Water Features - Necessary for Dart Frogs ?

[EntoCraig]

This is the idea I was looking for for my 80 gallon. Thanks!

[Philsuma]

This is the idea I was looking for for my 80 gallon. Thanks!

What exactly do you mean by "this" ? Which post ?

[EntoCraig]

This is the idea I was looking for for my 80 gallon. Thanks!

What exactly do you mean by "this" ? Which post ?

This, sorry.

[frogfreak]

This is the idea I was looking for for my 80 gallon. Thanks!

Your welcome,

Here's a 75g I built a while back. I'm waiting for it to age...

[EntoCraig]

Its like to took a snapshot from my brain. This is right along the lines of how I want to build my 80. Mind sharing how you build the tank? (might need to do it in another post so we dont hijack)

[Boondoggle]

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't the water that collects in the false bottom serve the same purpose as a water feature as far maintaining humidity goes. Its just not as visible.

IME no. I have a few very similar display tanks, some with moving water features and others with hydroton that dips down providing a still pond. The moving water (especially a multi-tiered waterfall) definitely adds to the humidity. I have to mist the "still pond" tanks pretty often, but really never have to touch the ones with waterfalls. Aside from asthetics, I think humidity might be the only other advantage to water features.

For the record, I don't configure them into new builds. I think overall they take away more than they add. They're nice to look at, but it's kind of a beginner thing.

[Flemish]

Greetings from Denmark, and I give thanks for a great site.
- My first post I believe...

I am among those who aim for a "water feature". Maybe not necessary, but I read about a Ranitomeya sp. yesterday close to streams in the wild... Not saying it needs it, but just where it has found its niche. It might be in competion of space/ room in the evolving of species!
Does it not give greater satisfaction to try and make it as close as possible, not only to just providing a Bromeliad to breed in? (!)
- With limited space of course, I know. But, even still... It can do fine without, as there is no competion in our Vivariums. If it is found near a stream?
/Flemming.

[Philsuma]

Hi Flemming,

Thanks for the complement on the site. There are a lot of excellent people and quality hobbyists from all over the world, not just the U.S. , that help make the site a hit.

The term "Water Feature" has been under some definition scrutiny lately as well- further complicating matters. I think that most agree that a Water Feature is large-ish. Where it get's hazy is if one considers a water feature to be Moving Water, like a stream, water fall, drip wall ect ,or if a pond ,false bottom cut-out ect qualifies.

The main reason for the threads and addressing the issue, is that 90% of new hobbyists (U.S at least) feel compelled and driven to include a waterfall for some crazy aesthetic reasons. A stream is a close second. Most enclosures here, are way too small to accommodate even a small "water fall" and as a result, the plantings suffer and die, the substrate clogs and ultimately the frogs lose valuable real estate and space.

There are some epipidobates found near water in the wild, possibly trivitattus....still for "realism"....unless it's a huge enclosure, I'd skip it personally.

[Flemish]

"the substrate clogs and ultimately the frogs lose valuable real estate and space."
- Aye, yes. Point taken!
In my imagination I am pictureing it as a "garden pond with a stream"...
- You don´t want to empty the pond, to wet your lawn. (!)
I agree with you. Thank you one more time!
/Flemming.

[rockytop47]

What if you had a pre-drilled tank? And a holding area under your display tank? It would seem to me ease of maintenance would be solved immediately if your pump were in a "sump" completely away from a "false bottom". Wouldn't you then be able to use like a coarse river rock as a base, then your clay pellets, then your substrate? You'd still benefit from the moving water yet have superior drainage. Water levels could be adjusted and fine tuned and YES I totally agree with water features being pleasing to the owners and not the frogs. Just my 2 cents.

[Philsuma]

You are quite right ! You've been doing some research,

Water features are still very hard to pull off unless you have supreme confidence and/or technical know-how.

The age old question and answer always comes up with this topic...."If you never begin a water feature build, just how can one expect to gain confidence". Zen-like to be sure. We ALL have to start somewhere. I still recommend a non-water feature as a first design though...

[Frogman955]

An interesting thread this and to which I feel I can add something.
3 years ago I converted my marine tank to a viv for my Leucs.
I wanted a waterfall and built one but after a while I binned it and decided to keep a simple water feature as in a pool at one end of the tank.
The tank is 130 gallons, so there`s plenty of room and with being 2ft wide there was scope for a large pool at one end.
Stagnant water was a concern of mine so how could I try and stop this from happening.
I decided to have the water constantly moving by having it circulated around the tank.
The substrate was built up with clay balls covered with fine plastic mesh onto which I put the eco earth.
To separate the earth from the pool I used a couple of old slates to use as a ramp out of the water.
I have a small pump at one end of the tank with a pipe running down the centre under the soil and exiting onto the slate.
The water then runs back through the clay balls under the substrate back to the pump.
An extra benefit from doing this is that the clay balls act like a filter medium for an aquarium and help to filter the water and help keep it clean.
As the tank was drilled on the bottom for an external filter this makes for a handy drain for changing the water.
The downside of all this water is without doubt the excessive humidity as it makes the soil very wet and it has actually started to subside in places, or rather, rot away.
The Leucs don`t mind though as they have managed to find a way down under the slates and have got a tunnel from one side of the tank to the other :lol: .
I made this easier as I used a length of plastic pipe as a support for the slates inadvertently creating a tunnel for them to use at a later date.
Anyway the plus side of this pool is that the Leucs have on several occasions deposited tads in it and they have in turn appeared as froglets.
So yes a water feature can work, and mine has for 3 years now.
But, the downside is the excess humidity and now I have the eroding substrate because it is always wet.
I`ve posted 2 photo`s.
One showing the pool and the second showing a week old froglet being guarded by the adults.

Mike

[RanaVenenosa]

After a few years, my experiments w diff viv styles leads to my opinion that 100% clay lecca is superior to false bottom/water pumps. Temp changes will move water and clay material is very porous allowing anaerobic bacteria to flourish. All my tanks are planted so that helps clean water to some degree, but tanks I have that are false bottom even w circulation still stink after 1 year. My vivs w clay lecca have no odor. Never mind that water pumps tend to clog and break. As Frogman noted above, you can combine clay lecca w a water feature, if you want a drip/water fall for the noise or your own pleasure, but I think the trouble is not worth the effort. Having a water dish or film cans is all you need to allow the frog an occasional splash, which they seem to enjoy.

[B-nice]

[youtube]FHpmAXHshMQ[/youtube]

[srod]

Would it be a good idea to add a shallow water dish for the frogs or it is not needed?

[B-nice]

Would it be a good idea to add a shallow water dish for the frogs or it is not needed?

It's not needed I have about 20 tanks up and running and they don't have any dishes...

[srod]

OK I barely see my frogs just wanted to know if they would use it... I see 1 a day out of 3..

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

[joneill809]

OK I barely see my frogs just wanted to know if they would use it... I see 1 a day out of 3..

Consider starting a frog room thread to post some pictures of the enclosure(s) to get feedback on changes you could make to get them out more. The only water "feature" I use is sloped access to the FB for tad deposition (not my idea, stole it from Glenn ).

[Philsuma]

A small shallow water dish wouldn't HURT. I don't think it would make them come out more though...

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6617

[Betta132]

I keep a little water dish with my tincs. They rarely use it, but I figure it's not going to hurt anything and it can be an emergency wet-source if something weird happens to dry the tank out.