Help with dart frog

[dablock]

How do you clean something like that though? Also about backgrounds?

The best backgrounds are the cork tile backgrounds made by ZooMed. They're cut to fit the ZooMed and ExoTerra vivs and they look really good. You can also mount vines and bromeliads to them.

As for cleaning, the vivarium is pretty self-contained. Once a month I use a paper towel to wipe down the glass surfaces. This is pretty easy with the ExoTerra vivs. When you open the front doors the frogs tend to hide in the back while you clean and this cuts down on escapees.

I also drain the water from the false bottom when it get to about 1/2 inch from the substrate so the water isn't wicked back up into the substrate. To do this I insert a bit of tubing (3/8" diameter I believe) that I got a Lowe's that just accomodates a length of fish tank airline hose. I insert this tubing when I set up the viv and cut it off just slightly above the substrate level. You can hide what shows with a little leaf litter. Then when you want to siphon the water just insert the airline hose into the tubing and siphon out the water.

If you use the proper substrate such as ABG mix, then you shouldn't have to break down the viv for around five years. At this time, the substrate may have compacted and broken down so that it no longer drains properly. You can then just take things out down to the substrate divider and add new substrate.

Photos of a couple of vivs when just completed and not yet grown in and an adult azureus.

[eric048]

Is there a substrate that doesn't break down? I also saw on YouTube people use foam to make backgrounds, i want nice water feature incorporated into the background

[dablock]

Eric, for your first attempt at building a vivarium, I wouldn't try a water feature. The frogs don't need them and they can often be more trouble than they're worth. Once you've made a couple of vivs, then you might want to research and try a water feature. As for substrates, I don't know of any that will never break down. Five years is pretty good for a substrate and by then you'll probably want to redo it anyway so that you can try something new. Again, I'd go for effective, but easy for your first viv attempt.

[eric048]

What if i wanted to make my own background? Also wouldn't cleaning it out after 5 years mean I have to start over from scratch?

[DonLisk]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of water features and although they sound simple, usually create problems later on. Pumps making noise, going out, a separated hose or clogged.... all make for a real mess unless planned out well enough to be accessible without disturbing the frogs and tearing up the hole tank.

[eric048]

Well I have two of those tetra in tank filters I was thinking of using those instead of a pump, also how do I make my own background in a way that's safe for y frogs