drainage & pool

[gdibs82]

I'm wondering how to go about this. I'm making the drainage 2" deep, but want my pool to be 4-5" deep and was wondering how I would go about making this work.

[Mentat]

You can't do that since drainage has to be higher than water level. You could build a dam with a piece of glass and aquarium silicone; but that is a different design. The glass dam has to be leakproof otherwise your lower substrate will flood .

[gdibs82]

Yeah, that's what I figured. What kind of filtration can I use then if the water level can only be 2" deep? Or should I just make the pool sit on top with the substrate?

[DigitalPunk]

If the drainage layer will be 2" deep the max you would ever want to see your water is 1.5" deep. For filtration you could use an external canister filter, or you could do weekly water changes.

Another way to do a deeper water feature would be to construct a false bottom and make it tall enough to be 1" above your max waterline for the pond area. The vivarium construction 101 thread covers how to do this.

[gdibs82]

Here some info on what I have and will be using. I have a 150 gallon tank. Making a d.i.y. 3D background that'll sit 2" from the bottom. 1.5" pvc with egg crate for drainage.

[deranged chipmunk]

The only other way you could have a pool higher than your drainage layer would be to use a separate container for the pool, like a plastic tub or something similar.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[gdibs82]

That's was my initial thinking. Now, wouldn't a heater on the bottom of the tank evaporate the drainage water and create himidity as well? Plus I'm also going to be using pothos in a pot on the lower level. Thinkin maybe I should make holes for those in the egg crate.

[jarteta97]

You normally don't want to put a heater on the bottom of a tank, but rather on one side or the other to create a heat gradient (cooler on left, warmer on right or vice versa). If I was using a 150 gallon tank (I wish), I would really want to make it look super nice. I would recommend just surfing through the vivarium section of the forum looking for ideas first. I don't quite understand what you mean in your question. Are you asking whether you should cut a hole in the egg crate, and stick the pothos pot into the drainage layer to put the plant at soil level?

[awelcome]

Now I am intrigued by the idea Bill mentioned of using a dish to create your pool area.... you could find some sort of square edged dish to get it as close to the edges of the glass as possible (like certain votives or something) and maybe silicone that in so it stays and build your false bottom/substrate layers around that. Seems much easier than trying to MAKE a leak-proof section.... You'd have a boring square shaped pool, but you could perhaps use rocks or something around the rim to give it a more rounded or natural look on the land side at least. Wheels are turning now....

[gdibs82]

I'm gonna go with a rectangle dish and thought about using gravel to give it a slope. I'll see about cuttin the egg crate around it. As for the pothos, they are good filtrating the water and figure I can leave a little room between the bottom of the tank and the pot so that it absorbs the water. Now as for the heater on the side of the tank. Do I wanna make that side have a plexiglass lid or can it be screen? Cause I'm making the tops myself. And should the heater be on the pool side of the aquarium or not? When I get a complete idea of what I'm doing, its a full-go and I'll share pictures of it.

[gdibs82]

I also plan on painting the plastic for a more natural look.

[gdibs82]

Scratch that. For some reason this site won't let me add pictures through my phone. DARN!!

[Mentat]

The top material will depend on the type of frog kept. If Darts or Mantellas you will need very high humidity and the top will be glass or plexi with little venting. As an example, my ExoTerras have a solid pane of glass covering the whole top. Now if you keep frogs that require lower humidity levels; a screen or partial screen top would be the way to go.

If a heater for water section is required; you can use a submersible type aquarium heater. It must be matched to the actual water volume in the enclosure and kept submerged at all times. A heat mat would be located on the side and away from water feature. That glass pane will get hot and splashing water on it could be a problem.

Is there a particular reason why your false bottom can't exceed 2 in. height? Seems to me a 150G tank could easily have a much deeper false bottom .

[gdibs82]

Grey's Tree Frogs. And I want as much room in the aquarium as I can have lol

[deranged chipmunk]

Then just do a leca drainage layer. It would take a lot of leca, but you can get it in bulk fairly cheap at some gardening stores or hydroponics shops. That's how I plan on doing my 125.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[gdibs82]

Are you using live plants as well?

[deranged chipmunk]

Always! I think if I used a fake plant in any of my vivs, there would be more than one person after my head lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[gdibs82]

I wanna go with pothos in the substrate and ivy on my 3D background. I know I'm asking to do weeding lol. Can I just have screen tops with Grey's? And in the "pool" I'm gonna use an air pump filter.

[deranged chipmunk]

You'll have to have some of the top covered. Grey's don't need a lot of humidity, but they do need it. Open screen tops will leave the humidity at the same relative humidity that the ambient air has, maybe a few points higher. But surely not enough to keep the frogs comfortable and healthy.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[gdibs82]

I'll make them both screen then and just put partial plexiglass covering both sides. I have UVB right now for the plants. I had turtles prior to starting this project. Plus I figure a screen will keep them from touching hot plexiglass. I will be changing to LED eventually.