Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm curious as to how often these types of setups require cleaning. I'll admit I'm a bit skeptical after seeing all these wonderful terrariums free of green algea, especially around the waterfall areas. Is it about getting the right combination of substrate, light, and water flow that makes the setups "permanent"? The link below is to blackjungle.com, click on the picture and it shows how the setup was made step by step. This is what I want to attempt. Thanks for any help.
Black Jungle

Except for wiping off the glass, trimming plants, a bit of top dressing on the substrate occasionally, and doing occasional water changes or partial changes in the aquarium or water sections, a planted vivarium with dart frogs will last 5 or more years without a major overhaul. Algae, slime molds, some moss will grow on water falls and logs, but this is only a part of the biological system. Whatever you use for material for the falls will become colonized with various organisms, including nitrifying bacteria, which are not unsightly and actually help "filter" the water.

It seems ironic, but the most successful fresh water tropical fish tank I've ever had is part of a 135 gallon palludarium that contains various kinds of small tetras and algae-eaters. After 7 years, I still have many of the original fish, and have never done a complete cleaning, only rare partial water changes and adding water as needed. The only filters are two water falls and a "river run" of small falls covered with mosses, and lots of aquatic plants. After the first year, there never seemed to be a significant amount of algae on the inside of the aquarium glass, even though the entire tank is well lighted with two double tube 40W fluorescent hoods of different spectrums. It also gets some slanted late evening sunlight during the winter season.

I'll be uploading some photos of the D. galactonotus that are in there, taken for another purpose, but this does show some views of the various plants and algaes that make up the system and contribute to its over-all health. You can't really expect your system to look as pristine as one needs to keep a salt water aquarium, because the success of a planted dart frog vivarium depends a lot on natural recycling of the frog feces, which sometimes involves algaes, molds, tiny soil critters of various sorts, sometimes including little millipedes, that are otherwise harmless, but scare some people. Even though newly set-up vivariums may look pristine and ideal, they never stay that way over time, but actually become more "healthy" as "stuff happens."
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
6 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
7 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
6 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
6 P. terribilis mint and organe
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus
2 P. lugubris

Here are some photos of a 7 year old tank, that has had only cursory maintenance. There are plenty of algae and molds in there, but everyone is healthy. In the first one, a D. galactonotus is swimming. This is difficult to catch with a camera, because they don't often do it deliberately, but mine often play and hunt on top of the floating leaves in the aquarium section. In the others, they are hunting on the river run short water falls, full of algaes and slime molds. All of the older frogs and the most of the original fish have lived in this environment for 7 years. I recently introduced 3 more D. galactonotus males to goose up the lives of the old female spinsters who had lived without sex for 7 years. These are the ones with brighter orange coloration.

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
6 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
7 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
6 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
6 P. terribilis mint and organe
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus
2 P. lugubris

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely set something up when I get the money. Do you have a picture of that entire set up? My only other question (then I'll stop asking newbie questions) is does that 7 year old tank have a false bottom? If not then screen seperating substrate? Thanks a bunch!

The 7 year old tank has a drainage layer under the terrestrial portion, but the aquarium section is divided from this by vertical glass, cut to fit and siliconed into place. You can see the gallery I have here by searching the gallery, both under arrow frogs and cages and terrariums by typing in slaytonp. Here's just a couple of the pictures taken of this tank.

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
6 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
7 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
6 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
6 P. terribilis mint and organe
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus
2 P. lugubris