So over the past 5 or so years I've seen a bunch of common mistakes made when building vivariums.  Some are more important than others, but all ten of these "commandments" (that term is used loosely, here!) below should help steer anyone towards the right direction of building a successful vivarium.  These steps might not lead to the easiest, least expensive, or fastest built vivarium, but then again building a vivarium the right way isn't about being easy, cheap, or fast.  There are tons of other things to mention when building a vivarium, but in my personal experience - these are the most common methods, and perhaps the easiest to follow.

I hope between this article, and our Vivariums 101 Guide we can help you build a vivarium that both you and it's inhabitants can enjoy for years. 
If there's anything else we can help with, please contact us.  I'm happy to help.

-Mike @ NEHERP



1) Sterilize everything.
By that we mean plants, rocks, wood, leaf litter, and anything else you'll be using.  This is the #1 most overlooked step in vivarium building.  You wouldn't put a couch that you found outside in your living room without first cleaning it, would you?  It's no different when dealing with vivarium decor.  Skipping sterilization can introduce countless pathogens into your vivarium which can infect it's inhabitants, destroy the enclosed plants, or both!

2) Do not mix species.
Mixed species vivariums offer no benefit to anyone besides the viewer.  Mixing species is viewed as a massive "no-no" on the vast majority of public forums due to the risks involved.  Even when done as "responsibly as possible", mixed vivariums can fail due to the many complications involved.  If you choose to go against the vast majority of vivarium builder's advice and mix species, be sure to fecal test each inhabitant before hand.  The vivarium should be enormous to allow for animals to have their own territory, and many, many other factors need to be thought out before making the decision to do this. 

3) Substrate choice should not be taken lightly.
Despite what your local pet shop, chain pet store, or good friend with "tons of experience" may have told you, coconut fiber, peat, top soil, and/or potting soil are not acceptable vivarium substrates.  Substrate choice should be taken very seriously.  If you use anything with "organic fertilizers" please understand that often means manure, which can carry countless numbers of pathogens.  Drainage, aeration, PH balance, resistance to breaking down, and the ability to support microfauna should all be considered when choosing a vivarium substrate.  If you are new to vivarium building, read up on ABG mix or NEHERP vivarium substrate.  Both choices make for a great and inexpensive option.

4) Research, research, and a little more research.
Research the plants, the enclosure itself, the specific care for the specific species you are working with, the upkeep needed long term, and do not leave anything to chance.  Leave the guesswork to someone else and do it right for the sake of your animals, your vivarium, and your sanity.  You are dealing with living creatures, and husbandry should be taken very seriously.

5) Quarantine (and ideally test) your inhabitants before adding them to a vivarium.
If you've never heard of a quarantine period for new animals, you are listening to the wrong people.  This is very, very important to do for a number of reasons... The most overlooked aspect is the fact that if you introduce a reptile/amphibian into a live vivarium while it's infected with a type of parasite, it can/will also infect the vivarium itself.  That means if/when your animal shows signs of sickness, you'll have to test and treat the animal in a separate quarantine container, and then completely break down the vivarium to sterilize everything and start it from scratch.  Why?  Because the vivarium itself would then also likely be infected by the same ailment the inhabitant was suffering from.  This is a perfect example of, "Do it right or do it twice".  Each newly acquired animal should be quarantined and ideally fecal tested by a vet in your area.  Speaking of which...

6) Find a vet and/or an experienced breeder in your area before acquiring animals to ensure you can get help if/when you need it!
Owning an exotic pet isn't exactly something everyone who has a dog will understand how to diagnose and treat.  Find a local breeder and/or vet in your area that can give you a hand if/when you need it.  Having someone with good advice a phone call away can make a big difference in the long run.

7) Buy Captive Bred animals when possible.
Unless you are working with a species that's very difficult to obtain captive bred (CB), there's usually no good reason to buy a wild caught (WC) animal.  WC specimens have a higher chance of a parasite load, a harder time adjusting to life in captivity, and buying WC grows the demand for species being taken from the wild.  Many species are available CB for a couple bucks more (and sometimes the SAME price), and purchasing CB is always worth the peace of mind.  Plus buying from a breeder offers a better warranty, and often provides you with somewhere to go when you have questions.

8) Microfauna are a necessary part of vivarium building.
If you have a hard time dealing with tiny little bugs like springtails and detrivore mites, vivarium building might not be for you.  Beneficial detrivore mites are nearly impossible to avoid, and springtails are a super-effective species to add to your vivarium to ensure it cycles properly.  These are the two most common types of vivarium microfauna, but nematodes, isopods, and plenty more are also very "normal" to have in a vivarium.

9) Choose your plants and decor wisely.
Plant choice is very important.  Research the care for each plant species you choose to ensure it's size, lighting, watering, and humidity requirements match those of the vivarium's inhabitants.  Think it's too much work?  It's worth mentioning that "hardware store plants" are often like "chain pet store reptiles".  Low quality, not what you are looking for, and often half-dead.  Same goes for choosing vivarium decor like wood, backgrounds, and more.  Grapewood is a common bad choice for vivariums.  It breaks down quickly, and molds constantly in a highly humid environment.  Learn more about proper plant & decor choices in our Vivariums 101 Guide.

10) Lighting doesn't need to cost more than the vivarium itself.
Whoever said plants need UVB lighting was likely selling UVB light bulbs.  Plants don't require UVB, extreme lumen output, or silly looking "pink colored" aquarium lights to thrive.  Simple 5500K-6500K fluorescent lighting is more than enough for the vast majority of vivarium plants.  Remember that most smaller tropical plants live under the canopy of forests/jungles, and don't receive much light in their natural habitat.  The cheapest way to go is usually compact fluorescent bulbs or T8 lighting.  Both are available from your local hardware store for an extremely low cost.  That being said, T5HO bulbs, LEDs, and other options are quickly becoming less and less expensive, but aren't quite the "best bang for you buck" yet.  Learn more about lighting choices in our Vivariums 101 Guide.



When building a vivarium you can only pick TWO of the three options below:
INEXPENSIVE -  PROPERLY BUILT/LONG LASTING - AESTHETICALLY PLEASING



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