New vivarium - Crowdsourcing on Frog Forum

[Ebony]

Well..sorry to say ..I dont have experience with any of these. (being from NZ).

So I went through the list and Im going by looks .. I would have to say my faverite one would be D. tinctorius – azureus. I like Blue

[clownonfire]

Well, Ebony, you obviously have great taste. If we don't have any other inputs, it will probably be between these two, leaning though towards the azureus.

As for the piece of wood, here's the one I'd like to work around...

[DonLisk]

The azureus are pretty awesome ;-)

[DonLisk]

Speaking of wood.... does hot glue adhere to cork rounds and driftwood? Poor little white is not adjusting to the move and want to push the top off to get to his old sleeping spot on the light fixture.

Back to the topic:
In designing the viv, I think your starting point after deciding on the tank is to determine if this is going to utilize a false bottom, and if so, the plans on building in the ability to drain or remove excess water.

If not a false bottom, then what bottom drainage layer, why this material, and how to remove excess water.

[poison beauties]

Keep in mind if you choose azureus you can not put mor than one female in there. They will kill each other, They are very territorial.

Michael

[clownonfire]

Speaking of wood.... does hot glue adhere to cork rounds and driftwood? Poor little white is not adjusting to the move and want to push the top off to get to his old sleeping spot on the light fixture.

Back to the topic:
In designing the viv, I think your starting point after deciding on the tank is to determine if this is going to utilize a false bottom, and if so, the plans on building in the ability to drain or remove excess water.

If not a false bottom, then what bottom drainage layer, why this material, and how to remove excess water.

Don, for the drainage layer, we used Hydro Balls as the bottom layer, than a layer of Earth for the plants, a small layer of coconut husk and finally a thin layer of forest mix. Of course we lay some leaf litters for the darts and bumblebee walking frog terrariums.

But back to the drainage layer, the hydro balls act as a natural aquifer and filtration, and the water never has a chance to stagnate as it is released as evaporation, also helping keeping the humidity in the terrarium. The water we spray and the fogger we use replenishes the water. It works really well as an eco-system. These hydroballs also develop good bacteria with time which helps keep the balance and helps purify.

[Ebony]

Well, Ebony, you obviously have great taste. If we don't have any other inputs, it will probably be between these two, leaning though towards the azureus.

As for the piece of wood, here's the one I'd like to work around...

Thats a nice piece of wood .. Mango wood is great if you like a twisted long branch look also.

[Leefrogs]

My phones far too slow to load those Picts of each to choose. But I'd say get one that matches your wood, or kinda off match. like maybe the Turk/ bronze.

[clownonfire]

@Don: It will not be a false bottom. We will opt for a bottom drainage layer. We have done this for our vents terrarium. I'll write down later on how we did it.

As for hot glue on wood, it's a hit and miss. It doesn't work in high humidity terrariums like darts. We have had a few air plants fall off.

@Michael: If we are going with azureus, which I think it's pretty much where we are going, I have ask Understory Enterprises for a male/female pair. Elaine to whom I have spoken said Mark Pepper might be coming to Montreal this Summer and would bring the frogs with him, making sure it is indeed a male and female.

@Ebony: I have to see mango wood. It's the second time I see you talk about it and I am really curious at this point!

@Ginger Lee: Blue against wood, that clash would also be beautiful!!

[DonLisk]

@Don: It will not be a false bottom. We will opt for a bottom drainage layer. We have done this for our vents terrarium. I'll write down later on how we did it.

As for hot glue on wood, it's a hit and miss. It doesn't work in high humidity terrariums like darts. We have had a few air plants fall off.

Thanks, my air plants had the same problem in the dart viv build I just did. They just fall off with the hot glue stuck to the plant and not the cork.

[Leefrogs]

Wanted to let u know I found a frog popular silicone that sticks real good, adhears to everything, GE silicone II (2) 3 hour rain ready. Expensive, but works for putting toys together, held big mushrooms on my viv glass. Strong and 100% silicone. May not work for quick fixes with inhabitants inside, but probably will never fail.

[clownonfire]

Wanted to let u know I found a frog popular silicone that sticks real good, adhears to everything, GE silicone II (2) 3 hour rain ready. Expensive, but works for putting toys together, held big mushrooms on my viv glass. Strong and 100% silicone. May not work for quick fixes with inhabitants inside, but probably will never fail.

@Gingerlee: Thank you. That's the silicone we used to build one of our terrariums. It's extremely adhesive and it comes in a darker brown too which is practical to cover spots.
@Don: We used an aquarium silicone for the plants. The challenge is that it takes longer to dry. A piece of tape will help...

[Leefrogs]

And to clearify my frog choose for that wood, I thaught the bronze would pop more with that rich wood. And bumping it up. U could win most infomative thread and pict of the month!!!!

[clownonfire]

Recap so far:

1. We will be working with a 40 gallons;
2. After careful deliberation, the terrarium will be welcoming a pair of azureus!
3. We will be creating a drainage bottom using hydroballs;
4. GE II Silicone will be used (we'll define the amount soon enough);
5.We will be working around a nice big piece of java wood.

What we will need to define is:

1. I usually use layers of earth, them coconut husk, then a forest mix. Are we all good with this?
2. I have a fairly good amount of sphahnum moss. Will we be using some (closer to when we will introduce the frogs) beneath the leaf litter layer?
3. The plants. Of course, bromeliads. What other suggestions do you have? Which ones should be seeded and which ones should be planted?
4. Anything else?

Eric

[Leefrogs]

Just a few specifics on drainage layer, usually hydroballs are covered with a screen, or weed barier. I hear people do this with whites and bigger species because they burrow. Is this common practice when it's a smaller frog? And are u going to great stuff the back wall and all that sculpting too?
Java fern is pretty, maybe pillow moss, a few nice rocks, and a bi color arrow plant. There's a beautiful variety popular at Walmart, white veins, dark green/ blue top, and purple underside.

[clownonfire]

Just a few specifics on drainage layer, usually hydroballs are covered with a screen, or weed barier. I hear people do this with whites and bigger species because they burrow. Is this common practice when it's a smaller frog? And are u going to great stuff the back wall and all that sculpting too?
Java fern is pretty, maybe pillow moss, a few nice rocks, and a bi color arrow plant. There's a beautiful variety popular at Walmart, white veins, dark green/ blue top, and purple underside.

Gingerlee, tat is a good point, one that I completely forgot to mention! Yes, we do put a layer of screen just above the hydroball as a barrier... Thank you, it something that we should make clear if anyone else wants to go this route.

As for the back wall, yes, we will use foam, silicone and a mixture of forest bark and coconut husk and sculp something beautiful... We should start designing soon and offer you a few ideas before moving ahead for inputs, additions, etc...!

[DonLisk]

1. I usually use layers of earth, them coconut husk, then a forest mix. Are we all good with this?
Definitely

2. I have a fairly good amount of sphahnum moss. Will we be using some (closer to when we will introduce the frogs) beneath the leaf litter layer?
I haven't used any and would love to know how my dart viv would benefit from the moss under the leaf liter.

3. The plants. Of course, bromeliads. What other suggestions do you have? Which ones should be seeded and which ones should be planted?
This is where I have zero experience. Found my ivy didn't like damp conditions so I'm gonna learn something here.

[clownonfire]

1. I usually use layers of earth, them coconut husk, then a forest mix. Are we all good with this?
Definitely

2. I have a fairly good amount of sphahnum moss. Will we be using some (closer to when we will introduce the frogs) beneath the leaf litter layer?
I haven't used any and would love to know how my dart viv would benefit from the moss under the leaf liter.

3. The plants. Of course, bromeliads. What other suggestions do you have? Which ones should be seeded and which ones should be planted?
This is where I have zero experience. Found my ivy didn't like damp conditions so I'm gonna learn something here.

Using moss has been for us to mimic as best the natural environment of the frogs. We have used pillow moss in most of our terrariums, including the vents, so far. I personally really like it as it can root (so to speak) and will live once well cared for, as opposed to sphagnum moss. The goal is also to keep the enclosure as moist as possible and moss really helps in our experience.

The downside to sphagnum moss is that I have read here on this forum, and elsewhere, that live cultures will hide in it, mostly pinhead crickets (as you know, fruit flies are worriless and are much easier food for darts). I’ve also read that some frogs will sometimes eat sphagnum moss, and it can be somewhat damaging, if not fatal. I think poison beauties can help us with this one.

As for plants… I’m with you on this one. Not my forte. When we first planted the vents terrarium, we put some tillandsia and poison beauties, and the vents breeder were apprehensive and warned me that they would not survive in the vents enclosure…. And they were right. It’s too humid and they don’t have time to dry, so they started rotting from the roots.

We will certainly plant some wandering jews in our vents enclosure… It could be a good one for the azureus too.

[DonLisk]

I'll have to look at some Wandering Jews and Pillow Moss this weekend. Might work for replacing the Ivy I removed this week and the moss could cover some of the open substrate areas.

[Leefrogs]

Any fern will do really, there's old school viv's that have things like orcihd, african violet, or even viola(seed) or called violets. They will take over and need to be thinned. Orchid a an air plant, plant in original pot. No need to transplant just pritz . Also good moisture lovers are japanese sweet flag, chinese evergreen, and peace lily. I'm sure going on black jungles web site might have more ideas for u also, and they sell the plants also.