New member. Building first large viv, need advice for a simple pond.

[JonathanH]

Hello everyone! I'm new here. Happy to meet you!

I live in Ontario, Canada. About a year ago I found a grey tree frog hanging out on a lawn chair in my back yard. Its strange because I live right in town. It was windy that day, so maybe a branch she was sitting on got blown out of the tree.

Anyway, I have her set up in a very simple vivarium, but she is outgrowing it. I have recently purchased an 18"x18"x24" terrarium at petsmart. And I have constructed my background out of greatstuff, silicone and various pieces of cork bark and aquarium-safe wood.

I would like to give her a small pond to soak in. I understand the concepts of false bottoms and drainage. However, I am looking to keep it as simple as possible. Is a filter absolutely necessary? I want to add some small aquatic plants and snails to keep it clean. Couldn't I just drain out half the water every other week with a turkey baster and refill it with fresh water?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Teckdragon]

A simple word of advice: if this is your fist viv, skip the water feature. Many newcomers want to include as many features and designs into their new tank but often overlook some of the smaller steps, and problems arise. Moreover if you've already created the BG, you'll have no way to run any types of pumps or filters without drilling the glass or your BG.

Moreover, since this tank is for a tree frog, a pond is not necessary as these frogs are not aquatic. If you really want to do something with moving water, consider a misting system.

[JonathanH]

Perhaps you are right. I will hold back on the pond and try to find a rock outside with a nice bowl shape to it. (I really can't stand the look of the pet store bowls for reptiles and amphibians, they look so fake.)

Thank you.