Vivarium Designs needed

[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

[rivkah]

Something easy to deal with.... something easy to house.... something active.... something interactive....

The first two that come to mind are the white's tree frog... they actually seem to enjoy interaction with their keepers, and the fire belly toad... too cute, too much fun to watch and also appear to enjoy some interaction and become quite familar with their keeprs.

Although the housing is different, each is very easy to keep, hardy and undemanding (compared to others), and considered some of the best "beginner frogs/toads" out there.

Truthfully, if I had actually thought about it, I would have set the 35 hex up very differently. I would have glued a "shelf" or "shelves" to the back side of the tank higher up, creating more of a "floating island" effect, to drastically increase the water level and volume to allow me more options.

Its all part of that "never satisfied" issue. You only limitations are your imagionation and your pocketbook. But, I strongly suggest that you decide what you want to keep, then build a proper environment for that creature. Take it from the voice of experience, building the enclosure first, then thinking about what to put in it, rarely works well for the creature or the keeper.

[DC101]

Josh, by easy to handle i didn't mean actually holding.

I meant that its easy to take care of and doesn't require toooo much help.

Thanks anyway for lookout out.