Dendrobate style enclosure

[maitre]

Has anyone ever done a dendrobate-styled enclosure for their T's?

They are like robc's tanks to the EXTREME with elaborate backgrounds, large #'s of different plants and mosses, false bottoms, flowing water, etc. Of course I wouldn't put flowing water in (unless it's an H. gigas!) but I love all the plants/moss.

I have a spare 20H lying around and am thinking of setting up a dendro-style tank now to give it a few months to 'grow in.'

Here are some cool pics I found on dendroboard that I'm gonna use as inspiration

 

[Clement]

this is a nice idea but i dont think you'll see your t really often with all the leafs...

 

[skips]

Awesome vivs. What kind of PDFs do you have? I want to build one of these eventually and get a few imitators or something. They look really complicated but I dont think so really. Probably expensive though. Are you putting in a false bottom for drainage or introducing colembolans like you would in a PDF tank? I'd like to see what you do with this.

 

[Stopdroproll]

Looks similar to TheNatural's.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=54776

 

[BrynWilliams]

My biggest concern with an enclosure like this one would be about food items.

If you need to get them out (i.e. moulting, egg sacs, etc) how would you ever begin to try fish the food item out or find them all? It would work if you only fed pre-kills.

I like the look of the tanks btw, just think they'd be a PAIN to work with day to day

 

[flamesbane]

I would think lighting might be a problem...they are cool though

 

[maitre]

Skips, I don't keep PDF's right now. I'm planning on using this style of enclosure for my crested gecko (I have 1 male and am planning to get a female at the next reptile show in Feb.) and for my P. rufilata or P. formosa commune when they grow up!

SDR, I just started going through TheNatural's thread and I've got to say the enclosures are awesome!! : P More inspiration!

Bryn, I plan on using this style of enclosure for my pokies when they grow up. By then, I can feed them adult dubia and tong feeding shouldn't be too much of a problem. I know what you mean though.. maintenance will be hard but these vivariums aren't supposed to be perfectly clean either. I'm going to use isopods to help keep things under control!

flamesbane, there are mixed opinions about lighting through glass. Some people say UVB rays can go through, others say they can't. I plan on using a CFL shining through screening so there wouldn't be a glass/plexi filter. Apparently there is a type of plexi that doesn't filter light! It's called Sola...something

 

[Moltar]

I think a major concern with tanks of this type would be most species' tendency to dig. Many terrestrial, tropical species that would thrive in the humid environment created by that setup would probably start digging stuff up and moving it around to make room for itself. You'd have to make premade burrows and try to figure a way to guard against other stuff getting trashed. It will probably be a bit of a challenge with a trial-and-error period but certainly possible.

Good luck, please post progress pics or even a walkthrough, if you can.

 

[skips]

As for the cleanliness of the enclosure, most dart froggers never clear there's. That's the entire point of having that much plant life (especially having a moss bed) and introducing collembolans. also, many have false bottom. The entire point is for it to be a working ecosystem. And if people keep something as sensitive as a thumbnail dart frog in one without ever cleaning it, I promise you any other organism will be fine. Do some posting on dendroboard. Dont take my word for it.