Bioactive Dart Frog Setup Tutorial || Step by Step

[@polychromatiicaxox]

I’m planning on getting dart frogs after the current massive world problems all blow over and this video is really helpful!! Thank you for sharing.

[@3dandyrandy3]

It's never going to blow over, this just the start!!!!

[@unikeko96]

I'm getting more pets to help me cope and to be more happy because the current worlds state sucks. I hope nothing happens so I could live as long as possible with my pets

[@DoitLiveit]

This video was so relaxing. I’m been wanting some frogs now and make a vivarium for quite a while after watching this video I’m ready. Thanks for sharing brother.

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks for the support!

[@laurenhydride2336]

This is seriously amazing! Those close ups with the added sounds literally nearly made me fall asleep they were so relaxing! Just like being in central/South America 😂😜

[@darkslothplants]

This is absolutely beautiful! I loved the close ups of the plants and all :)

[@robertward6813]

I'm planning on doing this for my crested gecko. Looks great and its definitely the best way to keep you're animals. Awesome job

[@tianxiongxu3407]

This is genius！You deserves a Nobel Prize!!!!!!!

[@justsomelazygecko9728]

This was so helpful. One of the best vivariums I have ever seen!

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed it :))

[@select8945]

This is a great video! From the planting, to the little mini pond in the middle, from the relaxing shots and audio.. Thank you!!

[@benshaw3891]

Spectacular choice of plants. The aquatic species are a nice touch.

[@isaacswift8950]

Thank you!!

[@megaroo6110]

I've been watching vivarium build videos for a couple months now, in preparation for building one of my own for some dart frogs, and I've got to say that this is one of the most beautiful vivariums I've seen on KZbin. There are so many people with vivarium vids and this one really stands out! It would be a very original idea to make some kind of wood frame or other way to cover the outside of the tank so you don't see all that yellow foam from the outside. So far I've only seen one person make a video about this and he makes mainly aquascaping vids not vivariums. Anyway, such an awesome job, I'm for sure a new sub.

[@isaacswift8950]

MegaRoo thank you so much!!! :)

[@megaroo6110]

Isaac Swift what size is this Exo terra?

[@isaacswift8950]

MegaRoo 24 x 24 x 18 :)

[@angelaakin6739]

Your video is amazing for a beginner such as myself and is so easy to follow. It cleared up a lot of questions I had. Thank you!

[@dianam965]

Wow! You sure have a knack for this! It's amazingly beautiful. I'm sure people would pay you to create this for them.

[@isaacswift8950]

Thank you so much!

[@zelousfoxtrot3390]

Not really interested in frogs, but love vivariums. You did a great job, very impressed. Working on mine now.

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@sircombo4821]

Wow fantastic setup 👌👏👍well done!

[@slkknifelover]

Dude.. that looks amazing

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks!!

[@kushpaladin]

Love the marking on that green frog

[@goaterrorritualust]

Nice setup of the base! Im gonna try it, making a bit watery space

[@zootenance]

Fantastic! Well done! Looks amazing.

[@ALAMLUSVI]

amazing!!! Thank you for sharing this experiece with us

[@michaelb5740]

This video is really helpful and informative

[@BlennyClown47]

Definitely deserves to have more subs ! Great video mate 👍🏻✅🐸

[@dinisumantri568]

Nice vid man... Very inspiring

[@Frogmandb]

Amazing vid ! Where did you get that really thick piece of filter foam?

[@cheyennekyle99]

Excellent video definitely subscribed and wonderful plants and frogs, beyond blow away with this setup no doubt, up there with some guys I watch that have been doing it for decades! Beautiful plants! Subbed for sure.

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks!!

[@marklynn7531]

This dude really knows his thang!

[@johnschweiger1079]

Awesome, I've got all the stuff to do this except for the tank because of everything that's going on at the minute I'm so looking forward to doing a couple of these

[@jackiekearney]

Very nice 👍

[@paluscapes4208]

Lovely build mate. Really interested as to where you got this filter foam mat? Seems incredibly hard to come by especially in that big mat form as opposed to sheets. TIA

[@isaacswift8950]

Sorry it came from someone in my family who had some, if I find some I’ll get the link and put it below :)

[@Miller1107]

Looks beautiful. What size is the enclosure you went for?

[@isaacswift8950]

24 x 24 x 18 :)

[@isaacswift8950]

Emil Ramos inches

[@mattthrower7391]

Really nice set up, keep it up!

[@paulvarnica8027]

Absolutely amazing build🤩 does anyone know where this everbuild expanding foam is actually safe for the dart frogs

[@ramonolskoolonline]

Yes it is safe for animals and plants! It's called "Great Stuff" expanding foam. They sell a black version too which is used in bioactive ponds!

[@homerj.simpson3559]

The expanding foam has been used in the hobby for years. It's safe

[@wolfblev7546]

Liked the tank man. Though wish you would have explained a bit why your darts look like two different breeds, I'm researching about them still. Though everyone says bad idea to mix them. That all aside tank looks awesome and can't wait to take my own spin on it shortly.

[@isaacswift8950]

There’s no real reason, green sips are just really variable and you can get green, yellow and blue ones. And yes I agree mixing different locales AND species is bad - mixing locales is bad due to the risk of them producing mixed locale offspring which would decrease the purity of the bloodline, and mixing species is bad for many different reasons. And thank you!!

[@tillycalcutt5619]

Great video! What size tank is this?

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks! It’s 24 x 24 x 18 inches

[@matthewsworld4103]

I like the habitat for the poison 🐸.It’s a great place for the poison 🐸👍🏿🙂

[@ascii755]

this man is a living god GODDAMN

[@wheelerdealer8337]

I have this exact Terrarium in my garage I might have to do a build * like this

[@Avocetexotics]

It looks so nice! I am planning on doing something similar for a dart frog and morning gecko tank! I doubt it will look as nice as yours but 🤞.

[@isaacswift8950]

Hahaha no I’m sure it will look good! Good luck :)

[@naturezone1212]

Incredible job!

[@lunarminx]

How are you liking the foam drainage layer? I will be using two layers of cut to fit filters from Homedepot @ $9 each. One question though. I didn't see it get covered, how are you cleaning the water at the front?

[@isaacswift8950]

lunarminx I use a big syringe to drain it because I didn’t install a drainage tap at the front :)

[@VLOG-fh3bm]

Sick build man!!! Thanks for sharing!BTW interesting to see you use the pond liner instead of the traditional egg crate false bottom. Any specific reason why you chose the pond liner? How would you drain excess water in the drainage layer? You didn't show us but "carving" the liner I presume was to made indentations to create a pond from the water in the drainage layer? But isn't that water not good for your frogs and prone to excess mold buildup over time? Subbed for sure! Looking forward to more vids

[@isaacswift8950]

I only chose it because it was all that I had, and I’ve never used the egg crate method before! I drain the water when it collects at the front with a syringe. If I didn’t do this there would be more chance of bad bacteria developing, so I try to do it often.

[@isaacswift8950]

And yeah I cut the pond filter to the shape that I wanted using scissors because I found that this was the most effective way.

[@christianrichardson5113]

This vivarium is amazing! How did you get the plants on the sides of the walls?

[@allornothingproductions6690]

They root in to the Coco fibre that's stuck on.

[@Svoboda119]

Very nice! What size enclosure is that?

[@isaacswift8950]

24 x 24 x 18

[@Tommcfadden97]

Hi mate ! Great vid, just wondering what you did with the foam and the scissors? Why were you cutting? Also, what light do you use/ do uou have a cover for the mesh as i have the same viv and planning on getting some frogs! Thanks!

[@isaacswift8950]

Tom Mcfadden I was cutting the foam in the bottom with scissors to get the shape that I wanted, I was going for a kind of slope effect. For lights I use the Skylight pro II, which you can find online, it’s mainly a plant grow light. And I have a piece of Perspex on the top of the mesh to keep in humidity :)

[@Tommcfadden97]

@@isaacswift8950 thankyou mate!!

[@ailsanurma7903]

Hi may l know how you mostly water the plants if you open the door your frogs gonna come out?

[@isaacswift8950]

They don’t come out, they can barely jump at all and they don’t climb very often so there’s no risk of them getting out. I do always check to see where they are before I open the door though :)

[@agonizedphoenix]

I LOVE this video! My husband and I are going to co-habitat mourning geckos and dart frogs soon (we already keep the geckos but they'll move into a bigger vivarium soon!). So I was looking up videos like yours for inspirational purpose. I have a question though! I see that you have around 2 cm of water sitting right in the front of the setup. How do you prevent that water from going...bad? Doesn't it build up algae or start producing nitrate? I'd REALLY REALLY appreciate if you could help us out here. Thanks for the amazing video!

[@isaacswift8950]

Laine Hi, yeah the water in the front would go stagnant if it’s left there too long, but I use a syringe and take the water out of there’s too much or if it’s been standing for too long, so it goes through periods of flooding and drier periods when I drain it :)

[@agonizedphoenix]

@@isaacswift8950 Ahhh, I see! I was wondering if you had implemented a small pump later on or something like thank. Thanks so much for answering my question!

[@isaacswift8950]

Laine no problem! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the support!

[@12NightFury34]

Great build, where did you get the plants from?

[@isaacswift8950]

Different online shops, mostly from eBay and reptile sites

[@beeble26]

Im in the UK and just starting the process of building my first bio-active tank with the intention of getting some dart frogs. Do you have any recommendations of places to get plants, or what plants to get? Most of the viedos ive seen so far have been people in america - so its nice to find a fellow Brit!

[@isaacswift8950]

I got most of mine from therichrainforest.co.uk, but I would also look on eBay and Etsy because there are sometimes some nice vivarium plants on there!

[@Hai..2008]

I have a question for you! How long does it usually take for all the plants to grow?

[@isaacswift8950]

For me it takes about two weeks for them to be established and then after that they grow quite fast!

[@Hai..2008]

@@isaacswift8950 thank you!

[@rhyskawka5650]

Hi dude, where did you get that brick of foam from? Having a bit of trouble finding some that thick in the UK👍

[@isaacswift8950]

I got it from someone in my family, I’m not sure where it’s from :/ but you could always buy the thinner pieces and stack them :)

[@jonrhodes7004]

Where did you get a block of filter foam that size? All I can find is 5cm deep stuff.

[@isaacswift8950]

It was from someone in my family sorry, I’ll try and find out where you can get it from :)

[@isaacswift8950]

Or, you could always find a way to tie the 5cm pieces together (stacking them and tying with zip ties) to get the depth

[@jonrhodes7004]

@@isaacswift8950 Cheers, would appreciate that. Plan B is silicone pieces together but that big brick of it looks more carvable.

[@isaacswift8950]

Ronny Jodes it wasn’t very carvable, it took ages to cut the shape out with scissors so yeah it’s not a very easy step either way :)

[@misshawkinschannel7198]

AWESOME vivarium set up! Currently following your steps to create my own one. A question though, where did you get the pond sponge filter that thick? I'm from the UK and can't find them online anywhere! Thanks :)

[@isaacswift8950]

I don’t know where it originally came from, I got it from a family member who had some :/ and thank you!

[@DP488]

Hi Buddy. Brilliant video. I posted a video of my Biopod back in Feb but now I need to get the frogs into a better terra as my Pod died. I have a question though, when misting often. How do you drain? Surely it'll fill up quicker than the water evaporates? Sorry for sounding dumb, this is all new to me.

[@isaacswift8950]

If water collects at the bottom, I use a syringe to take out the water. A better idea would be to install a drainage spout to drain it, if you’re thinking about having water in there. I didn’t do this because there isn’t that much water that collects at the bottom🤷‍♂️

[@daleblack748]

Good video! What lighting are you using?

[@isaacswift8950]

Skylight pro II RH

[@LukinsNotmanMusic]

Hi Isaac what size Vivarium are you using?a. Amazing video brother.

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks! It’s a 24 x 24 x 18

[@LukinsNotmanMusic]

Thanks

[@olivermorris4621]

Where did you get the pond foam? I haven't been able to find any pieces that thick! :)

[@isaacswift8950]

I actually got it from someone in my family so I’m not sure, but you can get the smaller pieces and stack them!

[@olivermorris4621]

@@isaacswift8950 that's what I've done, next time I might ask a local fish shop if they get stuff like that in bulk, like they do with filter wool!

[@jonnathanderrick9634]

hi , is that okay that you dont have a drainage to drain the excess water from the bottom?

[@isaacswift8950]

Im not sure I haven’t tried any enclosure without drainage before, but there is a risk of bacteria growing in the bottom without a drainage layer, and many plants prefer a draining soil rather than being in a completely wet soil all the time

[@rickyhomo3992]

nice video bro

[@davidbrown-55]

Sweet build! How long does it take to grow in? Where did you buy your plants? Thanks

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks! I bought most of my plants from different online reptile stores (they’re usually cheaper online) and they probably take about a month to all grow in with good lighting, humidity and temperatures.

[@lunarminx]

@@isaacswift8950 What clean up crew are you using?

[@isaacswift8950]

lunarminx grey Isopods and springtails

[@Tommcfadden97]

Also where did You get the sponge layer from please

[@isaacswift8950]

Tom Mcfadden I got it from someone in my family, and I’m not sure where they originally got it from :(

[@LukinsNotmanMusic]

What kind of plants that you are using in this Vivarium? I know this is a big question but please can you say most of the plants because I’m building my own Vivarium over the next 2 months.

[@isaacswift8950]

Lots of moss like java moss and flame moss, biophytum sensitivum, small orchids, bromeliads like neoregilia and vriesea, air plants, Anubias etc

[@LukinsNotmanMusic]

Isaac Swift thanks

[@elliemartin1497]

How long did you let it grow out before adding your frogs?

[@isaacswift8950]

Ummm probably only like a week, you don’t have to wait for them to grow out if you don’t want to :)

[@catherinemunson4217]

Hi Isaac, just wondering how much water you had in vivarium and how do you clean this water? I'm still trying to get my head around maintaining / cleaning a live vivarium :)

[@isaacswift8950]

Because of the design of this, the water collects at the front and I drain it with a syringe. But if you’re making a standard vivarium with a drainage layer, you can just leave the water at the bottom

[@catherinemunson4217]

@@isaacswift8950 Thank you that's really helpful! :D

[@49Landor]

How do you keep the water from going stagnant at the bottom bud?

[@isaacswift8950]

I drain it all the time with a syringe, it goes through periods of flooding and then I drain it but there isn’t usually standing water :)

[@SlcthGrl]

Great video! Subbed 😊

[@miss.scales7159]

Wouldn't pond liner prevent water from getting to the drainage layer too? Because it's made to hold water? Or am I wrong? It turned out GORGEOUS, btw! Not tryna knock out down in any way, just a curious question. Beautiful build :)

[@isaacswift8950]

Miss.Scales & friends it’s like a fabric, so it does let water through, but I think I called it pond liner which is something else (black plastic sheeting), Im not sure what it’s actually called :)

[@mathewblood3207]

Great bid what lighting r u using

[@isaacswift8950]

mathew blood the Skylight Pro II RH

[@Gridlock2k]

Can you pls add a list of used plants, thank you

[@Mark-wt7xl]

I always put foam sheet on the back ground first, if ever want pull the back ground apart ,

[@isaacswift8950]

Yeah good idea!

[@joshc3899]

Is the pool of water at the front intentional? How do you do it

[@isaacswift8950]

Yeah, the viv goes through periods of flooding and then I gradually dry it out as in the wild they would experience wetter and drier periods so I wanted the water to collect at the front :)

[@joshc3899]

Isaac Swift do you just carve out into the filter sponge, and place the substrate Over it and then remove excess water when it’s too much ?

[@isaacswift8950]

Yeah I remove it with a syringe when there’s too much water in the bottom and when it’s been stood there for too long.

[@nbdysfool3]

What do you use for heat?

[@isaacswift8950]

Room temperature is fine for dart frogs, my room stays quite warm so I don’t need any additional heat

[@danielfraser5096]

Where do you get your plants?

[@isaacswift8950]

A few of different places but mostly from eBay

[@PumpkinPoem]

i would recommend leca instead of foam false bottom, cheaper and easier to manage

[@isaacswift8950]

I don’t know what that is but sure if it works for you!

[@meirkatttt]

What light do you use for this vivarium? :)

[@isaacswift8950]

Skylight pro ll RH

[@paxas03]

Instead of foam to draining why not some vulcanic substrat that is more natural, has nutrients and some plant roots can even cross the barrier to acess it for minerals and water from the bottom? Either way it looks great!

[@RicoLyco]

How about heating? What temp are you keeping them on? Great vid with a lot of explanations 👍

[@isaacswift8950]

Rico xo keep them at an ambient temperature of 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit, this is about room temperature anyway and they don’t require special lighting, mine just have a grow light for the plants :)

[@RicoLyco]

@@isaacswift8950 I see! Well here in Holland you definitely need some sort of heating. XD thanks for the reply, and are you gonna post some more soon?

[@isaacswift8950]

Rico xo I posted a video yesterday and I’m working on a couple of others so stay tuned!

[@RicoLyco]

@@isaacswift8950 neat!

[@bryanromero7750]

Is peat Moss?

[@A--gk2id]

Where do you get the plants?

[@isaacswift8950]

Most of them from places like Ebay, some online reptile and aquarium shops etc. I can’t remember exactly where but they weren’t from one place :)

[@larsvane8282]

How do you fix the temperatures?

[@isaacswift8950]

Lars Vane the light for the plants on the top provides enough warmth for the frogs so I don’t really do anything to regulate the temp

[@bananamilk6155]

Where did you get the vivarium?

[@isaacswift8950]

On an online reptile site

[@bananamilk6155]

Isaac Swift oh uhhh is it ok if I ask which?

[@isaacswift8950]

A 24 x 24 x 18 Exoterra

[@erickr.8977]

What is the tank you used?

[@isaacswift8950]

Erick Romero 60x45x60 exoterra

[@erickr.8977]

@@isaacswift8950 thank you.

[@kazg0091]

Those frogs have cooler habitat than me😭😂

[@isaacswift8950]

😂

[@13luberri]

can two of the same species of dart frogs live together i would assume? Like if both male or female and be like dendrobates auratus? I want a blue and green frog ;]

[@isaacswift8950]

I think auratus are fine in pairs or in small group’s. If you’re getting a pair then I’d suggest getting a Male and female that are sexed, or a male and a male, females are usually more territorial. Also it’s not advised to mix locales, meaning that for example you can’t keep a male blue with a female green, as they could cross breed. But I guess if they’re both Male, you could. :)

[@13luberri]

@@isaacswift8950 awesome! thank you so much for the response! i've been trying to debate if i should them from josh's frogs since they seem to be reputable in this particular area. I just wanted to get into the hobby since it looks aesthetically pleasing and just calming. ;D

[@beardedgaz]

What size is the exo please .

[@isaacswift8950]

24 x 24 x 18

[@WoodysReptiles]

sweet video deffo subbing

[@isaacswift8950]

Thanks!

[@LoneWolf_RO]

why not leave only the sponge? i know it works good just with that

[@isaacswift8950]

You can, but I preferred way this looked

[@isaacswift8950]

Also, it wouldn’t be bioactive without soil and leaves :)

[@LoneWolf_RO]

@@isaacswift8950 troy goldberg has some setups with just the sponge(not as thick as the one u are using) and they fo verry good. If u have bark on the sides or wood the isopods thrive in there. More like a hidroponic aproach

[@isaacswift8950]

I’ve seen it before, who knows maybe I’ll try it sometime🤷‍♂️

[@sasfishadventures9729]

I love it! Whats the dimensions?

[@isaacswift8950]

No5 Aquatics 24 x 24 x 18

[@bishbashash5319]

Set up looks amazing, wish there was a better option than the exoterras though, i dont like that big black bar on the front, totaly ruins the look.

[@isaacswift8950]

Bish Bash Ash there are other options, just probably more expensive :/ a lot of German-style vivariums have sliding doors at the front instead

[@dogsperspective8977]

what size is ti?

[@isaacswift8950]

24 x 24 x 18 :)

[@dogsperspective8977]

@@isaacswift8950 18high?

[@isaacswift8950]

No 18 deep :)

[@dogsperspective8977]

@@isaacswift8950 thanks mate :)

[@balasubramanib4380]

Can you name some of these plants for example

[@rounaktantia1195]

Size of tank ?

[@isaacswift8950]

60x45x60cm

[@missaschurman2123]

I really don't think the pond filter is appropriate it will sit it water and eventually get mildly over time likely You're supposed to use hydro balls a false bottom of other material similar to hydroballs

[@isaacswift8950]

Yeah, but using hydro balls isn’t the only way, it doesn’t sit in water because I drain it every week so the water cycled through

[@missaschurman2123]

@@isaacswift8950 oh okay I learned something new I was mainly curious how you did it I would probably prefer to use hydro balls drawing the water Everytime seems kinda tedious I'd rather do it every once in a while when it geta too full

[@camilosarango3130]

Listen to my friend´s new song "Panocha" by Faraón Love Shady

[@lunarminx]

NOOOOooooooo, you can't make me go in!

[@rustyshackleford7288]

You shouldn't mix frogs

[@isaacswift8950]

They’re the same species and locality… they’re all dendrobates tinctorius green sipaliwini