# Are first attempt of a vivarium wish me luck?



## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

Hey guys, 

This is my first post here and also my first try at a build, after seeing a tank a member named Raf (ironic that's my nickname) built the wife and i got inspired to give it a try and make it a family project, so here goes. we got tubes, hoses,and ropes together and found a tank at the local goodwill cheap its a 48Lx12Wx24T we used sheet foam to make three separate backing pieces and resembled it in the tanks after a layer of black silicone to the tank and the ropes and tubes and what not were foamed to the sheet foam. we coated it with a mix of silicone black brown and clear, and covered it in peat moss. kinda where we are today. 

any comments or criticism is welcomed again this is are first shot at it so please don't be mean. 





































end of the day 1.


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## Elphaba (Aug 26, 2007)

What a great family endeavor! The tank looks excellent so far. =) I can't wait to see what else you have in store for it.

Good job!

Best,
Ash


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

Elphaba said:


> What a great family endeavor! The tank looks excellent so far. =) I can't wait to see what else you have in store for it.
> 
> Good job!
> 
> ...


Thanks Ash, 
ill be posting up dates as it comes along, not sure what shes going to plant in it but the wife grows carnivorousness plants. so i'm sure there will be a few cool species in it. as well as some cool reptiles.


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## madran2 (Mar 22, 2010)

Looking good. Its great that you have a family thats interested in doing projects together. Keep us updated.
Misty


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## Duff (Aug 4, 2011)

Fantastic Job! Looking forward to seeing the next round of updates 

Duff


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

thats really good work... what frogs are you planning on putting in there? thanks for sharing.


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

thanks guys! Today we made a water fall, same style used blow foam and like a 2/1 peat grout mixture to coat it with. little shade of color variation but i think she will be good also started getting some plants together and started to get some live moss to take on a piece of drift wood. also picked up a bit of the greenery for the tank. 

Pictures below.


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

whitethumb said:


> thats really good work... what frogs are you planning on putting in there? thanks for sharing.


planing on Milk frogs. and some cephalotus pitchers, and some maybe some fresh water shrimp and Drosera plants as the carnivores of the tank.


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## laborelch (Jul 21, 2012)

those roots look awesome! Great structure! Did you spray them with foam before applying the silicone/coco?


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## Entoherptology (May 26, 2012)

Be wary of the cephalotus. They are extremely expensive and fragile as well, which makes them exceptionally prone to trampling by the frogs. I would suggest perhaps smaller varieties of Nepenthes as carnivores. They are much more robust species


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

laborelch said:


> those roots look awesome! Great structure! Did you spray them with foam before applying the silicone/coco?


Thanks! we sprayed some for texture and shape but not all of them. 
I think it turned out pretty nice my self.  



Entoherptology said:


> Be wary of the cephalotus. They are extremely expensive and fragile as well, which makes them exceptionally prone to trampling by the frogs. I would suggest perhaps smaller varieties of Nepenthes as carnivores. They are much more robust species


Thanks for the tip!, and ya i'm not sure what we have at the moment, but i know we have 16 different types of pitchers growing, and hundreds of sundews. but that's all up to the wife what she plants. my thumb is more of a brown then green haha. i just saw a cephalotus plant and was like i want it! lol do you have any particular variation in mind? need something that's small enough to maintain in the tank but gives more of a tropical look rather then the tall north america styles we have growing here.


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

set it up today, added water a few Megalodon Sharks teeth and a piece of drift wood as well as set up the canister filter below her. getting ready to plant in a few days or so.


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## senditdonkey (Jan 19, 2013)

Very very nice. Amazing for a 1st viv or 20th!


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## Mike1980 (Apr 10, 2013)

Tank looks great. Goodluck. How does the peat moss stick to the silicone. Does it tack on good, i find the cocco fiber is kind a pain. Alot of touh ups and going back.


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## Athena (Mar 20, 2013)

Looks fantastic! I really like the fossil addition too. Going with the whole "carnivorous tank" theme 

I didn't see how you separated the water features from the rest of the substrate. Did you go false bottom? Thanks, and keep up the good work!


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

Athena said:


> Looks fantastic! I really like the fossil addition too. Going with the whole "carnivorous tank" theme
> 
> I didn't see how you separated the water features from the rest of the substrate. Did you go false bottom? Thanks, and keep up the good work!


ya it has a false bottom made with a drop ceiling light grid then i put screening over top it, the filter ends are under that. and thanks, me and my son go "shark Teeth hunting" that's the biggest one we have found its about 5" long and 4" wide. and actually kinda looks like where we found it  



Mike1980 said:


> Tank looks great. Goodluck. How does the peat moss stick to the silicone. Does it tack on good, i find the cocco fiber is kind a pain. A lot of touch ups and going back.


The peat moss stuck Great! there were some spots where it got touched up but it was do to lack of silicone. we did open the bag and let it dry in the wheel barrel over night be for we added it.


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## whitethumb (Feb 5, 2011)

whats a brown thumb? my thumb is more white than anything lol. hence the name whitethumb 



HoofArded said:


> Thanks for the tip!, and ya i'm not sure what we have at the moment, but i know we have 16 different types of pitchers growing, and hundreds of sundews. but that's all up to the wife what she plants. my thumb is more of a brown then green haha. i just saw a cephalotus plant and was like i want it! lol do you have any particular variation in mind? need something that's small enough to maintain in the tank but gives more of a tropical look rather then the tall north america styles we have growing here.


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## Entoherptology (May 26, 2012)

HoofArded said:


> Thanks! we sprayed some for texture and shape but not all of them.
> I think it turned out pretty nice my self.
> 
> 
> ...


The american pitchers are extremely tall. Haha and they would not fit well with you tropical theme. I would recommend Nepenthes ventricosa as a beginning tropical pitcher plant and perhaps Nepenthes sanguinae as well to add diversity. Mexican butterworts might also work with certain varieties of sundews, such as Drosera capensis.

Hope this helps!


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## sk8erdave (Aug 21, 2009)

N. bellii or N. gracilis are to smaller warmer growers both rather nice to look at too


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

whitethumb said:


> whats a brown thumb? my thumb is more white than anything lol. hence the name whitethumb


lol my thumb is a Filipino thumb is brown lol  




Entoherptology said:


> The american pitchers are extremely tall. Haha and they would not fit well with you tropical theme. I would recommend Nepenthes ventricosa as a beginning tropical pitcher plant and perhaps Nepenthes sanguinae as well to add diversity. Mexican butterworts might also work with certain varieties of sundews, such as Drosera capensis.
> 
> Hope this helps!


thanks! we have quite a few sundews to chose form ill post some pics below, but the butterworts we have are still seedlings, but as far as pitchers we only have a few and there still waking up ... and we are adding much to are collection.


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

sk8erdave said:


> N. bellii or N. gracilis are to smaller warmer growers both rather nice to look at too


sweet i like the look of both of these! and they look perfect size!


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## Entoherptology (May 26, 2012)

That pot of D. Capensis looks ideal for your vivarium. My only concern would be if it poses a threat to the frogs.


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

Oooh, you're Mo's hubby! Awesome to see you made it over here. 

Since Monica posted pictures on The CP Forum, I was inspired to create a viv build... Gonna start this summer hopefully. 

The viv looks AMAZING, especially for a first time viv! I wish I had the skill to do such.


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

Entoherptology said:


> That pot of D. Capensis looks ideal for your vivarium. My only concern would be if it poses a threat to the frogs.


we are going to put some in there but that big pot is to keep the noseums from getting us on the deck  the back yard is marsh and is a breading ground for the little buggers. same with the skeeters... but there will be some in there they will have time to gro. 





Percularis said:


> Oooh, you're Mo's hubby! Awesome to see you made it over here.
> 
> Since Monica posted pictures on The CP Forum, I was inspired to create a viv build... Gonna start this summer hopefully.
> 
> The viv looks AMAZING, especially for a first time viv! I wish I had the skill to do such.


thanks, ya i didn't find it that challenging, i'm sure you will do excellent. besides there's all ways touch up coats. worst case is ya blow a few bucks. but hey live and learn & enjoy your interests to the fullest!


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

Got some of the plants planted today, still need to get the pitcher i want for the tank but i wont do that till i get the fogger, t5 panel and lid i'm wanting. figured i get it planted with the moss and other plants to get it growing.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Congrats, your tank is a masterpiece! Rather than milk frog I see a group of leucomelas on these branches. What plant is it on the left, near the pond?


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## HoofArded (Apr 29, 2013)

rigel10 said:


> Congrats, your tank is a masterpiece! Rather than milk frog I see a group of leucomelas on these branches. What plant is it on the left, near the pond?


Thanks! its a succulent of some sort, we found it all most dead by the marsh in the back yard and brought it back to life over the past year. not sure exactly what it is. as far as the leucomelas i like them but the wife wants milk frogs, and the best rule of thumb there is Happy wife Happy Life. haha


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## dherp (Aug 6, 2010)

GREAT JOB! Dosen't look like a first timer to me. Once again great job!


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## pet-teez (Oct 3, 2007)

This tank is looking so great!
And I also think Leucs would be great... but milky tree frogs are so cute!


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