Living Vivarium: Solomon Islands (with information to start your own!)

[Souggy]

I figure that you guys in Calgary could use some inspiration before the TARAS competition in the spring and or in the fall...

1) Introduction

Myself and Andrew (frogO_Oeyes) have been sharing, discussing and brainstorming ideas for vivariums. Both of us have decided to do a few terrariums for the 2008 TARAS show. He taught me how to use resources efficiently and the basics to building a living vivarium.

The art of naturalistic terrarium is under appreciated in North America for some reason. The concept is not new, nor is it revolutionary. I think the reason why it is seen more often in Europe is because of the minimal requirements outlined in the mainland European animal welfare laws saying how reptiles and amphibians should be kept over there, and people decided to elaborate on those requirements or it could had stemmed from the introduced centuries-old naturalistic Asian style of aquaria and arts of bonsai and penjing. In Asia, attempts to replicate nature have not gone unnoticed with the Japanese art of bonsai, the Chinese art of penjing and recently the Amano style of aquarium design. Perhaps the whole concept of living display come from that varanid keepers and amphibian keepers noticed their animals breed more readily in a natural environment. Either way, mankind's attempts to recreate nature is not new, and the concept of living vivarium should not receive such negative reactionary responses from many people. Yes, people can breed animals in artificial environment, but the challenge here is get a functioning ecosystem in a box that is comfortable enough for the animals to one day breed in it.

A living vivarium does not have to compose of several different species of animals. The whole concept is already popular with Gopher Snakes (Pituophis spp.), Garter Snakes (Thamnophis spp.) and other similar marsh snakes, African Egg-eating Snakes (Dasypeltis spp.) and many Milksnakes and Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis spp.) to name a few. Almost every keepers of dart frogs (Dendrobatidae) and Mantella have living vivariums for their specimens; many of which are not mixed. Just keep in mind, the more room and the more hiding places there are, the better it will be for the inhabitants.

The whole goal of a living vivarium is to recreate localized ecosystem from our world and maintain a self-sufficient system short of adding food and trimming plants. If the miniature ecosystem is functioning well enough, all of the inhabitants should readily breed and have offspring. When that is achieved, I would say that we reached the pinnacle of our hobby and we should be proud of what we have done. I think where people go wrong is that they mix or pair up the wrong species that would normally otherwise have hundreds of acres of space. Many skinks, geckos and amphibians are very localized to their surrounding occupying a small territory. Most of them seem to prefer to stay in their optimal micro habitat as long it will continue to exist before venturing out to find new micro habitats.

My project for this thread? I will be picking a region in Papua New Guinea: Bouganville of the Solomon Islands chain. Throughout this thread, I will be borrowing concepts and techniques from zoological establishments, amphibian keepers, especially dart frog and mantella keepers, aquarists and bonsai practitioners.

[Souggy]

2) TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

Canadian Tire
14lbs of "Lava Rock" - $2.14
The Solomon Islands is littered with volcanic rocks, mainly basalt, pumice, andesite, and rhyolite and other types of rocks. Obsidian have also been found in the Solomons. I will be using porous rocks to encourage aquatic microorganisms and algae in the event I choose to use specialized feeders that relies on micro-fauna in the aquatic section of the terrarium. I suspect that scoria and trachyte are common place based on analysis of rock compositions in Queensland, Australia, New Zealand and numerous east Indo-Pacific islands.
Home Depot
4'x2' Light Diffusor (Eggcrate) - $9.40
Eggcrate is an easy way to create an elevated level called a “false bottom” to allow for a water table to be created without constantly soaking the substrate. If you buy eggcrate, watch out for the edges and corners, they snap really easily when bumped. Although $9 for 4'x2' sound too much, I won't be using all of it for the project, and will still have plenty left over for other projects that I decide to do.
4 GE Silicone I (Clear) - $9.99
It doesn't say "aquarium-safe," however it doesn't say it's mildew-resistant either and a lot of hobbyists and professionals use this in bulk for putting together their aquariums and aquascape. I have used it before with no ill effect... just wish there are cheap safe ones that come in black, brown or almond though. Although I suspect that the bio-seal in the Silicone II is not all that harmful to fish and other vertebrates.
16oz Great Stuff Insulating Foam Sealant - $8.37
Great Stuff or any of the other spray foam brands can be used to give the vivarium a textured background and hold a few décors in place.
Fibreglass Insect Screen 3'x7' - $9.57
Insect screen is used to separate the substrate from the egg-crate or can be laid upon a layer of gravel or hydroponic LECA balls or terra-cotta balls.
Nature's Corner
Prime 100mL - $6.99
Every mL of Prime should be good for 10 gallon of water. Since Edmonton uses EPCOR as their water supplier, uses chloramine which does not evaporate quite readily and can remain in water for a long time. It is important to remove chlorine and chloramine for fish and amphibians.
Reptile Show and Sales
6 bricks of coco fibre - $12
Coco fibre or "coco coir" can be used to create texture with expanding foam as well as silicone in various parts of the vivarium. It also make a good plant-growing substrate that hold water well and drain water well. Brand names include “plantation soil,” “eco-earth,” and “gro brix” at the local petstores or pet suppliers. I am a big fan of coco fibre since I never know what plants pop out of them! Most of them seem to be some kind of bean spouts though.
2 piece of cork bark - $15-30
I forgot how much I paid for this, but I think it in the $15-$30 range. The previous seller would know if he remembered which one I bought from him at the Edmonton Mice & Things Show in 2008. I will be using this as either background or one of the décor.
From private sales and barters
2 pieces of driftwood - $5
I think I paid for $40 or so for a bunch of stuff, and the two pieces happened to be included. I might be using the driftwood for various purpose as defining the water boundary, creating a second level or giving the terrarium a rugged look. I am not entirely sure what I will do the driftwood at the planning stage of the project.
2 pieces of driftwood, half log, fir bark substrate- Nil
Got these with a glass open-front Exo-Terra 18"x18"x18", and its ceramic décor and artificial plants, which I will be trading for animals with a certain someone in Calgary.1 33g Aquarium 36"x12"x18" Donated
This enclosure will be used in the Bouganville project, and it was donated by one of Ollie's friends. I realize it is a bit narrow, but the extra height will make up for it.
Collected
Some quartz-embedded rocks
These rocks will be used to create accents in the vivarium.



The materials

Shopping/Collecting List
Andesite
Fir bark or orchid bark
Flourite
Gravel
Leaf Litter
Nozzle
Obsidian
Pool Filter Sand
Powerhead
PVC pipings
Scoria
Rhyolite
Trachyte



The enclosure

I am in the process of getting more plants such as small orchids, aquatic and semi-aquatic plants, scrubs and aroids. Also, also I will be purchasing gravel, sand, fir bark, and leaf litter as substrate. I am in the process of getting small pieces of driftwood to silicone to the back of the setup, and getting flat rocks for the terrarium.

Tools of Trade
5 U.S. gallon Bucket
A valuable tool to clean out gravels, sand and rocks. This can also be used to make a do-it-yourself trickle filter or a wet/dry filter. If I choose to make my own filter, I will show how to do it in one of the posts below.
Lemon
Lemon can be used to break down the hard mineral deposits is built up on the glass of the aquarium. Just slice a lemon in half and rub it. Another alternative is to use lemon juice or vinegar. Some people use CLR, but that is overdoing it in my opinion.
Pliers
I will be using this to break the eggcrate, some people use a screwdriver, snip, scissors et cetera.
Razor blade
I will be using a razor blade to scrape the hardwater (calcium and mineral buildups) from the the aquarium's glass.
Scissors
Always handy to have...
Whiteboard Marker
To mark my plans on the aquarium itself such as water level, placement of PVC et cetera.

[Souggy]

3) PLANNING

Steps I will be taking:

1) Silicone the small pieces of driftwood, cork bark and rocks to the side and back of the aquarium
2) Use expanding foam to produce a backdrop
3) Press about an inch of sand or coco-fibre to the Great Stuff for texture and allow for epiphytes and semi-epiphytes to grow on; I might install a few big pieces of cork bark in the process.
4) Lay the foundation for the “river manifold”
5)Break the egg-crate for a false bottom to draw the the boundary of the water table
6) Lay the fibreglass screen down ontop of the egg-crate
7) Fill in gaps with expanding foam
8) Add some large rocks
9) Add a layer of coco-fibre
10) Add a layer of flouirte and a layer of pool filter sand for the aquatic section of the vivarium
11) Plant the vivarium
12) Add the animals

The mechanics behind the vivarium NOT TO SCALE

I concocted this idea from a few river aquaria from the North American Fishes Association and the dripwalls from a few dart frog setups such as Amphibiancare, Black Jungle and Vivaria Projects.

River Manifold
I hope to achieve the desired effects in the videos:
Setup 1 Video 1 (YouTube) Video 2 (YouTube) Video 3 (YouTube)
Setup 2 Video 1 (YouTube) Video 2 (YouTube) Video 3 (YouTube) Video 4 (YouTube)

It should be fairly obvious what's going in the videos, but if needed I will explain how and where it is all happening.

Basically I will have two powerheads controlling the current of the water section, turning it into a stream. One powerhead will pull water in into the PVC pipings, while other will push water out out of the PVC pipings on the other side, which will create a river- or stream-like current. I will place rocks to break up the currents and produce eddies along the rim of the land section. There will be a tubing from a third outlet in the PVC pipings which will take some of the water and drip it down the wall for irrigation of the plants, and prevent the land from becoming stagnant, as well provide nutrient, from the waste produced by the aquatic inhabitants, and extra filtration for the water.

There is several ways of doing it... I will add more to for you guys to model after as I go through my old bookmarks.

An example of a design with a stream-like current in Aquatic Predator's "A how to session In exhibit quality Tank design, Vandellia Biotope tank". I realize you guys can't see the pictures, but the original threads on the other forum by the same user were removed or archived.

Another design, but it is not as efficient as the previous example, is shown in "Creating a Stream Aquarium" by Konrad Schmidt.

Here's an article by Martin Thoene sent to me by Chris: "River-Tank Manifold Design"

Another article by another native fish keeper named Todd Crail: "System Design for the Ultimate Native Fish Aquarium”

[Souggy]

4) FRAMEWORK

Alright... what I did was break one of the corkbarks into pieces for siliconing onto the back of the aquarium. I took the silicone, put on some gloves and smeared it across the back of the wood pieces and stuck to the back. It should take about 12-24 hours to cure properly, then I can prop it upright to put in PVC pipings and such.

I have the aquarium on its side facing down so that the silicone won't drip down the glass and the item can stay stationary while the silicone is being "cured." I will check up on it in about 10-14 hours and make sure no one messed with it since it is currently in a communal storage room.

Oh... and USE LATEX GLOVES. I was using those plastic ones, and some of the silicone got into the gloves and I am still peeling off pieces of silicone from my fingers.

THE SILICONE! Yes, it's superblurry.

The starting process of the backdrop. I will be adding rocks to fill in some gap, then fill in the surrounding areas with Great Stuff.

[Souggy]

5) ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCTION

The steps will be out of order since I decided to speed up the process by doing two or three different tasks at once. I sprayed some expanding foam along the back and on the right side of the aquarium. I also siliconed some lava rock to the back of the aquarium. I am using lava rock as part of the water table to encourage micro-fauna growth for pipefish and filter-feeders. Just too bad they need a few months in advance to plan for.


Wee dirty lil' thing

I apologize for not cleaning the the front of the vivarium. In this picture, the left side is the right side. I took this picture when it was standing vertically, so that's why the picture is reversed.

I decided to chuck the idea of a river manifold for now, and just going to put a powerhead filter behind the cork bark. I placed the false bottom ontop of the rocks and placed the insect screen on top of the egg-crate for the coco fibre to sit on. Then I siliconed the false bottom in place to the back. Afteward I finished up the spray foam construction. It should be ready for a layer of coco fibre and brown silicone. Surpsingly it is pretty sturdy with the foam in place, so I don't think extra weight is going to be a problem here.


Looking at it from the top on the floor.


Looking at it at the front from above.

[Souggy]

Reserved.

6) ORGANIC CONSTRUCTION




Ready for planting!

[Souggy]

7a) CULTIVATING PLANTS (PART 1)

Because I will not be able to grow the plants out within the vivarium until a few weeks before the TARAS Show, I have to cultivate plants before settling them in the enclosure. However I will not be listing every single plant you can find for terrarium purposes. I wish could list all the plants, but it would be extensive and some people may struggle finding so many of the plants listed below can easily be found at your local grocery stores. Your local Home Depot, Rona, landscaping centres, garden centres, zoological establishments and greenhouses will have more variety. However beware that some of the plants are known to be toxic to chameleons, iguanas et cetera.

Bonsai techniques can be used to keep the plants limited to a certain size in an established vivarium.

Orchids are popular and can make a beautiful addition to any tropical or neo-tropical vivarium. Phalaenopsis are popular and common in garden centres and can be found throughout Southeast Asia. Dendrobium and Cymbidium are popular as well and are widespread throughout South Asia and throughout the Indo-Pacific as far south as New Zealand. Cattleya can be found throughout Central America and South America. Bulbophyllum can be found throughout most of the tropical world including New Guinea, Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Madagascar Central America and South America.

Succulent plants like Zamioculcas zamiifolia (ZZ Plant), native to east Africa and southern Africa, is a popular choice of plant for terrariums with heavy boids and South American-style greenhouses and exhibits. Aloe and Sansevieriacan be found throughout Africa and part of the Middle East. Crassula ovata (Jade Plant), Gasteria and Haworthia can be found in southern Africa. Similar looking Agave can be found in North America and South America, while its relative Yucca can be found in dry parts of North America, Central America and the Caribbean and all catci are found throughout the Americas.

Viney plants and groundcover plants such as Epipremnum (Golden Pothos) can be found throughout Malaysia and the rest of the Indo-Pacific; while a similar looking plant, Hoya can be found throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania. A similar plant, Philodendron, can be found throughout tropical Americas and Caribbean. Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen) can be found throughout Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Traescantia (Wandering Jew) can be found throughout the Americas extending from southern Canada to Argentina. Peperomia is native throughout all of the tropical and subtropical world with high concentration in Central America. Along the Atlantic coast of Brazil, Aphelandra squarrosa (Zebra Plant) can also be found. Hedera helix (English Ivy) is native to Europe and Southwest Asia. Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant) and Asparagus “ferns” are common in southern Africa and is considered as invasive weeds throughout much of the world. Ipomoea (Morning Glory) can be found throughout the world.

Scrubs and trees can be used in vivarium for a long period of time using bonsai techniques. Pachira aquatica (Money Tree) can be found throughout swampy Central America and South America. Preferring to be root-bound, Beaucarnea recurvata (Ponytail Palm) is a slow-growing native to Mexico. Majority of the Ficus (Fig Trees) found in garden centres are found throughout Southeast Asia. The most common of the Hibiscus can be found throughout Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific. The most common cycad in stores, Cyacas revoluta (Sago Palm) is native to Japan and is cultivated throughout most of Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific for flour. Although the Aaucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Pine) is endemic to Norfolk Island, much of its relatives can be found in Australia, throughout the South Pacific, Argentina, Chile and parts of Brazil. Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) can be found in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Widespread throughout eastern Africa, Saintpaulia (African Violets) are commonly found in stores. Dracaena sanderiana (Lucky Bamboo) is native to West Africa and is fairly cheap, while Dracaena fragrans (Corn Plant) can be found throughout West Africa, Tanzania and Zambia and the most second popular Dracaena of all, next to the Lucky Bamboo, the Dracaena marginata (Madagascar Dragon Tree), can be found in Madagascar as the common name suggests.

Most fern genera are cosmopolitan. The most commonly available Nephrolepis (Sword Fern or the cultivated Boston Fern) can be found throughout South America, southern North America, the Caribbean, Africa and Indo-Pacific with many of its members being weed plants for other members of the same genus.

In the Solomon Islands, Malaxis (Adder's Mouth), Dendrobium (Den Orchids) and Cymbidium (Boat Orchids) are both native and commercially available. Many of the Epipremnum species that are cultivated are originally from the island chains and is the most dominant plant in the region. The Hibiscus tilaceus (Mahoe Hibiscus) is commonplace on the islands, and was thought to be introduced by the Polyensians thousands of years ago, would make a nice scrub in the vivarium using the bonsai technique, and hopefully some beautiful yellow flowers will blossom. If the Mahoe Hibiscus cannot be found, then the more commonly cultivated H. rosa-sinensis (Chinese Hibiscus) can also be used as a valid substitute. Polytrichum commune (Hair Moss) is widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere and the South Pacific along forest streams. Although Vesicularia dubyana (Java Moss) is not native to the Solomons, it is easily to grow, colonize land quite readily and its range of distribution is closer to the Solomon Islands than some of the other common grass-like aquarium plants. Riccia fluitans (Crystalwort) is a valid addition since it can be found anywhere in the world, and colonize land quite readily. Another widespread genus is Selaginella (Spikemoss) that can enhance the appearance of the the vivarium and serve as an accent. Pteris (Table Ferns) is a widespread genus, and many of the mislabeled genera sold under Pteris are widespread as well. I simply picked a variety of different Table Ferns to increase plant variance in the enclosure, but at the same time is too much variation for the average person. Ideally, Ipomoea batatas (Sweet Potato), introduced by early European settlers, would be the best species of Morning Glory of the climbing vine variety to choose from, however I do not have time to experiment with prolongating a Sweet Potato from the tubar. Instead I will use Ipomoea tricolor cv. Heavenly Blue (Mexican Morning Glory) and hopefully the animals will not destroy them. Any of the Morning Glory should produce nice looking flowers.

[Souggy]

7b) CULTIVATING PLANTS (Part 2)

Home Depot
5 4" ferns (Pteris and others) - $11.35
They were sold as Pteris, or "Table Fern," but they could be any type of ferns. Most of the genera are widespread throughout the world anyway, and identifying specific species could be difficult. I have them soaking in a Rubbermaid tub in front of the window and fluorescent light above.
Superstore
Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aurem) - $9.99
Fairly hardy plant representative of genus Epipremnum, which the genus is native throughout Indonesia and some of the east Indo-Pacific islands. It is an invasive plants in many parts of the world, and if nothing else it make a fairly hardy plant and a decent biological filtration for any aquarium or vivarium.
Trades and Barters
Mexican Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor) - No value
I got these seeds with some Impatiens, Podocarpus and Araucaria heterophylla alongside an exchange with frogO_Oeyes regarding one of the specimen below.
Java Moss (Vesicularia dubyana) - No value
I got these free along with some Malaysian Trumpet Snails from corrosionjerry

Stocklist
Cymbidium sp.
Dendrobium sp.
Hibiscus tilaceus or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Eleocharis sp.
Epipremnum sp. Check
Ipomoea sp. Check
Malaxis sp.
Polytrichum commune
Pteris spp. Check
Riccia fluitans
Selaginella spp.
Vesicularia dubyana Check

Excessive Plants
Araucaria heterophylla - Going toward my New Caledonia, Paleo or Queensland project
Cycas revoluta - Going toward my Sulawesi or Paleo project
Dracaena marginata - Going toward a future project involving Madagascar
Ficus benjamina - Going toward my Queensland or Sulawesi project
Hoya - Going toward my Sulawesi project
Sansevieria - Going toward one of my African projects, probably Victoria Basin
Podocarpus - Going toward my Paleo, Queensland or New Caledonia project
Impatiens - Can be used anywhere in the northern hemisphere and the tropics
Ipomoea tricolor - Can pretty much be used anywhere
Zamioculcas zamiifolia - Going toward one of my African projects

Edmonton-based Stores (that carry plants), Garden Centres and Greenhouses
Covered by Souggy

Home Depot (Claireview)
13304-50th Street N.W.
Edmonton AB T5A 4Z8
(780) 478-7100

Home Depot (Skyview)
13360 - 137th Avenue N.W.
Edmonton AB T5L 5C7
(780) 472-4200

Home Depot (Sherwood Park)
200, 390 Baseline Road
Sherwood Park,AB T8H 1X1
(780) 417-7875

Home Depot (Strathcona)
6725 104th Street N.W.
Edmonton AB T6H 2L3
(780) 431-4725

Home Depot (St. Albert)
750 St. Albert Road
St. Albert AB T8N 7H5
(780) 458-4026

Home Depot (South Common)
2020-101 Street N.W.
Edmonton AB T6N 1J2
(780) 433-6500

Home Depot (Westend)
17404-99th Avenue N.W.
Edmonton AB T5T 5L5
(780) 484-5100

Home Depot (Whitemud)
4430-17th Street N.W.
Edmonton AB T6T 0B4
(780) 577-3575

Nature's Corner
9082-51 Avenue N.W.
Edmonton AB T6E 5X4
(780) 443-3474

Calgary-based Stores (that carry plants), Garden Centres and Greenhouses
Covered by frogO_Oeyes

Golden Acre Garden Centres
620 Goddard Avenue N.E.
Calgary AB T2K5X3
(403) 274-4286Greengate Garden Centres Ltd.14111 Macleod Trail South
Calgary AB T2Y-1M6
(403) 256-1212
(403) 256-4420Home Depot (Beacon Hills)
11320 Sarcee Trail N.W.
Calgary AB T3R 0A1
(403) 374-3860

Home Depot (Chinook)
6500 MacLeod Trail S.W.
Calgary AB T2H 0K6
(403) 258-3800

Home Depot (Country Hills)
388 Country Hills Boulevard
Calgary AB T3K 5H2
(403) 226-7500

Home Depot (McKenzie)
5125 126th Avenue S.E.
Calgary AB T2Z 4E7
(403) 257-8750

Home Depot (North Hills)
1818 16th Avenue N.W.
Calgary AB T2M 0L8
(403) 284-7925

Home Depot (Marlborough)
343-36th Street N.E.
Calgary AB T2A 7S9
(403) 248-1222

Home Depot (Shawnessy)
390 Shawville Blvd. S.E.
Calgary AB T2Y 3S4
(403) 201-5611

Home Depot (Tuscany)
5091 Nose Hill Drive N.W.
Calgary AB T3L0A2
(403) 241-4060

Paramount Orchids
1060-101 Street S.W.
Calgary AB T3H 3Z5
(403) 686-7021 (Phone)
(403) 686-6270 (Fax)


Pisces Pet Emporium
#10, 5220-4 Street N.E.
Calgary AB T2K 5X4
(403) 274-3314


Quick Grow Indoor Garden Center (North)
#1, 1204 Edmonton Trail N.E.
Calgary AB T2E 3K5
(403) 276-5156 (Phone)
(403) 276-5773 (Fax)
877-426-4769 (Toll Free)

Quick Grow Indoor Garden Center (South)
#102,7500 Macleod Trail South
Calgary AB T2H 0L9
(403) 255-5329 (Phone)
(403) 255-5349 (Fax)

Riverfont Aquarium
417 Riverfront Avenue
Calgary AB T2C 0C2
(403) 265-8157 (Phone)
(403) 264-7229 (Fax)

Sunnyside Greenhouses Ltd.
Corner of Sarcee Trail & 34 Avenue N.W.
Calgary AB T3B 2J8
(403) 288-3006

[Souggy]

8a) CULTIVATING AND CHOOSING LIVE ANIMALS AND CULTURES (Part 1)

Although I did plan for this back in Stage One and Two, it is not necessary until later on and here I have to consider their compatibility with the plants and the tankmates. By now, you should had chosen a specimen for your vivarium. With a wide variety of fish, reptiles and amphibians available, it should not be too hard to research and figure out what reptiles and amphibians you want along with the desired fish.

Amphibians
There is not a whole of of amphibians to choose from for the Solomon Islands biotope. In term of the commercial trade, only the Burrowing Frogs (Platymantis spp.) and Solomon Islands Leaf Frog (Ceratobatrachus guentheri) seems to be readily available. The most obvious choice here would the Solomon Islands Leaf Frog since the species is endemic only to the island chain and is readily available at this time of the year..

I got a Solomon Islands Leaf Frog brought up to Edmonton by Andrew (frogO_Oeyes). She wasn't doing well the night she brought up, but she bounced back within a day. Now she is merrily eating crickets.

Hi, I like my hidey-hole.

Reptiles
There's some fairly common commercially-available geckos that are native to the entire Indo-Pacific area that can be find on the Solomon Islands. They are Striped Gecko (Gekko vittatus), Oceanic Gecko (Gehyra oceanica), Pacific Geckos (Gehyra mutilata), Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus), Mourning Gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris). Possible skinks includes: Green Tree Skink (Lamprolepis smaragdina), Pacific Blue-Tailed Skink (Emoia spp.), and Green Tree Skink (Prasinohaema virens). Now, the Solomons is home to more than half of the Crocodile Skinks (Tribolonotus spp.), but only two non-native species are readily available in the pet trade: Dusty-eyed Crocodile Skink (Tribolonotus novaeguineae) and Red-eyed Crocodile Skink (Tribolonotus gracilis).

Now, the Crocodile Skinks are unique in itself and the genus is largely unique to almost exclusively to the Solomons, so they would be a must-have for the Solomon Islands biotope. What I have at hand is a pair of Red-Eyed Crocodile Skinks that would be suitable for the purpose of representing their presence on the islands.

All of the geckos would be common enough to find. However I would like to have a common species to provide contrast to two unique species, and the most common ones are the Striped Gecko and the Common House Gecko. While the Common House Gecko would probably be big enough, I do not want to risk anything and would rather have a Striped Gecko or two as precaution. Emoia, Prasinohema, and Lamprolepis are widespread genera of skinks. All of them are extremely beautiful, but would be more suitable to the other biotopes that I am planning, for instance the New Caledonia biotope for the Emoia spp. Beside, having two Crocodile Skinks would be sufficient enough for a small vivarium anyway.

As of March 20th, 2008, I received bad news that the female Crocodile Skink passed away due to refusing to eat for about more than a month. Hopefully a postmortem will reveal what's wrong with her. I got a male Crocodile Skink to increase the possibility of the Crocodile Skinks been seen in the vivarium and hopefully breed them, however since she passed away, I am back to one.

Fish
I have a few potential candidates for a Solomons biotope and they are: Banded Archerfish (Toxotes jaculatrix), which can be found in freshwater streams and rivers as well as brackish mangroves, Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), which is an invasive species found in many of the tropics and subtropics including New Guinea and Solomons; and a related species of native Pipefish, which numerous species are found and although the Gulf Pipefish (Syngathus scovelli) and its genus does not belong to the Indo-Pacific, it is readily available in the aquarium trade.

There are other candidates for the Solomons biotopes such as Celebes Goby (Glossogobius celebis), found in clear coastal streams, or the Loach Goby (Rhyacichthys aspro), that is found in hilly or mountainous streams.

Now rather than going by gallonage, I will be using a new method that is rising in the aquarium hobby -- dimension. Although this is not a new concept of housing fish, more and more people are realizing that gallonage doesn't means a thing as long there is proper filtration and space. Now my aquarium is going to be 36"x12"x18" making it undesirable for any fish over 12" if I choose to use a high false bottom. So that means the Archerfish barely squeaked by at 12". The pipefish is at 7"-8", Mosquitofish at 3", Celebes Goby at 6", and the Loach Goby at 10".

Now this is not accounting for the flexibility of the fish to turn around and tolerate shallow water. Ideally, Mosquitofish and Pipefish would be the best candidates due to their ability to be in small aquariums. The Celebes Goby could theoretically live in a small 10g as well. For authentic purposes, the Loach Goby would be favoured, but for interesting "centerpiece" the Archerfish and Pipefish would prove to be popular specimen.

However when in doubt in a tropical biotope, you can't go wrong with Gambusia (mosquitofishes) or Poceilia (mollies and guppies) since they are highly invasive genera.

Now for fish, one need to keep in mind their toleration for space, other inhabitants and shallow water. The less water you have in the vivarium, the more filtration is needed to properly maintain the bio-load. This also means more tasks at hand such as doing water changes. In full aquariums, a lot of the advanced fish keepers do 30%-70% water changes weekly. Now, in a shallow pool that is being shared with terrestrial inhabitants, one would have to do water changes more often or figure out a good filtration. I suggest a natural filtration such as growing aquatic plants, and letting Java Moss conquer the wall of the terrarium as well as the décor. My own filtration will be assisted in that I will have a dripwall and hopefully the terrestrial plants will benefit from the ammonia and nitrate from the water.

I am thinking of getting two garbage cans and setting up a 24/7 continuous water change.

[Souggy]

8b) CULTIVATING AND CHOOSING LIVE ANIMALS AND CULTURES (Part 2)

Invertebrates
Invertebrates can be extremely helpful in creating a bio-active environment. A lot of people use cockroaches, snails, millipedes, slugs, shrimps, springtails, and woodlices in their vivarium. However since we live in Canada, possessing terrestrial herbivorous invertebrates is not something the government is in favour of.

Springtails and woodlices are isopods that break down decaying terrestrial matters and animal byproducts into nutrients for the plants. Often they appear in vivariums, as stowaways on plants, by themselves after a certain time period. However many dart frog owners and some suppliers do sell live cultures of tropical or temperate springtails and woodlices.

Shrimps can make your aquatic section looks lively and kept clean of algae and decaying matters. If prolific enough, they can provide a great food source for semi-aquatic or aquatic amphibians and fish. Caridina and Neocaridina shrimps can be found throughout Asia and Indo-Pacific, and they are often sold as “Cherry Shrimp,” “Bumblebee Shrimp,” “Crystal Shrimp,” and “Algae-eating Shrimp” in the aquaria hobby. Macrobrachium (Long Arm Shrimp) can occasionally be found in aquaria with worldwide distribution and most of the species sold are found in Southeast Asia with a few from Central America and Africa. Natantia (Ghost Shrimp) can be found throughout the Americas and is often sold as feeders. Atyopsis (Fan Shrimp) can be used in established aquarium and terrarium centered around Southeast Asia or Africa. There is a few shrimps that can be used for any vivariums.

Crayfishes are more visible, but unfortunately they are not prolific enough to maintain a steady supply of feeders. If you do choose to add crayfishes, make sure they are not big enough to prey on the other inhabitants or are small enough to get eaten and provide plenty of hiding spaces. Remember that you can get into trouble if you are possessing crayfishes near a body of water. Cherax (Yabby) are sometimes found in aquarium and would make excellent addition to any vivariums featuring Australian, New Guinea or Indo-Pacific streams and rivers. Cambarellus (Dwarf Crayfish) can be used in any southern United States, Central American or Caribbean biotopes. Procambarus clarkii (Red Swamp Crayfish or Louisiana Crayfish) is considered as highly invasive and is replacing the native crayfish and can be used to add in any European biotope, as well as North American and parts of Africa and Asia. The popular Procambarus alleni (Electric Blue Lobster) can be used for a Florida biotope as well. The only problem with crayfishes is that most, if not all, are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can grab.