Just a few questions, new at vivariums. :)

[DonLisk]

Welcome.

To design in a pond, the easiest way is to use eggcrate and create a square which you can then cover all the side with screen material to stop the higher area of drainage gravel from coming into. Then make a lower area of gravel inside the square. The drainage water that is filtered through the soil from misting is what makes up the water in the pond then. Just have some screen and stone come up out of the pond and over the substrate to stop substrate from falling into the water area.
The pond should then be only as deep as your drainage layer. You also don't want the pond deeper then the frogs can walk across since your darts are not swimmers.

Your darts will not drink from a pond since they will be absorbing moisture from the wet plants and high humidity your tank will need.

As for where the water goes from the drainage layer,.... depends on how much you need to mist or wet down the tank to keep the proper humidity levels. If the water collects and doesn't evaporate, then you need to siphon it off occasionally. I leave a corner with a little extra screen material so I can lift the screen and substrate and push a hose down into for quick siphoning.

As for lighting and heat. No special lighting is needed except for creating a day and night cycle or providing for plants. If your room temps are averaging 68 - 70 at night, then a simple Under Tank Heat Pad (UTH) on the side of the tank will raise temps slightly on that side and give a warn side and cooler side for the frogs. If you need to bring temps up at night then you'll have to check different lamps to get the right temps. usually a 40 or 25 watt will throw some good heat.
Adding a Compact Florescent (CFL) bulb with a color spectrum of 6500K for day time use (can get at Walmart under the Reveal Daylight 24 watt packaging) will raise temps slightly and be plenty of lighting for plants with the 6500K color temp. I run two 24 watt CFLs on a 20 long tank and have one T8 bulb to help with plant lighting also. Adjusting the height of the lights off the tank helps adjust temperatures.

You are also going to want to close up almost all of the screen material on your critter tank top. Humidity has to be retained and needs to be 90 percent on average. You are also going to have to make sure temps don't get to 85 or above for any length of time or your frogs will suffer or die.
My dart tanks are run at between 72 and 80 degrees. I have a very fine mist spray down the tank 6 times over a 24 hour period and for 15 seconds during each misting. I usually have to siphon off the hydroball drainage layer every other week.


Hope this get you a start and some ideas for your tank design.
Also check out some of the build journals since there are plenty with tons of pics to help with ideas.

Don

[DonLisk]

Forgot to mention. The moss you found has to be cleaned of any critters when can be sitting dormant in the soil and moss. Not positive on how to ensure its cleaned well enough but someone here may have an answer to that.

[Mitchgrunge93]

Welcome.

To design in a pond, the easiest way is to use eggcrate and create a square which you can then cover all the side with screen material to stop the higher area of drainage gravel from coming into. Then make a lower area of gravel inside the square. The drainage water that is filtered through the soil from misting is what makes up the water in the pond then. Just have some screen and stone come up out of the pond and over the substrate to stop substrate from falling into the water area.
The pond should then be only as deep as your drainage layer. You also don't want the pond deeper then the frogs can walk across since your darts are not swimmers.

Your darts will not drink from a pond since they will be absorbing moisture from the wet plants and high humidity your tank will need.

As for where the water goes from the drainage layer,.... depends on how much you need to mist or wet down the tank to keep the proper humidity levels. If the water collects and doesn't evaporate, then you need to siphon it off occasionally. I leave a corner with a little extra screen material so I can lift the screen and substrate and push a hose down into for quick siphoning.

As for lighting and heat. No special lighting is needed except for creating a day and night cycle or providing for plants. If your room temps are averaging 68 - 70 at night, then a simple Under Tank Heat Pad (UTH) on the side of the tank will raise temps slightly on that side and give a warn side and cooler side for the frogs. If you need to bring temps up at night then you'll have to check different lamps to get the right temps. usually a 40 or 25 watt will throw some good heat.
Adding a Compact Florescent (CFL) bulb with a color spectrum of 6500K for day time use (can get at Walmart under the Reveal Daylight 24 watt packaging) will raise temps slightly and be plenty of lighting for plants with the 6500K color temp. I run two 24 watt CFLs on a 20 long tank and have one T8 bulb to help with plant lighting also. Adjusting the height of the lights off the tank helps adjust temperatures.

You are also going to want to close up almost all of the screen material on your critter tank top. Humidity has to be retained and needs to be 90 percent on average. You are also going to have to make sure temps don't get to 85 or above for any length of time or your frogs will suffer or die.
My dart tanks are run at between 72 and 80 degrees. I have a very fine mist spray down the tank 6 times over a 24 hour period and for 15 seconds during each misting. I usually have to siphon off the hydroball drainage layer every other week.


Hope this get you a start and some ideas for your tank design.
Also check out some of the build journals since there are plenty with tons of pics to help with ideas.

Don

Ok, so Don, I'd like to respond to your helpful advice, but I thought I'd say this first. I returned my 20 gallon long and purchased a 29 gallon aquarium with a lid. This is it:

I don't think it would be properly ventilated as it is, but what if I knock out the glass beneath the light? Would that allow any more ventilation? Or I could cut holes in the top of the plastic on the lid. Somehow. But anywho space shouldn't be a huge problem anymore.


Ok, back to your advice Don. Would it be possible if I went at it with a different approach, with stuff I already have on hand? I have gravel (which unfortunately got soaked in my previously failed pond attempt), which is sitting in a bucket with a heat lamp on it drying it, should be ready to go by sunday when I have my frogs. My substrate is just waiting, I keep misting it so it stays fresh. what I'm thinking about doing, and stick it to me if this isn't a good idea, but I was thinking about going to the local glass store and having them cut me a piece of plexiglass that would fit in the vivarium so that I could silicone it down to separate my land from my pond. would that be ok? I have 100% silicone. I'm not sure what the wattage is in the fluorescent bulb that came with the aquarium lid.

I figure the covered top will keep the humidity and heat in wonderfully. Will I need to siphon if I keep a heat pad under my vivarium? Would that not increase the evaporation rate so that it wouldn't be necessary to siphon? I don't know, please don't think I'm questioning your knowledge, I know I'm a noobie. But I'm trying to work with the materials I have.

[DonLisk]

Hey Mitch, Nice tank.

Since your doing Dart Frogs, you need not ventilate the tank what so ever. Daily opening of the tank to feed would be more than enough for darts. Never used that top so I am not sure how hard it is going to be to keep the fruit flies from escaping.

You can use your gravel as the drainage layer and for making the pond. Using a piece or plexi will be fine but your silicone might not be ready by the weekend since the smell will be lingering. If its GE Silicone II Window and door it might air out fast.
Lowes sells and cuts plexi at pretty good prices.

I wouldn't put a heat pad under anything. If your room drops below 70 then put it on the side of the tank or back. Under the tank has the possibility of causing a fracture which has occurred too often to chance for me. Especially in a completed and established viv. Under the tank heat also has to try and penetrate through the drainage layer and substrate to get heat into the tank. If your tank is lifted to allow airflow under the tank then the pad under the tank would be ok if you just looking to evaporate water.

Since your tank needs to be at about 90 percent humidity all the time, misting the tank will need to be done at least twice a day or more so you'll have to monitor humidity and how fast it drops over the day. My Mist King sprays 5 times daily and for 15 seconds each time. Keeps my 20 long at about 92 to 87 percent humidity all day. Note that this tank is slightly vented and in front of some pretty dry heat from the wall.

As for a light, you want a bulb that has 6500K color temp if your going to be using live plants. Zoomed and Corallife should make one to fit the top.

Oh, keep in mind that you don't want the water too deep since they are not great swimmers and should be able to walk through the deepest section.

[Mitchgrunge93]

Thank you very much Don, you've been very helpful I'm happy that I can work with what I have. I'm so excited to build this thing. The reptile show sunday couldn't come any sooner T_T. I should hopefully find everything I need there. Much obliged I'll keep you guys posted on how the cage and frogs are coming along as soon as I get them.

[Mitchgrunge93]

Hey, sorry to double post but I was also wondering about adding a water feature, and I was thinking a waterfall. I see this: Exo Terra Repti Flo 200 Terrarium Pump | Josh's Frogs, which looks like I just connect a hose to, but I'm confused on as how to make the waterfall itself.