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Articles: Terrarium Setup No.2

Below is a step by step guide to how I set up a small terrarium to house Yellow & Black Poison-arrow Frogs (Dendrobates leucomelas) for a display at the E.R.A.C. Show 2006. Hopefully it will give you some ideas on how to setup a terrarium of your own. If you would like us to quote you for a setup please send us an e-mail at sales@pollywog.co.uk

Starting off with a standard 18x12x15" glass aquarium, table space is limited at the shows so I can't go any bigger than this and any smaller would be difficult to do anything with:

The tank is lay on its side and aquarium silicon applied to the inside back wall to attach the cocopanel, I would normally use more silicon than this but as this is only a temporary construction I want to be able to easily remove the cocopanel:

A cocopanel is cut and put in place making sure to press it down firmly especially where the silicon has been applied. Bricks are used to hold the panel down overnight while the silicon cures:

The silicon holding the cocopanel has now had time to dry and can be stood up ready for work to begin:

A 2" layer of Hydroleca is added to create a drainage layer, this is especially important as the terrarium is going to be used to demonstrate our misting systems:

Next a layer of membrane is put down to seperate the substrate layers and stop the soil from washing into the drainage layer:

Some substrate is added along with first plants, the substrate I am using is cocohumus with a small amount of long grain sphagnum moss mixed in. The plant is Vriesea racinae:

The landscaping continues with the rest of the substrate being put in along with some bog wood:

More plants are added at this stage, all plants are planted direct into the terrarium substrate. The plants used here are Kunth Peperomia (Peperomia pereskiifolia) and Pothos 'Golden Queen' (Scindapsus aureus):

The Peperomia's climbers are trained up the cocopanel using small wire clips:

Next planting of the coco panel begins. Using a sharp knife make a slit in the cocopanel and open it up to form a planting pocket for your Bromeliads:

Push the roots and stolon of the bromeliad into the planting pocket, the species used in this photograph is a form of Neoregelia variegata:

Using epithyte planting sticks the Bromeliad is secured in place and moss is added to help retain some moisture around the roots:

I've also added 2 Neoregelia schultesiana 'Fireball' to the left hand side of the terrarium in the same manor:

I've decided to use a floor covering of moss in this terrarium as it is a bit more "showy" than leaf litter or plain soil, in this photograph I have also added in a Brazil Nut Pod partially sunk into the soil, this is one of the products I wanted to put on display with the terrarium:

Sponge Mushrooms are added to the side of the terrarium, these are another product I wanted to display using the terrarium, they can be used to provide extra climbing space in the terrarium for the inhabitants. The mushrooms are attached using the same aquarium silicon as I fixed the cocopanel in with:

Canes are used to hold the mushrooms in place while the silicon sets:

Now I need to wait again while the silicon holding the mushrooms cures:

The silicon holding the Sponge Mushrooms has now had time to cure and the canes removed:

I also added in a small Fern and a trio of Golden Mushrooms to give a bit more decoration and that's it, the terrarium is all setup ready for the frogs to be added at the show: