# 125g Viv Build



## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I just finished renovating my 125 gallon fish tank the other day. I am awaiting my supplies to come in the mail, then construction can begin.


I have a 40 gallon viv, but I did the false bottom poorly and the whole tank is just starting to go bad, so I am going to transfer everything from that one into the new 125. I also don't really care for the eye sore in the middle of the tank... the black bar. Almost forgot to mention that the frogs are 2 cobalt tinctorius, but I will buy two more once moved into the big tank. 




It will be water feature heavy, not too deep but just taking up a decent amount of space. I have some great ideas brewing up in the old cranium just itching to be put to work on the tank, but I can't really explain that well w/o visuals. 
For now I will just post some pics of the supplies that I have, I will also go into more detail about thing in later posts.
This all driftwood that I got from in the fish tank, I am very pleased with the options at hand with these, quite a bit to work with. I have more logs and whatnot inside the 40 as well, so I have a whole lot to work with.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

For the soil mix I want to use...
-Coco Fiber Bedding
-Fir and Sphagnum Peat Moss
-Ground English Walnut Shells
-Forest Bark (Exo Terra)
-Beaked Moss
-Charcoal (Josh's Frogs Mix)

I need to work on the proportions or each, but I was wondering if there is anything that I should add, omit, etc. 
Suggestions and help wanted!


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## ExoticPocket (Dec 23, 2010)

I'm kinda confused... Is the tank in the second picture the 125 or the 40 gallon? And the tank looks awesome right now and this is gonna be a cool build! On the substrate matter, I think that you would want an ample amount of charcoal because that would be the bottom layer, then the bark would be a little less. I've never heard of people using walnut shells so it could have an effect but idk. Never heard of beaked moss so can't help you there. Peat moss is acidic (i think) so you might not want a lot of that and for the coco fiber, you might want a big layer for plant growth for planting and stuff. Hope this helps


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## Gumby (May 27, 2010)

Looks like the second photo with the black bar is the 40 gal. My guess is that it is 2 20 gals stacked ontop of each other. Can't wait to see the 125 gal!


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Correct, the second one is the 40 and I did stack two tanks. The way the false bottom is set up, makes all the roots saturated in water, so it was merely poor judgment on my part. I don't want to ruin it, but a decent amount of the plants are starting to suffer because of that. Plus I spent a lot of money on the plants, so I don't want them just to die. 
I am ordering everything tonight and going to Homedepot tomorrow to get egg crate and what not. Final construction will be done either on Thursday or Friday. I will just tweak it from there on out.
I also need help on a ventilation system, that is not something that I have ever done before and I am basically clueless on the matter.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

The plants that I already have are...
-Azolla caroliniana
-Live tropical moss (not sure what it actually is)
-Oak leaf creeping fig
-Sunshine crytanthus
-Bromeliad (not sure the type)
-Lecanopteris sinuosa,
-Black mystic cryptanthus
-Selaginella erythropus
-Possum tail fern
-Vanilla orchid
-Little darling begonia
-Bivittatus ruby cryptanthus
-Peperomia campylotropa
-hatiora alicornioides
-florida beuty
-asparagus fern
-croton
-corkscrew croton
-anubis nana
-unknown selaginella
-baby tears
-Fittonia
-java moss
-hair grass
-unkown mosses

Alot of these I have multiple plants of, didn't feel like looking to see which though. Here are plants that I just ordered...
-Pilea involucrata "Moon Valley" 
-Neoregelia 
-Orthophytum saxicola 
-Masdevallia hybrids
-Pilea 'Red Stem Tears'


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## coraltastic (Mar 22, 2011)

the 40 looks great but i see what u mean about the divider in the middle. cant wait to see the 125 up and going keep the pics coming.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Sure thing, I still have two fish left. I am waiting to receive shipping supplies for them. Once they are gone the tank will be started asap! Until I am gathering all the supplies needed, so that I can get it done relatively quickly.


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

No...no...no...do NOT use any black walnut anywhere you want plants or living critters. They put out a poison that kills most everything that grows in their root zone...and can kill animals that eat the bark in a sufficient quantity...go on any of the good garden sites in case you have reservations about my statement--. It says something when you have to have a "list" of things that will grow under the trees! And horse people, like myself, have to make sure that any bedding we use, i.e., sawdust or shavings do not have Black walnut in them...same with mulch in gardens...


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

oops...saw the word English on a re-read...don't know about that but would really have to check it out first....sorry, panic set in when I first read it.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

No I never said anywhere that they were ground black walnuts. Idk if these are the same thing, but these are what I ordered. I they can't be used it's not a big deal. 

R-Zilla Ground English Walnut Shells | Substrate | PetSolutions


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Not a big deal, I can understand why you would get so concerned at first.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

English walnut shell mulch? - Soil Forum - GardenWeb

This mentions that the toxins are still given off, but in small amounts. Probably not a good idea regardless though. Thank you for that, I would have had no idea. 
Although if there is anyone who has used these with success, please let me know.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Although this is looked down upon, I went in my backyard and got a nice cutting of some Hendra Helix (English Ivy). I have tried it before and it worked alright but the shortly afterward died, so I figure I will give it a second shot. I have gotten things from outside and have had zero negative effects. I get alot of my driftwood from outside, I scrub them and boil beforehand.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Just got everything for the false bottom. I am going to make a stencil of the tank with cardboard so that I can prefab it before putting it in the actual tank.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I costructed it all with zip ties. Then covered it in weed blocker. The logs will probably be rearranged a little differently than this in the tank, but it's a start. 











While at Homedepot I also grabbed a few plants. I got two cryptanthus of some sort and some verigated ficus pumila, but I grabbed this one because it also had some ordinary ficus pumila in it.


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## ExoticPocket (Dec 23, 2010)

This is gonna be a cool build! But wait!... Theres some fragile cardboard!!! :O You better be careful with it!  haha. I might have missed it but what frogs are you planning on getting?


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I already have two 5 month old D. Tinctorius Cobalt. So I plan to only get two more and then just let them breed from there on out. I did want to get Azureus or Terribilis, but from what I have read I believe that I would be better off getting more Cobalts.


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## ExoticPocket (Dec 23, 2010)

You shoulg get a colony of 8 Iquitos or fantastica... That would be cool!!!


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## jausi (May 14, 2008)

Nice size of tank, Im daying to see more updates


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Very shortly, I receive all of the plants, springtails, soils, etc. that I ordered today. So now that I will finally have everything, construction can begin asap.


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## mrfrogdude (Jun 26, 2011)

I also receive my plants tomorrow : ) your set up looks pretty awesome!


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

The tank is basically complete, but my sd card won't work in my camera for some reason. So as soon as I get that working I will put it up. Unfortunately I could take photos along the way, but at least you can see the finished product.


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## dartboard (Jan 30, 2011)

I am really excited about this tank.... continue to take lots of pictures and let us see it through the whole process


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Ok I had to format on my computer then with camera, I tried both beforehand but neither worked. I am very upset that I didn't get to take pictures of the actual biuld, but I guess that will happen.

For the backgound I used a kitty litter with peat moss and coco fiber. Then I cover it in more soil. 
For the plants on the walls I made plant pots from pvc pipes and filled them with sphagnum moss. I plan to get a few more plants and what not. 
For the false bottom I surrounded it with rocks so that its not visible at all. 
Unfortunatly my canister filter doesn't want to seem to work since the water level is so low, so I need to get a new filter. 
The water feature still needs alot of work. In fact the whole tank does, but here are some pics, if there is anything I didn't go over, just ask. For some reason the glass is foggy. 
Any ideas or suggestions on the tank feel free...


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## xcwa8900 (Jan 23, 2011)

Looks GREAT! I think that one improvement to the tank you can make is in the left corner where you have that one "Anubis Nana" you should buy atleast five more. Or how we have talked about a grass looking plant in there i just so happened to stumble upon a plant called "Pilularia globulifera" you should look into it. I think it would look great in the water feature behind your logs.


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## xcwa8900 (Jan 23, 2011)

They have the "Pilularia globulifera" on Black Jungle at the moment for 9.99.
Here's the link.

Pilularia globulifera


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Yeah I've seen this before, too bad that one thing that I had in the old tank that was like bamboo didn't live too long.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

For now I put a little pump behind the log, so that the water doesn't get stagnant and it gives the effect that I was looking for. I will post a video up soon so that you can get a better idea of what is exactly going on. 






I also figured that I would put a pic up of the tank all fogged up. I have it set on a timer to go off for 15 minutes 4 times a day.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I do need more frogs for this, if you have an Dendrobates tinctorius cobalt that are around 5 or 6 months of age pm me. Preferably in the Pittsburgh area, but I wouldn't really mind having them shipped.


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## xcwa8900 (Jan 23, 2011)

So is that filter only temporary?


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

It doesn't actually filter anything, but it is permanent with the addition of an actual filter. Have yet to get that though.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

for froglets they are looking a little skinny. if it were me, i'd remove them and place them in a small enough container that its assured they will see and catch enough food.

james


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I had just discussed this on another thread, I was having trouble keeping my fruit fly cultures going, and I wasn't using supplements. But Since then I have been, and they find all the flies just fine.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Getting ready to install this new ventilation system that I have been working on for this tank. 

I stripped all of the wire on a 12v adapter and on a laptop cooler that I bought at work for $3. I connected the red wire on the fan to the white on the adapter and the black to the black on both. Used electrical tape to mend the wires together, plugged it in and it works perfectly. Nice air flow on the little guys, going to have it set to run after the timer on the humidifier shuts of for 5 mins or so. (That would be 4 times a day, same as the humidifier).

The adapter that I used, already stripped. It was just a standard 12v connection.

The laptop cooling fan that I bought at TJ Maxx for $3.

Wires stripped on the fan.

The wires of the fan connected to the wires of the adapter.

All taped up.

Test run, and touch up tape for extra security.

The final product, I had to break odd the "wings" that were on the sides. 


I am not certain yet how I want to install it into the tank, but that's a task for tomorrow. That's all for now.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Look good mostly. I do have some comments...

Firstly, I'll agree with James. I can tell you from learning the hard way that keeping frogs that young and thin in a viv this big will not end well. They will fair much better in something like a 10gal sized shoebox where they can get to the food. You also set this up and tossed them in rather quickly so I'm willing to bet the microfauna is non existent. Once they double in size, toss them back in. By then you'd have a nice microfauna colony going. 

On the plants, I strongly recommend removing the Croton. They are shrubs and if doesn't rot, it will outgrow this viv very easily. I also noticed that you have some sort of orchid (maybe a Pleurothallid) in the substrate. You need mount that one. Also, the left side I thought I saw a spiny bromeliad. I believe that might be a Hechtia or Dyckia which may rot as they are more of a succulent rather than a tropical. Just keep any eye on it. 

Other than that, I think you're off to a pretty good start. This thing will be epic once it fills in.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Frogtofall said:


> Look good mostly. I do have some comments...
> 
> Firstly, I'll agree with James. I can tell you from learning the hard way that keeping frogs that young and thin in a viv this big will not end well. They will fair much better in something like a 10gal sized shoebox where they can get to the food. You also set this up and tossed them in rather quickly so I'm willing to bet the microfauna is non existent. Once they double in size, toss them back in. By then you'd have a nice microfauna colony going.
> 
> ...


Thanks, as far as the frogs go, they are about half way to their original weight. I do still plan on moving them into a 10 gal and them getting a different species for in there. I will be sure to post a pic up of the frogs health shorty, I have been feeding them a whole lot, but in small portions. They are fattening up very quickly. The reason they got so small in the first place was because of ff culture crashes. The croton was fine for a while and now it is starting to rot due to the higher levels of humidity in this tank. As far as the orchid goes it seems to be doing fine, but I have no issue moving it and the spiney earth star is starting to melt a little. As far as the microfana, I did jump start it with some spring tails, but I believe that they were probably all eaten. Do you have any tips on getting that going quicker? I did add a layer of charcoal for them as well.
I will also be sure to put a construction thread up about the 10 gal, you think a vert would be good for them for life?


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Another question. This is for anyone who feels like answering, would I be better off to put the fan on the center brace? Or on the back of the tank were the plastic part of the lid is? They are just standard aquarium lids.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I believe at this point that they are both females, one is sorta skinny the other is pretty good. Not as fat as I want it yet, but here is pic of the bigger one.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

For microfauna, I always just have add a bunch of leaf litter and then I sprinkle crushed fish food flakes around the viv every few days until they establish and the viv starts to produce its own food for them.

A 10 vert is not gonna be good for a pair of tincs. The footprint is so small, they would be crowded. Go and grab a 20H or equivalent sized shoebox container. Thats about what I feel comfortable with for 2 of the largest dart frogs in the family.

The fan thing is up to you really. The only concern is that you don't want the frogs being able to come in contact with it so make sure its on the outside and there is screen covering the opening.

Glad to see the frogs are lookin' a bit better. Keep at it. You're doing great.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Thanks for the support, I totally forgot that I have the 40 gallon still. I will just put them back in there. I am going to have to find a way to omit that black bar. (It's the tank from the first post, but its completely empty now.) As far as the fan goes I planned on doing that, for now I have just been putting in there periodically and it does the trick just fine. 
You seem to be the guy to speak with, so that being said I wanted to know if you had any experience with Billbergia bromeliads. In particular Billbergia Poquito Blanco. I want to get one or two more larger broms and about 6-8 small ones for in the wall.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I've never been a super huge fan of Billbergia in vivs. They do work but from experience growing them, they seem to catch fungal infections easier than other genera. B. Poquito Blanco is small and might be okay. You could also look into B. amoena var. stolonifera. Its a smaller growing species.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I will be sure to check those out, guess I'm not the only who has mad insomnia.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

All of the red circles are where I am going to put bromeliads, not really too sure what species yet. Ones that stay smaller though. If anyone is selling lots of them for pretty cheap, pm me. 

The two plants that circled (the big circles) are being switched spots, the one is Masdevallia hybrid Orchid, the other is Orthophytum saxicola. The Orthophytum saxicola is not doing well in sphagnum, so hopefull switching them will prove better results. I am taking Frogtofall's advice for the Masdevallia hybrid.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Starting construction on the 40 gal for the Tincs and continuing construction on the 125 gal. 

Here's the thread if anyone was interested. 

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/71143-40g-viv-build.html#post623017


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I got the fans all up and running perfectly, I am very pleased with the results!

First I cover the fan in a screen from the top of an old tank so that they blades couldn't make contact with anything. 
Next I drilled four holes in through the center brace. Then I used zip ties to attach the fan through the holes. I just put electrical tape over the to of the out side so that they are not visible. 



I didn't notice at first that the bottom left corner was sticking up, but I fixed once I noticed it in the pic.

Last I hooked it up to this new timer that I found at Homedepot today for 14 bucks. It was a great buy, you can program up to 20 different times in it and can get as exact as a minute.


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

Just made another plant order here from Josh's Frogs, getting pretty pumped to get them. I placed 5 pots in the background for some broms. 
Billbergia leptopoda 
Wandering Jew 'Red' 
Pilea 'Creeping Charlie' 
Anthurium 'Mehani' 
Nematanthus Black Gold 
Wart/Kangaroo Fern 
Peperomia prostrata 
Small Neoregelia x3
Begonia partita


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I got all my plants in today and as usual Josh's Frogs does something to surprise me. 
They gave me 3 creeping jew cuttings instead of two, and they gave me a brom that not only has two pups on it, but it is flowering as well. I have no idea what broms these are though, but they are all labeled as Neoregelia's. 
I know the one with the pups is probably id-able, but the other two not too sure about.
   

These are the rest of the plants that I got, I love the Billbergia leptopoda so much!
 
Anthurium 'Mehani' and Creeping Jew Red

 
Begonia partita and Wart Fern

 
Peperomia prostrata and Nematanthus Black Gold

 
Pilea Creeping Charlie and Billbergia leptopoda


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## gootswa (Mar 16, 2011)

I washed everything off really throughly before I put them in the tank and then I mounted all the broms and planted the rest. 
Here are photos of everything in the tank including the frogs. All of the new plants worked like a charm, I do not think that there is a "dominant" frog anymore. They both seem to be way more upbeat, even though they already were. 

I got leaves out side yesterday, boiled them and baked them to put in for some leaf litter. While I was digging into the soil for the plants I could see some springs, so my microfauna is finally starting to become established. I put some fish flakes under some of the leaves for them to feed on. I also put some more spring in before adding the leaves. 

                      

How does it look? I would like feedback on this setup, how else can I improve if I don't? I feel like once people saw that I had skinny frogs they automatically left the thread because they thought that I was abusing my frogs. I have explained numerous times why that had happened and it won't happen again. There is no way that 2,145 people viewed this and less than 47 of those people actually took the time to even tell me that my frogs were terribly skinny.


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## KarmaPolice (Apr 25, 2012)

It's been a long time since an update, I was curious to see how your plants have filled in, and what has been changed. I'm sure it all looks great.


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## hockeyboy (Oct 7, 2012)

The forty gallon actually looks really cool


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## Venomos (Jun 26, 2009)

Any updates on this at all?


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