It's been about 3 years since I built a new viv. I forgot how expensive it can get!! I'm not even doing a completely new viv, I'm refurbing (finishing) an old one. So I already have the tank and lighting unit. It has a great stuff background that I ran out of silicone in the middle of, so it's not so pretty, lots of yellow showing. I originally had it woodland/subtropical for my spring peepers, but emptied it when I lost all of them, and sanitized it all with boiling water since I was unsure of why they all died so rapidly. I am planning on transforming it into a tropical/sub tropical viv though, for a future tropical frog friend. I'm honestly not even sure what kind yet, just need a project right now and can alter it as needed when I decide.

I forget how quickly the costs add up though...I needed new cfl's, hydroton, sphagnum moss, plantation soil, digi therm/hygro, a timer plug strip (which I needed for my other viv anyway) silicone, screening, pump, some fake vine for one spot on the background where nothing will grow - still do not have everything for a water feature - and then need to do some plant shopping once the basics are done.

I'm already at almost $100 with that stuff alone and have a lot more to go!

How much do you typically spend on viv supplies? (excluding the tank)

On a side note - I have the driftwood that I used in the spring peeper tank. My spring peepers (7 of them) all died within 4 days of each other. If I bake the driftwood, would I be safe using it again? Or could it potentially harbor whatever killed my little peepers in the first place?

I will post pics as I work on it this weekend.