My vivs

LooksLater · #1 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 05:04 PM

Hey everybody! I've been lurking around here for awhile, researching and looking at everyone's vivariums, but I thought I would finally post up my set-ups and get some feedback on the vivs...so here is what I've got (so far!):

15g high with 3 Melanophryniscus stelzneri 'Bumblebee Walking Toads' (1 female, 2 males) that were given to me. I've had them since April or so, and I see it as the beginning of a beautiful addiction. We call the viv Bag End; the female is named Strider (she was initially the bravest, walking around the tank all the time), one of the males is Frodo (he has a yellow ring on his shoulder), and the other male is Gandalf (he likes to straddle himself over crevices between the wood/glass, or plants/background, etc..."you shall not pass!"), kind of silly I know, but it keeps us amused.

Anyway, here's the viv:

Toad pile!

And here's a couple shots taken by a friend of mine with a much better camera.

This is my newest acquisition- a few days ago I bought 2 Dendrobates auratus 'Blue/Bronze' from a fellow hobbyist and put them into a viv I built from a 20g High. They don't have names yet, but I'm sure we'll come up with something equally silly. I'm unsure of their sexes, I figured I would let them settle in for awhile, fatten them up a bit, then try to get some better pictures and get some help sexing them. Here's their home:

And one pic I managed to get of the bravest one, when he (?) was out checking out the new digs yesterday.

I also took a video as he was out eating- please excuse the Loony tunes in the background (kids) and my shaky hands.

Dendrobates auratus, "Blue/Bronze".AVI - YouTube

I had so much fun building the vivs and love taking care of these beautiful creatures. A BIG thanks to the fellow hobbiest who got me started...!!

Thanks for looking everyone! Feel free to fire away with questions or criticisms.

frograck · #2 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 05:14 PM

Nice frogs, toads, and vivs. welcome to the addiction.

hydrophyte · #3 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 05:29 PM

Nice! Someday I want to do a setup for a little group of those Melanophryniscus.

Chillean frog · #4 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 05:29 PM

Those toads are awesome real beautiful! Where did you get them from?

jackjack2011 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 05:57 PM

how many gallons are your tanks? theyre really nicely set up

LooksLater · #6 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frograck

Nice frogs, toads, and vivs. welcome to the addiction.

Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrophyte

Nice! Someday I want to do a setup for a little group of those Melanophryniscus.

They are such fun to watch, I love the 'walking' behavior and though they are not great climbers, it doesn't seem to stop them from trying...and tumbling...to wherever they want to be, up or down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chillean frog

Those toads are awesome real beautiful! Where did you get them from?

I was lucky enough to have benefited from an ID mistake...they were given to a frogger friend as leucs and when they turned out not to be, he asked me if I'd like to take care of them- I'd been drooling over his vivs for a while, so I jumped at the chance. Now where they came from before that, I don't really know...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackjack2011

how many gallons are your tanks? theyre really nicely set up

Thanks! The newest one especially seems a little bare to me still, but hopefully it'll grow in nicely. The toads are in a 15 gallon tall, roughly 20 x 10.5 x 16.5". The darts are in a 20 gallon tall, about 24 x 12 x 17".

cschub13 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 07:33 PM

Looking good, only note I have would be the addition of some leaf litter and some sphag moss. Looks a wee bit dry in there...

LooksLater · #8 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cschub13

Looking good, only note I have would be the addition of some leaf litter and some sphag moss. Looks a wee bit dry in there...

Thanks! There is quite a bit of spag mixed into the substrate on both, but I got into the habit of burying/hiding it because the toads tend to trip over it. And I think you're right, the dart viv was a little too dry the first couple days. Just got the hygrometer put in and fixed that. The toads do need it a bit drier, I try to keep theirs at about 70%.

I've got some magnolia leaves collected but have been unsure on the process to get them ready- questions!

I know I should boil them, but for how long? 10 minutes or so? And boil them in RO or distilled, correct? Should I let them dry back out completely before adding them, or does it matter? Anything else I should do to them?

cschub13 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LooksLater

Thanks! There is quite a bit of spag mixed into the substrate on both, but I got into the habit of burying/hiding it because the toads tend to trip over it. And I think you're right, the dart viv was a little too dry the first couple days. Just got the hygrometer put in and fixed that. The toads do need it a bit drier, I try to keep theirs at about 70%.

I've got some magnolia leaves collected but have been unsure on the process to get them ready- questions!

I know I should boil them, but for how long? 10 minutes or so? And boil them in RO or distilled, correct? Should I let them dry back out completely before adding them, or does it matter? Anything else I should do to them?

Makes sense, but yeah I would just throw some damp sphag moss on top of the substrate and then put some leaves over the top of that.

For sterilizing the leaves just boil for 10 or 15 mins and let them dry out a bit. I don't think it matters what sort of water you use though.

LooksLater · #10 (**permalink**) 06-21-2012, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cschub13

Makes sense, but yeah I would just throw some damp sphag moss on top of the substrate and then put some leaves over the top of that.

For sterilizing the leaves just boil for 10 or 15 mins and let them dry out a bit. I don't think it matters what sort of water you use though.

Okay, thanks. I'll put some more spag in the frogs' viv and get the leaf litter ready. The only reason I ask about boiling in RO, etc. is because here in Houston we have liquid rock for tapwater, lots of mineral content and about 8.0 pH. I was thinking that isn't good for them to come into contact with since their skin is so porous, but maybe I misunderstood.