20G Vivarium Journal

Ishar · 09-22-2008, 08:33 PM

Well I think I have decided to take the leap into keeping lizards- likely yellow headed day geckos- in a live vivarium.

The plan is this:
1. Get a full glass top.
2. Buy either some topsoil or some reptile substrate mix with sphagnum, fir and peat.
3. Lay a 2" layer of aquarium gravel for a drainage layer, with a hidden tube that goes to the bottom that will allow me to siphon out old water every once in a while.
4. Buy plants and start trying to grow them in the vivarium.
5. After getting a feel for the plants add some wood hardscape- not sure what kind, but something branchy. Can stuff I find outside work?
6. Buy the geckos.

Any ideas or suggestions from anyone on this plan? I know it will take a while, and I quite ok with that. I want to research this thing to the max before I dive into buying lizards and stuff.

Ishar · 09-22-2008, 08:33 PM

I went out and sampled some random tropical plants from Walmart for $2 each, and planted them next to some mint plants I have been cultivating for home use. I know this was outlined as step 4, but I had the room and found them so cheap I figured heck- why not right?

Here are some pictures from my webcam to show the plants. If anyone has any ID ideas or any info on them feel free to share

.

Ishar · 09-23-2008, 02:49 AM

well as it turns out one plant is a peace lily... which gets far too large for a vivarium, so it will get replanted in apot or something.

**@marko@** · 09-25-2008, 10:10 PM

what humidity is yours? i cant seem to get my tank to stay at 80% for more then a few minutes. it drops to 60% with a few hours.

i like it. the planting is thick and looks like a really jungle, just what p. klemmeri likes.

Darkness9876 · 11-06-2008, 03:10 AM

The plant in the far right corner is a diffenbachia, also know as a dumb cane. I have one in my 90g terrarium and it grows quite well, the more light the more white as well.

The one is a peace lilly like you said, If you have a sump for a fishtank they are great nitrate hogs.

As far as the other plants I have seen them but I don't know what they're called ATM.

09-22-2008, 08:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ishar Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hamilton Posts: 130	20G Vivarium Journal Well I think I have decided to take the leap into keeping lizards- likely yellow headed day geckos- in a live vivarium. The plan is this: 1. Get a full glass top. 2. Buy either some topsoil or some reptile substrate mix with sphagnum, fir and peat. 3. Lay a 2" layer of aquarium gravel for a drainage layer, with a hidden tube that goes to the bottom that will allow me to siphon out old water every once in a while. 4. Buy plants and start trying to grow them in the vivarium. 5. After getting a feel for the plants add some wood hardscape- not sure what kind, but something branchy. Can stuff I find outside work? 6. Buy the geckos. Any ideas or suggestions from anyone on this plan? I know it will take a while, and I quite ok with that. I want to research this thing to the max before I dive into buying lizards and stuff. __________________ Old 20G New 20G Long: 3.25WPG, Pres. CO2, Mineralized Soil & Flourite Daily Ferts [mL]: 12ppm NO3, 1.5 PO3, 0.5 ppm Fe, 2-5mL Trace from 4tbs/L Flora: Hairgrass, Java Moss, Christmas moss, Java Fern, Java Fern 'Windelov', Stargrass, Jungle Val, Val, Rotala rotundifolia, Onion Bulb, Giant Bacopa, Hygro 'Ceylon', Riccia fluitans Fauna: 15 Silver-Tipped Tetras, 3 Neon Tetras, 5 guppy fry, 4 Elegans Corys, 3 Ottos

09-22-2008, 08:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ishar Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hamilton Posts: 130	I went out and sampled some random tropical plants from Walmart for $2 each, and planted them next to some mint plants I have been cultivating for home use. I know this was outlined as step 4, but I had the room and found them so cheap I figured heck- why not right? Here are some pictures from my webcam to show the plants. If anyone has any ID ideas or any info on them feel free to share . __________________ Old 20G New 20G Long: 3.25WPG, Pres. CO2, Mineralized Soil & Flourite Daily Ferts [mL]: 12ppm NO3, 1.5 PO3, 0.5 ppm Fe, 2-5mL Trace from 4tbs/L Flora: Hairgrass, Java Moss, Christmas moss, Java Fern, Java Fern 'Windelov', Stargrass, Jungle Val, Val, Rotala rotundifolia, Onion Bulb, Giant Bacopa, Hygro 'Ceylon', Riccia fluitans Fauna: 15 Silver-Tipped Tetras, 3 Neon Tetras, 5 guppy fry, 4 Elegans Corys, 3 Ottos

09-23-2008, 02:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
Ishar Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hamilton Posts: 130	well as it turns out one plant is a peace lily... which gets far too large for a vivarium, so it will get replanted in apot or something. __________________ Old 20G New 20G Long: 3.25WPG, Pres. CO2, Mineralized Soil & Flourite Daily Ferts [mL]: 12ppm NO3, 1.5 PO3, 0.5 ppm Fe, 2-5mL Trace from 4tbs/L Flora: Hairgrass, Java Moss, Christmas moss, Java Fern, Java Fern 'Windelov', Stargrass, Jungle Val, Val, Rotala rotundifolia, Onion Bulb, Giant Bacopa, Hygro 'Ceylon', Riccia fluitans Fauna: 15 Silver-Tipped Tetras, 3 Neon Tetras, 5 guppy fry, 4 Elegans Corys, 3 Ottos

09-25-2008, 10:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
@marko@ Algae: $10 shipped (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: livingston, nj Posts: 3,041	what humidity is yours? i cant seem to get my tank to stay at 80% for more then a few minutes. it drops to 60% with a few hours. i like it. the planting is thick and looks like a really jungle, just what p. klemmeri likes. __________________ Eheim Pimp #296 Eheim Ecco 2232 (x2), Eheim Ecco 2234 (x1) Lizards: Leopard gecko dessert Gold dust day gecko jungle Tanks: 20L: community: JOURNAL!! Eclipse 3: betta tank: JOURNAL!! 6g reef: clown pair tank

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11-06-2008, 03:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
Darkness9876 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Nowhere, Kansas Posts: 50	The plant in the far right corner is a diffenbachia, also know as a dumb cane. I have one in my 90g terrarium and it grows quite well, the more light the more white as well. The one is a peace lilly like you said, If you have a sump for a fishtank they are great nitrate hogs. As far as the other plants I have seen them but I don't know what they're called ATM.

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