Vivarium Update!!

[CoolPhrog]

OK Guys, I think I'm getting there....

A 48"w x 18"d x 21"h reef ready tank with two glass tops which are open for ventiliation and a 1/3 of the tank set up as a "lagoon" with drainage, a waterfall and a fogger

A 48" high intensity 40W flourescent T10 Life-Glo 2 lamp This has been upgraded to a 54W T5 lamp

A Habamist automatic mister (sorry Marty, I already had this on hand)

Plants:

Substrate is coco soft and frog moss (with a layer of small pebbles underneath and a drainage hole)

Ornithophora radicans
Phal Crystal Sands (not a perm. resident)
Agsm. Blue Butterfly (menadenium labiosum x acacdlis cyanea)
V. Golden Magic x V. Rasri Gold
Pleur. Stricta
Pleur. Grobyi NEW
Maxillaria Uncata NEW
Den. Abberans NEW
Den. Atroviolaceum pigmy type NEW

The temp is currently 70 and the humidity is 80

Inhabitants:

Red Eyed Tree Frog

[shakkai]

That looks beautiful! And those look like some happy 'chids!!

What drives air circulation?

[CoolPhrog]

What drives air circulation?

There's a small fan in the upper left hand corner of the tank pushing air across and out the opposite end.

[calvin_orchidL]

Beautiful setup! So do you keep part of the top open, so that the fan can push air out?

Really love the mounts and your phal looks real happy!

[CoolPhrog]

So do you keep part of the top open, so that the fan can push air out?

Yes, the back 1/3 of the top is screened so the airflow isn't impeded.

[Tindomul]

That looks really cool. I suggest glo fish for the pond
Oh wait, your frog may think they are tasty.
Try some feeder guppies, if it eats them, then you know not to get anything more expensive.

[calvin_orchidL]

Another question for you I have a similar sized reef tank that's empty right now and I'm getting ready to set it up for a terrarium type thing. How do you get to your plants? Do you remove the light cover and go in from the top or have you fashioned some sort of door on the side?

Thanks - your set up is a great inspiration. I'm finally pushing myself to get mine set up asap.

[CoolPhrog]

Originally Posted by calvin_orchidL

Another question for you I have a similar sized reef tank that's empty right now and I'm getting ready to set it up for a terrarium type thing. How do you get to your plants? Do you remove the light cover and go in from the top or have you fashioned some sort of door on the side?

Thanks - your set up is a great inspiration. I'm finally pushing myself to get mine set up asap.

Thanks for your kind words!

The light has recently been hung from the ceiling so I can access the tank from the top.

The tree frog that was originally in there has escaped and we've been unable to locate him/her so my tip on that is KEEP THE LID CLOSED if you decide to keep a frog that can CLIMB GLASS!

and have fun!

[Ocelaris]

Here's a random question about frogs... Do you really have to feed them live food all the time? They're terribly cute, and I might look to go that way at some point, because my wife always looks at my orchid tanks and the dart frog tanks and is like uhmm... yeah, why can't yours look like that??? I've had pets which required live food some of the time, but never all the time.

Tank looks good!

[CoolPhrog]

the frogs that I have considered do require live feedings...dart frogs are typically fed daily (fruit flies, etc.,)

the red eyed that I had ate mostly crickets but I've read they could get fed about every 3 to 4 days...

What I have discovered is that with any frogs, the vivarium, tank/habitat MUST be clean at all times...with dart frogs the amonia in their urine can actually kill them if the habitat isn't cleaned/set up properly..