Live terrarium?

My friend has a 60Gal that he is hoping to start a live terrarium in with soil and sand as substrate and hopes to have a few live plants in there like an aloe plant he's got going. What would be some good snakes or lizards that would be suitable for this type of environment? he's looking for a non-aggressive animal.

chameleon?

Darts, arboreal snakes, tarantulas....

yeah def a frog environment, I second darts, lots of purdy colors to enjoy yourself with.

are all dart frogs poisonous? and wouldnt sand be bad for most snakes' scales?

Frogs definitely.

Also there are a few geckos too. Most of the different Rhacs, especially ciliatus. He could have a few females in there. Make sure they are females though so there isn't any gecko love going on.

Leaf tail geckos would do great too.

There are quite a lot actually.

Also you'll want to make sure that the height of the aquarium is on the taller side. Most geckos that would thrive in that environment are arboreal. At leas the more commonly kept species.

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Originally Posted by azak323

are all dart frogs poisonous? and wouldnt sand be bad for most snakes' scales?

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I have read that Dart frogs lose their toxicity in captivity. Check out blackjungle.com for info on Dart frogs.

Darts are posionous, but not that posionous to humas, as long as you wash your hands after touching them (they dont really liked to be touched much anyways)

I say froggies, they are so friggin cute and all the colors:O

what about bearded dragons or uromastyx? sorry for all the questions guys!

i could see a beardie but it would get kind of crowded because they arent tiny and plants and stuff take up alot of room. plus the hot temps might dry out the plants.

good point; didnt even think about the plants, haha.

Awesome question! I have thought of purchasing some sensitive tropical plants and creating a terrarium (just something else I can care for :D) but I actually never considered putting any pets in with the plants. I would LOVE to get some frogs, of any kind (well the affordable kind more than likely) if they would not be affected by the plants. I am going to have to start doing some research:)

Dart frogs get their poison from the ants they eat in the wild so as long as he was feeding them fruit flies and such, the poison wouldn't be an issue.

sounds like dart frogs are the favorite! thanks guys for all the help and suggestions!

Great thread!

I will soon be constructing a living viv of my own for my crested gecko, Michelangelo. In my opinion, crested geckos are one of the best lizards suited for a tropical-ish living viv (when properly constructed). They can also have a ‘roommate’, so to speak, but more on that in a minute.

During my research into the best possible conditions for a living viv, I discovered a lot of great information online and via professional breeders who are converting their display tanks to living vivs.

There are several advantages to a well constructed living viv (henceforth LV). Foremost, it only requires changing once every 3 to 5 years. (I know a person with a large LV who has not changed it in 10 years, and it is still going strong!) Another advantage is that LVs don’t tend to get stinky! However, to get these results a balance in creating the miniature ecosystem must be struck.

For the basics of creating a LV you might enjoy this online video tutorial, in several parts. Keep in mind that the video was created for people enamored with tropical plants, and that the plants used should not be used with an animal - especially the carnivorous pitcher plant + little lizard. :rolleye2:

There are toxic plants that are harmful to reptiles; not only when ingested, but also when touched, due to secretions and waxy coats. Here is a brief list of some of the SAFE plants to consider:

Bromeliads:

Aechmea fasciata (Urn plants) – gets fairly big
Billbergia nutans – needs lots of light
Cryptanthus zonatus (Earth stars) – high humidity and bright light
Guzmania lingulata – pot in peat moss and decomposing leaves, warm, humid, close to lights
Nidularium – uncommon, 12-15 inches, lower light than other bromeliads,
Tillandsia – warm and moist
Vrisea splendens (sword bromeliads) – 2-3 feet, do well in terrarium for about 2 years

Foilage Plants:

Acalphya (copperleafs, chenille plants) – need to be trimmed a lot
Adiantum (maidenhair ferns) – cool and dry in winter
Aglaonema (Chinese evergreens) – do well in low lights, highly recommended
Alocasia (elephant ears) – must be kept moist, humid and warm, will either not do well or overgrow everything
Asplenium (Bird’s nest fern) – moist soil, up to 3 feet high
Calathea zebrine (Zebra plant) – moist moderate temps, moderate light
Chlorophytum (spider plants) – average humidity, moderate light, should be allowed to get almost dry before watering
Cissus (kangaroo vines, grape ivys) – no moist soil
Cyrtomium (holly ferns) – low lights, but not shaded
Dracaena (Dragon plants) – usually to big, but Dracaena surculosa (Gold dust plant) gets only 18 inches tall)
Ficus (rubber trees, ornamental figs) – should be washed of when dirty, do better in spotlight
Maranta (prayer plants) let dry out a bit in winter, warm temps, high humidity
Peperomia – not too moist, moderate light
Philodendron – adaptable to many conditions
Scindapsus (Pothos) – look like philodendron, very hardy
Spathiphyllum (peace lilies) – 1-2 feet high, excellent for large, moist terrariums

WARNING: Do not use Dieffenbachia – contains oxalic acid crystals that may be toxic when ingested by the animal

More information can be learned from the book, “The Guide to Plants for the Reptile Terrarium” by Jerry G. Walls

Remember that you will need to provide a ‘grow light’ for whatever plants you use. They are living things and need simulated sunlight. However, make sure that the light does not get too hot and cause distress to your animal, depending on its own environmental needs. For example, crested Geckos find prolonged exposure to temps 80-82F+ lethal, so a cool light would be needed.

Here is an Exo Terra light guide to help you decide what is best for whatever animal you chose to build this viv for.

Soil: Do not use soil with perlite! Perlite is a no-no.

To recap from the video; the clay pellets used on the bottom layer of the tank are called LECA. Similar pellets are sold for orchid growing and work well too.

After your tank is set up, the only watering it should require is a general misting. There is no need to soak the ground, because the root system will be quite shallow. The misting/higher humidity (60-80%) is also why Crested Geckos thrive in these LVs.

Crested Geckos also get along great with the African Giant Millipede for a roommate. The AGM helps irrigate the soil, eat the Crested Geckos waste, and generally helps keep the place nice and clean. I plan to get one of these and call it Molly. (In honor of the Molly Maid house cleaning service. :D)

For crested geckos (all members of the Rhacodactylus Gecko family, really), a tall enclosure is best. Exo Terra has a selection of great enclosures perfectly suited for creating LVs. They are the same type used in the tutorial video. The 18X18X24 rocks!

This is also a great community group for planted tanks (living Vivs, whatever you prefer);
http://www.plantedtank.net

I hope this helps.

that is AWESOME! thank you so much!!!