# 55 Gallon Split viv build journal



## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

This is my first attempt at building a viv, so be gentle with the criticism...thanks! Hehe. I started with a normal 55 gallon aquarium - emptied everything out and cleaned it in a mild bleach solution. Not happy with the aquarium hood, I measured and had 1/4" glass pieces cut and ordered a length of living hinge from dr. Fosters and Smith to build both sides of my lid. I also made a template for the center divider and siliconed it into place, creating two completely seperate areas that each measure 24"x12"x19" tall. I bought some nice drawer handles and used glass glue to attach them to one side of my lids, making them easy to open.

(PIC OF LIDS WILL GO HERE)

Then I mounted some pieces of cork bark with silicone to the sides (6 sides now, since it's split in half) in locations that I thought would make sense for planting, making sure to mount them high enough not to be buried in the substrate. Here's what that looked like:











Then for the first time ever, I applied the great stuff. My plan was more to cover the bare glass and make a nice looking background more than it was to have a bunch of pots in there for plants - I have several planting locations available as a result of the cork bark, and hope that this will provide enough planting locations. Some of the plants can be attached directly to the walls as well, so hopefully I'll be okay. Again, this is my first viv so experience will be my best teacher. Here's what it looked like when I started with the great stuff. You can also see the $22 light hood (T8 with electronic ballast) that I bought from Home Depot for this project. It has one 4100k and one 6500k bulb in it:











After all of the nasty Great Stuff was applied and dried, I began with the wonderful task of applying copius amounts of silicone to the sides, doing only two sides (remember, I'm actually doing 2 vivs at the same time, so there are 2 right sides, 2 left sides, and 2 backs) at a time. I used a full tube of silicone for each side (so that's 4 tubes right there), and two tubes for each back (so that's another 4 tubes, or 8 total). After spreading the silicone as evenly as possible, and trying to work it into each little nook and cranny, I scooped the Zilla fir/sphagnum mix onto the wet silicone, applying it a couple of inches deep and pressing it into the silicone, hoping for a good bond and good coverage. After doing the sides first, I realized that I will be going back and doing some touch up, but decided to get the main layer applied to the whole project before going back to do touch up work. I will try to post some photos tonight of the viv with all the sides having their first layer applied - I just did the back last night. There will be considerable work involved in scraping off the excess silicone in places, but I expect the end result to look pretty decent, esp for a first build.

(PICS OF COVERED GS WILL GO HERE)


After getting good coverage on all the walls, I will rinse my red lava rock and put it inside the viv on top of the old undergravel filter, which I used to help more with drainage AND to give me the powerhead tubes which I will use to drain each side of the viv - cool huh? I will then cover the lava with fiberglass screen, followed by a mix of long fiber sphagnum and the Zilla fir/sphagnum moss mulch that is applied to the sides.


(PICS OF BOTTOM LAYERS WILL GO HERE)

Then I will be asking all you experts for planting advice. I have some ideas already.....but getting informed and experienced opinions to verify or counter my ideas is always best.

(PICS OF SPECIFIC PLANTING AREAS WILL GO HERE)


Thanks for looking and for your help guys,

Warner


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

UPDATED:

This is my first attempt at building a viv, so be gentle with the criticism...thanks! Hehe. I started with a normal 55 gallon aquarium - emptied everything out and cleaned it in a mild bleach solution. Not happy with the aquarium hood, I measured and had 1/4" glass pieces cut and ordered a length of living hinge from dr. Fosters and Smith to build both sides of my lid. I also made a template for the center divider and siliconed it into place, creating two completely seperate areas that each measure 24"x12"x19" tall. I bought some nice drawer handles and used glass glue to attach them to one side of my lids, making them easy to open.










Then I mounted some pieces of cork bark with silicone to the sides (6 sides now, since it's split in half) in locations that I thought would make sense for planting, making sure to mount them high enough not to be buried in the substrate. Here's what that looked like:











Then for the first time ever, I applied the great stuff. My plan was more to cover the bare glass and make a nice looking background more than it was to have a bunch of pots in there for plants - I have several planting locations available as a result of the cork bark, and hope that this will provide enough planting locations. Some of the plants can be attached directly to the walls as well, so hopefully I'll be okay. Again, this is my first viv so experience will be my best teacher. Here's what it looked like when I started with the great stuff. You can also see the $22 light hood (T8 with electronic ballast) that I bought from Home Depot for this project. It has one 4100k and one 6500k bulb in it:











After all of the nasty Great Stuff was applied and dried, I began with the wonderful task of applying copius amounts of silicone to the sides, doing only two sides (remember, I'm actually doing 2 vivs at the same time, so there are 2 right sides, 2 left sides, and 2 backs) at a time. I used a full tube of silicone for each side (so that's 4 tubes right there), and two tubes for each back (so that's another 4 tubes, or 8 total). After spreading the silicone as evenly as possible, and trying to work it into each little nook and cranny, I scooped the Zilla fir/sphagnum mix onto the wet silicone, applying it a couple of inches deep and pressing it into the silicone, hoping for a good bond and good coverage. After doing the sides first, I realized that I will be going back and doing some touch up, but decided to get the main layer applied to the whole project before going back to do touch up work. I will try to post some photos tonight of the viv with all the sides having their first layer applied - I just did the back last night. There will be considerable work involved in scraping off the excess silicone in places, but I expect the end result to look pretty decent, esp for a first build.

Here are a few various photos that show what it looks like before touching up some areas and cleaning the extra silicone from areas where I didn't intend for it to go. The photos didn't turn out as well as I hoped they would...there really ARE places to plant in those cork bark pockets and logs:






































After getting good coverage on all the walls, I will rinse my red lava rock and put it inside the viv on top of the old undergravel filter, which I used to help more with drainage AND to give me the powerhead tubes which I will use to drain each side of the viv - cool huh? I will then cover the lava with fiberglass screen, followed by a mix of long fiber sphagnum and the Zilla fir/sphagnum moss mulch that is applied to the sides.


(PICS OF BOTTOM LAYERS WILL GO HERE)

Then I will be asking all you experts for planting advice. I have some ideas already.....but getting informed and experienced opinions to verify or counter my ideas is always best.

(PICS OF SPECIFIC PLANTING AREAS WILL GO HERE)


Thanks for looking and for your help guys,

Warner


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

Lookin' good Warner!

PM'd with some more plant info.


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

MeiKVR6 said:


> Lookin' good Warner!
> 
> PM'd with some more plant info.



Thanks Mike...the photos make it look fairly horrible, but it's really not. It will look good when I clean up some of the stray silicone, get the substrate going, and start getting it planted. By the end of the weekend (God willing as I'm also in the midst of painting our basement floor and the FUN part starts tonight and tomorrow) I hope to be ready to order a bunch of plants from you! I sent you an e-mail a few minutes ago. Thanks again for your encouragement and all of your help!

Warner


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

GREAT idea for your 55 gallon tank to have been divided in 2. It is really looking good so far. Do you know what you will be putting in there when finished? Keep the pictures coming.


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

Colleen53 said:


> GREAT idea for your 55 gallon tank to have been divided in 2. It is really looking good so far. Do you know what you will be putting in there when finished? Keep the pictures coming.


Thanks. The FIRST thing I want to do is get it planted and see how that goes. My ultimate goal is to have a pair of Azureus on one side and a pair or small group of Leucs on the other side.

Warner


PS - I will of course keep the photos and info coming.


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

You have given me ideas for another vivaruim in the future. THANKS


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

Colleen53 said:


> You have given me ideas for another vivaruim in the future. THANKS


Good! I'm glad I helped in some small way...

Warner


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## Deli (Jun 24, 2008)

Indeed. I'll be splitting my 40 gall in the future, also.

Keeping an eye on this thread ^_^


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

I made some time today to work on the vivs a little. I patched the few spots on the walls where I didn't get good coverage on the first pass. Then I rinsed the red lava and put that in, followed by some fiberglass screen, followed finally by a mixture of sphagnum moss and the Zilla fir/spagnum peat moss. Here's what it looks like - it'll be ready to plant soon....I can still smell curing silicone in there. I am pretty happy with how it turned out so far!

Here's the view from the front, showing both sides"












Here's the left side:











Here's the right side:











Comments welcome!

Warner


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## Darmon (Feb 25, 2009)

The background looks really nice what did you use to cover the gs


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

Darmon said:


> The background looks really nice what did you use to cover the gs


THanks! Over a thick layer of clear silicon (GE1) that is STILL smelling a bit, is the Zilla Fir/Sphagnum moss mix.

Warner


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## jdart16 (Jun 5, 2008)

I would add a little more contour to your substrate layer might make it a little more interesting with valleys ect.

just my two cents

Other than that great job!


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

jdart16 said:


> I would add a little more contour to your substrate layer might make it a little more interesting with valleys ect.
> 
> just my two cents
> 
> Other than that great job!


Yeah...will do for sure. I just put it all in there, but can certainly move some around a bit. I will in fact put (in each side) another cork bark log, cut in half down the middle to make a tunnel which will also give me a place to put one of the Neos that I will have in there...

Thanks for the advice,

Warner


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## Darmon (Feb 25, 2009)

Cant wait to see it planted


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

Looking great. Can't wait to see it all done!


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

Darmon said:


> Cant wait to see it planted


Me either! I am working on an air recirculating system that may also incorporate some adjustable ventillation. I will post more information and photos of that once I have it further developed. 

I ordered all of the plants that I'll need yesterday and today...should start to see them come in at the end of next week. I hope all the other pieces are in place (enough) by then....I think they will be.

Warner


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

MeiKVR6 said:


> Looking great. Can't wait to see it all done!


Thanks Mike....and thanks for all of your help with the plants I'm ordering from you!

Warner


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

*55 Gallon Split viv build journal - PLANTED!*

I posted these elsewhere, but for those that may be following this particular thread, here are some photos of my split 55 gallon vivariums planted. I don't know if the photos show everything well enough, but here's what they look like now. Hopefully I can keep all the plants alive!


Let me know what you think and thanks,

Warner


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## Dragas (Sep 4, 2008)

How do you access to feed ?


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

Dragas said:


> How do you access to feed ?



The panel that the air cirulators go into is hinged....it just flips up. I don't have frogs in there yet.....going to wait a month or two for the plants to get established....

Warner


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

looks look, love the landscaping and plant selection, How come you sunk the pipes in the tank that far down though?


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

Julio said:


> looks look, love the landscaping and plant selection, How come you sunk the pipes in the tank that far down though?


I'm not sure I follow you. They have to come down a bit to make the turns. I COULD just put straight ends on them so the intake and exhausts are pointing straight down (I may do this on the intake side), but then the air wouldn't be blowing on the front glass keeping it somewhat clear.

Warner


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

warner said:


> I'm not sure I follow you. They have to come down a bit to make the turns. I COULD just put straight ends on them so the intake and exhausts are pointing straight down (I may do this on the intake side), but then the air wouldn't be blowing on the front glass keeping it somewhat clear.
> 
> Warner


The tank looks great now that it's all planted!

You could maybe disguise the pvc a little by covering the ends that protrude into the tank with silicone/coco.

I love that idea with the recirculation and the clean overall look of it. Can you explain on some of the sizes etc you used for it?


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## liveforthis (Jul 16, 2009)

The air circulators...is there a fan inside the pvc? please explain more as I am curious.


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

liveforthis said:


> The air circulators...is there a fan inside the pvc? please explain more as I am curious.



Yep....here's the build thread for the air circulator systems:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...osed-air-circulation-system-you-can-make.html


Warner


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## warner (Jul 6, 2009)

boogsawaste said:


> The tank looks great now that it's all planted!
> 
> You could maybe disguise the pvc a little by covering the ends that protrude into the tank with silicone/coco.
> wrapping
> I love that idea with the recirculation and the clean overall look of it. Can you explain on some of the sizes etc you used for it?


Most of the PVC is 2". The pieces that hold the fan are special pieces, as discussed in the build thread. And at the bottom is a 2" to 1 1/2" adapter just to step it down a little bit, but not so much as to cut down on the airflow significantly. They are all commonly available PVC parts....nothing fancy and very easy to duplicate. I cemented the pieces that hold the fan together, which makes the system impossible to replace a worn out fan. If I built it again, I'd try wrapping tape around the inside piece to cause the fit to hopefully be tight enough to hold the fan in place and stay together, but also be rebuildable. The PVC parts are really pretty cheap, so building a whole new unit wouldn't cost much really. 

Warner


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