# Scratchbuilt 18x18x24



## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

This is my first Terrarium build ever, planning for frogs.













































































































Comments are welcome


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## saruchan (Jun 12, 2010)

Awesome build. I've been wanting to build a terrarium for a while just to chicken to mess something up. Howd you you make the glass tank? Building material and sizes? Thanks! Also on the tank you may want to replace some of those bigger plants with smaller ones. It'll give your tank a more natural look.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Hi, tnx for your comment.

The tank is built using the same techniqe as when u build a fishtank, glass is 6mm (scrap from a sump build). There still some things left to do on the tank itself, sliding doors, vent, lights.

As for the inside, I will part the plants to get them a bit smaller. The background will get a coat of silicone and peat moss. (pic´s will come)

There is a small waterfall in there, Vattenfall - YouTube


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## saruchan (Jun 12, 2010)

Do you only use silicone to bond it together?


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Yes, nothing else.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

I now got hold of some Peat moss, I think that´s what it called.










Started to glue it to my background.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Almost done, just a few things left to do. Lightning and some form of mist.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

You stole my son's name (Frogboy) and my tank building in one fell swoop!  Just kidding! Looking good, love those homemade vivs! Use Mistking for a misting system.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Hehe sorry for the theft  According the mistking, the shipping to Sweden makes it insainly expensive. Otherwise I would have ordered it asap.
I´m planning to build my own system, using the highpressure pump for windshield washers from a car. And a nozzle from vivaria.nl, hopefully it will work.

Any suggestions on lightning, looking for Ho bulbs like the exo ones.

/Mattias


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I don't think that's going to cut it. I looked up several types of windshield washer pumps online. It looks like most only run 10 to 20 PSI. I saw a blurb on one that claimed 38 PSI. In comparison, a MistKing pump puts out 125 PSI and RainMaker runs 100 PSI.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

To bad, what if I use a nozzle from an ordenary hand sprayflask ?


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## andrewleo (May 10, 2010)

Good work! It looks good!


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Froggyboy said:


> To bad, what if I use a nozzle from an ordenary hand sprayflask ?


You could get away with a lower pressure pump then, but your mist won't be as light. That would mean more siphoning of the water that builds up (or a drain system). You will also need to make sure your substrate is very well drained if using a "wetter" mist.
I'm not trying to shoot you down. Just pointing out what you may have to address with a DIY misting system. There have been a few threads about DIY misting systems if you search for them. You might find some good ideas there. Normally I'd say you can't put together a decent system for cheaper than you can get a MistKing for, but with your extra shipping to Sweden, you'll have to weigh those costs.


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## Lbacha (Sep 7, 2011)

Check into the pumps they use for the steam type vacuums I think those are high pressure pumps and a replacement or salvage may get you what you need just make sure it is clean

Len


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## Lbacha (Sep 7, 2011)

By the way vivaria.nl is the website that got me hooked on vivariums back in 1995 when I first saw their site, they have some amazing set-ups there including that full room display they did. 

Len


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Tnx for all the input, I´ll try out som different ideas i got.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

mattias1241's Channel - YouTube


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## motydesign (Feb 27, 2011)

Vivariumland


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Tnx for the link, Ill check them out.

Slaughtered my old espresso machine, found what I was looking for


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Looks like a piston pump. That's what Rainmaker uses. Should work but don't ever let it run dry.


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## motydesign (Feb 27, 2011)

Pumilo said:


> Looks like a piston pump. That's what Rainmaker uses. Should work but don't ever let it run dry.


doug, i have this EXACT pump for one of my older systems running 8 heads, it goes dry quite often due to my limited space for storage water. being none of my mist times are set longer than 20 secs it never has had an issue in the past 8 months running dry.

the only reason im phasing it out is because its really loud.


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Froggyboy I've thought about building my own misting system too but its just not worth it. For the price of a misting system from mistkings you can't beat it. Its worth every penny to just buy one from them. You wont be disappointed.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Buying from Mistking would cost me 51 dollars in shipping only.

I find it a bit interesting in trying to build stuff on my own, so I see this as a challange. And since this is a tank that will be standing at my office, I don´t care much about if things look a bit "tacky". If I ever build a tank for my home, i´d be looking in to more proffesional stuff.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Fixing a lighthood for my new build.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

motydesign said:


> doug, i have this EXACT pump for one of my older systems running 8 heads, it goes dry quite often due to my limited space for storage water. being none of my mist times are set longer than 20 secs it never has had an issue in the past 8 months running dry.
> 
> the only reason im phasing it out is because its really loud.


OK, must be built better than Rainmaker's pump then. I didn't take much to burn out my rainmaker from years ago.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

My DIY Mister, total kost 50 usd.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Buildpics.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Anyone tried this ??

Moss Acres

And what is enough light ? I now run 2x 36w ho flurocents, used to have 4 but my plants burn.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

New Brom.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

This is what it lookes like today.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Yesterday 4 of these small guys moved in, and I havn't seen them since


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Still havn´t seen any frogs


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## ExoticPocket (Dec 23, 2010)

Auratus can be shy... When I first got my frogs, they hid for the first day or two... Resist the tempetation to rip out stuff from the tank. Put some FF's in there to see if they come out.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Today i bought a frownup male, hopefully he isn 't that shy.


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## enfinite5 (Nov 23, 2011)

Great work!!! Turned out really nice


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## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

Nice DIY mister. I've been planning an espresso pump mister for some time now... just need to get around to it.

The tank looks great.


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

Tnx, E-bay is your place to find a pump. 

This is a newly taken photo.


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## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

Froggyboy said:


> Tnx, E-bay is your place to find a pump.
> 
> This is a newly taken photo.


I've actually seen a few websites sell them for around as much as you can find them on ebay, but I haven't looked much.

PS you should post your pictures larger


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## Froggyboy (Nov 28, 2011)

I cant post them bigger  I'm using tapatalk on Iphone. And it loads pics at 8,3 mb


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