2nd times the charm

[heartagramtc]

OK so my last thread failed. so i decided to tear down my old setup and begin a new. this time i have thought about what i want to have:
Mantellas, Darts, or Geckos. what do you suggest? thanks!

So I COMPLETELY tore down the rock terrarium i was doing and now decided to go with a rainforest type. i have no running water in this tank. just my hydroton, screen, rock base, coco husk. the tank is a 17"Wx12"Dx18"H

so one of my questions is what ground cover is good? i know java moss, i have some but i cant get it to grow like how i see everyone elses. so now on to the best part pictures!!!!!

here it is

[Tom Highum]

I am sorry to say this but you will probably get anaerobic decay because the water in the hydroton will be stagnant.

[heartagramtc]

is there a way to prevent this? i am still able to take it back down to add a pump or filter.

[froggsong]

The dracaena in the upper left is going to quickly outgrow the area it is in as well. They grow pretty fast. Here's a neat site I just stumbled across: Dracaena. It has info on the different varieties of dracaena.

As for adding a pump to the LECA, it would be a good addition, but there are lots of people that use LECA without a pump... The risk for anaerobic bacterial growth is definitely higher, but if you don't let it stay super wet all the time it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I do like the way it looks. It's a very nice design. Are those real lichens? Cut straight from a tree and then glued on? I've been afraid to do that in the past, but the more I think about it... I LOVE the look of them. I've seen some really nice ones in the area too.

[HewesHort]

a pump is definitely a good idea, also that crotons may not bee too happy. they tend not to like wetter soils. how high do you intend too keep the water level? if its below the level of the hydroton you will probably be ok but standing water has a tendency to breed bacteria, which can cause the tank to smell.

[viva la viv]

nice looking viv, hope it all works out for ya...It makes me have a question, may as well ask it on your thread hope no one minds!.
If your using the egg crate with water under do you want it touching the hydroton or just below, will it wick up and saturate the substrate...??

[heartagramtc]

If i place a pump into the LECA sideways will that be enough of a circulation in the LECA to keep the water moving? so there wont be any water pushing upwards but it will be making it go in circles. If that makes any sense. please let em know,

also i will remove the crotons(i believe to be the gold dust?) and replace with something more tolerable. also same goes for the Dracaena.

THANKS ALL!!!!

[froggsong]

Yeah, that should work just fine for circulation. You shouldn't need anything that moves a whole lot of water, you just don't want it to be stagnant.

[Epiphile]

If the water's not going to be recirculated back into the viv, perhaps some horticultural charcoal left at the bottom of the tank might do something to keep your problems with bacteria below the substrate to a minimum- this is just a suggestion I've heard elsewhere that I'm trying myself, to unknown result- no stink yet, anyways. And draining the water occasionally helps, too... I don't so tanks with LECA as drainage layer anymore for various reasons- that they do get to stinking was one of them.

Originally Posted by viva la viv

If your using the egg crate with water under do you want it touching the hydroton or just below, will it wick up and saturate the substrate...??

I'd think that if you're using egg crate that there would be no need for LECA. I place the substrate directly on the screened-over eggcrate and the water drains below.

[brp4e.]

you should probably get some type of gecko for that tank, you can use dart frogs because they need require bromeliads, geckos are usually a bit more exciting anyways and they are cheaper most of the time. Try looking for a crested, im sure they would like that terrarium of yours.