Hey guys names Dan here. I was going to build an aquarium, until I came across these unbelievable terrarium/vivariums. Now it is all that is on my mind! I've been doing all my homework and watching vids on everything, even the frogs. I have the 24x18x24 exo coming tomorrow and am ready to start the fun. I have a question that I have not come across an answer to: The use of Activated Charcoal/Charcoal. Im going to get some ABG mix more than likely which will be over Hydroballs. I heard someone mention the charcoal for the smell. Then I heard someone say never to use activated charcoal. I cannot seem to find that page again.
Hi Dan
Your off to a good start. The exo tank you have is a nice size that should accommodate most any species you decide to purchase.
Get some bbq charcoal that is all natural - pick up from hardware store like Homedepot or Lowes. Spring tails love the stuff - Essential for stand alone spring tail cultures. Also doesn't hurt to add some small chucks in the leaf litter to help maintain a nice springtail colony in the viv. You should not have to worry about any smell, except a little from the FF's.
And welcome to Dart Den !!
-Scott
If anything, a nicely constructed Vivarium smells slightly earthy and nothing more. Vivs have NO smell, compared to most fish tanks and reptile enclosures. You will not smell it - there is nothing to frog waste. It does not accumulate in any bad way and does not smell at all. The water in the bottom / false bottom doesn't either.
"Aquarium" or fish store charcoal should work fine. Rinse it well in hot water in a clean / new bucket before mixing it into an ABG mix.
Welcome to Dart Den ! We look forward to your progress and share your excitement.
Cool thx for clearing that up for me. I will try and take some pics as I do some work in the near future!
While doing some looking for lump charcoal myself a while back I came across this site that is about grilling, but they review brands of lump charcoal. It is worth looking at if you are going to buy charcoal for your viv - some of them have lots of odd things found in them and some are made using scrap lumber etc.
So in case anyone is interested, here is the site
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm the "Reviews" section is where they tell what sort of wood was used, and if anything strange was found.