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Multispecies (Ecosystem) Vivarium Ideas

Alex G

Alex G

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Hey guys,
I have some experience with reptiles, inverts, and plants, but no experience with fish. I want to make a vivarium that is a self-contained ecosystem, maybe not necessarily with things from the same part of the world but obviously things with the same humidity and temperature requirements. I was thinking it would be a vertical tank, with perhaps an arboreal tarantula at the top, small frogs and isopods/springtails at the bottom, and some sort of fish and clean up crew (possibly a betta and ghost shrimp or snail?) in a pond at the bottom, as well as plants throughout.

I'd really love input on species suggestions and care, as I've never attempted something this complicated before. For example, how would I clean the pond?

Thanks!
 
Wanted to add. I would put a pump in to keep the water moving a few cory catfish like you said a snail or two and a pleco (algae eater) will keep the water clean. If you put rocks on the bottom even under the land section making a watertable that will keep the water clean. I have that in my living terarium no pumps or filters and the water stays crystal clean (i keep a bull frog in it). As far as species you do not want to over croud it. A ecosystem can only support so many organisms even if the wild too. Just something to think about. As far as fish I would use small tropical fish like tetras platys guppies. What size tank did you want to use and what water depth?
 
Thank you for the tips, I'm not sure on tank size yet. I'm looking at vertical tanks and seeing that the largest commercially available ones are about 60gal, so that will have to work I suppose. I'm not completely dead-set on any one thing (ie I can just have the pond and the arboreal species, or any combination of the three elements, just as long as the end product is presentable and something I'm proud to maintain) so I'm not worried about overcrowding, I'll just scratch off the idea for something if it seems too crowded. Like I said, this is all just being penciled in right now, it's going to be a very expensive, very long-term planning project.
 
No problem. I would love to see it when its finished. I was thinking of making a bigger one myself. The one I have now is in a 30g tall with a bull frog and he loves it. Goodluck!!!
 
depending on how big you want it, you might consider using a large aquarium (like 75g) and then build framing for it, and build a wooden enclosure "attachment" using grout or clay to mold walls and plant rests. Have the cage built so that it is not putting much pressure on the glass by using outside legs and make it a snug fit. I was thinking about doing something like that for a CWD, but havent gotten around to it
 
By self sustaining do you mean you'll have predator and prey in the same ecosystem living together? If so then each species would have to reproduce so you wouldn't want it at all cluttered with animals. You would also have to make sure you fulfill each species' requirements for reproduction which may be hard to match up among different species. Unless you plan on keeping things that wont kill eachother then it would be easier and require a lot less space but it wouldn't be truly self sustaining.
 
I have raised CWD babies in mine and they do great. i still want to make my adults cage like this just on a massive scale. I like cody's idea of having the predator prey relationship. He's right too that if you dont allow for that it will be just a clutter of animals that eventually the biggest and most aggressive will be the only one left. Unless you allow for reproduction and it being truely self sustaining.
 
You could easily make a self sustaining habitat, but I'm not sure about an ecosystem. Unless it's quite large, large enough for each species to have their own space.
 
Pythonbreeder99 said:
By self sustaining do you mean you'll have predator and prey in the same ecosystem living together? If so then each species would have to reproduce so you wouldn't want it at all cluttered with animals. You would also have to make sure you fulfill each species' requirements for reproduction which may be hard to match up among different species. Unless you plan on keeping things that wont kill eachother then it would be easier and require a lot less space but it wouldn't be truly self sustaining.
Click to expand...

It's possible that I worded this poorly. I'm intending to make a multispecies paludarium which is capable of supporting (at this point these are tentative animals) a pair of Phelsuma, several Heterixalus, and a fish or small school of fish and their cleaning crew animals. I am not making something with the goal of creating a functional predator-prey relationship, that would require a metric ton of space that I simply cannot provide.
 
mmdragons said:
Sounds like you have gotten it figured out. Would definetly want to see it after it is put together.
Click to expand...

Everything is still penciled in right now and this will be a very expensive, long term goal for me, but once it is complete you bet your booty I'll be bragging about it on every forum that will let me :D
 
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