Broadleaf forest vivarium

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

I need tips on creating a vivarium that looks like the forests here in Ohio. I believe they are called temperate broadleaf forests. It really doesn't matter to me if the plants actually come from here or not. I just like the way it looks. I'm not a huge fan of the way the rainforest looks. (At least not for something that will be in my room 24/7)

Any help is appreciated.
P.s. the photos are examples of what I'm talking about.

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

P.s.s I love the plant that four-leaf-clovers come from. (I know that could be said much better.) Any plant that looks like that and grows in a vivarium setting is also appreciated.

[flybyferns]

Good Morning,

It's important to know what species of frog(s) will be housed?
Therefore, as you collect your supplies they will be suitable for the - frog- inhabitants.

You will need good lights, and a well drained ABG substrate.
ABG- ABG, Atlanta Botanical Gardens Mix | Reptile Substrate | Josh's Frogs
Consider drilling your enclosure - for good drainage?
If this is your first build----- I will guarantee you --- you will never be sorry.

If you need help with the supplies for drilling/drainage let me know.
There is a thread around with instructions, photos of the supplies and part #s- from Home Depot.

A large ( tall as possible ) piece of wood to be the focal point----> the tree
? perhaps a tall hollow pc of cork - see: modular cork planters:
New England Herpetoculture LLC - Wood For Terrariums & Vivariums
Cork Tube 12 | Josh's Frogs

For a super selection of all supplies: Supplies - Vivariums In The Mist

The moss at the base of the tree is simple:
Live Tropical Moss

Moderator deranged chipmunk - Bill - is the plant 'guy'.
He will know exactly what will plant is good for the back ie the [a small tree looking plant[/I]
I did something similar , recently with a plant. Bill will remember what this is. I don't

fiscus ?

Lance leaf ficus is a great little grownd cover---is will not go crazy like the oak leaf one.
Ficus sp. 'Lance Leaf'

Mini mondo grass does well:
Mini Mondo Grass - Ophiopogon japonicus nana

For the gravel - or dry stream- ask Paul digitalpunk he did something like this recently.

Check out Paul's and Bill's build threads.

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

Good Morning,

It's important to know what species of frog(s) will be housed?
Therefore, as you collect your supplies they will be suitable for the - frog- inhabitants.

You will need good lights, and a well drained ABG substrate.
ABG- ABG, Atlanta Botanical Gardens Mix | Reptile Substrate | Josh's Frogs
Consider drilling your enclosure - for good drainage?
If this is your first build----- I will guarantee you --- you will never be sorry.

If you need help with the supplies for drilling/drainage let me know.
There is a thread around with instructions, photos of the supplies and part #s- from Home Depot.

A large ( tall as possible ) piece of wood to be the focal point----> the tree
? perhaps a tall hollow pc of cork - see: modular cork planters:
New England Herpetoculture LLC - Wood For Terrariums & Vivariums
Cork Tube 12 | Josh's Frogs

For a super selection of all supplies: Supplies - Vivariums In The Mist

The moss at the base of the tree is simple:
Live Tropical Moss

Moderator deranged chipmunk - Bill - is the plant 'guy'.
He will know exactly what will plant is good for the back ie the [a small tree looking plant[/I]
I did something similar , recently with a plant. Bill will remember what this is. I don't

fiscus ?

Lance leaf ficus is a great little grownd cover---is will no go crazy like the oak leaf one.
Ficus sp. 'Lance Leaf'

Mini mondo grass does well:
Mini Mondo Grass - Ophiopogon japonicus nana

For the gravel - or dry stream- ask Paul digitalpunk he did something like this recently.

Check out Paul's and Bill's build threads.

Thank you! Very detailed. XD I have two different vivariums I want to redo like this. A crested gecko and an amazon milk frog. Obviously not in the same enclosure. The lights are two four-foot T8 full spectrum bulbs and one 18 inch
T5 light. Is that enough for low light plants such as moss?

[deranged chipmunk]

there are really only 2 differences in a temperate forest and the rain forest, climate (obviously) and flora. you could easily stick some tropical plants into those 2 pics and it would be a tropical rainforest. rocks, streams, ponds, and whatnot are all basically the same. so the key will be adding plants that aren't tropical in nature, but native. unfortunately, there, i can't really help. tropicals, exotics, and aquatics are my wheelhouse. i very rarely deal with any native plants, so i don't have any real recommendations. one issue you will come across is that most temperate plants require a winter dormancy to thrive, especially native mosses. temperate plants and mosses may grow well for a while and then suddenly, inexplicably die off. it is an interesting concept though, and i wish ya luck with it. please keep us posted on your progress

btw, Lynn, that plant is not a ficus, but an Ardisia Crenata, a member of the primrose family. it's a Japanese native, which is also temperate, so maybe some Japanese plants would give the temperate appearance.

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

there are really only 2 differences in a temperate forest and the rain forest, climate (obviously) and flora. you could easily stick some tropical plants into those 2 pics and it would be a tropical rainforest. rocks, streams, ponds, and whatnot are all basically the same. so the key will be adding plants that aren't tropical in nature, but native. unfortunately, there, i can't really help. tropicals, exotics, and aquatics are my wheelhouse. i very rarely deal with any native plants, so i don't have any real recommendations. one issue you will come across is that most temperate plants require a winter dormancy to thrive, especially native mosses. temperate plants and mosses may grow well for a while and then suddenly, inexplicably die off. it is an interesting concept though, and i wish ya luck with it. please keep us posted on your progress

btw, Lynn, that plant is not a ficus, but an Ardisia Crenata, a member of the primrose family. it's a Japanese native, which is also temperate, so maybe some Japanese plants would give the temperate appearance.

So, I guess my best bet would be to collect some native plants, clean them off, and use them? XD

[deranged chipmunk]

well, you "could". but first you need to find out what is protected, and what is not. AND know how to properly identify them. then there's the matter of not knowing species. you could be grabbing a seedling of a tree because you like the look of it, without knowing it's going to outgrow your tank quick. your best bet is to surf for tropical plants that have the look you are going for.

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

well, you "could". but first you need to find out what is protected, and what is not. AND know how to properly identify them. then there's the matter of not knowing species. you could be grabbing a seedling of a tree because you like the look of it, without knowing it's going to outgrow your tank quick. your best bet is to surf for tropical plants that have the look you are going for.

Okay, I'll do that. I really didn't want to get native plants. It makes me nervous. Do you think my lighting is good enough to grow at least moss? It gets two four-foot T8 full spectrum bulbs and a 16 inch T5 bulb. It will also get a little bit of sunlight. It isn't in front of a window, but it is right beside a sunny window.

[deranged chipmunk]

What size tank?


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

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

What size tank?


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

It's actually a cabinet I turned into a tank. I really wish I just got a normal tank, would have been cheaper and easier in the end. Lol
Over all it is 6 feet tall, 16 inches wide, 11 inches long. It is divided in half vertically, so basically a 36x16x11 tank. (Around 29 gallons.)
The lights are attached to the side of the tank so that the longest distance from a plant to the light is 16 inches. Sorry, wanted to be thorough. XD

[deranged chipmunk]

Yeah, that lighting will work for moss. Side lighting has some real obstacles to overcome though. You have to plant very carefully because you need light to get across the tank. Tall plants close to the lights will block it for everything to the opposite side of it.


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

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

Yeah, that lighting will work for moss. Side lighting has some real obstacles to overcome though. You have to plant very carefully because you need light to get across the tank. Tall plants close to the lights will block it for everything to the opposite side of it.


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

Thank you so much! I just realized you're bill. XD I had no clue who bill was. I was searching your name on the forum. Lol Anyways, I'm not making a heavily planted vivarium. I like having some open space. The light is on the left. The tallest plant I plan on getting is going to be on the right. Sorry to ask so many questions, but do you have any recommendations on ferns and places other than black jungle to get moss? Black jungle is out of stock.

[deranged chipmunk]

hahahaha! yeah, it doesn't always show my name on certain apps. as far as ferns, small ones are very difficult to get right now. it's like over the summer, everyone wanted to add small ferns to their tanks. lol you have a lot of height in those tanks, but not much else. most ferns would fill up your floor space rather quickly. but i will get you some links tomorrow to check out. moss is also a toughie. i'm always on the lookout for alternate suppliers of moss. i have never used Josh's moss, and have heard mixed reviews on it. there are a lot of online garden moss sellers around, but they have mostly temperate mosses. Moss For Sale Online stocks what they call "terrarium moss", but i haven't tried it yet, so i can't vouch for it's quality. believe it or not, i picked up some cheapie sheet moss from Petco, of all places, and it has been growing very well for me. who would have thought? lol Terrarium suppliers also have excellent moss. it is normally tropical so it can withstand a sealed terrarium. and it is normally cheaper than a reptile seller. garden centers with terrarium sections are also a great place to find good sheet moss.

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

hahahaha! yeah, it doesn't always show my name on certain apps. as far as ferns, small ones are very difficult to get right now. it's like over the summer, everyone wanted to add small ferns to their tanks. lol you have a lot of height in those tanks, but not much else. most ferns would fill up your floor space rather quickly. but i will get you some links tomorrow to check out. moss is also a toughie. i'm always on the lookout for alternate suppliers of moss. i have never used Josh's moss, and have heard mixed reviews on it. there are a lot of online garden moss sellers around, but they have mostly temperate mosses. Moss For Sale Online stocks what they call "terrarium moss", but i haven't tried it yet, so i can't vouch for it's quality. believe it or not, i picked up some cheapie sheet moss from Petco, of all places, and it has been growing very well for me. who would have thought? lol Terrarium suppliers also have excellent moss. it is normally tropical so it can withstand a sealed terrarium. and it is normally cheaper than a reptile seller. garden centers with terrarium sections are also a great place to find good sheet moss.

Thanks, bill! You lived up to your reputation. XD I think I'll try a couple different places to see what will work and what won't. Starting with petco. (Low expectations) Trial and error, I suppose.

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

hahahaha! yeah, it doesn't always show my name on certain apps. as far as ferns, small ones are very difficult to get right now. it's like over the summer, everyone wanted to add small ferns to their tanks. lol you have a lot of height in those tanks, but not much else. most ferns would fill up your floor space rather quickly. but i will get you some links tomorrow to check out. moss is also a toughie. i'm always on the lookout for alternate suppliers of moss. i have never used Josh's moss, and have heard mixed reviews on it. there are a lot of online garden moss sellers around, but they have mostly temperate mosses. Moss For Sale Online stocks what they call "terrarium moss", but i haven't tried it yet, so i can't vouch for it's quality. believe it or not, i picked up some cheapie sheet moss from Petco, of all places, and it has been growing very well for me. who would have thought? lol Terrarium suppliers also have excellent moss. it is normally tropical so it can withstand a sealed terrarium. and it is normally cheaper than a reptile seller. garden centers with terrarium sections are also a great place to find good sheet moss.

I know your the plant guy, but thought I'd ask anyways. I bought some pinecone from exo Terra, I think, and I wanted to know if they rot and if there is anyway to sterilize pinecones from out side. They weren't expensive, but were hard to find.

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

It was zoo med. Not exo Terra.

[deranged chipmunk]

They are just seed pods. you would sterilize them just as you would a piece of wood. Boil or bake. If they are from outside, a good scrubbing would be needed as well.


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

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

They are just seed pods. you would sterilize them just as you would a piece of wood. Boil or bake. If they are from outside, a good scrubbing would be needed as well.


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

Acorns too? XD

[deranged chipmunk]

Acorns are oak seeds. Same deal.


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

[ThatGuyWithTheFace]

Here's where I am now with this idea. I realized I preferred the plants a fluffy look to them, such as ferns. The plants aren't really temperate, but this is my first build so I'm going for looks rather than accuracy. Still haven't found a piece of wood that I'm happy with. I plan on adding some sort of ground cover (open to suggestions. I prefer lighter colors and small leaves.) and some oak leaf creeping fig for the background. I bought better lights for this. I have two four foot T8 bulbs with an LED spot light for the plants that require more light. The animals won't go in until Febuary 10th, as suggested by Bill. I'll get better photos when I'm more content with the product. It still needs a background, but that's taking longer than expected. Lol