# 120Gal Plywood Vivarium build (slow build)



## xTimx

120 gal plywood vivarium. 

Plywood is 3/4" Bubinga plywood (GORGEOUS WOOD) 



the whole thing will consist of it being an open front vivarium. Complete with a water fall in the back right corner trickling into a pond, and a snaking river exiting it and flowing diagonally to the front left corner of the vivarium where it will enter another pond. 
The back left corner will have a tree with large roots sprouting out of the ground. planning on putting fake mushrooms, more drift wood in as well. 

still unsure of the pattern/design of what i'm going to put in the middle of the back wall. 

This will be a slow build as funds are limited somewhat. 

cheers! 

Tim


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## xTimx

So today i went and picked up the cut down wood, they did a good job, cuts are straight. but theres a few edges that are chipped but its all good. 

here's the wood so far! (om nom nom nom!) 



The Sides



and the other two boards. 



will start assembly of the boards either tonight or tomorrow night after work! 

cheers guys! 

Tim


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## petitpaume

Hi Tim, nice looking wood you've chosen, makes me think I should do the same 

How are you planning to seal the inside of the viv?


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## xTimx

well i have two choices really. Use a fast and easy method of using Liquid Rubber but run into the trouble of not able to adhere anything to the liquid rubber (unless someone can prove me wrong on that). 

or the most likely choice is going to be epoxy resin. i have a local marine shop here in the city that sells it by the gallon and i have some extra fiberglass mat sitting here. 

btw heres a few perspective shots on how big the tank is going to be. (please excuse the dirty apt.)


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## slipperheads

What is the weight of that sucker?


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## Los3r

That thing is huge! Any idea what you're gonna keep in it?


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## xTimx

§lipperhead said:


> What is the weight of that sucker?


ummm not entirely sure. probably a good 75lbs, its only a single sheet of 4x8' 3/4" plywood. so i think i did pretty good for size hahaha



Los3r said:


> That thing is huge! Any idea what you're gonna keep in it?


probably going to go with some plants..some water....some substrate.. (troll face) i'm kidding haha

its a toss up between 8-10 Super Blues or El Copes, help me decide?


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## petitpaume

I've had fairly good luck with MS polymer type sealants on rubber. Don't know how easily you can find an equivalent where you live (About MS Polymers).

Hope it helps


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## Los3r

My vote is on the el copes. They look like they've got a metallic sheen to them


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## xTimx

petitpaume said:


> I've had fairly good luck with MS polymer type sealants on rubber. Don't know how easily you can find an equivalent where you live (About MS Polymers).
> 
> Hope it helps


yeaaaaah i cant get that up here in canada haha. so i dunno what else i can use



Los3r said:


> My vote is on the el copes. They look like they've got a metallic sheen to them


yeah i like the el copes, but i was also really liking the highland bronze's but i cant really readily get them here. well not yet. and i dunno how much they are each. But i know the Super Blues are close to the highland bronze's and they are fairly cheap here too.


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## JoshsDragonz

I love my El Cope... They are nice and bold and always out and about. I really like the Highland Bronze also, but I have heard from a few people that they can be a lot more shy.


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## Los3r

Well whatever you get, I'm sure they'll be extremely happy in their mansion


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## xTimx

Update: 

Enclosure glued and screwed. going to leave the top open for ease of access to set up everything. 

as for the top itself.... dunno what i could do. should i have it that i can silicone in a piece of glass and screen and then build a canopy to house the lights? i need ideas here guys. 
as for the lights, probably going to go with 3, 4' T5's 

heres the enclosure glued and screwed. 





and now onto the fiberglassing...... i think i have enough mat to cover the enclosure 2-3 times over! hahaha


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## slipperheads

Check this out:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/37778-virtual-terrarium-design.html

I think in his design, there might be overuse of wood, but I think it is a good start for idea generation/ adaptation. I think you would also need the middle piece going across for extra support.


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## xTimx

SWWEEEeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!! thank you for the link and awesome idea's. I have a pretty good idea on how i am going to do mine, but this definitely gives me some ideas too! 

cheers!

Tim


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## slipperheads

No problem! I can't really tell how he made the glass and wood pieces at the same level; maybe he created a lip on the inside of the wood pieces for the glass to fit into? Wish I knew carpentry :/

Also, if you want to do a canopy, just use taller pieces on the sides and make a box go on top of it .


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## xTimx

yeah thats how i was going to be doing the glass, i have a router here that i can CAREFULLY route out grooves for the depth of the glass to fit into, silicone it in and then cover it up with some edge moulding. 
the canopy i'm still unsure on how i'm going to make it. 

also i have a Q with air flow. how much is ideal for a tank like this? can i just get away with just putting a long rectangular hole on top with some screening to cover the hole? should i go with fans? maybe a push/pull design?


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## slipperheads

Good question, I think that because the tank is relatively short, a length-wise vent would do it? If you're doing a canopy then you won't need to worry about drafts coming in. As far as internal air circulation, that's a lot of surface area for the internal air circ to keep clear. You would want to add the vent on top. If you don't want to do a bar going across, I would suggest doing intermittent holes instead (Frankly I don't know what should be done).


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## my_shed

I'd add a Euro vent across the bottom, as described here

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...tructing-euopean-type-vivarium-step-step.html

to aid with keeping the front glass clear of condensation.

Looking good so far though

Dave


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## daggekko

Very nice! I had a ton of ideas for you but as I read through the posts the ideas went out the window. For the sake of it here they are anyhow!!

That thing is huge!!! Man it looks almost as big as your apt! If you ever lose your job you could rent out your apt and just stay in the dart enclosure!!

Frog-Forget the el copes, blues and bronzes-you should just put a few dozen R. reticulata in it!! Before I saw you were in Canada I was going to suggest since you said it was going to take a while that I could possibly help provide the retics.

I once worked on fiberglassing a boat hull before. I only once had to help with the resin and never again. I thought I was going to puke my brains out from the fumes!

Well I want to log into this build. Looks awesome!!


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## slipperheads

The euro vent is a good idea but it all depends on the look you're going for. To support the doors properly you would have to have that "arched" piece of glass as detailed:



















Again, if the tank were taller, a Euro vent wouldnt be a bad idea, but the amount of vented serface area covered by a rectangular vent at the top of the tank would be enough.

Will


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## xTimx

soooo tonight i took a trip to the sellers place for the driftwood.......wow...what a selection! 

here's what i had to pick from! haha 









so i picked out a few pieces, some are really long and thick. some are short and skinny, and such. mocked them up to the vivarium and see what i could kinda work with. the last two pics are my fav. i really like the jutted out piece. 











lemme know which pieces would look good in the tank!  

interesting part now will be cleaning and baking them. (sighs)

EDIT: forgot to mention i got my pieces for 14$ total hahahaha


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## my_shed

§lipperhead said:


> The euro vent is a good idea but it all depends on the look you're going for. To support the doors properly you would have to have that "arched" piece of glass as detailed:
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> Again, if the tank were taller, a Euro vent wouldnt be a bad idea, but the amount of vented serface area covered by a rectangular vent at the top of the tank would be enough.
> 
> Will


The Euro vent will reduce condensation on the front glass, without it you'll be wiping it off all the time. And there is no need for a curved piece, I just use a straightforward rectangular piece across the front, it's only to support the doors, the shape doesn't matter. It can be supported with a couple of uprights if needed, and on a wooden viv this is even easier.

Dave


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## xTimx

you guys are awesome! i love the fact that you are helping me with the build and are wanting to see what you want to see done to the tank. i can pretty much guarantee you i'll put the European vent in place. i hope i can make it out of acrylic though? seems like an easy thing to do.


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## my_shed

xTimx said:


> you guys are awesome! i love the fact that you are helping me with the build and are wanting to see what you want to see done to the tank. i can pretty much guarantee you i'll put the European vent in place. i hope i can make it out of acrylic though? seems like an easy thing to do.


You can make it out of what you like, a rectangle of plywood to match the rest of the viv, and then just glass doors. Make sure you seal your wood before putting the mesh on. Alternatively use acrylic, glass, slate, cardboard (okay, getting silly now!) whatever you want.

As an improvement to the traditional Eurovent you could do a search on here for the Sherman vent, it has the same benefits, but is less obtrusive on the viv space and may reduce problems with water leaking through it. 

Loving all that driftwood, wish I lived near somewhere that I could find stuff like that!

Dave


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## slipperheads

I saw the sherman thread and thought it was silly. If you use the tight aluminum mesh screen of a regular euro, you don't need to worry about the leaks that the sherman vent addresses in the fancy way it does. My cent.


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## my_shed

§lipperhead said:


> I saw the sherman thread and thought it was silly. If you use the tight aluminum mesh screen of a regular euro, you don't need to worry about the leaks that the sherman vent addresses in the fancy way it does. My cent.


I haven't used the sherman vent myself, so cannot really comment, I like the fact that you don't lose the space at the front of the viv though, and that you don't have the spider nest there either. Neither are massive issues to me, but handy. Never had a problem with water leaks in the way described on the thread, but if it gives all the benefits of the euro vent without the (small) downfalls above, and can be made to look as tidy as the eurovent, I figure, why not.

My second cent 

Dave


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## xTimx

not an update. 

but does anyone wanna do me a favor and help me PLEASE, to mock up a waterfall using black slate stone?


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## slipperheads

For an update?


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## xTimx

hahaha. well i'm waiting on cash to buy some epoxy resin!  when i do that, i'll give you guys an update  hahaha


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## xTimx

update: 

bought: The weather shield flex, a can of GS pond foam, paint tray, rollers, egg crate, and pond liner, and water pump. 
tomorrow will be buying possibly a few airline hoses, some PVC parts like a few ball valves, and possibly 2x4s to make the stand but i am not sure!

will post pics of when i start siliconing the edges, and laying down the weather shield flex 


cheers!

I should probably add that i found this product called weather shield flex. and I got talking to the Rep of the company for it and he assured me its pond safe, will stick to anything except oils. and can lay and adhere things to it since it stays tacky afterwards for a day. So laying down GS will be a great advantage. and yes you can lay down silicone over it too.


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## xTimx

Update: silicon'd the corners lmfao.

thank you that is all! (told you it would be a slow build -_-)


actually i'm unsure what to do for the drains, especially for the location of them. so i think i'm going to mock up my sub-floor and draw out a cutting area for my ponds on the egg crate. mock up the ponds and the river before i start drilling holes for the drains and before i start laying down the weather shield flex waterproofer.


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## xTimx

and here's the pic i took of it. just now. silicone is almost cured. I think the clear silicone gives it a good indicator of what the wood will look like when the outside of it is poly'd


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## slipperheads

Very nice. I like how you are taking your time. Clear Silicone was a good route.


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## Los3r

Looks good! And you are wayyyy more patient than I am. I would have probably given up by now and bought the biggest tank I could afford. xD


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## xTimx

thank you both  

and i dunno if i'm taking my time on it as opposed to ...... hate working in the basement lmfao. 

But i think i am kinda buying everything i need first and then building. next purchase will be the slate rock. thick stuff too. too bad it comes in huge slabs though  (Gotta break out the hammer and chisel) 

so like i said from before, letting the silicone cure (which i think it is right now) gonna mock up the egg crate for the river and two ponds. but i think before i do that, i gotta buy my slate rock. so i can do everything all at once. then line everything up, drill my holes. Weather shield flex the inside. put everything back in, silicone everything in. Then move onto the spray foam background. and tree/driftwood structure. 

cheers guys! 

Tim


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## jakemestre

xTimx said:


> well i have two choices really. Use a fast and easy method of using Liquid Rubber but run into the trouble of not able to adhere anything to the liquid rubber (unless someone can prove me wrong on that).
> 
> or the most likely choice is going to be epoxy resin. i have a local marine shop here in the city that sells it by the gallon and i have some extra fiberglass mat sitting here.


Quite a few of the marine grade epoxies remain toxic after cured. A good solution is an epoxy by PolymerProducts. It's designed to be non toxic and waterproof after curing. Here's the link.


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## xTimx

Before I start building here. Im buying dendrobates auratus super blues. Do they like more floor space or more things to climb on and get high up? 

cheers! 

xTimx


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## petitpaume

Floor space definitely. Also fairly shy (relative to similar sized frogs: leucs, tincts), so make sure you provide plenty of cover. In such a large tank you run the risk of leaving wide open spaces.


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## xTimx

Ok good to know! Thank you very much

cheers! 

xTimx


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## oneshot

> its a toss up between 8-10 Super Blues or El Copes, help me decide?


I would double-check with more experienced Auratus keepers, but I was under the impression that they were not good group frogs...


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## xTimx

say whaaaaaa? 

i hope thats not true! haha, other wise i'll have to rethink my decision and probably have to save up more money!  

but everyone i've talked to says its ok.


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## frogfreak

xTimx said:


> Before I start building here. Im buying dendrobates auratus super blues. Do they like more floor space or more things to climb on and get high up?
> 
> cheers!
> 
> xTimx


Super blue's wouldn't be my first choice for this size tank. I do have them in a 24 x 24 Exo and they can be very shy. I don't mind seeing them on occasion, but these being your first frogs, I think you may be disappointed with them. I'll probably downsize them into an 18" cube with dense cover. I have some Campana in a tank that size and see them far more often. 

Of course, none of this matters if you plan on having a VERY densely planted tank.


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## frogfreak

oneshot said:


> I would double-check with more experienced Auratus keepers, but I was under the impression that they were not good group frogs...


Auratus do very well in groups.


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## xTimx

Update: 

so today was the only day that i could go out and buy the slate stone and i also bought 2x4s to make the frame out of. 

here's the slate stone that i bought. ALL 225lbs of it. 





sorry for slow updates guys haha.


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## Los3r

Holy crap that's a lot of slate. I like it


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## xTimx

i know it looks like alot, but i wanted some thicker stuff, so i can have a broader area to work with as well as a good area to adhere the stones together as well. plus the thicker stones are easier to build up in height to make a waterfall out of.


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## Los3r

It's going to look freakin' awesome when it's done.


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## xTimx

even though i'm definitely not at this stage yet. i'm trying to figure out what i should do for the front glass portion. do i make a double pane swivel out wards front glass? or do i make a sliding door set up? 
any suggestions?


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## daggekko

I would go with sliding doors. Seems way way easier! You've made me jelous too. I need to go buy some slate for a gecko project. BAH!!!


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## frogmanchu

I'd do swivel outward. Just my thought.

Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2


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## xTimx

my original thought was going to be the swivel outward. but i dunno how to mount the upper pivots to a pane of glass?


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## daggekko

How big will the doors be? I would be worried about supporting them and actually breaking them on accident later


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## xTimx

thats totally true. i havent thought about that yet. i may have to do the sliding door method anyways. 

not sure how big the doors will be honestly. 2x2' at least?


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## daggekko

Can't wait to see!


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## xTimx

Guys I need some advice. So I have my waterfall that im going to build, right. Well I dunno is its going to all loosely fit or not. I still have to tip the tank on its back to spray foam the whole thing. Sooooo..... my Q what do u think would be the easiest way of doing this. I mean..I could build the waterfall loosely...build it the way I want it to be. Maybe number the rocks? Draw an outline of where the waterfall starts and ends. Tear it all down. And spray foam the walls. 
What would u do?

cheers! 

xTimx


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## daggekko

I did some small waterfalls in the past with slate stacked(not secured) and they always worked real well. Granted I wasn't trying to hold water in one area(false bottom tank). I'd probably say get an idea of how you want the slate to be stacked and the room it'll take, remove it, spray foam/carve(if you are going this route) and finish the background then install the waterfall. Would China markers be safe to use with frog tanks? Maybe you could use them to temporarily mark the slate. 

In a nut shell, I'd make the background fit the waterfall!


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## xTimx

All I know is. I have alot of slate to chisel up! Haha. The design of the waterfall is perplexing me lol

cheers! 

xTimx


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## puremanb

xTimx said:


> even though i'm definitely not at this stage yet. i'm trying to figure out what i should do for the front glass portion. do i make a double pane swivel out wards front glass? or do i make a sliding door set up?
> any suggestions?


I made a large tank and I put together a sliding door set up, I wish I would have made them so I could slide them completely out or make swivel doors. It sucks when someone comes over and they want to check out the inside but my glass is fogged up and I can only have half the viewing area open at once.


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## xTimx

Guys, 
for the european style venting system. the top of the tank, what size for the vent should i do?! the size of the top of the tank is 2' deep by 4' wide. 
also, does the vent in the front have to be big too? 

sorry for the long long updates here. i'm just currently gathering all the money up to purchase all my items. so far i am blown out of the water by all the money that i am putting into it, and i calculated out that after everything is done, for materials and frogs and cultures. i'll be up to 2000$ lol. just recently i bought the mistking sprayer system. i bought my 2x4s for my stand. my water pump for the waterfall had to be upgraded. 
i still need to buy my TB3 gallon, (or 2) and my spray foam. then its onto building the canopy and skirt for the tank stand. 
no pics today sorry. 
and i'm still trying plan out my waterfall design. so complicated  but i have a pretty good idea on what i can do. 

i'll try and keep you all updated. haha


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## lookitsadam

I can't wait to see how this turns out! 
Subscribed.


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## xTimx

I honestly hope i dont screw anything up for you guys, and i hope it looks great. cuz i really dont wanna disapoint any of you lol


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## xTimx

for the european style venting system. the top of the tank, what size for the vent should i do?! the size of the top of the tank is 2' deep by 4' wide. 
also, does the vent in the front have to be big too?


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## xTimx

So i was just downstairs and i was throwing together some ideas on how i can mock up the corner hardscape details of the drift wood and this is the only best one of what i came up with. 

lemme know what you think 









(The drift wood on the right is not going to be in there, i was just throwing around ideas, like i said)


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## mudgudgeon

looks good to me. 

I'd maybe do a rock wall, ledges etc in the corner and push the drift wood out away from the corner a bit


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## xTimx

OMG, working on the tank stand right now. lmfao fricking thing comes up to my belly button. its way too high, so i have to cut down the legs on it and continue building it  haha pics to come a lil later on  

Tim


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## xTimx

alrighty. tank stand completed. tempted to put some middle supports in but i dont think its really necessary. please excuse the blood splatter on the wall.......I MEAN......lolol
its actually wood stain that got on the wall from my previous project. 

size of the stand is 48"Lx24"Dx29"H 





lemme know what you think


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## moore40

I think it looks plenty strong enough. Once you skin it, it will stiffen up even more. Great job.


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## daggekko

Looking good. I agree about doing some sort of rocks or something in the corner to push the wood out a bit. I would add a center support or two while it is super easy to do. Extra support may be a good thing in the future to help keep the floor from warping/cracking too. Better safe than sorry!


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## xTimx

mudgudgeon said:


> looks good to me.
> 
> I'd maybe do a rock wall, ledges etc in the corner and push the drift wood out away from the corner a bit





daggekko said:


> Looking good. I agree about doing some sort of rocks or something in the corner to push the wood out a bit. I would add a center support or two while it is super easy to do. Extra support may be a good thing in the future to help keep the floor from warping/cracking too. Better safe than sorry!


hmmmmm in terms of what kind of rock wall? cuz i do have some slate stone that i will be using for my water fall. but i was actually going to just have the GS on the wall, then just let the drift wood into the GS once it is set. then at the bottom i was going to cut the egg crate and have the drift wood be placed into the false bottom. kinda secured with some loose stone. 

not sure how you mean by the rock wall idea. i gotta watch though, cuz i chose those pieces of drift wood cuz of the size and its not jutting out of the top of the tank right? 

i'd love for you guys to elaborate more on the idea. i'm all ears   

Tim 

oh p.s i will be putting the remaining two 2x4's into the top to support the tank more for sure


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## xTimx

Update: 

alright i added the last two braces to the stand and screwed em all up. 

today i also got the chance to boil my drift wood in a wash tank hahaha it was quite interesting. 

anyways. here's pics  





next is to start work on the tank itself. gonna bring it up from the basement and start on the waterfall. 

cheers everyone


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## xTimx

Update: 

well i brought the tank up from the basement and set it on the stand. yup....this is going to be a fun build hahahaha









Cheers guys  hehe


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## 1995sportster883

I can't wait to see this progress.

Adam


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## moore40

Updates please? How's this dude coming along?


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## xTimx

moore40 said:


> Updates please? How's this dude coming along?


YES WTF why arent there updates from this dude? he's slackin off! 


oh wait thats me. lolol

i have been slackin off, due to my work is keeping me constantly busy and havent had alot of time to do anything on the tank honestly. 

i'm second guessing design and dunno what i should do for a design. and infact i am thinking of scrapping the waterfall idea. its just gonna be a pain in a way. hard to clean. and really finicky. not to mention not any guarantee on it not being any leaks on it. 


i'm also torn on what to do first in terms of waterproofing it. do i drill the holes first for the drains/mistking nozzles first then waterproof it? or waterproof it first and then drill the holes? 

i have more drift wood i could put into the corner where the waterfall would of been. just dunno if it'll be too much? 

i'm seriously torn here for ideas  

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!


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## moore40

On plywood fish tanks they drill then waterproof. I would imagine you would have to take in the thickness of the waterproofing agent.


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## xTimx

Yes. I was thinking the same thing too. I also figured out how to mock up the waterfall too along with the pond idea that I wanna do! So I will be for sure continueing with the waterfall idea hehe

cheers! 

xTimx


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## xTimx

UPDATE:

I DO have updates! but i will save the pics for later on tonight cuz i have to finish something that i started lol. 

anyways, i made the false bottom, made the european vent border, and i'm just currently making the european vent opening. which i will finish tonight. i had originally finished it but i made it too long for the tank so now i have to make new ones hahaha. 

I also tried to take a slab of slate that i have here and tried to hammer and chisel it....yeah....NU UH. it aint budging. so i'll have to get a masonry blade or diamond blade to cut it all. 

pics to come tonight! 

cheers! 
Tim


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## kitcolebay

Congrats on the progress! Standing by....

-Chris


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## xTimx

I know I promised pics tonight. But my buddy took me out for drinks and something to eat. Before that we went to lowes and picked up a diamond blade for the circular saw. Gonna try and cut the slate this sat. 

I didnt get to work on the new european vent tonight so no pics till tomorrow.



cheers! 

xTimx


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## xTimx

UPDATE:

alright soooooo over the weekend i got the false bottom pretty well done. screwed up my european vent, made it too long so i made it again tonight. soooo here's the pics 











here's the european vent mocked up.. its not glued into place just yet. and i still have to put the screen into the screen border. 













thats all for now. 

This sat i'll be taking the diamond blade to the slate and mocking up the waterfall! 

cheers guys! 

P.S lemme know what i can do for tips and tricks! i'm all ears


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## xTimx

I have a Q for you experts. 

in terms or mistking nozzle placement. where would i place my nozzles? i have 2 singles and a double nozzle. i was going to place the double nozzle in the middle of the back upper wall. a single in the top left. but the last nozzle i am not so sure of where i should put it. on the back wall beside the waterfall? should i mount it above the waterfall in the glass? dunno how i should be going about this guys. 

any help is appreciated. 

Tim


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## moore40

I would mount the single where you know you will need the most coverage and the double where it will cove the other two thirds or 3/4. It would be easier to get coverage from the top as well i.e. drilling the top glass.


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## puremanb

xTimx said:


> I have a Q for you experts.
> 
> in terms or mistking nozzle placement. where would i place my nozzles? i have 2 singles and a double nozzle. i was going to place the double nozzle in the middle of the back upper wall. a single in the top left. but the last nozzle i am not so sure of where i should put it. on the back wall beside the waterfall? should i mount it above the waterfall in the glass? dunno how i should be going about this guys.
> 
> any help is appreciated.
> 
> Tim



My viv is a bit more than 120g and I have 6 double nozzles and I feel like I still don't reach all the areas equally. I always have spots that get more wet than others. I would place the nozzles where you want it to be the most wet and plant according to moisture.


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## xTimx

puremanb said:


> My viv is a bit more than 120g and I have 6 double nozzles and I feel like I still don't reach all the areas equally. I always have spots that get more wet than others. I would place the nozzles where you want it to be the most wet and plant according to moisture.


well too darn bad! i have to work with 4 nozzles lmfao. i was thinkin of actually mounting them in the front. would that be a better set up rather than having them in the back wall?


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## frogfreak

I don't use my misters to "water" my plants. I use them to keep humidity up and hand mist plants. You'd need a ton of nozzles lol


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## toksyn

I really like the craftsmanship of your tank so far - the eurovent is very nicely cut. Did you use a router + template or hole saws and a straight cut? I'm just curious.

Hopefully the vent is still not glued down as I would suggest taking a look at the "Sherman ventilation" method before you make a final decision. It's a cleaner look and lets you reclaim that space in the front, as well as eliminating a region that will become dirty from escaping mist / substrate / organisms and an eventual haven for spiders. It would be a shame to abandon that nice cutting job, though ...

Great work! I'm excited to see this develop further!


----------



## xTimx

toksyn said:


> I really like the craftsmanship of your tank so far - the eurovent is very nicely cut. Did you use a router + template or hole saws and a straight cut? I'm just curious.
> 
> Hopefully the vent is still not glued down as I would suggest taking a look at the "Sherman ventilation" method before you make a final decision. It's a cleaner look and lets you reclaim that space in the front, as well as eliminating a region that will become dirty from escaping mist / substrate / organisms and an eventual haven for spiders. It would be a shame to abandon that nice cutting job, though ...
> 
> Great work! I'm excited to see this develop further!



wow thank you very much for the kind words. 
for the vent opening all i did was shape out a curve from a plastic deli cup onto template made of cardboard, then transfered the template to the wood, cut it all out on the band saw, and then sanded it to the tracer marks. then i took my router made a straight edge guide and flattened the straight edge portion of it. switched to a 1/4" round over bit and finished the front edge of it. sanded it all down with 320 grit sand paper  

it is not currently glued down. i will take a look at the sherman vent and compare the two and go from there  thanx for the heads up


----------



## xTimx

soooo after taking a look at the sherman vent system......

i now hate you lol jk

there are some pro's and cons to both for my situation, maybe you can help me decide on which one to go with?

Euro Vent: 
PROS:
- being that i set it up with the bubinga wood that i had left over, it naturally goes with the flow of the wood for the tank. as i will be also using bubinga 1/4" plywood to wrap the outside of the stand as well too. this will greatly add to the look of the tank. 

- it greatly reduces the fog being on the front glass. 

- looks great

- not really too concerned about the spiders as i already have 17 tarantulas in my collection lol 

Cons: 
- it'll collect dust

- if the vent some how tears, its a hard fix to replace the screen as it might be siliconed onto the wood itself. 

- takes up spaces for the tank on the inside. 

- if water drips inside the vent, i may have troubles with water damage


Sherman vent: 

Pros:
- doesnt take up space like the euro vent does

- vertical vent style, not letting any water into the wood for water damage. 

- i COULD still use the bubinga plywood for the front. to block off the false floor 

- still defogs the front glass but not as good as the euro vent (assuming anyways) 

- i could use as glass bottom to show the gravel/substrate


Cons:

- doesnt look as cool as the euro vent (LOL) 

- doesnt circulate as well as the euro vent (again, i'm assuming) 




this is all i can think of, if you wanna copy and paste and add more to it, that would help me have a faster decision.


----------



## toksyn

To be honest, I prefer the look of the "Sherman vent" and using a glass front to show the substrate / drainage conditions. I typically use charcoal or something to conceal a false bottom.

I think a lot of heavy posters on the forum have switched their primary ventilation method to the "Sherman vent" and it seems to work well for them. I'm giving it a shot in my most recent tank . Note that the current photos don't show the vent because I added it after build completion. It's done a great job for me so far .


----------



## Blue_Pumilio

Devon, have you seen the venting that Ghostvivs is using? I think I prefer that to Sherman or Euro, now.


----------



## toksyn

Didn't know about them until you mentioned it, but I've got something up my sleeve that I like above all of the other solutions. I just couldn't implement it on my latest . 



Blue_Pumilio said:


> Devon, have you seen the venting that Ghostvivs is using? I think I prefer that to Sherman or Euro, now.


----------



## Blue_Pumilio

Working with a few things myself, competition is the best innovation! Can't wait to see what you come up with! 



toksyn said:


> Didn't know about them until you mentioned it, but I've got something up my sleeve that I like above all of the other solutions. I just couldn't implement it on my latest .


----------



## xTimx

Id be curious to see this new vent system. Id love to see how it works. Anyone have a link? 

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## xTimx

UPDATE:

working on the rock waterfall right now, its proving trickier than anticipated. alot of the slate is breaking unpredictably and we're changing our ideas of how to set it up. (my buddy is helping me cut it). 

pics to come later of the progress.


----------



## xTimx

alright....here's the update of the waterfall. building it is alot harder than it looks.







here's where it jumps in size haha. and in shape.






here's where i added the output of the water spout. i may have to add in a T to split off the water to make it more even. this is still a dry fit as i have to number every rock and spray foam it into place 



and the top cap of it 



top view of the waterfall




the kitchen sink drain is there for perspective view. 

EDIT: btw i'm going with the sherman vent now lmfao. so now i have to redo the egg crate it'll be wider now and up to the front more  haha


----------



## xTimx

i'm adding another pic, i'm also adding a ring around the base of the pond so the substrate transfers into the rock nice and smoothly


----------



## Blue_Pumilio

I'm sure I missed it, but what are you waterproofing the wood with?


----------



## xTimx

nothing....i'm going o'naturelle  jk hehe

after everything is shaped and ready to be finalized. i will be waterproofing the wood with a product called "Weather shield Flex" which is a waterproof membrane much like drylok but more tougher and is able to be submerged and used long term for water use. more coats will be applied to the bottom of the tank to further waterproof it. 

after that is all dried, i will put the eggcrate in, but with the pond area i'll lay down some pond liner and wrap it up onto the eggcrate, that way if any water gets between the rocks and behind the rocks, it'll be protected from water leaks, the rocks will be sprayfoamed to the pond liner then everything will be sprayfoamed around the rocks to make the backwall.


----------



## xTimx

adding another pic of the whole tank with the waterfall and the driftwood set up together, along with the board that'll serve the base of the sherman vent system haha


----------



## xTimx

guys i would like some criticism on this. does it look good? what would u change up!? i mean i know this is my tank and all but you guys have a more professional eye than i do haha.


----------



## kitcolebay

Hey Tim! I really like it! I'm following it with interest.  First, like most, I love the big builds. Also, I'm converting over a hutch that I've had planned for the last year that'll house twin verts. So, I'm very curious of any successes and lessons learned from other wood related builds.

I think the water fall and wood is shaping up real nice. It's always hard to tell for sure how nice the finished project will look until it's done. Some start off kinda rough and turn out beautifully. Others start real nice and take a turn for the worse. I've got to the point where I follow along and look forward to seeing the processes and results. Really looking forward to seeing yours develop more. Keep the passion!

-Chris


----------



## moore40

Tim it looks good so far. I like the rock work and the layout of the wood. Keep it up man.


----------



## xTimx

thank you both! it truly means alot to me  

over the next lil bit, i think the build is gonna take off now. cuz all i have to do now is take each stone out and label them one by one. mark where i'm going to be drilling the holes. drill the holes, take everything out of the tank, and then waterproof it. lay in the pond liner, glue the rocks in, lay in the false bottom, start spray foaming everything and getting the initial design of it. which will be interesting. hahaha


----------



## mudgudgeon

I think your slate looks good, I like it.

I've done a couple of water features in vivs now and one thing I've learned is water doesn't behave itself.

I would suggest stacking your stones so the outer ends are raised slightly so that all flat surfaces drain back toward the corner. raise the end of the bottom rows 1/2", then every other layer should be able to follow suit. This will help control water flow and contain it to your water feature and prevent water draining outward beyond the edge of your water feature and soaking substrate etc.

Also, I would suggest you restack your rocks outside and experiment with water flow and see what happens. Sort out your nozzle/tee arrangement at the top before you build it in, it's easier to experiment out of the viv than change stuff after you find it doesn't work as desired


----------



## toksyn

I see you chose to go with the Sherman vent after all .


----------



## psturm5

Looks damn good my man! expert craftsmanship! it takes a lot of planning to knock out something that big with that many details. Congrats, cant wait to see the finish!


----------



## dilljone

Any ideas for plants at all? Cant wait to see finished


----------



## xTimx

thank you all for the kind words, all your good positive comments, keep me going on the tank 

as for plants.. 

well i really like mosses and i was thinking of putting some hanging java moss on the branches of the driftwood. 

i dont wanna flood the tank with bromeliads either, maybe 5-6 max? some around the driftwood, on the back grounds and maybe 2 around the waterfall. 

maybe some pileae? couple of ferns? pepperomia's? 

certain colors i like are blues and purples. but i do just like a natural brown/green display without the colors. 

i was also thinking of doing like a "hobbit" or "the shire" lay out of the tank, with the cocohuts covered with the substrate. still unsure. 

lend me your ideas! i wanna know what you would put into the tank and where!?


----------



## xTimx

Update: 

since i am no longer doing the euro vent, i had to redo the false floor. made it longer and added some more supports. and going to be adding even more support. i am also at the point where i am ready to add the waterproofing. which will probably be applied over the weekend. 

update pics here















also have to draw out and drill the holes for the drains and misting nozzles.


----------



## xTimx

Well I have just figured out before going to work. That im going to have to mount the misting nozzles to the upper front portion of the tank. Which means drilling holes onto the glass. Which ive never done before but have seen youtube vids on it and it seems pretty easy. 
I'll keep u all posted on whats going on. Btw mike rizzo sent my 4 Grow n Glows. So I cant wait to get them and test em out. 

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## xTimx

I have a concern about my tank. The front lip to rest my sherman vent on is 3" high. But my false bottom is 2"s high which leaves me 1" of substrate to add ontop of the false floor. Is that going to be enough? Or do I need a thicker height for the substrate? 

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## toksyn

Are you by chance able to drop the false bottom a bit in the front? I don't remember if you added drainage, but if you did you may not need 2 inches of false bottom. 3 inches does seem a little short for the front . 



xTimx said:


> I have a concern about my tank. The front lip to rest my sherman vent on is 3" high. But my false bottom is 2"s high which leaves me 1" of substrate to add ontop of the false floor. Is that going to be enough? Or do I need a thicker height for the substrate?
> 
> cheers!
> 
> xTimx


----------



## xTimx

Dang. Well I can drop the spaces down to 2 instead of 3 through out the whole false bottom. I did drill a 1" hole for the water to be constantly drained too. Can I get away with that? Otherwise id have to thin out the substrate towards the front. Which would be ok. Since I wouldnt be planting anything in the very front. 

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## toksyn

Did you mean 1 instead of 2? I'm a bit confused. 

I used a 1" false bottom on my latest build because I had integrated drainage. With integrated drainage, you can really get away with a shallow false bottom as the water isn't going to just pool at the bottom until siphoned or turkey bastered out. 



xTimx said:


> Dang. Well I can drop the spaces down to 2 instead of 3 through out the whole false bottom. I did drill a 1" hole for the water to be constantly drained too. Can I get away with that? Otherwise id have to thin out the substrate towards the front. Which would be ok. Since I wouldnt be planting anything in the very front.
> 
> cheers!
> 
> xTimx


----------



## xTimx

Right! I put a 1" drain in the middle of the tank for drainage. So I guess I can knock it down from 3 spaces high to 2 spaces high. Then that'll allow me to have a thicker substrate and a "higher" vent height

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## xTimx

UPDATE:

this is a VERY special post and a BIG THANK YOU for Mike Rizzo and Venutus1. 


FOUR 20W, 17" GROW AND GLOWS! WOOOOOOOT







This is just 1 G&G mounted into a light socket. 










so AGAIN, thank you to mike, for the purchase and to sending them to me! and to venutus for introducing them to me  


on a side note. i drilled the holes for the drains and the output for the water


----------



## kitcolebay

Very nice! Congrats Tim! 

-Chris


----------



## daggekko

On some tanks I had going I would make a bit of a hill. Not real steep though. The back would be much higher and in the front I would just have gravel(3-4" area). Might not be ideal but incase you have to, that'll keep you from having a bunch of soil on the doors. Looking good either way!


----------



## xTimx

Update:

Start to apply my waterproofing. if anything its pretty much like drylok only its more grey. its consistency is like paint but REALLY REALLY chaulky. when it dries its great cuz its literally like rubber. peeled it away from my hands with ease. 

anyways....here we go.....no turning back now. 









First coat done. some places have high and low spots, i dont have any experience with this stuff so it was tricky to work with. you use alot of it. but yet you dont. to cover the tank i only used like an 1/16th of the gallon. 






the corners were applied by a paint brush and it seems to stick to it nicely. 

2nd coat will be done in 2-3hrs time now. will update as i go along. 

cheers

Tim


----------



## xTimx

2nd coat up! looking much better now  







I know i messed up on the first coat. cuz i just read the can before applying my 2nd coat. and it said to make two passes and the second pass being at a 90 degree turn from the first. so this is why it looks much better now! will be applying a 3rd coat tonight in about an hr and a half. 
i'm thinking 5-6 coats all around. Then the rest will be applied on the bottom. going to be using up the whole can on this tank.


----------



## moore40

Wooooohoooooo! Lovin the updates bro. Keep it up.


----------



## xTimx

I just wanna say......i am SO GLAD i applied that painters tape before i went ahead and layed down the waterproofing lol. i would be screaming so loud by now if i hadnt


----------



## kitcolebay

Looks like progress! 

-Chris


----------



## daggekko

WOW! Thanks for stepping up the excitement another notch!


----------



## xTimx

daggekko said:


> WOW! Thanks for stepping up the excitement another notch!


my sarcasm meter is off the scale!


----------



## daggekko

No no. Seriously. Progress. Good stuff


----------



## Rhac

Hey Tim watching and creeping on this post very closely. Not sure if you mentioned it but what kind of sealant is that? Brand etc. Thanks!

1.2.0.3 Crested Geckos 
1.0 Leachianus
2.0 Gargoyle Gecko


----------



## xTimx

The waterproofing material is called "weathershield flex" the site says damp proof but I actually phoned the rep for the company and he says its a waterproof product and garauntees me it'll work. As a side precaution I will be using the whole gallon. Mostly using it on the floor of the tank. Then I'll be laying down pond liner as well too as an added precaution on top of that. 

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## toksyn

Sounds good. How are you going to deal with the drainage plumbing if you are putting down pond liner? 



xTimx said:


> The waterproofing material is called "weathershield flex" the site says damp proof but I actually phoned the rep for the company and he says its a waterproof product and garauntees me it'll work. As a side precaution I will be using the whole gallon. Mostly using it on the floor of the tank. Then I'll be laying down pond liner as well too as an added precaution on top of that.
> 
> cheers!
> 
> xTimx


----------



## xTimx

The holes are already drilled for the plumbing. And the waterproofer was layed down inside the holes as well. The pond liner will be layed ontop then I will feel for the holes from the pond liner and then cut out the holes. Everything will be silicon'd in to insure safety. After the pond liner is put in I will plumb it. 

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## toksyn

OK, as long as you have a plan. Looks like it's coming along . I would just be concerned with holes in the pond liner, gives opportunity to create trapped water between the liner and the tank.


----------



## xTimx

toksyn said:


> OK, as long as you have a plan. Looks like it's coming along . I would just be concerned with holes in the pond liner, gives opportunity to create trapped water between the liner and the tank.


hahaha its ok my friend  i already knew that was ahead! like i said, i will be siliconing it all in, and including the holes as well too


----------



## toksyn

Keep in mind that silicone doesn't bond everything, particularly plastics. I would recommend doing a test with a bit of pond liner first so you don't get a nasty surprise later. 

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 4


----------



## xTimx

Will do! Thanx for the heads up

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## xTimx

Not completely satisfied with the waterfall idea. its gonna be a very tricky install. plus i really dont wanna have to deal with the headaches of setting it up and fiddling around with it and if something doesnt go right, i wont wanna have to tear it all down and such. 
so i had a few more pieces of driftwood leftover and i hardscaped those into the corner. i like the look of this  lemme know what you think ok?
ALSO, the light used is one of the grow and glows that i had bought, and is up in the light socket above me.


----------



## Rhac

Looks great !

1.2.0.3 Crested Geckos 
1.0 Leachianus
2.0 Gargoyle Gecko


----------



## kitcolebay

Tim, I agree! I think that'll look great!

-Chris


----------



## skanderson

very nice wood placement.


----------



## xTimx

Well I guess its final. Going with the drift wood set up. I really like the way it arches in the middle. Good natural placement for broms too on the branches. As well as some possible good locations for moss too. I have to get motoring on this thing now. Plant purchases are getting thin in my area. Not many people selling what I want lol

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## xTimx

(Scratches head) how am I going to securely glue down my drift wood into place and make sure it stays the way I want it to while tipping the tank onto its backside to spray foam it? 

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## eyeviper

Looks great mate. I was apprehensive with the first wood placement but the final looks great. Plenty of room for brom placement and lots of visual barriers. great design. I feel like it looks like a viv that will need vines, it just looks like it need something and adding those for me would be the cherry on top.


----------



## toksyn

Or don't glue it and hold it in place using painter's tape. 



xTimx said:


> (Scratches head) how am I going to securely glue down my drift wood into place and make sure it stays the way I want it to while tipping the tank onto its backside to spray foam it?
> 
> cheers!
> 
> xTimx


----------



## daggekko

Screw it in place?


----------



## xTimx

eyeviper said:


> Looks great mate. I was apprehensive with the first wood placement but the final looks great. Plenty of room for brom placement and lots of visual barriers. great design. I feel like it looks like a viv that will need vines, it just looks like it need something and adding those for me would be the cherry on top.


I was actually thinking about that honestly. i have made vines in the past before. its not hard. but the placement of them would be baffling to me. any ideas as to where i should do the placement?



toksyn said:


> Or don't glue it and hold it in place using painter's tape.


actually. i have some extra zipties .....i COULD temporarily zip tie them to the egg crate and then glue it all in.


----------



## xTimx

UPDATE: 

Got the bottom of the tank filled glue'd with pond liner. then i made another false bottom and wrapped it in screen. glued that down as well too. 
set my driftwood pieces in and was working around some ideas for the right side. and the first 3 pics is the set up i will go with. 
the left side set of drift wood is glued into place. just going to leave out the right side for now cuz i'll just set it in when its time to put them in. if that makes sense. lol i cant really glue the right side driftwood onto anything. you'll see what i mean when i start to lay down the spray foam. 

here we go 








These 3 next pics are just another idea i had for the right side driftwood. but i like the first set up better. 







if i made any mistakes so far..lemme know. i need to know. 

other than that. tonight my buddy will be coming over to help with the spray foaming. more pics possibly tomorrow. positive comments are most welcome!


----------



## xTimx

UPDATE

alright.... so my buddy came by and helped me spray foam tonight. got the background done tonight. wish i would of planned it a lil bit better but its all good. 







i'll wait till the back cures. then i'll move onto the side where the driftwood is.


----------



## Rhac

Looks awesome

1.2.0.3 Crested Geckos 
1.0 Leachianus
2.0 Gargoyle Gecko


----------



## xTimx

Left side foamed. Sprayed with water. Waiting for a cure! haha, gonna continue with the right side tonight after work


----------



## xTimx

the rest of the drift wood is glue in, and the right side has been spray foamed. depending on how it all goes down with in the next 3 days, i'll probably lay the weathershield flex onto the spray foam for the TB3/peat moss layer to go down onto it. 

here's update pics.


----------



## daggekko

HAHAHA oh my... I saw the first 3 photos and was thinking "why the hell did he great stuff the bottom?"

Looking good!


----------



## xTimx

ok i am going to throw up 2 more pics before i start laying down the backdrop with some TB3 and substrate. i'm gonna try and put some weathershield flex down to cover the whole background first.


----------



## eyeviper

Looks fantastic mate.


----------



## xTimx

thank ya! 

now just imagine all the frogs swinging on the vines from one side of the tank to the other.... oh......wait...wrong fantasy hahaha >.< jk hehe


----------



## xTimx

quick update:

applied the shield flex to the background. this stuff is awesome for glue to grab onto, especially gorilla glue but thats not what i'll be using haha. anyways. its hard to get into the crevices with it. but i will be applying another coat to make sure i covered everything. 
yes i got some on the wood but i have a craftsman hobby knife set i can just use to scrap off the flex with. 

heres pics


----------



## frogparty

I like how this is going


----------



## xTimx

frogparty said:


> I like how this is going


thats what she said  hahahaha


----------



## Rhac

Looking sweet bro can't wait to see it filled with plants

1.2.0.3 Crested Geckos 
1.0 Leachianus
2.0 Gargoyle Gecko


----------



## daggekko

Looking good!


----------



## stephen-mcginn

this build is getting the gears turning for a wooden viv...cant wait for the out come!!!

just for sake of hunting it down in stores how much was the weathershield flex coating? if you dont mind me asking


----------



## xTimx

thank you for the kind words. really means alot. 
as for the weathershield flex. its only sold in canada. its by a company called techstone. the only thing i would of done differently was to lay down the flex first then silicone the corners of the inside of the viv. cuz this stuff does NOT stick to cured silicone at all. i got mine on sale for 50$ which is about the same price as drylok. 


on a side note, I am not fully satisfied with my background. it looks plain....needs more pop to it. what can i add to it to make it more 3D?


----------



## stephen-mcginn

xTimx said:


> thank you for the kind words. really means alot.
> as for the weathershield flex. its only sold in canada. its by a company called techstone. the only thing i would of done differently was to lay down the flex first then silicone the corners of the inside of the viv. cuz this stuff does NOT stick to cured silicone at all. i got mine on sale for 50$ which is about the same price as drylok.


thats disappointing....i guess ill use drylok haha



xTimx said:


> on a side note, I am not fully satisfied with my background. it looks plain....needs more pop to it. what can i add to it to make it more 3D?


Definitely add vines and drape over wood and front...that will change it immensely....i would also look into kyoto moss spores 'Kyoto Moss' Spores for Bonsai Pots Japanese Gardens | eBay

i do the same thing tho, do too much to it....then i have to cut back...i would personally keep with what you got with vines included.....then sprinkles the spores on the wood


----------



## xTimx

Thats a good idea too! Id like more input on this matter. The more options the better please

cheers! 

xTimx


----------



## xTimx

So i'm doing an order for plants atm. order should go through in 2 weeks.
here's the list i'm buying. 


Broms:

Neoregelia ampulacea x purpurea 
Neoregelia 'Blueberry Muffin'
Neoregelia 'Little Faith' 
Neoregelia pauciflora, Green form 
Neoregelia pauciflora, hybrid 
Neoregelia punctatissima 
Neoregelia punctatissima 'Joao Marcio' x 'Night Spot' 
Neoregelia punctatissima rubra x 'Hannibal Lector' 

Tropical Plants:
Ficus pumila (syn: Ficus repens) 
2x Pothos 'Marble Queen' 
Ficus pumila 'Rikki' 

Jewel Orchids:
Anoectochilus formasanus

Others: 
Begonia soli-mutata
Begonia thelmae
Begonia burkillii
Peperomia prostrata
Peperomia caespitosa
Selaginella "Central Peru"
Pearcea hypocyrtiflora
Hydrocotyle "Northern Peru"


----------



## xTimx

i'm adding another plant to the list. only this one is coming from the states. its a Cryptanthus "Volcano".
gorgeous brom! cant wait to get it!


----------



## xTimx

Update:

so i'm currently working on some homemade vines with some rope here. 
just trying to get a rough look to them first. i'm using about 20' of black rope and probably around 30' of white. the white is coiled around the black to give it a more naturalistic look to it. 





also with the white rope being wrapped around the black. that gives me a good chance to mount some broms onto the vines. alone with some moss as well too!

I also decided that i am not going to do the slate on the background. i think this will be plenty enough. i dont wanna over crowd it with things. plus with the plants growing and such. it'll just get really over crowded haha. i'll probably go ahead from here tonight and start soaking the rope in silicone and then pressing in the substrate. 

CHEERS!

Tim


----------



## IROCthisZ28

Man, looking through these large builds threads making me jealous with my little 10gal starter tank. Can't wait to see more progress on this!


----------



## toksyn

Lookin' good! I can't get a good sense of depth with the photos so I don't know where the vines at the top are, relative to the tank depth, but keep in mind that if you put lots of bromeliads and such on these vines that you can block out light below them. Miniatures and moss would look cool, but maybe keep the bigger stuff below them?

Just some thoughts.


----------



## xTimx

I was thinking that too. And yeah I will have to put alot of the broms lower down. Some of the mosses higher up. And then go from there. 

The lights I have are pretty bright. I have 4 Grow n glows. 20w each. The 17" long ones. 
Plant placement will be crucial and sadly not one of my strong points in creativity. 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk 4


----------



## xTimx

DING VINES ARE DONE, DING VINES ARE DONE (sorry just had to) haha


This is my buddy Brad pressing in the substrate into the vines 











and here they are layed out on the coffee table  



NEXT UP: mount the vines inside the tank. then lay the substrate onto the backwall.


----------



## daggekko

Wow that looks good! How stiff are the ropes becoming after drying with the silicone and peat(or whatever soil you are pressing into them)?


----------



## xTimx

daggekko said:


> Wow that looks good! How stiff are the ropes becoming after drying with the silicone and peat(or whatever soil you are pressing into them)?


not stiff enough that you cant move them. but still pliable to work with and wrap them around pieces of wood and such. you can use glue but you're not gonna have that pliability for the vines.


----------



## xTimx

Update:

Vines are mounted. i had troubles with the mounting in the back left corner, hot glue wasnt sticking well. so i grabbed a nail and pushed it into the vine and into the wall. now its all good. 
the vines feel awesome! very flexible and very workable! 
here's pics (SORRY FOR THE BAD QUALITY FOR PICS!  )




















possibly tonight or tomorrow night will be the laying of the substrate to the back wall. i am pressed for time so i think i will be putting the substrate onto silicone, rather than doing it with the glue. 
I will have my buddy Brad come by and help me with it again. it'll go fast this way! 
Cheers!


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## xTimx

well..........buddy Brad Browatzke﻿ came over and helped me with the substrate background.. dunno if this is how its supposed to look but i guess we'll find out later if it sticks or not. we used the straight glue/peat moss method and mixed them together. made it into a cookie dough texture and layed it on there. 
here's pics








(Crosses fingers and toes)


----------



## xTimx

Plants arrived today, will pick them up from the post office tonight after work! pics to come and i'll show you what i bought


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## ecichlid

Looking great Tim! Looking forward to seeing the plants.

I'm not sure what to think of the "tightrope" in the viv. Maybe once it's planted I will understand it better.


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## daggekko

I like that this is a 'slow build' but updates are coming frequently! Lookin good!!!


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## xTimx

well the plants are in! for anyone wondering where i bought them, its a place in bc called Hawaiian Botanicals. they packed them VERY professionally and they threw in a bonus brom. which is the Neo "Fireball" which was very nice of them to do! 

so with out further adoooooo.......here we go! 

























thats all that i have. one of the marble queen pothos is for my friend. 

going to keep them in this sterilite container until my tank is ready to be planted. 

cheers everyone!


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## kitcolebay

Very nice Tim! 

-Chris


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## xTimx

I just wanted to post 2 more pics of the plants. the plants are now under direct T5 H/O light. and will remain there till the tank is done! these are much better looking pics now. the colors are amazing on the plants! <3 <3


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## xTimx

So im doing my background with titebond 3 and peat moss. But when its drying. Its leaving cracks. Should I be concerned? 
Im really tempted to do the backside background with silicone right now. 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk 4


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## JoshsDragonz

The cracks are because it is shrinking as it dries. This can happen when it's applied in a thick coat. It has done this to me, I just patched the cracks once it was cured all the way.


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## xTimx

Update: 

Backwall and side walls are done for substrate... just gotta wait for it to dry 
see if there's any cracks and fix em. 
my back is done...... i need a hot bath with some epsom salts lol 















































next up...... Making of the vents, buying the glass and installing them.


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## wesly2007

What website did you get the broms from?


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## toksyn

This is definitely not the definition of "slow build". Still going very nicely


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## xTimx

Plants came from hawaiianbotanicals.com

And do u want me to go slow on it? Lol im trying to hurry this up now. Gotta buy my frogs yet! 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk


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## toksyn

Oh no, please keep up the pace. Just commenting on the irony of the thread title.



xTimx said:


> Plants came from hawaiianbotanicals.com
> 
> And do u want me to go slow on it? Lol im trying to hurry this up now. Gotta buy my frogs yet!
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk


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## xTimx

Sherman Vent system installed  used aluminum  i also put the sliding glass track on the vent as well too! 
so far so good...its coming along.
tomorrow i get my panes of glass. i'll make the top vent along with installing the glass.


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## daggekko

Is there screen in the gap? Also, how did you adhere the sliding track?


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## xTimx

daggekko said:


> Is there screen in the gap? Also, how did you adhere the sliding track?


yes there is screen in the gap, and i used gorilla glue krazy glue to adhere everything together.  very strong! works great


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## daggekko

Have you used the krazy glue/gorilla glue before on sliding track? I had doors fall out of a sliding track on a DIY I did a couple years ago. I ended up putting nails through the track and using a punch and hammer to hammer them flush.


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## xTimx

I havent actually. But I will heed ur advice and watch if anything bad happens. Its pretty solid right now actually. I guess it helped that I roughed up all the edges and surfaces first before applying the glue. 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk


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## daggekko

I would say do it anyhow. I lost a lizard when my doors fell out. I didn't use a very good glue though so hopefully yours will hold. Lookin real good!


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## kitcolebay

Looks real good Tim! 

-Chris


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## xTimx

The glue I used was gorilla super glue. If u wanted to know. 

And thanx chris! Means alot. 

I checked into some bubinga 1/4" ply wood. I got a quote of 65$ a sheet. So next week friday I'll pick up two sheets. 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk


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## skanderson

"i lost my lizard when my doors fell off" that has to be one of the funniest sounding sentences i have ever read. i know it must have not been funny when it happened.


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## daggekko

Yeah um it wasn't so funny. I had moved the enclosure outside for the day literally. Had it set up and using it for a couple months before this. 



skanderson said:


> "i lost my lizard when my doors fell off" that has to be one of the funniest sounding sentences i have ever read. i know it must have not been funny when it happened.


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## xTimx

Glass came in. unwrapped it and dry fit it. lets just say my tank is out of alignment haha. trimmed off some wood with a razor knife and it all fits now. another issue is the top glass track is 1/4" short at the top. so it doesnt fit all the way across. another thing is they cut my glass 1/8" too long so i cant get my glass in and out of the tracks. but thats fine thats a simple solution. a few tweaks here and there, all will be fine. (also dont mind the reflections in the glass, the apt is a messy place from building the tank) 









Here's a pic with the aluminum bars that i'm going to use for the vent up top. 



next up.... tweaking the fitment, siliconing the glass in, making of the canopy and skirting the stand.


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## xTimx

Guys help me out here....

how can i fab up something so that i can tell how tall my water level is at? i really dont want it to flood my substrate and such.


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## Dendro Dave

xTimx said:


> Guys help me out here....
> 
> how can i fab up something so that i can tell how tall my water level is at? i really dont want it to flood my substrate and such.


Hmm how about some kinda clear tube or something in the corner with mesh at both ends so frogs can't get down there, and then you can shine a light down the tube occasionally to check if the water is up past your false bottom.

I guess you could even rig a small float inside the tube with like a stick or something thru the top mesh (To hold the float center), mark it red below the mesh and that way if water rises high enough to float the stick and show the red you'll know you've started to get water in the substrate. 

That's all I could come up with in 60 seconds


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## xTimx

just a few pics of the tank lit up with ONE Grow and Glow light. keep in mind this is only one and i have 4 that are going to be lighting up the tank! 
i love the light on them! they look great! 










hopefully going to be making the canopy skeleton tonight. then i cant do much till this next friday as i have to wait for a paycheque to buy my bubinga plywood to wrap the canopy and tank stand.


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## Cfrog

wow, looks great


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## Venutus1

oooh

grow and glow.

gotta love 'em

ok 
SO I AM a little bias on my own product. 
please don't shoot me, I can't help it.


OK 
on a serious note & to save me from having this thread generate tons of e/m and pms on g&g availability.

(can I do this?)

more are made and will be imported into the US next week.
thats all.


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## Soldier17

Looking great; can't wait for the next update.


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## xTimx

Small Update:

my Cryptanthus Volcano came in from Florida!  she's a beauty!







I'm just currently working on the canopy and skirting of the stand. i'm in the last few phases of the build. more updates soon! 

Cheers


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## JCK

xTimx said:


> Guys help me out here....
> 
> how can i fab up something so that i can tell how tall my water level is at? i really dont want it to flood my substrate and such.


Simplest way has to be one of those meters used in hydroculture plants. 
On a side note, any chance to get those Glow and grow in Europe?


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## xTimx

Yeah I'll have to find/figure out something. 

And the grow and glows I got off here actually. Mike Rizzo is the person I bought off. Contact venutus as well if u want some

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk


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## rigel10

Very nice! I can not wait to see the final result!


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## xTimx

I just wanted to say THANK YOU, for the 20k views so far on my thread. this is by far the most interesting thread i have made (across other forums is what i mean) 

this truly means alot to me! all the positive comments keep me going on this! 

again... thank you


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## daggekko

Awesome thread! But really... We need another update!!


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## xTimx

daggekko said:


> Awesome thread! But really... We need another update!!


50$ and i will  hahahahhaha


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## FroggyKnight

xTimx said:


> 50$ and i will  hahahahhaha


Awwww, what about all those poor folks who have already blown all their money on precious frogs???


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## xTimx

fine....surrender a frog instead  hahaha. 

dont worry, there will be updates. possibly this weekend. it just seems as though the only time i get to work on it, is the weekend. i have a morning job and an evening job as well too. and when i get home from the evening job, i'm just wiped.


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## FroggyKnight

cool. No pressure getting that thing done…..Its not like the entire dart frog community is waiting or anything…..again no pressure

It is gonna look great in the end. The end result will be MAGNIFICENT!!!


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## daggekko

xTimx said:


> fine....surrender a frog instead  hahaha.
> 
> dont worry, there will be updates. possibly this weekend. it just seems as though the only time i get to work on it, is the weekend. i have a morning job and an evening job as well too. and when i get home from the evening job, i'm just wiped.


That is no excuse. I have 2 jobs as well but I find I have more than enough time to hover around this thread waiting for another update 

And sorry but my money is going to 100+ geckos and frogs!

I'm really itching to do some of those vines you made. Damn you!!!


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## xTimx

UPDATE:

well....not much of an update really, i got stuff done....but not as much as i would of liked to of. so over the weekend, i made the skeleton of the canopy, then skinned it and hmmm and hawed over how i was going to make the lid so then i just decided to make the whole canopy a big ass lid on a hinge. 
had a buddy come over on sunday and got the top vent made, along with the holes drilled for the nozzles. also had to go out and buy some stain for the plywood that i am using for skinning the tank stand and canopy. took a few tries to match up the actual tank color, but i got it. 
another thing we did was we wired all 4 Grow and Glows up and are ready for them to be installed. i would of liked to of gotten more stuff done but i just didnt have the time to do it in. anyways... here's pics. 


Here's the mock up of the skeleton for the canopy with 1 grow and glow lit. 



perimeter of the canopy skinned, you can definitely notice the difference in color between the 3/4" plywood used on the tank and the 1/4" plywood used for the canopy. 


pics of 1 G&G lit up with the canopy over top of it. 





here is the color matching, i had to wet down the tank in the front to mock up what the poly is gonna look like when its layed on. needless to say i didnt match it. but whats not pictured is the sample that i did manage to get to match up the tank. 




ALL 4 GROW AND GLOWS LIT UP! 












here's pics of the glass installed, along with the vent and nozzles mounted up. (sorry for the blotchy glass)








 

thats all for now. 

this sat i'll be picking up my frogs (providing the roads are good to drive on)


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## Giga

I bet that is super duper epic in person


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## IndustrialDreamz

LOVE the canopy man! looks freaken sweeeeet! dont look like you had to do this and that to it, just that. lol


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## xTimx

Giga said:


> I bet that is super duper epic in person


quite honestly it'd look a WHOLE lot better if it was in a better room. i just have a small appt. right now. and plaster walls make for some pretty crappy photo's  



IndustrialDreamz said:


> LOVE the canopy man! looks freaken sweeeeet! dont look like you had to do this and that to it, just that. lol



thanx  i'm still not done with it yet. i have some corner trim that i'm going to be putting on as well too.


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## kitcolebay

Keeps getting better! 

-Chris


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## xTimx

UPDATE:

frogs are in!!  so happy! here's some crappy pics taken from my phone hahaha. 

they are thrown into a temp 10 gal tank till i get my main tank done. 






I should note that some pics are doubles, cuz i took one with a flash and one with out. 
















included in the deal, are 10 cultures of a mix of springtails, and 3 species of FF's. along with lots of plants. I definitely gotta get my tank up and going now cuz i seriously need to get this tank planted!


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## kitcolebay

Congrats! Beautiful frogs! How many? 

-Chris


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## ecichlid

Which auratus is that Tim?


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## xTimx

these are 6 Super Blue auratus  

i have another update...which i think you'll like.


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## xTimx

more pics here of the 4 tads and the plants 






















i caught all 6 frogs out and about! they are bold hehe. 






SOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo i did some planting lol

btw I HATE PLANTING PLANTS!!!!!!!!! i am so uncreative  

oh and another BTW, the ground substrate is not permanent. i just did the peat moss in there for the time being just to get the plants in and watered. 
i also have to order in more leaf litter as well as some mosses. 





The plants i was provided with are mostly begonia's with no stems. so these are really floppy. 
keep in mind i have no expertise in planting....and just kinda winging it    





here i started on the 


Final product FOR NOW!!!!


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## xTimx

what the heck. how come there's no edit button to that post?? ^^^


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## snake54320

xTimx said:


> keep in mind i have no expertise in planting....and just kinda winging it


Keep in mind you can always get better !  

Congrats on the wood and vine work.


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## daggekko

Looking real good!!! Just give the plants time to grow in. They always look funny at first!!


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## xTimx

i wonder if i have too much light in my tank?! opinions?


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## daggekko

Nonsense. Well maybe. Wait till the plants start growing. Then you'll have to rethink the thought of too much light.


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## Giga

A good judge on light is ur bromileads-are losing color not enough, or gaining/keeping color ur good, or getting white spots and crinkling too much, but I had super LEDs on my tank it think ur fine.


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## rabu92

Having too much light is possible, especially with LED's. With fluorescent lights it used to be uncommon because they took up so much space (preventing too many fixtures). But with the advancement of LED efficiency, having too much light will be more common. You have to remember that most of the plants in our vivs are plants that evolved in the shadows of the tree canopy.

I had too much light on my temporary setup (96W cree's about 2 feet away). The bromeliads were doing fine but the leaves of other plants were turning yellow. So keep an eye on every plant, not just the bromeliads. New growth is usually one of the best indicators too spot if anything is wrong with the plants.

You have 80 watts of LED light so it might be too much with the fixtures being that close to the plants. Just wait and see if anything turns yellow or starts getting burned spots (yellow in the early stages, brown/white when the tissue is dead).


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## xTimx

Thank you very much for the reply. 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk


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## xTimx

Update: 
got more work done on the canopy. measured up the blocks so i can zip tie the lights to (in one of the pics you can see the Grow n Glow's is hardwired cuz i accidentally dropped it on the pavement and the male end broke, but i made it work) 
i also stained the wood on it as well too (not pictured) 

and i also took pics of the frogs  enjoy! 





here's the pics of the frogs  



























Some Belly pics!  









Thats all for now!  more laters


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## Giga

Wow I might have to get those guys, pretty rad


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## rabu92

They don't seem to be shy at all, nice colors too.


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## xTimx

Update:

since the viv is out of square, the glass doors arent fully closing on the sides of the tank. so i went out and bought some foam tape thats really thick. stuck it to the sides of the tank, made a couple of slits on the foam so the glass slides into place when its closed all the way. i also bought some handles to put on the glass doors to slide the glass open more easily. 

I also made some home made ABG mix, i didnt have the proper ingredients but with the help of Joshsdragonz, him and I made it work out! 





(sorry for the smudged up glass doors)








Gonna work on the canopy today. next week i get my ac/dc inverter. i got my fans in this last week so i'm gonna cut the holes for the air flow as well as drill holes for the water lines and put the trim on. (well thats the plan, i've been procrastinating like crazy though lolol)


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## Nismo95

Any pics in how you did the top? I am considering building a plywood viv on a HUGE scale.. I wanna build one that is 300 gallons or so and not sure if I'll go wood or glass..


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## xTimx

Nismo95 said:


> Any pics in how you did the top? I am considering building a plywood viv on a HUGE scale.. I wanna build one that is 300 gallons or so and not sure if I'll go wood or glass..


which top? the canopy? or the top of the tank looking down? or? i need specifics bud


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## Nismo95

xTimx said:


> which top? the canopy? or the top of the tank looking down? or? i need specifics bud


I meant the glass portion of it sitting on the wood. I found the pics of it though lol


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## xTimx

ok sweet yeah! all i did was router the thickness of the glass to make the depth, for the glass to sit flush on the top. its basically a rabbit edge all around. worked good  
any other Q's lemme know


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## xTimx

Update: 

buddy came over last night and helped me hook up the 8 fans for the ventilation for the canopy, the fans are mostly to cool off the Grow n Glow lights, but will also draw up air from the top vent on the tank! here's the progress pics from start to finish. The 8 Fans are hooked up to a Ac/Dc power inverter from 120v to 12v. 











Fans finished. installed and wired and cable managed. 












Next up....applying the maple trim pieces to the outside of the canopy.


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## xTimx

Update:

worked on the canopy last night. still need to wire the lights in, and route the water lines too. here's pics 

the Trim pieces on the canopy were cut using a compound mitre joint version. where 3 pieces come together to form a point. 




Like this








Finished product 


here's my buddy brad attaching the hinges. 


Finished product on the tank:


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## xTimx

Weekend Update: (Obligatory?) haha

soooooo the canopy is pretty much done. buddy brad came over tonight, finished the wiring on the fans, hooked up the tubes for the misting system, get everything fitted in nicely, added a 2nd timer for the lights so i'm actually offsetting the light for morning, afternoon, and evening. all the timers are set up and set. (here's hoping there wont be a power outage haha) here;s some pics. 

So to start things off, my brom bloomed 3 flowers.





here's the underside of the canopy. yes there's Ducttape on there right now but will change that out once i find a better way to attach the wires neatly (probably gorilla tape)






and here it is.... the canopy done, with the lights on and misting on. i think i'm going to buy more nozzles, possibly 3 more double nozzles to get better coverage. 




and a pic of the misters that just stopped 



Thats it for now. i didnt get much done this weekend as i wasnt feeling very good  

Cheers!


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## toksyn

Nice work so far!


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## kitcolebay

Very nice Tim!


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## rigel10

Nice work indeed! I like it!


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## daggekko

WOW! It looks amazing!!


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## Dendviv

It looks gorgeous! 

I feel like something is missing... updates maybe? Its been months since this was responded to. 

Are you ok Tim? My concern for your health is present because you mentioned you weren't feeling too good.

I hope all is good with you. I wanted to say, i loved every detail of this thread.


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## xTimx

LOL i'm fine.......but i did have pneumonia during the week of my b-day so that wasnt too good. ah well. 

as for the tank. well.... not much has changed about it. i put 6 Super blues into the tank, 3 died on me for unknown reasons. 

my ficus isnt growing, i dunno why. i added in a mimosa pudica. my jewel orchid is growing sloowly. i have yet to add in mosses. 
i also had some plans to wrap the tank stand, well i still do but its not wrapped yet. Time is definitely a factor for me. 



Currently i'm actually getting hyped up to build Drop-off Paludarium. funds are very tight for this one. heck.....the acrylic alone will cost me 400$ >.< 

also my job is kinda in jeopardy right now, so we're going to be holding a meeting about it in 2 weeks. but i think i should be ok though. 

sorry i kinda dropped off the earth though lol. 

heres some pics.. not much for an update guys....sorry  














































yes that one brom looks wonky, it has since been fixed...not to worry. 




















This is my new project.... 










waterfall going into a drop off paludarium


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## Isurus79

I'd love to see an update pic. Are the walls covered in moss yet?


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## Nismo95

i am going to bug 2 months later! I am going to begin a 300+ gallon plywood build soon and I would love to know how this one is holding up for you!


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## FroggyKnight

Nismo95 said:


> i am going to bug 2 months later! I am going to begin a 300+ gallon plywood build soon and I would love to know how this one is holding up for you!


Dang, 300+ gallons!! That will be an impressive viv, good luck on it.

Brandon. It's settled. Once you finish that tank, your going to have to UNITE the Washington froggers by inviting us all to your house 

Nice tank Tim, I too would love to see an update. This one definitely has potential and I would love to see it grown in more. Have you added more moss yet? I'm also sorry to hear about those super blues. That really sucks 

John


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## Nismo95

FroggyKnight said:


> Dang, 300+ gallons!! That will be an impressive viv, good luck on it.
> 
> Brandon. It's settled. Once you finish that tank, your going to have to UNITE the Washington froggers by inviting us all to your house
> 
> Nice tank Tim, I too would love to see an update. This one definitely has potential and I would love to see it grown in more. Have you added more moss yet? I'm also sorry to hear about those super blues. That really sucks
> 
> John



John, once its done for sure. Anyone from WA is welcome over. Hopefully summer time for some burgers, dogs, and brews! I cut way back in the collection sadly and this viv isnt even going to be home to anything for quite some time. Still trying to decide on official size.. either 6x2x4 or 7x2x4.. when you're measuring stuff out 6 feet doesnt seem like much


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## Bryanmc1988

how much did you payed for a can of The weather shield flex? 

also what was the total cost of building this tank without all the pluming and wood etc... just the boards, silicon, The weather shield flex and what every else u used to build the enclosure


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## xTimx

Hey guys. 

so far the tank is going good. i'm VERY tight on funds. otherwise i would be adding in more plants. i'm still trying to figure out a good misting schedule. right now i have it on 4x a day at 20secs per interval. 

no moss yet. but i still do have the moss that i can chop up and slather onto the wood and walls. 

as for the price of the whole project, since i used Bubinga plywood and maple edging, all the spray foam i used and materials. costed me around 2,000$ for me to build. right now its not fully finished. as i still wanna skirt the tank stand with the bubinga plywood. 

the Weathershield Flex costed only 40$ for the gal. i did about 3-5 coats of it. its holding up very well. although at first i drilled a hole for the waterfall drain, but then decided later that i didnt wanna do the waterfall. i covered the bottom of the inside of the tank with pond liner and glued it with gorilla glue. hoping water wouldnt seep out of that hole. well i was wrong and about a year afterwards, i started to see water dripping out of that hole. luckily none of the wood was rotted as it was covered with the flex that i painted on. so i siliconed the inside of the hole and spray foamed it up to make sure it wouldnt leak anymore. 

I was well my way to make 160gal drop off paludarium but now i moved into a new place and funds are not even there to even work on it. nor do i have the space to complete it or the tools. so the project is on hold until i can figure out something later on. 

Moving my 120gal into the new place, its a damn good thing i didnt put in the slate rock waterfall, cuz when we moved the tank to the new place, it took 4 guys on each corner of the tank to lift it. wasnt fun at all. its a good thing we had a roller dolly. 

i'll try to get pics up and going soon. most of my broms have died back and made new pups. my cryptanthus sp. volcano is still going good. nothing blooming yet so far. 

thank you for your curiosity  

Tim

EDIT: i was looking back on a previous post and seen that i said that 3 of the super blues died. well thats not the case, as there is currently 5 in the tank, they are just REALLY reclusive. the one died for sure cuz it had a sore on its knee and dunno what happen.


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## VAnative

I know this is an old thread, but I just read it and man, it inspired me. I had plans to build a plywood aquarium and now I have plans to build a matching vivarium. 

Did you ever make progress on the new project?


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## MasterT

This is awesome, that is all


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## Leuklover

This tank is amazing!!! How are the frogs?


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