Making my first live viv. Advice welcome :)

[xkatelynell]

This is for my D. auratus

I'm thinking about using a bromeliad and then maybe an orchid for plants. Is two enough with some logs and hide outs as well?

I'm thinking these two for the plants
Josh's Frogs - premium small neoregelia - mixed - small growing bromeliads
Josh's Frogs - mini-cattleya - orchids

Can you plant them directly into cocofiber?

I think eventually I'm going to put in some kind of fogger/waterfall.
Do you think these guys would like this?
Reptile Mist Maker Humidifier
Or does it need to be more of a waterfall type thing?

I plan on getting these for the tank as well to create a more naturalistic environment
Josh's Frogs - cypress knee 59 - cypress knee
Josh's Frogs - rock ridge vivarium background (10 gallon) - t-rex vivarium foam inserts

Any other advice?

[Kurt]

You can plant directly into ground coconut shell and/or sphagnum. My bromeliads are growing sphagnum and my ferns and ficus in coconut. That link for bromeliad seems like a **** shoot. Does he send you a certain type you want or just what ever he has in stock?

I don't think orchids do to well in most frog tanks.

I have this fern in my Melanophryniscus stelzneri tank - http://www.joshsfrogs.com/product/17...stral-gem-fern

I also have oak-leafed ficus in both of my planted tanks.

To inspire you, here is Ray Coderre's (stemcelluar) frog room -
YouTube - Frog room tour[/URL]

[Jace]

Wow, that frog room is absolutely amazing!

[bshmerlie]

That guy must not be married.

[Tropicok]

Katelyn, the orchids I've tried in my tanks have been a trial and error project. I bought them cheap after they had bloomed at Lowe's. They do not like to be planted in wet substrate. One is doing well, a dendrobium which I have tied to a piece of cork board with fishing line. The roots are above the substrate and it gets all the moisture it needs from the humidity in the bombina tank. The other dendrobium under the same circumstance dropped the leaves which showed signs of fungal rot. I now have it in another pot in the window. The third one I did research on after I got it home and now do not have it in a tank at all. If you buy them online from a frog store they should tell you the conditions in which to keep them. Orchids are a whole different hobby and worse to care for than dart frogs.

[Kurt]

That guy must not be married.

He is married. I have seen the collection in person and it is impressive. You should've seen John, he was going nuts over the place photographing everything he could.

[xkatelynell]

Thank you for that awesome video Kurt I am very much inspired now! I think he sends you just what he has of bromeliads.

Seems like I won't be doing orchids I just want colorful plants.

I think I'm going to order some plants and some wood and start making a tank and update with pictures and then once it's all set up introduce my frog to it.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[Kurt]

You're welcome and thanks to Ray for his video. I will have to mention it to him that I posted it. Bromeliads can be quite colorful too.

[xkatelynell]

Josh's Frogs - "austral gem" fern - ferns and mosses
Josh's Frogs - premium small neoregelia - mixed - small growing bromeliads
Josh's Frogs - philodendron wendimbe - tropicals

Would those three plants be good for a 10 gal?
thanks for all your help Kurt yet again!

[Paul Rust]

This sounds fine your one auratus. Pleas post some pics of the build in progress. Sounds like it's gonna be a neat setup Katelyn.

[Kurt]

I am not an expert on plants. I would e-mail Josh and ask him if these plants were right for your situation. Tell him the size of the tank and the humidty, and lighting the tank will have.

I get my advice from Rich at Black Jungle myself. I get to go through their green house and ask all kinds of questions. I buy all my plants from them. Last time out I bought a plant called purple passion. Its real cool, It has irredescent purple hairs upon its stems and leaves. I did not put it in a terrarium.

[xkatelynell]

This sounds fine your one auratus. Pleas post some pics of the build in progress. Sounds like it's gonna be a neat setup Katelyn.

Thank you I thought so too. I'm really excited for this project. I never would have even thought of it if it weren't for everyone here going 'LIVE PLANTS, BUILD A LIVING VIV, LIVE PLANTS KATELYN LIVE' okay maybe not that extreme.. but still. I really want to do this now.

I think I'm going to build a little incline with a flat piece at the top and have that where the cocohut is and down at the bottom will be the live plants and a waterfall. But that's just my hoping. It will probably turn out a lot lamer than that.

I am not an expert on plants. I would e-mail Josh and ask him if these plants were right for your situation. Tell him the size of the tank and the humidty, and lighting the tank will have.

I get my advice from Rich at Black Jungle myself. I get to go through their green house and ask all kinds of questions. I buy all my plants from them. Last time out I bought a plant called purple passion. Its real cool, It has irredescent purple hairs upon its stems and leaves. I did not put it in a terrarium.

Will do I never thought about emailing him doh.

That does sound like an awesome plant! I really want some awesome plants for my terrarium

[Kurt]

My advice when setting it up is not to make the substrate as flat as Kansas. That's completely boring. If you look at Ray's frog room video, I don't thing there is a single flat bottom set up. they all have slopes aand valleys.

[xkatelynell]

My advice when setting it up is not to make the substrate as flat as Kansas. That's completely boring. If you look at Ray's frog room video, I don't thing there is a single flat bottom set up. they all have slopes aand valleys.

Hurt the Kansas girls feelings Haha. No but I know what you mean I'm going to either try that plexi glass thing or get a foam insert I don't know which one yet. I am very excited for this project.

[Kurt]

I just piled up the LECA to one side. Simple enough. Sorry about the Kansas remark. I come from Massachusetts, the land isn't flat here. That probably has a lot to due with why we're not boring.

[Ebony]

Kurt, What is Leca?

[Paul Rust]

Kurt, What is Leca?

Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (hollow clay balls) It is a hydroponic growing medium that is much lighter than gravel.

[Paul Rust]

Sorry about the Kansas remark. I come from Massachusetts, the land isn't flat here.

Yes it is

[Tropicok]

Hey, I resemble that remark (about Kansas). The eastern part of Kansas is very hilly and pretty as it is getting into Missouri and Arkansas geographical area. From Hwy. 81 west is flatter wheat and prairie and back eons ago was an inland sea until it hits the front side of the Rockies. This is all layman's terms, of course.

[John]

I'm no plant expert, but (again from Ray) I've learned that there are orchids that do well in terrariums. Ray has one species in a couple of his terrariums, but I'm not sure what it is. Rich at Black Jungle is a plant expert so it might be worth shooting him an email (please mention this web site if you do contact him). I'm going to email this thread to Ray because he might get a kick out of it and he might also be able to help with the orchids.