55 gal Viv ?'s

[TysMom02]

I’m building a 55 gal viv for FBT’s. We are doing 2/3 land and 1/3 water. I have a waterfall/filter and fogger for the water side and I have a few ?’s for the land side. What is the best growing medium to use for live plants? I plan on using pothos, jade, spider plants, prayer plants, frog moss and a few grasses to start. I want to make sure I use the right stuff since there will be no drainage. I don't want things growing ickies underneath.

Also, I would love to create a little pebble lagoon on the land side with a little rock river flowing back down into the water side. We have already positioned the lexan seperator for the land/water sides. Can anyone think of a way to accomplish this lagoon now that we have already seperated things? So far the only thing in the tank is the seperator, we are waiting for it to cure before we start adding anything else. This lagoon is an after thought. I'm not to familiar with pumps, but isn't there something that I could put on the water side and run a tube (buried) up to the lagoon to bring water up? I would just want it to fill up and over flow into the river back to the water side. I'm thinking of using pvc to make the rock river.

Here is a pic of the tank now. I’m going to build up the water side with gravel so the waterfall will be up higher. Oops, another ?.... What is the best way to hide the cords used while also keeping it secure for the fbt’s. I don’t want anyone getting out ).

There are so many ideas running through my head, but I'm just not sure how to put it together. I still need to get the plants and more things for the land side.

Any suggestions thus far?

[FireFly_1976]

There are pumps, large and small, that would accommodate a flexible tube to run to a pond/waterfall. You'd want a slope, so the water would run down to the water side again. I don't know how your divider is set up, but you could do a 'mini' false bottom (just a few inches or so off the ground) to add some drainage back to the water side, makes cleaning easier. However, given your setup, it doesn't look too feasible. I'd definitely put some large pebbles or broken clay pots or stuff at the very bottom of the land side, before adding on potting medium, to allow for at least a little drainage. (this prevents roots from sitting in lots of water and rotting--a common practice in container gardening if the flower pot has no drainage holes). Alternatively, you could use potted plants, and bury the pots in whatever substrate you use. You'd have more flexibility then as to what you used for substrate (and could use whatever potting medium you liked for the plants in pots) and it would make cleaning the land side easier. It's a large land side, and the plants will use frog waste as fertilizer, but you will still need to clean it.
Just make sure whatever medium you use (be it topsoil, peat moss, cocoa bark, a mixture etc.) doesn't contain any fertilizers and/or pesticides that could be harmful to the toads. Also, stay away from the stuff that has perlite (those little white styrofoamy things) as those are also not good for the critters. Best is to make your own potting mix from organic components. Sorry, I can't advise as to exactly WHAT potting mix to use, but I can address some of the drainage issue etc.

Emily

[Rainfrog]

Using Potted Plants in a FBT viv is a good idea. the toxins in their skin will build up in the soil and will need regular cleaning to keep from becoming toxic to the toads.

[archosaur]

For the land side, u definitely want drainage. Otherwise the plant's roots will drowned.