# My 40b vert



## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Thought I'd start a build thread on this project I got goin on. I plan on putting a waterfall on the right side of the tank. At first I was gonna do an aztec ruins theme, but I think I'll keep it more natural. Still kind of throwing the idea around. Threw the stand together and drilled some holes in the bottom to lead to a sump so I don't have to worry about the water leaching into the ground. Decided to go with Sunleaves Pioneer IV Jr. for the lighting. I'm also thinking of incorporating a small pond area to put a fogger in for aesthetics. 
Reptile Mist Maker Humidifier 
Do you think this will be a problem?

Here's some pics of what I got goin on right now. Gonna run to the LFS tomorrow and pick up some living hinge to make a swing out door. 







































Thinking of some cayo nancys, but I don't know. What would be good for this tank?


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Also, the lights will be hanging, not sitting on the top like that


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## ritersofly (Oct 23, 2010)

Looks like its gonna turn out to be something great!I'm sure some Nancys would love the set-up! 

btw, you got the full dbz series dooooopeee


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Lol, thanks. I didn't give that show a chance back in the day, I saw the kai series and didn't like how over dramatic everything was, but it grew on me. Epic is a word that would describe the show lol. I hope this viv will turn out nice. I'm still a little lost exactly how to address the waterfall. I see it in my head, I just need to figure out how to make it.


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## Shinosuke (Aug 10, 2011)

That's a nice stand and tank you've got there! 
I've heard a lot of people recommend staying away from an in-tank fogger. I can't remember exactly why but I do remember that they're not safe for in tank use with PDFs. Instead, they recommend getting a regular humidifier and plumbing it into the tank if you want fog. 
Waterfalls, or "water features" as the lingo goes, are pretty tough. I just made one on my first viv and am pretty dis-satisfied with the result. I may just tear the whole thing apart for a 3rd time and start again. A lot of people say not to do them on your first viv since they're so difficult and frogs don't need them but I like water too much to listen to any of that noise. Just do plenty of research and don't try to put a time-limit on how long it'll take you (I'm at least a month behind my original deadline).
Oh, one other thing to mention about water features - make sure you can get to your water pump once it's all put together. They don't last forever and it would suck to have to tear an established viv apart just to get to your pump.


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Accessing the pump won't be a problem since it will be in the sump. I'd like the fog to come from the pond section. I'll have to look into the humidifier more. I have a small 12x12x18 with a couple of vanzolini in it and one thing I'm looking forward to is not spraying down the tank and having to siphon out the water every week. With the mist king hooked up with a timer I won't have to worry as much with it drying out and with the sump in place I can wait longer before having to take water out. On my way out right now to pick up a drill bit for the mister and the living hinge for the door. I'm not rushing. I'm going as quick as my money can take me lol. So that leaves me with time to think which direction I want to go as far as natural or ruins look.


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## TPinner (Aug 16, 2009)

Hey Daniel - great start!

I know you said your door is going to swing out? Does that mean to the side or down? I just finished a 40 breeder and have the door swinging down. I am not sure I like it this way. It is a lot of glass to swing down, and deal with. I have to stand to the side to work in the tank. I saw a post with a 40 breeder and the door swinging to the side. I think it would be easier to service and feed this way. Just giving you something to consider. 

Terry


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Yeah, it's going to swing out to the side. That's a lot of glass to swing down! I've been looking at a thread about the humidifier and was wondering if it would be a problem if I drilled another hole in the bottom and fed the humidifier through that. It would come out just over the pond area. I was reading if it wasn't elevated over the tank that it might back up the water if I understood correctly? Could someone explain this to me more? Got the materials yesterday, but dummy me forgot to take into account the hinge when I cut the glass so instead of 17", which is what I got it cut to, I need it to be 16 3/8". Bought a drill bit for the mister and looks like someone used it and returned it. It's pretty smooth and not rough at all like the bit I used for the bottom of the tank so I'm gonna test it on a smooth area before I do it on my tank. Looks like someone didn't cool the bit down or was just forcing the bit. I'm wanting to order some ABG mix, but I don't know how much I'll need to cover the ground. Although I guess I'll have to buy more than I'm thinking if I want to use it to cover the great stuff up.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

make sure you hide that fogger so the frogs can't get to it cause it can harm them.


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

I'm not sure what pump I should get for the waterfall. There will be between 4 to 5 ft. of head space. I see the max head space on the pumps I'm looking at, but I'm still not sure on how to judge the gph to know how quick it will be coming out. I don't want something blasting out, or just barely trickling. Something with good flow, but not so strong to keep the frogs from escaping easily. Does that make sense? Lol. Anyone have an idea which pump I should get?


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## ophiophagus (Dec 10, 2011)

I cant help much but I did read a post somewhere this week where the guy's waterfall pump was flowing a little to fast. But, he was able to correct the issue with a mid-line valve and a slight modification to the pump's air intake. Hope that helps


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Well, it's been a long while since this little project and a lot of thinking on how I wanted to go about this. Since my last update I drilled the hole for the mistking, drilled another hole for a humidifier for fog, siliconed in some glass so the water doesn't fall out onto the floor from the waterfall, and then it sat for quite some time after that. In the past couple of months, I've sculpted the waterfall out of some fish boxes from a couple shipments to the place I used to work,



Front view













Right side view














Left side view
















Top view














Then it sat again for a while until I figured out how to go about making it work to keep a pond area without reaching the ground cover, when I finally found a good example off I went again and started working on it. Grouted the waterfall,













































and I will put it in its final place in the following week to let the cement cure for over a month. Once that happens, I'll work on making the background and then seed it with some springtails and what not and let it sit and get established, but that's where I'm at so far with it.


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Finished up the gs and pond foam spraying, I'm pretty satisfied with it, I'll have to touch up some spots I missed, but other than that it's not too shabby. I wish I would have created more ground for the frogs, but its too late now unless I rip the waterfall out and start from scratch. Here's some pics of the beginning process, I'll have to snap some pics tomorrow of the end result. Sorry for the quality, I was in a rush and just wanted to get some before snaps before I finished it up with no step by step pics.


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

End results, still need to touch up, just thought I'd post the pics. I can still smell the silicone so I don't want to test out the waterfall yet, once that happens, just a matter of waiting out the curing process











Where all the blue glow is coming from in the shots


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## Halter (Jul 28, 2012)

Im jealous of that giant reef


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## chadnc (Apr 10, 2013)

Nice setup awesome reef tank too!


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Thanks, set this up at the end of Dec. SPS dominant, here's a shot from today


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## 1.0reef (Sep 9, 2013)

The monti in that reef is insanity!


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## Halter (Jul 28, 2012)

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2


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## Twiggyb (Mar 2, 2011)

Got the waterfall running, the door put in and the mister hooked up. Now I just have to program the timer, and wait for the ph to stabilize . Then I'll put the soil in, add the springtails and pick up some plants and wait around 6 months or so for the bug population to get a foot hold and finally add some frogs! I'll try and take a video of the waterfall tomorrow.


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