Is this a good vivarium design?

[hedgehog826]

Can someone tell me what I could use as a background for the vivarium?

and

Is this a good vivarium design for a Horned Frog (Pacman Frog)?

also

I need advice, I am a first time vivarium builder and I am preparing myself before I build it.

[schlegelbagel]

well, a pacman frog doen't require a water feature like that, and in fact, if you make it too deep, he could drown. A simple large dish with about 2-3 inches of water in it is ample.

and for substrate, I would recommend a brick of compressed coconut husk, also called bed a beast. They like to burrow in that stuff. The moss that comes in a bag gets kinda icky and grows bacteria.

Plants, try something tropical in the houseplant section of your local nursery. Hosta's are huge and seasonal which aren't good for terreriums.

And for heat, with all the substrate and dirt. the heat won't pentrate from under the tank. Try a bulb on top of the tank. What size tank is this? A 60 watt should be ample on a timer if this is a 29 gallon. If your house gets cold at night, you may need a 25 or 40 watt night light on its own timer.

Backgrounds can be as simple or as detailed as you want them to be. A simple aquarium background with an image can go on the back of the tank, or you can attach bark and other things to the back to go even more realistic.

Hope this helps.

[Rainfrog]

Not a bad over all design. I would agree its not the best design for a Horned frog. a water feature would be up to you as long as the pool is not too deep. keep in mind horned frogs dont like fast running water they prefer still/slow water. also if you put in a pump make sure you can get to it without tearing the whole place apart, they will clog and need to be cleaned. I agree with Shlegel about the substrate. you can put patches of moss over the coco bedding but you will want to keep it on the fresh side. also I agree about the heat. watch the bulbs you use, if you get too hot of a bulb it will dry things out.

[schlegelbagel]

yes, i forgot to add, it is a good design, just not for that frog. If you want to run with that design, fire belly toads would be good.

[Ajax]

That would be a good design for fbt! One thing though... it is okay if you are getting fbt to have a small water area like that. Although, they are mostly on the edge or in the water. Mostly it would be better to have only 1/3 the tank land and 2/3 water. Mostly, it is what you want to do.

It is mostly the owner's opinion. I still think that would be a killer fbt setup. You can always so searhcing around for a semi-aquatic salamander... or maybe even another type of toad.

[Rainfrog]

Good points. If you are set on a pacman I would do away with the false bottom idea and just put in a small water dish that is easily cleaned, keep the undertank heater and probably use a cooler light. For FBTs I would keep design but make it more water at least 50/50 and keep plats in planters for easier maintenance. what size is it? even if its a 10g you could get 2 FBTs.

[Pavel]

Would a heater be needed at all? Never having kept amphs, I toss this thought out there for the more knowledgable. From threads I have perused in the past, it seemed to me that many amphs do not need supplementary heating unless the room gets really chilly. [Think Tindo may have addressed that issue.....] If I'm remembering correctly, some people I knew several years ago had a pacman that they had had for years w/o ay added heat. He was a fat sucker.

There are mini hostas that have a maximum height of only 6-7 inches. However I do not know if they HAVE to have a dormancy period to remain healthy.

[henshin]

where is the pic ?

[Green Ghost]

Henshin? Nani ni henshin suru no? (What did you change into?)