Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im planning on constructing a vivarium for my new whites tree frog very soon... The dimensions of the vivarium will be 3'x3'x3' thus making it about 200 gallons. Now... the thing i need help with is the inside... I want the inside to consist of a built in water area. I plan on laying a layer of white marble gravel that i just baught and then filling making the water level slightly below the top of the marble. Then i will add a clearing in a corner of the vivarium for the frogs to bath/wade in. In the corner I will be puting a water pump in and I will then be pumping the water threw a tube into a canister filter which will contain ammochips and filter floss (to kill ammonia and filter out any debris)...

Ok, now I have some questions...
How high should the rock layer be?
What kind of substrate should i put over the rock so that i can plant some live plants?
Which live plants would be best?
and will this pose a humidity problem?

I have them temporarily in a 20h right now, and the humidity seems to be an issue, with only paper towels and a water bowl (without mistings) the humidity is at 50%. I am hoping that since the new enclosure will be consideratly larger that this will help with ventillation... Am i right?

Thank you to those who reply )

I'm sure you will get lots of responces helping with height for the marble. Sounds like it will be much like a false bottom tank. Your humidity is actually perfect, you want it around 50% for White's. As for substrate, bed a beat works great and plants seem to thrive in it. You may need to add a plexi divider so that the substrate doesn't get soaked by the water. But that is fairly simple. As for plants, Pothos, mother in law tongue (or snake plant) are two that work very well in that sort of set up.

Hope I helped a little
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Heather

Thanks a lot for your responce, and yes, it was helpful

About the humidity, the 50% is in the temporary aquarium they are in now, when i add the water and plants and 'pool' when i build the new vivarium i am thinking that the humidity will raise considerably. I am asking if this will be a problem despite the fact that the vivarium will be a lot larger than the aquarium

I'm assuming that with the larger enclosure and enough ventalation you should be just fine. You can go as high as 60% on the humidity before having to worry about bacterial problems. If the humidity does end up running too high you can always add a fan. There are quite a few people who rig up computer fans to help with ventalation and such.
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Heather

how will you acess the vivarium???? the best option would probably be sliding glass doors at the front, is the whole enclosure glass????

if you have a lot of live plants in their, it will raise the humidity. the best way to drop the humidity is to use a incandescent heat light or a ceramic heat emitter, these do not only provide heat for your enclosure but they also dry it and decrease the huimidity.

on your land section have about 3-10cm gravel/stones, and then on top of that put peat dirt, or bed-a-beast.

here is a pic of my 70gallon vivarium for my whites.

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http://luke_zecevic.tripod.com/frogsofaustralia

I will probably be accessing the vivarium from the top like you would an aquarium. I wouldnt want the sliding door because i plan to have the water level above the glass, so if i slide the front open the water would come out, lol...

I am debating whether or not to use all glass or use melamine or plywood painted with epoxy paint. Either way i would have the front section glass for veiwing purposes.

Thanks for your info about the humidity.

not necaceraliy, if the doors are only in the middle, and dont extend right down the bottom and top. then you will be able to make a water area, without any probs.

luke z
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http://luke_zecevic.tripod.com/frogsofaustralia

If all goes well I will be buying the melamine tommarow and the glass and epox, and etc...

I will be taking pictures as i build, and if the vivarium works according to my plans, I will upload them and make a DIY website for the vivarium

Thank you to all who posted.