"Source" - Mantella Ebenaui Vivarium ver. 3.0

**DigitalPunk** · October 10th, 2014

Several months ago I set out to make a home that was better for my Mantella Ebenaui. So I moved them from their 40b home into their new 24x18x24 Exo Terra home. It has been nearly 4 months and they continue to appear stressed. So I have decided it is time to tear their home apart and make a 3rd attempt at making them comfortable.

All the supplies are gathered, Plants have been purchased, and a design is set. Starting tomorrow morning I will be taking what is arguably my favorite tank apart and redesigning it for the health and happiness of my frogs.

This should be a fairly quick build. I will work on it all day tomorrow and hopefully put all the final touches on the tank Sunday and call it done.

It is with a mix of excitement and sadness I prepare to break the Mantella tank down and start building "Source".

**Google Ads** · October 10th, 2014

BCollie · October 10th, 2014

Wow, how sad that you have to tear down that beautiful tank!! But you gotta do what you gotta do, eh?

LisaGarcia · October 10th, 2014

I loved that tank! :'( But the froggies happiness comes first and foremost. Good Luck! Kinda excited to see all the pics of the rebuild.

**LilyPad** · October 10th, 2014

Booo, but can't wait to see the result of a new build.

**DigitalPunk** · October 10th, 2014

No one is more bummed than I am to see it come apart. I am however very excited with how the new layout looks in my head, I just need to try and recreate it or at least get close lol.

I will get some pictures up tomorrow as I go. I ordered a few Madagascar (Mantella are from Madagascar) native plants that will be going into this tank. It is incredibly hard to source a wide varriety of plants from their, but thank to Bill's help I was able to find 2 ferns and an Orchid from Madagascar.

The rest of the plants will be a mix of common and not so common plants. Really wish I could of done a biotope of Madagascar for them, but 3 is better than none lol.

Mantella Enbenaui are most commonly found along streams and ditches on an island called "Nosy Be". With this redesign I was going to try and recreate something more similar to their natural surrounding. My 5 Ebenaui are wild caught frogs, hopefully they will appreciate the effort and not judge me to harshly lol.

Stay tuned I plan to upload a bunch of pictures tomorrow. It will probably take me 1/2 the day just to take the tank apart.

**deranged chipmunk** · October 11th, 2014

Rip that sucka apart and get working. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with for this one

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

**DigitalPunk** · October 11th, 2014

Work began this morning around 7:30AM.

Took the old Paludarium apart (after safely moving the Mantella to a QT tube for the next day or 2.

Used plumbers putty to create reservoir to hold water while I drill the tank for a bulk head.

Hole drilled. Phew always nervous drilling big tanks like this.

Installed bulkhead and began laying out stream bed path and drainage layer

Here is the stream bed still being formed, but I added some Aquatic soil to it.

Work still continues. Just thought I would step away for a few and share some pics. Going to look at the stream more and see if it needs any tweaking before I add water to check the water level and then move on to soil.

Paul

**DigitalPunk** · October 11th, 2014

Added River Stones along the stream and some Slate pieces for accents.

Added a piece of Ghost wood - Not that they can't hop across this tiny stream on their own, but this also give me something to mount my Madagascar Native Orchid to.

Next I messed with plant layouts. Once I settled on locations I planted the tank and stream. Then covered the remaining dirt in sheet moss.

A loaded the tank with springtails and Isopods and put the glass thermometer in the tank and we are done!

This tank contains 2 ferns both are native to Madagascar and the Orchid is also native to Madagascar. Wish I could of gotten more native plants, but I suppose this will do

Paul,

LisaGarcia · October 11th, 2014

It looks good! Hopefully they will love it!

**jarteta97** · October 11th, 2014

Awesome build Paul, and quick too. I think you made a stream bed amazingly well. Can't wait to see their reactions to the tank

BCollie · October 11th, 2014

Gorgeous!! I love love love that big fern, but then again I am, for some weird reason, obsessed with ferns...

**Lija** · October 11th, 2014

Can't wait to see it grow in

looking good Paul!

**deranged chipmunk** · October 13th, 2014

That baby is gonna grow in nice bud!! Great job!!!

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

**LilyPad** · October 13th, 2014

That looks beautiful!! Great job, Paul. It's going to look even more awesome as it grows in!

TKexotics · October 13th, 2014

Awesome, do you know the scientific name of the 2 Malagasy ferns?

**DigitalPunk** · October 13th, 2014

The fern on the left is - Asplenium Rutifolium

The larger pin wheel fern in the back middle is - Asplenium Stoloniferum

For good measure the orchid is - Cynorkis Fastigiata

**Mentat** · October 13th, 2014

Excellent work Paul

! Really like those ferns

!

**DigitalPunk** · October 14th, 2014

Thanks Carlos, I love the ferns too! Now I just have to not kill them lol. If I can get them to a point where they can be split I plan to share them with some people

**deranged chipmunk** · October 14th, 2014

Gotta love a good asplenium species. Btw Paul, if I am correct, those 2 ferns are not only native to Madagascar, but endemic to the island as well. I don't believe they are found anywhere else.

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

**Strider18** · October 14th, 2014

Great build Paul! Hope that your frogs like the new habitat and aren't as stressed

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