# grassland vivarium?



## froggy_skibum (Aug 10, 2013)

Wanting to build a 10g grassland viv for my bumblebee toad. All of the vivariums which I've found for bumblebee toads are drier forest floor type setups, rather than the natural grassland habitat that they come. I've honestly never seen a grassland type vivarium but was hoping for some advice on where to start. Research says they live in pampas plants, so I'd like to recreate that but obviously having a 5' tall bush would be rather difficult. I'm thinking maybe I can find the fronds of the bottom of a pampas and line the back of the vivarium with them and for substrate use a mix of zoomed red excavator dirt and eco-earth for humidity. Any suggestions?


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## dravenxavier (Mar 12, 2008)

I have something similar (sorta) to this for my pair of Geckonia/Tarentola chazaliae. I used dried blue fescue salvaged from my local Home Depot. The biggest problem I've noticed is that they do not stand up to much force. As you can see, the one on the right where the male happens to hang out is starting to fail. They also mold with too much moisture. However, if kept moist enough and under bright enough lighting, you could attempt to keep the fescue alive.

Here's a picture. Substrate is a mix of play sand and topsoil.


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I like your thinking. Two plants that are grassy in appearance, and also form the same general area as bumble bee toads are Billbergia nutans and Zephyranthes citrina. Both should do well in terrarium conditions and be somewhat easy to find. Doing a wash cut kind of look might be pretty nice, giving a space for a small puddle of water in a low spot.


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## SDRiding (Jul 31, 2012)

What about the mondo grasses (Ophiopogon japonicus)? Several varieties and should do pretty well in a terrarium. I'm really liking this idea


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I've seen mondo grass work in vivs before


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## froggy_skibum (Aug 10, 2013)

I'm really thinking fescue is the route I want to go, it looks very close to what I want to achieve. epiphytes etc, thank you for the suggestions. Billbergia nutans looks great and I think will be my backup if the fescue fails. I think I'm going to cope out and have a shallow water dish over a FB and puddle. Mondo grass would probably work, but I think it'd need a much more moist, nutrient rich environment than a true grassland setup would offer.


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## theroc1217 (Jun 5, 2012)

You could have some luck finding miniature grasses from landscape nurseries, they often have them in the annuals sections. Depending on your desired level of wetness, you could also use Encyclias as they often have grassy foliage, but cost can be prohibitive. 

Alternatively, growing Pampas in a large pot and structuring a habitat around it would also be a very good idea.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

K-I-S-S...

I'm with SD and frogparty on this one--think mondo grass. The reason you see "dry forest" rather than "savannah" vivaria is because the former are far easier to set up and maintain, especially in a small tank. Do you realize the brilliant lighting you would need for say, Dyckia in a vivarium?!? Maybe you could use a couple of African succulents, but this type of tank may be too dry. A good savannah set up for small lacertas or agamines is no smaller than a 30, and that is the minimum. 

Bear in mind, while many amphibians may come from drier geographic areas, but they actually live in fairly humid microclimates.

Suggested plants:

Any smaller fern that does not need super high humidity (e.g., Pteris)
Dwarf mondo grass (_Ophiopogon japonicus_ 'nana')
A grey leafed tillandsia or two (make it easy--ionantha, caput medusae, stricta, etc. I would use aeranthos, as it is from Argentina!)
African hosta (Drimiopsis maculata)
Maybe a smaller, easy peperomia, like glabella or orba.

O-kay--you just _need_ a grassier look?!? 
--Try a fiber optic grass (Isolepis)

Oh--you just gotta to have a mounted orchid? You gotta?
--_ Sophronitis cernua_ can tolerate some drying out.

Personally, I would go to a 20L use 2 mondo (near the water area), 1 pep, 2 mounted tillandsias, that's it. 
--Open areas can have some oak litter and bark chips; 
--Screen top; 
--A double aquarium strip with two Daylite 20W (24") T8s provide more than enough light (e.g., Exo Terra 2.0);
--Spray every morning to simulate morning dew. 

You could easily maintain a group of 4-5 toads in this set up, and they would certainly enjoy it! (And this tank would be easily transportable to college or grad school.) 

Hope this helps.


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## froggy_skibum (Aug 10, 2013)

> Alternatively, growing Pampas in a large pot and structuring a habitat around it would also be a very good idea.


that is something I was considering as I have seen pampas offered in large pots, but that'd be some for when I'm in a place long term, I don't think it would be very welcome in employee housing on the mountain.


> You could have some luck finding miniature grasses from landscape nurseries, they often have them in the annuals sections.


thanks, still haven't made it to the local nursery yet but will keep an eye open when I do. 


> Bear in mind, while many amphibians may come from drier geographic areas, but they actually live in fairly humid microclimates


aware of this, that's why part of my OP included mixing eco-earth and excavator clay, not sure how well it'd work or good it would look. Another thought I had was planting the grasses in eco-earth or similar moisture retaining medium and surrounding the plants with the excavator clay to recreate the look of savanna.


> I'm with SD and frogparty on this one--think mondo grass. The reason you see "dry forest" rather than "savannah" vivaria is because the former are far easier to set up and maintain, especially in a small tank


I've already got my toad in a forest floor setup, I like it but I'm looking forward to the challenge of creating a vivarium that replicates natural habitat. I'm not about to throw it together in a weekend, say it looks good, and throw in my toad. I'm going to set it up, run it for a while and see if it will be able to hold humidity and provide a proper environment. 


> Do you realize the brilliant lighting you would need for say, Dyckia in a vivarium?!?


1) I could easily provide intense lighting, 4w or 4x1w LED bulbs are cheap and easy to get on ebay for a DIY project or I could go up to 4x18w T5HO for a premade fixture
2) wasn't aware of Dyckia, but it does look really cool and comes from the region
your post certainly does help(as well as everybody's here) it has given me a lot to consider and look into. Right now it's an idea I'd like to get started on and based off of the few pictures I've found of SA savanna


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## d.crockett (May 27, 2009)

Acorus gramineus minimus may be something worth checking out as well. Please be sure to post pics when it's done!


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Doesn't Acorus like it really moist?!?



d.crockett said:


> Acorus gramineus minimus may be something worth checking out as well. Please be sure to post pics when it's done!


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Froggy, my man: Noooo to Dyckia! These are simply not plants for tanks. I grow a _D. platyphylla_ in a xeriscape--outdoors--in da Bronx--zone 7B. It deals with full sun, heat waves, thunderstorms, frosts... But it will not compromise on its need for fresh air and full sun.

If you would like to use a terrestrial bromeliad as a feature plant, consider a drier growing cryptanthus or a smaller orthophytum. 

(Btw, I think that _Aechmea recurvata_--which I also grow in the ground--would also stretch in a tank).


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## d.crockett (May 27, 2009)

Groundhog said:


> Doesn't Acorus like it really moist?!?


I think you may be right. I don't really have any experience growing it.


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