# building a mini dartfrog viv....



## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

OK...

got the dart frog bug.


Having had a successful previous build I have decided I need a new viv for some newly metamorphised little 'uns and potential future thumbnail viv is in order! 

So without further ado...

stage one...

...find a perfect little tank...










with a cable hole (this has previously housed little leopard geckos and wonder geckos, all of which have now out grown it and has a 'bulb holder' hole...) that'll come in handy










...get handy with some egg crate, fishing line and some random green mesh I found at the garden centre...

this is to make the pump chamber and the adjacent sump. I'm going to do away with a full false bottom and fill most of the viv with hydrolecea, and have a water table at that level (pump and sump seperate). Then add weed guard and dendrosoil/orchid bark mix...



















and in the viv to give a better idea of what I'm talking about...











The wire for the pump is going to go under the hydrolecea and up behind the coco mat backing the final viv will have. I will soon seal the rest of the hole with a small piece of plastic. The pipe for the waterfall goes over the other corner of the viv and a plastic pipe will be siliconed into the corner for it to run up. I plan to put a cork tube quarter around the pipe to hide it and fill with soil and plant the top...aiming for the water to be trickling out from the over hanging leaves once it's all grown in.....

water will return to the sump (which will be filled with gravel/big stones) and then to the pump again...

so this is the end of todays efforts (except I have now siliconed the pump and sump in place.....











I'm hoping not to spend anymore on this and it'll be a budget job (minus the recent order from dartfrog of mosses, plants and backing!).....this is a contained glass viv and I have a UV tube/reflector and starter ready to stick over the top as well...

I'm aiming for a more minimal set up than my other viv (I can go for days without seeing my frogs!) and hope for a little mossy arena/open area behind the waterfall...

I'll keep you posted on progress..but only if you care:whistling2:


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Changed the white pipe in the corner by shortening and cutting a hole out of the top. Siliconed it in place last night so should be all ready for hydrolecea, coco matting and cork bark this evening.....


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

*watching*


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

bothrops said:


> I'm hoping not to spend anymore on this and it'll be a budget job (


 
lol... good luck with that.. didn't you see how off course my budget atempt went?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Meko said:


> lol... good luck with that.. didn't you see how off course my budget atempt went?


hehehe! Technically it's not a budget tank due to what already has been spent but really can't spend anymore!

tonights efforts so far.....

moved it into the other room as I was fed up of working on the floor! The tank is now in front of the mantis house....anyway.....



pipe now set in place and dry...










corner cork bark, drilled, cut and in place.....










been busy with the needle and thread again, made a removable lid for the pump chamber...










and just started siliconing in the coco mat...










More soon......

..not sure yet what I'm doing with the 'waterfall'....gentle sloping half cork from outflow down to sump.......spout into a pool that overflows into a very gentle stream to the sump.....the same but adjust flow/shape output so the flow runs straight down the cork into the pool.........:hmm:...thoughts?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Well I'll keep on posting even if no-one else does!:lol2:


Finished the coco-backing so this'll all be dry ready for tomorrow nights hydrolecea, weed fabric stones and waterfall build!











Anyone have any ideas for the waterfall?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

no-one have any input on waterfall.............:gasp:?


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## jme2049 (Jan 11, 2008)

some people have used bits of slate and had the water cascading down, ive seen a few that look very nice.
Amphibian section will be helpful no doubt.


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

A stream always looks good and gives the frogs a safe place to get wet. Also looks great when covered in java or Xmas moss. Look forward to seeing it planted.


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Dartfrog sell some cheap small pieces of epiweb that I use to cover my sump and pump housing. It looks really natural when the moss starts growing over it.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Dammit! Wish I'd seen that Epiweb stuff before I started!.....


..still got another project planned so can use it for that!



I've had a bit of a nightmare with this one.....couldn't find anything suitable for the stream I wanted, gave up and went for a trickle into a pond right beneath and a pipe back to the sump (completley negating the need for the seperate sump/stream end..:bash

...anyway...stuck it all in and tried it out....doesn't work......doesn't empty quick enough and overflows......:devil:

....looking at changing back to a stream afterall........


..project on hold until I can find a suitable stream bed...

...hope the plants I bought and the dendrosoil hold out until I get it made.....

....shouldn't have rushed it....


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Got back into it.....

soil in and stream bed sorted....











put some plants in and a bit of moss...










..and taken a video...

YouTube - PICT2547.MOV



needs a bit more 'furniture' and/or plants but I've ran out of ideas....

watcha reckon guys?

Cheers

Andy


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## [email protected] (Jan 9, 2009)

cooooolhttp://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m159/sirandyofgecko/our reps/stageone.jpg


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## dad'n'bab (Oct 27, 2009)

Looking good.

Have you thought about wandering jew for the walls, fast growing.
Creeping fig will also grow well. I get mine from plant nurseries or sometimes supermarkets, a lot cheaper.

Glenn


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

dad'n'bab said:


> Looking good.
> 
> Have you thought about wandering jew for the walls, fast growing.
> Creeping fig will also grow well. I get mine from plant nurseries or sometimes supermarkets, a lot cheaper.
> ...


 
Wandering jew sounds good......I am always nervous of buying from supermarkets and garden centres after a mate lost a whole colony of leucs after introducing a garden centre bought bromeliad....unknown pesticides and fungicides etc etc? Clearly you've never had an issue...

do you chuck them straight in or give them a few days 'organic growth' and a wash?


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

I wash all the soil off the roots as you don't know what fertilisers they use. Viv is looking really nice. Have a look on Bens Jungle or Dartfrog for ideas of plants. I would pin some broms or epiphytic plants to the Walls and try Snakeskin plant Fittonia for the forground. Get some Xmas moss off eBay for the waterfall and anywhere else that is moist. It's the same as java moss but faster growing. Any idea what darts you are thinking of keeping in there?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

I have some newly metamorphised aratus that I'm going to grow up for the bigger viv and then I'm thinking about some thumbnails as its only a small viv...

not 100% sure yet though!

Will look at the snakeskin and the mosses!

Cheers

Andy


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## roostarr (Jan 27, 2009)

looks good! i love watching this kind of thread... all stored away in my brain for when i need to make my own!


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## nogatsira (Jul 9, 2009)

Looks great.
Personally I'd put pebbles on top of that pump chamber, think it'll blend in nicer and smoother


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## sender (Jan 19, 2009)

this looks good wish i could have a frog to do this kind of viv for:flrt:

you'll have to keep us updated on hows its going: victory:


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

nogatsira said:


> Looks great.
> Personally I'd put pebbles on top of that pump chamber, think it'll blend in nicer and smoother


Good idea! I was thinking of trying to spawn some moss on it, but I think it would be a little dry. Definitely think about sticking a few pebbles and some dirt on it!

Thanks for the positive comments and constructive advice!

Cheers

Andy


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## dad'n'bab (Oct 27, 2009)

As fatlad69 said wash the roots clean and away you go.

Definately have a look at snakeskin/fittonia comes in quite a few different colours.

I use wandering jew a lot in green and purple and it's so easy to grow. Morrisons sometimes have hanging pots of it in. Normally about £2.99. Take some cuttings, stick it in a cup of water for about a week, when there are big enough roots visible plant it.


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## kimbo74 (Apr 6, 2009)

hello

have u any pics of the final setup?

thanks


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Sorry Kimbo, still looks like it did in the last photo.

Waiting for funds and time to carry on.

I'll keep you posted


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## kimbo74 (Apr 6, 2009)

gotta say thought it looks fantastic


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi mate,

Looks good : victory:

Deff. want some Ficus on the back wall, it will be covered in no time.

Jay


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## ninjastyle (May 29, 2009)

looks awesome man
just been wondering about all these frog setups with streams and waterfalls, how do you go about cleaning them out or are they like theyre own ecosystem so you dont really need to? also what kinda pumps do you use? just mini fishtank ones with filter things in or just plan pumps?
cheers


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Pendragon said:


> Hi mate,
> 
> Looks good : victory:
> 
> ...


Definitely gotta put something up there. Are there 'dwarf' fiscus or are all of them 'controllable'?



ninjastyle said:


> looks awesome man
> just been wondering about all these frog setups with streams and waterfalls, how do you go about cleaning them out or are they like theyre own ecosystem so you dont really need to? also what kinda pumps do you use? just mini fishtank ones with filter things in or just plan pumps?
> cheers


Soil is bioactive so doesn't need cleaning out (full of springtails and tropical woodlice). I use little Ehiem pumps (no filter) and use a syphon to do partial water changes every so often.
Some people use internal fish tank filters and others use external canisters. Depends on budget, plans, tank and preference!

Cheers

Andy


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

No idea if there is a dwarf species.

This is what the Ficus pumila looks like in the Viper/pumilio exhibit at the local zoo, this has taken less than a year to get like this!!










Jay


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## Camuk (Mar 4, 2008)

Nice one Jay,

I was wondering what the heck that was


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