vivarium construction supplies

[deranged chipmunk]

since i get lots of questions about building vivs, and it's mostly about materials, i though i would start a thread dedicated to just the materials we all use for building our creations. this is an open thread, so if i miss something, please feel free to add. also, if you have any questions about the materials themselves, please feel free to ask. remember, this is for materials only. please do not post any questions about construction techniques, soils/substrates, or equipment. thanks

ok, let's start from the bottom up. there are many ways to build the ground floor of the enclosure, the two most common are a false bottom and a hydroton layered substrate base, or as i like to call it, the basic dart from set up. now, for a false bottom, you will need "egg crate". this is commonly sold by Lowe's and Home Depot (H.D.) as light diffusing grid or something to that effect. it is just a sheet of plastic that is cut out in a square grid form. they also have chrome plated, but that's just a waste of money. the square holes are about 3/4", so that way you don't confuse it with other stuff they have. you'll also need to support the egg crate. you can either use more egg crate, positioned vertically, or pvc pipe. if you use pvc pipe, i recommend going with a much larger diameter pipe than you think you will need. i see so many vivs done with 1/2" pipe, because it is cheap, when 2" or 3" pipe should have been used. everything going on top of the egg crate is surprisingly heavy, and without a very sturdy base, your false bottom will sag, creating a bog, which promotes the growth of nasty bacteria. you can use an adhesive to attach the egg crate to the pvc or you can use zip ties, your choice.

the other common method of building a base is the hydroton layer. for that you would need hydroton, or clay balls. these are small little baked clay balls that are used as a drainage layer. petsmart sells the zoomed version called hydroballs. you can also find them at any hydroponics store under the name hydroton. Note: this is not to be confused with the growing material hygrolon. alternatively, you can use gravel, larger pebbles, such as pond pebbles, lava rock, you name it.

both of these need to be covered with something so that the water can get through, but your substrate cannot. for this job, you can use landscaping fabric, fiberglass window screening (no metal screen), mosquito netting, and a few others i can't think of off the top of my head. some items work for some people, and some don't. you will need to do trial and error on your setup.

on to background materials. choices, choices, choices. there is great stuff expanding foam. don't over think this one. i know there are many brands and different versions of this stuff, but do yourself a favor, save the headache and just use the regular stuff. there are pond foams out there, and they are perfectly safe to use, but cost about 5x the price. they are handy however, if you do not want to cover the foam, since it is black. and just an fyi, i get my great stuff at walmart for $3/12 oz can. it's worth mentioning that great stuff is a polyurethane based expanding foam, and once it cures completely (could take up to 4 days) it is 100% safe for animals.

clay: i have never used this type of background in an enclosure before, but i have experimented with it. it is loosely based off of kitty litter. yes, i did say kitty litter. that is good, old fashioned, no dyes, no perfumes, no baking soda, nothing. walmart sells it for about $3 for a 25 lb bag. a clay background can be a pain because it need to be constantly moist. all of it, not just sections, all of it. careful planning needs to be done prior to building to assure it can be done. and btw, did you know that the same kitty litter makes an awesome substrate for your fish tank ?

styrofoam: versatile stuff, that styrofoam. you can use any of the styrofoams, the pink insulation material from home depot, the old fashioned compressed white ball kind, even that crazy crunchy kind. just remember that styro reacts differently to different chemicals and adhesives. so test on small pieces first.

tree fern panels: yup, those rectangles you see in the reptile section made by exoterra. there are also other companies that sell it online. you can just use silicone to adhere them directly to the glass, crush them up and sprinkle though out, whatever. epiphytes love growing on the stuff, especially when used in conjunction with a drip wall.

hygrolon and ecoweb: these are porous materials that plant roots are able to permeate and grow on. i have 0 experience with this, so maybe someone can chime in here.

cork bark: these look like a piece of tree bark that was ripped off the tree because, well, that's what they are.

adhesives (glues and such): one of the most commonly asked question is about what silicone is safe? simple answer: any silicone that is 100% silicone with absolutely 0 mold and mildew inhibitors. GE Silicone II and II are both safe, dap makes a version and so do a few others, but it needs to be 100% silicone. i will say that again 100% silicone. you can also use the following safely: 2 part epoxies, marine epoxy, aquarium sealant and that coral putty. also, you can use titebond III wood glue. yes, it is safe, and 100% waterproof. but only version 3 is. it has the green label. this is handy for covering backgrounds as well as sealing stuff. a quick note, when it comes to adhesives, try to keep in mind that clear silicone dries with a dull haze and titebond dries yellow. this bit can hinder or help you. some epoxies dry clear and some dry yellow as well. also a word about silicone. silicone is an amazing thing, it will adhere to darned near anything EXCEPT previously cured silicone, please keep this in mind if you are using it to cover your background. once it dries, a second coat CANNOT be applied.

materials to cover your background or "color" it: coco fiber is the gold standard here. you can also use peat moss, tree fern fiber, and a couple others. stand alone coverings that can be used are non-sanded grout, concrete, mortar, and drylok waterproofing paint.

driftwood: you can use manzanita, mopani, oak, cork bark tubes, basically, any dense hardwoods. no "green" woods. they will just start to rot from the humidity and cause major problems. so no running out to the pin oak in the yard and cutting a branch off. it needs to be 100% dry and needs to be "sterilized" before using.

rocks: you can use basically any rock you find, but be cautious of limestones. they can make your water very hard and alkaline. this leads to dishwasher spots on your glass and since a lot of plants prefer an acidic soil, bad for plants as well.

if i missed anything, i'm sure another member will add to this list. in fact i think i can guarantee it. obviously i don't know everything, but as a collective group here, we have most of the bases covered

any questions feel free to ask.

[flybyferns]

Could you please repeat that? Sorry, I could not resist that !

Bill - this is a tremendous amount of information! Super !
Lynn

[deranged chipmunk]

thanks Lynn. now you have a quickie link to use for this stuff....LOL

[coastal20]

Great post Bill, I am using the ecoweb for my orchids and the roots have just started to penetrate the back side. With ecoweb you really need a misting system and high humidity to keep the water droplets on the mesh. They are doing great and both of them have new leafs growing. Hygrolon I just purchased yesterday and will have it in my hands by Friday, I will post my initial thoughts and post a more in depth review after a month or so, I have two new orchids arriving soon that I plan on using the hygrolon with.

[deranged chipmunk]

Chase, thank you and please keep us up to date on the use of both, especially the hygrolon. i have some ideas for that stuff, depending on how it works out.

[UncleChester]

Great idea Bill. You've been pretty thorough but I'll add a few things

"Hydroton" is a brand name and if the store doesn't know what you're talking about try asking for LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate), or 'little clay balls', or 'balls of clay'. If you still get funny looks, leave the store and try someplace else.

A couple other Backgrounds:

Cement: Quikrete "Quick Set Cement" mixed with Acrylic Fortifier and tinted with concrete pigments over carved styrofoam makes an indestructible background. Non-toxic acrylic craft paint also works to tint the cement as you're mixing it, but isn't supposed to be as colour fast (3 years and running with no problems in one of my vivariums though). This needs time to cure, especially if it's involved in a water feature as cement will raise the pH. Materials at any hardware store come in relatively large quantities making this very economical in the long run. Tile grout is another related option that I've never tried.

Bare Glass with Exterior Paint: 'Reverse paint' on the outside of the vivarium using Craft Paint made for painting glass. Makes for an extremely easy to clean interior.


Excellent article about suitable choices for wood and how to prepare it for the vivarium Caudata Culture Articles - Wood in Vivaria
.
Shelf Mushrooms: Great to silicone to the glass for ledges. Best to collect ones that turn hard and woody. Can be boiled and baked like the wood above.

Safe and Cheap Silicone for the Canucks: Home Hardware - 3 Pack 300mL Multi-purpose Clear Silicone II Sealant

Plastic Zip Ties: Smaller versions of the kinds the riot police use for impromptu handcuffs. Any hardware store has them. Mentioned by Bill with regards to building a false bottom but since they are immediately frog safe (unlike glue/silicone) they're also great for instant impromptu repairs inside an already running vivarium, or adding branches, tying back plants, or handcuffing a misbehaving frog.

[deranged chipmunk]

Thanks brian. I knew i missed stuff, that's why this is THE BEST frog forum around don't go too far, i'm going to do lighting tonight

[BadKat]

I was lucky enough to find a 50# bag of leca at a local hydroponics store. Unfortunately, it may become very hard to find soon. Apparently the clay is gathered through a process similar to strip mining and many people are refusing to buy or use it (understandably).

The gentleman working at the store had a recycled glass alternative, but he wasn't sure if it would be animal safe. I may have to go back in and ask if he's asked the manufacturer about that yet.

[coastal20]

I just got the hygrolon this morning, Thought I would post a couple pictures of it.

[deranged chipmunk]

I was lucky enough to find a 50# bag of leca at a local hydroponics store. Unfortunately, it may become very hard to find soon. Apparently the clay is gathered through a process similar to strip mining and many people are refusing to buy or use it (understandably).

The gentleman working at the store had a recycled glass alternative, but he wasn't sure if it would be animal safe. I may have to go back in and ask if he's asked the manufacturer about that yet.

i hadn't heard about that. i'll have to ask the next time i'm at my hyrdo shop.

as long as it's inert, which it should be, the recycled glass should be fine. after all, it's way too buried to be eaten.

[deranged chipmunk]

I just got the hygrolon this morning, Thought I would post a couple pictures of it.

how does it feel Chase? is it stretchy and soft? like could i say, um, wrap it around a limb to have mosses and orchids growing from it???

[UncleChester]

as long as it's inert, which it should be, the recycled glass should be fine. after all, it's way too buried to be eaten.

I'd agree. Assuming it can't be eaten, isn't sharp, or isn't accessible to the frogs, glass should be problem. I've seen marbles used as a drainage layer, kind pretty, but also kinda heavy in case you need to move things.

I just got the hygrolon this morning, Thought I would post a couple pictures of it.

So, where did you get this and how much was it? It looks like interesting stuff.

[coastal20]

how does it feel Chase? is it stretchy and soft? like could i say, um, wrap it around a limb to have mosses and orchids growing from it???

Yes it is very flexible, there would be no problem wrapping it around any limb. I have not tested it yet because I have no new plants to replant yet. It is also very soft, nothing like ecoweb which is very coarse looking.
I will be using hygrolon on top of ecoweb for my mossy tree frog tank, and see how much the moss, plants, and orchids grow on it.

[coastal20]

I'd agree. Assuming it can't be eaten, isn't sharp, or isn't accessible to the frogs, glass should be problem. I've seen marbles used as a drainage layer, kind pretty, but also kinda heavy in case you need to move things.



So, where did you get this and how much was it? It looks like interesting stuff.

Folius
This is this first place that I have seen this product carried outside Europe. They shipped the product the same day and it arrived in three days.

[Tom Highum]

Ever since I started reading this thread I have been simultaneously reading about Epiweb and Hygrolon. They were created by a Swedish company called "Dusk Tropic" and are mainly sold in the EU. That being said, on their website Epiweb they have links to retailers and I do believe that the UK retailer that is listed will ship to the US and they carry the full range of the products including the Epiweb IIS (comes with an irrigation system) but also the prices for shipping are extraneous.

What I can tell about Folius is that it is a brand new company (only weeks old) with only one real product, Hygrolon and this is semi limited compared to what Dusk Tropic has created (so far, again weeks old). I did like their website layout, I hope they pick up some more interesting products.

[Tom Highum]

Also, from what I have seen these materials work very well, both Epiweb and Hygrolon, for growing many plants, primarily epiphytes and mosses. But they both, specifically Epiweb, have a tendancy to dry out, so with them a good misting system is essential. Dusk Tropic has also come up with a product that is pre-seeded to grow moss,( http://www.epiweb.se/epiwebiis3.htm more details on the middle of this page) a handy thing to have.

Sorry for the double post

[BadKat]

Folius
This is this first place that I have seen this product carried outside Europe. They shipped the product the same day and it arrived in three days.

Thank you for the link. I've been curious about it but too lazy to find it stateside.
I just checked the site out and a lot of products are out of stock.

So if anyone wants some they probably better get on the stick.

[coastal20]

Thank you for the link. I've been curious about it but too lazy to find it stateside.
I just checked the site out and a lot of products are out of stock.

So if anyone wants some they probably better get on the stick.

I think that they probably under estimated demand for the product in the USA. I would hope the next shipment would include more stock and it would be great to get some of the moss mix dusk tropic has.

[coastal20]

I just received an email from where I bought the hygrolon. They said that the moss mix would be in stock in about 2 weeks, Im excited. Probably by then they will have more stock of everything.

[BadKat]

Hey guys. Is there anything specific to look for when buying the grout? I bought some Keracolor U unsanded grout with polymer. My concern is that it has "BioBlock" antimicrobial protection.
Thanks