False bottom: Separated from pond area or not?

[FwoGiZ]

What do you guys prefer? I am currently working on many viv projects and I will try both of the alternatives, but I would like to know your personal likes and experiences.
Altho my vivs are mainly for frogs, I will build some for turtles, geckos, tarantulas and other pets, maybe my gf's dog if he doesn't behave...

Some things I like about the pond and FB NOT being separated:
-is that you have more gal of water that can be moved by a pump which makes a better quality water.
-you can hide the pump in the land area(with pvc for say) and make a drip wall(good for geckos!)
-simply easier to build than separating, no drains needed

Some things I like about the pond and FB BEING separated:
-is that you dont get that brown tannins colored water
-you can build a more beautiful pond since it doesn't need to be able to flow with the FB area
-easier to build the pond/land transition

feel free to elaborate about opinions and even other alternatives?

[froggsong]

I voted either. For me, it really depends on what I'm setting a tank up for, how permanent it is, etc, etc. I like FBs because I don't have to water the plants as often, and when i do, I don't have to worry about saturation and root rot, plus there's more water, leading to more stable parameters. If it's a tank where I need to make the best use of height, I will either separate with a devider or use a separate container for a pond; for example, I have a dish pan in my CWD tank. It's a QT tank for her, and I needed to maximize height and make it easy to clean.

[beckdg]

hah! i replied to this but i guess i didn't hit send... oops.

either here too. and it would more depend on the setup and the materials i have available. if i could do a sump i'd rather have that either way regardless for maintenance and w/c purposes.