Basics: There are two basic schools of thought concerning habitat construction. One is very simple and is quite useful for quarantine and disease treatment. It could be called the "sterile" system. Minimal tank furnishings are used along with a disposable substrate of newspaper, paper towels etc. Although this is not very aesthetically pleasing, it is easy to clean and sterilize. In fact, it must be cleaned often because the waste products will not readily break down and the inhabitants are exposed to them until removal.

Desert/savanna set-ups are similar but use more furnishings and have sand, co-co fiber or other substrates. Frequent cleaning is still necessary but the wastes dry out more readily, rendering them a little less harmful.

Forest and jungle types of habitats (the "natural" system) are the most biologically active, meaning plants, microbes and other life forms are present to utilize the resources available to them. Sort of a mini ecosystem, although far from complete or balanced. Biological action works on animal wastes, slowly breaking them down rendering them less harmful. However, this process is easily overwhelmed and regular maintenance is still required. The main advantage is that a small amount of protection is given to the animals before the waste is removed. Another possible plus is that the biologically active environment may actually be hostile to some pathogens. Unfortunately, it may also benefit some others.

Pre-construction: Advance planning is crucial before construction begins. Research the animals needs, native environment and the micro-habitats that it utilizes. Some important factors are temperature, humidity, UV light /basking requirements (or nocturnal habits), food and water needs, adult size, how active, social or territorial they are and if climbing room, hiding spots or a den are needed.

Most small and some medium size animals will do fine in a 10-gallon tank. Keep in mind that you can not do as much with a small tank as you can with a larger one and if the animals breed, you may need to add another tank.

In their natural habitat, animals can freely move between the different temperature and humidity zones available to them. This ability to choose can be somewhat replicated when constructing their habitat by placing the heat source at one side of the enclosure and providing water, high moisture and less ventilation in one area.

Construction: In a forest or tropical rainforest set-up, excess moisture can be a problem. We have found that using a false bottom under the substrate is the best way to provide adequate drainage. We make these raised platforms out of plastic fluorescent light (egg crate) diffuser sheets available at hardware stores. It is easily cut to size using wire cutters. Short pieces of 2" diameter plastic pipe, ¾ to 2" high are used to raise it off of the bottom. Ordinary non-metallic window screen is placed on top of the platform, over lapping around all sides by about ½". We go another step and secure it all together using plastic "zip" wire ties. On top of all this goes 2 to 6" of pure potting soil containing no Styrofoam balls, vermiculite, perlite, chemicals or additives. Add the furnishings, plants and moss according to what is suitable for the animals and to your own liking.

Water will slowly collect under the platform from misting and cleaning the tank. This needs to be siphoned out periodically before it reaches the false botton. Poke a hole through the screen under the water dish or a strategically placed rock to gain access.

Lid: Ventilation is needed to prevent the air from becoming overly stagnant. This can be accomplished by drilling ¾" or larger holes in the lid and gluing screen over them. Non-tempered glass tops can be drilled using special diamond hole-saw bits. The size and number of holes depends on how much humidity needs to be retained. For a 10-gallon tank, the minimum that I recommend is 4 holes, 2 in front and 2 in the back. Desert/savanna habitats usually have full screen tops to maintain a low humidity environment.

Lights: Fluorescent lighting is needed for plant growth; plant bulbs are the best, but many of the plants suitable for a terrarium have low light requirements and will thrive under any type of fluorescent light. Special UV emitting bulbs are required to keep most reptiles healthy. The useful light intensity starts to fade just a few inches away from the bulb so basking areas should be placed near the top of the enclosure. These fluorescent bulbs also lose intensity over time and should be replaced after 6 months use. Most nocturnal reptiles do not need UV light, the same goes for most amphibians, although a few do seem to gain some benefit. Red and blue light is generally invisible to herps. Special incandescent bulbs are available for viewing their nocturnal activities. These bulbs also produce heat and some nocturnal herps will "bask" under them. If extra heat needs to be avoided, a dim night-light can be used. The LED type that automatically turns on at night works quite well.

Heating: There are a number of brands and types of heaters available ranging from the relatively cheap flexible stick-on panels, heat tape and heat cable to the more expensive advanced systems. Always read and follow the manufacturers’ instructions! The cheap ones come in several sizes, are usually low wattage and designed to be affixed to the bottom glass. Most can not be used inside the tank as they are not waterproof. These do not have thermostats and can only be precisely controlled if one is added. Heat transfer is interrupted by the gap of a false bottom, so in this case, the heater works better on the side or rear glass instead. Follow manufacturers’ instructions.

Thermostats come in two basic types, one is a rheostat and controls how much power goes to the heater to regulate the temperature. You must turn it up or down until the desired temp is finally maintained. Any additional heat from the lights will raise the final temp and must be accounted for. This means that the daytime temp is higher than nighttime, which may be desirable. Ambient temps will also affect it so daily monitoring and seasonal adjustments are needed. Follow manufacturers’ instructions.

The other type is a true thermostat that has a temp sensor that is placed inside the tank. More precise regulation is possible but they can malfunction on rare occasions and overheat the tank or shut off completely. Follow manufacturers’ instructions.

Other ways of heating are often used such as heating the entire room, hot rocks, heat lamps and aquarium heaters in a jar or the water section of an aqua-vivarium etc.

Whichever way you choose to keep your animals at the proper temp, be sure that you know what you are doing and be very careful when dealing with heaters and electricity. We have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) on everything electrical that we use for our animals to gain another degree of safety.

ENJOY YOUR PET LIFE FORMS, Dave & Donna