Startup PDF Vuvarium

[siva]

Oh thanks for asking. It died actually. Didn't even make it a month. Very disapointing

I didn't culture mine myself. I just bought one, then later heard they often have mites in them.

 

[Xarra]

Poison Dart Frog Vivarium

Great step by step you've got going here. Really helpful and inspiring since I have been doing my research on poison dart frogs for some time now and am choosing how I am going to set up my own vivarium for my frogs. By the sounds of it cork bark is probably the best bet for this since plants can easily grow on it. Wondering how your frogs are doing now and if they are shy or outgoing? Most sites say the "El Cope" variety is fairly shy but I'm not sure what exactly that means. Great job on the tank!

 

[kdpuffer]

That's terrible siva, you should get another one. My frogs are doing well, life has been a shock for them cause a week after they arrived I moved. They are fairly timid but as time progresses they seem to get more bold. It's actually pretty cool cause when I mist the tank they usually come out to soak in the rain. I did have a monsoon miter but after having three that crapped out on me I got my money back and bought a $3 squirt bottle from walmart. Thanks for your compliment Xarra, it took some time but I think it turned out awesome. Now I'm building a carved 3D background for my new 55 gallon, have a thread on that also.

 

[Xarra]

I thought about purchasing an electronic mister from exo terra or some brand, but I decided against it. I'm fairly certain I can make my own automatic rain maker just by using a reservoir, a pump and some tubing attached to the top of the tank. I haven't tried it out yet but it's one of the first things I want to do when I start my own dart frog vivarium.

Are you making your background for a terrarium or an aquarium?

 

[kdpuffer]

Well when I bought my terrarium it came with a zoo med habba mister which doesn't do much but would be sufficient for a weekend away. The exo terra monsoon was a huge let down, the top part contains all the electronics and for some reason also collected water. I went through three monsoons and finally gave up, way to expensive for being a royal POS. There is alot of info on DIY misting system out there. I almost picked up a huge system for $100. Brand new system used to mist displays in the produce department at supermarkets, didn't though. My current project is for an aquarium. I'm planning to put my frontosas in it for now then in a year or two I am going to Reno my basement and get a 180 gal(for the frontosas) and probably build it in then make my 55 into a Malawi tank built into the bar.

 

[Xarra]

I just joined the Dendroboard to try and get some suggestions on home made misters/rain makers. This project is going to be ongoing for quite some time for me. at first I just want to take time to build the background correctly and make sure I have all the correct equipment for the frogs, then I plan on just keeping a planted tank for a while until everything establishes and let it cycle for a bit. I've looked up a lot of vivariums over the last few weeks and I want to make sure I put my full effort into mine. It truly is worth it. By the sounds of it starting small is best.

Your current project seems interesting, my boyfriend is looking up a lot of different aquarium styles and says if he's going tropical he might want to build his own background too. What are you using to create it?

 

[kdpuffer]

Yes take your time, check out brians tropicals he outlines the basics and explains how to build a fancy viv. It was actually his site that inspired me. Another good source I've found is google and YouTube. I opted for a cork bark back ground since I just don't think siliconing substrate to foam will last. I suspect it would wear off but don't know for sure. Be sure to decide what frogs you want to get and build to their needs. Some are more arboreal and others like auratus are more terrestrial so plan accordingly. I don't know where your located wether it's Canada or USA or abroad but also look up who has frogs available and where they ship. I'm in Canada and my options where limited but the outfit I ordered from were excellent. As far as my aquarium background it's made from a 4 foot by 8 foot piece of styrofoam insulation 1.5 inches thick. As far as what can be done with it the options are limited only by imagination. I have a thread running following my build and another member has one following his 90gal build. Tell your boyfriend to check it or show it to him. It's titled 90 gal build/rebuild and his background is nearly done and looks amazing.

 

[Xarra]

Yeah I'm in Canada too so my options are limited. I think I will be going with Auratus since they will be easiest to keep and feed as a beginner. Seems like it's such a process to set up a viv, a lot of it is just the difficulty in finding accurate information on some things. I don't want to just guess because I have had high expectations before and guessed and then just simply failed and let myself down. Plus I don't want my frogs to die so I need to make sure I have full access to the right foods before hand... though fruit flies are in abundance in my house.. Ugh.

I'll check out the tank thread you mentioned.

 

[librarygirl]

Very nice set up and your frogs are gorgeous!

 

[kdpuffer]

Why thank you, I like how it turned out.

 

[kdpuffer]

Here is an updated pic of my viv. The plants on the top of the waterfall have spread huge but the moss on the bottom isn't growing much. I'll have to look at something different for lighting I think. I've also lost two frogs.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Thanks for reviving and updateing the thread - happy to see that things generally are going well.