Vivarium Designs needed

[DC101]

Hi all.

Im interested in buying some red eyed tree frogs.

I have a vertical tank but im stumped on how i should make it look. Im ordering a background and
im going to cut some holes in it and insert some plants but id like to see yours!

Thanks guys! BTW, it doesn't have to be a vertical tank, it can be any. I just need some ideas.

[rivkah]

Hi,

I am not technology, so this is the only way I know how to do this.

Here is a 30 gallon tank set up for red efts (picture taked with a couple of days of construction, before all the plants grew out)

Same tank adjusted to add a large water feature (the efts are beginning to morph into adult easter spotted)


This is a 35 hex tank as originially set up. Later I raised the water level to house 3 firebelly newts (they have since been moved to another tank)


Same tank adjusted to simply terrestrial to house 3 bumblebee toads...


Finally a little 10gallon tank, original home of the bumblebee toads.



The only advise I give is: close your eyes, be the creature: in what would you like to live? Is there something to do? Is there somewhere to go?
Is there somewhere just to hang? Sleep? etc.


Enjoy the process... and remember: no matter what you will never be completely satisfied that might be the reason most of us have mutliple tank/enclosures... "I can do better next time..."

[ndame88]

There are so many great builds out there, the one I am building is for RETFs, see my signature, now it is by no means the best, but it gives you an idea, I looked at I dont know how many builds before I jumped in. Builds can be simple or very detailed, its about what is appealing to you. From what I have learned so far, is that a build all depends on how much time you have, how much you want to $$ spend on your build, having a little imagination, and patients to not rush. Make a checklist of steps so you dont forget something. Plan on spending at least twice as much as you originally thought you would, because you will make mistakes like spending $90 on pond shield to discover you mixed it wrong. Just a couple more thoughts, a can of GS runs out just when you have a little more to cover, it usually expands more then you would like it to, a tube of silicone nevers covers as much as you would like, the people at the hardward store will start giving you funning looks after the 10th trip, latex gloves, and finally, elimnate any thoughts of letting your 6 year old help with GS or make fake vines with Eco Earth and silicone, it does not end well. Like Rivkah said, I am only 70% done and I am already planning my next one to do it better.

[J Teezy]

mine are in my signature

[J Teezy]

and one more thing. I hope you are buying RETFs because you like the species not because you want something enjoyable to watch being active. RETFs are asleep during the day and only come out during the night to feed and what not, and even then they are not as active as say your PDF species like leucs, azureus, etc. If you want something active during the day and bold and like to see activity in your tank then i'd suggest researching something else. RETFs are a beautiful frog but any keeper will tell you they are not the most exciting thing to watch.

[DC101]

Thanks John, i know they aren't active.
I would love to get some PDFs, they were my first preference, but i live in Australia, and sadly they are illegal.

Im at school for most of the day anyways and i wake up early so hopefully i can see them a little. But i will continue
to research frogs. Its just that i want some that are easy to take care of and aren't too big.

But thanks anyways! I like your VIV btw. And i do love these frogs.

[J Teezy]

by easy to handle what are you referring to. are you saying you will be taking them out and handeling them? You really don't want to handle RETFs it only stresses them out. The less you touch them the better. RETFs and many frog types are not your type of pet like a bearded dragon or something along those lines that you can handle alot

[Heatheranne]

Here are a few older and newer pics...

[DC101]

Nice, love them all.

Anyone have any vertical vivs?

[rivkah]

Heather,

Your tanks look great.

How did you make the waterfall in the last picture? Also, how did you make the shelf on the left side in the tank with blue gravel?

Thanks

[DC101]

Yeah, Heather, all your tanks look magnificent.

Must have too a while to do Keep up the good work!

[lilblack94gt]

Love all those designs! Makes me jealous of my tank lol! Granted I just started mine, but I have some work to do on it!

[DC101]

lilblack, yours looks good, don't worry.

A very simple design and a good insulator with the aggregate on the bottom.

Great job.

Any more guys? I know how it is to be a newbie and this is really helping us guys!

[Xquirrel]

I have a small vivarium, but it looks refreshing.
I use frog moss as surface substrate, coco bark as middle and stones as bottom substrate which are submerged to water.
The middle part is a "river" which i keep some neon tetras in it.
One thing i should pay attention to is the frog moss that needs quite much sunlight, so i use uv lamps sometimes.
Also, I use fogger to increase the humidity in the tank.
The frog in here is Hong Kong Whipping Frog - Polypedates Megacephalus

[greene]

Here are a few older and newer pics...

They look great!!

[Heatheranne]

Thanks . I have not done a tall viv yet, but will in the future. Others here have and hopefully will post for you.

[Heatheranne]

Lilblack, your tank is nice too .

I was inspired by a rainforest waterfall picture I found on google, lol . It's just made from sheets of styrofoam and locktite glue. Then you apply non-sand grout. I learned it from lizard-landscapes.com after scrolling YouTube. The fella there has some great tips. You can pretty much make anything using his technique. Then just look around google or some pictures you like and give it a try. It's not hard at all. Just a little messy and time consuming. I would recommend using latex-free, non-powdered gloves so the glue doesn't get all over.

The blue shelve is actually a curved border with stacked rocks inside and reptile carpet. It was my first altered tank. That was my retf's feeding area. She wasn't favorable to the carpet though. She'd eat there, but never stayed there between feedings.

My 3 retf's seem to prefer the newer viv's with all of the plants. I changed it due to advice I received here . They do seem to love their waterfall. When I turn it off for maintenance, my big retf female will sit close to it or on it, like she wants it on. She always sleeps on the leaves right next to it .

Good luck with yours! Can't wait to see it .

http://www.lizard-landscapes.com

[Heatheranne]

How's it coming along?

[DC101]

Ive got the waterfall ready, the lights set up, temperature control ready and yeah.
I need to buy some fake and real plants, pebbles, and get my roaches colony up and running.
Ill be done hopefully this or next week!

[Heatheranne]

Nice