Vivarium construction

D

dustin

Guest
Just wondering what kind of techniques people use to effectively separate the land & water areas in a vivarium? Most of my attempts are plagued by some degree of capillary action/wicking of water into the soil, even w/ excellent drainage, saturation has become a problem in a few of my attempts. Any hints, tips, or tricks?
 
Dustin, I believe there is a CC article on making shelves...I can look it up later... How deep is the vivarium?...If its going to be a shallow water area Ive put horizontal pieces of glass in to separate the areas...You can easily keep them separated by silicone...Make sure you give it plenty of time to dry...
 
Dustin
I have always used the shelf method in my semi aquatic set ups, and can highly recommend it.
This way you can give as large a land area as you require, without having to cut back on the water.
You can also make these shelves easily removable for ease of cleaning etc.
 
Thanx! Provides plenty of inspiration. Just one question - I have tried some similar interfaces in the past & have ended up w/ water wicking over the top of the rock-covered vertical divider. Has anyone who uses this method had a problem w/ the soil becoming saturated w/ tank water?
 
Hi Dustin. I had exactly that problem (water wicking over the barrier) in this tank design:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/images/articles/tanks/semi10MACKE.jpg

I do not have this problem in tanks where I have used a second piece of glass to create a "shelf" at the water's edge. This shelf allows a range a water levels, while also making it easy for the animals to climb over the barrier. In other words, the water level doesn't have to be right up to the top of the vertical plate, so wicking isn't a problem.
 
Thanx Jen - In your experience w/ T. karelinii, how low can the water level be from the top of the divider (w/ a shelf) before the newts have trouble negotiating it?
 
Dustin
You can if you wish, put the shelf above water level, with a ramp siliconed in place going from the shelf, to the bottom of the water at one side of the tank.
The newts will soon learn to use this ramp.
 
Echoing Morg my Alpines have a 2.5 inch ramp siliconed to their shelf they use it easily enough. The water is half an inch lower than the shelf to ensure no stale air gets trapped under there.
 
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