Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there..I know you get a lot of questions about false bottoms from newbies but it can be a bit confusing when you try to summarize all the different and sometimes conflicting information from all the different caresheets out there...I also understand that there is not a single good solution... but here are some questions I have been pondering regarding drainage systems in dart frog vivariums....My objective is to provide the healthiest environment with the easiest long term care of the terrarium...here are a couple of scenarios I envisionned...I am pretty sure that all 3 would work fine but I'd like to get the opinion from people who are using them on what works and what does not...

Combo 1) A drainage hole drilled in the bottom of the tank,no false bottom, a 2in layer of clay beads, rocks then soil, a waterfall on the other side of the terrarium. A separate reservoir underneath the tank with possibly a filter, an aquarium heater and a pump to bring the water back up. the bottom layer of the clay beads would always be wet but water would never accumulate in the tank, also with water flowing from one side of the tank to the other, there would be no chance of stagnating...all the electric equipment is out of the tank, easy to change, super easy to change the water...

COmbo 2) A false bottom, a drainage hole at the bottom of the tank but with an overflow system leaving a couple of cm of water in the bottom of the tank (to the level of the clay beads), an undertank water container with aquarium heater and pump /- filter. The benefit of this would be that the presence of the water under the tank would probably increase the humidity in the tank and would protect against sudden changes in temperature by providing a thermal mass...the downside of it is that water will stagnate more, it would be difficult to efficiently remove the water or debri from the bottom during cleaning...

Combo 3) use a false bottom, create a small partition on one side of the tank with cork to be able to put the waterpump and aquarium heater directly in the tank. Probably easiest but not the most efficient as far as cleaning and water changes are concerned and no chances of filtering...

????Any preferences or ideas?
Thanks

Hey,
I just did my first false-bottom about a month ago, I also have a tank that has an inch of gravel then soil, and the false bottom is much better looking and is a ton lighter. I kind of have your 3rd described senario. I have 3 inch pvc segments I believe, then eggcrate, screening then soil then moss. I have a heater hidden down below underneath the eggcrate but I don't use it(bah, wasted 25 bucks!), the compact light heats it enough, also there is a big fluval 104 pumping and cleaning the water. It works really well, and I love it! Here is a link to some pics and little descriptions of the tank in the making, http://www.frognet.org/gallery/album56
Have fun with whatever you do!

Hi Mark, nice setup...Is your water level just above the egg crate?
Noel

It actually started just below the eggcrate, but now I have lowered it so that at its deepest point its probably around 1 1/4 inches so that I can figure out how it looks before the frogs go in, so that if females get angry there is no drowning! Thanks!
Mark Jemison

Thanks for the Info Mark,
I remember seeing a website where they kept the water above the egg crate so that the bottom of the substrate (clay beads) was in the water. I suppose the water then humidifies the soil by capilary action. I your case, the water is no longer touching your substrate (correct?) Does your soil get enough moisture? Do you have to spray often or use mist? How does the moisture compares with your other terrarium without the false bottom?

Noel

Yes, the soil is not touching the water at all. The roots have gone through my screening and eggcrate and are forming huge clumps to obsorb whatever they want. I would say that the soil is around the same moisture level as my other tank because there is the water right below it which they can absorb.
Mark Jemison