# How to make a pond in a terrarium?



## That guy

I have been doing a lot of thinking and decided once I have to money I’m going to get an exo terra 90*45*45 for my common frogs and slow worm. I want to make a pond like area with in the terrarium for any newts I may get. I have seen lots of setups that have a sheet of glass or something as a barrier to hold water in one section. However can’t find out how people do this. So if anyone can tell me that would be great . I’m thinking of making it a native community consisting of common frogs, 3-5 (most likely 3) slow worms, a trio or something like that of common lizards, maybe a pair of common toads (I’ll look into more how the toxins they have could affect the others as mine are in a species only setup) and some common newts. If I can ever find any wall lizards if I go down south then they will be going in there but I probably won’t find any.
I may try out some other species from similar habitats from other countries but I’ll just wait and see. Might decide it looks nice enough with just natives. But will defiantly look extensively into the care of every other species first and might decide I won’t bother. Though I could see green anoles looking nice in there but again will need to look into it a lot and may decide I won’t.
So in short can someone tell me in detail how to make a pond. Nothing to complicated it will just be a simple rectangle. Thanks :2thumb:


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## Shellsfeathers&fur

That is not that big really for all those animals (I don't know the ins-and-outs of cohabiting them), and I imagine the one you have in mind is relatively expensive.

Could you not look at a 5' or 6' fish tank? You would probably be able to get one on eBay, Freecycle, Gumtree etc or on here. It would not need to be 100% water tight as the water area as you have suggested could be a separate container inside it?

Second hand large tanks are often free or very cheap. Granted a fish tank is often only 12"/30cm high - but do any of the proposed inhabitants need height?


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## That guy

Stephen P said:


> That is not that big really for all those animals (I don't know the ins-and-outs of cohabiting them), and I imagine the one you have in mind is relatively expensive.
> 
> Could you not look at a 5' or 6' fish tank? You would probably be able to get one on eBay, Freecycle, Gumtree etc or on here. It would not need to be 100% water tight as the water area as you have suggested could be a separate container inside it?
> 
> Second hand large tanks are often free or very cheap. Granted a fish tank is often only 12"/30cm high - but do any of the proposed inhabitants need height?


From my personal experiance the size i'm thinking will be ok for the natvies. Its just anything exotic i'm not sure so would have to see what it looks like with the natives in. Even if I could get exotics in probably decide I won't.
The common toads make a hole and spend the day in it. Comming out at night they are quite active but stay on the floor only climbing over rocks and logs but not in branches. Slow worm is more or less the same but comes out more in the day and will climb on low thick branches if given the opertunaty. Common frogs are active mostly at night but are still quite active in they day. Some will hide in a borrow or under something for a good part of the day. Others will bask for several hours in the day. but will walk, climb or dig throughout the day but will be more active at night. They don't need hight but will climb high if allowed to (I got one that lives on the branches and has only left to eat. Rest of the time its climbing up there or basking). Common newts only come out at night and wonder along at their own pace and go through leaf litter. Very lazy. But when in water they can be quite active. Common lizards from watching them in the wild scurry around every where in the day and can climb up high. They don't need the hight but I would look nicer and they would prefer it.

Don't think of looking for large second hand fish tanks so will have a look. I could use another contaner but would like it to be like this photo (This is not mine)


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## Tenaki2427

Hi
What about getting a small tub to make the pond? Just like a food tub buried into the substrate.
That is interesting about keeping such species together but I don't think all of them will be able to live with each other. :hmm:
And I think that some of those species will actually try to eat each other, frogs will try to eat pretty much anything small enough (you probably knew that though) so the newts might get eaten or very stressed out.
Common Lizards and Slow Worms are pretty much fine together as far as I know (although I would avoid mixing babies of one species with adults of another, I know someone who keeps them like that and they're good.
I think Common Toads and Common Frogs would be fine together as long as they have enough space.
I mean I have all of those in my garden (wild) but they all seem to have their allocated patch.
Anyway I think they place a correct sized piece of plexiglass in then seal it with silicone fish-friendly sealant at the sides of the tank.

Good luck


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## That guy

Tenaki2427 said:


> Hi
> What about getting a small tub to make the pond? Just like a food tub buried into the substrate.
> That is interesting about keeping such species together but I don't think all of them will be able to live with each other. :hmm:
> And I think that some of those species will actually try to eat each other, frogs will try to eat pretty much anything small enough (you probably knew that though) so the newts might get eaten or very stressed out.
> Common Lizards and Slow Worms are pretty much fine together as far as I know (although I would avoid mixing babies of one species with adults of another, I know someone who keeps them like that and they're good.
> I think Common Toads and Common Frogs would be fine together as long as they have enough space.
> I mean I have all of those in my garden (wild) but they all seem to have their allocated patch.
> Anyway I think they place a correct sized piece of plexiglass in then seal it with silicone fish-friendly sealant at the sides of the tank.
> 
> Good luck


 
Cheers mate :2thumb:

The only species I'm not sure if they would be ok are the newts. As long as I only put adults in they shouldn't get eaten but as you said they could get stressed. So what I was thinking is if I have another simple setup on stand by and if I have problems they go in there until I could get them something nice sorted.

I found common frogs and toads ignore each other which is ok. The frogs ignore my slow worm (which I have had for about two years). Can't see lizards being a problem to anyone else so those four will be ok. The newts I'll need to watch closely so what I would do is keep them in their own setup until they are feed well then wait for it to be a holiday and then introduce them and see how it goes and can monitor them over the holiday.



I might have to get a tub or something but would prefer to have it as a pond like seen in the photo.


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## Ron Magpie

Dude, I agree with Stephen P that the set-up you have in mind will be too small for so many animals; I'd also say that you might be better off doing two: one for the 'phibs, who on the whole prefer it cooler and damper, and one for the reps, which will prefer it a little warmer and drier, with a proper basking spot- even the slowworm.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur

Ron Magpie said:


> Dude, I agree with Stephen P that the set-up you have in mind will be too small for so many animals; I'd also say that you might be better off doing two: one for the 'phibs, who on the whole prefer it cooler and damper, and one for the reps, which will prefer it a little warmer and drier, with a proper basking spot- even the slowworm.


I'm just thinking of all the toads, frogs and newts we have outside and the large area they cover. We have two permanent ponds with them all in, plus the summer turtle ponds where the odd frog or two have been found (fortunately caught before the turtles see them). I often come across slow worms, and again these too have very large areas of gardens to roam in.

I think it is verging on cruelty to house them a) indoors and b) in something so small, but this is purely of course just my view.


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## Meefloaf

it's not a good idea


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## That guy

I'm just thinking from personal hands on experience. The only species I don't have hands on experience with are the common lizards which I know are diurnal. The only ones I have found to be strictly nocturnal are the toads and newts. The toads I have found to be very active when the newts won't stray far from their hide and found that they come out, sit for a bit walk about a foot away, go into water and have a swim, get something to eat and by that time it will be dawn and they go back home. Toads are very active.

Then frogs are active both day and night. But have also found they prefer to be high up if given a choice.

Slow worm I have found can be active in the day. Some days it won’t come out and others it climbs about or tunnels and so on.

I used to give her a low watt basking spot. Never used it and kept away from the end of the viv it was in (the basking spot area was at most 25C) so was not hot. However she basks under her UV light.

What I got in mind is by getting some of those platforms you can use for arboreal’s and the gorilla gel stuff is to put substrate on the back wall and make it into a forest bank setup with levels easily accessible for all the animals. Don't ask me exactly on what I'm planning as I’m still in the planning stages. But if I have the basking spots on the higher bits it means the lizards have easy access to it but everything else can avoid it if they wish to. I have also found that slow worms prefer it damp like with frogs. I used to keep her on drier san/soil substrate. She would eat but would not come out of her cave. She would just sit there in her cave. So I made the substrate as damp as I have for my frogs and she instantly started tunnelling, climbing, basking under her UV light and just crawling about but not in a stressed, frantic way. Also she seemed too brightened up in both colour and seemed more alert. Also when watching common lizards in the wild I have also found them in relatively damp places like in the meadows near me which frequently flood and damp woodland where I would also come across amphibians. So also long as they have drier areas that they can go to if they wish I can’t really see a problem.

When thinking of animals being with other animals (usually when it comes to fish) I make a list of what I think could go in there by thinking of the size of the enclosure, how it will be laid out, the size of the animals and their behaviour. Then I get what I want the most first and everything else I wait to see how it looks but also make sure the animals can keep away from each other. 
Personally I can only see the newts being a possible problem so will only introduce them in over s holiday so I can watch them closely making sure they are eating and ok. But besides that I can’t see any problem as long as they have enough space to avoid each other if they wish to and do natural behaviour. They require same habitats, humidity’s, lighting (toad and newts don’t need UV but it will benefit them) and food. Only difference is one species needs a basking hot spot which can easily be done without disrupting the others. I could understand peoples concern if they were all nocturnal or diurnal. But they aren’t so can avoid each other easily. And as long as I put in enough food both in the morning and evening on feeding days I can’t see any problem. All new animals will of course be quarantined. This will also help me get them used to being tong fed which would make other slow worms easier to feed like mine who is used to tong feeding. 
And anyway can’t see a problem with giving it a go. As no really young ones will be going in the worst that can happen is animals going off their food in which case I can easily take them out and keep them separate. Its not like this guy I have heard about keeping leopard geckos, reticulated pythons, Nile monitor, water dragons and iguanas and many more in a small area. The worst that could happen with that is all of his animals end up eating each other or ripping each other to shreds. As well as the fact he has desert animals with tropical rainforest animals together in a rainforest set up which can’t be good for the desert animals which require different temps, humidity levels and UV exposure. 
Sorry for the long reply lols  just wanted to try and cover everything I can think of at the moment


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## Deanna123176

That guy said:


> I have been doing a lot of thinking and decided once I have to money I’m going to get an exo terra 90*45*45 for my common frogs and slow worm. I want to make a pond like area with in the terrarium for any newts I may get. I have seen lots of setups that have a sheet of glass or something as a barrier to hold water in one section. However can’t find out how people do this. So if anyone can tell me that would be great . I’m thinking of making it a native community consisting of common frogs, 3-5 (most likely 3) slow worms, a trio or something like that of common lizards, maybe a pair of common toads (I’ll look into more how the toxins they have could affect the others as mine are in a species only setup) and some common newts. If I can ever find any wall lizards if I go down south then they will be going in there but I probably won’t find any.
> I may try out some other species from similar habitats from other countries but I’ll just wait and see. Might decide it looks nice enough with just natives. But will defiantly look extensively into the care of every other species first and might decide I won’t bother. Though I could see green anoles looking nice in there but again will need to look into it a lot and may decide I won’t.
> So in short can someone tell me in detail how to make a pond. Nothing to complicated it will just be a simple rectangle. Thanks :2thumb:


I just bought Josh’s frogs pond wall substrate stop. It creates a wall between your substrate and the end of the aquarium for a pond.


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## Malc

Deanna123176 said:


> I just bought Josh’s frogs pond wall substrate stop. It creates a wall between your substrate and the end of the aquarium for a pond.


 You do realise you are responding to a post that is 8 years old !!


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