# flyingSquirrel's build #2 ... micro terrarium



## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Two words:

NANO BUILD

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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

this should be cool. ideas on what frogs and basic design?


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Those fans are going to create a hurricane in a tank that size! 

s


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I love those tanks. Put a mantis in it


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

goof901 said:


> this should be cool. ideas on what frogs and basic design?


No frogs...just a terrarium...probably with a max of like 3 micro orchids

I have design ideas but need to get out to the pet store looking for decor wood


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

Should be sweet! Cant wait to see the scape!


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Scott said:


> Those fans are going to create a hurricane in a tank that size!
> 
> s


LOL, for sure. I can always do just one fan if it's too crazy, but also I have the fan controller to tweak the flow. I'm a believer in excellent air flow though, it made a HUGE difference in my paludarium health when I upgraded my fans.


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

frogparty said:


> I love those tanks. Put a mantis in it


Oh Jason, you and your mantis! Mantises? Manti? But seriously, those mantis ARE awesome. I don't feel I can be responsible enough to care for any pets at this time though, and deal with feeding and what not.


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Dizzle21 said:


> Should be sweet! Cant wait to see the scape!


Thanks man! Lemme know about Andy's


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

frogparty said:


> I love those tanks. Put a mantis in it





flyingSquirrel said:


> Oh Jason, you and your mantis! Mantises? Manti? But seriously, those mantis ARE awesome. I don't feel I can be responsible enough to care for any pets at this time though, and deal with feeding and what not.


Going back to this, I just want to say that I didn't mean for my comment to be rude. Maybe it did or did not sound jerk-ish but if so then I am sorry. I actually recall you mentioning to me some care specs for those mantids one time but I can't remember what thread it was. Are they pretty easy to care for? Are they short lived? What's the smallest species you have? Thinking about it now, if they are easy care, I might be interested...


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

They live about a year. More for females, less for males. They are extremely easy to care for, and the absolute best display animal for a nano tank


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## Giga (Mar 31, 2011)

This should be fun to watch


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

frogparty said:


> They live about a year. More for females, less for males. They are extremely easy to care for, and the absolute best display animal for a nano tank


Thank you for the info sir! I will certainly consider them as an option for this or a future build, and you are first on my list for a source. Don't you have a few species, or was it just one? Did you have the orchids or the ghosts? I researched them a bit more and they are pretty rad. Saw a pic of one sucking the brains out of a fly, that was gross but epic


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I breed ghosts, orchids, and spiny flowers.


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Got some glass from Lowes for the nano lid. It was less than $3 for the glass and the cuts! (the glass is only 2.5mm thick but I think it will suffice).
FYI for anyone doing this, the glass dimensions were: *6 5/8" x 6 1/8"*

Removing the wire screening from the nano lid was quite a challenge, especially to avoid breaking the plastic rim. The aftermath:










Then inserted the glass into the lid rim with some 100% silicone:

glass and rim before insertion










the initial seal










in this detailed photo you can see here I put a strip of silicone along the innermost rim from _underneath_, then set the glass on it and gently pressed down to create a seal










put internal bead of silicone










after 5 minutes I smoothed the bead with a gloved finger (it was my finger )


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

I already have a vision in mind for how I want the landscape to look, but I can't find a photo that is very close to it. However, below are some inspirational photos I found. I realize the nano is super micro size, but there are just small elements of each of these photos I like, even though I could never fit it all in


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

My 12x12x18 is all orchids and live mosses and is starting to look like some of those logs. Lucky for me I have some killer volunteer star moss starting to do very well. Pleuro allenii, Pleuro alata, Pleuro minutalis, and Bulbo alagense are super minis that are starting to really take off. Gastrochilus japonicus, Ornithocephalus gladiatus Restrepia pelyx and Restrepia guttalata are nice bigger orchids set in the cork tubes


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## didi (Feb 21, 2008)

Hi Matt, 

Hope all is well? 
Wondering how tank #2 was coming along.
Since the 29 gal. is so amazing.
Have a great 4th of July!

Di


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## RSS (May 21, 2010)

Just stumbled across this looking for background ideas for an upcoming project and thought I'd share some info.

I've done 3 of these Exo-Terra Nano's and 2 are looking really nice, the other one I put a larger plant in it than I should have...

Anyway here are the 3 Nano's.

Exo-Terra Nano Tall Setups

And another smaller tank here.

New Vivarium Project.

I've been using the flat backed cork panels for about 18 months or so with no real issues. Now I'm sure they are not removable and reuseable at the base/soil lines.

Hopefully this info is of some use, likely a website not alot of frog people visit .

Unless cost is the limiting factor you can easily get 6-12 micro orchids in there without a problem.

I took the easy route for the mess/glass. I just put their top into some closet somewhere and got a piece of glass that would rest on those 1/4" lips of the top frame. Your method looks better thou.

Can't wait to see photo's.

Don't forget about the micro ferns and Utricularia!


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

> Hi Matt,
> 
> Hope all is well?
> Wondering how tank #2 was coming along.
> ...


Thanks for the comments! 



> Just stumbled across this looking for background ideas for an upcoming project and thought I'd share some info.


Thanks for sharing your builds! The people on this site are pretty diverse; I know a lot of folks here are interested in CP's, myself included.

*UPDATE on my build:*

Things have been on hold due to my busy life...and also I had the opportunity to obtain some very rare ferns, which are now residing in the empty nano tank. I've ordered another nano tank- just the tank, no lights. I'll swap the ferns into the empty tank, then hopefully continue working on the bg and landscaping of the nano I started with.

One obstacle I need to overcome is the fact that I can't find the right wood piece that fits the vision I have for the tank (a tree root/stump/buttress type thing with spreading roots at base...see pics earlier in thread). I considered making a fake buttress somehow, but I doubt it would look realistic enough to me. I'm very picky and notice details, so I think it would bother me if it didn't look absolutely 100% real. Anybody have any ideas, or even sources for artificial stumps?

thanks


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## Duff (Aug 4, 2011)

How about this one?

OceanReefDepot Tree Stump With Rock Med 9.8 X 7.1 X 6.9" - $32.78 | We offer bulk discounts on ALL OceanReefDepot products.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

pm me, I have just the piece of wood youre looking for


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## The Dude1 (Jul 5, 2012)

I've always liked the Nano tanks. I may get one to put underneath my 46g in the living room. I'll be watching your progress. You have great ideas!


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Oh boy I bet this is going to be good. 

I agree about fans my plants always look _a lot_ better with fans. I want to get all of the rest of my growout tanks equipped with fans. Those little 2" fans don't create all that much flow. I bet they will be about right for this setup.


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

I ordered, and received, another new nano tank, which I will use to house the potted plants which are currently in the one I have started working on (I had put silicone on the back wall for the GS bg). I have both of those tiny fans in this 'plant holding tank', and they are perfect.

I went to another pet shop that carries a very large selection of wood, and I could not find anything even remotely close to what I need. I've looked at some artificial aquarium things and found a few that look ok, but usually the smaller ones that would fit in the nano are not the shape I want. I will not give up, I know I will eventually succeed in finding the perfect piece of wood, or maybe even combine multiple pieces to create the illusion of a stump.


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## RSS (May 21, 2010)

One of the other members made one, here is the thread.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/57563-pics-my-new-constructed-vivarium.html


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

RSS said:


> One of the other members made one, here is the thread.
> 
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/57563-pics-my-new-constructed-vivarium.html


Thanks for the link. That is something I might consider if I can't find the wood I need...although the fake roots thing looks cool, the thing I like about real wood is the bark texture. So although I want the spreading roots, I also want the top part to really look like wood. I know, I'm really picky 
But thanks again for the link, and the Raf style might be an option for me sometime soon.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

whatever happened with this viv


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## KarmaPolice (Apr 25, 2012)

I'll be subscribing to this. I would really love to see you go through with this and find what you need. Are you still looking for a piece of wood? if so I'll send you a picture of a cool piece I have lying around.
Let me know.


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

KarmaPolice said:


> I'll be subscribing to this. I would really love to see you go through with this and find what you need. Are you still looking for a piece of wood? if so I'll send you a picture of a cool piece I have lying around.
> Let me know.


Thank you. I actually have done quite a bit of work on this build, though it's nothing like my original vision, since I never found the right wood. I ended up going a different route, and I do like it. I just need to find the time to get the pics and write-ups together and post it all. I'm so busy these days. I'll try.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

I sure hope to see it all soon


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## sanderdm (Jun 12, 2013)

any updates?


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