link to some of what gave me inspiration when starting new builds. These are by Brian (UncleChester) and some pretty cool vivariums here.

UncleChester's Album: Vivariums

[cruentusanima]

Thanks Don for the response. I am going to use live plants and really don't know what plants I should use but the direction I want to go is good looking plants, low maintenance, and compatible with FBT's. The build that I'm thinking of is to somehow create a background that covers the back and right and left sides only leaving the front exposed for our viewing pleasure. I want to start with the false bottom but I also want the land mass and water to be connected since I'm going to be running a fairly decent external filter. I'm planning on using screen printing mesh for the section that connects the land and water mass to stop any large debris from clogging the filter as shown in the illustration provided. In theory this seems like it would work but I'm no expert any additions or revisions will be appreciated.

[DonLisk]

That will work well and using the egg crate to form the wall will help hold the screen material.

Just keep in mind that the water level will have to be below the height of the egg crate so the soil on the egg crate is not soaking in water.