# Permanent Rain in terrarium?



## MortRee (Jan 24, 2012)

Hi Guys :welcome:

I'm still researching before I get my Crested Gecko and I've had a lot of ideas on the way regarding the habitat.

I decided on an ExoTerra 45x45x60 with water as "substrate" (which I made another post about in here), but I need help for my new idea (again). 

The idea is to use an aquarium internal filter to clean the water but ALSO transfer the water upwards, so I can make it wet the terrarium on it's way down, and with the gecko poo in the water, there will be nutrients for the plants on the homemade background I'm going to make. But there is a problem.. The filter can only reach just a few inches above water, so I would like to ask if you have tried something similar without buying expensive waterfall kits? 
My immediate thoughts are to use a hose to glue on the pump on the filter with silicone but will the pump be strong enough to make the water go 40-50 cm. (about 18 inches) upwards? 

The last thing is about the permanent rain.. I'm thinking if the other idea works, then I could attach a watering can spreader (will try upload picture of it, because I don't know the English word for it  but the long one with few holes and not the shower-like one). I will built it in the homemade Great Stuff expanding foam background, so that there will come out several small streams of water, just like rain. I'm also guessing that this will keep up the humidity, so I don't have to worry about that, but I'm mainly thinking about how nice it would look with rain droplets running down the background on all the leaves and branches :2thumb:

Do you think it will work? Anyone tried anything like it? 

Really hope you have some answers - thanks! :notworthy:


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

MortRee said:


> The idea is to use an aquarium internal filter to clean the water but ALSO transfer the water upwards, so I can make it wet the terrarium on it's way down, and with the gecko poo in the water, there will be nutrients for the plants on the homemade background I'm going to make. But there is a problem.. The filter can only reach just a few inches above water, so I would like to ask if you have tried something similar without buying expensive waterfall kits?
> My immediate thoughts are to use a hose to glue on the pump on the filter with silicone but will the pump be strong enough to make the water go 40-50 cm. (about 18 inches) upwards?
> 
> http://www.safeshopping.dk/upload_dir/shop/1738-480602.w800.h700.jpg


I bought something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fish-Tank...0?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item337193a7f2

and it just spat bits of water out of the pump but when I attached a hose to it, I had no problem. Think I had about 3ft of hose on and it was spurting out of the top,


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

I've read your other thread as well and this is just my opinion:

I think the humidity in this enclosure is going to be too high for a crested gecko already without the addition of running water which will increase it further. It's probably going to be near enough 100% RH!

Crested geckos don't need any additional humidity other than 50-60% RH which is average room humidity (in england anyway). They need access to water for hydration not for humidity. A quick spray in the evening is enough for them to drink the droplets and hydrate themselves. Some people keep adult crested geckos completely dry and don't spray them at all. They're provided with a water bowl and they drink from that.

I think you should maybe concentrate on a very good ventilation system to provide a drying out period during the day and to prevent stagnant air. With this much water, whether it be standing or running, I think air circulation and ventilation is going to be very important.


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## MortRee (Jan 24, 2012)

So I guess Meko you are saying that an internal filter can pump far enough ? 

Hi again Antcherry, thanks for answers ! I guess it will be too humid for a crested with running water from top of the terra, but do you think it would be a good idea for frogs or other animals that need 80-100% humidity? 

Do you think the net in the top will provide ventilation enough? There will not be that much water in the bottom and since I'm making a homemade background, there will be lots of different places, some more dry and some more humid.


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## brumboa (Dec 30, 2011)

We did a similar thing in an aquarium, to create a trickle effect. 

using piping on the end of the filter outlet is fine.. instead of using one of those watering can spreaders.. instead use a stopper or silicon at the end of the tube.. run the tub to the top of the tank and then on the hortizonal part put tiny holes in fr the water to come out of.. Thus creating rain  We used suction cubs to keep the tube in place and it works quite well! We did this with a 2ft high tank so yours should be fine!


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

MortRee said:


> Hi again Antcherry, thanks for answers ! I guess it will be too humid for a crested with running water from top of the terra, but do you think it would be a good idea for frogs or other animals that need 80-100% humidity?
> 
> *I think it would look excellent as a high humidity set-up. I don't really keep any species that require high humidity so I couldn't comment. Off the top of my head dart frogs, water dragons, rainbow boas need humid environments.*
> 
> ...


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

I wouldn't advise constant running of this type of system for any species, even species considered humidity loving species do not want a constant drenching.
If you want to go for this type of system then either put it on a timer to run for short periods or install a tap & tee in the pipe so you can have the filter running continuously with the outlet running back into the water directly or running a waterfall etc. and then switch the tap to allow the water to go up to the rain bar as and when you want it to rain.


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## MortRee (Jan 24, 2012)

Thanks for answers guys. I Think the idea is best for paludariums and aquariums based on what you say. 
But antcherry I have already decided on a crested because I'm new to reptiles and it is much easier and cheaper and my boyfriend won't allow live food in the house  
But what would the humidity % be in an exo Terra that size with water in 2/3 of the bottom? Because I want my gecko to thrive.


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## DayGecko (Jun 21, 2010)

i have a monsoon set up spraying for 20secs every 2hours average temp between 25 to 30c and my humidity is around a constant 80%-85% (for day geckos)

On one of my first tanks i submerged a pump under a pool on one side of the tank had the tube going up behind the background and tied it to the lid/top of the exo terra with some pin holes in it and this created a simple dripping system you could easily customise this into something better but it was ideal at the time


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

MortRee said:


> But antcherry I have already decided on a crested because I'm new to reptiles and it is much easier and cheaper and my boyfriend won't allow live food in the house
> 
> *If I was you and wanted easy and cheap I'd go for a crested gecko in an exo terra with a bio active soil substrate. You couldn't go wrong with this as it requires virtually no maintenance. Maybe combine this with your 2/3 water pool.
> 
> ...


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## MortRee (Jan 24, 2012)

Good idea with tube and holes in it instead of water can spreader  Must be WAY cheaper thanks! 

Bio active soil substrate doesn't sound neither cheap or newbie-ish  But I guess it could be done fairly cheap and then use a guide to do it properly. But what I'm thinking right now is using water, because it's always easy to change and always looks nice with floating plants. And for the little land part I want to use a plastic box covered like the homemade background, using it as egg box. This should be low maintenance as it's easy to change a plastic box and clean it and then change water. 

I think I would feed with live foods when my boyfriend is at work or something  Atleast this is not going to be a major problem  

But I've read several places that Cresteds shouldn't be so fussy about humidity. Just a spray in the terra every other day and they should be fine. So in this humid terra with water I guess I should just spray a little less and keep an eye on it


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I'm not quite clear on why you want such a large area of open water? Cresties aren't known for their love of water- or their swimming ability. And yes, bioactive soils can be cheap a*nd* easy. :2thumb:


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

As above, a bio active substrate is relatively cheap and simple to set-up. Plus it's very economical as it will hardly ever need replacing, if at all, and there's no maintenance costs. 

It will definately be cheaper than buying and running a filter, pump etc, plus the UV lights you'll need for the plants to grow :2thumb:


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## MortRee (Jan 24, 2012)

Hi Ron.
It's explained to details in my other thread "Water as "substrate", but main reason is easy cleaning and since the gecko will mainly climb, it shouldn't be a problem. 
Water with floating plants, especiall duckweed, will clean itself if not too many geckoes and then it's just a matter of changing water whenever it looks bad or smells bad or just do a regular change every week or second week like in my aquariums. In a bioactive substrate you will have to be sure there is enough of those springtails and that there is a good balance and if not, you will have to change substrate every now and then and water is just cheaper  
I hope you can follow how I'm thinking, but I really appreciate if you tell me your own opinion too


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## MortRee (Jan 24, 2012)

antcherry you sound like a true bio active substrate fan  I think I will have to read up on this subject.. You have any good links? Because I'm going for the cheapest and lowest maintenance to be sure that my first terrarium will be a success ! But personally I think the normal substrate is easier to set up and looks more natual, but water isn't ugly, it's just a bit more fake and I'll have to be way more creative when setting it up. Already did a lot of drawings, but it's really hard to satisfy my cravings for making a natural-looking terra  (guess it's called vivarium).


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

MortRee said:


> antcherry *you sound like a true bio active substrate fan * I think I will have to read up on this subject..
> 
> Mainly because I don't like cleaning! :lol2:
> 
> ...


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## MortRee (Jan 24, 2012)

Now I have read 100 of different guides but it sounds really complicated :O And some are all like "oh no don't gather bugs in the wild bla bla" while others are like "Never clean anything and gather everything in the local forest" :O!! And about the layers of different substrates it is a JUNGLE !! 

I'm thinking I will use Leca clay balls, then a mesh, and then vermiculite and coco fibres on top of that.. Then plants and live moss and a scoop of local forest earth and then some normal earth worms from the garden.. Would that be ok you think? 
And then a tube in a corner to check the water lvl in the bottom.. It should be a few inches at all times they say  

Oh boy this is complicated O_O .. that's why I wanted to just buy that aquarium pump and go with the aquarium-like cleaning I'm used to  then the only ground they will have, is their egg-laying box.. 
Dilemma!


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