# Tim's 220gallon Paludarium build



## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Hey guys, 

First post here. I've had this 220 Gallon tank sitting around collecting dust. When I bought my house I envisioned a sweet reef tank, but not only would it more work and more expensive, I take care of Aquariums for a living. 

So I decided to try something different. I have many herp friends so I figured why not. I don't have a lot of frog experience having only kept green tree frogs, fire belly toads, and fire belly newts as a kid. So this will be a learning experience. I am however a plant guy and will probably be more excited about the plants. 

I would like to way down the road get some Amazon Milk Frogs, a larger dart frog species, and maybe a gecko or two. 

There are four bulkheads in the tank. One will be a drain for water through the land sections. One will be the water pump line that will power the waterfall. One will be an overflow back to the sump for the water section. And the last one will be a fog line. 

I would like a few bromeliad species with a large fancy centerpiece one. Some Tillandsia, miniature orchids, a pitcher plant (sounds like Nepenthes is the best choice?), and a Lycopodium. Lots of ferns and I'm sure I'll change the list over time. 

Still figuring how I'm going to create branches or structures in the tank. 

Hope you guys enjoy and let me know if you have questions or comments!


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Good luck with your build! The great thing about a tank that large is that there are so many possibilities - with both plants and animals!


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## Fishtank100 (Oct 16, 2016)

I've been thinking of doing this with my 125 gallon just need the time and MONEY!!! good luck and cant wait to see it done.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Thanks guys!!

Cup converted to my waterfall. I took the lip of a hang on the back filter and carved out part of the cup. Siliconed it together and tested it in the sink. I then added a bulkhead to the bottom and it will be fed off the return pump from the sump.

20161025_182810 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

Sump tank is a 29 gallon I had laying around. Eheim return pump. Probably way too big but its what I have. I will divert unneeded water back to the sump.

20161025_182959 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

View from the other side of the top. Stand pipe glued and installed.

20161025_183111 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

Cool mist ultrasonic humidifier with 3/4" adapter silicone in. 

20161025_182938 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

Me holding the cup in place where it will sit when the waterfall is plumbed up. 

20161025_183243 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Still figuring out these pictures on this site.

Worked on carving some foam to cover the walls underwater. Not quite satisfied but it is a start! Fun working on the little things. 

20161026_174654 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Welcome to the board, Tim.

I love the ambition of this build. I can't imagine having that much space. You will love it for the plants, for sure. You will be able to handle bromeliad species that most of us would avoid like the plague  

There are a few things that I would recommend watching out for. If I am understanding your build properly, you will have running water in some parts of the build but not in others and the vertical plastic dividers are to keep the water and "dry land" parts of the build apart? If so, I wish you luck, but my experience has been that water will likely end up in the dry parts eventually. Maybe you are a better siliconer than I am  

With regard to waterfall, I would have the water flow down something and cascade down into the water rather than splash from height. If you do the latter, you will end up with water everyplace (including the front glass where you will want to be able to see). If the water runs down something, it will make the entry of the water much more gentle. 

I don't think Huperiza squarrosa (rock fern) is a lycopodium but it does great in vivaria, so you might consider it. You might also think about some shinglers. In a tank that size, if you have some sort of background that the roots can find purchase in (cork bark, etc.), you could do some great things with Marcgravias and Rhaphidophoras. Blue Cebu would also be cool. With that long to travel, the pattern in the shinglers would be really striking.

What are you going to light that tank with? Probably not a lot of cheap solutions for a tank that size  Hopefully you have something lying around that you can at least start out with.

As for vines and branches, you can make your own. I have seen some great build threads where folks have used semi-melted PVC and other clever solutions for that sort of thing. It looked like it came down to painting to make them look good, though, so I am out  You can also get some great natural wood solutions, too. Cork bark rounds, Manzanita, Ghost Wood, Malaysian Driftwood, Cypress knees, that sort of thing. For vines, I have had good luck buying thick hemp rope from Home Depot or Lowe's, coating it in silicone, and, while it's still wet, rolling it in peat moss, coir or similar. If you go this route, be sure to get the silicone down in the little ridges so that it flattens them out or it still looks like rope when you are done 

Best of luck in your build. I look forward to seeing your progress.

Mark


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

I've been doing terrariums for herps for ~30 years and most of that time I use natural materials for the "furnishings" - ie the visible items in the tank like rocks, wood, etc.

Earlier this year, I completed a 3'x3'x7' vertical terrarium for orchids and used artificial material (styrofoam, hygrolon and spyra) to build a tree and branches. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/273393-new-vivarium.html

After 10 months of growth, were I do build this again, I would use more wood in the build. Given the size of my build, I wanted materials that would not decay... but compared to my other setups with natural wood I have not seen nearly as as good a growth of moss and mini orchids (it is still quite substantial - just not as good). Over time, I've added some manzanita branches and the appearance of plants and moss on these is much better than that on the hygrolon areas.

I think the "hidden" contribution of wood to the overall ecosystem is something I underestimated - the nutrients that fungi and other organisms pull from wood are something of a secret sauce that I can't seem to replicate with fertilizers.

Were I to rebuild this, I would still use styrofoam to provide larger structure (like tree-trunk sized pieces) - but I would incorporate alot more real wood for the parts where I want to grow plants.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Encyclia said:


> Welcome to the board, Tim.


Thanks!



Encyclia said:


> I love the ambition of this build. I can't imagine having that much space. You will love it for the plants, for sure. You will be able to handle bromeliad species that most of us would avoid like the plague


If you have a nice centerpiece bromeliad you would recommend I'm all ears. Something with some pattern and/or variegation to it ideally.



Encyclia said:


> There are a few things that I would recommend watching out for. If I am understanding your build properly, you will have running water in some parts of the build but not in others and the vertical plastic dividers are to keep the water and "dry land" parts of the build apart? If so, I wish you luck, but my experience has been that water will likely end up in the dry parts eventually. Maybe you are a better siliconer than I am


You are understanding correctly. I think I did a good silicone job (I'm sure everyone says this in the beginning), but I will be adding on to the walls with foam silicone to the walls and great stuff behind the walls to help hold the false floors in place in the land areas. It is hard to describe right now. I plan to seal the foam that will be underwater with drylok unless people recommend a different route. Gaps in the foam wall will be filled with great stuff and sanded to blend with the pink foam and then drylok over it all for a more natural color. 



Encyclia said:


> With regard to waterfall, I would have the water flow down something and cascade down into the water rather than splash from height. If you do the latter, you will end up with water everyplace (including the front glass where you will want to be able to see). If the water runs down something, it will make the entry of the water much more gentle.


I thought of this and it may or may not work... I want the water to fall from height, I just think that is the dramatic part of a waterfall. To combat the splashing however, I plan to have the water land on foam inside either a cork bark tube or a fake tree trunk I construct. I am fairly confident I can buffer the splashing, it probably won't be eliminated but the water won't just be falling onto more water, I agree that would be a mess.



Encyclia said:


> I don't think Huperiza squarrosa (rock fern) is a lycopodium but it does great in vivaria, so you might consider it. You might also think about some shinglers. In a tank that size, if you have some sort of background that the roots can find purchase in (cork bark, etc.), you could do some great things with Marcgravias and Rhaphidophoras. Blue Cebu would also be cool. With that long to travel, the pattern in the shinglers would be really striking.


That is the exact plant I was eye balling. I want it to trail down in the right corner. I plan to use cork insulation on the background as a cheaper alternative to cork bark. Eventually it will be planted so... why waste money on a detailed background. I don't have experience growing shinglers but I have seen them on display at our local Lauritzen Gardens and I like how they look, I'm guess frequent pruning though to keep them from overtaking other plants?



Encyclia said:


> What are you going to light that tank with? Probably not a lot of cheap solutions for a tank that size  Hopefully you have something lying around that you can at least start out with.


I haven't decided 100% on lights... If I did a gecko down the road wondering how I could get UVB? Ideally UVB needs to be over a screen area but I planned to have most of the top as glass tops and a small screened section at the front. Hmm.. 

Main lighting I'm thinking of going with the Chinese Black Box LED's. They are very popular in reef tanks for their cost. Also it looks like you can daisy chain them and dim the white or blue LED's. I don't want a ton of plugs but at the same time don't want to spend a ton of money. I do have some metal halides laying around but I don't really want to plug those in lol. The Chinese LED's will have a decent amount of blue LED's for Corals but I have a friend who uses a lot of old reef LED's on his vivariums and I think it looks nice and with the dimming option I can change it.



Encyclia said:


> As for vines and branches, you can make your own. I have seen some great build threads where folks have used semi-melted PVC and other clever solutions for that sort of thing. It looked like it came down to painting to make them look good, though, so I am out  You can also get some great natural wood solutions, too. Cork bark rounds, Manzanita, Ghost Wood, Malaysian Driftwood, Cypress knees, that sort of thing. For vines, I have had good luck buying thick hemp rope from Home Depot or Lowe's, coating it in silicone, and, while it's still wet, rolling it in peat moss, coir or similar. If you go this route, be sure to get the silicone down in the little ridges so that it flattens them out or it still looks like rope when you are done


I might go the PVC route, and maybe mix in some natural wood. I don't want to take much space away with big chunks of driftwood etc. I'd like the plants to make up a lot of the scape we will see. This is the area I probably have nailed down the least right now.



Encyclia said:


> Best of luck in your build. I look forward to seeing your progress.
> 
> Mark


Thanks again!



kimcmich said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I've been doing terrariums for herps for ~30 years and most of that time I use natural materials for the "furnishings" - ie the visible items in the tank like rocks, wood, etc.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tips! 

As I said above I'm not sure on this part. I was thinking a combination of PVC and foam would make up a lot of my branches with maybe some cork bark, but here's an idea, maybe I could mix in some "backyard" wood over a PVC frame and will the gaps with foam and sand it down? We will see. I haven't looked at enough types of wood to really have a good answer for branches yet. I just know I don't want the wood scape to take too much space from the tank.


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## KommentBox (Aug 26, 2016)

Looks fun! I'm a few steps ahead of you right now (false bottom done, finishing the background), and am trying to figure out plants as well. Are you thinking of doing any aquatic plants? Any in mind yet?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

KommentBox said:


> Looks fun! I'm a few steps ahead of you right now (false bottom done, finishing the background), and am trying to figure out plants as well. Are you thinking of doing any aquatic plants? Any in mind yet?


Yes there will be aquatic plants. Not sure if I will have any low growing plants or not, maybe dwarf sagittaria. I want to do some anubias that breach the surface of the water, along with some parrot's feather that will breach the surface and some floating plants. Probably dominate the underwater with java moss, java fern, and anubias. I will try to avoid stem plants that will drop lots of little leaves, just might be a hassle will a deeper aquarium (hard to reach the bottom). 

Mainly want to do cherry shrimp in the water, and some panda garra loaches, maybe corydoras and tetras, but that's a ways away right now.


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## viper69 (Dec 28, 2013)

kimcmich said:


> Greetings,
> 
> I've been doing terrariums for herps for ~30 years and most of that time I use natural materials for the "furnishings" - ie the visible items in the tank like rocks, wood, etc.
> 
> ...



This is a very interesting and helpful observation. Have you noticed that some woods promote growth better than others? If so which ones? I would not have expected this but Mother Nature always surprises me at some point.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Progress is slow. I have 5 of the 7 walls carved. Threw an LED shop light on the tank to get a better pic/idea of how it will look. It is hard to take pics with the room lights on.

20161030_162400 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Taking a break to post a few photos. Making more progress today. 

Siliconed the foam in. Plumbed and silicone the waterfall in. Also added the line for the fogger. I haven't started on the plumbing below the tank but I think the inside plumbing is basically done. 

Going to added the screen mesh and start on foam soon. 

20161031_145947 by Tim, on Flickr

20161031_145957 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Made of progress today. The pink foam was siliconed in. Then I added the pvc risers and egg crate, with fiberglass fly screen on top of it. Then used great stuff to fill in the back of the walls and gaps. I wanted foam on either side of the walls to provide any needed structural support from water weight. 

Once everything cures for a while I will go over it with DryLok. 

I'm getting excited now. 

Left side top down:
20161031_182106 by Tim, on Flickr 

Middle top down:
20161031_182112 by Tim, on Flickr

Right side top down:
20161031_182117 by Tim, on Flickr

Front view:
20161031_182134 by Tim, on Flickr

Left side, Side view:
20161031_182151 by Tim, on Flickr


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## FrogsNdogs (Nov 3, 2010)

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I've used one of those cups for the kids' bath time and after a while the outer layer peels off. the tank looks good, I'm excited to watch it progress!


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

FrogsNdogs said:


> Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I've used one of those cups for the kids' bath time and after a while the outer layer peels off. the tank looks good, I'm excited to watch it progress!


Hmm... I don't think that would be much issue if it loosens. I plan to put some foam around it which will just hold it in place. The pipe will support it from below. Thank you for letting me know though!


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## Lisaxaphona (Nov 2, 2016)

That would be so fun (but a little daunting) to fill a tank that size with so many different plants and structures. Very cool. Can you place something in the tank for reference, maybe a phone or coffee mug or something?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

I did a layer of Drylok. This is straight out of the can gray in case people are wondering. I don't quite like this shade and bought some tints from the hardware store for the next few coats. 

20161106_165651 by Tim, on Flickr

I will be doing a second post here in a second from the local Lauritzen Gardens. Some eye candy to keep you guys busy while you wait and maybe some people can help with some ID's.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

So I decided to stop by Lauritzen Gardens today. I have some plant questions for those smarter than me:

These bromeliads were not labeled, but caught my eye. If anyone has more info that would be great.

1) Variegated and growing in a large ~12-15" pot:
20161106_150224 by Tim, on Flickr

2) Bright green with pink highlights, very eye catching about 15" across:
20161106_141657 by Tim, on Flickr
20161106_141706 by Tim, on Flickr

3) Huge, at the widest about 3 foot across, fire red center and dark green:
20161106_141511 by Tim, on Flickr

Ok, on to some plants that had labels, if any of these would make great vivarium plants or you have good or bad experiences with them let me know!

Some kind of Maiden Hair Fern:
20161106_142118 by Tim, on Flickr

Neoregelia 'Purple Passion':
20161106_141737 by Tim, on Flickr

Pteris Fern:
20161106_141423 by Tim, on Flickr

Bromeliad _Billbergia pyramidalis_ 'Variegata'
20161106_141245 by Tim, on Flickr

Goldfish Plant _Nematanthus gregarius_
20161106_141142 by Tim, on Flickr

Orchid Zygopetalum Jumping Jacks
20161106_140519 by Tim, on Flickr

Tongue Fern:
20161106_140428 by Tim, on Flickr

A couple landscape views of the greenhouse:
20161106_141008 by Tim, on Flickr

20161106_141956 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Second coat with Charcoal tint. Depending on the angle it is viewed at it can look slate blue or black. I will go over this with some light colors tomorrow.

20161106_211505 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

3rd Coat:
20161107_100029 by Tim, on Flickr


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## Lukehartung99 (Aug 27, 2016)

That looks fantastic! I can't wait to see more of the pictures





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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

So there are very few reptile and amphibian stores here so I had to do some driving around to find a cork round for the water fall section. It is cut very straight so I will have to do some modifying to make it a little less obvious. I wanted to see this piece in person so I could measure it.

20161107_143639 by Tim, on Flickr

Also I figured it would be helpful to you guys, I was out getting more silicone from MGS Distributing and like I said before I prefer DOW Corning 795 (DOW is the same company that makes great stuff), anyways I asked them what colors it comes in a the guys there didn't have a quick answer it comes in so many colors. They only stock a few of the colors it comes in, but gave me a color sample chart I figured I'd share. I see lots of people using questionable silicone's and maybe this will give another option with a much broader color spectrum. Many zoos and aquariums only use 795 so you may be able to get it from the same place they do in larger cities. Here in Omaha we use MGS Distributing. 

20161107_143741 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Started adding cork insulation to the back. The first step was to cover the piping on the right side. The hole is for the fogging system. The overflow of the water section is behind the cork. 

Question:
The cork insulation smells a little like burnt wood. Any issues there?

20161107_162445 by Tim, on Flickr


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## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

Is the cork insulation safe? 

Its cork but it looks like cork particle board which means it has some kind of glue holding it together. May not be fish/frog safe.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

That's my question. I got the cork insulation from Zoro cork, recommended by a frog friend. So I assumed it was safe but just checking because of the burnt smell.


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## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

You'll have to contact the manufacturer or look on their website and find out what type of glue they use. Personally I wouldn't use it as particle board and plywood and a lot of those types of building materials use some nasty glues/ chemicals especially if they come from China. If its made in China get it out of there lol

I'm sure you can find something better. You could even fashion what you need from a natural piece of cork from the looks of it.


Edit. U can use a piece of cork background paneling. Not sure what company makes it but its made for frog tanks.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Did a little research, the product is from Portugal and should be safe. They use heat to bind the cork which is probably where the smell comes from. I may be exaggerating the smell a bit it's not that bad. 

Here is a link I found about it:
http://www.bcork.amorim.com/en/products/

And attached is the safety data sheet.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Also just writing this mainly for my memory but feel free to give opinions. 

At a local fish store today I saw some Salvinia cucullata floating plants and they really caught my eye. I'd like to have them in the aquarium portion. They had nice dangling black roots that would be an interesting habitat I think.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Finished the water section plumbing and decided to do a leak test. Well of course I couldn't resist turning the waterfall on. I'm very pleased with how the cork round is catching the water. I needed to see where the water would fall so I could secure the cork round. I also needed to play around with foam to see what will work for softening the fall of the water. 

20161108_223756 by Tim, on Flickr

20161108_224136 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Fog Machine works!

20161113_221856 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

I made the vent tops, going to pick up the glass tops in a second. 

I added some Turface MVP as substrate in the aquarium section, water is very cloudy which I will work on. I also used a mix of Turface and Hydroton to cover the screen in the land areas. I have some substrate from NEHerp coming along with some wood and bark pieces to top it off. 

20161114_112822 by Tim, on Flickr

20161114_112846 by Tim, on Flickr

20161114_113039 by Tim, on Flickr

You can see I have a couple helpers! 

I have also been doing some plumbing. The drain pipe is plumbed into a bucket. I put a valve on the bucket so I can empty it without having to move it, but I still can move it. I also put an overflow on the drain bucket back to the sump tank, this way if the waterfall leaks into the land areas too much it won't flood my house it will just go back to the sump. I realize this will muck up the aquarium water but I'd rather have that than water on the floor. I have a water alarm on the floor as well. It has two metal dots on the bottom and if enough water gets on the floor to connect the dots it sends our a piercing alarm. 

I also plumbed in my RO/DI unit. Waiting on new filters to come. I will have a 50 gallon trash can of RO water for misting, fogging, and water changes. 

The next steps will be:

APEX Controller
Buy Misting System
Buy Lights

I haven't used my apex controller in years, so it is an older one and I will have to see if I can adapt it for my needs on this tank.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Well... a bit interesting. I have my glass tops on and my vents made. The vents are 1.25" wide and span the width of the tank. Just under 6 feet (accounting for the braces). I am very happy to say the water level is holding steady in the sump with the waterfall running for over 24 hours now. The weird part is the tank is covered in condensation from just the waterfall running. Wondering how this will affect misting later on.


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## KommentBox (Aug 26, 2016)

tcmfish said:


> Well... a bit interesting. I have my glass tops on and my vents made. The vents are 1.25" wide and span the width of the tank. Just under 6 feet (accounting for the braces). I am very happy to say the water level is holding steady in the sump with the waterfall running for over 24 hours now. The weird part is the tank is covered in condensation from just the waterfall running. Wondering how this will affect misting later on.




I added an extra fan to my tank to help with condensation on the glass. It's worked well so far. 











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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

We will see I may be adding fans... I have a couple options. 

Was hoping the register vent that blows across the top would be enough but doesn't look like it.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Not too much progress... waiting on substrate and hardscape items from NEHERP. They will arrive Wednesday. Then I will do more work covering up the waterfall and adding planters to the background. 

I went to the the nursery and fish store today to grab a few items though. 

I also finished my RODI plumbing and just made 50 gallons of RODI. 

Pics Below:

Left to right:
Parrots Feather in the cork, Selaginella moss cutting that will hopefully cover the foam and some of the cork, a begonia of sorts (if someone has an ID that would be awesome!), not sure on the light green plant either but a common house plant, my orchid that I've had for a while that needs some better care (hoping this tank will provide that) Paphiopedilum superbiens hybrid I believe, a mix of red, pink and white drawing a blank on this one too (I need to brush up on tropical plant ID), the succulent in the red cup won't be staying but my cat bit off a piece of one so just trying to root it, and then my Tillandsia I believe ionantha but not sure it has done well and sent out two pups. 
20161120_202529 by Tim, on Flickr

Picked up some leopard danios to cycle the tank:
20161120_202457 by Tim, on Flickr

Floating Salvinia cucullata:
20161120_202330 by Tim, on Flickr
20161120_202619 by Tim, on Flickr


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

tcmfish said:


> Not too much progress... waiting on substrate and hardscape items from NEHERP. They will arrive Wednesday. Then I will do more work covering up the waterfall and adding planters to the background.
> 
> I went to the the nursery and fish store today to grab a few items though.
> 
> ...


Enjoy that top view of your water. With that Salvinia in there, it's probably the last time you will see the water surface ;-)

Mark


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Encyclia said:


> Enjoy that top view of your water. With that Salvinia in there, it's probably the last time you will see the water surface ;-)
> 
> Mark


LOL! I'm cool with that, I think it is such a cool plant. Maybe in 6 months I'll be eating my own words, but for now I can't wait for it to grow.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Got my substrate and cork and ghost wood pieces in today, a day early so I went to work on those. I had to cut the cork in half to make two cave type pieces. Hopefully I can have a big bromeliad on the right side. 

20161122_215546 by Tim, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)




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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Update time!

Ordered my mistking system today, hopefully it arrives by the end of the week!

Apex is hooked up which is cool. I can turn the fog on with the touch of a button. I do need to replumb the fog line though it clogged once with just the slightest decline. I was too frustrated at the time, but I'm ready to do it now. 

And I went shopping today! I hit up the fish stores, a local nursery Mulhall's which is awesome, and the lowe's.

I got two anubias from one fish store.

At Mulhall's:
3 air plants, an orchid, and a clump of rabbit's foot fern.

At Lowe's:
3 Earth Stars, a bromeliad, and purple passion. 

I wasn't planning on getting any plants at lowe's but had to look and the big bromeliad was $3, as was the purple passion. The earth stars were $3.48 so couldn't pass. 

At the last fish store I got 5 cherry shrimp and a clipping of Christmas moss. 

20161204_210012

20161204_210054

20161204_210105

20161204_210119


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## RedTiger (Dec 6, 2016)

This is really cool. Please continue the updates. 

Question: Is there drainage for the 3 land masses? As in, can they be drained if they collect water underneath?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

RedTiger said:


> This is really cool. Please continue the updates.
> 
> Question: Is there drainage for the 3 land masses? As in, can they be drained if they collect water underneath?


Thanks! Feels good to have someone else chime in. 

Yes the three land masses are connected via underwater tunnels. All water that collects in them is funneled over to a bulkhead on the left side of the tank. That bulkhead drains into a bucket with a valve for easy emptying. Also should the waterfall fail and dump lots of water into a land area, the drainage collection bucket has an overflow on it back to the sump tank. I may install a float valve or rig something up on the APEX that will disable the waterfall pump in this event but haven't messed around yet. Knock on wood the waterfall has been working perfectly so far. Granted its only been like a month or so.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Will have to post pics later! I went to Chicago to visit family and stopped at Orchid's by Hausermann. I've been there lots of times, but finally bought some stuff now. Got a Bulbo Lovely Elizabeth, and some Dendrobium, a couple jewel orchids, and a peperomia. 

Also, ordered my misting system, my lights, and some bromeliads from bromeliad.com. 

I also got some cuttings from my mom's plants too. It is getting packed already... 

Saw my shrimp when I got back which is cool. So things are going good.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Full tank shot after planting. Things may change when the broms arrive. Can't wait for them to get here! Hoping they ship Monday but not sure if its too cold or not. 










Various close ups:

















































Sunk the bulkheads in for the misting nozzles to save some room. Had to file them down. 









I ended up finishing the misting system tonight, but this was the last picture I took.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Well I typed up a reply last night, after hooking up the misting system and planting a bunch and its not here... annoying. 

So this will have to do for now.

20161216_201612 by Tim, on Flickr

20161216_213549 by Tim, on Flickr


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## KommentBox (Aug 26, 2016)

Looking great! I wish I had picked up more nozzles the first time. You'll get some good coverage with those. Are the broms going into the background or in the planting beds?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## noworries (Sep 30, 2005)

Is that turface for substrate in the water?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Hmm... now half a day later and my reply is there with the pics! So enjoy 



KommentBox said:


> Looking great! I wish I had picked up more nozzles the first time. You'll get some good coverage with those. Are the broms going into the background or in the planting beds?


The broms will be mounted to the cork rounds, ghost wood, and back wall. At least that is the plan.



noworries said:


> Is that turface for substrate in the water?


Yup, I think it looks quite nice, I like the size of the gravel. A little smaller than most aquarium gravel. I'd like to hear others opinions of it but I'm pleased.


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## TorrentialTokay (Dec 20, 2016)

Cool looking flow you have!


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays!! 

I have another big update. I was able to mount my Mars Aqua LEDs. I had to paint some wood, but it was fairly cheap so I'm happy. 

I also got my Bromeliad.com order, and I was very happy with the plants with one exception. They substituted without contacting me on one plant and it was a miniature Vriesea which they sent an Aechmea that I think when in bloom can be 3 foot! So I might have to donate that plant if it gets too large. 

On to the pics! 

Removing the optics of the LEDs. With them on I believe they are 60 degree lenses the light doesn't hit the sides much.
20161225_171954 by Tim, on Flickr

A Tillandsia I bought not too long ago is blooming! This is awesome for me as I haven't succeeded with air plants in the past. This plant was totally green when I bought it!
20161225_182705 by Tim, on Flickr

Full tank shot with the new lights! I will tidy the wires soon, just been a busy day.
20161225_183243 by Tim, on Flickr

Neoregelia 'Avant-garde'
20161225_183310 by Tim, on Flickr

Neoregelia 'Pesadilla' (Purple, really good contrast, eye catching), Neoregelia 'Wild Tiger' (Reddish Pink center with bigger yellowish spots)
Neoregelia 'Angel Face x Midget' (Heavily spotted)
20161225_183340 by Tim, on Flickr

Back Left: Neoregelia 'Savoy Truffle' (Green and black banding)
On Branch: Neoregelia 'Pauciflora' (Small green with white banding)
Left on Cork Round: Neoregelia 'Annick' (Variegated)
Right on Cork Round: Neoregelia 'Pimiento' (Red and dark green almost black)
Far Right: Billbergia sanderiana (Green with large black teeth or spikes)
20161225_183350 by Tim, on Flickr

Enjoy!


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

I forgot to add, I got some new fish. 

I got a couple Panda Garra Loaches and they are awesome! Also a bristlenose pleco and a couple otocinclus. 

I am hoping to get some frogs soon, and seeded the tank with springtails and should have some isopods soon. I want to get Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' and Epipedobates anthonyi. We will see but that's my plan.


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## greenthumbs (Nov 6, 2015)

The water feature is a bit deep for most dart frogs, with sides too steep for them to easily climb out of. If you do keep dart frogs in there, E. anthonyi or tricolor might be okay, but other types of amphibians may be better for this tank than dart frogs. D. auratus would, in my opinion, be a bit risky in that tank.


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## Krakkin (Jul 1, 2013)

tcmfish said:


> Left to right:
> Parrots Feather in the cork, Selaginella moss cutting that will hopefully cover the foam and some of the cork, a begonia of sorts (if someone has an ID that would be awesome!), not sure on the light green plant either but a common house plant, my orchid that I've had for a while that needs some better care (hoping this tank will provide that) Paphiopedilum superbiens hybrid I believe, a mix of red, pink and white drawing a blank on this one too (I need to brush up on tropical plant ID), the succulent in the red cup won't be staying but my cat bit off a piece of one so just trying to root it, and then my Tillandsia I believe ionantha but not sure it has done well and sent out two pups.
> 20161120_202529 by Tim, on Flickr


First of all, this is a great looking vivarium! I didn't see anyone else chime in on the begonia ID but it looks like a "Red Robin" to me. I have one in one of my tanks and it looks like the same plant from your pic.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Thanks for the replies guys. 



greenthumbs said:


> The water feature is a bit deep for most dart frogs, with sides too steep for them to easily climb out of. If you do keep dart frogs in there, E. anthonyi or tricolor might be okay, but other types of amphibians may be better for this tank than dart frogs. D. auratus would, in my opinion, be a bit risky in that tank.


I can add things to make exiting the water easier. I have some small boulders, but maybe some nice driftwood pieces would be a good idea. I will have to have some of my dart frog friends over to see it in person before getting them. 



Krakkin said:


> First of all, this is a great looking vivarium! I didn't see anyone else chime in on the begonia ID but it looks like a "Red Robin" to me. I have one in one of my tanks and it looks like the same plant from your pic.


Thanks for the ID and the compliment. That looks to be it. Do you have any care recommendations? Watering requirements? Mine put out a new leaf then growth slowed. I recently moved it to a dryer spot.


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## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

When it comes to begonias I have found that it is best to keep the original plant out of the set up and use it as a master plant. Then you take leaf cuttings and place them in a few different spots in your set up. 

That way you have a better chance of getting a successful plant that is adapted to your set up specifically. Another great benefit is that you have unlimited chances at success. That is as long as you know how to take care of your master plant back up. 

Also, I try to place them in places that get moderate moisture where the plant won't be able to bury roots in deep substrate (like an epiphyte). On a rock pile or near an area with shallow substrate for example. This has worked great for me, YMMV.


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## Krakkin (Jul 1, 2013)

tcmfish said:


> Thanks for the ID and the compliment. That looks to be it. Do you have any care recommendations? Watering requirements? Mine put out a new leaf then growth slowed. I recently moved it to a dryer spot.


I'm far from an expert and actually almost killed mine before I got it growing again. I actually did what cam1941 suggested and separated mine into 2 plants before planting one in the vivarium. The other went into a 20 long tank that I use as a sudo greenhouse/plant grow out tank. 

The one in the vivarium I think I almost drowned as all but one of the bigger leaves died in the first week (which helped a bit in jump starting the isopods in there). The one bigger leaf seemed stable so I moved it to the front of the viv where the substrate was shallower (about 2 inches instead of 5) in hopes that it would drain faster. I could also make sure it didn't get watered as heavily as the rest of the tank there. 

Since then the red robin has started shooting up new leaves and is really starting to look good, though I'm a little concerned now it might get too big to be right at the front. The one I planted in my grow out tank is actually growing slower now than the one in the viv, but has stayed more stable. 

Hopefully that helps a bit, I don't know a lot about plants and just kinda winged it but somehow it worked out in the end.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Had a couple other local froggers over yesterday. Good to get some people to see the tank in person. They gave me some ideas to help. One of which I need to screen my fogger hole, which I haven't done. I'll look to do that this weekend. 

I also got some fruit fly media and jars and will be starting cultures tomorrow. I have four auratus frogs waiting at my friends house for when my cultures are ready. 

8956_1483239131973 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

Leaf litter also arrived today. Added that in and a lot of the broms and orchids are putting our roots which is awesome. This tank has been a lot of fun and can't wait for more. These pics are a bit over exposed but I was hurrying before the lights went off. 

20170104_214713 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170104_214729 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170104_214739 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170104_214752 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

Also, one of my buddies hooked me up with more cherry shrimp. The aquatic section is getting full of animals, some rasboras, amano shrimp, cherry shrimp, danios, tetras, panda garras, otocinclus, bristlenose. 

20170104_215344 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170104_215422 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr


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## Hunlock (Feb 9, 2016)

Absolutely stunning! I've enjoyed reading through this thread, watching the progression. I love those lights!


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## flyfshrmn98 (Mar 23, 2012)

What did you end up doing for your top and ventilation? Do you have issues with condensation on the front glass from all the water?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Thanks guys!

Hunlock, the lights are Mars Aqua and for the price I love them too. 




flyfshrmn98 said:


> What did you end up doing for your top and ventilation? Do you have issues with condensation on the front glass from all the water?


The top is 1/4" glass (I think I would've broken 1/8") and the vents are just over an inch wide and span the tank, but I actually wrapped one of the vents in saran wrap because the vent right by my register vent was keeping the left side of the tank too dry I think. I made the vents with screen door supplies. There is condensation on the glass big time. I don't think I can avoid it. I could have fans probably but I honestly don't mind and just open a lid if I want to see.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Hey guys,

Due for an update. The tank is humming along. Fly cultures are booming. I started with melanogaster but also got some hydei and bean beetle cultures. 

20170120_230815 by 

*VENDOR FEEDBACK REMOVED*

Anyways, I also got the Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze'!! Very excited. Two of them are very active and almost always in view so far (it has only been a day) I have yet to see the other two since adding them, hoping for the best there (edit as I was typing this I just saw all four! Took them a bit to come out for feeding). They seem to navigate the water just fine with bridges or shallow mossed over areas. 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Q8tMFd]20170120_225814 by 
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Q8tHus]20170120_225650 by 
[url=https://flic.kr/p/QQAgSw]20170120_224856 by 
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Q8t3MC]20170120_224438 by 

Here is an updated full tank shot:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/QRFSCs]20170121_142845 by 

I was happy to get some smaller orchids and shingling plants for the back walls. I am excited about Epidendrum porpax, Lycopodium squarrosum, a Marcgravia, and Rhaphidophora cryptantha among others. 

I also replaced a couple of the larger danio fish with some rice killifish and some cool endler's livebearers. Trying to go with smaller animals underwater in the event I get tadpoles. 

Hope you guys enjoy.


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## Hercrabit (Oct 6, 2016)

Beautiful frogs! How lucky they are to have such a beautiful home!
*VENDOR FEEDBACK REMOVED*


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## flyfshrmn98 (Mar 23, 2012)

Looks good! Where did the frogs come from? Curious to see how bold they get when the settle in. They are one of the ones on my list of potentials


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Frogs came from a friend who inherited another local guys whole collection. They have bred before.


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## ishia (Dec 19, 2016)

Very nice build!
Those fish skills have paid well.
I find the design and mod everything necessity of fish transfers well for these builds.
Lucky frogs!


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)




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## Damon Ryan (Nov 13, 2015)

How do they get along?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Stretch (Jan 15, 2017)

Hey, so I'm doing a 90 gallon build similar to yours in the fact that I want land and water features at almost the same ratio. I have been researching tons, I've read over this thread enough times, but I don't understand how you are maintaining those water levels underneath the actual land level. Essentially your draining layer is the same water your fish are in, so in being connected, can any macro fauna go underneath the land masses and get trapped? How do you monitor your substrates moisture? My test run proved all the things I thought to be wrong. Water is way above my egg crates, and I don't want to raise the land masses higher. I've down sized the pump( all internal plumbing behind foam) and even tried to increase pressure with a smaller sized hose through the permanent hose, and it doesn't give enough water flow. The next size pump, which has an adjuster, still gives too much water and fills the land masses. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Stretch (Jan 15, 2017)

Sorry...just read again...I understand. Awesome.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

So there was a little tease there, but I got more frogs! 6 Epipedobates anthonyi 'Santa Isabel' 5 adults and one froglet. I am very excited, these guys are athletic and make large leaps. Also the calling is nice. The tank is in the basement so I enjoy it I know others have had them in the bedroom and yeah that could get annoying. 

Climbing the glass. This frog had to have gone for a swim to end up here. 


A nice brom shot Neoregelia 'Annick', some of the broms are pupping out already.


A couple 'Highland Bronze' hugging it out:






Damon Ryan said:


> How do they get along?


So far so good. There has been a little male aggression with the anthonyi it seems, but I don't think its a problem yet, then again I'm a beginner so who knows. 



Stretch said:


> Hey, so I'm doing a 90 gallon build similar to yours in the fact that I want land and water features at almost the same ratio. I have been researching tons, I've read over this thread enough times, but I don't understand how you are maintaining those water levels underneath the actual land level. Essentially your draining layer is the same water your fish are in, so in being connected, can any macro fauna go underneath the land masses and get trapped? How do you monitor your substrates moisture? My test run proved all the things I thought to be wrong. Water is way above my egg crates, and I don't want to raise the land masses higher. I've down sized the pump( all internal plumbing behind foam) and even tried to increase pressure with a smaller sized hose through the permanent hose, and it doesn't give enough water flow. The next size pump, which has an adjuster, still gives too much water and fills the land masses. Any help would be appreciated.


So if you look at the first post, I have rigid walls siliconed in place to prevent the water from flooding those areas. Little secret though, this tank didn't end up working as planned...

The water area now drains into the land some. I am not sure where, but I had to beef up the blockade to the overflow of the water section (in the back right of the tank behind the diagonal wall, there is a standpipe which was to dictate the water level height that I am calling the overflow to the sump). Fish were making it through the cracks between rocks and getting back there. So I took a large rock and placed it in front and filled in with gravel. This rose the water level in the water portion and now it spills over into the land. However this is not a problem because the land areas all drain to a bulkhead that goes to a bucket (in theory I was going to empty this bucket as it filled) and in practice luckily I drilled a bulkhead in the top of the bucket that ran back into the sump in the event my walls failed. So now it actually isn't that bad, a little increased water volume and the water will probably be filtered a bit by plant roots that touch it. I am expecting the water to darken over time and we will see if/when that happens how I like it. I have tested the tank for power outages and my walls still hold water, it is just lower. And the sump accommodates the extra water. In fact I think it has worked perfectly because now the water fills the valleys of the foam walls (fake rock) and frogs can walk right out of the water if need be. 

One last frog pic before I leave you. I like these 'Santa Isabel' because some of them have a good amount of cream/white on them. 


Enjoy,
Tim


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Cleaned the glass and took a few pictures today.

Full tank shot:


Neoregelia 'Avant-garde' pupping out:


The right center epiphyte branch:


In tank side view:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/RshbGU]

Enjoy,
Tim


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## d_mill24 (Jan 22, 2017)

Such a cool setup!


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## CharlesT0271 (Jan 24, 2017)

The pop you are getting off the uv is beautiful. Do you have led specs or model on those mars aqua that purple look is fantastic.


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## jayjigga (Apr 20, 2007)

Completely off topic, but were you from the IL area a few years back?? This build looks SICK. I'm currently reef only, but I wouldn't mind getting back into frogs and this is one motivational build


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## jayjigga (Apr 20, 2007)

Lol, I skipped right past the Chicago post 

I haven't seen you since I transported your Biocube! I think it was a 24G. I grabbed whatever was left at the time and a buddy bought the tank. Glad to see you're well. I might love frogs more than fish honestly. Can't wait to see where this tank goes in the future. The reefing knowledge shows in this build. If I knew what I know from planted and reef when I did frogs, I'd probably still have frogs.

I don't know if it's a big thing here, but I'd love to see a build with Dwarf Hair Grass. It's a big planted tank plant, but it does great dry started, so I can't imagine it wouldn't do just as amazing in a PDF tank.


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## CharlesT0271 (Jan 24, 2017)

I was thinking about using dhg in my current build but decided its to tall. I will be putting ug in mine somewhere.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Thanks guys.

No specs on the lights. Ordered them off amazon. But I had to remove the optics to get the spread. 

Jayjigga, yup that was me. I just wrote an article in Coral Magazine, for Nov/Dec 2016. Raising the stocky anthias. Anyways funny running into you here. Interesting idea on the hairgrass, would definitely provide some different texture.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

rockstar build! love it

JD


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

20170205_151309 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr


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## Tfabian21 (Jan 25, 2017)

What material did you use to section off your tank?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Kydex sheet.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Some frog porn. The anthonyi have had at least two clutches. One of the males deposited the tads in the water feature but I haven't found any as of today.


I didn't see them lay this clutch, but here is a male with them on his back.
20170223_131827 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

2nd clutch, laid right by the front glass on a pitcher plant leaf:
20170216_201212 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

Fatty, fighting gravity. Climb, slide down, repeat for quite some time today:
20170224_175340 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr
20170224_175416 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr
20170224_181144 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr


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## stepheneashia (Feb 3, 2017)

Very nice tank. I really like the color of the lights. Wpuld you care to post more info on the lights?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

stepheneashia said:


> Very nice tank. I really like the color of the lights. Wpuld you care to post more info on the lights?


I'm not sure what more info you want. I showed pictures of me removing the optics. They are Mars Aqua, 165w LED fixtures. Normally made for reef aquariums. I have the blue channel turned down slightly, but since they are knobs I can't say for sure what level I am running them at.


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## T1NY (Nov 4, 2015)

OMG i love your tank! But I got a couple questions about your water feature...it seems very deep, are you concerned your frogs might get stuck and drown? And were you planning on raising the tads on your own or just let nature run its course..pretty sure the shrimp will eat the tads up


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

You might be stretching your usable space a little thin (at least for the dart frogs), given that you have 10 frogs total in the viv of two very different species, and about half of your floor space has been dedicated to your water feature. Did you plan on adding any other animals/frogs to it in the future?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

T1NY said:


> OMG i love your tank! But I got a couple questions about your water feature...it seems very deep, are you concerned your frogs might get stuck and drown? And were you planning on raising the tads on your own or just let nature run its course..pretty sure the shrimp will eat the tads up


The water level in the water feature sits at the low spots of the walls. The frogs are quite athletic and jump across no problem, in the event they land in water they don't panic at all and just walk right out. Haven't had any issues. The auratus are less adventurous but still do migrate thoughout the whole tank. I was hoping to let the tadpoles grow in the water feature, but they have deposited over 100 tadpoles by this point and I never see them again... I'm fine with the number of frogs I have though so I will probably just let them breed, but not raise them. 



Dane said:


> You might be stretching your usable space a little thin (at least for the dart frogs), given that you have 10 frogs total in the viv of two very different species, and about half of your floor space has been dedicated to your water feature. Did you plan on adding any other animals/frogs to it in the future?


The frogs have plenty of space. If you look the foam walls tank a ton of space away from water feature, which in turn is usable space for the frogs. Also they navigate the space well. The tank is 72in by 24in footprint so it is significantly larger than most tanks I see. The auratus were kept in a 18x18 cube their whole life before I got them, which doesn't include the space taken away by decorative walls on the sides and back. Also you have to factor in the branches and bromeliads etc. The anthonyi are always hoping all over the plants which gives them tons more surface area, which will only get bigger as the plants grow. They have laid multiple batches of tads on plant leaves suspended over the water and on top of the waterfall. So while it might seem like a lot of water, without seeing it in person it is hard to visualize.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

20170312_180258 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170312_153436 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

20170507_202839 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170504_181407 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170507_203146 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr

20170507_203222 by Tim Morrissey, on Flickr


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

The tank is still going strong!


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## DaveMorris (Sep 23, 2017)

Beautiful tank. I am going to be converting my 130g (48x24x26) reef tank to a dart frog home and have picked up several nice ideas from this thread. I like the plant selection and the mix of aquarium to land. Thanks for sharing!


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## Andrew Sullivan (Aug 5, 2017)

I notice you used what appears to be regular expanding foam on the water feature. You also seem to have used some pond expanding foam. Have you ever experienced trouble with using regular? As in, is it super saturated?


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Andrew Sullivan said:


> I notice you used what appears to be regular expanding foam on the water feature. You also seem to have used some pond expanding foam. Have you ever experienced trouble with using regular? As in, is it super saturated?


I'm not sure what you mean by super saturated. The regular foam seemed to work well and stick to the glass better than the pond foam. If doing it again I would use regular foam and paint with drylock. The only reason I chose black pond foam is that I didn't want big chunks of white foam showing through the viewing windows. Those could be covered with dark decals though.


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## tcmfish (Oct 22, 2016)

Some updates.


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## Mchub (Mar 19, 2018)

Man, I love this thread. What a beautiful tank. I'm a grad student now, but hope that when I'm done in a year and have the money for it, that I can put together something like this. Super jealous.


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## Dannyboy402 (Aug 2, 2016)

Tank looks great!!! I’m in Omaha too! I’m getting a 93 gallon cube and have been playing with the idea of making a paludarium out of it. I’ve got two vivariims going now but this new tank is gonna be the masterpiece 😁


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## Reddog (Jun 23, 2018)

tcmfish said:


> Some updates.
> 
> View attachment 271945
> 
> ...


How is that cork insulation panel holding up long term?


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