# How long does a vivarium last?



## Guest (Feb 1, 2005)

I am in the process of designing a vivarium, and I wonder how long a set up will go before it needs to be redone. Will the soil eventually get depleted of nutrients or do the frogs, dead bugs, etc provide enough nutrients? I plan on using a false bottom that can be drained if necessary. I would think that that water that sits in the false bottom would get fairly polluted over time, is this the case? Lastly, do the different types of organic backgrounds tend to rot or fall apart over time?

Thanks,

-Jim


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2005)

*d*

Depending on types of materials used, I would venture to say a vivarium will last as long as you want it to, within reason. I have heard of tanks lasting 10 years or more, but I dont think I would be able to look at the same tank for that long. 

That being said, use good wood like oak or cypress to extend the life of the tank. Soil will be replenished by frog poo and dead flies and general life in the tank. However, sooner or later most soils will decompose to mush. Soil can be replaced after a few years though, as I have used the same soil in a tank for over a year with no problems. It will last longer if it is not constantly wet. 

Water in the false bottom can get to LOOK nasty over time, but the general consensus is that frogs dont spend enough time in the water to cause a problem with water quality. I try to keep mine looking halfway clean and freshening it on a regular basis though. The plants in the tank will go a long way towards helping water quality. 

Background? Great stuff background I dont think would decompose at all. Coco backgrounds I dont have any experience with, so I cant really comment on those. 

I hope I helped. This forum is a wealth of information. Read all you can!


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## chuckpowell (May 12, 2004)

I've had one with gravel, undergravel filter, wood, java moss, and magnola leaves going for 13+ years straight - no changes. Well except for partial water changes a few time a year. My frogs breed in it every year. 

Best,

Chuck


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

My vivs have been going for 5-7 years (most of them 7) with no water changes, no fertilizer, and the "soil" is just fine. Half of these vivs have a kitty litter soil substrate. Cork bark backgrounds stand the test of time. Even hedge, which is very rot resistant, and lasts 100+ years as fence posts, has broken down in the vivs over this time. The the vivs still look pretty good and the frogs breed.


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2005)

Brent, could you please tell me what specie hedge is? I'm not familiar with the term as a common name specie.
Thanks.
Lynn


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

MR2 said:


> Brent, could you please tell me what specie hedge is? I'm not familiar with the term as a common name specie.
> Thanks.
> Lynn


Oops, sorry, a bit of Kansas drawl slipped in there. It's Osage Orange or Bois de arc (_Maclura pomifera _). Dense and hard as a rock and probably sinks in water. 100 hundred years in the Kansas ground and it's still solid. 10 years in a viv and it's humus. But still the longest lasting piece of wood I've ever tried. It's the only thing left in that viv that still looks anything like wood.


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