started my project

[DonLisk]

What you choose for plants should be something the frogs will use. Small bromeliads in the cup coming out at an angle would be good. Bromeliads hold water and need no soil to grow. Most of the root can be removed and then placed just about anywhere as long as the center can fill with water.
Cryptanthus also goes good with dart frogs and comes in many colors. I would have this grow up out of the soil straight up so it creates something to climb on and hide under.


More cool accents are:
Monkey Pods hold some moisture and when place on their side so sunk into the soil at an angle provide places for the dart frogs to hide.
Live Oak Leave Liter retains water like little cups, gives the frogs things to climb under, and looks great. You just leave it in the tank and let it rot away and when needed, pile more on.

If your doing darts, I like the Leucs as a starter. Keep in mind that your going to want to cover the top completely for darts to keep humidity at 90 percent and higher. With darts you also want to keep temp in the day around 76 to 82 degrees and never 85 or higher.

[zig3y]

covering the top is one thing I am dealing with, I have read that putting a moist towel over the mesh on top will keep humidity in very well, any other suggestions that may work better?

[DonLisk]

You will want a piece of plexi or glass on the top since you will need to have lighting coming in through the top for the plants. You can take the top to any Lowes and have a piece cut to fit perfectly for about 5 bucks. If you choose glass then it will have sharp edges since they only cut it but you can either put some electrical tape neatly to tape it right in place OR use a plastic molding designed to cover the edges of glass. You want this also to keep fruit flies from climbing out of the top since they will get out of anywhere.

[zig3y]

sounds great, now this leads me to another question...... I really should thank you right now Don, you have been so much help...... but what light bulb should I use to get the right UV rays to my plants?

[DonLisk]

It is not UV as much as color temperature that is important to growing plants.
I buy my bulbs at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes. The package will have the Reveal or GE Daylight brand name and you only want a 13 to 15 watt compact florescent for that tank. The higher 24 watt version I think will be too hot unless you lift the light fixture off th top.

The package has Daylight 6500K on the front left side of the packaging.
About 5 bucks a bulb.

[J Teezy]

if you get your glass cut at a glass shop they can put a safety edge on it for you

[zig3y]

Just an update got my plants in! got some gold spiked moss, a bromeliad and a vine, my viv is really starting to take shape and Im gonna get some oak leaves in there and let the plants grow for a while and make sure everything is working as it is suppose to before I get any frogs. Hopefully I will get some pictures up soon!