Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking to transform my 55 gallon aquarium into a semi-aquatic rainforest vivarium. And im debating on whether or not to stick with small tree frogs and reptiles or get a water snake. But before i decide that, how should i go about making the habitat semi-acuatic. I saw a plastic wall type thing at a pet store once that on one side is land and one side is water and its slanted like this " / ". But i have not seen those since. I would like to go with this, so if you know of anywhere to get them, let me know. Or if there is a better way of going about this let me know. thanks

the tank divider you are probaly talking about is not made anymore. there are different types that are similar, but cost $50-100 a piece. the simplest way to divide a tank is to use plexiglass. i created a 1/3 land to 2/3 water tank in a 20 gal long for my firebellies. all you need is a piece of 1/4-3/8" thick plexiglass, a tube of aquarium silicone and a warm day when you can do it outside since the silicone will smell for a day or two while it cures. cut the plexiglass at the proper length to fit across the tank (you can either score the plexiglass a couple otf times with a razor knife or carefully cut it with a table or circular, but use eye protection if using the saws) and the proper height to allow for about 1/2" to an inch of glass sticking abov ethe waters surface, i.e., if the water is six inches deep, cut the plexi 7 inches high. determine the angle at which you want the plexiglass to be, ususally about 80 degrees or about the angle of the slash mark ( / ). determine where in the tank you want the plexiglass and run a bead of silicone along the outline of the tank where the plexiglass will meet the glass of the tank, set the plexiglass in the silicone and let it set for 2 minutes, you my need to hold or prop up the plexiglass until it gets tacky, then silicone the around the plexiglass on both sides and smooth out. then let it dry for 24-48 hrs and your good to go.
hope this helps

2.0.0 whites treefrogs
0.1.0 mexican leaf frog (P. dacnicolor)
1.0.0 golden treefrog
0.0.1 green treefrog
1.0.0 southern leapord frog
2.0.0 green frogs
0.0.1 bullfrog
1.0.1 smokey jungle frogs
2.0.0 pixie frogs
1.0.0 pac-man frog
3.0.2 fire-belly toads
0.0.1 yellow-belly toad
1.0.1 fire-belly newts
1.0.0 blue-spotted salamander
0.1.0 yellow spotted salamander
1.0.0 barred tiger salamander
1.1.0 blotched tiger salamander
1.0.0 eastern tiger salamander
1.0.0 gray tiger salamander
0.0.4 koi
0.0.1 fantail comet
0.1.0 green iguana
1.0.0 german shepard
1.0.0 quaker parrolette

is there anything besides aquarium silicon i can use?

i would assume that there are other safe products on the market that are usable, though i have not used any other products myself, nor do i know of any names for the other products that may exist. i use aquarium silicone because it is safe for all pets and it cures relativly quickly. i would not suggest using any other product unless it states that it is pet safe, i.e. don't use superglue, regular silicone or latex caulk, etc. because they are not safe for pets and you would be taking an unnecessary risk that could result in tragedy. if you don't have the time or want to use plexiglass and silicone then i would suggest using a plastic platform or rocks to build up an area out of the water. otherwise the alternatives either take some time and effort or cost a good buck to obtain, the plastic tank divider w/ waterfall and such i believe you were talking about is called the waters edge and is no longer in production, they can be bought on ebay and amazon. com, but frequently go for well over $200.00 if they are new. if you would like to see a picture of my aquarium with the plexiglass siliconed in, to get an idea of how it looks, email me at tegu24@yahoo.com and i will send a pic to you.

Silicone is the best thing to use. It isn't hard to apply and is totally nontoxic and sturdy once it dries.

I caution you about getting a watersnake. I assume you are reffering to those snakes in the genus Nerodia. If you have not kept many snakes before, you should not get a Nerodia. Many of them have specific requirements, they are high maintanence, can be pickey eaters, and have a reputation of being extremely aggresive. They are not beginner snakes. Even if you are an intermediate level snake keeper, you should seriously reconsider getting a Nerodia.

My suggestion is to stick with frogs.