# Zoomie's 50 Gal Cookie Cutter Build



## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Hello everyone. I've gone back and forth on posting a build thread for this tank. There will be nothing unique or breathtaking about it. Certainly not even worthy of being near so many of the builds here. If anything, it may help other noobs like myself.

This is only my third tank build. I did twin Exos orginally but had to halt the build thread as all three of these tanks will be on the same Mist King system and and a Herp Keeper. The orginal plan was for me to have 2 18 x 18 x 24 Exos. The first would be used as an early grow-out for 5 green and bronze Auratus froglets on a temp basis. The second houses a proven pair of nom. Leucs. 

This 50 gallon was supposed to house my favorite dart (today), orange Terribilis. So why the change of heart? Those little tiny Auratus are growing like weeds. Far more quickly than I anticipated. They all run amuck like a pdf streeet gang, exacting revenge on anything that crawls. 

Here's the issue. As froggers, we all have a responsibility for providing proper habitat. I know that it's only a matter time before food competition becomes an issue in such a small tank. So, they get the nod to meander in the 50.

For now, the Terribilis will have to wait. Fortunately, Mrs Zoomie has given the nod for a 75-90 Gal in the living room. The Terribilis will be able to watch movies with us ! 

This is a simple build. Specs thus far:

Tank - 50 Gallon aquarium (36 x 18 x18)
Lighting - Twin Exo Compact CFL's. 4 bulbs 26/100 
Background - Great stuff on siliconed glass
Drainage - 3 inch false bottom
Substrate - ABG Mix
Plant's - misc

This is a great footprint for a medium sized tank although I would prefer 36 x 18 x 24 to give me a full 18" to landscape. I'll have to excercise care with the false bottom and depth of substrate so the frogs wont bump their heads.

Let me grab some pics real quick.


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## dartboard (Jan 30, 2011)

I'm waiting for those real quick pics.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

I had taken a number of pictures. They were all shot at 1 1/3 under exp. Looks like they were all shot at midnight. I'll retake today. it was a crazy frog chore filled day yesterday.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

OK, a few pics.

First, the aquarium. 50 Gallon 36" x 18" x 18".










Some generously slathered and I mean slathered silicone. I intentionally left ridges and roughness for better adhesion of Great Stuff. That is painters masking tape. I wanted a clean line in the front corners. 










In fact, I taped the entire front pane up because I seem to get silcone and great stuff on everything! I believe that every piece of clothing that I own has at least one silicone skid mark on it.










While waiting for the silicone to cure, I gathered the wood we had in order to try and put something together. I came up with this: 



















Overhead



















Two of the pieces of wood have fantastic personality with lots of roots. I really wish we would see more of this style of wood in the hobby. Put this stuff in the hands of members that can really design tanks, and something fantastic would surely be created.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Zoomie said:


>


I love those peices man. I wish I could find some with the roots coming off of them.
Looks great so far....can't wait to see it finished.
/Subscribed


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Thanks Brandon.

I found them in a little pet shop store here. The same place I bought the tank. I try to support small business since I am a small business owner myself.

I'm going to talk to the owner tomorrow to see if she can't call the vendor and get a bunch more. I will happily stack the stuff up. Power trade items for sure ! lol


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Zoomie said:


> Thanks Brandon.
> 
> I found them in a little pet shop store here. The same place I bought the tank. I try to support small business since I am a small business owner myself.
> 
> I'm going to talk to the owner tomorrow to see if she can't call the vendor and get a bunch more. I will happily stack the stuff up. Power trade items for sure ! lol


The pet store here has a bunch but he won't come off of any.
The guy who owns the place has some gigantic peices in this 9ftHx5ftW enclosure and they are as big as the enlosure. It's all one peice too 
Petsmart carries just small peices.

Don't you hate how they cut the peices so flush tho?
I hate it sometimes....takes away the organic look a bit :/
Yours doesn't look so bad tho.


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## tclipse (Sep 19, 2009)

If those pieces are grapewood, you might have some problems with molding... which is basically why it isn't used very much. Some have had some pretty good success with it, so it might be worth a try, but just a fair warning.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

I have used a bit of it in the other two tanks. It does mold initially, however, the clean-up crew (spings/isos) knock it out pretty quickly. Very similar to cycling a fish tank, now that I think about it.


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## deboardfam (Feb 7, 2011)

Definately awesome looking wood.. Will have to try to get my hands on some like that around here. I need some for my 18x18x24 exo.


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## dartboard (Jan 30, 2011)

um..... am I the only one that is worried on how quiet Zoomie has gotten with this build? It unlike him to go more than an hour or so without updating us.


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

Zoomie, I love love love that rooty wood. It looks fantastic. 

Goal for weekend: travel to turnagain arm, search mud flats for wood 1/8th as cool as Zoomies.


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## uromastie (Jun 24, 2009)

Should be a good looking tank soon!


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Yeah what's up Zoomie?
Having buildersblock? Lol


Beth I sent you a PM >_>


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

dartboard said:


> um..... am I the only one that is worried on how quiet Zoomie has gotten with this build? It unlike him to go more than an hour or so without updating us.


I would be deeply insulted by this comment except that sadly, it's true. Truth supercedes insults every time ! 

Actually, Mrs. Zoomie's sisters are in. There are flippin curling irons everywhere and lots of hen clucking. I tried to maintain the masculinity of our home by wearing some really tight polyester shorts and a wife beater tank. Sadly, I was forced to flee when the conversation turned to my mother in law's undergarments. I was only able to re-enter after they left for a few days. 

I did get a few things done. I have had to delay completing the background as Mrs Zoomie threatened me with a plethora of compound fractures if she and her ilk returned to a home wreaking of fresh silcone. Danged smelly girls !

Backing up a bit..........note small chunks of tape on top frame. These are visual markers laid down when wood was test-fitted prior to spraying foam.










I used three cans of Great Stuff. The blue can. It expands less. I started 4 inches from the bottom of the tank and worked my way towards the top. I did the back wall of the tank first and then filled in the sides. Other than pre designing plant cup locations, I just wanted a background with lots of bumps and cracks. Nothing special, although I did leave two small spots open to create indentations. Nothing really exciting here. Just cookie cutter, plain Jane tank build. 

A couple of sections:




























The tank supervisor. He kept staring which creeped me out a bit.










Now I slapped everything back together to do a quick test fit. Other than screwing up one particular pot, I placed everything where I wanted it.










The one thing that really pleases me about this build is that I did a great job of protecting floor space. Even with the amount of wood being utilized, it uses very few contact points on the floor. The frogs will be able to move under or over much of it. Here is an overhead shot.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

I then had to clear all of the foam blocking the pots. I also drilled holes in the foam to ensure that the pots drain properly. 

If you want a phenominal tool to trim/carve this foam, go down to your local Wally and find a grapefruit knife. For those that are unfamiliar, they have are a fine tooth, double sided blade. I will be happy to take a picture of it if anyone wants to see what it looks like.





































I have all of the background substrate bone dry now. I will grab some brushes at Lowes tonight so I can finish up the background tomorrow. Woohoo !


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie, after the clear silicone and before the GS; did you put anything inbetween the 2? looks like you maybe put down some black silicone or is that the light reflecting off the clear making it look black?


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## dartboard (Jan 30, 2011)

I'm not reading anywhere that he used clear silicone. From the pics it looks like he used black silicone from the start, and lots of it!


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Dart is absolutely correct. I used black and SLATHERED it on. I left as rough a surface as possible to give the GS good grip. Black was used to black out the sides and back of the tank so the color of the GS (baby diaper yellow) does not show through the side of the tank. What's the technical term ? It's icky.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

so it was black from the beginning and looked clear with a either at the angle you took it or the flash did that. i always use my laptop when i'm on the forum and that could be it too. anyways keep it going


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

That's my all-in flash even on fill.


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Zoomie, is that wood mopani? Each chunk of it at my LFS is 30$ with that much detail lol! I could only afford a 10 inch piece of it for now, as it's expensive stuff. Your tank is looking good.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Much of it is grapewood. And yes, the two bigger chunks were ridiculously priced. I think that total cost on the wood pile is about 120.00 give or take. I really wanted want wood with personality.

I have gotten to a point where I watch for great wood even when I don't have a build in play. Wood with personality is hard to find.


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Are you worried about it molding? I could see if it rot, that would give it a very nice look, but mold, IMO, is ugly


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

I haven't had the problems that some people encounter. It does mold initially on new tanks but goes away after 10-14 days. Not sure if it is because of it settling in the tank, or the clean up crew.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Sometimes the grapewood gets moldy but it only lasts a few days and then settles down, in my experience.


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Thanks, because in my new tank I might of gotten grapewood or mopani. It feels heavy like mopani wood but looks like grapewood.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

frogface said:


> Sometimes the grapewood gets moldy but it only lasts a few days and then settles down, in my experience.


If that's the case, then why are people saying not to use it? I've been using all Mopani and it molds too.

Looking good Zoomie!


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

frogfreak said:


> If that's the case, then why are people saying not to use it? I've been using all Mopani and it molds too.
> 
> Looking good Zoomie!


because they are scared? who knows.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

frogfreak said:


> If that's the case, then why are people saying not to use it? I've been using all Mopani and it molds too.
> 
> Looking good Zoomie!


I used grapewood and the mold was so bad it started to take over my clay background lol. This was also a piece I had boiled and baked. Mopani molded slightly for me but nothing close to grapewood.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Interesting Grimm. Did you have air movement in those tanks (ie fans?)

Well, sounds like you take a chance with grapwewood. It will work for some and not for others.

I do love Mopani as well but getting really interesting pieces can be tough.....and expensive.

OK, I'll get some pics tonight of the completed background. I have it completed ad curing. Ran a 48 hour smell check by sealing the tank up and not the slightest hint of smell.

I'll drill out pots for drainage tonight and then start bringing everything together. 

I will also take pics of the plants that came in today. I received a very nice sized package of Broms from Jason DeSantis. Can't wait to check them out.

Also, the PSU came in to drive the fan controllers and fans. 

I am doing everything in my power to get this thing off of the kitchen table this weekend !


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Zoomie said:


> Interesting Grimm. Did you have air movement in those tanks (ie fans?)
> 
> Well, sounds like you take a chance with grapwewood. It will work for some and not for others.
> 
> ...



Yeah mopani is strange sometimes. I've been waiting a week for Petsmart to get theirs in and the only peice they got was heart shaped and extremely uneven on the back
I went with grapewood.
10g Vert semi-n00b viv *pic heavy* - Dendroboard


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

It is a glorious weekend! Why? Because Mrs. Zoomie regains control of the kitchen table and the unfinished 50 is no longer the first thing I see when I walk in the door.

The background is finally cured. Time to get moving and get the false bottom completed.










I cut dual 1.5" drains. I like them up front in the corners of the tank as they are extremely easy to access. These are cut to 4 inches. They will be flush with the substate level and then covered with leaf litter. The caps fit flush inside the drains. I add a little gravel to cap for weight to ensure that they don't get dislodged.










Once I seleted the drain locations, I cut the square out. The beauty of using 1.5" pipe drains is that they sit perfectly flush (snug even) within a 9 square (3x3) cut out.



















Test fit










I then pulled the drains back out to add some mesh. In this case, I used standard fiberglass window screen. I cover all sides of the false bottom as well since I prefer a gravel perimeter for a cleaner look.










Next, I ran down Mrs. Zoomie's good boning shears. She just loves loves loves when I use them for anything other than food. I can't help it. They cut with such accuracy that I can follow a mesh line through an entire cut without ever cutting other threads.

I also using mono fishing line to secure the mesh to the false bottom. 










Once I had the mesh secured, I made the appropriate cut to install the false bottom. Let me save you an hour's worth of wasted time. When you cut the mesh, cut 12 to 6 and 3 to 9. You are cutting a plus sign versus an X. Why? Because cutting an X doesn't leave the mesh flaps in the correct location to snug up to the drain and substrate can fall in to your false bottom in the corners of the false bottom around the drain. I made this mistake with one of my Exos and was not happy when I had to re-cover the entire false bottom with mesh.

I don't have a pic but drilled multiple hoes in the drain to ensure that water would passs through easily.



















And a final test fit prior to moving the tank to frog rack.










Once I got the tank OFF of the kitchen table and on to the frog tank rack, It was time to test fit the wood again. 



















I like the wood layout pretty well. I pushed some things around, but couldn't find anything I liked better, withoout sucking up too much floor space. 
The onlly issue that irriates the crap out of me is that the arch where the wood comes together does so right at the center of the tank. That screws up my whole "following the rule of thirds" gig. I think I can compensate by using plants to create an off-center initial focal point but won't know until today.

On a positive note, I am really happy that I created a slight overhang with the background in places. Additional hides for the frogs when they choose to chillax. 

This morning I'll trap the false bottoms with gravel, get the ABG mix in, and start pushing some plants around.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

looks pretty damn sweet Zoomie, the frog's will definitely enjoy the layout. do the green and bronze tend to climb more than others?


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Not really. It's been my experience that the Auratus froglets climb about as much as the adult Leucs.......meaning that they climb like crazy if they're chasing a bug.

From my ignorant perspective, the wood (for terrestrial species) just breaks up the tank floor, provides quiet places for the frogs/visual barriers, and generates interest in the tank. Technically, the same thing could be accomplished solely with plants. 

If you asked me if the wood was more for the frogs or for my personal enjoyment, I would have to admit to the latter. Do they really need it? Nope. Will they use it? At times. Does it bother the frogs or hinder their tank behavior? Not to my knowledge.

This tank is kicking my butt. As far as I am concerned, the Auratus owe me 10 clutches when they mature.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Zoomie said:


> From my ignorant perspective, the wood (for terrestrial species) just breaks up the tank floor, provides quiet places for the frogs/visual barriers, and generates interest in the tank. Technically, the same thing could be accomplished solely with plants.
> 
> If you asked me if the wood was more for the frogs or for my personal enjoyment, I would have to admit to the latter. Do they really need it? Nope. Will they use it? At times. Does it bother the frogs or hinder their tank behavior? Not to my knowledge.


I love using wood in my tanks for the reasons you mentioned. The one advantage that wood has over plants is that it doesn't die and you can mount plants higher in the tank, creating a canopy. Your tank look fantastic! Keep up the good work.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

The tank is looking good Zoomie. Keep it up


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

Zoomie, I hate symmetry and that arch doesn't bug me AT ALL because its not symmetrical. The layout is good.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

BethInAK said:


> Zoomie, I hate symmetry and that arch doesn't bug me AT ALL because its not symmetrical. The layout is good.


And it also compliments the bottom piece of wood


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Thank you both. 

I spent 13 hours on the tank yesterday. There may or may not have been a number swear words being flung about. The pictures are rough as glass was dusty.

I got the gravel in to trap the false bottom.










I then laid fiberglass screen over all sections of the gravel in order to keep the finer particles of the substrate from clogging it.










I then laid in the ABG mix at the perimeter first to ensure that the screen didn't move. I then laid in the rest.










I then grabbed the Sterilite container of broms.










Jason's broms are absolutely incredible. Since I have limited experience with only a few species, I called Jason and asked him to pick for me. I explained that I wanted some contrast, but also wanted complimentary shades. I gave him a respectable budget so he wasn't forced to ignore his beauties. He did a phenominal job and these are absolutely breathtaking. I hope that I can one day breed frogs like he grow broms. Not from a sales/retail perspective. It's just that you really have to be passionate and know what your doing to achieve this kind of success.

As I began setting plants in where I thought they would work, irritants began cropping up. And they continued to grate on me throughtout the day. First, giving up 6 inches of veritical space from a planting perspective sucks. The Exos are 24 inches high, of which you net 19 inches or so after false bottom and substrate. The 50 is 18 inches high prior to contruction. I was able to keep the false bottom and substrate to 4 inches, leaving me with 14 inches to plant. This leaves plantings very linear on horizontal, especially when using larger plants. I fussed with this issue all day and never did get comfortable with it.

The second problem is the lack of front doors .It is very dificult to work from above when trying to place a brom with a spag ball on roots. It's even tougher to jam a mist bottle in the tank, when you have limited entrace space because of the rack. Hence my potty mouth yesterday. If I learned anything yesterday, it's that front doors are my friend. The premium prices of Exos (versus tanks) are now officially worth every penny, especially during construction.

I pushed plants around in the tank until late last night, and planted a number of them. The tank looks so bad that I didn't even take any pics. It is hideous and flows like Jello. 

Since I have learned so much from build threads, I will post a couple of pics of it tonight (in honor of all those here that have shared problems) before I try and work the ugly out of it.

The one fantastic thing about yesterday was that as I worked on the tank, my male Leuc called throughout the day. He was cheering me on.

He dang sure wasn't looking for a female companion. Oh, he calls her all the time. Then she comes over and starts rubbing up on him. Then he does the head bob for a while. Then all of a sudden he says," Ooh, look at that fruit fly!....." and goes back to chasing bugs. He needs to close the deal! rofl


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Lunchtime cell shot. Sorry about being so crappy. The phone camera's light sensor is the crapiest in evaluative I have ever witnessed. Still, you can see the color variance of the broms. I'll take shots with my crappy camera this evening.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Nice... it already looks like the frogs will be happy in there with all those various nooks and hiding spots.


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

Zoomie, i think it looks VERY nice. I love the color of the broms. 

If I were to change something ,I might make one or two of the biggest broms not sit straight up - they need to angle a little. I think if you do that, you'll be really happy with it.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

How long did you let your BG cure for?


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## FrogFever (Aug 12, 2011)

I really like all the details you put into writing up this build!
The tank just needs some leaf litter and maybe a vine/ground cover plant or two to spiff it up a bit.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

BG cured until there was zero smell after sealing it for 48 hours. Also ran two fans 24 hours to help dry. It's inside our home so lack of humidity expedited process.

There is leaf litter down. Camera died last night so I messed with bug cultures while waiting for camera to recharge.In addition, I worked to pot some plant cuttings. Lights went out before I could take pics. 

On a happy note, my Fractal case, fan controllers and PSU came in. Hopefully fans come in today and I can start building control box.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Zoomie said:


> BG cured until there was zero smell after sealing it for 48 hours. Also ran two fans 24 hours to help dry. It's inside our home so lack of humidity expedited process.
> 
> There is leaf litter down. Camera died last night so I messed with bug cultures while waiting for camera to recharge.In addition, I worked to pot some plant cuttings. Lights went out before I could take pics.
> 
> On a happy note, my Fractal case, fan controllers and PSU came in. Hopefully fans come in today and I can start building control box.


I didn't even smell the silicone when I did the background lol


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> I didn't even smell the silicone when I did the background lol


Then you were likely geekin' on silicone fumes and didn't even notice.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Temporarily stalled on electronics. Most of my goodies came in:










I got everything installed in the mini ATX case and plugged up one fan to test. The PSU would not even power up. To say I was unhappy would be an understatement. Newegg is sending me a new one.

I can start building the fan housings this weekend since I dont have any obligations! Hopefully I will make some headway.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

sucks to hear, few months back i was building a new PC and recieved 2 DOA 1000watt PSU's from newegg. 3rd one was the charm; good luck.


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

Enjoying this thread immensly. I like what you're doing with the mATX case and fan controllers. I've always built my own PCs so I know how frustrating it can be to get a dead PS or other component. New Egg is generally great about replacements, I've spent thousands with them over the last 10 years.

I'm impressed with your patience on build threads too. I start working on my vivs, take a few pics at the start then I just get in the flow and find it interupts my creative process so I give up on pics and just go with it.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

I'm trying, Doug.

The plant design situation in the 50 is still a mess. Also, I can't hook the Mist King for all three tanks either as I haven't settled on top design. Luckily, I can afford to be patient as the Bakhuis pair are still with the original owner and I was told to take my time. Whew ! 

I have learned that it is better to get it right or 95% the way you like it prior to housing PDF's. Otherwise, the frogs can flip out if you are constantly ripping up plants and up to your elbows in the thing. I don't want anything to do with Kamakazi frog injuries.

I can say that this one is beating me up. In spite of getting the thumbs up from Mrs Zoomie for a big tank in the L/R, I am going to get the frog tank rack right, all the fans in, the HK installed, and the Mist King system in. After getting the Bakhuis moved in to the Exo, I am just going to chill for a bit and enjoy what I have before taking on the L/R tank. 

I'm down to the three species for the LR tank and the time off from building will give me time to make a final decision. And it's a brutal decision for me. I may have to pull an Eenie, Meenie, Miny, Mo !


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Lookin good zoom! Why is the substrate so black?  I really am liking it so far. Is that an Antec 300 case (sorry, I used to be a mega geek


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

It's damp ABG. It looks dark because phone cameras cant meter for crap.

Fractal Mini ATX case.

Had to stop and put together a plant tank today for extra plants. Hoping to have more plants in the 50 tomorrow. Also have more on the way. I think I have more tied up in plants than frogs ! lol


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## Crispy0 (Aug 13, 2010)

what kind of tank is that in the last pic?


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

looks like the brom's are going to be massive? what are you using CFL wise on the hood above the tank?


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

*Chrispy*, the plant cutting tank is a Tetrafauna ReptoHabitat. The dims on the one I bought locally are 30x12.5x16. Mike at North East Herp did a review here on the 20 gal version here:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...una-deluxe-reptohabitat-review-pic-heavy.html

I like some of the design features like being pre-drilled on the bottom and coming with a bulkhead.

*Andy*, the Broms are all full grown and yes some of them are beasts. While it has been a pain to place them in the tank, they give the tank a lot more depth. 

I should have it cleaned up enough to take a pic this afternoon as I have to have it ready for the final round of fill in plants.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Sorry Andy, missed the CFL question. Running 4 Sylvania Micro Mini 6500K CFLs. 1450 lumens each so 5800 lumens total. Since the Broms are full grown and tank height is only net of 13 inches to substrate after false bottom, I may pul it off.

I can't push any more on wattage as trapped fixture heat could become an issue for Exos above. Running an external fan now.

I may get away with this. If Broms end up losing color, I'll be forced to go to 4 HO T-5's. And I will still have a potential heat problem to deal with.

I always share both triumphs and tragedies so I'll let you know if I am brilliant, or just another idiot that thought he could pull a fast one.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie what wattage are those bulbs? also it that a 4light fixture?


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Andy, the CFLs are rated at 23 W. The fixtures are 2 twin exos.

After flailing back and forth trying to figure out what to do about the plants, I took another direction. I was viewing in situ pics here and there. The one consistent thing thing that i noted was that there were few plants and TONS of leaf litter. Now I'm not inferring that the tank looks _natural._ Just elected to use fewer plants and more leaf litter. The broms keep the tank interesting for we humans. Hopefully the roots and litter will be enjoyable to the Auratus.

Blah, blah, blah........here's a few pics:


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Beautiful!!!


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

do you have the same bulbs over your plant tank as well?


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Andy, yes, all bulbs are the same now. 

Thanks FrogFace !


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

since you have had the same bulbs over all your tanks i believe for a few months, how has the growth been on your BROM's? have they pupped under the CFL's?


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

No pups. Lots of growth though. And first batch I bought were all youngsters themselves.

Personally, I am unsure that I want any additional growth. Brom health, yes. Additional growth, no. I have already had to hack Exo 1 back once after only being planted a short time.

Since you're asking about the bulbs/fixtures on this tank, I will give you my honest opinion. I am unsure about it thus far. There are two issues. First, Broms are all up high shading much of the light to the tank floor. The second issue is that the hinge for the tank lids casts a large shadow as well. I may end up having to go to HO T-5 to get what I'm looking for. Still, I need to wait 90 to 120 days for everything to settle. The broms can always color back up if they elect to fade.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Zoomie said:


> No pups. Lots of growth though. And first batch I bought were all youngsters themselves.
> 
> Personally, I am unsure that I want any additional growth. Brom health, yes. Additional growth, no. I have already had to hack Exo 1 back once after only being planted a short time.
> 
> Since you're asking about the bulbs/fixtures on this tank, I will give you my honest opinion. I am unsure about it thus far. There are two issues. First, Broms are all up high shading much of the light to the tank floor. The second issue is that the hinge for the tank lids casts a large shadow as well. I may end up having to go to HO T-5 to get what I'm looking for. Still, I need to wait 90 to 120 days for everything to settle. The broms can always color back up if they elect to fade.


I've noticed I get more light from putting the light more towards the front of the tank.
I had it at first in the center then I noticed the further I brought it forward the more the light shined in the back and all over...


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Looking good Zoomie. Nice brom selection for sure!


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> I have already had to hack Exo 1 back once after only being planted a short time.


how do you trim a BROM, i have meant to ask this for quite some time now? do you just cut the leaves/stalks in half all the way around so that it essentially makes the plant half as tall?


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> I may end up having to go to HO T-5 to get what I'm looking for.


I'm sure Mrs Zoomie already thinks you are HOT 10.
(ok....so what is HO T-5??? - I'm off to google)


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

BethInAK said:


> I'm sure Mrs Zoomie already thinks you are HOT 10.
> (ok....so what is HO T-5??? - I'm off to google)



AH! High output. T-5 still no clue.


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## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

BethInAK said:


> AH! High output. T-5 still no clue.


The T# for fluorescent tubes tell you how large the diameter of the bulb is in eighths of inches.

So, a T5 is 5/8 of an inch across. T8 in 8/8 of an inch (which is a full inch.)


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

BethInAK said:


> AH! High output. T-5 still no clue.


 
like most men Beth,,, it means "MORE POWER"


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Zoomie said:


>


Is this the terafauna tank?
The one I saw had door handles and a screen/grate top
I don't even see any door handles on that one


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Is this the terafauna tank?
> The one I saw had door handles and a screen/grate top
> I don't even see any door handles on that one


Handle in on left glass in center. 6.00 piece of glass replaced the screen top.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> Handle in on left glass in center. 6.00 piece of glass replaced the screen top.


 
why did it take 6 pieces?


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

WONTON SALLY said:


> why did it take 6 pieces?


It didn't. Once piece. That's a $6.00 aka six dollar piece of glass. Should have left the 6.00 part off.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

BethInAK said:


> I'm sure Mrs Zoomie already thinks you are HOT 10.
> (ok....so what is HO T-5??? - I'm off to google)


Mrs. Zoomie finds me humorous at best, in a Three Stooges kind of way. 

Maybe I should cut back on the nose tweaks?


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> Mrs. Zoomie finds me humorous at best, in a Three Stooges kind of way.
> 
> Maybe I should cut back on the nose tweaks?


probably better as well that they aren't nipple tweaks


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> It didn't. Once piece. That's a $6.00 aka six dollar piece of glass. Should have left the 6.00 part off.


i shouldn't be posting at 3:50am in the morning either!


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Thought I would bring everyone up to speed on the 50 as I finally got the frogs in to this thing Friday night. Let's start with a recap of how I got here.

Originally I purchased 5 young Auratus in green and bronze. Thinking that I was smarter than the entirety of the PDF community, I decided to use an Exo 18 x 18 x 24 to grow them a bit. I wanted to see color variations on the froglets prior to choosing. Now to be clear, I knew that I would have to cull/sell relatively quickly.

What I failed to foresee was how quickly the little monsters grew. In no time flat, they doubled in size. Now at the time, I had just purchased the 50 gal for Terribilis. Because I had miscalcuted how long the Auratus would be comfortable, it was my responsibily to properly house the Auratus. With that, the Terribilis were put on the back burner.

I really spent some time looking at vet tanks here, as well as reviewing natural habitat for Auratus. I swore this go-round that I would do my best to honor habitat, versus human eye appeal.

Those that have commented that bigger tank builds are far more dificult than anything standard up to 29 gals are preaching the Gospel, especially when doing a GS background. My wife was thrilled that I sucked up the kitchen table for three and one half weeks. Frankly, I got tired of seeing the thing when I came home from work.

Silicone dry times were far slower than I anticipated, and that was with a ceiling fan running 24 hours, as well as medium sized fan placed in the tank. 

Recent nightmares were caused by trying to get the lid right. I attempted to be thrifty and use Lowes to cut the glass. They never could get the glass to break within the measurements and tolerences that I was looking for. After pissing away about 100.00 on all the tank tops, I finally bit the bullet and went to a glass shop here. It took them a while to cut, buff, and drill everything. In spite of the cost, I can tell you that I will never have a top made at any place other than a glass shop. It was worth every painful penny.

Here is one of the largest reasons I hate Lowes glass. While transferring the Auratus, I had an escapee that refused to go quietly. I was prepared for this with damp clean hands and a cup. One of my chicken legs barely brushed one of the Lowes pieces of .............glass. 










My wife, Nurse Ratchet, thought she would help by applying a waterproof bandage designed specifically for sucking chest wounds. Only after getting it in place and firmer affixing it to my leg did she feel compelled to voice her concern about the ability to remove the bandage without me screaming like a little girl. I reminded her, none too happily, that I don't shave my legs, except for that one time drinking Oozo when I thought it would be cool if the cat and I sported shaved gams. And yes, the claw gouges healed nicely. Thank you for asking.

I do believe that I managed to keep the spirit of their habititat in mind. I had to avoid large rocks due to weight and did have a moment of weakness by stuffing Broms in up top. Stilll, I stuck with lots of roots open spaces, tons of leaf litter, and a near limitless supply of hides.

After terrozing the Auratus during the move, I was certain that I wouldn't see them for a week. Interestingly, they were out in full force not five mintes after being placed in their new home. I was a bit concerned as the bugs in the tank had reached biblical proportions. They were so thick that I seriously considered leaving the lights on all night for fear that they would stress the frogs. Instead, my young Auratus biker gang went on a feeding frenzy that would shame the entire cast of the 2011 Biggest Loser. 

After watching them the last two days, I really feel like I got this one right. They seem far happier than in the other tank. While I never noted any stress, passive or otherwise, I really believe that I should have moved these guys earlier. Big fat shame on me.

The broms have lost a little color. I have ordered t-5's for the tank as a test. If I can keep the heat under control, I will make the switch full time. If not, then I will have some very expensive desiginer broms in many shades of green.

This build beat me up so bad that I have no desire at this moment to get started a 90 for the living room Terribilis tank. Instead, I'll work on getting ready for my Chazuta order scheduled to arrive in November. Exo's are a cake walk compared to big fish tanks.

Here's a few pics from this morning. I had to shoot at a stop and a third under just to kill the glare. Because of this, I lost some tank detail I swear that I will have a t3i and 100mm 2.8 lens in the next couple weeks. Nurse Ratchet is going to flip when she sees that purchase!























































Here's a crappy phone pic of the troublemakers out.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> Thought I would bring everyone up to speed on the 50 as I finally got the frogs in to this thing Friday night. Let's start with a recap of how I got here.
> 
> Originally I purchased 5 young Auratus in green and bronze. Thinking that I was smarter than the entirety of the PDF community, I decided to use an Exo 18 x 18 x 24 to grow them a bit. I wanted to see color variations on the froglets prior to choosing. Now to be clear, I knew that I would have to cull/sell relatively quickly.
> 
> ...


i was beginning to think the green and bronze were just an excuse to have all those plants in there, but i was wrong.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

WONTON SALLY said:


> i was beginning to think the green and bronze were just an excuse to have all those plants in there, but i was wrong.


No excuse as I now have a plant tank. Just took a long time.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie so not only do you have 50 frogs with more coming in NOVEMBER, you have a planted tank in your NURSERY--dude we need to hang out more.


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## MollyAttack (Sep 24, 2011)

WONTON SALLY said:


> how do you trim a BROM, i have meant to ask this for quite some time now? do you just cut the leaves/stalks in half all the way around so that it essentially makes the plant half as tall?


I have also been wondering about this. Do tell, please


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

MollyAttack said:


> I have also been wondering about this. Do tell, please


 
once i recieved my order from Jason Desantis i had to ask him the same thing, trim no more that half the length of each stalk/leaf, cut down to where you want, but trim the edge the same way the old one was, if it was a long curve, then trim it back to a long curve, if the end of the stalk/leaf is pointy trim it back and make it pointy--hope this helps.


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## Alegre323 (Sep 2, 2011)

this tank is all inspiration for me.  will post a build journal. thanks!


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

WONTON SALLY said:


> Zoomie so not only do you have 50 frogs with more coming in NOVEMBER, you have a planted tank in your NURSERY--dude we need to hang out more.


Nowhere near 50 frogs. 3 different species and two more in the works. Some tads in the water. Chuzutas in November and Variabilis in approximately the same time period. Terribilis will go in LR tank but I probably won't start that build for a while.

Six species should keep me plenty busy. Available space is starting to become an issue. Any additional tanks other than what is listed above will surely qualify me for my very own episode of Hoarders. 

In addition, Mrs Zoomie and I have been looking for some acreage. At some point I am going to have to move all of this.

I could work with more species; however, I like slightly more tank space than current accepted practices. Further, I don't yet build well enough to ensure that frogs thrive in smaller environments.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Alegre323 said:


> this tank is all inspiration for me.  will post a build journal. thanks!


Glad to hear it helped someone. 

I never get tired of build journals. So much to learn and so many ideas to steal.

Well get busy !


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## Alegre323 (Sep 2, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> Glad to hear it helped someone.
> 
> I never get tired of build journals. So much to learn and so many ideas to steal.
> 
> Well get busy !


lol im about to start the journal. Ill post the link as soon as i do


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## Jerryo (Sep 27, 2011)

Nice tank. Where do you get your wood from.


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## Jerryo (Sep 27, 2011)

How you post your pictures with out clicking on the paperclip and attaching them.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Jerryo said:


> How you post your pictures with out clicking on the paperclip and attaching them.


Type


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

All the wood for this build came from a vendor at the Charlotte Repticon. Many of our sponsors here have great wood pieces. My problem is that I have to play with it like tinker toys before I select the ones I want. 

If you can verbalize what you want or better yet, find a picture of a tank you like, just call one of our sponsors and ask them if you can forward a pic. If they have the right pieces, they'll hand pick what you need and send it to you. 

With a little warmth, courtesy, and yes, spending a few bucks, most of our sponsors will bust their collective cans to help you find what you need.

I am certain we have a crappy sponsor here somewhere but thus far, everyone that I have done business with has fallen all over themselves to ensure that I was happy with my order.

If I could only get this kind of service from our cable company!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Awesome build man. You really did a great job with everything!


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Mitch said:


> Awesome build man. You really did a great job with everything!


that's what happens when you have agriculture and horticulture degrees!!!


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

Mitch said:


> Awesome build man. You really did a great job with everything!


Thank you Mitch. Very kind of you to say. I am living proof that you can build a decent tank if you use the search function enough times.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

WONTON SALLY said:


> that's what happens when you have agriculture and horticulture degrees!!!


Not me. I have no degree. I did stay at a Holday Inn Express once.


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

I'm late on this thread, but I did the same thing as you with the PVC and the cap under the leaf litter for drainage. I just put a nut and bolt for easy access, kind of like a door knob. Here are some pix. Maybe you want to use the idea, its kind of tough getting that cap up with your fingers.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

B-NICE said:


> I'm late on this thread, but I did the same thing as you with the PVC and the cap under the leaf litter for drainage. I just put a nut and bolt for easy access, kind of like a door knob. Here are some pix. Maybe you want to use the idea, its kind of tough getting that cap up with your fingers.


It's actually a great idea. I have been toying with siliconing gravel in to add weight. Can't have the little monster flipping off the manhole cover and running around in the sewer all night.


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

I doubt the frogs will get thru the leaf litter, so its not bad. Nor will they open the man hole. LOL. I think that should be the new name of the drainage system "The Man Hole Method".


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Zoomie said:


> It's actually a great idea. I have been toying with siliconing gravel in to add weight. Can't have the little monster flipping off the manhole cover and running around in the sewer all night.


Well I just use a tube ran through the substrate and the false bottom. 
I don't see why y'all need such large holes lol...what are yall using to drain with....a shop vac 

at the end of this vid you can see how I drain my tank


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

I use a wet vac, I connect the long head.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Well I just use a tube ran through the substrate and the false bottom.
> I don't see why y'all need such large holes lol...what are yall using to drain with....a shop vac
> 
> at the end of this vid you can see how I drain my tank
> My first poison dart frog vivarium 10g Vert - YouTube


how often do you have to drain your tank?


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

WONTON SALLY said:


> how often do you have to drain your tank?


Like every other week.
I'm only misting twice a day right now.
I'd say I might have to do it more once I get my Mist King system.
I plan on drilling the bottom when I drill the top and putting a drain with a ball valve on it and have it drain straight into a jug.




B-NICE said:


> I use a wet vac, I connect the long head.


Meh I wouldn't subject my frogs to the sound of a shop vac...
If the decible levels on fans matter then I'd say the decible level of the shop vac is torture to the frogs. 
Also you're risking sucking up your inhabitants....


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## BethInAK (Jul 12, 2011)

Zoomie, it looks glorious!!! Really great. The frogs think so too.

Whats that weird, ruffly, curly brommy thing top middle?


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Like every other week.
> I'm only misting twice a day right now.
> I'd say I might have to do it more once I get my Mist King system.
> I plan on drilling the bottom when I drill the top and putting a drain with a ball valve on it and have it drain straight into a jug.


i know my tank is bigger, but i have yet to have to drain my tank and i have the mistking come on 8times a day. it has been up almost 3 1/2 months, how much misting are you doing?


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

Meh I wouldn't subject my frogs to the sound of a shop vac...
If the decible levels on fans matter then I'd say the decible level of the shop vac is torture to the frogs. 
Also you're risking sucking up your inhabitants....[/QUOTE]

I don't have any frogs in the viv with the man hole, so i wet vac. When I get some frogs I will make something to isolate that area during the sewage treatment. The tube takes too long for me and I like to get all of the water. It will take about 30 sec. to a min. to drain all of the water.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

BethInAK said:


> Zoomie, it looks glorious!!! Really great. The frogs think so too.
> 
> Whats that weird, ruffly, curly brommy thing top middle?


Thank you, Beth.

It's a coffee colored Tillandsia. I'll have to look up the specific name when I get home.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

WONTON SALLY said:


> i know my tank is bigger, but i have yet to have to drain my tank and i have the mistking come on 8times a day. it has been up almost 3 1/2 months, how much misting are you doing?


I said twice a day lol...but I do it for about like 15 seconds each time. 
I will mist more when I get inhabitants.




B-NICE said:


> Meh I wouldn't subject my frogs to the sound of a shop vac...
> If the decible levels on fans matter then I'd say the decible level of the shop vac is torture to the frogs.
> Also you're risking sucking up your inhabitants....


I don't have any frogs in the viv with the man hole, so i wet vac. When I get some frogs I will make something to isolate that area during the sewage treatment. The tube takes too long for me and I like to get all of the water. It will take about 30 sec. to a min. to drain all of the water.[/QUOTE]

ah cool.
well you might wanna leave a bit of water in the bottom...most people do.


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## diggenem (Sep 2, 2011)

Nice tank I love the colors. BTW I seen that you was building a control box out of a micro arc case, did you have a mother board installed, I didn't read about in previous posts. Nice build again.


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

what i was getting at i don't see how you are having to drain it so often, i guess it is do to the size?


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

hey Dragon for $9$ you can get this:

12 LED Ultrasonic Mist Maker Fogger Water Fountain Pond | eBay

think it would work, that way the fog would be coming from in the tank as opposed to outside, might not be as powerful, but it would be 1/4 of the cost. you could just cut the head off a plastic bottle and drop it in there and hide it in the back of the tank.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

WONTON SALLY said:


> what i was getting at i don't see how you are having to drain it so often, i guess it is do to the size?


yeah I think so....it is a 10 vert but honestly with me draining it every other week that's not that often for a small tank. my substrate drains super well tho....like ridiculous well lol but it's a good thing. the smaller the tank the more often...the better it holds humidity the more often..there is a few factors but if you have humidity issue all the water in the bottom evaporates to make up for the humidity but with good humidity the water just collects. I would actually be worried if my tank wasn't draining this much then it would me my drainage layer isn't that great lols






WONTON SALLY said:


> hey Dragon for $9$ you can get this:
> 
> 12 LED Ultrasonic Mist Maker Fogger Water Fountain Pond | eBay
> 
> think it would work, that way the fog would be coming from in the tank as opposed to outside, might not be as powerful, but it would be 1/4 of the cost. you could just cut the head off a plastic bottle and drop it in there and hide it in the back of the tank.


that's actually what you don't want. If it was that easy people would buy those for $30(petsmart) and put it in there vivs. these last longer than the cheap water fountain ones.
those right there are made for those fountains and whatnot and aren't very durable.
you cant use that kind in a viv...mostly cause there is no water source and also cause if the frogs sit on it it might harm them cause that thing vibrates fast. plus all the grime and dirt that gets on it will foul it. that's why you see people using these outside the tank units and like the Zoo Med ReptiFogger.

you might be able to get away with it since you don't have inhabitants and your tank should be rather clean but you have to use a container big enough for the fogger and to cacth the water stream it shoots out. cause if the water shoot out and you don't capture it then you're gonna loose your water and that thing will go bad without being submerged. make sure you use R/O water or distilled so the deposits don't foul the unit.
what you can do is go to a store and buy one of those water fountains then take out the ultasonic fogger and take it back and return it and tell them it was missing  yeah it's dishonest but meh oh well..it's a freebie. the company will just get it back and put another one back with it and ship it back out lol


the out of the tank units a easy to access as well. if you look on Grimms tank on this thread http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/65988-peninsula.html#post577006 he is using a ultrasonic humidifier that under his tank...
here is the vid and it shows it under the tank then he turns it on...


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

diggenem said:


> Nice tank I love the colors. BTW I seen that you was building a control box out of a micro arc case, did you have a mother board installed, I didn't read about in previous posts. Nice build again.


Thank you.

No motherboard. Just a PSU driving twin fan controllers. The box is really just a way to bring all the wiring neatly together, as well as house the fan controllers. It will also allow me to mount the Herp Keeper controller.

I haven't finished it yet. If I would quit buying frogs and tanks, I would be able to wrap it up. 3 more tank builds and I am done!


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> Thank you.
> 
> No motherboard. Just a PSU driving twin fan controllers. The box is really just a way to bring all the wiring neatly together, as well as house the fan controllers. It will also allow me to mount the Herp Keeper controller.
> 
> I haven't finished it yet. If I would quit buying frogs and tanks, I would be able to wrap it up. 3 more tank builds and I am done!


yeah hurry up already, but we both know 3 more tank builds isn't really that far off is it?


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## WONTON SALLY (Jun 26, 2011)

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> yeah I think so....it is a 10 vert but honestly with me draining it every other week that's not that often for a small tank. my substrate drains super well tho....like ridiculous well lol but it's a good thing. the smaller the tank the more often...the better it holds humidity the more often..there is a few factors but if you have humidity issue all the water in the bottom evaporates to make up for the humidity but with good humidity the water just collects. I would actually be worried if my tank wasn't draining this much then it would me my drainage layer isn't that great lols
> that's actually what you don't want. If it was that easy people would buy those for $30(petsmart) and put it in there vivs. these last longer than the cheap water fountain ones.
> those right there are made for those fountains and whatnot and aren't very durable.
> you cant use that kind in a viv...mostly cause there is no water source and also cause if the frogs sit on it it might harm them cause that thing vibrates fast. plus all the grime and dirt that gets on it will foul it. that's why you see people using these outside the tank units and like the Zoo Med ReptiFogger.
> ...


like i had mentioned, what would be wrong with putting it in my planted tank, in a cutoff water bottle in the back corner?


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