beginner

[ot43ot]

What would be a good project for someone who has absolutely no experience with vivariums?

[Layna]

Hi there!

I am in the same boat as you, interested in starting but don't know where to begin. I was thinking of starting with a 10 gallon aquarium and making it into a simple terrarium. Which is just plants. So I can get a basic feel for the items used in creating terrarium (plants, soils, woods, drainage systems, etc.). Hope this helps some.

[Tindomul1of9]

You should get a feel for what its like to build a stable working vivarium/terrarium. Depends on the kind of animals you want to keep in the future. If you want to keep desert animals, you will have to learn how to make a proper dessert vivrarium/terrarium. Something I don't know how to do. If you want to make a tropical or temperate environment, then you gotta learn how to do that.
For example, my first viv was a ten gallon tank. I put in soil and then piled gravel ontop of that. Planted it with syngonium. Then I did some reading and found out I did it wrong. hehe. First the gravel, then the dirt on top, with something like a mesh between the two to keep them from mixing. This will give you healthier plants. If you want something with a water feature, I would experiment with the best way to incoporate one. Usually I just silicone some rocks to the glass bottom to make a shoreline. Then my drainage layer is as tall as those rocks. That way I can bring the water level up high and still not have waterlogged soil.

What do you think?

[ChromeLibrarian]

Believe it or not, a small aquarium, like a 10 gallon, is going to be harder to work with, and keep healthy, than a larger aquarium.

[Tindomul1of9]

I agree, but if you mess up a ten gallon tank, you wont go through heck making it right.

[Layna]

Originally Posted by Tindomul1of9

If you want something with a water feature, I would experiment with the best way to incoporate one. Usually I just silicone some rocks to the glass bottom to make a shoreline. Then my drainage layer is as tall as those rocks. That way I can bring the water level up high and still not have waterlogged soil.

I am not following how that would work. Do you have a diagram of a picture of it? Wouldn't you then need to add a pump or something along those lines to make sure the water wasn't stagnent. Then ins't that all a little big for a 10 gallon?

[Rainfrog]

Ask your self some qustions.
How mutch can I spend?
If I mess up can I aford to start over with the size of project?
Will this be a home for critters, a practice tank, or a future quarentine tank?

Also: plan plan plan, Reasearch Reasearch Reasearch. Read through the construction forum threads and look at pics on-line to get inspired.

exspect to mess up. I have atempted one vertical 10 gallon and messed it up bad. it is now a flat tank and houses a sub adult rose hair tarantula and not the intended Costa Rican G&Bs

Have fun and welcome to the hobby, you are in the right place!