Tank Setups.

[Dozer]

Can we all post up pictures of tank setups for our amphibians? I have some older pictures of what some of my tanks USED to look like, but over time I've created some really sweet lookin' tanks for my frogs and toads. Here are the older pictures. I'll try to get newer ones up ASAP.

Old Simple Toad Tank (http://community.webshots.com/photo/43883367/53651073QxsIiX)

Another Tank My Toads Lived In (http://community.webshots.com/photo/43883367/55598954vuaOPO)

Both of these are very basic tanks with a few plants, moss, a water dish , notice the flat land, etc. Lately my tanks have been worked one with cork bark backgrounds, hanging plants, different levels, etc. etc. I would like to get pictures of those ASAP however my friend with his Digi camera is on vacation at this point in time.

Post the pictures up!

[drewlowe]

WOW both of the ways they were set up were nice. I especially like the first on. Both of those put my little thing to shame lol.

[meow_mix450]

ya im gonna say the same thing WOW that is amazing i really like the frist one with the moss really awesome god job

[meow_mix450]

And do you use fake, real plants or both cause i cant tell:P

[Dozer]

Its all real :)

[Bencb3]

dude, i now have somting to go by, if u wanna see my setup just click on the mini pics on this url http://invisionfree.com/forums/3rdstreet/index.php?showtopic=25
*edit* i plan on making mine better, but it was 10pm when i made it so i plan on fixing it tomorrow(tuesday) great job man

[alan]

Dozer: Both setups look really great, how much did they cost you? I don't have any amphibians yet but I am considering getting some Red Eyeds next year.

[Dozer]

Its really cheap to get any kind of setup going. The more complex ones ( with cork bark backgrounds, over hanhging plants, rivers , etc. etc. ) can be done with roughly 100 dollars :) That, I must add, are like the sweet, crazy looking dart tanks. Most of the time, a few plants are purchased ( local Rona, Building Box, Home Depot... and clippings from the zoo, botanical garden and Grandma's house :D lol ) for merely 20 dollars ( could cost more if you get bromelaids and such ). I collect live moss from a forest in my area, I just make sure its clear of big bugs and make sure its pesticide free. Sticks I get from downed trees ( the ends of any brach is ussually twisted into cool ways and such ). However, many things may be purchased and nice looking tanks may be done as well. If you wants something cheap, you can make it, if you feel like you wanna spend more moeny ( or jsut lazy sometimes ) you can go out and purchase all of it. The tank that I'm still working on, the only things I bought were Earth Stars, a few no-name plants from Rona, a few bromelaids and river rocks to silicone together a nice looking water dish, oh, and cork bark ( all this roughly cost me 50 dollars ). I collected moss from outside, nice peices of wood ( make sure you clean the well ) and a crap laod of pebbles to provide drainage for the tank. Took me two days for it to peice together, I'm hoping to get some photos soon :)

Hope this gave you some ideas...

[alan]

Thanks, that really helps. One more question though (may be a stupid one :P), how are you sure the stuff that you collect from outside is pesticide free? Or is there someway that you can make them pesticide free?

[Dozer]

Well, you can judge whether it is or not. I tend to go into a forest, trek in a bit to get away from houses, roads, etc. etc. Find a secluded spot , look around for moss. Check the surroundings out, ask yourself a few questions, is there garbage around the moss, is there any type of can ( paint cans, aerosol cans, etc. ), is there anything that can harm animals around? Look at the moss, does the patch you got around it have brown blotches? Any type of "gunk",stagnant water touching the moss ( this tends to be somethings to get away from ). Just use common sense really, judge the surroundings. I've heard of people trekking into the woods for hours looking for clean moss. I just walk into a near by forest and look around, I've never found problems with the amount of times I've done this.

[alan]

Thanks! Keep us posted on ur new setups :D

[Dozer]

If anyone has any questions, just post it up or PM me with it. I talk from experience and knowledge from literature. Only $2.99 per PM please ;) lol

[MartinW]

Those look great Dozer! I agree with the others, the first one is amazing! I have a frog tank, unfortunately I don't have a camera. I put in some half water/half land plants I found by the river but they all decayed and now they're almost completely gone. I'm not sure why they're disappearing, maybe the tadpoles ate them? I also have a lilly-pad which is dying as well, probably because I cut off the roots so next time I'm out I'm going to keep the roots. I use an old Fluval 2 filter with a tube attached that shoots the water to the top of a pile of flat rocks to make a waterfall. Unfortunately the filter gets clogged often. I also have some bamboo sticks.

Martin

[Dozer]

I find bamboo being a great add-on to semi aquatic tanks. I get mine from a local bait shop ( yes, a bait shop! ) and simply place the bamboo shoots ( oh man, I honestly dont know how to spell that :( ) into the water and they grow, grow and grow.

[hush]

whats do you use as soil?

[MartinW]

I don't use soil. I use regular white aquarium gravel and I pile up a bunch of flat rocks I found at the beach to make platforms out of the water. I do have a venus fly trap tank where I use peat moss though.

Martin