Terrarium Idea Review

[Deku]

I have a few ideas for terrariums that I would like them to be reviewed.
1st Terrarium set up:
Garden:
Live plants that normally go in a garden(course wouldnt be a garden without them :P)
I wanted to add a log that I can find in the wood or like fire wood and hollow it out by carving it. So its like a hollowed out log with a front door entrance for inhabitants. I wanted to make the log steryle and at the same time make it durable to water as driftwood. As in I didnt want it to rot. So I wanted to know what kind of thing I can coat on it. I hear there is a liquid that can coat it and keep out moisture.

I wanted to get pieces of wood and let them rot, so insects grow in there like pill bugs and such. Making it a constant food supplies for frogs/toads.
Make my own large water dish made of stones or like use plexiglass for a water area. With both if cover the sides with a live plant like phelodendrun. You know the one that is somewhat like vines? Id like to keep it in place with something. It would help keep the toads from dirting up the water area too much. If I used a deep water area maybe id put a filter on it to keep it clean. I was thinking of getting a large 3ft long and 1 1/2 feet wide and 1ft tall tank. Where there are both territories divided up. The filter would be in the back designed like a pond. Where the water flows into a dish down into another dish then down to a third dish then to the water. The dish would have a thin layer of either gravel or one just broken pieces of the bio macarones. Or mixed. Or sand. and on the bottom I could use sand as well. This would keep live bacteria that will eat the ammonia produced by the said animals. I was thinking of gluing the dishes down to something so they dont move. I wanted one of those filters that you can easily take out the cartridge and insert at a new one. So you dont really have to worry much for maintanance. I was thinking to the water area I could add either filter feeding shrimp. Or minnows. The back would be heavily covered by fake ivy plants. The hiding places would be a toppled flower pot. Like a nicely made one. You know the round ones that look like a vase? I was thinking by the filter I could add rocks to it to cover it. I was wondering if I can add two statues that are small and are made to look I think like a gobling covering its ear and on the bottom saying "hear no evil" You know? Just like an actual set up that literary looks and feels like a garden.


The next set up I was thinking was more of jungle. Like amazon jungle.

The last one was like the first one but a larger pool of water and less statues but more plants covering the land area.

[Deku]

anyone?

[1beataway]

I think the idea of having the habitat look like a garden is really cool. I'm unsure how you would get the wood pieces to work out...I don't have much experience but I'm not sure how you could have some that are durable and won't rot but are also rotting and full of insects. I know if you got some wood you could do something to kill off the parasites and such in it (baking?).

As far as the filter goes, I would mention that I know in the reptile section of the pet store I work for there is a filter that is hidden by rocks. It makes it look like water coming out of rocks. I forget the brand but the filter itself looks like one of those tall Whisper filters. If you don't buy it, you might look at it just to get an idea. If you're interested and haven't seen it, I'll look it up online to send you a picture.

As for the rest of your setup...I'll let someone with more experience answer.

[Deku]

I think the idea of having the habitat look like a garden is really cool. I'm unsure how you would get the wood pieces to work out...I don't have much experience but I'm not sure how you could have some that are durable and won't rot but are also rotting and full of insects. I know if you got some wood you could do something to kill off the parasites and such in it (baking?).

As far as the filter goes, I would mention that I know in the reptile section of the pet store I work for there is a filter that is hidden by rocks. It makes it look like water coming out of rocks. I forget the brand but the filter itself looks like one of those tall Whisper filters. If you don't buy it, you might look at it just to get an idea. If you're interested and haven't seen it, I'll look it up online to send you a picture.

As for the rest of your setup...I'll let someone with more experience answer.

YEah I seen the whisper filter. But it kinda looks fake to me. So I wanted to do it on my own by gluing rocks together. as for the wood. I meant one wood being the hidding place should not be rotting and the other pieces of wood should be rotting which would do good for the soil and the insects.

[Kurt]

You can get pieces of cork bark that look just like a hollowed log.

[Deku]

ANother set up I just thought about. This is going to sound mad crazy and wild. But just hear me out.

What about a set up for a semi aquatic frog that loves rain. And would normally live in a place with tons of rain.

And can be accomplished by the bottom being aquatic and having a pump that pulls the water out into tubes that then go down as "rain", in the said palidirum it would have water filters for max water cleaning. Also I figured out that you can use egg crates as a design. Like say get an egg crate the ones with the small holes. Now cut it 4-5inches tall, 6inch long. so this would be the "stand" for the basking area. Now to this you only glue another piece of egg crate that is 3-5inches wide and the same length. But to this egg crate you clue river rocks on top, and you glue this to the other egg crate. So it stands on that and it looks like a land area. Then you wont have to pile rocks up high for land, and you can design it anyway you want for a tank set up like this. It would provide max filtering. You can try gluing pieces of fake water plants to it. The bottom would have either sand or gravel, preferably gravel so it stays clean. Then if its a tree frog you glue vines to the top and put drift wood around. If its something like a budgets then all you need is what I said but without the vines. All you have to do is change 1/3 of the water weekly. Change filter pads every two weeks. Then you have a succesfull "rainy" day tank. Or rainforest or whatever you wanna do. Oh neat thing is, under the eggcrates you can put a small heater to keep the water warm but the frogs wont go under it so yeah. ;] i would like a tank that has constant "rain". But its just a thought.

[Kurt]

No frog lives in constant rainy conditions.

[Deku]

No frog lives in constant rainy conditions.

ahh. that sucks