# First Viv and Proud of it!!!



## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

Here it is....I had no idea what I was getting into when I started on this project....but I had lots of fun doing it. 

I was inspired by the DIY Tutorial on Black Jungle and of course augmented my design with countless hours of searching and reading posts on dboard. Thank you everyone!!!!

I used the Exo Terra 24x18x24 (which I thought would be large enough). I have a false bottom which can hold 4.5 gallons of water. I have a water fall which cascades from the top right. Currently I am searching for a pump which can pump water straight up 24 inches through a 1/2 in line and into a dripper manifold with 8 1/4in drip lines which go about 24 inches from manifold to head of the waterfall. I have ordered the Mini Jet 606...hopefully it will do the job. 

For lighting I got one of the new Exo Terra Canopy Hoods....I have 2 Repti Glo 2.0 26W Compacts and one Repti Glo 5.0 26W. I still need to seal off the screen top and also hook up a fan. I live in Montana where the winters can get super chilly....Im thinking of adding a submersible water heater into my false bottom to keep the tank temp up... as the room temp in the winter can be as low as 50 over night in winter. This also should allow the pond area to be a tad farm....let me know if im dreaming on this idea. 

I plan to add a mating pair of D. Azureus or D. Cobalts in late august or september. This should be plenty of time for the tank to climatize and nice ground cover to grow in. 

Enough text....lets see some pics eh?









The FULL MONTY









Center Plants









My Favorite Plants









Side View









Side View

If you want to see bigger better pics you can view my Gallery Pics of click my construction journal link below. 

Thanks for any feedback!!!!


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## booboo (Jan 22, 2005)

looks great for a first vivarium! Good job


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## dopederson (Mar 26, 2006)

Nice job on the tank! If you are still looking for a pump I would recommend either one of the mini jet pumps. If you google for Mini Jet 606 you should find sites on the web that sell them. I have a 606 in my tank right now and it is going strong. The nice thing about these pumps is that they have built in flow adjustments. Good luck


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## nburns (May 3, 2005)

Very nice job. I'd be proud too!


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

ah it will be all grown in by august and ready for some nice frogs.

great job.

S


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

That looks pretty cool. You did a great job.


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## a Vertigo Guy (Aug 17, 2006)

That looks really nice! I likey 8)


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

holidayhanson said:


> I used the Exo Terra 24x18x24 (which I thought would be large enough).


Funnie how that works! :lol: You think you have a huge viv to work with and before you know it ................ the darn space is all used up!  

Oh well, time to start planning viv #2!  

Nice job!


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

Even looks great for a second, third, or fourth viv!  

Don't forget about adding some leaf litter to this or your next one. 

EricG.NH


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## Guest (May 23, 2007)

Looks very nice. How did you create that neat slope/ cliff in the front?


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## Tim F (Jan 27, 2006)

Oh yeah! Your frogs will be stoked!


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

I made the slope in the front with thin slate rocks and good ole Great Stuff. I hope they are not too steep should a frog go for a swim. Each end and the waterfall should allow an easy exit from the water fall. I hope the coco fiber will grow over with something green

*Leaf Litter: *What is its purpose? Im guessing to keep the frogs out of the "dirt." I will not be able to introduce frogs until august or sept....I hope the ground cover will grow over the entire place by then. Im thinking of getting java moss and ricca and adding some more Selaginella...and have them battle for floor space. I have a bunch of dried green moss...would this fulfill the purpose of leaf litter?

I cant wait til my micro jet 606 comes....hopefully then my waterfall will be in full effect. 

I ve been looking at the *Tetra Submersible Heaters*. They keep the water 78 degrees which should help keep the temps up in the winter months. Supposedly pretty stable and accurate. Im just wondering will my plants like toasty warm roots? Im guessing not. Heating the ambient room temperature is not feasible in the winter....Its just straight up cold and expensive with electric heat.

My next viv will be a 10G, used as a separation tank or holder during pump maintenance, water changing, and gardening. Hopefully it will be a nursery one day for froglets.


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## amphibianfreak (Jul 21, 2004)

I think you'll find that the look of leaf litter will add a nice touch to the viv. It provides the frogs someplace to dash for cover if startled and gives springtails and other small insects a nice place to reproduce and live until picked off by the frogs.It gives the viv a more natural forest floor look as opposed to covering the tank in moss. Nice viv too by the way!


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

*UPDATE AFTER 10 WEEKSish*

Here are some shots after 10-12 weeks since I first planted it. Some plants have lived and died. The Mullenbeckia Complexa and Sellangia are having some issues. Too wet where they were planted. I just peppered a bunch of koyoto moss all over everywhere to fill in more green. I love moss. 

Here are the pics:









The Full Shot









The waterfall with some nice moss growing in. 

I have more pics posted on my flickr page through the link below.


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## Jungle_John (Feb 19, 2007)

looking good


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## SMenigoz (Feb 17, 2004)

*Re: UPDATE AFTER 10 WEEKSish*



holidayhanson said:


> Here are some shots after 10-12 weeks since I first planted it. Some plants have lived and died.


I think these "months later" shots are a better reflection of a well-planted tank. Anyone can arrange/plant a tank with assorted air plants, orchids and tropicals and snap a photo...whether they survive remains to be seen. I cringe when I see air plants planted on the ground or attached to a waterfall; same thing with orchids planted in a "constant wet foot" environment. Guess we all need to make the same mistakes :wink:


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## rednkhuntertd (Jul 26, 2007)

*NICE!!!*

Turn me into a frog and let me move in!!! 
I was wondering if you had considered putting a filter in your next tank? My friend swears that I should put one in every tank I setup, so I use the fluval 1 plus. Also, don't forget to test your water for quality every once in a while (I test mine like every two weeks, but that is probably over doing it). I Love your tank. I got a brand new exo terra 18*18*24 like yours for just 80 bucks, and plan on setting up similar to yours. Keep up with the updates!!

Sarah


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## rednkhuntertd (Jul 26, 2007)

*Is the Great Stuff sate?*

I was going to use the "Great Stuff" foam on my tank. The tank is for my RETF and want to make sure that this stuff will not hurt my frogs in any way. I will have a false bottom, and water will touch the "Great Stuff". Thank You.


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

*6 month update...Now WITH FROGS!!!*

So I finally got some frogs. They seem happy; love to eat, play in the mist, sit in the waterfall and love to hide in spots I didn't even know existed. 

I have some issues with suicidal ff's....they are making the pond kind of yucky. The humidifier is a really cool effect, gives it that rainforest feel. I still need to plumb it in better than the huge plastic hose and lacrosse stick. My next project is to build a better top, im considering a full glass lid with holes for the humidifier and fans and a conduit for the light, pump, and fan power supply cords. 

Please post some feedback...I want to plant some color! Suggestions? Im thinking of some red broms in the bottom left/and or bottom center. Will my lights will keep red broms colored at that distance?...about 16-18 inches. I have 3 CF bulbs (Exo-terra Repti-glo 2.0 (2) and 5.0 (1)) Can anyone recommend a better 26W CF bulb that will fit in a standard socket? ...im sure there are better ones than the repti-glo's.









Full tank shot with fancy blue glass and matching frogs.









Cropped Tank Shot









Side View









My Frogs...to be named soon.


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Beautiful! Looks very natural; the plantings and moss are excellent!  

Mike


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Eric - Once your tank grew in a bit, you've got one nice lookin' tank on your hands. That frogs arent bad either :wink:


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## skronkykong (Jan 1, 2007)

Good job. Gotta love that riccia!

I just picked up a couple CF bulbs from the Wal-Marts that are called "day glow" or "day bulb" made by GM (I think). They say 6500K on the left side of the package.

For colors I would recommend mini-violets or tailings violets or a small episcia, but only if there is a spot in the tank that doesn't get too much misting or they might rot.


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

Eric

It looks great.

I cant tell if you have 1or 2 of those exoterra 3 bulb fixtures, but I have seen some nice red coloration on my broms placed below TWO of those fixtures. Most of the red broms will fade without strong light.

S


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## dartboy2 (Aug 22, 2007)

Wow, that is amazing.


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

Here is an update after 4.5 years of growth.

Havent changed the bulbs out for over a year. Things really color up nice when I put in new bulbs.


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

AHHHHH...Us newbies (Jan.2009) and after can not pull up your pics of the tank you made in 2007, but it sure looks good after 4.5 years! Love those broms. Do your Azureus climb? I bet thumbnails would love that viv too


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Beautiful! Nice to see it a tank so lush and full. Really hope mine grow out like that.


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

Here are some pics from when it was first planted:




























After a year things look pretty lush and fill in quite thick. I cut a produce bag out of this viv about every 6 weeks. It would be a solid box of vegetation if I didn't. 

These azureus climb the glass and plants quite frequently. They are terrestrial dwellers but <24 inches is pretty much at ground level. They go all over the place in this viv.


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## holidayhanson (Apr 25, 2007)

Here it is after just one year:










It is great to see plants come and go over the years. Right now the ferns and creeping fig take over.


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

Trial and error is my motto!! Now you know what plants enjoy that beautiful piece of art. Great set-up!!!!


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## chinoanoah (Mar 9, 2009)

Wow I just found your stuff. Very inspiring.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Amazing growth! I've never even seen a 4.5 year old viv. Very nice job.


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