# Awesome poison dart frog vivarium!



## Scriv (Oct 21, 2013)

Hi guys, 

Don't know if this is anyone's build/setup on here but thought i'd share it as it is a natural wonder inside a house! 

Vivarium frog tank. View at your own risk. - YouTube

really made me want to do my own setup and work off this now  

Enjoy


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

got loads of foam on show......these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yux-TskkreI

and

Pics my new constructed vivarium - Dendroboard


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## johne.ev (Sep 14, 2008)

Personally i think it's fantastic, so clever how he's used pieces of scrap plastic pipe & bits of rope to construct the background.
One thing i have been wondering myself is, is the lighting a little too bright perhaps? Would have thought it would have been a much more subdued kind of light in the forest. Or is it more to do with keeping the plants healthy? 
Still fantastic & not a criticism, just getting ideas/info for when i do a build myself.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

by the looks of it, he is in a very dark room, probably put an exra light on so details popped a bit more.

Let's get this straight, by no means do i think it's a terrible build, i just didnt like the foam on show part personally, and not covering it and hoping plants cover it and live forever is a bit, hmm. Love the moss branches going across and into the water area's


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## Scriv (Oct 21, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> got loads of foam on show......these
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yux-TskkreI
> 
> ...


Awesome Meefloaf! Love the video one, really natural and the background on that 2nd viv is brilliant! Will be setting up my own viv sometime next year


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

Scriv said:


> Awesome Meefloaf! Love the video one, really natural and the background on that 2nd viv is brilliant! Will be setting up my own viv sometime next year


I posted it so you could see what some people can do, Grimm's probably cost an absolute bomb to make (think he makes them to sell aswell) and Raf has access to products we dont have over here. One thing i will recommend is looking at pictures of the frog's natural habitat, also take a walk down to the woods and have a look around there, whilst they will be different, you'll find cool little idea's in the flesh, atm i'm very inspired by the twisted oak tree's around me.

Be worth checking out guys threads on here, and definitely read through Stu's Da Dart Room thread, it's bloody brilliant and you'll learn so much about the different aspects of dart frog keeping. also, he makes some wicked viv's purposely built with the frog in mind


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Ronnyjodes' pre breakfast constructive criticism post.

Positive points:
1) I like the moss covered stick. Moss is always a good thing, as are sticks. I like sticks.

2) Fish. Who doesn't like fish?

Negative points:

1) Before we even get to the background and general Foamamania, the tank looks to have nowhere enough floor space as the majority is taken up with the water area. If it's a standard 40gal then it's 3 foot wide but it's only 18 inches deep and that pool seems to go some way back although it's hard to get an exact idea of scale from the video. It does appear to be a thin, long strip at the back with a couple of sticky out bits of land which looks more suited to the fishes needs than the frogs. If the same tank had been done but on a bigger scale I'd have been far happier. I know it's supposed to be a "breeder" tank but in the description he says he wants to add more darts to it. That would suggest a pair or trio will live in there, azzies by the look of what is jumping around in there at the moment. Unless he will be building tiny lilos (out of black foam I'd imagine) there will be nowhere for them to go.

2) The background. It looks like the background it's been made out of black Play Doh. Yes, some plants will cover this eventually but for it to be worthy of being posted on here as AM BESTES VIV EVA this should have been dealt with already. I do like the plants that have been worked in to the top though, I just think they could have held off for a couple of months or at least posted an update when this had really grown in.

3) Everything is a little to brown for my tastes. Perhaps it's the lighting but the moss looks a little dull and like it's on it's way out in some places. Again, this is just a personal preference. If there had been a splash of colour, maybe some nice broms or fittonia the whole tank would have popped. As I've already said though it's a bit small to start sticking things like treasure chests in there so it could do with being built on a larger scale.


What needs to be said it this- there are some good ideas in this tank. I like the layout but there's just not enough room for it to be practical. I like the ferns and the planting at the top of the foam wall but there isn't enough coverage _yet_. This same design either needs to be done in a massive tank or with a smaller water area or none at all.


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## Scriv (Oct 21, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> I posted it so you could see what some people can do, Grimm's probably cost an absolute bomb to make (think he makes them to sell aswell) and Raf has access to products we dont have over here. One thing i will recommend is looking at pictures of the frog's natural habitat, also take a walk down to the woods and have a look around there, whilst they will be different, you'll find cool little idea's in the flesh, atm i'm very inspired by the twisted oak tree's around me.
> 
> Be worth checking out guys threads on here, and definitely read through Stu's Da Dart Room thread, it's bloody brilliant and you'll learn so much about the different aspects of dart frog keeping. also, he makes some wicked viv's purposely built with the frog in mind


Buying one would be easier but I'd love to be able to look at my set up and say i did that! I'll be doing alot of research and watching alot of videos on builds. I'm lucky in that i can probably bring alot of the plants in through my work and also the frogs and dry goods so will save some money there  I did have a quick glance at Stu's thread but havent had time to go through it all as i think it will take a few hours! Thanks for the help Meefloaf!


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

A massive tank Ronny,how about this....
1700 gallon Stingray River and Poison dart frog Paludarium - YouTube

Plus the build
Large Vivarium Construction - Dendroboard

This one really inspired us,look I know is is beyond most of our resourses,but I think the word epic finds it's true meaning here!! 

Chaps,we are talking in web land,things get misunderstood,we can't see each other smiling,nuances are lost,let's focus on the vivs huh.

Peace

Stu


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

See, it's not necessarily all about size for me Stu, it's how it's used- ask my wife . That breeder tank in the OP is 3footx 18inchesx 18 inches which is ample for the frogs that look to be going in there until the majority is filled with water. That tank seems to be more fish focussed than anything and the land space appears to only be a few inches deep but spanning the entire length of the tank. I have more issue with that than the foam or the brown moss if I'm totally honest. As I say, I don't hate it although I've seen better, there's definitely some nice ideas there but it certainly needs a few tweaks : victory:


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## Fauna (Oct 20, 2013)

I'm so confused, didn't I post on this thread before? Not sure what happened haha. But anyway, I love that stingray one, I wish I had room in my house for something that big :notworthy: looks like an interesting thread read as well.


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Fauna said:


> I'm so confused, didn't I post on this thread before? Not sure what happened haha. But anyway, I love that stingray one, I wish I had room in my house for something that big :notworthy: looks like an interesting thread read as well.


I believed the correct term would be Moderated To Buggery . Basically it's been given a tidy and a nice fresh start :2thumb:. 

That stingray viv is stunning. I agree with Stu, it's an inspirational tank. Oddly, I didn't like the lack of depth to the land area when I saw that one for the first time but if you look at it there are so many nooks and crannies and places for the frogs to go. It's an awesome tank .


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## Fauna (Oct 20, 2013)

Ah ok pretend like I said nothing :whistling2:

I really like how he used real bark to make his 'trees', might be stealing that idea! Someone told me that dart frogs are awful swimmers, and would drown if you kept them near deep water like that. How does he stop them falling in? I only ask because I'm getting a new tank and wouldn't mind fish below, amphibs or a reptile up top :blush: but might be pushing it for a newbie hehe.


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

ronnyjodes said:


> See, it's not necessarily all about size for me Stu, it's how it's used- ask my wife . That breeder tank in the OP is 3footx 18inchesx 18 inches which is ample for the frogs that look to be going in there until the majority is filled with water. That tank seems to be more fish focussed than anything and the land space appears to only be a few inches deep but spanning the entire length of the tank. I have more issue with that than the foam or the brown moss if I'm totally honest. As I say, I don't hate it although I've seen better, there's definitely some nice ideas there but it certainly needs a few tweaks : victory:


:lol2: i'll try and not run with that mate. I wouldn't build out a viv for darts like that Jon,sure I hear ya. I'm way too obsessed with leaf litter:blush:. I just like it,as before something natural about it,foam aside, it looks like somewhere,outside in a rainforest.

Energy's build is monstrous/huge,when I first came across it the build out,was profound for me,particularly the actual mechanics of the build,appealed.I't's really difficult comprehending that scale from pictures and video,so much thought in side that, tank. The more one stares the more one sees,as you have already eluded to. The biggest thing I take from it really is how it made me think/ponder building a viv, background. So much to be inspired by!!

best

Stu


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

always loved this one 

new wooden hill stream tank (constr jrnl) - Dendroboard


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Meefloaf said:


> always loved this one
> 
> new wooden hill stream tank (constr jrnl) - Dendroboard


Damn you, Meefloaf! :devil: I have just spent ages reading through that entire thread- thought I could just skim it, but I got sucked in...

Truely brilliant.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

and people wonder why i have such an affinity with the dutch, sexy football, bright orange is acceptable and now, bloody frog lovers


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I used to visit the Netherlands regularly when I was a rep- fab place. They do have a long-standing reputation for amazing naturalistic vivs.


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