DIY Poison Dart Frog Vivarium Build - Exo Terra Rainforest Terrarium

[@kerrypitt9789]

This labour of love was simply amazing!! You put a lot of thought knto this build! I hope it will further your career! I look forward to seeing more of your work! So very good!!

[@sdqsdq6274]

many do not know , the exo terra door can face another way ,rather then front , so that clear view panel is facing the owner

[@ReefDudes]

Can face it any want you want! As long as you can access it :)

[@thereefstop8916]

That tree looks amazing! Looks so real and natural.. genius!

[@ReefDudes]

Thank you! super happy with how it turned out!

[@Theblankminer]

Wish you would’ve shown some of the process of putting the plants in.

[@rongiusti5397]

I'm a long-time dart keeper, but got some new inspiration from your video.

[@ReefDudes]

That’s awesome Ron! What local do you keep?!

[@rongiusti5397]

@@ReefDudes currently keeping several forms of tinctorius,auratus,and leucomelas

[@ReefDudes]

@@rongiusti5397 Love it! which one of them is your fav?

[@christophercrawford8237]

Looks fantastic! Great job. I'm amazed how realistic your pvc tree looks!

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Christopher! Turned out pretty good for winging it! It should look better and better over time once the moss/vines take it over!

[@michaelmelo8075]

I had reef tanks for many years and really enjoyed the hobby, I switched to dart frog due to my love of plants and the natural look, less work and more economical . Great vivarium build !!!

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks! They certainly each have their own appeal, lots of cool parallels too! What do you keep now ?

[@michaelmelo8075]

I keep about 8 different types of dart frogs, The hobbies do have many similarities, especially since I started reefing in the late 80's when reefing had much more diy since many things weren't commercially available. I started growing orchids, then thought it would be cool the have some live animal in the terrarium. Then dart frogs came on to the scene and it was a perfect match. Now I have become plant obsessed just like I did with corals. In the current state of the reef hobby with corals and fish that I spent $20 now going for hundreds I think I'm happy with my change only problem is with frogs multiple tank syndrom is a real thing. Keep on frogging

[@dailycoral]

Such a cool contrast to the reef tank! Excellent execution on your plan, I expect no less from you buddy!

[@ReefDudes]

Hehe thanks so much! 🥰. How’s things coming along with your tank?

[@dailycoral]

@ReefDudes Kids and work haven’t left any fish time in the past year, but tonight I’m FINALLY gluing my first PVC joint in a year, so the party is starting!

[@ReefDudes]

@@dailycoral Heck yes! Keep me updated on this big beautiful build !

[@scizorzzz]

Auratus El Cope are my favorite dart frog, Everyone says they aren't as bold as the tinctorius or phyllobates, but I really don't think that's true. You can't beat the copper/teal color and their call is just audible enough to be pleasant but not annoying. they also do fantastic in large groups like this.

[@ReefDudes]

agreed, they are one of my favs as well! Relatively bold, do well in groups and not too loud. What more could you ask for!

[@melaniesimpson6322]

Wow!! Great update with lots of info on how to set up. That is so cool and the frogs are so cute!!! Love the cabinet integration..might be a new project one of these days. Keep the updates coming!!

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Melanie! Your totally should :)

[@cassalamon]

This is one of the coolest vivs ive seen, not just for the scape (which is awesome too), but for all the cool tech you put into it too like the custom lid, fans, rodi system, etc. Would love to see more vivarium content as theres not enough of it on youtube

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks so much! I’ll do random updates on it. I really do love it so I may do another at some point once I find the right spot. I would love to do a big custom one one day too :)

[@peterperez4493]

This tank is incredible I love it and I’m very interested in seeing more of this, thanks for sharing

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks so much Peter! Pretty happy with it for my first vivarium build! Will def do some future updates

[@peterperez4493]

@@ReefDudes also I have to ask, do you still have your jellyfish tank running?

[@ReefDudes]

@@peterperez4493 I do not, sold it before i underwent a bunch of renos/wedding out of town for a few weeks. one day i may get some again.

[@5lacker_FL]

I never knew frogs were that interesting but have to say I was wrong. I think a similar system would work for chameleons which I wanted to have until I found out about reef tanks.

[@ReefDudes]

Totally would! likely just less misting and more airflow for them! I have debated one.. maybe at some point. I used to have anoles when i was young.. so something has lured this back out in me :P

[@dan-m05]

it's funny I have the same dart frogs in a similar jungly vivarium but the three that i have are extremely shy, unless its meal time they're rarely out. I have to say also the way you integrated the tank into that cabinet is awesome. Great video :D

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Dan! I have 2-3 that are super bold, 1 thats a wuss and hides most of the time and 2 somewhere in the middle :) I would love to see your tank! if you have instagram you should shoot me a pic @leafdudes

[@MaxPower-uq4sz]

I really like how you designed the enclouser! Well done and BR

[@ReefDudes]

Thank you very much!

[@Miller1107]

What size PVC did you use to build the tree? Would love to replicate this one, its gorgeous

[@Rms-18]

Really nicely done

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Rich!

[@chellicarterflores4524]

This is beautiful, Dev! Thanks for sharing. 💚🌿

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Chelli!

[@Reefkpr1]

WOW!!!! Great job! Looks incredible!

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks Phil!

[@DamienDavidO]

“ dirt frog,” 👀 lol great looking set up

[@drew-shourd]

Wait, wait, PVC, Great Stuff and parchment paper?? Brilliant...just past a minute in and I am already digging this build!! Rope??...amazing...wow, super high-tech bro, nice job. Is that a tillandsia @7:28? Sweet frogs...

[@ReefDudes]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@drew-shourd]

Tillandsia yes? @@ReefDudes

[@matmalette]

for a long term build, I would suggest a Furcifer Pardalis Ambilobe aka Panther Chameleon. A nice set up with ferns money, Hibiscus and tones of vines. Don't get me wrong it is more of a job to feed compare to your Crested gecko plan. I would suggest you avoid most of other tree gecko type as most are very nervous. Giant day gecko for example doesn't just drop it's tail, it can leave it's own skin and exposing flesh due to stress events.

[@ReefDudes]

Neon day geckos was another one I was looking at. Any experience with those little guys?

[@matmalette]

@@ReefDudes they could be fun but any day gecko that slips out of your tank is a nightmare to put back in. Skin will grow back but it involves sanitizing. As their temperament the neons are the ones I would lean into. What are the types of diet you want and don't want to supplement Dev?

[@spicyreef]

Great technique! Love it!

[@ReefDudes]

Thx spicy reef! Pretty happy with how it turned out.

[@eznanoreef]

Very cool setup, you don't settle for average. It looks phenomenal! I recently dabbled back into reptiles (Crested Gecko) too and agree that the contrast in color brings a whole new joy to the eyes. Being able to interact with the gecko is also a plus!

[@ReefDudes]

Very cool. I have been debating a second enclosure and what I would put into it :). Crested looks super cool

[@eznanoreef]

​@@ReefDudes Highly recommend! New morphs are like collecting corals and powdered diet is a game changer for ease of care.

[@havikreptiles3828]

id love to buy some of the 3d printed mesh for the tank! im trying to do a similar build!

[@ReefDudes]

Do you have the same tank?

[@smolbodybuilder1602]

5:37 how did you place the silicone so it won’t strip off when u open the door?

[@savagereefer1157]

Love it bud amazing build

[@ReefDudes]

🙏 thank you!

[@martinvaillancourt2650]

That’s so interesting! I also keep dart frogs

[@ReefDudes]

awesome, what kind do you keep?!

[@martinvaillancourt2650]

@@ReefDudes ranitomeya fantastica

[@ReefDudes]

@@martinvaillancourt2650 awesome, they look pretty cool!

[@martinvaillancourt2650]

@@ReefDudes I love them. Smaller than yours and very arboreal. They would love your set up

[@jjmccloud]

Looks great! Is this gonna be some new future content along with the reef stuff?

[@ReefDudes]

Thank you! I Have been debating that, ill see how much love this video gets, was thinking of sprinkling them in once in a while :)

[@jjmccloud]

@@ReefDudes Id get into it, let's see what happens 😏 I bet there's plenty that'll watch

[@Jkanderson1]

Does the 40mm fan in the tank bring air in or out? Also, how long does it run for? This video was amazing, by the way!

[@ReefDudes]

Thanks so much! its more for internal circulation to keep the glass more clear, i run it 24/7

[@aces8054]

First off your system looks great. I’m in the process of building my first terrarium. In regards to the fam that I will be installing as well, should the wind flow be blowing in the tank or out the tank. As I will be installing the misting system as well.

[@devachapman6315]

nice Brother! something I have wanted to do for a few years too. maybe some day when i get a man cave I can have 3 reef tanks a few planted tanks and a dart frog set up. Do they jump out when you are feeding or doing maintenance? that wrap around stand your buddy made is 1st class!

[@ReefDudes]

It really does give it that polished look! Theses guys have not tried to escape and have been Great. Some of the thumbnail frogs may try and make a break for it though from what k read

[@georgegeorge6936]

Very nice Devin ! Just like your reef tanks, everything is well thought out and executed flawlessly. Look forward to seeing how it progresses over time. I'm doing a similar freshwater riparium build and I'm thinking of using a fan inside to keep the glass clear too. But I was thinking won't the PC fan rust or malfunction over time due to the humidity ? Thanks

[@ReefDudes]

I went with a noctua fan, they are very well built. Hopefully wil last a long time.

[@LionsEyeLand]

Do we need to "feed" the plants to keep them lush and green?

[@ReefDudes]

Frog poop and dead leaves are your natural fertilizer, all i do is water with the misterts :)

[@cherrelle3231]

Please be honest with me. with you set up, is there a smell? I’m entertaining the idea of having one in my bedroom but I need to be realistic about odours. The drainage sump is giving me ideas 💡

[@tannerbradford7233]

I built one a while back and absolutely loved it but the fruit flies smell horrible! How did you get it to where they didn’t smell so bad?

[@ReefDudes]

First 2 weeks is fine. Week 3-4 they start to smell funky. I added a small air purifier lol. But also toss any cultures once they are close to 4 weeks

[@r-d6568]

Careful with RODI. There are rumors it could pull nutrients out of your frogs. I don't know if that is true. Posting this in-case you didnt know.

[@ReefDudes]

I have heard that and debated piping it in pre DI... that being said, i dust my daily fruit flies and the frogs have laid eggs a few times so i would think if they are breeding they are healthy and happy!

[@r-d6568]

@@ReefDudes Awesome. That is good to know!!

[@numberhoan]

Hey Devin, Great setup! I have a few questions for you: -With the fans, where does your humidity hover? -What's your misting schedule? How long does it take to fill up that 5 gallon drainage ATO reservoir? -What intensity are you running the radion at? -Do you know an U.S. source where I could possibly get a custom glass top from (with misting holes and front screens)? Thank you!

[@ReefDudes]

Humidity 74-86 range Mist 20s 4am,8am,12,4,8 I empty the container at like 1/4 full - takes a while Radion 50% overall but the point intensity is 65% any glass shop can do it for you. It cost me $20 for the glass and 12$ for the drill bit and drilled my self. Glass shop could drill for you

[@LJsReef]

Go on etsy and there's people on there that make custom vivarium tops.

[@steveplays5408]

Do you have a link to where you got the 40mm fan you have inside the tank?

[@ReefDudes]

I used a 40mm noctua fan amzn.to/3RdPqE2

[@Pkarp1224]

This is awesome!! What size is the tank and where did you get it from?

[@vergilarceo3131]

Nice job! Just curious, how long did it take for the vinegar smell to go away from silicone?

[@ReefDudes]

I did let it air out for a week or two before i used it. but my guess would be moistly gone after a few days

[@erinmcmahon3785]

This is awesome! What type of fan do you use inside the tank? I feel like most I’ve seen are bigger but you’re looks like it’s the perfect size.

[@ReefDudes]

40mm pc fan

[@erinmcmahon3785]

@@ReefDudes thanks so much! I could quite catch what you were saying even though I listened several times! Love you tank/cabinets- super cool setup.

[@ReefDudes]

@@erinmcmahon3785 Thanks Erin! Im super happy with how it turned out! :D Its looking better and better over time too as things fill in.

[@straterfoutz9299]

Hey I thinking about starting dart frog tank and I was planning it but found it gets expensive very fast and was wondering how much you spent on the setup excluding the stand and tank it looks great taking lots of inspiration

[@AgeOrmstad]

Very nice man 😋👍

[@ReefDudes]

Thank you!

[@Ps3ZoCkErExTrEmE]

hello how did you make the ventilation tube above ? would you pass on the stl file?

[@Ms.Jlovinglife]

W😮W that is so cool I would love to get similar but smaller just because of the space but yeah I’m so glad I pressed play 😂❤❤❤❤

[@ReefDudes]

Glad you enjoyed it!!

[@Ms.Jlovinglife]

@@ReefDudes Thank you

[@RGMLLC]

How’d you stick the plants in the structure of you put silicone on it

[@ReefDudes]

Stainless steel wire. Bent into a U shape and pinned stuff to it

[@D3MasterMind]

cool tank! ive got a question about the fan, does it blow air in or out? and for how long do you have it on?

[@mikeycbaby]

What are the dimensions of the terrarium?

[@ReefDudes]

24x18x36 i Believe

[@Frogmandb]

Nice vid, what size is this tank?

[@Jdelvalle9]

Dude, just ran into your channel.. Great video!! Been doing my research to build something just like this for some darts! Very interested in how you keep the glass clear! All the videos I see of frog tank tours, all have extremely foggy glass.. you mentioned a fan? I think u called it a “small PC fan”? It works? Point it towards anywhere in particular? Size matter? Very interested! Thanks for the video! You got a new subscriber! 🤙🏽

[@ReefDudes]

Welcome Jorge! It’s a small 40mm noctua pc fan. I have it blowing upwards and 3D printed a little cone shape top grill to distribute the air to all size and create a subtle gyre of air to keep the glass clean. Works very well! I never understood tanks that looked like a shower door mid shower all day. I want to be able to see my amazing creatures! Ps welcome to the channel!

[@Jdelvalle9]

@@ReefDudes thanks for the reply!!! ✊🏽

[@beaverdavies87]

What size enclosure is this

[@ReefDudes]

24 X 18 X 36 “

[@Zbryant91]

I've heard you mention a few times that you are adding RO containers to your ATO. Do you have a video that shows how you are doing this? I assume this means you're just running them all on the same pump and when your tank/container with the sensor fills, it just fills all of them? Are you then just using float valves at all the auxiliary containers to prevent overfilling? I just got a alkatronic and mastertronic and am trying to figure out the best way to do this without flooding the house.

[@ReefDudes]

I have a float valve on each ATO container, I use a floodguardian with an optical sensor / solenoid as the main "switch" and have it schedule to turn on every 3rd day. so the optical sensor shuts it off and the float valve is the back up. I have the output of the RODI T'd off to my reef tank as well as the dart frog mister container :)

[@Zbryant91]

@@ReefDudes gotcha. Thank you!

[@LJsReef]

I had to get rid of my Reef tanks due to a new baby taking up all my time so I got into dart frogs cuz they're a lot easier to take care of.

[@ReefDudes]

I'm up to all 3 now :P What kind of darts do you keep?

[@Daniyoyo]

What do you do for mold with that high humidity ?

[@ReefDudes]

Have a small fan inside for air flow. Also added springtails and dwarf white isopods No issues :)

[@kier3754]

Love the tank! How do the vents you’ve made stay in position?

[@ReefDudes]

Gravity. They are. Snug fit

[@kier3754]

Great idea! Is the fan in the tank blowing air in or out?

[@ReefDudes]

@@kier3754 Inside, it sucks from the bottom then pushes against the top glass to it creats a bit of a circualr gyre motion. Main goal is for it to defog the glass which it works well for! Drives me nuts to see vivs that are all a haze and you cant see in. love to see my little froggies!

[@ReefDudes]

@@kier3754 Just a tiny one for internal circulation more to keep the glass clear, There is vents on bottom and on top so there is a chimney effect for ventilation. I do have a PC fan at the top of the cabinet to suck out any warmth from the light which also likely draws a bit of air up thought the viv as well

[@timmmyt101]

can you explain how you split off the rodi from your reef tank?

[@ReefDudes]

Used a Y connector. So it refills both at the same time. Each also have a float valve for backup

[@timmmyt101]

@@ReefDudes is this splitting a versa output?

[@ReefDudes]

@@timmmyt101 this is direct from The rodi. Main control is from the flood guardian that turns on a solenoid on ever 3rd day to refill the ato containers. The output is split to both bins which also have a float valve. The reef tank has an optical sensor inside to shit off the rodi once that bins full

[@timmmyt101]

@@ReefDudes gotcha, thought you figured out a magical way to split versa outputs for some reason

[@ReefDudes]

@@timmmyt101 you could Y valve it and use a pinch valves if you wanted to alternate the output

[@mr.worthington6201]

Can I use the same setup for exotic plants?

[@ReefDudes]

You sure could. All the the plants are thriving in there !

[@mr.worthington6201]

@@ReefDudes Awesome! Did you drill the drain hole yourself? I would really love to duplicate your setup, we have the same tank!

[@MW-ut3dk]

Cool…but if you go on vacation then someone has to feed live food no?

[@ReefDudes]

Yep. But I also get someone to feed the fish so will have to teach them the fruit fly shuffle haha

[@BeckyS]

There are pet sitters out there who are knowledgable and willing. You might have to look a little harder than usual though ;)

[@danielsmith336]

@@ReefDudes when you go on vacation you can poke some fruit fly sized holes in the lid of your oldest culture and set it in the tank, along with a slice of banana or apple on the substrate. Flies and maggots will constantly trickle out of the hole while you are on vacation and the piece of fruit keeps them concentrated in one area for the frogs to hunt. This is also a trick that breeders use to keep young froglets constantly fed in-between their dusted fly feedings. The older the culture is, the smaller the flies are. Less yeast (the fly's protein source) in the older media and more competition makes them runty. These runty flies are useful for smaller frogs, especially if the springtail population is low in their vivarium.

[@Mark-hb2zy]

Lol, I've kept reptiles and similar before, I guarantee no matter what you try and how careful you are you'll find those fruit flies around the house 😂 I had the same thing with crickets 😩

[@ReefDudes]

So far so good containing them. Haha the only risk seems to be when getting them out of the deli cup. Almsot have it down to an art do pre smacking it to knock them off then agresivos tap it to get them out and quickly re seal it haha

[@elsbethlehem2479]

Superdouper

[@rossdelrio246]

Are the stl files for the vents you printed available?

[@ReefDudes]

They sure are! www.thingiverse.com/thing:5338510

[@ianbrown2475]

Would these vents work for an 18x18x24 exoterra if you only used one middle section?

[@Mebeknob]

Dude I thought you were going to use that skeleton structure to hide your misters! That would’ve been awesome.

[@ReefDudes]

I ran a tube down the back of the tree so i could pump i. Fog or water feature but decided not to for now. Could be cool to hide them in the tree. Maybe the next one!

[@matmalette]

Hey Dev, just as a tip like that. you are most probably using the yellow stuff and you shouldn't. Don't name the brand you use but for upcoming project or for anyone about to do one of their own, the Lepage is the one to use. It may sound weird but other molecule then theirs will actually completely change its structure, durability, etc. Not all urethan are good to be cut and paint. I do not work for the brand at all, it's a minor detail that people never know about. PS: it has better uv resistance also.

[@matmalette]

That said amazing build!

[@ReefDudes]

From my understanding it’s inert once cured, and sealed in silicone for good measure! If I build another one down the road I’ll try out the lepage :). Thanks for the tip!

[@blackronin5578]

Beautiful and i just subscribe 💪👍💯

[@ReefDudes]

Woo welcome!

[@JakeDogg-RIP]

🐸 ridip! 🐸

[@torsten811]

The artificial branches are way too thick and really don't look good. Someone overshot the mark. Greetings from Germany Torsten

[@Miller1107]

They aren't meant to be a scaled tree - they're very well done. You've just misinterpreted what its meant to be.

[@simas2551]

What type of moss are u using on the branches?

[@ReefDudes]

I started with “dusk moss”. Then also added various types to it’s a big mix in there