jakemyster44
Member
- Messages
- 588
- Location
- Perrysburg, Ohio
I had been wating a natural vivarium for leos for quite a while now, and finally had time to do it. I started by getting a 50g breeder aquarium off of craig's list, for $60. It came with a hood, and light strip, but I need to build a top using wire mesh. I plan to have the light strip run the length of the tank, and then put a UVB bulb in a heat lamp that will be over the several plants that are yet to be added to the cage. With the substrate as deep as it is, I eliminated the possibility of using an UTH. However, if need be (I still have to mess around with the setup to make sure I have correct temps) I may attach some heat tape/pad to the side of the tank on one end. The rock directly under the heat lamp does a great job of holding heat for a while after the light has turned off. After consulting other breeders/hobbyists I came up with a general idea of what I wanted it to look like. Here are some pictures of the proccess:
1. Lay the drainage layer. I just poured in about 1.5" of the cheapest gravel I could find.
2. (No picture) Lay filter fabric over the gravel. This keeps the substrate from combining with the drainage layer. I used the kind that is woven.
3. Add a 2:1 mixture of peat moss and sand.
4. Add larger rocks first, coming up with the basic layout, then fill in certain gaps with the smaller rocks.
5. Cover the ground surface with the golf ball sized rocks, so that there is no exposed loose substrate.
6. Add cholla wood, water bowl, humid hide, etc. (some elements are hidden, the humid hide for example is sunken into the substrate, and covered with small rocks. I may change this, but for now it works.
I still need to add plants, and obveously the geckos. But I am waiting untill I get the correct temp. and humidity ranges. I will be sure to put up more pictures of it when it is done. The pictures do the tank no justice, and the caves look alot smaller than they really are. I may end up taking pictures of all the caves, just for size comparison. What do you think?
Edit: After the geckos choose the area in witch they defficate, I plan to place a small, flat stone there in hopes that I can simply remove the stone and wash it when neccisary. If they decide to go way back in the caves, then unfortunatly cleaning with be moree difficult, but I am willing to clean it as this is something I'v been wating to do for a long time.
1. Lay the drainage layer. I just poured in about 1.5" of the cheapest gravel I could find.
2. (No picture) Lay filter fabric over the gravel. This keeps the substrate from combining with the drainage layer. I used the kind that is woven.
3. Add a 2:1 mixture of peat moss and sand.
4. Add larger rocks first, coming up with the basic layout, then fill in certain gaps with the smaller rocks.
5. Cover the ground surface with the golf ball sized rocks, so that there is no exposed loose substrate.
6. Add cholla wood, water bowl, humid hide, etc. (some elements are hidden, the humid hide for example is sunken into the substrate, and covered with small rocks. I may change this, but for now it works.
I still need to add plants, and obveously the geckos. But I am waiting untill I get the correct temp. and humidity ranges. I will be sure to put up more pictures of it when it is done. The pictures do the tank no justice, and the caves look alot smaller than they really are. I may end up taking pictures of all the caves, just for size comparison. What do you think?
Edit: After the geckos choose the area in witch they defficate, I plan to place a small, flat stone there in hopes that I can simply remove the stone and wash it when neccisary. If they decide to go way back in the caves, then unfortunatly cleaning with be moree difficult, but I am willing to clean it as this is something I'v been wating to do for a long time.
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