HI Y'All.

[EasternShoreman]

Howdy, i'm new just join this site, I am new to frogs and reptiles, I currently don't own any amphibian or reptile, but i have been researching them for well over a year and have been wanting to get into the hobby, I have been in the fish keeping hobby for years, as I am currently building a 6'X6'6"X8' vivarium. mostly i wanted just a waterfall and plants, to view during the dead winter months, but it turned into wanting to put some sort of animal in it. but i can't decide between frogs or lizards. I love dart frogs but i feel a big set up that i am building, the darts would get lost in it. lol. all though i have thought about it. but i just can't decide on what i want. I know it is frown upon to mix species. and i am not willing to mix species until i am more experienced, and more knowledgeable. I say that because i feel that my tank is big enough to mix 2 diff species and be safe. but if i did mix it would be something like a mourning gecko, with darts. but before you bash me, please I am not mixing species until i know i can handle the extra care and to have the knowledge i need before even attempting such a set up. Also, i am a firm believer in the more room an animal has the better they feel. and the better i feel as well. But i know during this build i will have a lot of questions, and i will be relying on you guys to help me, to set this large viv up. Well thats all i can think of right now. I look forward to talking with ya''ll and learning from all of you.

Thanks,
Josh

[LilyPad]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I agree that space is big enough to hold multiple species if done correctly. My suggestion would be to do some research on multispecies vivariums and see what animals would work together (regarding aggression, humidity, heating and etc) and then house those animals separately for a time so that you gain experience with that specific specie in order to understand what normal behavior is. That way if they are stressed when moved into a mixed tank, you'd be able to figure it out easier so that they do not get ill. Mixed species is not something that you can easily just dive into even if you have a large tank space. Plus, all animals need to be quarantined and/or treated for any parasites they may carry which would infect another animal. A parasite that may not affect one specie could devastate the other.

[EasternShoreman]

Hi thanks for the welcome. As much as i want a Mix tank, and have researched it. i have to agree with you on just diving into a mix tank. i really can't justify mixing species when i don't know much about taking care of them. I would rather be to cautious than not enough. and anything i decide to put into it will be all from the same area, i will not mix anything from different lands or climates, so if i do PDF's than anything that i (might) mix with them in the future would come from the same area as that species of frog i put into it. But i am so wishy washy as to what i want that i can't seem to make up my mind, I love all frogs and i just can't justify settting my mind on one type. how ever if anyone has a biased or unbiased opinion on the best frog to own that has a great personalty, and is active, than by all means help me make my mind up. also i have several aquariums i can convert into vivariums until the big one is complete, they range from 20g to 55g, so i am not short on empty aquariums to use for housing and learning. just really need to make my mind up..

[LilyPad]

Are you looking for something more active during the daytime? I adore pretty much all tree frogs, but if you're not a night owl, then you'll want to go with something else. Darts are awake during the day and there are some bolder species that would be out and about for you to see. They are great too if your focus is on planting, bigger frogs can be pretty destructive, so you have to stick with hardy plants when housing them.

[deranged chipmunk]

Ok, we can send Amy away. She's just going to try to talk you into tree frogs, but a huge tank really needs an army of darts. Dendrobates Leucomelas, to be exact. Big, bold, entertaining, and they use all areas of the tank. They are a great beginner dart, and very easy to care for.

Kudos to you for realizing that, with your limited experience, a multi species tank isn't such a wise idea. there are always other options you can explore as you gain experience though. But that's for much later down the road.

Amy, you have enough tree froggers, we need more dart keepers on the forum!! :P


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

[LilyPad]

Ohhh psh, I did sway him towards darts. I know he wants a pretty planted tank and my loves would just destroy it.

Honestly though, when I think of 6'x6.5'x8' I think of waxy monkey frogs If I had that size vivarium, that's what I'd most definitely have!

[EasternShoreman]

well I guess i am looking for something that is day time, all though I am usually up till midnight, I had thought about whites tree frogs, but For the reason you mentioned as far as plants go i don't want to be fixing any plants they decide to destroy or what have you. i do like Red eye tree frogs and the Milk tree frog, I also Love spring peepers, but i don't think i could handle them when they are calling in my house. But i think for the most part i am the type that the evening time till i go to bed is when i spend the most time working on my aquariums and vivarium it's my relaxing time. so i i guess what ever is more active around 5:00 pm-morning is fine with me ( i know they won't be on my time frame but just an idea as when i am normally able to enjoy watching them.) so tree frogs aren't out of the question at all.

[EasternShoreman]

Bill don't send no body away I can use all the help i can get hahaha. but you did hit the nail on the head sorta speak. i guess my biggest thing is i just want the tank to look active and not dead. i know it will be planted really good. like a PDF tank. but i just worried that the big tank the little darts would get lost in such an enclosure. I however love all frogs and after i build this big tank. i will probably build a 6'x2'x3' enclosure to house another species of frog. so i got plenty of room and time.. lol. also with this tank the main thing i wanted was a water fall. so the ammount of water will be roughly 600gph flowing down the fall. it will not how ever have a pond but more of a stream flowing throught it. lots of driftwood and rock work, and also a wooded like section. just to give an idea of the ladscape. how ever the amount of water from the fall will probabaly vary depending on pump size. the hieght of the waterfall will be about 5 feet. so i want to make sure that all will be able to contend with the water flow. i know of the hillstream tank that had a massive water fall

[deranged chipmunk]

Ah, I know that hill stream tank. It's truly astonishing. At 5 feet, that's going to require a serious pump. You'd be surprised how well an army of darts can fill a tank. I wish I remember the website, but there's a guy with a 2000(?) gallon paludarium with sting rays and dart frogs. And they never get lost in there

I like the game plan though, and with that much space, you can pull it off pretty easily, so to speak.

No worries, I can't get rid of Amy, she's the forum's version of duckweed lol
Lova ya Aimes!!


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

[EasternShoreman]

hahaha Bill thats wrong so many levels, Amy i hope you aint gonna take that abuse are ya lol.. but Bill i know exactly what tank your talking about the 15 foot by 5 foot tank i have it saved in my favorites. and i honestly forgot about that your right it would look great with an army of darts, man this isn't helping my decesion none..

[deranged chipmunk]

Don't worry, she will make me pay dearly for that remark. I'll just send her plants and she'll be happy again. Lol

Here's a thought, why not mix the one thing you are strong with, aquariums and your new obsession and build a paludarium? How much water can that monster hold?


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

[EasternShoreman]

you know i thought long and hard on building a paludarium. i really did, but I decided against it. for 2 reason. the glass that i have is temperd and is 34"x72" and so i am using them as my doors and vewing window as well as the the design of it all. i mean i had just about every design i could think of and when it all came down to it. the one i am building is the one i like the best. and the 2nd reason is mostly because i have 5 dogs 2 of which are pushing 100lbs. and another 2 are 50lbs and then the little tough one is 25lbs, all i need is for them to be running in the house and slide on the hardwood floors right into the windows so i opted to keep it a stream, and i'll build my next one as a paludarium that will be in my bedroom. it will use glass from the 55g i got from a friend and the glass that i have left over from this project. (i have 4 34"x72" panes of glass from an old sliding door). see this big viv is in my living room, and i don't need my dogs sliding into it when they get hyper. lol.

[deranged chipmunk]

Haha! That's why I have small dogs (8 and 25 lbs)

That's smart though that you considered all those things. Many people wouldn't, and disaster would surely follow! I'm also glad to see I'm not the only nut who has no issue scrapping an aquarium for the glass lol


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

[EasternShoreman]

lol yeah i scraped a brand new ten gallon just for the glass to make a small tank out of drylok to see if it would hold and it did. perfectly. i since scraped the project after a accident with stone and a grass cutter. had it outside incase it leaked. which it didn't until i deicided to cut grass but it lasted 6 months outside full of water lol.. so yea i love to plan and research before i tackle any project.