Natural or Simple

[SludgeMunkey]

I use a combination of enclosure settings. My choices are dependent on species, stage in the animals life cycle, number of animals in the enclosure, feeding habits and quarantine status.

Generally speaking, the critters in my zoo that are well established in captivity and in good health get elaborate naturalistic settings. New animals (anything under six months of captivity in my possession), larvae and juveniles with picky feeding habits get minimalist set ups for ease of maintenance and health monitoring. Sick animals or those still in my mandatory 90 day quarantine get the bare minimum required to keep them contained and stress free.

This odd combination of enclosure types has led my daughter to refer to the critter room as the "household storage aisle".

[Ribbet]

I'm working towards natural and complex. I don't like the idea of wasting all of the upper level space in my 55 gallon tank. I bought some "water lettuce" and a java fern for the water. I have large stones 3/4" for the substrate and got some live moss from my local nursery but, I have no idea what kind of moss it is. I bought some buttermilk baking powder to help the moss take hold and proliferate, thanks to what I've read here. I have a low water level pump and two foggers and a flat heater, which I will put on the side, also thanks to what I've read here. I worked with stone most of my life as a stone mason/tile setter so I'm hoping to do some interesting stuff with that. I don't want to use any expanding spray foam (great stuff) or other such chemical products. I'm gonna get the tank ready and then purchase about 6 fire bellied toads for the environment. I really want to create a multi-tiered vivarium and I don't know exactly how to do that yet. I hope I'm doing this right. Any advice is much appreciated.

[Tom Highum]

Thats awesome. When you get to it I would love to see a build log with lots of PICTURES

[Jace]

I have a combination in most of my set-ups. I am not as completely useless at keeping live plants as I thought I was, but it still takes a lot of effort on my part not to kill them, so I supplement with fake just to get as natural a setting as I can. Later today, I am getting a 55 gallon that I am setting up as a terriarium for my geckos, complete with rocks, driftwood, hides, real and fake plants, ledges and watering "holes". My toads are in a completely natural setting; my African Bullfrogs have the most boring-substrate, moss, and a soaking dish.

[Ribbet]

My new tank is up in the vivarium section under the thread, "My first vivarium..." Please take a look and comment. I need input.

[birdsflybackwards]

Just like to make a point..

the more sterile tanks I maintain are a lot more work to manage than the "natural" ones, they need to be cleaned a lot since there's no microfauna to break down wastes and no plants to keep the water clean. It may seem quicker but vivariums with natural elements are a lot less time consuming longterm. Don't really see the point of purposely making such a minimalistic setup for the frogs, you don't get to see some really cool behavoirs.

[Bearnandos]

Natural all the way!!!! Once established, a natural viv hardly needs any maintenance apart from a bit of pruning back now and again. Seeing my darts back up slowing towards the water pool - start clinging to the bark lined edge and using their toes to see the depth of the water or my reeds jumping from vine to vine that hangs from the top of the viv behaving like tarzan...really makes having a natural viv worth all the effort.
I do however, have a basic viv with minimal plants and substrate for quarantine purposes - this way if I needed to use it - the basic viv contents can be chucked away to avoid any spread of bacteria ect..