Can I use my 90 gallon drilled as a vivarium for Dart Frogs?

[BG]

Well said Don thats why you make the big bucks .lol

[DonLisk]

Well said Don thats why you make the big bucks .lol

hahaha

[BG]

That over flow box is a great idea . Its like having a divider wall. You need to separate the pump or drainage away from your substrate. Also its easier to clean back there.

[Cody]

So I'd be able to kind of....hide the overflow box by growing plants off of it and then having a water feature there? As in, not literally "growing the plants off of the box" but I think you get what I mean...

[DonLisk]

Read through some of the construction journals and you should get some ideas as to how you want to build it.
There are many build journals located in this section of the forum: Vivarium, Terrarium & Enclosure Discussion

[Cody]

I think with how big this tank is and the access with the overflow I HAVE to do a water feature... If I'm gonna do this tank I might as well do it beautifully, right? Chances are I'm only gonna setup a vivarium once, and with a tank this huge at that. So should I follow John's guide on the drainage layer? I know some others use the PVC and egg crate method or something? And I think I understand how to do the background...the foam and moss...I have another question just relating to plants in general. How do you "plant" them for vivariums? Just in the foam/moss?

Edit: Also, temperature... I used to have two bearded dragons until one decided to be a cannibal :[ but I may still have the ceramic lamps I used for their tank...can I use them for a dart vivarium? I would guess not since they probably don't provide enough heat. But how can I provide heat besides using T5 lighting of some sort maybe? I don't wanna spend a fortune on lights but I'll have some money if I sell my aquarium supplies. (Don't know if that'll happen) My house is probably 65° F -70° F all the time..so I dunno what to do.

[BG]

There is plenty of info on this site on vivs. Its up to you which way you want to go. I'm in the same place as you when it comes to vivs. I have three tanks to transform,or should i start small, since this is my first viv. I like the idea of the water draining tho.

[DonLisk]

You can always waste foam foam on some cardboard and learn to use the foam, how much it expands and carving it to create features.

The false bottom with egg create works great as does hydroballs. The eggcrage method would be less expensive to do on such a large tank than filling the bottom with hydroballs to have a 1 1/2 to 2 inch layer.

You could have a nice pond features in multiple locations by just having the eggcrate cut away in areas and have stone for the pond. Then you could always siphon off water from there and replace when needed.

As for heat, your lighting is probably going to keep it warm enough and dropping to 68 - 70 should be fine at night if it did drop that low.


You tank has a lot of potential but you might want to try some ideas on a small tank first and then rip it apart and try again until you have some practice and ideas of what you want to do.

[Cody]

So I would use the egg crate method..then cover it with.....what? I talked to someone at a LFS (Local Fish Store obviously..they sell frogs, other amphibians/reptiles, fish, small animals, etc.) And she said that she used the PVC with egg crate, then large filter pads, gravel, and then moss...but what would you guys recommend?

Edit: And I don't necessarily have a smaller tank to try it on, this is all I have. I came to this forum looking for some help as I did to TONMO for help with an octopus setup, you know?

[Griffin]

that tank will make a really nice viv.tall and wide

[DonLisk]

Here is a link to putting in a false bottom. http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...se-bottom.html

The PVC is to create a base for the egg-crate can sit on. I use PVC Couplings as you'll see in the link above.
You then cover the egg-crate with a fine window screen, landscaping weed deterrent material, or substrate screen (which only comes in small sheets).
You have many choices of materials to put on top of the screen and in my drat tanks I use Zilla Jungle Mix or some of the special substrates you'll find on some of the online frog retailer's sites.

Your plants can go straight into the top layer of substrate or put into the background after the fertilized soil is removed from the plant and the plant is rinsed off completely so you don't introduce unwanted critters.

If your creating a pond area then you cut away the egg-crate from that area, have the screen and some egg-crate block off around the cutout so frogs can't get under the egg-crate and then use stone, gravel or so on to make the pond bottom.

Hope this helps.

[Cody]

So you don't use any moss? I see it in your tutorial as I browsed through real quick. I'm not actually at home, and I'm ordering food online on my grandmother's computer..but thanks Don! (a lot!)

Edit: Nevermind, I see that you did.

[BG]

Instructions with pictures would help like a newjack like me.

Here is a link to putting in a false bottom. http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...se-bottom.html

The PVC is to create a base for the egg-crate can sit on. I use PVC Couplings as you'll see in the link above.
You then cover the egg-crate with a fine window screen, landscaping weed deterrent material, or substrate screen (which only comes in small sheets).
You have many choices of materials to put on top of the screen and in my drat tanks I use Zilla Jungle Mix or some of the special substrates you'll find on some of the online frog retailer's sites.

Your plants can go straight into the top layer of substrate or put into the background after the fertilized soil is removed from the plant and the plant is rinsed off completely so you don't introduce unwanted critters.

If your creating a pond area then you cut away the egg-crate from that area, have the screen and some egg-crate block off around the cutout so frogs can't get under the egg-crate and then use stone, gravel or so on to make the pond bottom.

Hope this helps.

[Cody]

His link shows the pictures...if you'd click it... xD

Instructions with pictures would help like a newjack like me.

[Cody]

Alright so for whatever reason I have to double post because it won't let me edit my last one. I was thinking of getting the Exo-Terra Monsoon RS400 Rainfall System, and I know it's like expensive for what it does but I think it's a really neat concept. But then again, I won't need it if I can rig up some kind of water feature. I've been debating what to do...and have been thinking of designing it so that the pump is in the overflow like you guys suggested...and then just have it come down where the overflow box is. What do you guys think? There's tons of possibilities, I know...but I'm not the most creative person when it comes to stuff like this. xD I'm trying my best. Also, backgrounds....what's the best? I'm thinking I'll do a foam with Great Stuff or Handi-Foam because I can make shelves and stuff and I like how it's 3D basically. Suggestions on anything, please! I need all the help I can get at this point xD... I'm returning ~$270 worth of merchandise to DFS Aquatics so that'll be money I can use for my vivarium. And then another $110 for a pump at a LFS where they sell reptile supplies.

Edit: I also have a 24" (I believe) Exo-Terra Compact Fluorescent Double Bulb fixture from turtle tank. Can I get another one of those and just have them as lighting for my tank? (I don't have the fixture YET but I'm getting my tank back and possibly giving my turtles to someone who has a huge pond for them in her back yard.) I'd also be getting my 28H from Walmart back and could use it as a viv in the future but I'm DEFINITELY going big for my first one?

[DonLisk]

The Monsoon works nice as long as it is not one of the 1st generation ones which had leak issues inside the unit causing timer problems. If you receive a 1st gen one, Exo-Terra will replace it if you are having the timer problems.
The Monsoon would need to be something seperate outside the tank and then your use of the overflow for a waterfall would work well. I have the Mist King system and the base model is about 199 USD but you need to set it up with a bucket hidden under the tank if going with the Mist King. The mist King is quieter, and with the ability to use a separate bucket for the water supply, you don't have to fill the supply bucket/container so often.
The Mist King nozzles also provide a much finer mist so you would normally have the pump run a little longer with each cycle.

As for the lighting, as long as you use some 6500K color temp bulbs or better then you should be fine with the lighting you have plus the additional you mentioned.

[Cody]

I didn't know if I should get another lighting fixture just because that way it would cover the entire tank basically. And is the Monsoon a "rain" or more of a mist? I think the rain concept is cool. xD But who knows...It's only $100 or something like that. My humidity would DEFINITELY be okay if I had both the waterfall AND the Monsoon, correct? :P I feel like it would. I'm probably gonna screen where the backstrip of my tops are, just to have a /little/ bit of ventilation.

Edit: I guess the waterfall would be for show, and the Monsoon be for watering the plants/humidity control.

[BG]

I can't wait to see it finished,so I can do my tank.