# Luke's 46 bowfront. First Viv



## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Okay, I am going to try and make a journal of my 46 bowfront vivarium that is still in the works. This is my first viv. Hope it works! I used a foam+silicone+coco method with a false bottom and a pond with waterfall.

I started with 3 inch PVC and GS for the bottom. I bought some river rock from a wholesaler with some pieces of slate for like $5. I used gs to get the slate in place. Here is a pick of the pvc, gs, and the slate.










For the false bottom, I used egg crate and 7 mesh. I made the false bottom rectangular even with the bowfront so that I could use rocks to cover the false bottom.










I made a 'wall' out of eggcrate and gs so that my pump (minijet brand) for the waterfall could be accesible. I wanted the pump on the opposite side of the tank than the waterfall so there would be circulation of water under the fale bottom.










Here is a look at the tank from above, after the first application of gs (~2 cans). The waterfall tube is in place but not cut.









A closer look at the waterfall tube:










I made a cave out of gs by place a piece of pvc and covering it, then taking it out after the gs cured (a little more than 48 hours):










I applied more foam (this time 2 cans were fomo product) and inserted driftwood:










I applied silicone (DAP bronze, food safe) and added coco husk. It took several coats to make it all covered (letting cure at least 48 hours after each try). I covered the wood with blue painters tape. during the application. I placed rock in the pond area and in front of the false bottom and tested the waterfall. Here is the semi finished result:










I then brought the tank upstairs and placed the large peice of wood in. I noticed a smell of acetic acid from the silicon, and cycled an additional 11 gallons of water through the tank (I had about 6 in to begin with). This helped in terms of odor, and I decided to put plants in.

You can see pump accesibility from the left side of the tank, I will hide this side. An added benefit of this and that I have a few under the false bottom if I need to. I also left room for an underwater heater if needed, and can place freezable sports coolers back there to chill it in the summer.











Here is a look from top of the viv at this point:










I placed a brom in and a little pothos for about a week, and then added some additional plants:










The waterfall seems pretty good, and the rock wall and background should accomodate java moss well.










The brom seems to be okay after a week, I hope the other plants like the new home.










A look at the left side of the viv.










The driftwood covered with plants:










I am getting some air plants for the higher portions of the cage. Now I have a single 36 inch T8 (heat is a real issue in my apartment) but I may go to a dual tube later if needed.

Regarding the future residents, I believe I am going to go with either Azureus or Tincs. I also have some auratus tads that may go there instead.

I just got some new frogs and need to put a nice viv together for them so I will be starting another project soon. As of May 1, I will not be able to be on dendroboard for 2 months, and will be able to catch up on this post in early July. Hopefully by that time the viv will have grown in very well. 

Here is a look of my frogs waiting for their new home (my next project, YAY!):


















They are Agalychnis annae, and I am planning like a 40 hex or so for them.

Well that about sums it up for now. Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you see anything inherently wrong with my setup. Thanks!

Luke


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Very well thought out. I really like your background, it gave me a few ideas I'd like to try the next time I use GS. Your planting is a bit cluttered IMO and it will probably grow in really crazy, so you migh end up removing a lot of those.

Your A. annae are awesome! I've yet to see those in person still.

Whats going on that you won't be able to join us for 2 months?? Going to a tropical place? Its none of my business, so you aint gotta answer that.

Nice viv.


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

Let me be the first to say.. Looks Great!

I cant wait to see the "update" pics in a few months after it grows in a bit. Great job!


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Frogtofall, Yes, it is cluttered because they are clippings, and I don't think they all will make it. I will end up rearranging quite a bit after things are a little more established. I guess we will see. I am sure I will be pruning a lot.
Regarding my absense, I have a field assistant job in North Dakota for some duck nesting research. Not tropical, but it should be a blast! 

Thanks so much for both of your comments!

Luke


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2006)

That looks great!  What pump model did you use to pump the water all the way up and across the back of the tank?


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

I used a minijet 606 (I think that is the model). I covered it in mesh to keep particulate matter out. It is set to the lowest flowrate. This pump was only 18.95 at a local aquatics store. Thanks for the feedback!


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

I moved the waterfall a little so that water was running over more rock. 










I placed a Flukers thermometer/hygrometer on the left side of the cage near the substrate.










Here is a look at the viv on the table I got for it (like $15!). I wanted a lower place for the viv since it is in the living room and I wanted people sitting to have a good view of it.










If you had this kind of a setup, what would you put in it? Just curious.


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## Iheartdarts (Mar 3, 2005)

Looks great Luke!

I have a 36 gallon bowfront similar to yours (my first viv) that I should be finishing up within the week.


I'm curious....did you find it difficult to work inside the tank with the center crossbeam there? I cut mine out because I wouldn't have been able to fit my false bottom in.

-DT


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Regarding the cross beam, I was able to work pretty well around it, as my false bottom was smaller than the bottom of the cage. This was so I could put gravel in the front port of the cage (the bowfront area). I considered removing the beam to make construction easier and also for the light, but decided against it because it seems to make aquarium more structurally sound. Thanks for the feedback!


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## Guest (Apr 24, 2006)

I really enjoyed your photojournal! The corner where you put the pump, and how you used eggcrate to make the gap was great. I know many have written about doing it here, but until I saw the pic, I just wasn't getting how to go about doing it. (I'm more visually oriented).
I also really like the way you used slate to make the wall a rock wall. Very realistic. I'm curious how you managed to point the water so it came down the rocks.

There is a slight possibility that I will be getting a hex in the summer, your tank has given me the forethought necessary to make it happen!


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Yes, the water was initially an issue. Considering the great stuff has a tendency of expanding while curing, it is easy for what you put in place to move quite a bit. After consulting with two engineer friends, I basically placed the tubing so that it was almost flush with the rock but sticks slightly out. When I turned the pump on, the water went out past the rock. But after sticking my finger in the stream and letting the water wet the rock and run down it, the water continued to run down the rock. Here the capillary movement of water actually helped me (instead of making the substrate wet!) It is much like when you tip a glass of water and the water moves down along side the glass. 

I was prepared to use a tiny piece of plexiglass to divert the water, but it turned out that I did not have to. I may cover the top to hid the tubing, but it looks fine for now. 
Anyways, thanks for the comments!


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Due to some asking about them, Here are some more pics of my annae!

on the glass



















Poor thing has no privacy...I caught this one mid-pee (didn't even notice until looking at the pic). It must have lost like 25% of its water!


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## mnchartier (May 9, 2005)

Nice journal. I have a 26 and 72 bow. I just finished the 26 as temp housing until I tear down and redo the 72. Here is a link to my journal

http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14214


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

So it has baeen about four months now and the viv is doing well. I incorporated an ultrasonic humidifier for fogging. I have on a timer to go off several times a day for a minute at a time.. This keeps the humidity at about 80%. I also put in an orchid and some air plants. The orchid started blooming yesterday. Here is a look at the viv grown in a little:










With a flash










I am especially happy with the waterfall. The moss and algae are coming in nicely.










And here is a look at the viv's first inhabitant










I will post updates when the rest go in and as interesting stuff happens.


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## Tookay (Jul 20, 2006)

Nice journal Luke. I liked your idea of extending the "pond" area across the front of the tank early on, and then you filled it in with rocks (i know, your plan all along I'm sure.) It made me wish I had done that with my 26 gal paludarium instead of blacking out part of it with silicone.

I'm just curious (for all of you with tanks like this,) with all of growth and leaf litter, how hard is it for you to find a frog at any given time? Do they hide in all of that?

Looking forward to more updates. Nice work!


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Thanks for the feedback Nate. Honestly the additional leaf litter in the front is among the easiest of places to see the frog when he is hiding there. Incidently, he is hiding in that full screen shot right above your post. Take a close look right under the orchid, and you can see an obvious blue that is the frog hiding in the leaf litter. He is down right impossible to see when he is hiding in the background or under the driftwood.


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2006)

Beautiful, Luke! 

I have a 46 bowfront just like that, and I was considering turning it into a frog viv (as soon as the newts that are in it now are moved to thier new tank next month) - you did a lot of the same things with the false bottom and background that I was thinking of doing, and you've answered a lot of questions about how to do all that stuff. 

You did a great job! And it gives me hope and new ideas, so, thanks )


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

Wow, that waterfall is fantastic! So natural looking, and it looks like just the right amount of flow to keep the water moving but not splash on everything in sight. Great job!


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## Smogre (Aug 11, 2006)

Yep! This is a really nice setup.


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Thought I would show some progress thusfar:









_my quad killing fruitflies_




































The waterfall is looking pretty good, but the air plant looks a little on the wet side.









At least one of them of up at the top of the tank almost all of the time. I thought this might be a sign of it being too cool on the buttom but the temps are fine.. I am happy that they are using the whole tank!



I apologize for the poor picture quality. My good camera died, or is at least in a coma for now.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Well, I'll give it to ya straight. You got yourself a mess there. Now, I don't mean to be rude (b/c I'm not trying to be) so hear me out.

If you look at the first picture you can see that the water level in your "drainage" layer has reached the bottom of your substrate. This is causing your substrate to be saturated and you will start to lose plants from rotting. It already looks like your brom has bit the dust and a few others are right behind it from the looks.

Your plants are also way over stocked and cluttered. You probably have zero air circulation. I'd recommend you do some serious clipping. It will help a bit.

The D. azureus in the last picture appears to be a bit on the thin side. Is it eating??

The good news is that your Pellionia pulchra looks AWESOME climbing up the back like that. When they shingle, they are so gorgeous.

Sorry for the rude tone, I'm just trying to help. Good luck with it all.


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## titan501x (Dec 7, 2006)

VERY NICE! i WISH I HAD THE MONEY TO DO THAT!


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

(Edit--I thought this would appear right after Antone's post, but Titan snuck in first...)

Ouch! FWIW, my first reaction was that some of those pics were beautiful, esp. the second & fourth...

Your red brom has grown a lot and has great color...

Some of this is just a matter of taste...one person's "clutter" is another person's lush jungle. After reading Antone's comments & going back to the pics, I could see that there could be a few too many different types of plants, but often these issues resolve themselves over time--some viv-keepers like to do the selection themselves, others of us just let things go and see what does the best (removing dying plants as necessary...  ).

Saturated substrate will kill many plants--but will support other kinds, or can be covered with leaf litter if all the terrestrials fail.

I'm kind of surprised that your tillies have lasted so long, but the fact that they have would suggest that there IS some air circulation, I would think...

I don't mean to dispute Antone's analysis--his observations represent a lot of experience and knowledge. But I don't think those shots warranted quite such a bleak response...I see some thriving plants, great colors, and happy looking frogs!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I was just trying to help. At least remove the rotting plants. You don't want those sitting in there. The decaying plant matter will produce some horrid odors and could bring rise to some nasty fungus or mold that can spread and suffocate other plants.

I suspect that since the Tillies are mouned up closer to the lighs, they are getting a chance to dry out really well. If they were planted, they would probably be rotting too. The do look nice in there though, thats for sure.

Can't sugar coat everything. :wink:


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## roberthvalera (Jun 9, 2006)

you really love them plants..


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Right Right. I am not worried about rotting plants, because I have yet to lose a plant yet to rotting or anything else. I actually take cuttings out regularly (including a rather large cutting of Pellionia pulchra that was growing directly from the substrate). The only one that seems to be going downhill is the air plant by the waterfall, which is obviously pretty wet. The soil saturation is not as bad as it seems. Mostly this is due to the fact that I have gravel in the front hiding the false bottom, which is slightly slanted towards the front of the enclosure (meaning that the front is wetter than the back). The pictures are also of poor quality, what appears brown on the large bromeliad is actually a red, and the plant has grown significantly these past few months. The frogs all look pretty fat to me (and all are eating ferociously) but one is a little smaller than the others (I believe it is the youngest). 

Regarding ventilation, I have two 6x1 inch slits cut into the plastic part of the lid and covered with ff-proof mesh. I also crack to top regularly. I know the viv is getting good ventilation because the fog from the ultrasonic humidifier escapes through the vents rather quickly. No horrid odors yet... just a fresh, clean smell.

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback.


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## the_noobinator (Jan 14, 2007)

aside from a few plants that aren't at optimum health, i think this viv looks great! the more fully planted, the better.


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

A few more pics of the inhabitants:





































So I was using a laser thermometer to get temp. readings from all around the viv, and the frogs started chasing the laser around trying to eat it. It was perhaps one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Not worth starting a new post over, so I thought I would write it here.


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2007)

Thats too funny!!! :lol:


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

Also, a very cool observation! And super frog pics, Luke.


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

Thought I would update a little. The viv is doing well. I am pruning it pretty regularly but like to keep the jungly look to it. The frogs seem to be all doing well too, but have not been laying eggs since I added another female. I am thinking about going with just a pair in there and moving the other guys elsewhere.

I got as small orchid at the local nursery a few weeks ago (couldn't pass it up because it was so nice but also inexpensive) and put it in there as well... It seems to be doing well and all of the flowers on it bloomed rather nicely.

I really like the ultrasonic humidifier I am using. It was only like $30 at Walgreens and has been running strong since I built the viv (even though I accidently ran it dry a couple of times!).


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## Anoleo2 (Feb 1, 2006)

Whoa awesome tongue shot


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## bmasar (Dec 13, 2007)

Looks great! Any problems with that famous Azureus territoriality?


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2008)

Nice Phalaenopsis. Make sure the roots don't stay wet, nor that they remain in contact with permanently wet surfaces (backgrounds). I made that mistake with one of my Phals, and the roots began to rot. I stopped it in time I think. _ Phal. chibae_.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

It's not really the root rot that gets them the fastest...

_Poor air circulation_ Do you have any way to get some air flow into that enclosure? 

The vivarium looks fantastic! I must ask how you rigged your humidifier into that aquarium, and I have a couple questions:
= How can you get the tubing from the humidifier in without cutting glass into the tank lid? I'm thinking of purchasing one from wal-mart and want to use surgical tubing with a mesh net on the end so the frogs don't get in.
= I have a couple broms that I planted directly into my substrate and died, is it because they need to be air-circulated like orchids or could it be just the water that has rotted the roots?


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

"Do you have any way to get some air flow into that enclosure?"

Yes, and incidently the way I provided ventilation is also the way I hooked up the humidifier. I just used a dremel (yes I use them a lot on these things) to drill two long slit-like holes in the back of the plastic part of the lid. I also drilled an eliptical hole, into which I set a hose that is connected to the humidifier. The humidifier is on a multi-event switch that goes 3 minutes every few hours. The hose I used was an ordinary vaccuum type hose that you can get at any hardware store. It just happened to fit right into my unit.

The pic below shows the vents (with my finger as a reference for size)











I think the vivarium gets plenty of ventilation, and not too much in the area of water saturation, since I only actually hand mist a couple times a week (sometimes less).

The orchid is actually in a normal pit which I sunk into the substrate.

The bromeliade seems to be doing well, but I think I am going to vamp up the lighting a little, perhaps t5s.


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## iceemn360 (Sep 7, 2007)

Hey! Its great to see someone else with bowfront tank too. Mine was originally a reef but i turned it into a viv. I going to do some remodeling on it this summer hopefully. It houses my Red eyes when Im at home.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

iceemn360 said:


> Hey! Its great to see someone else with bowfront tank too. Mine was originally a reef but i turned it into a viv. I going to do some remodeling on it this summer hopefully. It houses my Red eyes when Im at home.


Wow, godly viv! More pics!


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## lukebalsavich (Feb 14, 2006)

That is a nice looking viv. You said that you keep Red Eyes in it? Do they ever lay eggs near the pond there? And do you have any mist/rain system incorporated?

Looks great either way~!


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## iceemn360 (Sep 7, 2007)

lol Sorry i dont want to steal the thread spotlight. But the vivarium only has a pump/ mister on a timer and needs to be refilled often. As a college student I tend to do things a little cheaper but one day Everyting will be top notch hopefull The Red Eyes do amploexus some times but egglaying has yet to occur (the females need a little more to get things going I guess). Pretty much the males are ready to go when ever but over the summer I plan to construct a rainchamber to try and intentionally breed them and produce eggs. THis is one of my males.... from sandfiredragon ranch

























this is the viv as a reef


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## MonopolyBag (Jun 3, 2007)

Your RETFs look very healthy, I got 4 youngins that are growing fast. Nice Azureus also.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

MonopolyBag said:


> Your RETFs look very healthy, I got 4 youngins that are growing fast. Nice Azureus also.


Two different people Mike :lol: 

That 2nd pick of the tree frog almost looks fake! Stunning!


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

I love your tank, It looks great. I dont really know much about plants myself, but your structure looks awesome. Prior planning helps out a lot with these things! 

I also used the "kitty-corner" design to hide away my pumps and filters. Instead of eggcrate I used plexi, though. I have a small sumbersible heater in mine, as well as my pond pump, for my waterfall. 

Your tank's lookin' great! Keep it up, and goodluck with those plants!


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