Dartfrog Vivarium Materials

Question:

I’m in the process of setting upa dart frog vivarium and I willbe using a product called EpiWeb™.What I’m thinking of doing is to coverit in coco  bre/tree fern root  bre so asto retain more moisture. I’d like to use asuitable resin that dries readily, is nontoxic,blends in well with the mixtureand also is suitable for high humidityenvironments. Please advise.

Answer:

Congratulations on deciding to set up and design a dart frog vivarium. In forthcoming issues, starting next month, there will be more information about creating planted habitats generally. But speci cally for now, EpiWeb™ is a relatively new Swedish product that has appeared on the planted habitat scene, being devised by Dusk Tropic as an advanced growth substrate. It has been designed to replace the substrate called xaxim, which was produced from tree ferns (Dicksonia).

Xaxim has been used for many years in the creation of planted habitats, as well as being popular for growing orchids, but it has become increasing hard to source. As a result, this meant that alternative products needed to be sought; this led to the development of EpiWeb™.

It is described as having similar properties to xaxim, in that it has good retention of moisture and air, allowing for optimal growth. In addition however, EpiWeb™ can also be reused and will not biodegrade as it is made from recycled plastic. Better still perhaps, in terms of vivarium usage, it can be sterilised.

From conversation with keepers who use this product, they suggest that EpiWeb™ can dry out quickly in heated vivariums. In order to make the best use of this product, I would therefore recommend using it in conjunction with misting systems or drip walls, so as to maintain a suitable moisture level for optimal plant growth.

If you are going to use EpiWeb™ products, then it is not really advisable to cover them in coco  bre or xaxim, as this will only detract from its usefulness. EpiWeb™ can be set up so it will soon develop a nice covering of moss and will support the growth of other plants used with it. Take a look at Dusk Tropic's website at http://www.epiweb.se for some very good pictures and further information. If you do want to help hold in moisture, using sphagnum moss in conjunction with the Epiweb™ products is recommended.

Alternatively, should you want to go down the route of using a resin to hold coco  bre or xaxim in place, then aquarium silicone or gorilla glue can be used successfully; remember to follow the instructions on the product. (Gorilla glue will also be featured in an upcoming article on planted habitats so keep an eye out for that).

If you prefer the resin route to hold xaxim or coco  bre in place, then it may be worth reconsidering the use of Epiweb™ and instead, choose another more appropriate item and then cover this in a resin before applying xaxim or coco  bre to it. For example, you could use something like a wooden branch and apply the resin, before adding xaxim or coco  bre. Alternatively, you could apply resin directly to the background of the vivarium and then push in xaxim or coco  bre. Both methods can be used successfully to create planted habitats. 

Epiweb™ itself can be cut very easily, either with a craft knife or even scissors, and is suitable for use both as a wall lining or a  oor covering. You can purchase it from Dartfrog. See http://www.dartfrog.co.uk/epiweb/ for sizes of panels and slabs, as well as prices.

Jason Randall, MSc