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Dart Den

Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...

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What background is best ?
#1
Hi, I have decided not to use the greatstuff method for my viv, I was wondering whats the bes alternative, tree fern panels, coco panels or cork bark? I will somehow need to attach some plants and cork bark looks the most natural but mroe awkward to attach plants?
Will the panels rot or disintigrate over time?
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#2
hi i think the cork would probably out last the others but maybe a combernation of cork and coco fiber,fern panel might look more natraul the coco and fern would make plant roots take easyer
magik bean
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#3
I just finished building my terrarium and I used a foam insert from T-Rex. I would not recommend it. It looks great but takes up a lot of tank space.

When I was looking for backgrounds I really wanted coco panels (they seemed like the best) but I couldn't find them anywhere, so if you find someone who sells them, please let me know! In retrospect, as a second choice I wish I'd gone with the cork bark.
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#4
Black Jungle has cork backgrounds...

http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant2/me ... ory_Code=B
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#5
I have used the cork backgrounds that bj sells, and they are ok. Fairly natural look. I like real cork a whole helluva lot more, better texture, lots of nooks and crannies to stick plants into, sustainably harvested, unlike tree fern. If you are wanting something thinner like coco planels, or tree fern, but will last forever, look into epiweb. made from recycled bottles. All the same properties of tree fern.
think, it aint illegal yet
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#6
I second the vote for EpiWeb. I've used it in two vivs now, one pictured below. It doesn't look natural at first, but plants readily root into it which makes for some really nice 'viny' backgrounds.
Mike
-- Google is nifty. Please use it BEFORE getting a pet. --
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#7
I would caution against the epiweb as quite a few have lost frogs due to toes, limbs getting caught in the stuff.

Cork bark is great, so are tree fern panels. The later however is overly collected.
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#8
hexentanz Wrote:I would caution against the epiweb as quite a few have lost frogs due to toes, limbs getting caught in the stuff.
I'm not saying it hasn't happened - but I have personally heard of ONE person, who lost ONE frog and only because it had been stuck there for HOURS. My frogs generally don't go more than 8 hours at a time without being checked on/misted/fed.

No offense, hexentanz - are there others on your side of the pond who have lost frogs in EpiWeb? It seems to me that it would be just as easy for a frog to get stuck in tree fern panels, considering that EpiWeb is designed to mimic them.
Mike
-- Google is nifty. Please use it BEFORE getting a pet. --
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#9
I think the epiweb incidents are extremely rare. And especially if there is established plant growth and moss on the web,as i the idea, covering up the gaps and such, I can't forsee a bunch of problems. People have had tree fern get in frogs eyes before, and Im sure all kinds of other mishaps with all kinds of construction supplies. I think the epiweb incident was just widely talked about when it happened. I love tree fern, but hate that it isnt sustainable
think, it aint illegal yet
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#10
mushmush Wrote:I have used the cork backgrounds that bj sells, and they are ok. Fairly natural look. I like real cork a whole helluva lot more, better texture, lots of nooks and crannies to stick plants into, sustainably harvested, unlike tree fern. If you are wanting something thinner like coco planels, or tree fern, but will last forever, look into epiweb. made from recycled bottles. All the same properties of tree fern.

Where do you find the real cork?
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#11
Here ya go, one shameless plug!
http://www.vivariumconcepts.com/supplie ... ackgrounds
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#12
afterdark Wrote:
hexentanz Wrote:I would caution against the epiweb as quite a few have lost frogs due to toes, limbs getting caught in the stuff.
I'm not saying it hasn't happened - but I have personally heard of ONE person, who lost ONE frog and only because it had been stuck there for HOURS. My frogs generally don't go more than 8 hours at a time without being checked on/misted/fed.

No offense, hexentanz - are there others on your side of the pond who have lost frogs in EpiWeb? It seems to me that it would be just as easy for a frog to get stuck in tree fern panels, considering that EpiWeb is designed to mimic them.

While you have heard of only one death I have personally heard of more deaths caused by epiweb over tree fern panel which is why I cautioned against it.
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#13
hexentanz Wrote:While you have heard of only one death I have personally heard of more deaths caused by epiweb over tree fern panel which is why I cautioned against it.

What kind of frogs have been affected? I'm curious to hear more about it now, because I have EpiWeb in all my tanks.

Thanks!
Mike
-- Google is nifty. Please use it BEFORE getting a pet. --
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#14
SOME THUMBNAILS GETTING THEIR TOES CAUGHT I BELIEVE
woops didnt need to caps all that
think, it aint illegal yet
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#15
afterdark Wrote:
hexentanz Wrote:While you have heard of only one death I have personally heard of more deaths caused by epiweb over tree fern panel which is why I cautioned against it.

What kind of frogs have been affected? I'm curious to hear more about it now, because I have EpiWeb in all my tanks.

Thanks!

It is mainly frogs with medium to larger digits with the later being the worst. The two I hear about the most from people and friends in the hobby here are leucs and tincs. While epiweb is made to mimic tree fern panel so are a lot of other products, but the problem with epiweb is that the pores are very well aerated as opposed to tree fern slabs, which in turns causes nice large gaps for frog digits to get stuck and twisted in.

Back when I was starting all of my tanks I wanted to use epiweb because I knew how great it was with growing Epiphytic plants and I was always told that unless I planned to heavily cover it so there was no chance any of the epiweb was left exposed or use the stuff in small amounts I should avoid it because many people have lost frogs due to the stuff. Alot of shop owners here will not even carry it due to the risk.

Even with heavily covering it I know of people who used the stuff on a large scale that have lost frogs due to digits getting tangled in epiweb. One of these people lost two frogs in the same night, a breeding pair, he assumes they were chasing each other around the tank to mate.
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#16
yikes thats too bad
think, it aint illegal yet
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#17
I don't know what background to do on my first viv yet?!
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#18
I used the foam with cork bark flats pressed into it in places. The foam had to be coated in silicone and have cocofiber pressed into it as well. It took a while to do, but it was a lot of fun and I like how it came out. It is not too hard for a beginner to do. There are lots of people who have put the pictures up of the step-by-step process. I found them very helpful. Good luck! Fran
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#19
I changed the background color to green, but have not noticed any change in Stuf at all. Can someone tell me what is supposed to happen? Changing the highlighting and font color seems to work well.
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#20
Good background thread to dust off....the hazards of Epiweb and now,possibly Ecoweb or whatever it's called.

Organic is the new wave in the hobby, IMO. Microfauna populations and better plant growth.
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