livnthelowlife
+1y
Edited: 11/8/2008 10:57:07 PM by livnThelowLIFE
Edited: 11/8/2008 10:53:09 PM by livnThelowLIFE
anyone into dart frogs (dendrobates)????? i have been building a vivarium,wich will have tropical plants and be a very humid tank.i will get a few darts to put in it.they are not an easy amphibian to keep.you must keep them at right temps\humidity plus feed them very small food.because they are a small species.such as ... fruit flies,springtails they are only poisonus in the wild though(due to the food they eat)
i went and got a 36 gallon bow front .i think it will be a good starter.im going to get a pair of blue azureus for it as soon as i have the tank and food source established.im hoping to get some input from everyone on my journey!as well as give others a few pics,and usefull info,just as i have found by looking at other peoples posts.
first i did a mock-up with the eggcrate for the false bottom,i decided to add a pvc pipe on the left side for a humidifier,i also made a open area across the top for any water tupe changes i might want to change,then i decided to make a void on the right side so i can change or service a pump or filter without disrupting the immediate tank.(fastened with zip ties)
next i put the ge black 100% silicone on the back and sides using a putty knife(i put it on thick!) 2 1\2 tubes....do this in well ventalated area
then i put some fiberglass screen over the false bottom to prevent anything falling through.fastend it with a needle and fishing line!
after this i prepared the the tank floor. i placed pvc pipe to help with the weight of anything i might put in the tank later(i also notched each one so water wouldnt get trapped in them). i went ahead and put a underwater heater in it and made sure i could change the temp easy through my access on the right side.
before i put the false bottom in i cut some silicone off the right side so i can veiw the pump,water level,and heater(so i can see completely under the false bottom)
then i set up the false bottom and put the rest in place(i siliconed around the bottom and the side and the back) i made it to where there is a half inch gap in between the false bottom and the front of the tank.so i can put rocks there to hide the false bottom(i wedged stuff in there to hold everything in place till the silicone dries) plus i threw the extra peices of eggcrate in the back for added support for the heavy rocks
i went down to the river a block away from my house and managed to find some decent rocks.....i then took them to work and sprayed them off(you can do this at a car wash to get all the nasty stuff off). then i boiled them till the water evaporated.then did it again!(took an hour roughly) my wife was not happy ! it stinks like a creek! then i took them to the sink and used bleach water to kill germs (10% bleach 90%water)
next i layed the tank on the back side (over a towel) i sprayed a can of great stuff foam spray on the back walls and covered everything thouroghly then placed the rocks where i wanted them9i will add another can tommorow after the first can cures)make sure to do this some where ventalated and easy to clean in case of a mess which is inevitable!