# 55g Tinctorius vivarium - pics very heavy



## RNKot

*CORE CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL*​

More than 10 years ago first saw the Dendrobates in London zoo. Was inspired by this small juwesl of the rainforest. Have been keeping D. Auratus, but while moving to motherland lost 'em all


It's time to come back to the hobby 



This viv been started in November 2010 & fully planted up to January 2011. Next flood is construction journal. If interested in additional fotos, can read this threat, in russian 

pictures are clickable

The final result:









After reading DB and other, watching & inspiring from your vivs made a choice for D. Tinctorius Cobalt morph
The viv is 70*60*50cm 24,5*23,5*20in with a plastic top for the lights

















Viv is selfmade on aquarium basics
Front ventelation & back upper ventelation

















Top for 2 x T5 24W lamps 4000К & 2 compact fluorescent lamps, just for the case 
Think i'll instal UVB lamp for one compact fluorescent








*on picture is Magnum PLF 13W already changed for above setup

Living part is separated with glass lid









False bottom from plastic & glass ramp for it to hold. Also a small door

























PVC made colum for false bottom









Under the false bottom Fluval 105 tubing & aquarium heater are installed. It's a mistake!  False bottom from LECA or even gravel is better. My setup is hadly operatable, if anything brokes under false bottom need to turn down all the bottom

































Left back glass have an operational cut for tubing and wire









Tubing & wires covered with plastic, same as false bottom












Most decor is made of expanding foam
If i'll do another build it will be from concrete 
First rows of foam









Future waterfeature with the standart Exo-Terra desrt background









Right side future platform









Waterfeature from real part of boiled wood, wall painted with bathroom sealant & acrilic paints

















Foam cured and cutted into shape. Siliconed cocofiber
Front

















Right side with future orchid wall









Drilling drinage in false bottom

















Magnolia leafs test









Vines are standart from Exo-Terra

















Decor finished
Substrate added
Waterfeature is working
Stones installed in ivagumi style (joke)
Magnolia leafs inserted
Ready for planting


----------



## RNKot

*Re: 55g Tinctorius vivarium*

*PLANTED FOR 2 MONTH​*
pictures are clickable

First planted









Planted for 2 month
State for 30/01/2011
Added some cork bark & orchids









Light from left worm compact fluorescent lamp, used as an evening lighting for now to overlight the viv
Think will change this one for UVB









Light from right cold compact fluorescent lamp, used as an evening lighting for now to overlight the viv









Magnolia leaf litter

















ВRight orchid wall

















Left wall with water feature

















Some orchid 









Waterfeature close look
Driven by Fluval 105 external canister finlter

















Bromeliads of unknown species


----------



## RNKot

*Re: 55g Tinctorius vivarium*

*MOSS GROWTH*​
pictures are clickable

Mosses planted November 2010









*Pillea moss* - Monosolenium Tenerum right in the water, over the stones









same left from Christmas Moss

















*Wiror moss* - Fontinalis sp. 'japan'
one of the best from Christmas & Java Moss
spreads horisontally









































*Stringy moss* - Taxiphyllum sp (Leptodictym riparium) not sure for latin name
not showing any growth from 07/11/2010, but still alive









*Flame moss* - Taxiphyllum sp
same unsetisfying growth. Not attache to the ground even but alive









*Taiwan moss* - Taxiplyllum alternans
greately changed from it's subwater form, resembles just a green spot


















And now the two species that hit the price 

*Java Moss* - Taxiphyllum barbieri
thin tallom, spreads upwards ion any decor, only than becomes fluffy

















*Christmas Moss* - Vesicularia montagnei
the best one in the viv, like it! 


























Some unknown specie from the lockal forest.


----------



## RNKot

*Re: 55g Tinctorius vivarium*

reserved333


----------



## BOOSHIFIED

I really wanna go buy some exo terra vines now.

GREAT VIV!!!


----------



## chesney

You have an amazing talent for building tanks! This might very well be the prettiest tank I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing


----------



## frogface

Gorgeous! Love all those mosses


----------



## bristles

wow ! that build is a work of art very well done, you know your stuff


----------



## fleshfrombone

Whoa now. That is one gorgeous viv! I really like that you finished your project and let it grow in before posting pics.


----------



## RNKot

Thanks 

i'll wait for 1-4 week more and finaly buy some Tinctorius  
There is a new passion - orchids... 
Need more to the left side i think


----------



## JeremyHuff

Gorgeous tank! This is your first ever? If so, amazing...


----------



## RNKot

First after 10 years out of hobby but can consider the first normal, previous were much simplier - without backgrounds etc.


----------



## Okapi

beautiful mosses


----------



## Ben Wehr

You're going to have some happy frogs!


----------



## Julio

great detailed work, amazing!!


----------



## curlykid

just saying but, this would be amazing for a group of 5 pumilio bastimentos!


----------



## RNKot

curlykid said:


> just saying but, this would be amazing for a group of 5 pumilio bastimentos!


I also think that it suits some vertically oriented species, thumbnails or any other frogs that uses vertical space better than Tincs, but i have no opportunity to buy any till autumn & don't forget i'm a beginer with first build


----------



## curlykid

i'm very confident that you could pull off some. They are not hard to care for, the only reason they are listed as expert or advanced is because of breeding. it is very hard to rear their tadpoles YOURSELF but if the parents raise them it is easily done. My first frogs are definitely going to be thumbnails. their care isn't much different from other frogs, the only difference is they need to be fed daily. I think anyone can handle that. Also, most Ranitomeya are somewhat reclusive, pumilio are bright and bold, particularly Bastimentos. It's your tank and it will be great with any frog, but because it is verticle oriented, it is better for thumbnail species (Ranitomeya, Oophaga)


----------



## MeiKVR6

Excellent. Absolutely well done.


----------



## RNKot

curlykid said:


> i'm very confident that you could pull off some. They are not hard to care for, the only reason they are listed as expert or advanced is because of breeding. it is very hard to rear their tadpoles YOURSELF but if the parents raise them it is easily done. My first frogs are definitely going to be thumbnails. their care isn't much different from other frogs, the only difference is they need to be fed daily. I think anyone can handle that. Also, most Ranitomeya are somewhat reclusive, pumilio are bright and bold, particularly Bastimentos. It's your tank and it will be great with any frog, but because it is verticle oriented, it is better for thumbnail species (Ranitomeya, Oophaga)


I consider Thumbnails to be my next frogs, maybe will start a new viv in autumn using concrete technique...  also i'm inspired with local artificial root systems... 
But first need to master Tincs. Reading forum for half a yaer was good (you see the result above), but i lack practice.


----------



## curlykid

Haha yeah, i'm sure it will look great either way


----------



## RNKot

Recived D. Tinctorius (French Guiana, Dwarf Cobalt). For fisrt 24h the'r not very active, sits most in hiding places, watching me through glass. Takes the FF on dinner time than showes to the hiding sposts.
Not active at all. Most of time they sits in cover, coming out only for FFs.
One is curiouse - when the door is opened he/she jumps from cocohut & just looks.


----------



## Roots

Nice frogs man - and nice looking viv - Love this build.


----------



## hukilausurfer

Dang this viv is EPIC! Great idea with the exo terra vines.


----------



## RNKot

*UPDATE 20/05/2011*​
i'm sorry but img thumb from photobucket is not allowed here, so fullsize pictures will go

After 4 mounth of growth got next picture


















Left side









Right side









The video all around






Some naughty showing


















http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/RNKot/Tincs/IMG_1972.jpg[/img

[img]http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/RNKot/Tincs/IMG_1926.jpg

And feeding collembola









Video





One more with Drosophila





First pups from Bromelias



























Orchid is blooming. Not impressive 









The moses taking all the terrarium

*Christmas Moss* - Vesicularia montagnei


















*Wiror moss* - Fontinalis sp. 'japan'


















*Stringy moss* - Taxiphyllum sp (Leptodictym riparium  )









I have no idea what moss exactly is growing here, think Christmas Moss overwhelmed them all


----------



## Mitch

Awesome! Love the moss growth and the frogs. Once those sporophytes release their spores you should be getting moss everywhere in the tank... even where you don't want it


----------



## RNKot

*Update 21/07/2011​*
Just front shot









Front with 1.2 inhabitants. Yep, you'r right, it's † herecy † 









Floor shot. Nothing special, i just love magnolia leaves.









Left side with waterfall. It was a mistake, i wold prefer to give them much more floor space, rather to have unusable waterfall.









Lesft side Exo-Terra gackground occupied by Christmas Moss - Vesicularia montagnei.
Need MORE to cover it 









Right side - "orchid wall". 
They do not blossom, the'r shy 









Female is on the way to the waterfall - FF are gathering there. Poor escapers.

















Just a female. Male is guarding the clutch.


----------



## arielelf

This is an awesome viv!! Super nice job!!


----------



## DendroRachel

wow......... i want mine to look this sweet!!!!!!!!


----------



## dfrmav

what kind of fern is that in the middle? and where did you get the mosses from?


----------



## GRIMM

Totally forgot about this tank. Really really great design, and super clean. Finally someone who takes pride in showcasing the growth with good photography also! Thanks for the update!


----------



## RNKot

Thanks 



dfrmav said:


> what kind of fern is that in the middle? and where did you get the mosses from?


Fern is really any Fern sp.  bought from simple flower shop. I'm really short in plants suply, there is nothing can be found in the country. I'm just buying anything i can get.
Got pretty nice orchinds but they'r three times expensive than yours  Neoregelias bought from Saint Petersburg - 1900km (1180 miles) away  So i'm reciving plants without tags, and sometimes even without photo 
So i'm sorry i can't tell what plants i got 

Mosses are from aquariums - Jawa & Christmas works best for me.


----------



## tclipse

Fantastic viv.


----------



## eos

Lovely tank... looks even better now with all the growth


----------



## johnyrocks

You hairy son of a b*tch! I love this piece of eye-porn


----------



## johnyrocks

yw


----------



## afroturf

Awesome viv, one of the best. Are you running a misting system or just the waterfall?


----------



## RNKot

afroturf said:


> Awesome viv, one of the best. Are you running a misting system or just the waterfall?


Thanks!

I'm running a waterfall & misting (a bit) regularly - in the morning and in the evening. Mosses are misted heavily than Neoregelias, just a couple direct shots with hand sprayer.


----------



## jackxc925

If you think the waterfall was a mistake just turn it off, plug the holes with substrate/moss, and bam, you've got usable space


----------



## Submarinr

Fantastic looking viv! Great pictures too.

Question on creating the planting holes.. I couldnt' tell or maybe I missed this;

Did you use the regular aquarium planting cups (open slits all around)? Or a simple plastic cup?
If the latter, did you cut slits/holes in them? 
And, if not, did the foam cause problems w/ that application?

Thanks for the great detailed journal.
Really like your idea of apply GS directly to glass in an artistic manner.. inspired me to re-think simply covering side w/ silicone now ;0)

Joe - building my own first Paludarium now..


----------



## RNKot

Submarinr said:


> Fantastic looking viv! Great pictures too.
> 
> Question on creating the planting holes.. I couldnt' tell or maybe I missed this;
> 
> Did you use the regular aquarium planting cups (open slits all around)? Or a simple plastic cup?
> If the latter, did you cut slits/holes in them?
> And, if not, did the foam cause problems w/ that application?
> 
> Thanks for the great detailed journal.
> Really like your idea of apply GS directly to glass in an artistic manner.. inspired me to re-think simply covering side w/ silicone now ;0)
> 
> Joe - building my own first Paludarium now..


It's just a simple plastic cups
Sorry for full size imgs, Photobucket's IMG thumb don't work





































they are directly in the foam. After cople of days, when the foam drys out, i heated the iron skewer & made holes (delves) from cups to the false bottom & to the front. 
Some delves were drilled but it didn't provide good channel for water. Heated iron skewer creates delves with smooth edges. That worked better for water release.


----------



## RNKot

Got some Tinctorius pictures.


----------



## eos

Love this one:










And this!











Great pics all around!


----------



## cyck22

Amazing job!! I really like how you incorporated a piece of exo fake rock background into your custom background. I have been considering the same thing and seeing your finished product has given me the confidence to give it a try.. Thanks for sharing this incredible build and great photos!


----------



## RNKot

cyck22 said:


> Amazing job!! I really like how you incorporated a piece of exo fake rock background into your custom background. I have been considering the same thing and seeing your finished product has given me the confidence to give it a try.. Thanks for sharing this incredible build and great photos!


If i knew how it will look like after a year, i will also cover it with silicone & cocofiber. It looks ugly for me...


----------



## drutt

nice photos..


----------



## Alegre323

beautiful tank


----------



## Lukiluk

Your terrarium is incredible. but i have a question, what do you put up top of falsem bottom? you put the leaves directly?

other question hehe, what is the cave you have in the ground?

thnk u so much and lovely viv!


----------



## Alegre323

curious on how you did the side vine looking things on the right side of the tank. it looks pretty good and I may do it to my tank pending your instructions lol


----------



## frog dude

BEST VIV EVER!!! I would like to know how you got the bromeliads on the wall,though.


----------



## RNKot

Viv is redone & new topic created 
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/91451-55g-redone.html#post807474
this one is no more.


----------

