Begginer questions

Rainfrog · #1 (**permalink**) 09-22-2006, 08:05 AM

Hello every one. I am new to Vivariums and had some questions. I am planing on building an vivarium out of a standard 29 us gallon all glass that I am curentlu using as a fish tank. I would like to keep the lower part of the tank for fish with the land biult over the top leaving an open area tht would be my pond. Ive got good ideas how to build it but dont know if it is a healty way to go for frogs. the fish would be a small school (6-8) neon tetras, some mystery snails and a bristlenose plec sm. what do you guys thing? pros? cons? equipment or building advice? I apreciate your thought on this.

Thank you: Black-Rain-Frogger.

Rainfrog · #2 (**permalink**) 09-25-2006, 03:48 AM

Well unfortunately My car is a dead duck so I have to save for a newish one. I cant aford a lavish project like I had intended so I plan on going smaller. I have a 10 us gallon tank I am going to use as my first Vivarium. It will probably hold only Flora for now, maybe an anole or small gecko. I will read the getting started thread but would definatly apreciate advice on this or my previous plan. I hope to do the like some day. I have a 20 long housing a 22 inch royal python. but I dont know if I should disturd his home.

Landon · #3 (**permalink**) 09-25-2006, 12:18 PM

i think the first idea could work out with some good planning and animal choices. the big problem with the suspended land is the fact that a frog could get trapped under the land and drown. as long as you pick herps that can swim fairly decent this may not be a problem. you could aslo make the underside less easy to get to, but that would make it really hard to escape if one were to get trapped down there. just think of all possibilities while designing/constructing the viv.

the 10 gallon can make a nice home for a small day gecko, but i wouldnt put an anole in there. they are pretty active animals and get too big ,IMO, for a 10 gallon. however, the day geckos seem to just hang out until there is food introduced, so if you provide a couple of basking spots a gecko would be happy in a vertical oriented 10. you could keep a pair in there if you planted heavily enough and provided enough basking areas.

if you do set it up for geckos bamboo is a good decoration as it provides hides, basking spots, and egg laying spots if you use something thick enough.

Rainfrog · #4 (**permalink**) 09-26-2006, 03:28 AM

Thank you for the advice Landon. I am working on the planing for both projects. the big one is probably 8 to 12 month out so I have lots of time to research and plan, scrap a design and plan again. then do some more research. I did go pick up some egg crate and PVC Pipe From HD today. I was Going to get some silicon but then I could not remember what kind. I thought I remembered some one saying GE brand black Silicon II was ok but I could not remember. the package says the cured product is mold and mildew "resistant" I dont know if this means it will have harfull chemicals. In the 10 gallon I am going to use the false bottom method. I may even go with the vertical design and get materials to seal and water proof the lower areaand buld a plexi and Screen front door. any thoughts? As for the 29 What water filtration methods do some of you think might work? I was thinking under gravel with some mods eventualy running all water features and mist/fog off this sytem, Ideas? Thank you, Sorry for rambling!

Landon · #5 (**permalink**) 09-26-2006, 07:55 AM

vertical 10 would be pmuch better suited for day geckos. any arboreal type animal would prefer the vertical design.

its pretty easy to do. Ben Green has a nice write up on his site and also sells the inserts.
http://www.chocohut.org/

as far as the 29 goes, i wouldnt run all water features off the same body of water. your misting water needs to be perfectly clear to avoind cloggin the nozzles. foggers are pretty sensative also, and need clean water. your recycled waterfall water wont be clean enough for either of these, IMO.

for filtration you could run an external canister filter. depending on how many fish, how much you feed, and well you plant the thing, you may not need any artificial filtration.

i wouldnt run an undergravel on a viv or paludarium though, because there is going to be a lot of silt creeated from the land substrate. you dont want that stuff gatering under an undergravel to rot.

Rainfrog · #6 (**permalink**) 09-27-2006, 03:38 AM

Thank you again. I picked up Some GE black Silicon II, some great stuff for back ground, a small pump for water feature, Fiberglass screen, and a screen frame kit. I read I belive it was Tindo's thresd on the vert tank and realy liked those plans and how it turned out so I am going in that direction with the 10.
Where can I find exspanded clay pellets? and I was wondering what substrate I sould use. Im thinking of eventualy putting a pair of thumbnail dart frogs in here, any ideas on species?

brettlt · #7 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 11:36 AM

www.blackjungle.com has the clay pellets.
Have fun.

trep · #8 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black-Rain-Frogger

Thank you again. I picked up Some GE black Silicon II, some great stuff for back ground, a small pump for water feature, Fiberglass screen, and a screen frame kit. I read I belive it was Tindo's thresd on the vert tank and realy liked those plans and how it turned out so I am going in that direction with the 10.
Where can I find exspanded clay pellets? and I was wondering what substrate I sould use. Im thinking of eventualy putting a pair of thumbnail dart frogs in here, any ideas on species?

For my substrate, i'll be using a mix of peat moss and coco fibers. The hydroton clay pellets looks like a good deal. I got a bag of aquarium "stones" at the petshop for 30$ (and i'll probably need 2). Now it seems the hydroton would only cost me like, 15$ to cover the whole thing.

trep

Landon · #9 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 03:02 PM

trep another option is gravel from Home Depot or Lowes. HD here carries bags of gravel for $4 per 50 lbs. at the pet store the same grave lis $4 for 3 pounds. HD just doesnt have as many colors to choose from, but they have a few sizes of the natural colors.

Rainfrog · #10 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brettlt

www.blackjungle.com has the clay pellets.
Have fun.

Looks like im going to haveto order them on-line. I cant find them anywere. the HD by my house used to cary them but dont now. the only reson I know they did is one employee remembered spilling a bag and having to clean up the mess.