# my vivs



## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Hello all,

here some pictures of my terariums. I have pictures of the building process for some of these so if you are interested I can post them also.

76 gallon - 1.1 D. pumilio Colon - Boca del drago 0.0.5 juv. d. azureus



25 gallon - 1.1 D. pumilio Bastimentos - Salt Creek




21 gallon - 0.0.2 D. pumilio Bastimentos - Salt Creek



25 gallon - 1.0.2 D. Auratus - Ancon Hill



45 gallon - 1.2 D. pumilio Darkland


45 gallon - 1.2 D. tinctorius Black Suriname / Monte Dourade



175 gallon - 1.2 D. azureus



20 gallon - 0.0.1 D. pumilio Darkland




180 gallon - 2.2 E. Tricolor


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## barbar0 (Dec 3, 2007)

Wow Nathalie, those are some of the most stunning vivs I've ever seen! I really love how you structure your vivs with the wood and the planting. 
Have you got any pics of your frogs as well?

.................
Barbara


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## Regan (Oct 30, 2007)

Wow! I can't wait for mine to be all "grown in" like yours! What's your secret? You talk to 'em? Some kind of native dance? Maybe a trip to the jungle and really large ziploc?!?

Great job, and I'd love some frog pics, too.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

I don't really have a secret... I think I am even not very good with plants (from a plant's perspective :wink: )

I do plan out the big plants like bromelia's, ferns and orchids. I have a whole bunch of plants I have to trim down very regularly (different types of peperonia's, pilea's, helexine, ficus, ...) and i just plant the cuttings between the large plants in different areas where I would like them to grow. Then I put some other plants in the same places and it's "survival of the fittest". usualy the plant that is best suited for that location wins and looks like I planted it in the perfect spot :lol: . I then "guide" the growing plants to grow how I want them to grow (by pinning them to the background so they have to grow in the direction I want them to and by ripping them out where I don't want them).

here are some of my frogs (not all pictures are equally good (some do like to pose for the camera, most don't)

pumilio bastimentos - salt creek

























tinctorius monte dourade / Black Suriname

















pumilio darkland

















azureus

























pumilio colon - boca del drago

























auratus Ancon Hill









tricolor


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

gorgeous tanks!!! pretty nice frogs too. what kind of website are you using to host those pics. At the top it says "meet hot women in New York" pretty funny.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Julio said:


> gorgeous tanks!!! pretty nice frogs too. what kind of website are you using to host those pics. At the top it says "meet hot women in New York" pretty funny.


just a free foto hosting service ... it has to be paid by someone. in this case apperantly by hot women :wink: 
(I don't see it because I have an add-blocker)


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

you gotta have a little humor in each picture!! lol.


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

Nathalie,
Love the vivs, I really think the Euro style vivs make a helluva differnece in how things grow in. I am curious... are you using the wood and peat brick method or foam and silicone? If nobody else has said it, I would love to see some of the building process pics...


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## Annababe (Oct 19, 2007)

Just wanted to say WOW


Andrea


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## Abbathx (Aug 15, 2007)

:shock: stunning! i am also wondering the same thing what background method are you using?


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## dartboy2 (Aug 22, 2007)

Wow those are awesume!


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## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Gorgeous.


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

W o w !! those are some of the nicest vivs ive seen. I really want to see the build pics..wow..really inspiring! more pics!! How often do you mist do you have them on auto timers? they just look so good im speechless.


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## Marty71 (Nov 9, 2006)

Those tanks are amazing, the frogs too. I too would love to see some pics of how you put them together. Also, some of those tanks are huge, do you have a special frog room (in your case we'll call it a house) or do you have them set up throughout your house?

Simply amazing...


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Impressive. I like them all! Nice work!


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Thank you all for the compliments!

two answer some of your questions:
I sculpt all my vivs with PU-foam. I then add a layer of "tile glue" mixed with some color (I don't know the correct term, but it is the stuff you use to stick tiles to your bathroom walls).
For the top layers I mix water, "Compaktuna Pro" (this is an additive for concrete, like flevopol. http://www.compaktuna.be/en/product.asp?id=12) with peat I first put in a coffee grinder.
I love this top layer because 
1) it will absorb water without falling apart and helps keeping the humidity up
2) plants can root into it very easily
3) springtails can live in the layer. I see them comming out of the background all the time
I have one viv that uses the silicone + peat method and one using epoxy + peat but those backgrounds do not have any of the adantages mentioned above
(in fact only ficus will really root well in/on these backgrounds but that will even root on glas)

I don't have a frog-room. I personally don't like the frogroom-concept because then you specifically have to go watch your frogs. 
I have 6 vivs in my living room so I see and hear them all the time. my 3 other vivs are in a space that is open and connected to my living room as wel (I have a complicated house. only 3 rooms: bedroom, bathroom and living area. the living area is 6m high and in part of it I have a platform at 3 m high. that's where the other 3 vivs are)

6 of my vivs are misted automatically. I start out by misting them about 5x2 minutes a day so the background can suck up the water. I only use RO-water.
when everything is saturated I can move the frogs in and switch to misting 3x1 minute/day during "wet periods" and 3 or 4x1 minute/week during "dry periods".
The other 3 vivs (the ones with azureus, juv. darkland, tricolor) get misted by hand 1xday or so and the adult azurus viv has a fogger that goes into action about 4 times/day.
Only the smallest viv with the darkland froglet does not have a water feature. All my other vivs have some kind of waterfall/dripwall. In the 2 biggest vivs the pump and filter are inside the viv, but I don't really like this so in all the more recent vivs everything is outside of the viv.
The water is drained towards some kind of self-made "biofilter" from where it is pumped up to the vivs again.

for lightning I generally use 36W Osram Dulux-L lamps or T5-HO lamps (colors 840/ 4000K and 860/ 6000K)

here are some pictures. Actually there are a lot of pictures ... I hope this isn't against the board's rules or something (otherwise just let me know and I'll remove some)
empty vivs:
I usually use glass vivs

but I have made some small vivs for raising froglets in wood. (I urgently have to make some more. I like the flexibility of wood. My next project will also be a 240 gallon viv in wood)


structures in the viv are made with wood, some pieces of fernroot, rocks, "piepschuim"( I have no idea what this is called in english) and PU-foam.
I try to avoid all flat surfaces.

 


 

covered with the "tile glue"



covered with the compaktuna-mix




 

this is what the mix looks like:


after 2 weeks of drying the background is completely dry and has shrunk in some places so an extra layer is added where needed





After aprox. 2 more weeks, when everything is dry (I have computer ventilators blowing into the viv the whole time it is drying) I rince of the backgrounds and start spraying heavily

After a few days, when the background has already soaked up a lot of water and is becoming flexible again, I start planting.


that's all folks!


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## rmelancon (Apr 5, 2004)

Is the "tile-glue" similar to tile grout, kind of like cement?


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

I think the grout is what you put between the tiles when they are already on the wall, no? the thing I use is what you put on the wall itself so that the tiles will stick to it.
I googled a little bit and I think it's more something like "Ceramic tile adhesives"

it comes in different kinds (powder/paste, white/grey, ...). I use the flexible white one for bathrooms in powder form (just have to add some water and it does become a little bit cement-like)

it is an optional layer but the compaktuna/peat mix doesn't stick to the PU-foam as well as it does to the adhesive.
I know they use it to make aquarium backgrounds too.


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## jmoose (Jun 21, 2006)

Amazing vivs
Love them all and they look like taken out of a real rainforest
I think you have a knack for building great landscape and planting !
Thanks for sharing 



NathalieB said:


> I googled a little bit and I think it's more something like "Ceramic tile adhesives"


I believe it's called "Thin Set (Mortar)" here, but I am not much of a DIY guy :wink:


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

I think tile grout is name for both what attaches the tile to the wall and what goes in between, but there may be another name that I can't seem to remember right now. A lot of people use silicone between the tiles, but for like kitchen tiles some use grout which, someone correct me if I am wrong, is pretty much the same thing. Confusing I know, but that's how us crazy Americans do things sometimes :roll:


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

Ahh, I just saw jmoose's post and it is called thinset mortar... I couldn't remember the name. Thanks for the journals as I am sure a lot of us are wanting to duplicate this type of viv and your suggestions will help a lot.


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## rmelancon (Apr 5, 2004)

If it is the thin-set mortar or any type of "mortar" product, wouldn't you have the problems associated with curing etc. and things leaching into the water?

Here's the "fake rock" thread that talks about ph, leaching, grout etc.
http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/v...0&postorder=asc&highlight=tile+grout&start=15

From your construction it didn't appear that you did anything special to cure that layer to "neutralize" things.


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

Want to come make me one? lol, very nicely done i am impressed.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

yeah I think it's the thinset mortar, but let's just call it grout for ease of conversation :wink: 
I do use the "flex" type of "grout" so it has some sort of bonding additive already mixed in.
(to make it more water-proof and resistance to movement)



rmelancon said:


> If it is the thin-set mortar or any type of "mortar" product, wouldn't you have the problems associated with curing etc. and things leaching into the water?
> From your construction it didn't appear that you did anything special to cure that layer to "neutralize" things.


I indeed do nothing special to improve curing. but keep in mind that this is a very thin layer and the tank gets heavily sprayed during a couple of weeks before the frogs go in so that should give the cement enough time.
Anyway I frequently analyse the water that is collected in the "biofilter" and pumped back into the tank and I have never had a PH higher then 7 (usually between 6.4 and 6.8). Also moss is always growing very fast and if there would be a problem with the grout affecting the acidity, I think the moss would let me know this very fast.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Mikee said:


> Want to come make me one? lol, very nicely done i am impressed.


want to pay for my ticket to canada en let me stay at your house for a few weeks? :lol:


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## barbar0 (Dec 3, 2007)

thanks for postin all the construction pics, nathalie! i'm really interested in the way you were doing them and would like to try something similar. but i have some questions about the background:
1. how old is the oldest viv done this way which still is running? does the peat/compaktuna mix deteriorate in any way after a while?
2. did you add anything else to the compaktuna/peat mix (is the compaktuna in powder form?) like some kind of mortar?
3. is the flavopol used in holland the same as compaktuna or just something similar?
4. is that layer really hard in the end or still flexible/soft? i somehow cant picture how the plants can root in this. And how it can soak up a lot of water. In the product description of the compaktuna it says it makes mortar totally waterproof.

it all sounds very interesting anyway. i also found a couple of threads on some german frog sites where they discuss how to do somthing similar to the so called "dutch way" with flavopol, but i think there is no actual equivalent in germany, or it's difficult to know if its exactly the same thing.

Keep up the good work - and i would love to see a 240 gallon tank of yours!

barbara


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## Hyster (Dec 14, 2007)

On the topic of tile grout and thin-set there is a different product that may allow a bit more flexibility, that is tile mastic. It is not a powder and has a bit more of a glue look and texture and will not harden like thin-set or concrete.

i use hydroment Multi-Purpose Mastic for a lot of tile work

Sorry i do not have 5 posts so i can not link the URL


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

I may be wrong, but mastic is actually the "glue" that is set under the tiles that allows them to stick to concrete floors in settings such as kitchen tiles? If that is what you are referring to, I would tend to believe that it doesn't have the properties needed as it is more of a glue and not so much of a "concrete" derivative like the thinset mortar and grout is. I would also tend to believe that there are a lot of chemicals in that that may not be safe, even after being cured, but I am not 100% sure. Maybe someone can shed some more light on it...


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

These tanks are inspirational. You are a true artist Nathalie!

I am interested in using your method on a new tank but I am confused about the grout/thin set mortar/ceramic tile adhesive part. You said that you purchased the flexible kind but grout and thin set mortar are very rigid.

What are the straws behind the driftwood doing? Tell me about the eggcrate that is on the top of the 45 gal tinc tank.

And how are your tanks not scattered with fruit fly carcasses and poop? Mine are. :roll: 

Thanks so much for the guidance and wisdom!
Cheers!


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Really nice stuff...


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## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

hopalong said:


> And how are your tanks not scattered with fruit fly carcasses and poop? Mine are. :roll:


I suspect that would be the misting system...


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Also could be the size. I rarely have this problem anywhere but my 10gals.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

@barbar0:
1) my oldest vivs with the peat/compaktuna backgrounds are only 18 months old. The oldest viv that I know of that was made with peat/compaktuna and is still running is from 2004. It doesn't seem to deteriorate in this time but I can very well imagine that it will deteriorate after a certain amount of time. (but backgrounds using the flevopol-mix will also deteriorate and the natural wood that's used will not keep forever either). When I see how the plants (vines and moss) grow on the background I imagine that when the peat starts to rot and disappear they will hold the background together for some time longer. What happens after that I don't know. 
2) compaktuna is a liquid. You add water in a 1:1 ratio and then add peat until you get the right texture (1:4 or something like that)
3) flevopol and compaktuna are not exactly the same, but similar things. Flevopol is only sold in Holland. You can order Flevopol online, so if you’re looking for it and don’t want to experiment with alternatives you should contact them, maybe they will ship to Switzerland (http://www.jewelspray.nl)
4) the end-layer is really hard when it's completely dried out and will become soft again when it starts to soak up water. I don't know how it works exactly but it is not a waterproof layer at all, more “spongy”.
In Germany they recently have this thing called “RAINFOREST BACKGROUND”, developed by a guy named Udo Bremer. It’s a ready-made mixture with the same characteristics as the flevopol/compaktuna+peat background but has a much shorter dry-out period. I’ve seen some pictures and it looks good but I think it’s fairly new so no certainties about long-time durability there either.
For me the durability is not that big of an issue. If it starts to deteriorate after 5 or 10 years I can do repairs or completely re-do the whole viv or just the backgrounds.

@hopalong:
It’s difficult to explain as the products that are used here seem to be different to the ones that are used in America. The thin-set mortar comes in different kinds here. “Flex” is one of the kinds. It is rigid but has some additives in it so it if more flexible and will not break/crack when used on surfaces that may “move” or “bend” a little (like very thin drywalls, wooden panels, …)
The straws are there to provide drainage for water as I don’t want stagnant water on the “plateau”.
The eggcrate is on top of the glass and is there to diffuse the light and prevent people from looking straight into the bright lights.
The fruit flies do not get much chance to die in the tank… they almost all get eaten. The ones that don’t get eaten by the frogs and do die are cleaned up by the springtails and other bugs. The frog poop is spread by the misting system and also eaten by the springtails I imagine. When they poop on the ventilation strip it dries out and I just push it into the water-area.


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## mossy oak (Sep 6, 2005)

This is a tile adhesive that is latex based and clear. Ace bonding additive is also latex based, do not see why this wouldn't work for the background.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...m=10&um=1&hl=en&rlz=1T4GFRC_enUS211US212&sa=N


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

this comes close to what I use I think; 
http://www.mapei.it/Referenze/Multimedia/106_Keraflex_gb.pdf


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## Turtlestork (Jan 2, 2008)

Uhhh, in your first post, what are the branches used in the vivarium in the second picture from the bottom? Thanks. 



TS


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## Jens (Feb 16, 2007)

NathalieB said:


> It’s difficult to explain as the products that are used here seem to be different to the ones that are used in America.


I have to attest to at. Stuff I see at HomeDepot is mostly not the same as what I was getting back in Germany. I don't know why but building materials are different. You really have to look at the ingredients to make sure it is the same/similar stuff.


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## barbar0 (Dec 3, 2007)

Thanks Nathalie for your detailed answer. If the background is ok for four years or so, thats ok for me. I was just wondering if it falls apart within 2 or 3 years or not. I did hear of the rainforest background of Udo Bremer before and was thinking it could be something similar to your solution. But its not sold in Switzerland and quite expensive I think, so I thought if I have to order something from abroad anyway I just as well could try it the way you're doing it, or maybe even finding something similar to flevopol/compaktuna which is sold here. The only thing which I'm not sure about yet is how to handle the shrinking of the material when it dries. I hope its not too big of an issue.

Thanks anyway for all your valuable information!

Barbara


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

barbar0 said:


> Thanks Nathalie for your detailed answer. If the background is ok for four years or so, thats ok for me. I was just wondering if it falls apart within 2 or 3 years or not. I did hear of the rainforest background of Udo Bremer before and was thinking it could be something similar to your solution. But its not sold in Switzerland and quite expensive I think, so I thought if I have to order something from abroad anyway I just as well could try it the way you're doing it, or maybe even finding something similar to flevopol/compaktuna which is sold here. The only thing which I'm not sure about yet is how to handle the shrinking of the material when it dries. I hope its not too big of an issue.
> 
> Thanks anyway for all your valuable information!
> 
> Barbara


the shrinking is not that big of an issue as long as you are patient enough (I know, that can be a big problem :wink: ) because you can completly let it dry out, repair the cracks and let it completly dry out again and you won't have any more problems with shrinking.
I have heard that mixing in (white)sand can reduce the shrinking as it is mainlythe peat soaking up water and expandig and shrinking when it dries out that causes this. but I think this would also have an effect on the other characteristic of the background (ability to hold water, color, ...).

yeah the rainforrest background is quite expensive, that's why I haven't used it yet.

akkording to the company's website compaktuna is being imported into Switzerland by this company:
3 AAA sa.
Swiss'mat
6 route des Jeunes
1227-Carouge (GE).
Tel:004122 300 41 79
Fax:004122 300 10 42
E-mail: [email protected]

if you are realy unable to find someone who is selling compaktuna or flevopol or something similar in Switzerland and you can't find it online, send me a PB and maybe we can find a way to get it to you.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

those are some of the nicest tanks ever! they are so green.


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## barbar0 (Dec 3, 2007)

Thanks for the info!


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

I am really interested in the Compaktuna for one of the tanks I'm working on now. Do you know what it is made of or an American equivelant? They offer a detailed sheet on the website http://www.compaktuna.be/en/product.asp?id=12 but my long distance phone service costs would be outrageous!

Any ideas or guidance?!

Thanks!


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## raimeiken (Dec 24, 2006)

awesome vivs you have!

Im wondering what kind of plant is this? I want this plant really bad in my viv! :shock:


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

raimeiken, that plant is Helxine soleirolii or "babytears". Over here you can find it realy cheap in every gardencentre. I use it in all my vivs, I just wash all the sand from the roots and pin it to the background or put it on the ground.

hopalong, sorry but I have no idea about the content or alternatives that are sold in the US. according to their website they do not export to the US. maybe you could send them an e-mail? But I think you would have better luck talking to a building professional in the US... show them the specs for the compaktuna and see if they use something similar.


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## raimeiken (Dec 24, 2006)

Im in the planted tank hobby and i know baby tears is Micranthemum umbrosum. I've never heard of that plant you said, but i'll go check it out! thanks


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

raimeiken said:


> Im in the planted tank hobby and i know baby tears is Micranthemum umbrosum. I've never heard of that plant you said, but i'll go check it out! thanks


"baby tears" is ALSO sometimes used for Hemianthus callitrichoides, Bacopa monnieria, lidneria Grandiflora, Najas marina, Hemianthus micranthemoides, Nertera granadensis and probably a bunch of other plants.

to make it even more complicate the Helxine soleirolii could also be called Soleirolia soleirolii, angel's tears, mind-your-own-business, peace-in-the-home, pollyanna vine, mother of thousands, Corsican curse or Irish moss. and any of the plants sold by this name could be something completely different :lol:


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

whats that plant above the baby tears called thats growing on your background i think i have the same but not sure..


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Pilea glauca I think.
it's a great terrarium plant, I have it in most of my vivs.


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

thanks! i love it! i was wondering if you had any Selaginella kraussiana growing on the background? i was thinking about trying this..ive had bad luck with it on the floor


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## raimeiken (Dec 24, 2006)

NathalieB said:


> Pilea glauca I think.
> it's a great terrarium plant, I have it in most of my vivs.


I had that plant back then. It was flourishing and growing rapidly but then started dieing off for some reason :? under what condition do you grow yours?


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Mikee said:


> thanks! i love it! i was wondering if you had any Selaginella kraussiana growing on the background? i was thinking about trying this..ive had bad luck with it on the floor


I have it in both the 25 gallon tanks. in one (second viv in my first post) it is doing great and growing like crazy. In the other one (4th viv) it is not doing so good. it is still growing but obviosly trying to get to another spot in the viv. it is in the shadow of a big bromelia there and I don't think it likes that. I had it die in another viv too where I think it was kept too wet. so relativly drie and lots of light are the optimal conditions I think.



raimeiken said:


> I had that plant (Pilea glauca) back then. It was flourishing and growing rapidly but then started dieing off for some reason :? under what condition do you grow yours?


I have them in almost every viv just pinned against the backwall or covering a part of the floor. I had problems with it once when it started to turn black and mushy... I think it was a problem with a fungus or something. It eventually survived and started growing again (actually it was the one in the "what is this"-picture that had that problem so now it is doing great again). I think it needs a lot of light. it will grow pretty well with less light too but then it will "stretch out" instead of forming a compact plant. I have it growing everywhere but again it does best with a lot of light and dry feet.


and for something completely different... I think the devil is living in one of my tanks :lol:


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

Right now i have 2 of my Pilea glauca roots just shoved into one of the holes on my wood hoping it will grow up along my background (the wood piece is in the corner). My humidity is normally around 86-100 now that i have a vent about 1 - 1 1/4" in the front top part of my viv and i am misting about 4 times a day for 15 seconds - total = 1minute. I noticed with the Selaginella kraussiana when i had no vents really..and misting that much sometimes close to 2 minutes that my soil was too wet and the plant rotted. Now i have it on the background on the left side growing down the background where it gets more light and since the roots arent directly in the soil and just pinned to the side wall the roots dont rot but still gets misted because one of my nozzles are close by it. I think outside the vivs in nature there normally grow on rocks and wood near water where they occasionally get splashed on..not sure if this is true..just something i heard.

I am not sure if you mentioned yet how much light you have going on your 45g vivs and if those are on timers? I am asking because my viv is the same size..and yours seems to be doing very well it would be nice to hear what humidity and temp you have in them and if there are vents anywhere? thanks! and sorry for rambling on


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

my bottoms are made in the same way as my backgrounds: PU-Foam + "grout" + 1 or 2 cm of the compaktuna/Peat mix. all surfaces slope a little bit towards the water parts so the bottoms are never very soggy. So the plants growing on the bottom grow more or less under the same condition as plants pinned to the background.

i have one lighthood for the 2 25gallon and the 21 gallon viv.
i have 2 80 watt HO T5 bulbs on top of those vivs (6150 lumen each) with arcadia reflectors so most of the light ends up in the vivs.

on each 45 gallon viv I have 2 36 watt Osram Dulux-L lamps (2900 lumen each). no reflectors on those but I have lined the inside of the "lighthood" with some kind of "miror foil" so most of the light is reflected. The reflectors do seem to make a big difference though so I might install some on those lamps too. the lights are on a timer and are on from 10 am to 11:30 pm.
I have natural ventilation because there are ventilation strips in the bottom of the front and in the back of the top. I also have a computer ventilator blowing in there in the morning when the lights go on and half an hour after each misting for about an hour.
for the moment I am misting with RO-water 3 times a day. 2 times 1 minute and 1 time 2 minutes so 4 minutes in total. I also mist by hand every 2 or 3 days to fill up and flush out the bromeliads becaus the darklands are transporting tads the whole time the last weeks. ( was able to catch out the first froglet from them about a month ago. There might be more but as the vivs are very densly planted and they are almost black it is difficult to see them)
the temp is around 28C during the day and 21C in the night.
humidity is between 70 and 80%. it rises to 90+ when misting and during the night. there is a small water feature in each tank with water that is at room temperature and is constantly beeing refreshed.


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

Thankyou for taking the time to reply. I was shocked when you said 4 minutes a day now i feel as if i mist too less . But if i misted more i think my plants would all turn black and just rot. I may try a computer fan on top..since i have spare one left from when i built my system..do you notice that this helps prevent certain plants from rotting? I have 1 fern where it does grows.. but some ends of the leaf turn brownish/black and rot i was wondering if a fan would help stop that. I added a vent on the top and reduced my misting down to 1 minute a day but i still notice a tiny bit..but nothing horrible.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Face-melting photos! I can't wait to see more(If you have any - you put a lot into this thread!). 

Thank you for sharing


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## sNApple (Mar 19, 2007)

woow very nice!


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## elisabeth (Feb 1, 2008)

*Works of Art!*

Your vivs are works of art! Absolutely beautiful!
Please post your building secrets!


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

How large are the vent openings at the top? do you have on in the front and back or just the back? thanks i love your vivs.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

the vents in the top are 12cm wide. they are situated towards the back of the viv. there is only one vent in the top.
I have another vent in the front, underneath the sliding doors, of 4cm (you can see this in the first picture of the "construction' post. most of my vivs are constructed this way.
I have a 8cm ventilator on top of the vent. it is a 12V computer fan but is slowed down by only giving it 5V. the fan starts blowing 30 minutes after misting and stays turned on for about 1 hour.


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## Kunawalu (Feb 4, 2008)

What's some beautiful vivariums !
Your frogs may be happy...


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

Wow, looks like you got really good ventilation no wonder your plants do so great. What made you decide to run the fan on after misting rather than before misting? any reasons? do you have your fan on a timer? im still shocked with all that ventilation going on how do you manage to keep moss from drying. Since i added a fan which i only run for 20-30 mins 3-4 times a day i had to bump up my misting to 3-4 minutes a day to keep my moss from drying. I also have a 3" cpu 12v but it is not slowed down. Other than a small vent in the lower part of my viv i have none at the top. Sorry for all the questions  !


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

NathalieB,

Tell me about the substrate you use for your plants, please. Do you add fertilizer or just frog poop? I know you said something about not being good to a plant from a plants perspective but those plants look very happy to me! I would love to have a tank with that many happy plants!

Cheers!


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

turning the fan on after misting instead of before seems logical because orchids and some other plants don't like to be wet for very long. so if i have the fans blowing for an hour after misting this is enough to blow the plants dry and blow all the "fog" from the windows. they are on a timer (everything in my house is... I have 100's of timers in my house and they are all cr*p and breaking down the whole time). I do need them on timers anyway because when the fans are blowing when the misting system turns on al lot of the mist is blown out of the viv through the bottom ventilation.
In some vivs without the spraying system, the fans are blowing all day (on the same timer as the lights) but the 2 40 gallon vivs are build into a closet and the temperatures get too high when the fans blow all day. in some vivs I don't need fans, the natural ventilation with the two big vent openings is enough.

I found that the fans blowing doesn't have much effect on the humidity in the viv ( I think about 10% difference with or without the fans) but that's because my backgrounds hold a lot of water. I also have a dripwal or waterfal in most vivs so that might help to keep the humidity up. 
I noticed that when I suck air OUT of the vivs with my fans the temperature and humidity do drop rapidly. I only do this in summer when the temps in the tanks get too high.
I do mist a lot and I think if I would have the fan blow "full force" it might affect my humidity too. you should maybe try buying an ac/dc adaptor with variable output and put it on 4 or 5V.

hopalong, I don't use any substrate really... the bottoms are constructed in the same way as the backgrounds: PU-foam + "grout" + compaktuna/peat mix.
I have never used fertiliser but maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to try some on some orchids that just refuse to bloom again. I just don't like to take chances with the frogs. the plants do look happy but that's because the ones that do well take over the spots where I planted plants that don't do so wel. I do have a lot of plants dying at first because I put them into a spot that's too wet too dark, too dry, ... but this are all pieces of very cheap plants and for every piece I put in that doesn't do well there is another piece in another spot that just grows like crazy. I don't have much luck with orchids though... they grow like crazy for a while, usually bloom once and then they get overgrown by other plants or other plants take their light away and they just die or stop growing.
I do have a lot of light and I think that makes a big difference too.


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

thanks for answering my questions Nat. About air circulation..have you tried or thought of trying recirculation?


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## GINT (Nov 22, 2007)

*VIV DESIGN*

WOW .VERY NICE EUROPEAN DESIGN.I AM VERY IMPRESSED


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## sNApple (Mar 19, 2007)

hey i was just wondering what these 2 plants are? thanks


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

1. Pilea glauca 
2. ?


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## trunda (Oct 15, 2007)

ficus pumila


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

Great tanks! Really inspiring for my next build!


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Did some new vivs using the same technique.
this time I used a lot of big bromelia's, and a lot of red.


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

:shock: :shock: :shock: 

Is there a way you can post the pictures larger so we can enjoy all the glorious detail? They look stunning and wonderful.


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## Tranquility (May 17, 2007)

Absolutely beautiful!!! *Heads off to tear his down in disgust*


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

you can see bigger pictures when you click on them (twice) in my galery: http://album.zoom.nl/user/nblocry/nieuwe terraria mezzanine/


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## Jeremiah (Mar 1, 2008)

Muy bien!

Thats what I call eye candy!


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

Tranquility said:


> Absolutely beautiful!!! *Heads off to tear his down in disgust*


/console Tranquility


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

People from Europe should not be allowed to post on here! Ha ha. Thanks for the link to the bigger pictures.


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## bLue_reverie (Mar 2, 2008)

I have some old pics of yours that i saved as reference for future builds of mine. truly inspiring work.

in the first picture you posted with your latest work with all the vivs side by side. are they custom built tanks or standard sizes that you will be able to find in a store?


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

the tanks are custom build and drilled by a Dutch terrariumbuilder.

here are some more pictures of some of the inhabitants:


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Nathalie, those are really good! How long have they all been running?


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

You are amazing.


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## bLue_reverie (Mar 2, 2008)

i guess great vivs makes great frogs

nice to see some good shots of the fruit of your labor


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## phearamedusa (Mar 9, 2008)

I don't have any frogs, but the more I look at the different vivs and the inhabitants of them the more inclined I am to get one someday, after much more research into their needs. Gorgeous viv and frogs,btw.


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## almazan (Jun 6, 2004)

The frogs look great especially the Salt Creek, Mine are my favorite pums.
Charles


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

just made some new pics so maybe time for an update.

2 new tanks (pictures oktober): 







bigger







bigger
and pictures today: 







bigger







bigger







bigger







bigger 

some update-shots on the other tanks. most of them need trimming urgently but I haven't had time for that and frogs are laying in all the tanks so don't want to disturb them and they seem to be very happy in their wilderness







bigger 
 
 
OK...not much of the tank visible :wink: but I love the muchrooms 

     
when I go out of lazy-mode and trim the plants in the tanks I will take some more pictures


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

they look great with all the foliage, don't trim it.


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## gillenws (Jul 13, 2009)

nathalie... wonderful looking vives! i was wondering how you work your water features in the tanks that you have in-tank pumps. since everything is foamed including the bottoms do you run some piping under there? perhaps you could post a construction pic of one of them. thanks


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## vugger#1 (Jul 20, 2009)

These look great! I would also would like to see what you do for your water features. Do you have drip walls in any of them?


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Julio said:


> they look great with all the foliage, don't trim it.


I agree. I love the foliage the way it is. It looks so natural


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

sorry for my late reply (i was watching marine fishes instead of froggies for a change ;-) )

I don't use pumps in my tanks.
almost all my tanks have waterfalls/dripwalls but they all drain to external biofilters with external pumps. 

I personally don't like pumps or heaters or anything electrical in my tank as I have had nothing but problems with them in the past.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

Julio said:


> they look great with all the foliage, don't trim it.





frogfreak said:


> I agree. I love the foliage the way it is. It looks so natural


that's because I didn't post the real overgrown ones 
I also prefere my vivs to have lots of plants and be well gronw in and I don't trim too much ... but ficus covering the whole ceiling and rooting on the front doors of the tank is not a good thing 

i recently pulled the ficus pumila out off all of my tanks and made a promise to myself never to use it again. only using some slightly more well-behaving ficus and other alternatives from now on


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## gregadc (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi Nathalie!
Amazing vivs well done...
Got quick question.
How to find bigger pics in the gallery from the link what you posted?
Link is sending me to the home page ...cant find yours pics..
Greetings from London.greg


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## drutt (Oct 4, 2011)

Hi

I have been watching your vivs all over at least 20 times, And I must say that Im impressed. Thanks to you I have to do a new one..Im glad if you give me some advice during my new build..


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## ricky2424 (Aug 31, 2010)

Nice Vivs


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