About to try reptiles, need ideas :)

[Madou]

You wouldn't need to use live bamboo. Most people buy large stalks of it, cut it to size, and stick it in the tank. There are some species that stay relatively small and would be manageable with routine pruning such as Bambusa multiplex 'Tiny Fern' (~90cm), Pleioblastus distichus (~60cm), Pleioblastus distichus 'Mini' (~30cm), Sasa veitchii 'Minor' (~60cm), and Pleioblastus argenteostriatus (~90cm). How well these would do in vivaria, I do not entirely know. Most bamboo species don't like vivarium conditions, however some seem to do well. As you mentioned, these would be more for aesthetics than function. The biggest issue you'll come across for live bamboo would be lighting. You probably wouldn't want to look at the tank because it would be too bright haha.

If I'm going for L. Williamsi, this is now a moot point... Thank god xD

As I mentioned in a previous reply, this will most likely result in a clogged pump fairly quickly. It works in theory, but as the smallest substrate particles make their way into the false bottom, it's going to build up and clog the pump. Same thing is going to happen with plant roots. Once the plants have grown in, accessing this pump is going to be a pain in the a**. Having a pump in a reservior of clean water out side the tank, and pumping it in is going to be far easier. Then just install a drain or siphon it out of the false bottom when it gets too high (you want a decent gap between the water level and the bottom of the soil to prevent wicking and swampy conditions).

I may have found a solution to this. Not the most aesthetic (unless I cover it with some sort of tape on the outside), but proved to work well in the store: A thick layer of that blue filtration thingie at the bottom, a double layer of white filtration sheets (I'm sorry, I can't remember the name of those in English, but they're basically the same thing I have in the upper levels of my tank's external pump) with the pump built into it in a back corner, and a layer of peat covering the white stuff. Their waterfall has been going on for two years with no clogging!

Basking lights (assuming you're using halogen) will create a drier area without you having to adjust for it. You may have to make sure the tank doesn't get too dry from the light if anything, though that depends on the wattage.

I'm just afraid of what I can put into the tank considering it's going to be rained on fairly often... I'll figure that one out. I also figured that heating the water would save a LOT of energy, since heat goes up. Allows for a much smaller heating lamp!

If you distilled/RO water, you won't get the stains on the glass.

I had no idea, once filled to acceptable levels, I should be fine for years with just one refill container for evaporation!

What's in the Exo-Terra rainforest substrate? Since you have access to Xaxim, you can probably get it as loose/shredded. If you can, I'd look into ABG mix (I'll post the mix below). It's designed to prevent compaction of the mix and have great drainage, while still holding moisture for plants. It'll eventually compact through decomposition, but it won't be for a few years. The main thing you want to prevent is compaction leading to anaerobic conditions (like having too deep a substrate in aquaria).

I'd also look into an inert media like Turface (calcine clay fired at a high temp). It takes decades to break down, and won't compact.

ABG Mix:
-1 part milled peat
-1 part milled sphagnum moss
-1 part fine charcoal
-2 parts fine tree fern fiber/Xaxim
-2 parts fine orchid bark

Replaced that with peat, been told it'd work just fine, but that means I'm going to be growing mostly moss on the ground.

I've got way too much spare time currently, I don't mind typing out really long answers!

Good for me!

Speaking from experience, Tanzanian plants are fairly hard to find. There are some commercialized species (Saintpaulia sp., Impatiens walleriana, &c.), maybe a few orchids and Rhipsalis baccifera that are going to be fairly easy to find, the rest is going to be very hard to find.

Being found almost exclusively on Pandanus sp., the bromeliads you mentioned would be a good stand in.

Yep, figured Tanzania would be a pain, I'll stick to mimicing rainforests from across the world xD

Yeah that should work. They breed fairly easily, so you could even start with a pair or trio, and have more than enough in a year or 2.

Yeah, I heard you don't necessarily need to incubate either, they just breed lol.
Could even start a business on those critters, I don't see them often here.

 

[Madou]

Quick question: Is sanitary silicone alright to fix my background to the glass? It's used for tubs and stuff, but says it has fungicide, so I am expecting it might not work for almost constant humidity...

It's Neutral, but is apparently made of "Zinc pyrithione & 2-butanone-oxime" that's what's written, could be just French words, but since I don't know what that is...

Would be a shame to spend so much time on it and see stuff die because of what's used to stick everything together xD

 

[Viridis]

I had no idea, once filled to acceptable levels, I should be fine for years with just one refill container for evaporation!

Same rules apply as aquariums; water changes should still be done . It's not needed nearly as often, but over time, the salts (chemical salts, not NaCl) leached will accumulate. This is a bigger issue with amphibians, but it could --eventually-- affect your plants.

Replaced that with peat, been told it'd work just fine, but that means I'm going to be growing mostly moss on the ground.

Is it the chunky peat or the loose stuff like that used here? you might get compaction issues with straight peat depending on how the water is distributed.

Yep, figured Tanzania would be a pain, I'll stick to mimicing rainforests from across the world xD

I really wish there were more available. Aside from some West African aquatic plants, terrarium-appropriate plants are far and few between. Seems like most people just wanted the succulents in South Africa and left the rest of the continent haha.

Yeah, I heard you don't necessarily need to incubate either, they just breed lol.
Could even start a business on those critters, I don't see them often here.

You'll need to start a business on them with the amount they produce!

Quick question: Is sanitary silicone alright to fix my background to the glass? It's used for tubs and stuff, but says it has fungicide, so I am expecting it might not work for almost constant humidity...

It's Neutral, but is apparently made of "Zinc pyrithione & 2-butanone-oxime" that's what's written, could be just French words, but since I don't know what that is...

Would be a shame to spend so much time on it and see stuff die because of what's used to stick everything together xD

I don't know about Zinc pyrithione specifically, but alot of the mold inhibiting silicone contain an organotin which is a known teratogen (affects embryo development). Also more of an issue with amphibians (and probably fish), I still wouldn't risk it. 2-butanone-oxime is highly water soluble and has been shown to cause specific things in lab mice (I forget which, I'll look it up), but I don't remember at what concentration, nor it's affects on reptiles. Worst case scenario is the lizards drink the recirculating water and it builds up in their system, but there's virtually no data on toxicity levels in reptiles, or how they metabolize it, so it's just speculation at this point. I also don't know how long it takes to break down; not a chemist.

The EU is pretty strict when it comes to stuff like that, so it may be different than what's used in silicone here, but I would stick with mold-inhibitor free 100% silicone; whether it's a generic brand or the over priced aquarium branded ones.

Not french, just alternative names for C10H8N2O2S2Zn and C4H9NO
Unrelated, but mon français est très approximatif. I was more interested in Latin than the 8 years of mandatory french classes

 

[Madou]

Same rules apply as aquariums; water changes should still be done . It's not needed nearly as often, but over time, the salts (chemical salts, not NaCl) leached will accumulate. This is a bigger issue with amphibians, but it could --eventually-- affect your plants.

Takes me over an hour to water change my tanks, I'm ok doing 5 mins with a syphon and a bucket from a tiny pool xD

Is it the chunky peat or the loose stuff like that used here? you might get compaction issues with straight peat depending on how the water is distributed.

This is what it is: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Oy4HgoqHL._SL500_.jpg
Apparently that is supposed to work fine in letting water through, but I only have one person's opinion.

I was thinking of regular peat to coat the white layer thingie (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71mY3NRoYAL._SL1500_.jpg) that is itself covering the blue thingie (https://cdn.manomano.fr/filter-medi...cm-10ppi-pond-aquarium-P-659845-1812796_2.jpg) to make decent filtration and stop the water from stagnating into the roots. (Pictures are an amazing way to describe things I can't translate!)

I really wish there were more available. Aside from some West African aquatic plants, terrarium-appropriate plants are far and few between. Seems like most people just wanted the succulents in South Africa and left the rest of the continent haha.

I'm still having difficulties finding the plants I want, especially since I have no idea where to get them. Perhaps I'll see the plant shop next to work if I can order plants they wouldn't normally sell.

You'll need to start a business on them with the amount they produce!

Sounds good to me, costs me 20€ to get a license allowing me like 2 litters a year, and a bit more for unlimited amounts, though Wallonia has no way of knowing how many babies I make per year. (We have stupid laws to try to reduce the amount of stray animals that end up in shelters, but since there's no control, it's only a pain to find a place online to sell them)

I don't know about Zinc pyrithione specifically, but alot of the mold inhibiting silicone contain an organotin which is a known teratogen (affects embryo development). Also more of an issue with amphibians (and probably fish), I still wouldn't risk it. 2-butanone-oxime is highly water soluble and has been shown to cause specific things in lab mice (I forget which, I'll look it up), but I don't remember at what concentration, nor it's affects on reptiles. Worst case scenario is the lizards drink the recirculating water and it builds up in their system, but there's virtually no data on toxicity levels in reptiles, or how they metabolize it, so it's just speculation at this point. I also don't know how long it takes to break down; not a chemist.

The EU is pretty strict when it comes to stuff like that, so it may be different than what's used in silicone here, but I would stick with mold-inhibitor free 100% silicone; whether it's a generic brand or the over priced aquarium branded ones.

I just ordered aquarium silicon from amazon, I took a 10€ tube, don't need too much of it anyway, I just need to fix my background and the cork shelves i'll use to hold the plants. I can wait a week, I am out of peat and don't have a place to buy plants just yet anyway!

Not french, just alternative names for C10H8N2O2S2Zn and C4H9NO
Unrelated, but mon français est très approximatif. I was more interested in Latin than the 8 years of mandatory french classes

See, I HATED latin in school, yet I know thousands of freshwater fish by their latin name cause I speak to people in French and English about the hobby, and common names don't usually translate well... But when you can spell Channa Pleurophthalma, you're good to learn any one of them.

 

[Viridis]

This is what it is: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Oy4HgoqHL._SL500_.jpg
Apparently that is supposed to work fine in letting water through, but I only have one person's opinion.

I was thinking of regular peat to coat the white layer thingie (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71mY3NRoYAL._SL1500_.jpg) that is itself covering the blue thingie (https://cdn.manomano.fr/filter-medi...cm-10ppi-pond-aquarium-P-659845-1812796_2.jpg) to make decent filtration and stop the water from stagnating into the roots. (Pictures are an amazing way to describe things I can't translate!)

I live those peat bricks! I wish they were more common here. I've only ever seen them once and they were ridiculously expensive. The peat bogs here only produce the loose stuff.

I'm still having difficulties finding the plants I want, especially since I have no idea where to get them. Perhaps I'll see the plant shop next to work if I can order plants they wouldn't normally sell.

Do you ever go to Terraristika Hamm? There should be quite a few people with viv plants there. If not, there's places like this one or this one. Heck, most of the Tropica plants would work too.

Sounds good to me, costs me 20€ to get a license allowing me like 2 litters a year, and a bit more for unlimited amounts, though Wallonia has no way of knowing how many babies I make per year. (We have stupid laws to try to reduce the amount of stray animals that end up in shelters, but since there's no control, it's only a pain to find a place online to sell them)

Don't want those stray Lygodactylus invading Wallonia!

You guys need licenses to breed animals?! I could see it for dogs or cats, but that seems absurd for pretty much anything else.

See, I HATED latin in school, yet I know thousands of freshwater fish by their latin name cause I speak to people in French and English about the hobby, and common names don't usually translate well... But when you can spell Channa Pleurophthalma, you're good to learn any one of them.

We were never given the option for latin in school (that's really only in catholic schools here, and not many of them still do it), so I was stuck with putting the french dictionary cover over a latin dictionary and reading that instead . I was never interested in the religion/history aspect of it, I just want to be able to read old taxonomy publications. Still nowhere near fluent, but it definitely helps when learning spanish.

Common names don't even translate well between 2 different english populations (I can rant for hours about common names haha), so I don't blame you!

 

[Viridis]

Do you ever go to Terraristika Hamm? There should be quite a few people with viv plants there. If not, there's places like this one or this one. Heck, most of the Tropica plants would work too.

I forgot one.

 

[Madou]

I live those peat bricks! I wish they were more common here. I've only ever seen them once and they were ridiculously expensive. The peat bogs here only produce the loose stuff.

Seems I found the chosen one, the one and only LFS employee that knows his stuff!
I had to order more cause we miscalculated and I'm having half of the ground covered. -_-
Does it bend once moist? I probably want my pool ground covered in that too.

Is normal peat OK to plant my upper plants? Bromeliads and stuff?

Do you ever go to Terraristika Hamm? There should be quite a few people with viv plants there. If not, there's places like this one or this one. Heck, most of the Tropica plants would work too.

I've never heard of that, but it's in Germany apparently, which isn't exactly next door.
Perhaps when I have everything down to choosing plants and moss, you can check my list of possibilities tell me whether I should go for it or not?

Don't want those stray Lygodactylus invading Wallonia!

No kidding! I'd replace mice and mosquitoes with them anyday though.
We do have the rain, but not quite the heat!

You guys need licenses to breed animals?! I could see it for dogs or cats, but that seems absurd for pretty much anything else.

You need licenses to sell animals even as a regular person. They can't regulate breeding inside of homes, imagine if they were to count fish and reptiles. xD But yeah, 2018 law, you cannot sell as a private owner, on any social media, which includes ebay and the like, unless you have the papers allowing you to.

We were never given the option for latin in school (that's really only in catholic schools here, and not many of them still do it), so I was stuck with putting the french dictionary cover over a latin dictionary and reading that instead . I was never interested in the religion/history aspect of it, I just want to be able to read old taxonomy publications. Still nowhere near fluent, but it definitely helps when learning spanish.

Yeah, I bet it helps especially when you're trying to figure out the roots of stuff!

Common names don't even translate well between 2 different english populations (I can rant for hours about common names haha), so I don't blame you!

Especially L. Williamsii, "Electric blue" seems to be the new fancy word to sell blue fish and reptiles... Electric blue Microgeophagus, Electric blue Demsey, etc...

 

[Madou]

I forgot one.

Wait a minute, you're in Europe?
And do these guys ship to Belgium? This might make finding stuff much easier!

 

[Viridis]

Seems I found the chosen one, the one and only LFS employee that knows his stuff!
I had to order more cause we miscalculated and I'm having half of the ground covered. -_-
Does it bend once moist? I probably want my pool ground covered in that too.

Is normal peat OK to plant my upper plants? Bromeliads and stuff?

It softens a bit and gets kind of spongy when wet, depending on where in the bog it was harvested (age/depth mostly), but it should stay as a relatively solid brick, as it is harvested that way and not compressed into bricks like most coconut substrates.

For planting the epiphytes (Bromeliads, orchids, etc.) you don't need to use the peat, just attach them to the xaxim board with monofilament line, wire bent in a "U", &c. Orchids might benefit from a clump of sphagnum moss around it's roots, but that would depend on species and it's placement in the tank.

You need licenses to sell animals even as a regular person. They can't regulate breeding inside of homes, imagine if they were to count fish and reptiles. xD But yeah, 2018 law, you cannot sell as a private owner, on any social media, which includes ebay and the like, unless you have the papers allowing you to.

That seems crazy. I guess it's better than outright banning them though.

Especially L. Williamsii, "Electric blue" seems to be the new fancy word to sell blue fish and reptiles... Electric blue Microgeophagus, Electric blue Demsey, etc...

The worst is when things are sold as something like "sand gecko", which could easily be 50-60 different species at least.

Wait a minute, you're in Europe?
And do these guys ship to Belgium? This might make finding stuff much easier!

I wish! I just spend way too much time on European/UK forums haha.

DutchRana's site says

Distribution area
Rana sends shipments exclusively within the EEC, you are elsewhere, please contact us about the possibilities.

I'm pretty sure that includes Belgium? I'm not well versed in European politics.

 

[Madou]

It softens a bit and gets kind of spongy when wet, depending on where in the bog it was harvested (age/depth mostly), but it should stay as a relatively solid brick, as it is harvested that way and not compressed into bricks like most coconut substrates.

I honestly can't stand coconut since the first time I used it. It's ugly, and unpractical imo.

For planting the epiphytes (Bromeliads, orchids, etc.) you don't need to use the peat, just attach them to the xaxim board with monofilament line, wire bent in a "U", &c. Orchids might benefit from a clump of sphagnum moss around it's roots, but that would depend on species and it's placement in the tank.

I couldn't find Xaxim, they only had a few small pieces, nothing usable, and I really wanted to get started. So I got a natural looking cork backgrounds, and kept the extra after sawing it down to make arrangements. I plan on covering the entire wall with moss (if I can have water all over it but can't find a sprinkler). Would those grow in the crevices in the cork?

That seems crazy. I guess it's better than outright banning them though.

Yeah, we can have asian arowanas and channas, so I'm not gonna complain.

The worst is when things are sold as something like "sand gecko", which could easily be 50-60 different species at least.

I guess it's still better than "How do I care for my Dory and Nemo?" xD

I wish! I just spend way too much time on European/UK forums haha.

That's cause we R SMRT!

DutchRana's site says


I'm pretty sure that includes Belgium? I'm not well versed in European politics.

Woohoo! maybe i'll find moss that's not half brown when it arrives, there. :O