# "The Escape" new build



## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Hello everyone...

In this thread I will be documenting my new build...
The tank is (w)100cm X (h)105cm X (d)50cm.....w39xh41xd20

It is accessible through the sides via 2 sliding doors....I used crystal glass except for the bottom and back I used regular glass since they are going to be covered anyway









The stand is made out of Malaysian wood....unfortunately the person who made it for me made it 90cm width instead of 100cm ...I decided to go ahead and use it any way









The light is going to be a double jungle hobbies led unit









Misting will be delivered by a mistking pump with 3 double misting nozzles 

Background will be made of expanding foam and peat moss. It will have a water feature 

I am calling it the escape because I live in the middle east where it is mostly desert and hot weather...

Please feel free to comment on this build

Regards 


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## dentex (Apr 22, 2016)

Following.


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## Fingolfin (Jan 31, 2016)

Also following, have fun! 

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## kblack3 (Mar 9, 2015)

I'm in. Excited to see the progress


American Dad Living The American Dream


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

A little update....

I have been working in the past a few nights on the background...plumping and land area...









The land area is made out of expanding foam also...I have used this method before...I tilted it to the right side so that it will not collect water and to give better view when I sit on my sofa









I attached a pipe to the wall to house wiring and water hose which will trickle from top right through a pump that will work as a filter too.
....

















I have also started to make roots using clothes hangers and covering them with expanding foam and peat moss...before drying completely I will shape them with my hand and push the air out to make them thinner










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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Please free to comment

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## dentex (Apr 22, 2016)

Hello,
In my opinion the pump arranged like this will be a pain for a future substitution or for maintenance (I.e. if the black sponge you're using will clog due to dirt or other stuff).

Other than that, I think your roots will come up really nice, from what I see.


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

dentex said:


> Hello,
> In my opinion the pump arranged like this will be a pain for a future substitution or for maintenance (I.e. if the black sponge you're using will clog due to dirt or other stuff).
> 
> Other than that, I think your roots will come up really nice, from what I see.


Thanks dentex 
I did take this into consideration
I learned this the hard way from a previous build 
The area that house the pump is removable

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## chillplants (Jul 14, 2008)

I love big builds. Looking forward to seeing your progress.


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## dentex (Apr 22, 2016)

Tivaj said:


> The area that house the pump is removable


In this case you're all set!


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

chillplants said:


> I love big builds. Looking forward to seeing your progress.


This is the largest I have ever done....my current one is 50g....I am planning on dismantling it once this completed and move the plants to the new one...

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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

dentex said:


> Hello,
> In my opinion the pump arranged like this will be a pain for a future substitution or for maintenance (I.e. if the black sponge you're using will clog due to dirt or other stuff).


This is exactly right. This kind of powerhead will most certainly need to be maintained and cleaned in order to keep functioning. The sponge filter will hopefully prolong the time between cleanings, but as long as you are able to access it and clean both the sponge and pump, you should be ok. Also, the hose might build up algae and need to be cleaned out as well, so keep that in mind. 

I love when my waterfall is working, but it is definitely a necessary evil to keep it maintained and cleaned in order for it to work.


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## baskis (Jun 7, 2015)

I made some roots with that method but I wasn't too happy with it. I think covered entirely in moss and peperomia prostrata or something it might have ended up good. I'm excited to see this build progress, looks really promising!


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Gibbs.JP said:


> This is exactly right. This kind of powerhead will most certainly need to be maintained and cleaned in order to keep functioning. The sponge filter will hopefully prolong the time between cleanings, but as long as you are able to access it and clean both the sponge and pump, you should be ok. Also, the hose might build up algae and need to be cleaned out as well, so keep that in mind.
> 
> I love when my waterfall is working, but it is definitely a necessary evil to keep it maintained and cleaned in order for it to work.


I know they could be pain....but I can't resist having a water feature in a vivarium 

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

baskis said:


> I made some roots with that method but I wasn't too happy with it. I think covered entirely in moss and peperomia prostrata or something it might have ended up good. I'm excited to see this build progress, looks really promising!


Well....with lack of material here I have to be creative 

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

New update

Made little twigs using thin wire covered with gorilla glue and peat moss...they did not look the greatest so I covered them again with silicone and peat moss..it looks better









Made little roots using thread covered with silicone and peat moss...they will be hung from the bigger roots









Background covered with silicone and peat moss....bigger roots already attached....
please don't mind the pictures...lighting is not the greatest...peat moss looks a lot darker...

















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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Added all twigs and little roots in place 









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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Added a mix of Amazonia and Africana ADA aqua soil...hooked water feature and fan for air circulation









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## wlrodman (Nov 3, 2015)

Hello Tivaj - 

Just a quick comment from a structural engineer... The base being too small is a major problem. The weight of the entire vivarium will translate to the bottom pane of glass, and put it into "bending." Glass in "bending" shatters very easily. And, in a horrible world, you could wake up one night to a crash in your living room.

I don't think this is an unsolvable problem though. I would have your cabinet making friend buy a sheet of the best 25 mm thick ply wood you can find and make a sleeve that you can lay underneath the vivarium. I would extend the edges past the vivarium 10 mm or so, so you have a little room to play with. He/she can probably edge it with hardwood so that it looks like it was always there. And, he/she can probably put some edging on its lower surface so that it locks in place.

I know this is a big exercise in the middle of a build, but I would seriously consider this, or you might not even get through the build before it breaks.

Bill


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

wlrodman said:


> Hello Tivaj -
> 
> Just a quick comment from a structural engineer... The base being too small is a major problem. The weight of the entire vivarium will translate to the bottom pane of glass, and put it into "bending." Glass in "bending" shatters very easily. And, in a horrible world, you could wake up one night to a crash in your living room.
> 
> ...


Hi Bill....
Thank you very much for an excellent observation....
I had a discussion on the subject with the person who built it when he brought in. He was not concerned much due to the fact that the tank extends only 2 inches from each side from the table....I had to agree since he is an engineering background and I come from the management world...
Do you still think it an issue knowing that it extends 2 inches only from each side?

Thanks again for brining up this structural point 

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Completed all work related to plumbing and air circulation fan 
And turned things on...
I will let it run for a few days and then start transferring








plants from my old vivarium...
This one will not hold any frogs...only fish

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## wlrodman (Nov 3, 2015)

Yes - I do think it is still a major problem....


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## Blueper (Feb 27, 2016)

I'll be honest, I flinched a little when I first looked at this thread and saw the base cabinet was smaller than the base of the tank. If the bottom glass was twice that thickness, I wouldn't worry about it. But, as it is, I wouldn't chance it. And even that small amount of water is pretty heavy.
Otherwise, that's a really nice tank and I like the background.


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## kblack3 (Mar 9, 2015)

The ply is an easy fix. I ran a LFS for 6 years and saw many customer tanks not make it because of smaller stands. The sheets of ply are a cheap and effective fix that can usually be skinned to match


American Dad Living The American Dream


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## SLEEPiNG GiRL (Oct 15, 2015)

Vivs like exo terra have what's known as a floating base, the bottom pane is lifted and outside edges, where there is going to be a lot of weight, is supported. Your beautiful tank is quite at risk and even if it didn't come to worst, you're highly likely to also spring a leak with silicone failure due to uneven pressure and bending. That'd be a real pain. I'd really take Bill's advice seriously, it should be an easy fix right now, compared to adding water, plants etc...

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

wlrodman said:


> Yes - I do think it is still a major problem....


Thanks Bill. 
I just asked my friend get me the plywood as per your recommendation...
Thanks bro

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

SLEEPiNG GiRL said:


> Vivs like exo terra have what's known as a floating base, the bottom pane is lifted and outside edges, where there is going to be a lot of weight, is supported. Your beautiful tank is quite at risk and even if it didn't come to worst, you're highly likely to also spring a leak with silicone failure due to uneven pressure and bending. That'd be a real pain. I'd really take Bill's advice seriously, it should be an easy fix right now, compared to adding water, plants etc...
> 
> Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk


I agree...I don't want to take to take risks with this tank....building it took too much work...I am proceeding with this quick fix....thanks 

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## wlrodman (Nov 3, 2015)

Glad I could help Tivage!


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

I added the plywood to give support to the tank as per the recommendation of members of this forum 
I moved plants from my old vivarium....moving the land area was pain in the a**...but job done...
I felt bad tearing down my old vivarium....it had been with me for the almost 7 years....I learned so much from this vivarium
Here is a picture 









Picture of the new tank with plywood and plants....I still need to stain the wood 









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## dentex (Apr 22, 2016)

It looks really good so far.
I like the island in the center and how you planted it.
And hey, it's a paludarium! 😉


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

dentex said:


> It looks really good so far.
> I like the island in the center and how you planted it.
> And hey, it's a paludarium! 😉


Thanks dentex....appreciate your complement 

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## roundfrog (Jan 27, 2016)

Was your old vivarium your first? It looks beautiful, so sad to tear it down. The new build looks good though, and I like the island. It would be cool to use the water area as a habitat for dart tadpoles. They could live in the water, and then morph out on to the island. You just have to add food, or make a frog tunnel to a different vivarium with microfauna and stuff.


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## DaisyMaisy (May 6, 2015)

Looking great! I'm so glad you added the plywood. I was going to say the same thing about the risk of breaking so it's a relief to see the bottom of the viv supported now.


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

roundfrog said:


> Was your old vivarium your first? It looks beautiful, so sad to tear it down. The new build looks good though, and I like the island. It would be cool to use the water area as a habitat for dart tadpoles. They could live in the water, and then morph out on to the island. You just have to add food, or make a frog tunnel to a different vivarium with microfauna and stuff.


Yes...it was my first vivarium it had changed so many times....I can't get frogs where I live....beside....I travel for extended periods and it is already hard enough caring for our cat while we are gone 

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

DaisyMaisy said:


> Looking great! I'm so glad you added the plywood. I was going to say the same thing about the risk of breaking so it's a relief to see the bottom of the viv supported now.


I was so worried that it would leak or even worse...many thanks 

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## wlrodman (Nov 3, 2015)

Great looking Paludarium! I'm really glad the plywood sheet worked out! I would get some killi fish for the water... No frogs? There must be a way!! What country do you live in?


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## SLEEPiNG GiRL (Oct 15, 2015)

Looking great so far! 

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

SLEEPiNG GiRL said:


> Looking great so far!
> 
> Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk


Thanks

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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

My African violet...which have grown out of a cutting decided to reward me and put out flowers....the jungle hobbies led is doing a great job









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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

wlrodman said:


> Great looking Paludarium! I'm really glad the plywood sheet worked out! I would get some killi fish for the water... No frogs? There must be a way!! What country do you live in?


No frogs 
I live in jeddah saudi....I have to order most of my material and it cost a fortune for shipping...I get my orchids and mosses during my visits to Malaysia 

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## dentex (Apr 22, 2016)

Hello!
I'm sorry to point out that the picture are really bad quality... Looking forward to an update. Your tank deserves it!


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## 9darlingcalvi (Oct 11, 2014)

You could get reed frogs or firebellied toads


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## WZDesigns (Feb 20, 2014)

That tank looks great. I like how you integrated the fake roots and vines into the background. I'll have to use that technique in my next build. The whole thing looks very natural. 

Any recent updates?


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## comas60634 (Aug 20, 2015)

Awesome design. I think I found another Next Project.


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

WZDesigns said:


> That tank looks great. I like how you integrated the fake roots and vines into the background. I'll have to use that technique in my next build. The whole thing looks very natural.
> Any recent updates?


I just stuck the the end part of the metal clothes hanger to the expanding foam and hung the vines on them.... Sorry for the late reply


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Just a little update.... The setup has matured and went through many changes... Ups and downs...As I'm adding more orchids sometimes I'm not getting that sweet spot that will make all of them happy all the time
Still overall I'm happy with the way it is... 

I'm currently visiting Malaysia and was lucky enough to be here during an orchid show in Penang... I got me about 10 miniature orchids at a very good price... Nothing more expensive than $6... Bromeliad at $3
Anyway... Here are some recent pictures of the setup


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Visit this album if picture quality is not good
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CpQY2Lbh9N4Jmw1e8


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## Ravnos (Aug 20, 2018)

Love it, looks really great


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## Kinstrome (Oct 6, 2017)

This tank is very attractive. When I first saw the first post-planting photographs from years ago, my immediate thought was "This is the kind of viv I'd expect to see a picture of on Pinterest alongside professionally-build vivs."


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## Kinstrome (Oct 6, 2017)

I did not think to ask, what was the cost of crystal glass where you bought it? (I know it was outside of the states, I'm just curious.)

I have not heard much about the use of specific types of glass when users discuss their builds. How has it worked for you? Does the glass produce a better view, or does it have another property you chose it for?


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Ravnos said:


> Love it, looks really great <img src="http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Smile" class="inlineimg" />


Thanks 😊


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Kinstrome said:


> I did not think to ask, what was the cost of crystal glass where you bought it? (I know it was outside of the states, I'm just curious.)
> 
> I have not heard much about the use of specific types of glass when users discuss their builds. How has it worked for you? Does the glass produce a better view, or does it have another property you chose it for?


I mad the front and sides crystal glass... Back.. bottom and top regular glass. The price was really good for the size of the tank a little over $300.
Crystal glass is definitely clearer than normal glass... But they are easier to scratch and they are more brittle than normal glass
Sometimes when I clean the front from inside and outside it looks like an open front tank...
I will take more pictures once I'm back home and post an update.
Thanks


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## Tivaj (Dec 30, 2015)

Kinstrome said:


> This tank is very attractive. When I first saw the first post-planting photographs from years ago, my immediate thought was "This is the kind of viv I'd expect to see a picture of on Pinterest alongside professionally-build vivs."


Thanks for the compliment... I'm glad you like it


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