Keeping and breeding exotic amphibians and reptiles raises the problem of naturalistic simulation of tropical rain forest. Tropical animals and plants need an enclosure that would be able of maintaining a good ventilation with necessary temperature and high humidity. One approach is usage of expensive rain systems or misting vivarium daily. But once you forget to spray the vivarium, your tree frog could die from dehydration. Another way is usage of aquaterrarium, or paludarium, which has a water reservoir in the bottom. Usually food insects use to drawn in that water reservoir and rapidly decompost at tropical temperatures. As well as fecalia from animals in water leads to the bacteria and germs rapid growth with following risk of infection and bad smell in vivarium. Saturated humidity levels in paludarium with no ventilation are fatal to most tree frogs. Poor ventilation also can cause different diseases like dermatitis, fungal infections, pneumonia, and even death of the animals. Low humidity can cause a skin shedding problems in geckoes. Temperature plus humidity multiplied by air ventilation is a complex function which is hard to regulate. But this problem was successfully solved in Tropicarium. Tropicarium is an integrated system, which combines electrical scheme, decoration and whole construction in one. This is actually a climatic chamber, which allows easy and handy regulation of temperature, humidity with fresh air ventilation.

Figure 1. Photo of Tropicarium.

Tropicarium is a vertical type vivarium for arboreal animals such as tree frogs and geckoes and plants such as epiphytes (orchids, bromelias), ferns and mosses, which needs tropical temperature and high level of humidity for normal life. It has a frame-free construction with 4 side sliding glasses. All glasses can be easily opened providing an easy access to any part of the vivarium during cleaning or feeding an animals. The vivarium contains 3 easily detachable parts: top (lid) with false roof, central part and a watertight bottom part with false floor, containing a water reservoir as illustrated in Figure 4, which parts can be separated and re-attached that makes it easy for cleaning, transportation, storage and usage. This construction allows animals to hide from observers behind the bamboo sticks as they instinctly behave in wild life. This lowers the stress and more realistically imitate natural habitat.

Figure 2. Schematic drawing of the Tropicarium decorated with bamboo sticks (side view). 1 ― top box with fan and lighting; 2 ― central column (worked out from bamboo stems 4" in diameter); 3 ― bottom box with water; 4 ― wicket, regulating air intake; 5 ― electrical switch; 6 ― side glass; 7 ― decorative bamboo stick; 8 ― sphagnum moss grown on hydroponics; 9 ― H-like profile for side glasses; 10 ― water leveler; 11 ― ventilation holes.

The top part contains a circular fluorescent lamp for lightning. Circular shape fits discreetly under the lamp shade to more evenly distribute light. An electromagnetic ballast of the fluorescent lamp is used as an air heater and coupled with electrical fan. A heated air is moving from the top through the central column onto the bottom box with water. The top box has an air wicket which could be regulated ― from being completely closed to open to let a fresh air intake (Fig. 3). It allows simple and easy regulation of both the temperature (from 70 to 90 degrees F) and humidity (from 60% to 90% RH) in the vivarium. It also allows to keep the constant temperature in the vivarium at 90 degrees F during the day with following night temperature drop, when lamp and fan are turned off. And there is no need for a thermostat or any other temperature controlling device. As well as there is not need for expensive raining system, ultrasonic fogger or waterfall.

Figure 3. Schematic of air movement in Tropicarium. 1 ― wicket; 2 ― fan; 3 ― circular fluorescent lamp; 4 ― electromagnetic ballast; 5 ― bottom box with water. Arrows shows circulation of cold (blue) and warm (red) air.

The central column is supposed to be decorated as a trunk of a tree with branches, bamboo sticks or rocks and can involve dripping water system, hiding places for animals, holes in a tree-trunk, or in stone rocks, pots for plants. Bright green tree frogs and day geckoes are very nice-looking on golden bamboo sticks. Tropicarium also could be decorated with dracaena lucky bamboo sticks (Dracaena sanderiana) which can grow in hydroponics.

Figure 4. Assembly of Tropicarium.

Tropicarium is assembled from 3 parts: 2 boxes, 5 or more bamboo sticks, 4 side glasses. Deassembled it takes 2 times less space which is convenient for storage and transportation.

Tropicarium consume only 36W (22W for lamp and 14W for AC fan) since fluorescent lamps are very energy saving. Usage of DC fan would reduce the energy consumption. Since all side glasses are constantly blown up with warm air, there is almost no condensate formation.

Figure 5. Version of Tropicarium decorated with tree stump.

To read a detailed description of prototype construction and building click here.

For more information, questions or comments, please contact Vassily Zakhartchenko