# 150 Vert Construction WIP PIC HEAVY.



## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

So I have had this tank from craigslist for a while now and have been procrastinating on cleaning it up. It originally had some super ugly beach wood looking trim, and the previous owners must have been heavy smokers because all of the silicone was yellow, rotting out, and just stunk of smoke. I felt sorry for whatever animals were living in it. So after taking off the old frame, I spent many many hours removing every single spec of silicone with a razor blade. I then resurfaced the glass with an orbital polisher and cutting glaze. After all this work I had some really nice glass to work with. At first I was going to just do a standart vert conversion but after I had already put so much work into prepping the glass I figured I might as well go all out. So I hit up the computer and designed what I want to build in 3d. For the most part it's a standard vert/euro conversion but I wanted to integrate an exhaust system that did not look like a DIY. I wanted something that was clean and also accessible for future maintenance/repair if needed. 

So here are the plans and the start of the actual project enjoy.









Top









Side









Front









Persp Closed









Fan Side Detail









Fan Detail









Fan Mesh Detail









Top Fan Detail









Cable Hold Detail









The start









I forgot to mention this tank is 5' x 2' x 2'.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Wow, great job so far! Can't wait to see how this turns out. Subscribed


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

I plan to do something similar in the near future.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

are you planning on automated misting? 

the fans will work well to keep the glass clear but you may want to mount them so that instead of forcing air into and out of the viv, they circulate the air. this will help to avoid swings in humidity.

what modeling program did you use? alias? solid works? rhino?
james


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

This particular viv will not have automated misting, I will be hand misting as part of my daily rounds to this tank as it will house some cruziohyla calcarifer in it and they prefer it drier than darts do. The lower fans will be adjustable as the supports under it will be magnetic so I can simply slide them down to adjust the angle of the fans (these are 120 mm fans, I forgot to mention in my original post)

If it gets too dry I can slow down or turn off some of the fans. I think it will be fine though I currently have my pair of phyllomedusa bicolor in an all screen reptarium for over a year now with no negative effects. I should mention they always have access to a water bowl. 

I used Autodesk Maya to model the tank.

EDIT: Even better solution would be to make it so that the top vent can have a piece of glass slide in front of it to close it off. I am a huge fan of having all the options weather they are used or not depends on the inhabitants. So a piece of glass it is! Thanks James!


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

you could screen the fan and mount it on a vertical hinge so that it could flip out perpendicular to the glass, and become a circulation fan if needed.  that combined with the sliding glass would give you every possible option.

james


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## RNKot (Jun 9, 2010)

Subscribed. This gonna be interesting


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Well however it turns out, you win the award for best vivarium blueprints ever! Beats my 5minute MS Paint mock ups all to hell  If you want it sleek looking put Duck brand 1/4 Air-conditioning foam filter material over the front where the fans are instead of mesh. Airflow will be nearly as good, will look much nicer. 





or


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Dendro Dave said:


> Well however it turns out, you win the award for best vivarium blueprints ever! Beats my 5minute MS Paint mock ups all to hell  If you want it sleek looking put Duck brand 1/4 Air-conditioning foam filter material over the front where the fans are instead of mesh. Airflow will be nearly as good, will look much nicer.


Awesome dude thanks! I was looking for something better than screen but I didn't know what I could put there that wouldn't restrict airflow. 

Any chance anyone knows where I can get aluminum e-track and not the plastic ones? I did a search but only found the plastic ones listed. Unless the plastic one will be sturdy enough to support a 4' piece of glass. Also do you guys think I should put the slider wheels on the glass or just bare track?


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

Sweet. This is fantastic. I love the dimentions of this. I can't wait to see how you do the door.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

great design, i woudl be a little concern with the 4 fans drying out your tank though.


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## Reefer420 (Oct 18, 2009)

Great project, now that's a vert tank.. cant wait to see how it comes along. 
as far as the door goes it's probably a better idea to add the slider wheels that's a pretty big door. what type of lighting do you plan on running?


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

I was thinking about using a 4x24" T5 HO light fixture, however after researching it more it seems more cost effective to use a pair of 2x24" ones instead. Anyone know which brands are good as far as T5 lights go? 

Good call on the wheels as each piece of glass is pretty heavy. 

Julio, the fans will be adjustable and now thanks to James' post earlier have the ability to be completely closed off with their own glass doors.


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## calebrez (Dec 9, 2009)

Awesome tank! Looking forward to this build! May i ask where and how you used the orbital polisher and cutting glaze? i have a used tank and i could really use to buff up.


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

calebrez said:


> Awesome tank! Looking forward to this build! May i ask where and how you used the orbital polisher and cutting glaze? i have a used tank and i could really use to buff up.


I did the polishing on my living room floor using my porter cable orbital polisher. 
http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html
I originally bought this tool for my car and I swear I use it more for random polishing jobs than for my car. 









and I used this system, 
Diamondite® Glass Repair System Kit polishes out scratches in auto glass windshields and windows. Diamondite Glass polish restore car glass.

But to be honest all you really need is a cutting disc and the glass resurfacing creme, and of course the polisher. I think you can rent polishers from autozone. You will want an orbital one as the straight polishers can really do a ton of damage if you're not experienced. 

This will remove pretty much any water spots, etching, stains and light scratches and swirls. It WILL NOT remove gouges and scratches you can catch your fingernail on. 

Hope this helps, I was planning on hitting up the Home Depot and Fry's today but the rain has started and I am not much of one to get soggy and wet so I guess I'll wait until tomorrow to go get the fan and screening materials.


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Ok so today it was nice and sunny so I took a ride down to Fry's (the local electronics store) and had all intentions of buying a particular fan I had researched on the internet before. However, upon arriving I found an unexpected gem, a computer fan which was completely coated in rubber! It seemed to have all the desired elements as the other model I wanted such as 70,000 hr lifespan, dual ball bearing, ultra silent, and a sturdy construction build. So I took a chance and bought 4 of these home instead. When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised with the quality, very nice smooth rubberized coating on all exposed parts and it even coats the inside rim! Even the mounting hardware included rubber bumpers to reduce vibrations, and of course the rubber is awesome because it will be naturally more water resistant. Also it was very nice on the inside cover it had flow charts of the cfm the fans put out on various rpm settings! This was very convenient as now I have a rough idea of what each speed will be moving volume wise. 
















Cfm chart.








test fit.








Then I went to the Home Depot and picked up some screening supplies.
The instructions say a hack saw is used to cut the frame but I tried this and it was very difficult to keep the cut straight and smooth, and it took a while to cut through it. So with the help of my trusty dremel we made short work of the aluminum frame. ( I will probably be redoing the frame because the initial use of the hack saw caused some superficial scratches on the frame and as I stated earlier I don't want this to look like it was a DIY)








Nice Clean wrinkle free install of the screen.








Top view under better light.








Detail view of slide.








Test fit over fans. (Ordered the air conditioning filter last night, thanks Dave!)









Thats it for now more to come soon!


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## chinoanoah (Mar 9, 2009)

Looking great so far!


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Be careful, if your screens are long and you pull the screen tight as you're putting the spline in - the long edges will "bow" in a little kinda like )(


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

ChrisK said:


> Be careful, if your screens are long and you pull the screen tight as you're putting the spline in - the long edges will "bow" in a little kinda like )(


Yeah I can slightly see it in the last picture, but I am not sure if it's just the phone camera lens distortion or if it's really bending. In person I can't see the bend and it sits or my square perfectly flush. I will keep that in mind though as I make the next 3 screens. I also forgot to mention I am using fiberglass screen in case anyone was wondering. It's a lot easier to keep smooth and doesn't kink like aluminum does.


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Am excited to see how this viv progresses. what a great size.


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## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

AWESOME!!!! I love builds from "scratch"!!!


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## Leucomelas18 (Jun 12, 2008)

Making me jealous! Can't wait to see how this is going to turn out. Awesome job so far!


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## AnimalNstinct (Dec 7, 2010)

I can't wait to see it completed!


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Work has been crazy so I haven't had much time to work on the tank but I did do a little bit and figured I should keep you guys updated. 

Siliconed the first screen layer in place. 









My aluminum slider rails finally arrived. So I cut the first sections and put them in place. 

















The first was a simple u channel so I can slide a piece of glass in front of the screen opening to raise humidity when I need to.

























Then the second is the actual e-trac for the glass. I have settled on using 1/4" glass. I fastened the rail to the bottom of the screen and u channel with gorilla glue.
































Air conditioning filter arrived also so I cut to fit and placed in front of screen.


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Lighting finally arrived!!!! 
I decided on the 24 Inch 4x24 Watt AquaticLife T5 HO Light Fixture W/ 2 Lunar LEDs. The first one arrived DOA but the seller replaced it the very next day with no hassle at all. So second unit arrived and it is insanely bright. I really like the fact that it has a built in timer so I only have a single plug. It came with bulbs but 2 were 10000k antic blue ones so I ordered some GE 6700k white ones. Still waiting for them to arrive.










































So thats it for now, I have ordered the glass for the door and the bottom. Once it arrives I will have another update.


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Simply epic


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

AaronAcker said:


> Simply epic


+1 from me. Can't wait.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Looks awesome!

I will mention that I think you'll have a hard time getting most plants to establish in the bottom of that vivarium. I had a heck of a time getting decent growth in the bottom of a 3' vivarium with a similar fixture. In the end, the vivarium ended up looking a lot more natural than the densely planted vivariums that predominate the hobby, though.

Can't wait to see it finished!


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

zBrinks said:


> Looks awesome!
> 
> I will mention that I think you'll have a hard time getting most plants to establish in the bottom of that vivarium. I had a heck of a time getting decent growth in the bottom of a 3' vivarium with a similar fixture. In the end, the vivarium ended up looking a lot more natural than the densely planted vivariums that predominate the hobby, though.
> 
> Can't wait to see it finished!


Especially if it ends up anywhere near as dense at the top as the one you have! haha that thing is a jungle. This one will remain pretty sparse after completion just to be able to monitor the frogs better and for easier maintenance. Maybe (see probably) sometime I will do a full on planting, but for now i will just leave it simple.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

I'd try building or getting a fixture with downward facing sockets and screwing in some really good LED spot lights to get maximum penetration. Looks like you have enough room up there for at least 1 more fixture if the dimensions of the new (not the T5 one, the theoretical one I'm talking about adding) fixture are right. The kind that are probably going to run you $50-100 per bulb.

I think you are definitely going to need more light, light that penetrates without blasting the top plants so bad they burn, or heating things up to much at the top which is why I suggest Led spot lights. You may get away with what you have but probably only through very careful plant choice of very low light plants at the bottom. What I mean by downward facing sockets is a fixture like this...








HerpSupplies.com - Halogen/Fluorescent Combo Fixture - Zilla - Halogen/Fluorescent Combo Fixture* Halogen heat and fluorescent light in ...


You will probably need a fan also to keep the lower part of the tank from constantly being fogged up.


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

have you considered a metal halide fixture? Kinda pricey to run, but lots of light output. I agree that you will need more light than the t5ho you have right now.


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

ryan10517 said:


> have you considered a metal halide fixture? Kinda pricey to run, but lots of light output. I agree that you will need more light than the t5ho you have right now.


I have considered metal halide but the cost plus the running cost plus the immense heat turned me away from it. This light is pretty insanely bright and thats only with 2 bulbs. Once my new bulbs arrive and I see it on full blast then I will re-evaluate my light situation. I may end up picking up a second fixture the same as this one as there is enough room on top. I am liking Dave's idea also, I will have to explore that option further when the time comes for more light.


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

good luck! your tank is looking great so far. Cant wait to see the finished product. I've never used LED spot lights before so i cant really say how much light they put out. I wouldn't think it would be that much. I could be wrong... I think another 2 bulb t5ho fixture would give you a pretty good amount of light to grow most plants. Keep us updated!


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

ryan10517 said:


> good luck! your tank is looking great so far. Cant wait to see the finished product. I've never used LED spot lights before so i cant really say how much light they put out. I wouldn't think it would be that much. I could be wrong... I think another 2 bulb t5ho fixture would give you a pretty good amount of light to grow most plants. Keep us updated!


The higher quality ones with the heatsinks built into the bulb(and sometimes fans too) are pretty bright, comparable or better to CFL of similar wattage. The thing about LEDs though is the light is usually more focused so less goes further. So he could get the same amount of light to the floor of the tank with less wattage (and heat) then he would with other options. Bulbs like these...








http://store.earthled.com/products/...light?ref=vurve&_vs=google&_vm=product-search


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

This tank is going to be amazing......What a great size vert.

LEDs have come along way...What you will notice with the LEDs to is the same effect the sunlight has coming threw the canopy....With the shadows and rays hitting differant parts of the floor due to the plants on top. That will make the tank look even more natural.


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

Dendro Dave said:


> The higher quality ones with the heatsinks built into the bulb(and sometimes fans too) are pretty bright, comparable or better to CFL of similar wattage. The thing about LEDs though is the light is usually more focused so less goes further. So he could get the same amount of light to the floor of the tank with less wattage (and heat) then he would with other options.


Those are some pretty sweet bulbs dave! Not sure i like the price tag though. I'm sure 2 or 3 of the 6000k bulbs would provide some pretty good light to the bottom portions of the tank while the t5ho would get good light to the mid and upper portions.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

ryan10517 said:


> Those are some pretty sweet bulbs dave! Not sure i like the price tag though. I'm sure 2 or 3 of the 6000k bulbs would provide some pretty good light to the bottom portions of the tank while the t5ho would get good light to the mid and upper portions.


You can probably find something similar cheaper. I didn't look very hard, just a quick search but I'd expect to pay 30-60 per bulb at least, but hey you should never have to replace it...at least not for a very very very long time.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

If you're looking into LEDs, contact 'therizman1' on here. Mike's been playing with some of the higher-end LEDs recently.


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## Darts/Mantellas.by.P3RRY (Feb 1, 2011)

Awsome tank man what part of sandiego are you from? My buddy has that same brand light there bitchen he uses it for his african cichlid tank, his has leds that turn on at night to mimic moonlight, and multiple t5 flouros it was ment for coral reef tanks but really benefits every living thig his fish look awsome from the light...


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Darts/Mantellas.by.P3RRY said:


> Awsome tank man what part of sandiego are you from? My buddy has that same brand light there bitchen he uses it for his african cichlid tank, his has leds that turn on at night to mimic moonlight, and multiple t5 flouros it was ment for coral reef tanks but really benefits every living thig his fish look awsome from the light...


Thanks for the compliments, I am actually in La Mesa off of Fletcher Parkway.
The light is pretty sweet I am really looking forward to seeing it with all 4 bulbs as 6700k lights. I really really don't want to have to buy more lights if I don't have to because this fixture was more expensive than the entire tank to build so far. But if it's not enough then it's not enough and I will have to add more light, but time will tell.


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## carbonetc (Oct 13, 2008)

You might want to consider mixing some warmer tubes with the 6700K tubes. 6700K always looks too cold and blue to me. Visually I get the best results mixing blue tubes with redder tubes. The plants will appreciate this too -- you'll notice that lighting setups meant for growing plants as efficiently as possible often rely on a mixture of blue and red. The portions of the spectrum most usable to plants are ~440nm (blue) and ~660nm (red).


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## davidadelp (Sep 29, 2010)

Dendro Dave said:


> I'd try building or getting a fixture with downward facing sockets and screwing in some really good LED spot lights to get maximum penetration. Looks like you have enough room up there for at least 1 more fixture if the dimensions of the new (not the T5 one, the theoretical one I'm talking about adding) fixture are right. The kind that are probably going to run you $50-100 per bulb.
> 
> I think you are definitely going to need more light, light that penetrates without blasting the top plants so bad they burn, or heating things up to much at the top which is why I suggest Led spot lights. You may get away with what you have but probably only through very careful plant choice of very low light plants at the bottom. What I mean by downward facing sockets is a fixture like this...
> 
> ...




I have the dome fixture made by RZilla with those type bulbs and I def would NOT recomend it, specially putting them directly onto glass, i had a piece of glass over the screen on my zoomed tank then the dome on top of the glass and the light wasnt on it more then a hour or so and it shattered the glass because it got so hot.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

davidadelp said:


> I have the dome fixture made by RZilla with those type bulbs and I def would NOT recomend it, specially putting them directly onto glass, i had a piece of glass over the screen on my zoomed tank then the dome on top of the glass and the light wasnt on it more then a hour or so and it shattered the glass because it got so hot.


With what type lights? LED spot lights??


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

davidadelp said:


> I have the dome fixture made by RZilla with those type bulbs and I def would NOT recomend it, specially putting them directly onto glass, i had a piece of glass over the screen on my zoomed tank then the dome on top of the glass and the light wasnt on it more then a hour or so and it shattered the glass because it got so hot.


I just realized something, I think that fixture doesn't accept screw in type bulbs only a type that has prongs or something, that come on small metal halide spot lights. Metal halide spots get very hot so that was probably your issue. Led's shouldn't be near as hot. The zilla fixture still represents the downward configuration I was talking about though. I can't think of another off the shelf fixture that is setup like that though so a custom fixture may be needed for the OP and his viv. Or a few cheap desk lights, but that wouldn't look very good.


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

Dendro Dave said:


> I just realized something, I think that fixture doesn't accept screw in type bulbs only a type that has prongs or something, that come on small metal halide spot lights. Metal halide spots get very hot so that was probably your issue. Led's shouldn't be near as hot. The zilla fixture still represents the downward configuration I was talking about though. I can't think of another off the shelf fixture that is setup like that though so a custom fixture may be needed for the OP and his viv. Or a few cheap desk lights, but that wouldn't look very good.


You could make a fixture for these bulbs pretty easily and probably make it look pretty good. Just a little 5x5" wood box or somethin, screw a fixture in the top, wire it up, and throw some polyurethane on it and bam! You got a cute little led spot light fixture haha. 


By the way, is there any update on this build? i think i speak for all of us when i say i want to see the finished product!


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

ryan10517 said:


> By the way, is there any update on this build? i think i speak for all of us when i say i want to see the finished product!


I am very close to being done the actual building that is... I received my glass and forgot to tell my glass guy to cut a channel in one of the pieces and also I'm one piece short so I have to go back and get it cut. I am in crunch time at work so I haven't been able to get out early enough to schedule the cutting. I will post some pics of what I have so far though tonight.

My dad is a carpenter so I asked him to build a base stand for me. That will probably be the nicest thing about this build, I'm really looking forward to that part but thats a few months away as he is working on a different project for the time being.


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## LRobb88 (Dec 16, 2008)

Beautiful build. Subscribed.


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Ok finally I have a bit of free time so I am posting a small update. 

The sliding glass cover for my vent of the tank, in case I need to raise humidity.









The first piece of the euro design siliconed in.









FTS









The glass for the door!









In about 2 weeks I will be freed up from work for a bit so I will have time to get the last of my glass cut. Then I will have a completed viv to update with.


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## motydesign (Feb 27, 2011)

Well darn! i really wanted to see how you were planning on using that much vertical space? and curious whats going to inhabit that monster of a viv?


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

motydesign said:


> Well darn! i really wanted to see how you were planning on using that much vertical space? and curious whats going to inhabit that monster of a viv?


I am planning on setting this up a bit differently than most tanks on here. It's going to be for tree frogs of some kind, so I was thinking I will prob do a similar setup to the GTP thread thats floating around here. I originally planned to house my group of _C. calcarifer_ in here but they are quite small now and also only 3 of them. So I am thinking either my group of _A. callidryas _ or _A. annae_ Both of those groups are large and would use this space. I'm leaning towards the red eyes as they seem to be the most active and least shy. One thing I know for sure is that the tank walls will be left bare as they can utilize all of the walls as a climbing surface. Hope this helps a bit.

James


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Finally I have had time to finish the actual construction of the glass pieces on this tank. So as promised the pics. Sorry the glass is still quite dirty from sanding the edges and finger prints, I will clean it up in the next round and take pis. 

Piece cut to let airflow in. 









Siliconed in, I put a lot on silicone on here as it will be supporting the door.










Put track on and siliconed it in place. I measured this around 10 times to make sure it was perfect. I also added a ton of silicone to this because there is such a small area for adhesion and it needs to support the glass also. I still need to go back with a razor and clean the excess off. I forgot to use tape.



















And the glass installed on the rails.









FTS!!
Open










Closed

















Now There are 2 little things I need to take care of. I need to run a silicone bead down the edges of the doors so it makes a tight seal so nothing can escape, and also I need to get a new piece of glass cut for the door. Yes you read that right. The instructions for the sliding track kit said to leave 1 and 1/8th in for the height of the track Well it turns out thats a lot of extra room and my glass although working has a lot of wiggle room. I do not like this, it makes me nervous, so I will have to get another piece cut thats about half an inch taller. Sucks but just glad everything else worked out so nicely. I will wait a bit first as I am moving soon so I will wait until I get to my new place before I order a new sheet of glass. Until then this piece will be fine, I will just be careful when opening it.

Next step is adding fans.

Hope you all enjoy the pics!


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## davidadelp (Sep 29, 2010)

davidadelp said:


> I have the dome fixture made by RZilla with those type bulbs and I def would NOT recomend it, specially putting them directly onto glass, i had a piece of glass over the screen on my zoomed tank then the dome on top of the glass and the light wasnt on it more then a hour or so and it shattered the glass because it got so hot.



I agree same thing happened to me especially if you intend to use the bulbs that go in that fixture


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

This is one awesome project! I hope to one day see it in person. Keep up the good work. 

-Frank


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## huntin4sharks (Apr 8, 2011)

this is going to be amazing you putting dart frogs in there or a green tree python


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Thanks for the compliments guys, It's actually going to be for some tree frogs. Hence the extreme vertical space. I was contemplating making a series of them and having them line my kitchen wall like lockers, but it might be a bit overwhelming.


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## Finchfrogs15 (Apr 28, 2011)

this is gonna look sick!.. Subscribed!


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

tachikoma said:


> Thanks for the compliments guys, It's actually going to be for some tree frogs. Hence the extreme vertical space. I was contemplating making a series of them and having them line my kitchen wall like lockers, but it might be a bit overwhelming.


Psssh nah man it would be awesome...
I wish I had the money to get my tank started


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Psssh nah man it would be awesome...
> I wish I had the money to get my tank started


Just keep your eye open on craigslist. It's your best friend when it comes to cheap tanks, I don't even consider buying a tank retail unless it's the Petco $1/gal sale. I regularly see free tanks or tanks over 90 gal going for 100 or less. However, I would advise you to ask for dimensions because it seems many people fail at estimating volume, and tell you very exaggerated sizes. I just read a post last night that was offering a 40 gal breeder as "at least 100 gallons."


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

That is BAAAAD ASS!


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## toksyn (Mar 5, 2011)

Ridiculously awesome.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

tachikoma said:


> Just keep your eye open on craigslist. It's your best friend when it comes to cheap tanks, I don't even consider buying a tank retail unless it's the Petco $1/gal sale. I regularly see free tanks or tanks over 90 gal going for 100 or less. However, I would advise you to ask for dimensions because it seems many people fail at estimating volume, and tell you very exaggerated sizes. I just read a post last night that was offering a 40 gal breeder as "at least 100 gallons."


Haha I already do.
I have one 55g I got for like $20
I have an app on my phone that notifys me everytime a tank is posted.
We have aproblem here tho where someone is contacting the people then flagging the post so no one else can :|
Most people around here are into salt water tanks and won't sell the tanks themselves.

What is killing me is finding plants. I don't have the money to order any lol.
I wish I had a nursery around here


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

well, come to the next FL meet in st augustine and get plants there. you can get pretty much anything you want from al or mark (if he goes over to tropiflora and picks them up for you)

james


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## Bighurt (Jun 18, 2011)

I think you'll find like many reptile keepers do that running intake and exhaust fans just doubles your electrical usage. You'll find the fluid dynamics of air that when you create a low pressure system (drawing air out of an enclosure) the now high pressure area (outside the enclosure) will force air in. Thus the need for one fan. Of course if you are planning on using both as an exhaust this is a mute point as it will just increase the difference between low and high pressure areas.

In reptile enclosures (all I know atm) I like to encourage individuals to use a single exhaust fan where they would like to see the most ventilation. At the opposite end of the enclosure or in a location where cool air intake is least intrusive it would be recommended to place an intake vent 4 times the size of the exhaust. This does two things it creates a lower velocity intake of air avoiding drafts which can be detrimental to some species. It also allows you to have extra exhaust built in. We all know its easy to cover up rather than add vents to a setup enclosure.

In reptile enclosures the desired heat gradient can also be used to create air-flow. Since hot air rises by venting the warm side of the enclosure out the top, air will be drawn in on the bottom. By placing the cool side vent on the floor this will cause cross flow of air through the enclosure.

Of course in vivarium we have to worry about heavy gases but you can compensate for this as well.

Not raining on your parade I think the tank is turning out very nice, I just wanted to point out that you may not need so many fans.

Cheers


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Haha nice, I actually just ended up going with the 2 at the bottom because I didn't like the aesthetics of the wires coming from the top. So worked out well I guess haha.


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

i think this is the biggest vert tank i've seen. its going to look great!


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## Paul (Nov 15, 2007)

very clean lines, and professional appearance. Great work!


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Just a tiny update. I mentioned earlier that my first light fixture arrived DOA and they sent me a replacement. Well they had told me that UPS would come by and pick up my old light, so I had it packaged up for them and had it ready to go. Four months later now and they still have not picked it up, so I called them yesterday and told them that I still have this light sitting in my living room waiting for them. They said I could just throw it away or use it for parts. So I'm thinking "Sweet maybe it's just a bad ballast and I can replace it on the cheap and get a second light for next to nothing." I take it out of the box and start tinkering with it and I plugged it in to check it with my voltmeter and suddenly it came on! So I tested the light on all of the different cycles and so far everything works! Hahaha Not sure why it wasn't working before but now it seems to be fine. So now I have a second badass light for free! Just thought I would share my little surprise with everyone!


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## BlueRidge (Jun 12, 2010)

Bonus!! Now you have to start another tank.


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## stevenhman (Feb 19, 2008)

Hahaha, nice luck with the light! I have a 4 bulb T5 HO fixture and I love it.

So, you planning on a bunch of cork tubes and vines running every which way in there? I have a few empty tanks and every time I walk past their room I swear I can hear them whispering...


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

stevenhman said:


> I have a few empty tanks and every time I walk past their room I swear I can hear them whispering...


if i'm not mistaken... those are symptoms of ETS also known as empty tank syndrome! better get that under control, or you will end up going mad....


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## npaull (May 8, 2005)

tachikoma,

Do you have a picture or better yet a link for the type of slider wheels you are using on your door? I am working on a pretty large vivarium with 1/4 glass doors in E-track and am looking for some sort of mechanism to make the door opening more smooth. Much appreciated, thanks. And great tank so far.


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## Mapp (May 1, 2010)

ryan10517 said:


> if i'm not mistaken... those are symptoms of ETS also known as empty tank syndrome! better get that under control, or you will end up going mad....


Last time I checked, being insane is a prerequisite for this hobby. 
So it might be too late for stevenhman anyways!


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## ryan10517 (Oct 23, 2010)

Mapp said:


> Last time I checked, being insane is a prerequisite for this hobby.
> So it might be too late for stevenhman anyways!


insane is a strong word.... i prefer "mentally unstable" hahaha.

And i don't think i've met a normal person in this hobby yet, so i guess you're right!


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

npaull said:


> tachikoma,
> 
> Do you have a picture or better yet a link for the type of slider wheels you are using on your door? I am working on a pretty large vivarium with 1/4 glass doors in E-track and am looking for some sort of mechanism to make the door opening more smooth. Much appreciated, thanks. And great tank so far.


Here is the link for the entire kit with the wheels and wheel shoes. 
Hidden Wheels Lower Track Set - Door Track, Threshold and Sign Frame - Aluminum angle, Aluminum tube, Aluminum extrusions, Anodized aluminum, Aluminum pipe, Aluminum channel, Extruded Aluminum angle, brunner enterprises, Aluminum bar, aluminum rod, a

Just the wheels.
Roller - Door Track, Threshold and Sign Frame - Aluminum angle, Aluminum tube, Aluminum extrusions, Anodized aluminum, Aluminum pipe, Aluminum channel, Extruded Aluminum angle, brunner enterprises, Aluminum bar, aluminum rod, aluminum edging, aluminu

Roller shoe
Roller Shoe - Door Track, Threshold and Sign Frame - Aluminum angle, Aluminum tube, Aluminum extrusions, Anodized aluminum, Aluminum pipe, Aluminum channel, Extruded Aluminum angle, brunner enterprises, Aluminum bar, aluminum rod, aluminum edging, al

Track set
1/4 in track set - Door Track, Threshold and Sign Frame - Aluminum angle, Aluminum tube, Aluminum extrusions, Anodized aluminum, Aluminum pipe, Aluminum channel, Extruded Aluminum angle, brunner enterprises, Aluminum bar, aluminum rod, aluminum edgin


I'll try to work on getting you pics when I do the next cleaning and take the door off the track.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

you can also cut small strips of DELRIN to place in a track so that the glass slides on top of it.

you can get raw delrin pieces at mcmastercarr.

james


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Any updates???


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Any updates???


Sorry nothing really noteworthy. I currently have a trio of _A. annae _ in there with a large potted plant that has broad leaves. I still plan to do a proper planting but I am waiting until I move to my new apartment. Hopefully within the next couple of months.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

tachikoma said:


> Sorry nothing really noteworthy. I currently have a trio of _A. annae _ in there with a large potted plant that has broad leaves. I still plan to do a proper planting but I am waiting until I move to my new apartment. Hopefully within the next couple of months.


All I have seen is the bare tank...
Was their updates of the background or anything?
Haha did I look over it >.>

I checked. I didn't think I saw anything.
Have you made a background or anything or do you just have the bare tank with the plant you mentioned?


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## frogbait (Aug 16, 2010)

can't wait for the update.


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> All I have seen is the bare tank...
> Was their updates of the background or anything?
> Haha did I look over it >.>
> 
> ...


Afraid not... currently it's just a bare tank with a large potted plant in it. Very much not awesome, but it gets the job done for the time being. I really just didn't want the tank to be setup and then during moving have the branches fall off and such from being jostled around. So until then this thread will prob be pretty dead. Sorry guys... But I promise when I get it started again I will continue right where I left off.


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

any updates at all?


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Update: Movers broke my tank in the move down to LA, opened up the moving truck and it was in pieces. As you can imagine I was not amused. So I guess I am going to build another one. I'll keep it posted in this thread.


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## stevenhman (Feb 19, 2008)

Wow, that's terrible! Was it insured?


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

Yes it was insured, but apparently it's only insured for .60 per pound. I didn't have any other way to get it to my new place so I figured might as well give it a shot, you win some and you lose some. I guess I'll just build it out of a different material this time.


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## MrMonterrubio (Sep 29, 2011)

The name of the thread says it's PIC HEAVY !



Please, Upload more pics!


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

tachikoma said:


> Update: Movers broke my tank in the move down to LA, opened up the moving truck and it was in pieces. As you can imagine I was not amused. So I guess I am going to build another one. I'll keep it posted in this thread.


Wow that sucks It was looking so awesome.
What else could you make a huge viv out of?
I'll stay tuned.


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## stevenhman (Feb 19, 2008)

Owch, .60 a pound? Well... at least you've got something like $75 back!


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## MrMonterrubio (Sep 29, 2011)

Crap!!!

I didn't read that.

Sorry, man.



Hope the rebuild gets even better.


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## Y0urbestfriend (Jan 31, 2014)

Any updates on this project?


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