Semi Terrestrial or Not?

[theadmira1]

I just picked up a standard 4foot 60 gallon tank to setup as the new home for my rapidly growing FBN family, and Im starting to second guess my vivarium ideas.

I started with 7 (assumed to be WC) in my 40 long, they laid eggs eeevery where. Most of the eggs hatched about 10 days ago. They are now 21 larvae strong living in a 2.5 gallon that i setup for them. I have been feeding them Daphnia and Hikari first bites. I planned on creating a terrestrial area in about 15-20% of the length of the tank, mostly for the little guys to have an area to meta on. The more I am reading, the more I am seeing that alot of people are going 100% aquatic and it is working out well.

If I do make the vivarium, I have to lower the water level so instead of it being 20% of the whole tank, it will be more like 40% of the overall volume of water. Is it worth it to section that much off if I can raise them fully aquatic? TIA!

 

[kwarzym]

I am curious about this too - I had always thought the fire belly's needed some land, especially in their juvenile phase, but most of the tanks I have seen on here appear to be fully aquatic. I imagine the juveniles would appreciate the ability to leave the water, but I don't think it would necessarily harm them to make it fully aquatic, provided you have plants or wood that allows them to stay near the surface or something.

 

[Joost]

AW: Semi Terrestrial or Not?

Adults can be kept fully aquatic, with just a piece of floating corkbark or a rock/piece of wood sticking out of the water.
Juveniles: I keep them in a box with gravel build up to one side of the tank. Create a 50/50 setup with 2-3 cm. of water.
For some species of FBN they can be kept aquatic after morphing, with 2-3 cm of water and lots of plants where they can climb on.