[RNKot]

Greetings!

After some reading & running my own tank i got a question for those who know history of the hobby.

I've been encouraged a lot by euro tanks, seen on
Terraria fotoalbum
and
Terracom.tk
sure there are more of them, but this two are as an example.
As we see it’s mostly paludariums with multispecie inhabitants. I'm not asking for multispecie.

The question is why euro is directed toward paludariums while US hobby is dealing even without water feature.

I wish to know how & when such division took place, if anyone knows.

Thanks

 

[davecalk]

Greetings!

After some reading & running my own tank i got a question for those who know history of the hobby.

I've been encouraged a lot by euro tanks, seen on
Terraria fotoalbum
and
Terracom.tk
sure there are more of them, but this two are as an example.
As we see it’s mostly paludariums with multispecie inhabitants. I'm not asking for multispecie.

The question is why euro is directed toward paludariums while US hobby is dealing even without water feature.

I wish to know how & when such division took place, if anyone knows.

Thanks

I believe the answer lies in the over all purpose of the tank and in the size of the tank. In many of the Euro tanks I think the purpose or focus of the tank is for Display, to create a thing of Beautiful. Therefore water features, the sound of the waterfall, etc. these things are intended to be a the main focus of the tank, and the frogs are a beautiful secondary. Many here are more frog centric meaning that the health and care of the frog are paramount and king. The frogs don't need a water feature, in fact most of our frogs when found in the wild they don't live anywhere near a stream or pond. To the frog, a water feature just takes up valuable frog habitat. A water feature impacts our frog's hunting, foraging, and hiding places. Now can you have both beauty and frog habitat? Yes, absolutely, but in order to do that properly you need to increase the size of the tank. That is why many Euro tanks are very large enclosures. If you look at the rooms that many of the euro tanks are found in, you will see only one tank in the room. You will often find multi-species of frog enclosed within that single tank. That here is most often considered a no-no. Folks here will most often have multiple tanks that are smaller with a single individual species being enclosed in each tank. Many of the folks who build larger, single Euro tanks aren't as concerned about the hybrids which are produced within these multi-species tanks. To many in the states it is anathema to have hybrids produced. Also if you live in a small apartment, it is easier to have multiple smaller tanks with a different species of healthy frogs in each tank if you don't have a water feature than it is to have multiple large palladiums with different species. Water features are also harder to maintain than are tanks without the pump, water marks on the glass because of splash from the streams, etc.

Do we as spectators like to watch tanks with water features, beautiful plants and frogs, yes absolutely. Do our frogs want large spectacular water features, no not really. Especially if it means that they will be cramped for living space. Being cramped for space just stresses the frogs, it doesn't help them. Our frogs want the critters that are found in ugly leaf litter, not the ones found swimming in the pond. Our frogs don't lay their eggs in streams, but in honeymoon huts and on leaves. They prefer to drop their tad poles in still pools of water, not in flowing rivulets. Can you have both, yes absolutely. But it harder to provide both. Is it easy to go for pretty and create a more stressful cramped environment for our frogs? Yes people do it all the time.

 

[VicSkimmr]

Europe - Form = function
USA - Function > Form

(generalized obviously)

 

[varanoid]

Europe - Form = function
USA - Function > Form

(generalized obviously)

Simple but well put. My most successful vivs have had the KISS moto. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID. Call me American. Europeans definately do things beautifully though.

 

[David Becher]

If this helps any, I only do a water feature if I can drill a tank. That way I can keep the pump out of the tank, and I can do quick and easy water changes. I dont do anything crazy, I simply take a dremel and carve out some gs, paint it the way I want it to look, throw some java on it and there it is! So I think anything is acceptable as long as you can do it in a simple, clean way. And always remember, frogs first. My tincs are in love with the waterfall and sit in it all the time!

 

[john253]

I have a tank with a fancy water feature and a tank without...that being said i dont think unless i wanted to make a tank in a pinch or keep it really low maitnence i will make another without a water feature. And not just for looks. my tincs spend about 80% of there time in the water feature area. rather it be on the waterfall in the rock crevices or sitting up on water plants or logs/rocks in the water...a rarely see them on the land side. the variety of bog plants/water plants you can use in a water feature are amazing and provide places for the frogs to hang out in the water. only downfall is my tank with the water feature need almost daily maitnence were my other tank only needs flies. I have a divider silconed in place to keep the water in the water feature yet every day i lose about 30oz of water in a three galon feature and have to siphon it out of the dry side. minus the extra maitnence having a water feature (as long as it has stuff for the frogs to crawl around on) seems to enhance there lives...

 

[SmackoftheGods]

I would love a euro style viv. However, I care more about my collection than my tanks. A lot of the euro style vivs I see are just huge (150+ gallons). I'm willing to bet that if a european had a frog room like mine, with a bunch of littler tanks (none exceeding 40 gallons) to accomodate more species of frogs, that european would probably do it like me (if there _is_ a water feature then it's small and out of the way).

 

[RNKot]

Thanks for the opinions!

 

[train crash]

i was going to put a feature in mine, but i was using a tall setup(was a tree frog tank) and so didnt have the room. but my freind is adimant that water fetures make it look so much nicer and he is in the hobby for the looks of the frog. A shop near me also has a water feature in its dart frog set up(this was a year or two ago so they may not any more) and according ot them the frogs just sit in it all day. so i guess when it comes down to water features it isnt so much a european VS usa thing, more of space and how much you want to invest into the looks over the function. Hope that helps from a British point of view

 

[ranjini]

Thanks for your nice information.