how to drain a vivarium?

Question

Hi! iam making a frog vivarium with a false bottom so i can make a built in pond. Im planning on having live plants in there but i didnt know what happens to the water which you give to the plant does it sinks through and how to clean or get rid of it. thanks!!!

Answer 1

Are the live plants to be in the water, or in the soil/substrate?

If in the soil/substrate, any water the plants don't use will eventually evaporate (which will increase the humidity for the frogs). It would be a good idea to have plastic at the bottom if the vivarium because if it's wood, the water may soak in and rot the wood.

If you're asking about aquatic plants, They will also take up some of the water and release it through the leaves (transpiration) and some will evaporate. But in standing water with lights over the vivarium, you may have algae problems. This you'd need to control through the amount of time the lights are on, nutrient control (from dead crickets in the water, decaying leaves, soil, and if the frog sheds its skin or defecates), and cleanings. I'd suggest that you invest in a gravel vacuum and aquarium cleaning pad - scrape the sides and vacuum out 1/4 to 1/2 of the water each week, and replace it with dechlorinated water that's about the same themperature. You can also reduce the amount of light that reaches the sides/bottom of the pond by using floating plants to keep the light from getting to these areas.