# large vivarium



## asch803 (Nov 10, 2007)

Brent, may i ask what are the dimensions of your large vivarium and do you have any suggestions regarding the doors and also how much misting is needed, etc? I am going to have it specially built in the next few weeks and would love your input. I will likely keep a pair of bastis in a smaller vivarium (ultimately a decent sized exo terra type setup) and then in this big vivarium, a group of thumbs most likely. From what i've read, many of the thumbs do better in small groups than the pumilios - they seem to do best in pairs as you've said. All of the input everyone is giving is extremely valuable - THANKS!!!

Andy


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

My viv is 36"w x 36"t x 18"d. If I had it to do over again, I would make it 24" deep. So the dimensions you are considering are very similar. Of the 3 dimensions of a viv, I have always found that the depth is always the most limiting, followed by the height. I can live with narrow, but shallow or short are more limiting to the way I plant vivs.

I would recommend having a drain in the viv so if you add a misting system, it is a flow through type. I pump a lot of water into my pumilio viv because they are blue jeans that like it wet and the broms get a good flush of fresh water. But that will be species specific.

The doors on mine are simple sliding doors on dual track. People complain about the division down the middle of sliding doors but in life they don't look bad at all. But I would use glass for the doors rather than acrylic.

Sure, a group of thumbs would do well. My main advice for large vivs is to resist the temptation to add more frogs because it is larger. Giving frogs more elbow room actually enhances the interest of the vivarium IMO. So if you would add 3-6 thumbs in a 29g viv, I'd probably add no more than that to a much larger viv. There is a myth that it is harder to see frogs in larger vivs but it is only a myth.


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## asch803 (Nov 10, 2007)

*large viv advice*

great info, thanks! I am likely going to go with the sliding doors too - any problem ff proofing them? Do you have any kind of water feature or pond? I'm thinking about doing just a bog area (or swamp area) and also a small "pond" which would just be a bowl maybe 2" deep and then have "swamp" around that (about 1/3 of the bottom) in a low section and then a false bottom raised about 2 or 3" in the other 2/3 of the tank...i was going to just do a syphon hose to get rid of extra water, but guess that a drain is probably better. Is your drain in the bottom or is it at the very bottom of the back glass? btw, mine is going to be all glass (1/4")...and then about 30% of the top will be screened with the rest being glass...how does that sound, is ventilation enough? I think i'm going to just have him put one 1/2" hole in the glass top for the misting system, or should i have multiple holes?? With regard to inhabitants, I was thinking a group would be 5 or 6, certainly no more than 7 if for no other reason than the cost...so i'm glad to hear about what you say with not needing too many frogs for it to really look good.

Thanks!

Andy


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

*Re: large viv advice*



asch803 said:


> great info, thanks! I am likely going to go with the sliding doors too - any problem ff proofing them?


I guess it depends on how big your tank is, but what are the odds that the ff will find a 1/8 inch gap between the sliders? Maybe a few will escape but it represents only a fraction of surface area.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

*Re: large viv advice*



jdogfunk99 said:


> asch803 said:
> 
> 
> > great info, thanks! I am likely going to go with the sliding doors too - any problem ff proofing them?
> ...


In my experience 99% of the flies will find the gap between the doors in a matter of seconds ... or this may just be my perception :wink: 
Seriously: I had quite a few flies escaping that way. Now all my vivs are ff-proofed by adding a strip of silicone between the doors and my house is fruitfly free ( yeah right  ).


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

Regarding adding a strip of silicone between the doors, how does that affect the overall transparency from a distance? Is it visually obvious?


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

it is right on the edge of the door so you would see a line there anyway. it is probably a little bit more visible with the strip but it doesn't bother me and It makes a big difference for keeping the flies in.

lights are out now (2:30 am here) but I'll try to take a picture tomorrow.


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

That would be awesome Nathalie!


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

OK, a little bit later then promised, but here are the picutres.

here is what a line of silicone looks like:

















I have also used the strips that are sold for this purpose by some european shops (I don't know if they sell them in the US?) and I like them more because I think they are less visible:
















this is the same tank when first set up without the strip... I don't think the visual difference is very big but the number of ff that escape sure has changed


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## asch803 (Nov 10, 2007)

great pics! that is really not that bad - kind of impressive how straight it is, guess you use either a ruler or tape? couldn't that line of silicone be closer to the edge of the glass (so it's a little less visible)? any idea where to find the "european strips?" Do you have a drain in your tank? I'm having the tank built very soon and for now, i'm planning 1/2" hole toward the bottom of the back glass for a drain and then two 1/2" holes in the top (1 for misting hose and 1 for humidifier hose). Figure it's easy enough to plug the hole rather than have it drilled after the tank is built...Suggestions please!!!

Thanks!

Andy


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

the strip of silicone actually IS on the edge of the glass, but since there are always two windows you also have two lines. one of the lines is more visible because of the silicone strip.

to apply you use masking tape that you stick on the window that will have the silicone, very close to the edge. on the other window you put some "grease" (vaseline) so the silicone will only stick to one of the two windows.
you then put a line of silicone in the "crack" between the two windows, run your finger (with soap) along the side of the window, let it dry a little bit and then remove the masking tape. that way you *should* end up with a staight line. lately here all the tanks are sold with the silicone already in place, so it is done by professionals (that's why it looks so good) but it isn't that difficult and you can always remove the silicone and start again.

the strips are sold by most european suppliers like ENT, dutch Rana, ...

the first 3 vivs are drained. the last one is an older one and has no drain but an internal biofilter under a false bottom and an internal pump. I don't really like the internal pump so all my recent vivs have drains. I would have the hole for the drain drilled, like you said you can always put a plug in the drain.


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## asch803 (Nov 10, 2007)

Thanks Nathalie! Ok, now i see that the silicone is at the edge...Do you have any other suggestions? It seems that everything in this hobby is further along in Europe, just like reefkeeping...

Thanks!

Andy


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