The making of my first terrarium tank

January 2024. My journey into the world of tropical terrariums and dart frogs starts. 

I become fascinated by some Instagram images of "frog walls" like this one from Jack’s World of Wildlife

and decided to buid my onw. Here is the diary of my adventure into the humid forests of Central and South America and their little misterious inhabitants.

©Wikipedia

Step 1. The "wall"

Purpose made structure. This layout allows for tanks with 45 cm of hight and deepth. 

Step 2. The terrarium - basic structure

Here is Tank #1, a 45x45x45 cm tropical terrarium from TERRATLANTIS, a high-quality Portuguese manufacturer of aquariums and terrariums.

A trunk section defines the main organization of the terrarium.

3mm cork panes painted and sprinkled, while wet, with little pieces of coconut fiber, were glued to the sides and back of the tank.

The basic layout.

Step 3. Substrate, light, heat and misting

For the substrate, first a 3cm layer of lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA), next a separation made by a light fiberglass screen and on top 10L of coconut fibre substrate (coconut brick).

Next, the lightning system. Two SKYLIGHT lamps MID-30 INTENSE.

Finally, the heating was provided by 3 heating mats (20W, GIGANTERRA) glued externally on both sides and on the back of the terrarium.

For the misting system I installed a 4 mm tubing system, a double sprinkler and an electric pump. This equipment was bought at DARTGECKOS which also provided excellent advice. A timer connected to the water pump allows for automatic misting so that humidity is kept constantly at high values.

Step 4. Terrarium plants

Bromeliads are a "must" in dart frogs’ terraria. Many other tropical plants with miniature leaves are also recommended. I started assembling and propagating my collection of terrarium plants in my greenhouse.

Here is the list of the first group of plants that was installed in the terrarium in February 2024.

Three bromeliads, all from PLANTABRUTT

Neoregelia Klington, an offshoot from a plant bought in 2022 and kept in the greenhouse

Neoregelia Super Fireball         

Neoregelia Pepper

 

Two cuttings of Marcgravia sintenisii and one Ficus radicans, from BENSJUNGLE

Ficus colombia, from KANAKY TERRARIA