Eric's Dart frogsLiving vivariums · real data
Completed planted vivarium with its drainage layers visible below

Field notes · 2020 build

From empty glass to a living place.

One vivarium build, from the glasswork and false bottom to the background, ABG substrate, planting, and grow-in period.

Follow the build

A working record

Build the hidden systems first.

A planted vivarium succeeds from the bottom up. The drainage reservoir, separator, substrate, background, plants, and leaf litter each do a different job. These notes explain the choices shown in this enclosure and where I would slow down on the next build.

01

Planning & dry fit

Make room for the idea to change.

Before anything was permanent, I checked the enclosure, doors, ventilation, background depth, wood placement, and access for misting and drainage. A dry fit makes it much easier to catch blocked sightlines or maintenance problems before silicone and foam lock the design in place.

This enclosure started as cut glass panels, not a ready-made conversion. I dry-fit the panels with tape, siliconed the seams in stages, and assembled the front ventilation and door track as a separate piece before the planted work began. That sequence made alignment and service access visible while changes were still easy.

Empty glass vivarium during its initial dry fit
Dry fit before permanent materials were added.
Front ventilation and sliding-door track dry-fitted before installation
The front vent and door-track assembly was built and checked before it was joined to the enclosure.
02

Drainage & false bottom

Keep the soil above the water.

The drainage layer is a reservoir for water that passes through the substrate. This build uses rinsed lightweight drainage media. A raised false bottom is another good option: cut plastic egg crate slightly smaller than the floor, support it evenly on short, pH-neutral PVC risers, and wrap or cover it with non-toxic fine mesh.

  • Leave depth. Plan roughly 2½–3 inches for drainage, adjusted for the enclosure.
  • Cover the full footprint. Run the drainage media or raised false-bottom platform wall to wall, not only under the planting area.
  • Separate it all the way around. Turn the mesh up the sides and overlap it around the full perimeter so ABG mix cannot fall through, bypass the edge, or wick water upward.
  • Add access. Install a hidden siphon tube or drain point before the substrate covers the base.
  • Test it. Add water only after assembly and keep the water line below the separator.
Instructional cutaway illustration of a vivarium showing cork and cured foam, leaf litter, ABG mix, mesh separator, drainage reservoir, and drain access
Layer guide showing the full-footprint drainage system, with the mesh returning around every edge.
Completed vivarium showing the drainage reservoir, separator, substrate, and planted surface in cross-section
The completed enclosure shows the drainage reservoir, separator, substrate, and planted surface.
03

The landscape

Shape the wall, then build the ground.

Dry-fit cork and wood first. For a custom back wall, aquarium-safe silicone and cured polyurethane expanding foam can anchor the hardscape and create planting pockets. After the foam fully cures, trim it to shape, cover exposed foam with silicone, and press dry background fiber into the wet surface. Let every product cure completely and follow its ventilation and safety directions before adding soil, plants, or animals.

Above the drainage mesh, add a loose, pre-moistened ABG mix: two parts tree-fern fiber, two parts fine orchid or fir bark, and one part each sphagnum moss, horticultural charcoal, and peat. Keep it airy instead of packing it flat, and make it deeper where rooted plants need support.

Finish the ground with clean, pesticide-free leaf litter such as live oak or magnolia. A generous layer creates cover for frogs, feeds springtails and isopods as it breaks down, protects the substrate surface, and should be replenished as it disappears.

Finished vivarium background covered with substrate, cork, moss, and growing plants
The finished cork-and-moss background. Foam and ABG installation were not photographed during this build.
04

First green

Clean every plant, then plant for growth.

Do not move a nursery plant straight into the vivarium. Quarantine it when possible, remove the pot and all nursery soil, rinse the leaves, stems, and roots thoroughly, trim damaged roots, inspect for pests, and use a proven plant-safe processing method. Rinse again before planting so fertilizer, pesticides, pests, and contaminated soil do not enter the enclosure.

  • Lower and shadier: small ferns, Fittonia, Peperomia, and Selaginella.
  • Middle and background: Pilea, Syngonium, compact Philodendron, and other controlled trailing plants.
  • Higher and brighter: Neoregelia bromeliads mounted on cork or wood rather than buried in wet substrate.

Use a bright, full-spectrum LED in the 5000–6700K daylight range on a consistent 12-hour timer. Light falls off quickly with distance, so put higher-light plants near the top and shade-tolerant plants lower down. Watch the plants: stretching suggests too little light; bleaching, crisp edges, or excess heat mean the light is too intense or too close.

Four-panel instructional illustration showing nursery soil removal, root rinsing and inspection, damaged-root trimming, and planting under a full-spectrum light
Plant preparation guide: remove nursery soil, rinse and inspect the roots, trim damage, and plant under appropriate light.
Early planted terrarium view with temporary carnivorous plant experiments
This earlier terrarium view includes carnivorous plants tested as temporary visual experiments. They are not care recommendations or the final frog planting plan.
05

Observe & adjust

Let the enclosure show you what it needs.

Temperature and humidity data make slow changes easier to see, but the plants, drainage layer, glass, and leaf litter still tell the fuller story. I compare the readings with new growth, condensation, drying patterns, and standing water before changing misting, ventilation, or light.

Explore the dashboard
Custom ESP32 climate-control module used with the vivarium
The custom monitoring module adds a record to the daily visual checks.
06

Before frogs move in

Give the new ecosystem time to prove itself.

Planting day is the beginning of the grow-in period, not the finish line. I want the enclosure running for at least several weeks while plants root, leaf litter settles, and the cleanup crew establishes. That quiet time exposes drainage, lighting, misting, or mold problems while they are still easy to correct.

A ready vivarium is not one that looks perfect on day one. It is one that drains correctly, holds stable conditions, shows healthy new growth, and has been observed long enough that adding frogs is the next careful step, not a gamble.

  • Watch the waterKeep the reservoir below the substrate and verify the drain remains usable.
  • Look for growthHealthy roots and new leaves matter more than the first-day arrangement.
  • Adjust before occupancyCorrect light, misting, airflow, and plant placement while the tank is empty.