Vivarium design and construction
WRITTEN BY D.KNIGHT
WRITTEN BY D.KNIGHT
INTRODUCTION
An aesthetically pleasing vivarium can be just as impressive as the frogs themselves, with cascading vines, exotic bromeliads and naturalistic landscaping, vivarium design is a topic in its self.
DESIGN and LANDSCAPING
Wood and rock will often serve as a good focal points, but they will also provide climbing, hiding and basking areas for your frogs. Wood will also give many options for mounting epiphytic and air plants. There is an incredible variety of wood and rock that can be used for example Cypress wood, Ghost Wood and Cork all make great additions. The base or floor area can have elevations that can be easily created using rock, cork or other woods. Keep in mind the aspects of nature, using one medium piece of wood along with two or three additional small pieces of the same type gives a much more natural look than using one large piece or several different types. Trailing and creeping plants will add interest and accents like Moss, lichens and mushrooms will make a big difference in creating a miniature piece of nature. Frogs are very diverse and come from many different habitats. It is important to match the species you intend to keep with the correct setting, or a stunning vivarium could possibly be a place of unhappiness and stress to the inhabitants
Forest floor vivarium
This setting well represents the damp open space bellow the tree canopy, and is great for terrestrial species such as Dendrobates and mantellas. A fallen tree would make an excellent setting to work around, and a good layer of coco husk covered with an inch of dead leaves, twigs and nut shells would give an impressive looking base. Philodendron makes a good vine for this style of vivarium and goes well with small ferns and epiphytes attached to the back wall.
Tree canopy vivarium
This style of vivarium is well suited to hylidaes such as A.Callidryas and H.Lemur. The canopy of the rain forest is home to a diverse range of plants and frogs. These style vivariums are created using arboreal vivariums, providing more height than width. The base of this set up should be a typical forest floor with twigs, nut shells and twigs. A mass of vertical and horizontal branches can be placed running both left to right as well as back to front, creating climbing and perching potential. A range of epiphytes and climbers can be used to cover the background, providing a lush green back drop with splashes of colour. It is advisable to use three or four species of plant to create colonies representing the natural fauna of the canopy. Air plants also make an eye catching specimen, but do well planted higher up the vivarium.
Cloud forest vivarium
Appearing across the globe these habitats range from tropical to temperate. The tropics in South America such as Panama, Costa Rica and Ecuador are perfect examples of the cloud forests diversity. Rocks and slopes define this style vivarium and the sparse tree canopy allows more light through, whilst the mist from the clouds keeps the temperatures low. Water trickles through the rocks and moss is apparent all over. These style vivariums do well when housed with small orchids and lithophytes placed in the rock crevasses. Bromeliads and other epiphytes can fill large gaps and low hanging vines add another dimension to the vivarium
Cascade or Water fall vivarium
These are the most complex builds and should be carefully planned before construction is started. It is important to remember the water needs to be filtered and should be completely cycled at least once per hour. Rock or expanding foam backgrounds coated with epoxy resin should be used, and a false bottom to the vivarium is vital. Large rocks and drift wood forms a good base to the water fall. Avoid using any substrates such as coco husk, pea gravel is a better option covered with dead leaves and twigs. Moss will grow over the rocks and wood, whilst aquatic and semi aquatic plants will fill the water are and surrounding edge. Epiphytes will mount on the back wall whilst ferns will inhabit the shaded areas. Aroids such as anubias should be grown on the ledges. A good example of a species inhabiting this type of vivarium would be A.Varius from Cost Rica.
An aesthetically pleasing vivarium can be just as impressive as the frogs themselves, with cascading vines, exotic bromeliads and naturalistic landscaping, vivarium design is a topic in its self.
DESIGN and LANDSCAPING
Wood and rock will often serve as a good focal points, but they will also provide climbing, hiding and basking areas for your frogs. Wood will also give many options for mounting epiphytic and air plants. There is an incredible variety of wood and rock that can be used for example Cypress wood, Ghost Wood and Cork all make great additions. The base or floor area can have elevations that can be easily created using rock, cork or other woods. Keep in mind the aspects of nature, using one medium piece of wood along with two or three additional small pieces of the same type gives a much more natural look than using one large piece or several different types. Trailing and creeping plants will add interest and accents like Moss, lichens and mushrooms will make a big difference in creating a miniature piece of nature. Frogs are very diverse and come from many different habitats. It is important to match the species you intend to keep with the correct setting, or a stunning vivarium could possibly be a place of unhappiness and stress to the inhabitants
Forest floor vivarium
This setting well represents the damp open space bellow the tree canopy, and is great for terrestrial species such as Dendrobates and mantellas. A fallen tree would make an excellent setting to work around, and a good layer of coco husk covered with an inch of dead leaves, twigs and nut shells would give an impressive looking base. Philodendron makes a good vine for this style of vivarium and goes well with small ferns and epiphytes attached to the back wall.
Tree canopy vivarium
This style of vivarium is well suited to hylidaes such as A.Callidryas and H.Lemur. The canopy of the rain forest is home to a diverse range of plants and frogs. These style vivariums are created using arboreal vivariums, providing more height than width. The base of this set up should be a typical forest floor with twigs, nut shells and twigs. A mass of vertical and horizontal branches can be placed running both left to right as well as back to front, creating climbing and perching potential. A range of epiphytes and climbers can be used to cover the background, providing a lush green back drop with splashes of colour. It is advisable to use three or four species of plant to create colonies representing the natural fauna of the canopy. Air plants also make an eye catching specimen, but do well planted higher up the vivarium.
Cloud forest vivarium
Appearing across the globe these habitats range from tropical to temperate. The tropics in South America such as Panama, Costa Rica and Ecuador are perfect examples of the cloud forests diversity. Rocks and slopes define this style vivarium and the sparse tree canopy allows more light through, whilst the mist from the clouds keeps the temperatures low. Water trickles through the rocks and moss is apparent all over. These style vivariums do well when housed with small orchids and lithophytes placed in the rock crevasses. Bromeliads and other epiphytes can fill large gaps and low hanging vines add another dimension to the vivarium
Cascade or Water fall vivarium
These are the most complex builds and should be carefully planned before construction is started. It is important to remember the water needs to be filtered and should be completely cycled at least once per hour. Rock or expanding foam backgrounds coated with epoxy resin should be used, and a false bottom to the vivarium is vital. Large rocks and drift wood forms a good base to the water fall. Avoid using any substrates such as coco husk, pea gravel is a better option covered with dead leaves and twigs. Moss will grow over the rocks and wood, whilst aquatic and semi aquatic plants will fill the water are and surrounding edge. Epiphytes will mount on the back wall whilst ferns will inhabit the shaded areas. Aroids such as anubias should be grown on the ledges. A good example of a species inhabiting this type of vivarium would be A.Varius from Cost Rica.
BACKGROUNDS
to make the most of the vivarium space it is important to use a background of some type. There are several different products readily available on the market ranging from cheap and easy to use, to more expensive and more time consuming methods. The cheapest and easiest to use in by far coco panels, they are simply cut to size and siliconed into place. Once they are set plants can be placed anywhere in pockets made by making a small cut with a sharp knife and pulled out to the required size. Cork panels are slightly more expensive and require pockets being attached for planting, or brooms and epiphytic plants being pinned into place. The most time consuming and relatively expensive form of background is the home made expanding foam option. The foam is sprayed in layers over the glass and left to set in between each layer, pockets must be pre determined as they cannot be added at a later date. Once the final layer is set the foam must then be grouted and sealed to make it safe. This option gives 100% control over the final look, branches and logs can be set in place and the colour and texture is all down to the owner. When using the expanding foam method, another option is to use epoxy resin rather than grout. Epoxy resin allows sculptures to be made resembling tree roots and alike.
DRAINAGE
Drainage is a very important part of vivarium construction, it stops the substrate becoming water logged and prevents flooding. There are multiple ways of providing drainage. The first and most simple is to place a layer of around 3-4 inches of hydroleca on the base of the vivarium, then cover with a fine mesh before adding the substrate. This can then be aided by a heat mat placed under the vivarium. Although simple this method is very effective and easy to maintain, it produces good humidity. The second method is to use a false bottom, this is constructed by placing a few levels of egg create on the base of the vivarium, then the mesh and substrate is added. This method is especially good when planning a water feature as it provides the sump between pump and feature.
THE FOREST FLOOR
The forest floor is a key part to the look of the vivarium. Coco husk (commonly known as eco earth) makes a great base substrate and can be mixed with large pebbles, sand or large wood chippings to give a more natural look, and help with drainage. Rain forest floors are dense in matter such as leaves, rocks, twigs ECT and this should be taken into account when planning the vivarium. Some readily available materials that are well suited, and if used correctly provide a great effect are dead leaves, banana leaves, palm fronds, tree roots, nuts and seed pods and coco nuts. Another addition to creating a natural looking vivarium is the use of live moss. Java moss grows well and is a good choice but there are many other types and varieties available and suited for vivarium use.
to make the most of the vivarium space it is important to use a background of some type. There are several different products readily available on the market ranging from cheap and easy to use, to more expensive and more time consuming methods. The cheapest and easiest to use in by far coco panels, they are simply cut to size and siliconed into place. Once they are set plants can be placed anywhere in pockets made by making a small cut with a sharp knife and pulled out to the required size. Cork panels are slightly more expensive and require pockets being attached for planting, or brooms and epiphytic plants being pinned into place. The most time consuming and relatively expensive form of background is the home made expanding foam option. The foam is sprayed in layers over the glass and left to set in between each layer, pockets must be pre determined as they cannot be added at a later date. Once the final layer is set the foam must then be grouted and sealed to make it safe. This option gives 100% control over the final look, branches and logs can be set in place and the colour and texture is all down to the owner. When using the expanding foam method, another option is to use epoxy resin rather than grout. Epoxy resin allows sculptures to be made resembling tree roots and alike.
DRAINAGE
Drainage is a very important part of vivarium construction, it stops the substrate becoming water logged and prevents flooding. There are multiple ways of providing drainage. The first and most simple is to place a layer of around 3-4 inches of hydroleca on the base of the vivarium, then cover with a fine mesh before adding the substrate. This can then be aided by a heat mat placed under the vivarium. Although simple this method is very effective and easy to maintain, it produces good humidity. The second method is to use a false bottom, this is constructed by placing a few levels of egg create on the base of the vivarium, then the mesh and substrate is added. This method is especially good when planning a water feature as it provides the sump between pump and feature.
THE FOREST FLOOR
The forest floor is a key part to the look of the vivarium. Coco husk (commonly known as eco earth) makes a great base substrate and can be mixed with large pebbles, sand or large wood chippings to give a more natural look, and help with drainage. Rain forest floors are dense in matter such as leaves, rocks, twigs ECT and this should be taken into account when planning the vivarium. Some readily available materials that are well suited, and if used correctly provide a great effect are dead leaves, banana leaves, palm fronds, tree roots, nuts and seed pods and coco nuts. Another addition to creating a natural looking vivarium is the use of live moss. Java moss grows well and is a good choice but there are many other types and varieties available and suited for vivarium use.
PLANTS and PLANTING
there is a wide range of plants suited to the vivarium, from creeping vines to exotic ferns and beyond. There are many types of plants such as Bromeliads, Aroids, Ferns, Begonias, Epiphytes, Orchids, and Ant Plants. This is only a small list of the many types of fauna that are suited and available to the vivarium. Selecting plants can be hard, especially as most are acquired from online stockists. A health plant should have no brown edges, mould or visible mites on the leaves. The plant should hold its self up (unless it is a vine or creeper) and should appear in general good health. Garden centres also pose as a possible place to purchase plants although great care should be taken as garden centres are known for using pesticides and fertilizers which may be harmful to frogs. Any plants acquired from garden centres or super markets should be re potted in amphibian safe soil and the leaves washed over with an amphibian safe disinfectant. As a matter of course it is a good idea to quarantine any plants purchased for at least 48 hours. When the plants have been selected and quarantined it is time to start planting them. It is a good idea to have researched all the plants so that you have a good idea of their lighting requirements, temperature requirements, humidity requirements, favoured soil and watering schedule. Terrestrial plants can be potted in the same way as a garden shrub, make an appropriate sized hole, insert the plant and cover the roots over. When planting in pockets or holes on the vivarium walls the same procedure is taken, but plants may need to be held in place with either fishing wire or stick. Just be sure that any protruding sticks are not sharp and don’t pose any direct danger to the frogs. Air plants and bromeliads can simply be pinned or glued into place on logs, cork bark or rocks. Sphagnum moss should then be placed around the roots of bromeliads until they root them self’s into place.