putting together new viv today, have a few questions

[shatrar]

I'm putting the viv together today so I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions. First up, where do I place the UTH, does it go on the back wall (outside) behind the background styrofoam piece? And if it is, does it still work to heat up the inside? Is there a better place to put it that the froggers can't burn their bellies on?
Also building a false bottom, do I fill it with a little water to start or is it just there to collect whatever runs through the substrate?
That's it for now, I'm sure more will come up. Thanks!

[J Teezy]

Most put their UTH on the side. Putting it on the glass behind the background will most likely not do anything for you. By placing it on the side it gives a temp gradient for your frogs. If they want to be warm they will go over to that side of the tank.

False Bottoms are done for a few reasons.
1) people make them in order to house their water pumps under when doing a water feature. This provides a resorvoir for the pump.

2) it takes up space so you don't have to use as much substrate

3) this is why i do it, I put drains in my tanks so that water drains out on its own eliminating me from having to manually siphon water out. A drain plus misting system eliminates alot of maintenance. Only maintenance i do is about once a week i clean the glass. The only other time I'm inside the tank is to feed the frogs and trim down plants. With my drains i put them in the bottom piece of glass which makes it so there is very little excess water in my tanks. Any excess water goes through the substrate, through the FB and down the drain. I hide the false bottom on the front and sides by making my FB about 1.5" short of those three sides and fill around it with aquarium gravel. My next build I'm actually going to try something new and use growstones. I push the false bottom up against the back panel of glass so that if i wanted to see what was going on underneath it I can look in from the back of the tank.

[shatrar]

I thought you had to place the heater so that the frogs can not get directly onto the glass the heater is attached to?

[J Teezy]

Frogs aren't stupid, if its too hot they won't get on it. I use an exo terra rainforest model UTH and my Leucs have got on the glass where it is before. It doesn't put off as much heat as I think you think it does. Plus i only use it in the winter

[deranged chipmunk]

i always use an aquarium heater when using a false bottom. sure it's another cable to hide and you need to have access to it in case it fails, but i am more comfortable with them than a hot electric coil on the glass where there is water involved. not saying uth's are bad. it's just what i use.