# Waverz 72 gallon bowfront viv build



## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Here we go!!! I've been a fan of viv's for years and tried building one several years ago but due to heat issues it was an epic fail. It looked great for about a month and then the lack of central air in my home caused some serious heat issues and everything went to crap on me.

Probably 10 years later I have decided to try another build. First off let me mention I am an avid reef aquarist and have worked at a few LFS in the past. I know the addiction involved and it seems as of lately the "viv bug" has bitten me almost nearly as bad as the reef hobby did all those years ago.

To me the best part of this hobby along with the reef hobby is the actual design of the project and the building of it. I am a techno gadget junkie so automation and state of the art electronics is one of my favorite things to incorporate into the build.

Without further a due, let me introduce my victim.










It's a previously used reef tank I picked up from the LFS for a screaming deal! Only paid $100 for the tank with the stand. Tank was made in Feb. 2012 and has ZERO scratches. So it's almost new I would say.

I was thinking about doing a full GS BG on it but when I placed it in front of my huge Umbrella tree I realized I already had a pretty good start on an all natural BG. Being most BG's eventually get covered with plants I've decided to not spend a whole lot of effort on it and just do a partial BG enough for a small waterfall, shallow stream, and shallow pond that will be in the front center. 

I am concerned about having a "pond" and DF's drowning so I will be sure to make the pond easily accessible with gradual slopes so if a frog does decide to go for a dip it can easily get out. 

In order for this project to be successful I would like to keep maintenance as simple as possible. The tank will be drilled for a drain and return. Originally I wanted to add a wet/dry sump for good mechanical and biological filtration of the water but due the stand design I am fairly limited to what I can fit underneath it. Instead, I have opted for a canister filter of some type that I haven't decided on quite yet. I have a small fluval laying around here but I'm not too impressed with it's performance and may opt for something stockier.

For lighting I am still undecided. In the reef tank hobby led's are the dominating trend. But lots of people still use florescent fixtures which seems to be the most popular choice among the viv hobby.

I currently run a pair of Aqua Illumination SOL whites on my reef. W/O the blues turned on they produce a very warm white look that looks to be between 6500-10,000 K. I would be curious on how they would grow tropical plants. I also have a couple 250 MH fixtures laying around but really don't want to use them because of all the added heat.

I will be adding a mistking system as well as some type of fogger as well for added humidity along with some type of "hidden" fan for internal air circulation.

Along with that, I am currently running a Neptune Systems Apex controller on my reef tank which is conveniently located in the same room as my viv. I plan using it to control things like temp, and automate all my lighting and misting. If I do decide to go with led's I can control the brightness of them and simulate the dusk/dawn affect of the sun. 

For livestock being this is my first time with frogs I am leaning towards some type of D. Tinc morph. These were recommended to me by a fellow viv and reef enthusiast from my area. I like the fact that they are typically not shy, get fairly large, are very colorful, and most importantly relatively easy to keep. Being I am incorporating a small pond I may add a few neon tetras for some color and movement in it. As for plant types I am undecided as there are so many to pick from.

I've got the general layout of how I want the BG to look but need to figure out how to access the drain. The tank is tempered on the bottom so it can only be drilled on the back or sides. I want use a strainer on the drain but need a way to access it but yet make it out of sight. I was thinking about making a "secret door" so to speak that would be cut out of the GS once hardened and coated. I know the strainer will get clogged over time and will need to be serviced often.

That's it for now, I plan on getting the BG and water feature done as well.

Wish me luck!! I'll post more pics as I go. Back to reading and drooling over all your viv builds I go.

Waverz


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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Welcome to the board


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Thanks Wes! Got the marker out and started drawing out the "lay of the land".

I think I've got things the way I want them and hopefully my idea with the drain works.

I was thinking I needed to be able to access the strainer easily on my drain. While I still want some sort of access to it, I don't think it will be difficult to do. Being i'm using a egg crate as a false bottom I can put screen material over top that with aquarium gravel over it. So theoretically the rock and screen should catch any larger "debris" and keep all the critters in the tank instead of getting sucked down in the filter.


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## notEZbeingGREEN (Sep 17, 2012)

Have fun putting this together!
Can't wait to see what you come up with.
I just finished putting a 72 bow together about 6 weeks ago 
and had a blast doing it. My auratus are loving the space...
Enjoy!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

notEZbeingGREEN said:


> Have fun putting this together!
> Can't wait to see what you come up with.
> I just finished putting a 72 bow together about 6 weeks ago
> and had a blast doing it. My auratus are loving the space...
> Enjoy!



Thanks! I actually read your thread last week. You had me thinking about not doing a BG but I gotta have some sort of water feature or 2 so I need to do at least do a partial BG.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Messed around with the viv tonight. Started second guessing myself on drilling the tank as it would be super easy to hide the tubing from the canister filter I plan on using. Decided to do a little testing to see if it would actually work and it was an epic fail.

The intake for the filter was too far down and couldn't prime itself.

In a way I'm glad this didn't work because it would have caused more issues with keeping the viv escape proof.

So back tot he original plan. Originally I was thinking I could drill a drain intot he back of the tank and hook up my canister directly to that. I got to thinking about it and there is no way that would work. The canister filter would suck air from the water surface along with the water.

I think I have a solution. A sump. The problem is my stand. It's got to glass doors on each side and an open shelf in the middle. I have two small kids so the filtration needs to be behind closed doors and out of site.

I only have room for a 10" x 10" which I think I may have found in the form of a rubbermaid garbage can. So water will run from the drain into the tank. The canister filter will then suck water from the sump and pump back up into the tank where the waterfall will begin.

Hopefully it will work. Gonna get the tank drilled tomorrow hopefully and try it before the GS BG is constructed.


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## bassistjon112 (Nov 17, 2012)

Good luck with drilling, I always wanted to drill my reef tanks to have a sump/fuge. One day... One day....


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

bassistjon112 said:


> Good luck with drilling, I always wanted to drill my reef tanks to have a sump/fuge. One day... One day....



Thanks. Even though I've probably drilled over 20 tanks it always makes me a little nervous, especially when it's my own.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Well the tank drilling was a success. I drilled one hole for a drain about 3" up that will run to a sump. From there it get's filtered by a canister filter and then gets pumped back up to the tank towards the top that will feed a small stream which runs to the pond in the center.










So far so good, time to run to the hardware store for GS, silicone, and a few plumbing supplies.


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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Good start.


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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Did u wotk on it anymore today?


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Sooooo, got the tank plumbed and performed a quick system test. Due to the stands design sump size is VERY limited. I basically have a 10" x 10" area that is as tall as the stand on each side.

I found a rubbermaid wastebasket that is 9" x 9" x 10" that I think should work. But had to order if because I couldn't find one local.

The test I did used a MUCH smaller sump. All my plumbing seemed to be water tight, the filter seemed to work but after I shut off the system I quickly realized I had about a gallon too much water in the tank and got the carpet wet. 

Oh well it least it was just fresh tap water. Could have been much worse.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Just ended up sealing the deal on a light setup for the viv. I'm trading a guy one of my prized Tequila Sunrise Blasto frags for a Tek Light 4 bulb fixture with a bunch of extra bulbs and legs.

Gonna get the eggcrate and screen installed tomorrow and may even start on my partial GS background.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Got to working on the false bottom a little bit and decided to not go with a pond. At least not like I was originally thinking. It is just going to take up too much floor space. I have opted to stick with a waterfall and small shallow stream instead. I wanted a pond but also wanted the edges to have a gradual slope and not steep so a frog could easily get out. Having to do this just makes the pond to big.

It will give the inhabitants more hopping room and less chance of drowning. Not only that but it will simplify the build immensely.

The GS wall might be getting sprayed tonight!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Got some more work done on the viv.

After hours of reading I have finally figured out a solution to make my pond area. 
The plan is to carve the pond out of foam. I found a source for 4" thick black foam. By using foam I carve gradual slopes rather than have a straight drop off.

Hard to explain but once I get the foam and take some pictures it will make more sense.

Got the eggcrate false bottom finished. Man! That stuff is messy! That stuff flies everywhere. Pretty sure I'll be finding pieces of it in my garage for years.










100 zipties later the structure is completed and covered with plastic needle craft material. I will then cover then entire structure with fiberglass screen material once the foam is dry.

Speaking of foam it is curing as we speak. I ended up using 4 cans and ended up with this.










Once it's dry I will take some better pictures.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Did some more work last night and today. It's amazing how much pre planning needs to be done while constructing one of these things. I ended up tearing a bunch of my GS out because I realized I needed to adjust where the water was gonna come out.

I've made a few changes in the layout and well as filtration systems.

After realizing the canister filter idea had wasn't going to work all that great I ended up finding a great deal on a little CPR wet/dry sump. Depending on the amount of evaporation I may add an Auto Top Off unit. The misking system needs a reservoir anyhow so I figure I can use that for topping off the sump to. 

Here it is all plumbed and NOT leaking! 









I love this setup! I had to modify my stand a little to make it fit but it works.

Here is a pic of the tank as i is now. Waiting for the GS to harden all the way through and then I will work on the waterfall some more. My wife didn't like the idea of getting GS all over her precious petrified rock so I ended up wrapping it in foil. Once the GS was dry I was able to remove the rock, pull the foil, and replace the rock.

Almost forgot! I got my new light! It's a 4 bulb Tek-Light t5 HO with adjustable legs. I love this thing! It should grow some great plants.


Will probably take a break for a few days and let the GS completely cure. Once it's completely cured I'll work on the waterfall, carve some holes out for some pots.

Later this week I will be purchasing some DryLok, Concrete Stain, and some coco fiber and finish the backround. After that I intend to work on the pond and start adding substrate.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Forgot the second pic.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Been a little while since I've posted. I'm glad to say that today the viv is pretty much finished. There are a few more plants I'd like to get for it yet but everything is running and things seem to be growing.

Here it was last week before adding water. The background is GS covered with several coats of DryLok mixed with cement coloring followed by a light tint of green acrylic paint.










Here it is with water and plants.










Added a few aquatic critters.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Santa came early! I'm a big fan of automation and found a good deal on a EZ-400 and a Monsoon. I know the Monsoon's have a bad rep on here but so far it's working well. I chose it because it was small, easy to get and cheap. 

I am using the Ex-400 in "Auto Mist" mode to keep my humidity and a constant 90%. The lights are also controlled and will turn off of the internal Temp gets over 85 degrees in the tank.

It's a GREAT piece of gear. Not quite as advanced as some of the reef controllers I've used int he past but it does what I need it to do.

Sorry about the crappy pic. I got the wires all organized now and it's not so messy looking.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

I think I have found a new FAVORITE kind of plant. Tillandsia!! Man these things are cool! I've heard they are sort of hit or miss in vivs depending on the species. I am trying to keep the ones I put in the tank up high for lots of light as well as in places near the fan so they have tome to dry in between mistings.

These all came from NEHERP.

















And here's a few shots planted.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Finally got my light hung with a suspension kit.

My light is a Tek-Light made by Sunlight Supply it's for 4 T5's with all new Gieseman 6,500k bulbs. 

I traded a small piece of coral for it and it's perfect for this build. It came with legs that sat on top of the tank which was OK but was kind of a pain in the butt when trying to get into the tank.

The suspension kit is great and makes it sooo much easier to work on the tank.

Here's a crappy FTS showing the light hanging.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Got a line a trio of Azureus from a local guy. I'm gonna try and get some FF cultures ordered soon and get them going.

Hoping to have some frogs by around this time next month.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

I know, not very impressive. Hopefully my next build will get a better response.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

lol. it's a good looking tank... sometimes people browse without posting comments... that doesn't mean it's not impressive. you did a good job.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

eos said:


> lol. it's a good looking tank... sometimes people browse without posting comments... that doesn't mean it's not impressive. you did a good job.




Thanks Riko. I was starting to wonder if my pics weren't working or something.


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## briley5 (Sep 27, 2012)

First time I have seen this thread....must have missed it somehow. Tank looks great. I love the light !


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## winsch1027 (Jul 1, 2008)

Your viv looks great, the background came out real nice.


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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

lookin good man


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## Nightlife (Jan 15, 2012)

That looks great. What kind of lid did you use?


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Nightlife said:


> That looks great. What kind of lid did you use?


Lid was the stock glass lid that came with the tank. I removed the plastic strip in the back and replaced it with a DIY screen frame kit for heat to escape from the tank.

Either way if the tank temp goes above 85F the lights shut off and I get a text.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Ended up getting some fans free from a buddy of mine. They don't blow as much as the 80mm fan I had but they are frog proof and are tucked away neatly in the corner.










I used hot glue to stick them together and then made a little corner shelf that they sit on which is held on by a magnet.

So far they keep my glass clear so I think they'll work out.


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## Alegre323 (Sep 2, 2011)

Love the way it looks. Post a video of everything running for us  I need to start my new build


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Alegre323 said:


> Love the way it looks. Post a video of everything running for us  I need to start my new build


Trying to get video uploaded.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_3fruHROg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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## Nightlife (Jan 15, 2012)

Can you connect the fans to the ez 400? That's really cool that it will send you a text when it gets too hot.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

The fans can be on the EZ400 but they run 24/7 so I've decided to just plug them into a regular outlet.

The EZ400 will only dim AC powered devices, the fans are DC so I wouldn't be able to control them anyway.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Added another "feature" to the viv tonight. I always get a little bummed when my lights shut off at night and the tank goes completely dark so I added some lunar lighting.

Sorry for the crap pictures. It looks a lot better in person. I am going to tuck the wire a little better so it completely hidden.




















Also, one of my Tillandsia's started to flower this week. VERY COOL!


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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Lookin good bro. Got a fly culture started for u


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

wesly2007 said:


> Lookin good bro. Got a fly culture started for u



Thanks man! I wanted to order some earlier in the week but my CC is maxed and now it's too cold to ship.

If I can just get one culture from you I'll order the supplies to make more after X-mas.

If all goes well I should be ready for frogs by the end of Jan. for sure.


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## 1995sportster883 (Dec 16, 2012)

Dude that is one sick looking set up, its not over done, and the water feature is insane. What kind of shrimp are you keeping? Can't wait to see it 6months from now.

Adam

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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Thanks Adam! The water feature turned out much better than I hoped. 

The pond contains a single white cloud and a ghost shrimp.


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## shiloh (Nov 28, 2012)

This is a great looking build, congrats. I love how you incorporated the pond into a natural looking valley. Is your substrate secured in any way? Just thinking the pond might fill itself in over time.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

shiloh said:


> This is a great looking build, congrats. I love how you incorporated the pond into a natural looking valley. Is your substrate secured in any way? Just thinking the pond might fill itself in over time.



Thanks! I got pretty lucky with the pond. At one point I was going to use black foam to form the slopes because I was worried about frogs getting stuck and drowning in it. I gave up on that after not being able to find the right piece of form for a reasonable price. I actually was just going to fill the void with gravel and not have a pond but once I got it filled I took a couple handfuls out and it turned into the perfect pond.

I don't have the substrate secured in anyway. It is in a very thin layer around the pond and covered in moss that should help "anchor" it down somewhat.

Weird how the sheet moss I got from Josh's said to keep it moist but not wet. This stuff LOVES being wet from what I can tell. It's even starting to creep up my waterfall. I was worried about planting it around the ponds perimeter but it seems to be doing great there. 

I still want to add some crypts and a few other small plants around it as well.

Thanks again for the compliments!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Picked up some Crypt Wendtii Green from my local Pet Smart today.










They have a few others I wanted but I think I may wait till they are nearly dead and try and scoop them up when they sell them half off. They can't last more than a month or so in those little packages I wouldn't think.


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## CJW (Nov 14, 2011)

Wow, very nice! That's one content white cloud...

I wouldn't worry too much about the frogs drowning. In my experience tincs are much better swimmers than people seem to think. Just make sure that there are no same sex rivalries going on, I suspect that is usually the culprit in frog drownings.


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## Toxic (Jul 9, 2012)

beautiful viv!


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## Duff (Aug 4, 2011)

Your tank looks great! Very natural looking - it will be amazing in a few short (or long) months! 

In reading the thread I have a question if you don't mind. When you tried hooking up your canister filter you mentioned that your intake was too low and sucking water/air and would not prime itself. I am not sure I understand... Do you mean the water was too low and the intake too high? 

I am debating plumbing a new 56g tank with a canister filter, but not 100% sure that I will go this route...

Anyway, very nice set up!

Duff


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Duff said:


> Your tank looks great! Very natural looking - it will be amazing in a few short (or long) months!
> 
> In reading the thread I have a question if you don't mind. When you tried hooking up your canister filter you mentioned that your intake was too low and sucking water/air and would not prime itself. I am not sure I understand... Do you mean the water was too low and the intake too high?
> 
> ...


In order to prime the canister filter I have which is a penn-plax Cascade, both input and output hoses need to be completely submerged in order for it to be primed.

I'm not sure if this is the case with all canister filters out there but for mine that's how it works apparently.

I don't think I would ever setup another viv again w/o drilling it. This way the water is always the SAME level in the tank no matter what. This means you can never overfill it causing your substrate to become saturated.

That and having a sump makes it super easy to do water changes and add a heater.

Not saying this is the best and only way but it seems to work VERY well.

HTH


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Getting closer....

My buddy Wes2007 kindly hooked me up with [email protected]!

He gave me a couple cultures of springtails and a culture of melnogaster fruit flies.

Should be able to add frogs in a few weeks!

Stoked!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Got my shipment in from Josh's Frogs today. Man I love that place! I ordered some parts and a couple more misters for my monsoon. I now have 4 nozzles. Still working on placement but the 2 I had before weren't cutting it.

I also ordered a FF culture kit. I didn't want to take the chance of shipping FF in the middle of winter but when I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised to see FLIES!! A TON of them!

I thought I was going to have to wait on purchasing frogs until I had some decent cultures going but now I have more than enough. The problem now is I'm in a post holiday slump and am completely broke. I'm hoping someone buys my controller I have for sale in the buy/sell forum. Once that I get rid of that I should be able to purchase some frogs.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. I also ordered a couple Cryptanthus Bivvitatus. 

This one is my wife and kids' favorite. Cryptanthus Bivvitatus 'Pink'









And then this one I got half off. Cryptanthus 'Black Mystic'









To top if off I used the coupon code to get 10% off my entire order!!

Can't beat that!

Hopefully, my next post will be of me adding frogs to the tank.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

FROGS GOING IN TODAY!!!

Later this afternoon I will be adding 4 D. Azureus.

Pics will come shorty after.


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## 1995sportster883 (Dec 16, 2012)

Sweeeet!! Pit pics up!!

Adam

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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Just got them in the tank about an hour ago. A BIG thanks to Wes for the great deal on my first frogs! They are soooo cool! I have to fight my way to the tank to get past my kids. They are literally glued tot he front of the tank!

4 D. Azereus



























I apologize for the crappy cell phone pics. It's time to get the real camera out.


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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

How are these guys doin for you?


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## jausi (May 14, 2008)

nice setup, I really like the water feature you have there, looks very peaceful


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

As far as I can tell all the frogs are still alive. Some are definitely more bold and outgoing than others so far. The 2 older ones seem to have found my feeding site. The other smaller ones are more timid so I have been sprinkling FF's near their hiding spots so they get a better chance of getting food.

Kind of itching to start another build to be honest. I might do a plant only micro viv or something on the cheap side until I can find a new house and build the mother of all vivs.

And they say crack is addictive....


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

I think they are starting to figure out where the food is. Im having to feed twice because the 2 larger frogs eat all the flies before the smaller ones even realize its feeding time. 










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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Set up some bait stations... One on each side of the tank. This will help out the little ones get more food. Nice frogs!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

I've come to the conclusion it is nearly impossible to overfeed these frogs!

They are animals! As soon as I open the lid the go to "the spot".

Not only that I caught my youngest daughter "sampling" a couple FF's that got spilled in the sink.

I've seen her eat ants before but never fruit flies.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Ribbit.

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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Somehow my ff's have learned to fly and have been flying around the house. Uhg! 

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## cyck22 (Sep 8, 2011)

LOL. Lose the "flightless" and switch to "wingless"! I don't know the scientific details, but heat and "monkey-see, monkey-do" seem to gift the flightless flys with flight.

Btw the tank looks awesome, nice job!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

I have wingless already. I think they may have bred with the common wild ff causing an outbreak of flying ffs. Apple cider vinegar and dish soap seems to be keeping their population down.

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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Lets see updated photos.


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## Malibu307 (Sep 10, 2012)

Your tank is fantastic! Such a piece of nature. Couple questions I don't believe I read answers to. How big is your pond area and does it have to be filtered to have the little fish in it? If so can it be a smaller filter hidden in the tank itself? I'm building a 55 gal and would love to have more than just frogs but I'm not that familiar with fish keeping. The lunar lighting is fantastic I'm always disappointed when my light shut off as well. Where could I possibly find those? And again your tank is beautiful!! What a wonderful hobby this is!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

wesly2007 said:


> Lets see updated photos.


It has been awhile. I'll get some up soon.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Malibu307 said:


> Your tank is fantastic! Such a piece of nature. Couple questions I don't believe I read answers to. How big is your pond area and does it have to be filtered to have the little fish in it? If so can it be a smaller filter hidden in the tank itself? I'm building a 55 gal and would love to have more than just frogs but I'm not that familiar with fish keeping. The lunar lighting is fantastic I'm always disappointed when my light shut off as well. Where could I possibly find those? And again your tank is beautiful!! What a wonderful hobby this is!



Thanks for the compliments. The pond area is tiny. Almost too small for any fish at all really. If I had to guess I would say it is only about 10" across and maybe 4" wide. 

I've been having some issues with algae in it lately. It gets quite a bit of light and gets quite a bit of debris build up in it. Also, I've been slacking on water changes so that doesn't help either.

I went way overboard with filtration but I knew I wanted a sump that housed a pump for easy maintenance. You certainly can do something internal but you need a creative way of being able to hide you pump and be able to easlly access it for maintenance. My system has a large amount of "pre-filtration" built into it so pump maintenance is minimal.

I wish I could add a bigger pump to my system to help filter the water better but if I add to many more gph my waterfall turns into a raging torrent rather than a peaceful trickle.

If I had to do it over again I would add a secondary return line from the sump area and use one pump for filtration and another separate pump for the waterfall.

Overall I'm still pretty happy with it, I just need to suck out the algae and gravel wash a little bit once a week to keep it clean and pristine. Now a big deal at all really.


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## 1moreminute (Feb 5, 2013)

That looks awesome, I like the bow fronts.

Im in the process of getting my tank built and have to learn about the FF's but I hope I dont have any flying all over the house like you did!

Good job


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Some updated pics per request.


















































































enjoy!


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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Lookin good


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Have been watching the viv fill in lately and decided I want to change things up a add a little more color. I have always been fascinated with orchids so I've decided to try and grow a few in the viv.

I may have to thin a few things out and make room but I have the following coming from Andy's and should be here Thursday.

Cirrhopetalum (Bulbophyllum) / thaiorum - red form (yasnae,papillosum) 
Cirrhopetalum (Bulbophyllum) / fascinator
Bulbophyllum / flavidiflorum orange
Pleurothallis / allenii

Other than that nothings really new. The frogs are all getting big and are eating well so I must be doing something right. Hopefully, I will have the same luck with the new orchids.


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

Somehow I've completely missed this thread! I've just read it all. Very nice viv! Well done!

-Chris


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Thanks! Been a lot of fun. Can't wait to build something bigger.

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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

I got my orchids from Andy's today I thought they would come in on sticks but they came in on boards. They're much larger than I thought they would be. It's a good thing I only got 4. 

I had to do a bit of pruning to make room but I manage to get them to fit.




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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

We should take some divisions of those orchids and we can makes a trade.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

wesly2007 said:


> We should take some divisions of those orchids and we can makes a trade.


Sounds good but I am totally running out of room.

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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Not much new with the viv lately. I had to remove the handle that opens the glass lid here is a picture of why.









The kids were trying to catch the frogs. they actually caught one of them and were petting it. I now have to use a suction cup to open the lid. The day after I removed the handle the kids were trying to pry it open with a fork.

I also got some new moon lights. The original ones I tried burned out in less than a month. The ones I have now actually hook up to my aquarium controller and follow the lunar cycle.

The orchids are all still alive but haven't grown much some of the other plants are still growing like crazy. The frogs of course are all doing well and are growing fast.

The fish on the other hand well they managed to swim through the grating and now live under the false bottom they seem to come back into the pond area at night.

That's it for now when I get a chance I will try to take some more pics

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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Hows the tank doing?


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Maybe you need a padlock to keep your frogs safe from kids! I like your orchids!


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## mwallrath (Mar 8, 2013)

waverz said:


> I wish I could add a bigger pump to my system to help filter the water better but if I add to many more gph my waterfall turns into a raging torrent rather than a peaceful trickle.
> 
> If I had to do it over again I would add a secondary return line from the sump area and use one pump for filtration and another separate pump for the waterfall.
> 
> Overall I'm still pretty happy with it, I just need to suck out the algae and gravel wash a little bit once a week to keep it clean and pristine. Now a big deal at all really.


Very nice set up. 

Have you ever considered adding secondary filtration directly to your sump. Either a hang on power filter or a canister filter. This way you could increase your filtration without affecting the flow to your waterfall. 

Also, a few cherry shrimp (_Neocaridina heteropoda_) might help with algae control in your exposed water area. You might try adding some duck weed or similiar floating plant to cut down on the light exposure to the water. 

Good luck.


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## roktman (Apr 10, 2013)

I'm a newbie to this forum, and WOW that's a terrific viv!


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## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

I love it! I might attempt to build up my 46 gal and loosely base it off of this. I really, really love it.


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## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

Is this glass tempered? I have a 46 gallon and it says "Tempered glass, do not drill". I don't know if yours was the same and you just ignored it or what, but I don't want to destroy the vivarium.


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## petitpaume (Apr 10, 2013)

Don't even try to drill it - bad things will happen instantly 

Check though, often tanks only have the bottom tempered and the sides are made of float glass.

If you have a camera lense polarising filter, place a laptop inside the tank and look at a white screen through the filter and the glass. If the glass is tempered the image will show up all wavy and patchy, if it's float (which you could drill), it while appear a uniform white.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

wesly2007 said:


> Hows the tank doing?



The tank is pretty much in cruise control. There are a couple plants that are getting to large (again) and need to be trimmed back or maybe just pulled and replaced with something new...who knows?

The orchids still haven't done much since I've got them but that is to be expected as they are slow growers. They all seem healthy still.

The frogs are all doing very well. I am going to have to step up my FF cultures as they seem to be eating more than I can produce currently. My spring tails are still doing well but it seems like they should be multiplying faster than they currently are.

Wes, how old were the frogs when I got them from you? I think it would be cool to see some tads. Just want to know how much longer it might be.

I'll try and get some new pics up soon.


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## Medic1 (Jan 18, 2013)

Hey Waverz! Any updates?? This beast looks wild!


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Funny you should ask. Due to lack of maintenance the fish have died and the pond got a little stale. I've decided to fill most of it in with gravel and replace it with a bog type of area. Hit up pet smart today for a couple new plants. Got some anubius and some cardinal plant. 

Here's a quick shot.










I'll see about getting some more later.

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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Over the last few days I've noticed some peculiar behavior from my frogs. If I had to guess I would say it's close to mating season. I guess now is a good time to read about breeding.

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## Medic1 (Jan 18, 2013)

I love that! It looks pretty well established, I'd say!! lol looks like your frogs need a little privacy!


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## Dart_Man (Mar 23, 2013)

waverz said:


> Over the last few days I've noticed some peculiar behavior from my frogs. If I had to guess I would say it's close to mating season. I guess now is a good time to read about breeding.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2




Its either breeding or fighting. Azureus are pretty territorial and usually best in pairs, BUT it could definitely be mating too. Many people have had groups do fine, as long as there is enough space. How old are the 4 anyway? (it looked like you said 2 were younger/smaller and 2 are adults?). I would keep an eye on it to see how it looks like they are interacting, but if its with a younger one at all, you may need to separate them....or prepare for tads! 

Good luck


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## roktman (Apr 10, 2013)

waverz said:


> Funny you should ask. Due to lack of maintenance the fish have died and the pond got a little stale. I've decided to fill most of it in with gravel and replace it with a bog type of area. Hit up pet smart today for a couple new plants. Got some anubius and some cardinal plant.
> 
> Here's a quick shot.
> 
> ...


WOW that looks nice. I kinda like that look better than an actual water area.  I may have to "borrow" the look.


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## DJK83 (Aug 11, 2011)

waverz said:


> Finally got my light hung with a suspension kit.
> 
> My light is a Tek-Light made by Sunlight Supply it's for 4 T5's with all new Gieseman 6,500k bulbs.
> 
> ...


Hey, could you elaborate on which lights, fixtures and suspension kit you bought from Sunlight Supply? I'm actually looking for a lighting setup exactly like you've got, and I'm having difficulty finding it on the website.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

DJK83 said:


> Hey, could you elaborate on which lights, fixtures and suspension kit you bought from Sunlight Supply? I'm actually looking for a lighting setup exactly like you've got, and I'm having difficulty finding it on the website.


That would be because sunlight supply no longer makes aquarium products. There are a number of suppliers out there making a decent t5 fixture.

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## DJK83 (Aug 11, 2011)

Oh. Well, could you possibly direct me to a reputable site? Lighting is something I know virtually nothing about, and I don't really know where to start.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Update: I think I made a rookie mistake by over planting. My tank looks like a complete jungle! Starting to kick myself for spending so much time on the background. 

It's time to do some trimming. This weekend the siccors are coming out. I may even pull a few things and add more orchids before it gets too cold to ship if it hasn't already.

The frogs are all doing well and am going to start hearing some calling soon.










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## wesly2007 (Jul 6, 2007)

Looks good man. Don't toss all the clippings. I will be in town next weekend.


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## waverz (Nov 14, 2012)

Got some more orchids from Andy's 25 percent of sale last weekend. The problem is I an seriously out of room. Going to pull a few things to make room. The first being the fern on the left. It's pretty invasive and seems to want to live everywhere.

Starting to wish I would have done a larger tank.

Here's what I got.









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## superdup (Nov 12, 2013)

Very impressive!


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