Building a vivarium

[arachnocat]

I'm working on building a vivarium. It's an exciting project, I've been wanting to make one for a long time and have spent hours looking at people's viv pics online. I made a nice background out of foam and just put an area in for the waterfall today. I'll post some pics later.
This is going to be a rainforest habitat and I plan to get a few red eyed tree frogs. My vivarium is a tall 20 gal tank. I want to select a few plants this weekend, but I read on the frog caresheets that certain plants can be toxic to frogs. None of the articles mention what plants are toxic. Does anyone know?

 

[REAL]

I recall seeing a lot of DIY threads in other places like

plantedtank.net (they build all tons of stuff)

and some other reptile forums such as kingsnake

You should check them out. I haven't been there for months or years but they had some pretty thorough diagrams and very knowledgable people there. I'd search for you but I have work in 30 minutes so I have to get ready. Good luck on your search!

 

[rollinkansas]

If your looking for vivarium safe plants, id check, out the following 2 websites:

www.blackjungle.com

www.fantasticfrogs.com

Both carry a wide selection of plants for your vivarium..Ive ordered from them both before, and never been disappointed.

 

[Scott C.]

vivariumforum.com is a great place for some really good advice/help. check it out, and good luck with your project.

oh yeah, black jungle rocks....

 

[Fenrir]

Dendroboard Best info you will find on vivs period. I would also recommend against water features in tanks under 50g. You will most likely regret it down the road. They just take up way too much floor space in smaller tanks. Maybe make multiple levels in the tank instead? You can make fake rocks and ledges using polystyrene and grout. Black jungle has the most diverse list of plants next to Glasshouse Works . Blackjungle is a newb friendly site in regards to plants but can be pricey and sloooow. Glasshouse works has every plant under the sun, but you gotta know your scientific names and what you want. Making vivs are a blast and i highly recommend you take your time and get good lighting. The Exo-terra full spectrum bulbs are good for small tanks and you can use saltwater reef lighting for big long or deep tanks. Check out dendroboard though its a very active board and has all the answers you could ask for.

Making Fake Rocks