Can I Set Up a Vivarium for $75?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Welcome back to yet another vivarium build. This one focuses mainly on techniques that could help you reduce the overall cost of you project. That said, I feel like using the term “budget vivarium” is somewhat subjective. As I eluded to in the video, I could and do make vivariums MUCH cheaper than this on a regular basis because I buy things in bulk. However, I know the average hobbyist doesn't make as many setups as myself and buying things in bulk is more expensive upfront. Regardless, making a successful vivarium doesn't require a ton of money.
Jefferey of Reptile Edge supplied me with the Rept-Viv Pro and $75 to set up this vivarium. Reptile Edge is a Canadian based reptile supply company. They sell reptile ledges, enclosures and much more. Check out the below links for more on Reptile Edge.
Website: reptiledge.com/
Repti-Viv Pro: reptiledge.com...
Like I said in the video, I'm not endorsing this product. I'm simply showcasing it and showing you how I built a decent budget vivarium within it. That said, overall I do think it's a solid enclosure.
*Here are the list of items that I used to make this vivarium - Cork Bark, Coco Husk, Coco Fiber, Knitting Mesh, Plants (Cryptanthus 'Pink Star', Ficus pumila, Pilea 'Dark Mystery', Fittonia 'White Vein', Syngonium podophyllum 'Regina Red' ), Lumpwood Charcoal, Pea Pebbles (Gravel), Sphagnum Moss, Sand, 100% Silicone and Cork Tiles. I linked up all of the items that I could.
Cork Tiles: www.hobbylobby...
Knitting Mesh: www.hobbylobby...
Lump Wood Charcoal: www.homedepot....
Pea Pebbles (Gravel): www.homedepot....
Sand: www.lowes.com/...
Silicone: www.homedepot....
Sphagnum Moss: www.homedepot....
*Also, I forgot to put the prices for my light in the video. Here are the links and price for it.
Clamp Light: www.homedepot....
+
Light Bulb: www.homedepot....
= $8.85
*Below are a few videos that could be of use:
DIY Leaf Litter:
• Redoing the Native Ter...
Tropical (ABG) Substrate Mix:
• Tropical Terrarium Sub...
Background Tutorials:
• DIY Concrete & Foam Ba...
Vertical Vivarium Series:
• DIY 10g Aquarium to Ve...
You can follow me on Instagram @serpadesign for project sneak peaks, updates and more content like this.
I love the guys attitude reviewing the door like “it’s a good quality door. Uh.. it works like a door but it’s a really good one... door.”
Door
I was watching this and was like damn this dudes an artist.... Never watched any of these types of videos, seems like a relaxing hobby
Most of the time
Yea it’s tough at times
I’m halfway done with a terrarium and it’s not fun. I’m trying to get the substrate to stick to the back...
Yea
Indeed it is a relaxing hobby. Creating a small world and then watching at it for hours.
Turk it is relaxing
Everyone’s responding saying it is relaxing it is absolutely not 😂. Fun to watch but it can get hella stressful if you mess up on a build or realize you’ve been doing something wrong for your animal, etc. maybe that’s just me but I freak out abt my tanks all the time lmao
You probably saved me quite a bit of money on my upcoming crested gecko build! Great video Tanner!
Aren't crested Gecko arboreal? I am also looking for a crested gecko setup:)
allard westra Yes they are arboreal. Do lots of research before purchasing one, to ensure you can fulfill its needs.
If they are arboreal, then isn't this set up a lil bit low for them? I am still looking for a nice set up with branches that reach the top of the terrarium.
allard westra no for a baby this is good and adult maybe I don’t recommend it but for a baby this setup is almost ideal because it’s small enough so you can monitor poop
Gayretard 1000000000 I am not going to use on if this size, but these money saving tips will help.
I’ve never seen anyone use cork board that’s really creative!!
Darin Moreland the only thing that I am worried about with the cork board is, mold....
Darin Moreland I have never seen anyone use it before either
Sadely looks ugly
mindy haha cork bark doesn’t mold
Are these cork tile safe with animals??
This is actually incredible!! Thank you for being so detailed with the process of buying normal Lowe’s plants and making them animal safe, hard to fine this process on TH-cam!
Thanks for the lowes clearance tip, got all my plants for my gecko for only 12$
Good vid.
I like the timelaps showing your "trial and error" process of planting and hard scaping.
Nailed it.
You know I'm super grateful for channels like yours Tanner! Honestly with some of the newer digital/smart phone compatible terrariums/vivariums/palaudiums coming out I feel like a lot of the plant community YTbers who receive these items for free push them without offering more affordable options for those of us who are starting out. It makes me wonder isn't it better to start out from scratch learning the ins and outs of creating these habitats before investing so monumentally in some of these technologies because the failures would be so expensive & costly for the average person? Further I see these YTbers doing things in terrariums that they wouldn't do to their normal plants if they were just putting them in a pot i.e. just coconut coir as substrate or just sphagnum moss when they aren't rooting them which seem ripe for failure a few months down the line. Anyways I'm just starting out wanting to try terrariums as a plant enthusiast and I'm so grateful for the resources you've made available!
Great vid. Maybe you could go more in detail on how you care for house plants. It's harder to do considering the lack of things happening outside that we take for granted. That said, can you do a separate video about quarantining process. Didn't realize you do that for the plants.
If you wish to care for them in your living room its pretty easy, I mostly Google the plant and do some research on them. I live in the north of Germany in a home that is relatively low in temp allthroughout the year, the humidity isn't great either. So I tend to stay clear of tropical plants that arnt hardy. That's if you wish to keep plants happy in your own living space. Or if you do wish to keep plants that arnt going to thrive in your living space make sure you make some adaptations like a heat or growth lamp, but all in all you'll be suprised what plants will thrive and which will just seem to hate your very exsitance.. For example I had my venus fly trap for 2 years before I realized they needed some specific treatment here. But my rosemary plant would just up and wither the moment I put it down.
thank you, this actully inspired me to make small vevariume in future because of how chep and easy it was, never made one because i thought it was expensive
Of course it can be expensive, but if you play your cards right, you can pull it off pretty inexpensively.
SerpaDesign people seem to forget/ignore the fact not everyone have tons of money to put on stuff like this so you just think its expensive
Love your tutorials, your green thumb is awesome! Great info too with the quarantine plants, had no idea about that
Thank you and yes it's definitely a good idea. I explain more about it in this video, if you haven't seen it yet. th-cam.com/video/aSGq-9kbaxM/w-d-xo.htmlm6s
You deserve a lot more attention, you're beyond helpful, thank you and keep up the good work !!
Wow you saved me loads of money! I was about to get all the fancy/expensive stuff online, little did I know the local, quick and cheap materials work just as well!
I got a 10 minute ad talking about dog beds and how bad they are. Big surprise at the very end they try and sell you their 'good' dog bed. I watched that whole thing and I don't even like dogs; what is wrong with me and why did TH-cam give me this ad?
Ps: now that I've actually watched the video this is so cool it makes me want to build one.
Haha! 😂
You’ve officially saved me for the rest of my life. I’ve never thought of cork tiles before. You’re a genius!
Shout out to Jeffery. That was a nice thing to do. Nice looking tank as well. I may be getting one myself. Great video as always brotha. Looking forward to the next. Hey, have you ever considered setting up a P.O. BOX so your fans can send you fan mail, care packages, etc?
I do have a PO Box, but I never thought to open it for fan mail. I will keep that in mind!
Request: Next time there is protective plastic on stuff, can you film it in slow motion when you peel it off? :D
Yes I can!
I second that...
OMG, you're one of those? Lol jk
Weird fetish.
Remarkable accomplishment. I'm getting my first reptile, a crested gecko, and building my first vivarium. The cost has been astronomical, around $800-900, and I'll be getting a bargain basement gecko. I've set aside the remaining cash after setting up the viv to use on the gecko, around $150. I'm using the drylock method. The drylock only comes in gallon cans. The cheapest I could find was $35. Add the foam, wood, glue, brushes, and concrete coloring to use with the white drylock, and it totals to well over $100. The cost of the wood being the highest. I'm getting all substrate and microfauna from Neherp for around 100, and they were cheapest among the major quality sources. The plants I'm souring from Lowes, mainly, but also Josh's Frogs and Neherp. Altogether around $100-110, and I'm not even going for any extravagant varieties. For lighting, I'm using the 22watt, 18" Jungle Dawn, by Arcadia. I found one rather cheap at $70, which wasn't much more than the more affordable options I saw. I'm building it all in an 18"x18"x24" Exo Terra. The cheapest one I could find was $209, from Josh's Frogs, free shipping on dry goods totaling over one hundred. All and all, it's an awesome rewarding hobby, if you can afford it. Needless to say, I won't be making any additional vivs lol.
you have probably opened my eyes up to a whole new project
Your knack for this is awesome man, you've made me a fan. The way your choices synergize with each other is beautiful.
wow, I didn't realize you could buy a vivarium for that low a price. I like how you stayed under the $75. You made this interesting without being boring. Thanks.
Really LOVE your videos. I'm coming from aquascaping but you've got me wanting to do a vivarium/palidarium soon! With that being said..... I can't help but think this was a bit "clickbait'ish." I'm sure you didn't mean to be but that's FAR from a $75 vivarium. Deco yeah but not what the title said. I was expecting to see it from the ground up for that and it's more like $150-$200 with lighting/vivarium included in price. IMO $75 is alot for just deco. I'm sure that's more than the average person can even throw at deco. I agree with lighting being all over the place but so is alot of other options. And really lighting is where I struggle the most with reptiles. SO MANY OPTIONS!!! Every website says something different it seems and the market is FLOODED with options. So many options.
But... I still love the content. Not being negative or trolling. I just really think it was misleading is all. Keep up the good work!
Love this setup! Looks great, and enjoyed the fact that you used the cork board as a divider to make a patch of higher ground! Gonna have to consider that tip in my own vivarium to give it added perspective! Also those plants were a freaken bargain!!
your creation is truly an inspiration to everyone and watching your video really takes away my stress from workplace. keep it my man..
As always you never seem to amaze me with your superb projects. I always enjoy watching your videos and always look for your newest uploads. Keep up the good work and thank you for all of your knowledge.
Plant quarantine *2020* it gives me shivers down my spine....
Fantastic video! as always excellent attention to detail and presentation!
So happy I found your channel!
You make such pretty and dainty looking loving homes 🧚🏻♂️🧜🏻♀️🐸🐠🐍🦖🐙
YES! this was the most informative tutorial i have see thus far! thanks BRo!
Gorgeous!!! So many good ideas! I love the cork board and pinning and creating different levels in the space... i'm totally new to this so thank you for posting!
You inspired me to make my own terrarium out of a honey jar. Great vids! Keep up the good work!
dude you have crazy talent for this stuff
Just goes to show you can do it on a budget! Keep it up can’t get enough of your videos
I like you. You’re a very genuine guy, plus these videos are super cool! I can’t stop watching them
This enclosure has came out amazing.
Amazing job, will be doing the same with the 10 setups I need to build
love your videos! it's great seeing someone so passionate about their hobby, no matter what it is.
Wow this vivarium is exactly what i am looking for. Shame the website no longer offers them. Has anyone seen something similar anywhere?
Great job man. Looks really nice and natural. I like that you used cork in the background and also in the middle of soil to give some height to the substrat. Thats a really nice way to do it more naturally than others I see using that spraying foam. I try to avoid it.
Im gonna make my own vivarium soon so this is what i needed!
Super cool idea to do a budget build. this was very helpful
I can’t figure out if this guy is an Ozzy who has lived in America for a long time or an American who lived in Australia for a long time
Very nice, Tanner! Thanks for the video!
He's the best inspired me to try and build me a terraium for my iguana I'm going with some jungle Aztec ruins themed background with pyramids with moss I can't wait thanks a mill bro very knowledgeable and help people like me understand and realize we can do this!!!! Lol
Still the best vivarium builder!
great video! Thanks for sharing! I love what you did with the cork tiles; I may have to incorporate something like that in my next vivarium.
I was really intimated by the foam and carving a lot of people do! very tempted to try this out now
I like the laboratory look of the thing. I bet it looks really good on a larger model.
I feel so sorry for the "leftover" plants at Walmart, Lowes, etc. I always end up buying at least one. As long as they're not covered in pests, just with a little care they end up thriving!
I missed seeing you make terrariums. You should give us an update on the big tank lol I forgot how many gallons lol
No worries, I've got a lot of terrarium content coming up very soon.
Awesomeness! You rock!
I've watched so many of your videos I had to start going back, first time I've seen you're face. :)
Love all your builds and videos! I learn lots !
love these kinds of videos! definitely my fav!
Another great video. Just one question. Why, if this is marketed, and sold, as a vivarium, is it not watertight? Granted I don't expect it to hold water like an aquarium, but it should at least be able to hold the water that collects at the bottom, of most vivariums, without having to silicone it yourself.
Even if it was done simply in order to ship it flat, that doesn't account for the aluminum that needs to be completely covered. It's a waste and a little bit of a mess. It's not like it's even much cheaper than similar, and better, products that are already watertight, and that doesn't account for the cost of the silicone and the inconvenience of having to do it. I can't see the benefit of this product at all
Can you do a video focusing on how you revived the clearance plants?
Love your videos! Your are professional and easy to follow. Keep up with the good work...
Such a cool vivarium
Moss?? WHAT HAS HAPPEND TO YOU NO MOSS😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😥😥😥😫😫😫😫😫😩😩😩😩😩😩😓😓😓😞😞😞😞😶😶😶😮😮😮😦😦😦😧😟
Haha! It killed me not to add it, but since it was on a budget I left it out.
Wow thank you so much for replying I love your vids and I really want to be like you.
Wow, you’re really good at making vivs look good!
Videos get better and better one after another
I have a 12x12x18 exoterra and idk what to put in it ,any suggestions ?
Thank you for showing the cheaper ways; love your work, but sometimes you certainly go for the platinum level stuff.
Enjoyed watching and thanks for sharing!
I wish more of the "why's" were explained in this video. I will be checking out more of your videos though
Eu sou do Brasil e amor o seu canal ❤️
Such a good video and a great looking vivarium.
I absolutely love this video 😊❤️ I have learnt so much from you, thank you my friend 🌿🇦🇺
Great video bro! 👍🏻 Seems reptile videos on TH-cam are the least controversial lol. Except if PetCo is somehow involved haha
would love an update on how this has grown in!
If you set up a vivarium and add some microfauna, how do you keep them from getting all over your house?
Coming back to this video years later, after learning a lot about reptile and amphibian care. And while I like the video as a whole, I’m a bit concerned about a few things.
If this is a vertical vivarium for reptiles, that implies it’s for arboreal reptiles. And generally, arboreal reptiles are tropical (or at least temperate) species. They need at least some humidity in their enclosures. So why isn’t this terrarium built to be watertight and non-corrosive? It costs about as much as an Exo Terra vivarium of a similar size and shape, but those are specifically designed to be watertight (excluding the ventilation, and the drainage holes and screen tops that some have). I love the idea of a vivarium that ships flat and assembled quickly, but not if it doesn’t actually serve the intended purpose. If the frame was made out of plastic or a non-corrosive metal, then it would already be leagues better. It wouldn’t work as a super high-humidity enclosure or a paludarium or something like that, but it would at least hold humidity like a greenhouse would without rusting or corroding. That’s enough for most North American arboreal reptile and amphibian species.
Also, acrylic scratches pretty easily. This isn’t an issue for most animals, since a lot of arboreal animals are either snakes with no limbs, or lizards and frogs with grippy toe pads. But if I were looking to build a bioactive enclosure with lots of vertical climbing area in the form of wood and/or rocks, I would risk scratching the acrylic with the hardscape materials, or even the tools I use to scape my enclosure. Sure, acrylic is more durable in the sense that it won’t crack or shatter like glass can. But if I want to keep a vivarium for my entire life, and use it for multiple builds and multiple animals over my lifetime, an acrylic tank is going to accumulate a lot of nicks and scratches over that time.
And, making a reptile vivarium out of acrylic poses a lot of issues regarding heating. Heat lamps become an issue, since acrylic is more likely to warp or melt under heat than it is to just conduct that heat. The same issue is present with heat mats. You could put a ceramic heater inside the tank, but putting it in a corner could still cause the acrylic and metal in that corner to warp. And, unless you want to put a bully protective cage around your ceramic heater, it could very well burn your animals if they accidentally touch it. If you have a low-maintenance animal with a very normal room temperature requirement, then that issue is resolved. But plenty of tropical herps like it warmer than that.
This is a stellar idea for invertebrates. I think spiders, mantids, and plenty of other types of inverts would do great in a vivarium like this. But to call it “Repti-Viv” clearly implies that it’s a VIV-arium for REPTI-les, and it’s not really the ideal structure for a reptile build. Plenty of companies sell invertebrate enclosures that ship flat, require assembly, and are not watertight. And they work well and sell well, because inverts usually (but not always) don’t require quite as much humidity as temperate or tropical herps (especially amphibians).
I’d love to see an arboreal tarantula or a big ol’ mantis in one of these, but I just feel like it would cause some problems for a reptile, unless it was modified (like it was in the video).
If your looking for a challenge you should try your skills on a mesh vivarium for a Chamaeleon!
Is it bad out of all the backgrounds made on the channel the simple cork tiles are my personal favorite aesthetically....
Lol! It's a matter of preference. I do think it has some nice texture to it, but it's far from my favorite.
SerpaDesign this is probably my favorite video of yours :) except the really awesome heart touching subscriber play button video of how to be yourself.
Also, how has the corkboard worked out? Has it molded or gotten too dirty to be worth it? Would you think it could work in a terrarium for reptiles?
What type of light should I get for a 75 gal
Heat gun to form the knitting mesh, works great!
Thank you so much Cork board is amazing! Thank you for saving me monies
Felt like I was tripping on shrooms with your background music
Ur the best Serpa, I think I’ll use cork flats for my background too
75$? i set one up using some old repurposed hinged from a decorative 'fairy house' green house that i found in the trash, and an old glass display case i found sitting someone's dumpster, fully intact. some silicon to seal the gaps, replaced the old stiff hinges, water proofed the bottom 4 inches, added a simple pond pump from a white noise water fountain i broke (an accident i swear) used water from the spring down the road, (Maine Springs are famous for their purity), dirt and peat moss from a nearby bog, and some minnows for a live critter in the pond area, with some frogs eggs added for some more dynamic life.
Cost me 5.99+ 1.29$ tax for the silicon.
and then my mom made me get rid of it, because the peat dirt/moss was stinking up the house.
i was like, 12. It was great. some of the frogs got loose in the basement, and we still, to this day, find frog egg clusters in the sump pump pits.
Hey Tanner great video. I noticed you put a drainage bulkhead in this terrarium, but do not specify using drainage ports in others. Can you explain why one might need additional drainage? Is it a good idea in general to have a drainage port just to get rid of excess water? Thanks.
Sir you just earned a new sub. I am currently trying to make my own small terrariums. I think you have a great channel and I hope that you keep doing great videos. Thanks for the awesome terrarium "tutorials".
A fan from Greece
Cork board! Wowie wow wow! Love it!
What is the point of ‘quarantine’ for your plants? And do you have a video detailing why/how it’s done?
So I have this really small jar. It is a Polar brand small jar for sliced peaches. I have been planning to make it into a small vivarium I guess.
I was thinking of filling it with pill bugs. I go to different videos and sites to care for the crustaceans but they are usually dull and boring, and the most illustrious designs are usually having a fish tank of sorts rather than a small tiny jar.
I want some pointers on what to do with it since I was inspired by your vivariums and "Life in a Bottle" videos.
Try your hand at a musharium! I dont know if that's the right name, but it's basically a mossarium for mushrooms... but anyways! Please! Btw if its gonna be any mushroom go with a cool shelf mushroom, since they're not only fruiting bodies but last a long time!
Anyone no where I could find the tank the link doesn’t work anymore
omg thank you bro it looks so cool in my room
Cool Viv build , very inspiring 🐍🌿🍁
2020, anyone feel like the plants 😂
no lol
Great video, very inspiring!
Tanner, love to watch your videos, very creative😊
I’m wondering if you could use the cork board method on the bottom as well to assist in building up the landscape, but not sure how i would go about it 🤔 drainage barrier, then maybe build the cork segments onto the plastic mesh barrier?
There's a lot of stuff that was not added to the total cost. The average person will not get the 60 dollar tank and h20 vent ECT for free. That being said it's a cool set up
Great video 😉😆 👌👍 without the exo terra enclosure mine was only around 35 quid
Huh. I didn't realize that I could use lump wood. Thanks dude!
Came out great 👍🏽
Have you ever used a mini water vaporizor or fogger for a vivarium? I plan on a 10 gallon one this spring and thought it would look pretty awesome with some led lighting. Thanks for all the creative ideas!
awesome, might have to give this a try...need to find a more affordable enclosure though.
Looks awesome
Are these cork boards you used, safe for animals? I just used these boards, but I was asked if they are animal safe. I already placed the substrate in and used these cork boards. Also, put plants in already. If these bordes aren't safe, I'll have to scrap it all! . Please find out for me. Thank you.