# Large Terrarium Build



## andersonii85

Been stoked on this for a while. Jason from Protean hand delivered it today. Should be an epic project. 

Before I post pics, I just want to say thanks to Jason or putting up with me these past few weeks. I kept changing my mind on the build. Dude has been incredibly patient. Also, I would like to thank anyone who has bought plants from me recently as you have allowed me to live this dream project. 








Upon delivery. Jason did a nice job getting into my house in one piece. Not a nick or scratch. 








Here it sits and empty box measuring 3 x 2 x 5 feet. The best part comes next.... Stay tuned.


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## dendrothusiast

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

JB that is a tall one! What do you have in mind with it?


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## erlese

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

HOLY S%^T thats great!! I just ordered ( 24 x 24 x 24 cubes ) and a 30 X 30 X 30 from Jason. hopefully will see him on frog day. im glad you had a great experience with him. so far he has done Everything to keep me updated. Your tank looks AWESOME!!! im really jealous!! ( in a good way)


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## Rusty_Shackleford

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Well that should keep you busy for a while. Are you going to put it on some kind of low stand? Looks great, I'll be watching to see how it progresses. Good luck!!


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## therizman2

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Cannot wait to see this get built!


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## jacobi

Subscribed. I want to see where this goes!


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## andersonii85

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Yes, the stand will have to be low profile. I have some plans for that one as well. 

I have never felt that my terraria were of the proper height to allow for a true vertical growing space. This will allow for better stratification of plantings. I won't get a canopy, but at least I'll have something resembling an accurate understory. The plan is a Costa Rica/Panama biotope. Lots of orchids and possibly frogs.


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## jpstod

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Nice to have dreams ain't it


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## Giga

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

will follow this one-kinda the same dimentions of my new tank


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## gardennub

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

  sub'd


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## ndame88

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Anderson or anyone,
Getting ready to order almost the same enclosure except, 4ft, for RETFs, can anyone recommend a specific light fixture that covers all the light spectrums to include night? I am assuming a T5 of some sort, number of bulbs? LED for night? Budget is $150-$200.

Thanks


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## Azurel

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

That is a great looking tank.....


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## RyanD

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

I would think you would almost need leds to get enough light to the bottom...


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## erlese

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*



ndame88 said:


> Anderson or anyone,
> Getting ready to order almost the same enclosure except, 4ft, for RETFs, can anyone recommend a specific light fixture that covers all the light spectrums to include night? I am assuming a T5 of some sort, number of bulbs? LED for night? Budget is $150-$200.
> 
> Thanks



ask Todd Goode 

lightyourreptiles.com he knows EVERYTHING when it comes to lights


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## winstonamc

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

sub-scriiibed!


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## highvoltagerob

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

I love the depth of that thing! Can't wait to see what comes of it.


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## SLiK JiM

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Subscribed!!!

You mind taking a few more detailed shots of the doors/front of the enclosure? I'm still redesigning how I want to do mine and need visual stimulation!!!! 

Thanks


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## marqese

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Amazing ...subscribed


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## andersonii85

Not many updates just yet, but some teasers here...








Background








Misting heads








Fan assembly








One of many pics of super-rad plants to come. Pictured is Racinaea spiculosa- a native of Costa Rica and Panama.


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## andersonii85

Working on getting a stand made so I can get started on construction and layout. Stand will be made by a local company that specializes in reclaimed wood furniture. Should be awesome! 

In the meantime... some more plants to be featured in this build. 








Lepanthes! 








Psygmorchis pusilla








Alsobia "San Miguel"


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## danny8524ever

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

That's a nice sized tank. I can't wait to see what you put in there to make it look awesome.


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## andersonii85

Progress is slow, but advancing. Had to grind out the drain hole because I ordered it to the wrong size. Apparently, bulkheads don't come in all sizes. Dremel with the proper attachment did the trick. 








Had a chance to install an oversized Brillo pad as well. 








That's all for now.


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## andersonii85

Update- 

Finally got around I drilling the holes for the misting heads. Sorry for the terrible pic.








Hardscaping is almost complete








It should have some legs within the coming week. The stand is made of reclaimed lumber from an old barn. Front will be a sliding mosaic door















Enjoy!


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## Buddysfrogs

Subscribed can't wait to see this thing completely done.

2.2 bassleri 2.3 E.A Santa Isabella 1.1 tinctorious Patricia 0.1 Green Sipplewini 0.0.3 Leucs


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## ndame88

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

What did you use to attach the branch bottom to top?

Thanks


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## Duff

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

The tank is amazing so far and the reclaimed wood is beautiful!


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## guylovesreef

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

that is huuuuuuuuge!!!!!!!


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## andersonii85

ndame88 said:


> What did you use to attach the branch bottom to top?
> 
> Thanks


I used expanding foam. Covered it up with black silicone/organic technique. Some of the branches were just siliconed in as I can't stand seeing yellow even if it's in places that aren't meant to be seen. It's still an eyesore to me.


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## highvoltagerob

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

I love big tanks!! I cant wait to see what you do with it!


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## andersonii85

Sorry for the slow progress. Funding and time- You know how that goes...

At any rate: the stand is complete! Now on to finish hardscaping, installing plumbing, and planting it up. 

Original design








Finished product








Hole drilled for plumbing








Together








The stand was built out of reclaimed lumber by a friend who is up starting an awesome company: ReClaimed LLC
Check out his website/blog @ 

http://reclaimednj.com/


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## tnwalkers

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

WOW! whadda killer set up! def. be following this build


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## gardennub

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Lookin good!


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## Nate Mcfin

Love the stand. It will be fun to watch this one come together!


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## tnwalkers

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

any updates to report?


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## andersonii85

Actually, no. Sorry. 

Sadly, there have been some setbacks- in moving the behemoth I accidentally must have torqued it in some way. The end result is a small crack that got larger and I've been doing damage control ever since. I'll be testing the repair probably by this weekend and if it doesn't work out, I'll have to replace the entire back panel!!! 

If the repair works out, then I'll have some nice photo updates of the start of planting.


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## diggenem

Aww man sorry to hear that. This was going to be epic. I like the texture on the stand too 

Sent from my HTC Evo 4G using Tapatalk 2


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## andersonii85

Still working on some stress and water testing, but it looks like I'll be able to plant this up soon. Some other things I've been working on in the meantime...

Fake vine roots








Staining the hood to match the stand. Put on a ridiculous number of polyurethane coats








Made a handful of these. 








Some will be mounted and placed towards the bottom . Basically, they are hollowed out maple trunks that have been sealed on the ends along with thin layers of silicone inside to make sure it will hold water. I'm hoping they will make suitable tadpole deposition sites for Phyllobates lugubris.


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## andersonii85

Couldn't do much about the glare, but laid out some of the fake vine roots. They're supposed to look like the adventitious roots of many central American aroids in the genus Monstera.









Another shot from the side


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## andersonii85

Working in rigging up the electrical elements to the build.

Photo shows the wiring for the lighting and the fan controller








Fan that runs to push outside air in








What it looks like all lit up. 















Fans running smooth








Plumbing and planting coming up next.


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## andersonii85

Started planting the epiphytes. Will finish them up tomorrow. Then add some moss and Peperomia, Selaginella, aroids, and various other plants.

Some progress shots:
























































That's it for now. I'm taking a much needed break. My back is killing me. Please don't bother asking for a plant list. Perhaps I'll put one in at the end. 

Enjoy!


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## leuc11

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Looks great! I like your hardscape its simple and looks great with your plant selection gonna be spectacular in a few monthes


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## ndame88

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Would love to see a list of the epiphytes you planted.


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## Buddysfrogs

ndame88 said:


> Would love to see a list of the epiphytes you planted.


I thought he said dont bother for a plamt list?! Lol 
Buddy

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2


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## ndame88

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Does not hurt to ask right  Great build so far.


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## andersonii85

leuc11 said:


> Looks great! I like your hardscape its simple and looks great with your plant selection gonna be spectacular in a few monthes


Thanks! Simple was the plan. Hardscape elements to me should showcase the plants. I had to be minimal anyway as i had to accommodate my orchid collection. Plus I needed the openness to allow for the light to penetrate down to the bottom.


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## andersonii85

ndame88 said:


> Would love to see a list of the epiphytes you planted.


Good things come to those who wait...


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## andersonii85

Some moss and peperomia's + climbers.


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## Nismo95

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

well technically i am not asking for a list... but, what moss did you go with?


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## andersonii85

Nismo95 said:


> well technically i am not asking for a list... but, what moss did you go with?


I'll get a list, no worries. It's just going to take some time to compile and plus I'm still not finished with planting yet.

For the mosses, I'm using a combination of various types. Im a big fan of texture. Most of what I'm using is the terrestrial phase of Xmas tree moss as I've had results with it in the past that I've liked. In addition, I've added riccia (liverwort) that I've been growing out terrestrially as well. Some of them were given to me in trades with friends. Last, I have a whole slew of mosses that were cultured from orchid mounts.


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## andersonii85

Update here. 

Almost finished with the planting. It's in the awkward newly planted stage (stolen Yeagerism), but is looking better. I have a few more plants that need to go in and some more leaf litter. Apparently I grossly underestimated how much I would need. Some pics...

Substrate + strategically placed rock








Some plants


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## andersonii85

Filled in




































For scale: the top of the window is 7ft tall. The tank to the right is a standard 29 gallon I believe.


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## Giga

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Hard to see with pictures that small


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## Totenkampf

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

thats definately exhibit quality right there!


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## andersonii85

Giga said:


> Hard to see with pictures that small


Sorry. All I have is a camera phone. My digital camera needs a charge.


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## ndame88

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

I really don't know what to say, other than one of the bests out there, cant imagine how much you spent in plants. If my 36x24x48 Protean turns out half as good, I will be happy.


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## andersonii85

ndame88 said:


> I really don't know what to say, other than one of the bests out there, cant imagine how much you spent in plants.


Thanks! Most of the plants I've had for years. A few were from trades. Some were from incredibly nice friends. Some were new acquisitions. As far as new stuff goes, I probably spent in the neighborhood of $200.


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## Raf

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Nice viv!
I love the planting.


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## Dizzle21

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Looks like you need to build another one on the right side to match...lol


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## andersonii85

Dizzle21 said:


> Looks like you need to build another one on the right side to match...lol


Trust me, I've given it some thought. Wife didn't go for it. She said I'd have to sell this one first.


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## andersonii85

Trying out some different lighting options. 








Photo is with 2 x 96watt pcf bulbs going. I'd like to wire them up separately and have one kick on in the morning, then the other at noon- have a few hours of overlap, and then the first light kicks off. It'll give some indication of day length/change. 

Another thought is to try out some of these LED bars people seem to be enjoying...


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## Nismo95

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

stunning. no other words to describe this.


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## andersonii85

For those of you who are interested in a plant list... This is bag 1 of 2 I need to go through. 









This could be a while.


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## ndame88

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Not a problem, I can wait.


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## Nismo95

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

im subscribed so whether it takes a month or a year im sure i'll get the email notification letting me know when you give us the list. lol. Good luck with that!


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## Nismo95

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Also, i searched the thread.. Do you mind sharing how much you paid for the initial setup? Its huge and a great looking tank. I am about to buy a 36x18x36 exo, and if we can go bigger for a little more, why not?


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## andersonii85

Nismo95 said:


> Also, i searched the thread.. Do you mind sharing how much you paid for the initial setup? Its huge and a great looking tank. I am about to buy a 36x18x36 exo, and if we can go bigger for a little more, why not?


It's a stock size for Protean. Here's the link:
http://www.customglassterrariums.com/products/36"-x-24"-x-60"-Chameleon-Terrarium.html

I opted out of the euro-channel as I wanted the front glass to be unobstructed. In retrospect I might have been better off with it. I'm having condensation issues despite my fan setup. I have another fan design I'm working on at the moment. I'll be sharing that soon. 

If you want holes drilled, I believe each hole is $10. Jason does a nice job with those.


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## andersonii85

Nismo95 said:


> im subscribed so whether it takes a month or a year im sure i'll get the email notification letting me know when you give us the list. lol. Good luck with that!


I think I'm in the neighborhood of over 100 species easy.


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## Spirit-of-Jungle

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Nice project, very enjoyable to watch


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## dendrothusiast

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Hey justin this viv came out looking great! hope to see some close up photos soon. Definitely one of the best region builds I've seen. Thanks for sharing this dude.


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## andersonii85

dendrothusiast said:


> Hey justin this viv came out looking great! hope to see some close up photos soon. Definitely one of the best region builds I've seen. Thanks for sharing this dude.


Hey thanks! Im holding off on pics until it grows in some more. Right now the most exciting thing going on in there is my lone male lugubris calling. If I can get some more frogs in there, I'll be sure to post photos!


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## andersonii85

Inhabitants are enjoying their new space.


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## dendrothusiast

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

glad to see you got em justin. Big and bold pums - you'll love them in there.


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## andersonii85

dendrothusiast said:


> glad to see you got em justin. Big and bold pums - you'll love them in there.


This is actually the female that I've had since 2003! I'm still looking for a male or even older juvies now. A 1.1 would be the best case scenario.


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## DragonSpirit1185

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

this looks greta from what I can see. I wish we could see some better pics


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## isoletes

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Very cool, with 100 species of plants bet you will have something blooming all the time!


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## andersonii85

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> this looks greta from what I can see. I wish we could see some better pics


 Thanks. I don't have a working digital camera at this point, so the camera phone pics are the best I can do for now.


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## andersonii85

isoletes said:


> Very cool, with 100 species of plants bet you will have something blooming all the time!


Precisely. At the moment, I have 3 orchids blooming with 3 others in bud plus a few Tillandsia's in bud.


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## andersonii85

Not much to update. Lost a few plants while i went away for a week long vacation due to a power outage. All in all just growth..

































Working on another, smaller project at the moment.


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## SNAKEMANVET

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Your viv turned out great.


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## andersonii85

A few (possibly) temporary additions to the "juggernaut" 

1.1 D. ebraccatus








I figured this could be a great place for them to hang out while I clean their old digs. Who knows, maybe they'll become permanent residents?


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## andersonii85

Took a few more shots 

Looking down from the top corner 








D. ebbracattus doing his thing. Note the super red Guzmania lingulata 








Bean beetles beware








Moss!








Enjoy


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## andersonii85

This is for the small handful of people who pm'ed me about how I rigged up my fan system for this project. 

I switched over to using the following:

50cfm fans
Multi fan power port- plug and play
Power supply

All items are easy to acquire on amazon. It's a bit pricy, but beats wiring and it looks cleaner/professional


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## hydrophyte

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

The planting in this tank is awesome! Do you have a plant species list? I paged backwards, but I might have missed it.


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## andersonii85

hydrophyte said:


> The planting in this tank is awesome! Do you have a plant species list? I paged backwards, but I might have missed it.


Thanks! I have a list somewhere in excel. It's honestly too daunting of a task to list all of them right now. Im not trying to brag, just lack motivation. Besides its not up to date. I lost a few things, added a few. Someday soon I hope to post it. Your Geonoma is in there, very happy I might add!


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## pet-teez

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

I love it!
Count me in for updates


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## RibbidyReptiles

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Great looking tank! Gotta start saving up


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## andersonii85

Some more terrible photos taken with my phone for you. 

Racinaea crispa in spike








Growth - Peperomia and mosses are practically taking over
















Stelis mystax bloom- tough to get a good angle of this


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## JoshsDragonz

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Wow this tank has filled in amazingly! It looks awesome.  What type of moss did you use? It seems to be doing very well, lol.

-Josh


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## andersonii85

JoshsDragonz said:


> Wow this tank has filled in amazingly! It looks awesome.  What type of moss did you use? It seems to be doing very well, lol.
> 
> -Josh


Hey thanks, Josh! I've used a variety of mosses in this. The main one is Christmas tree moss (Vesicularia montagnei) grown in terrestrial form. The others are a hodge podge of mosses that I cultured from orchid mounts.


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## andersonii85

Updated pics of the pumilio playground...


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## stemcellular

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Show off!

That is just sick man, sick!


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## andersonii85

Haha. Not trying to show-off. I just want to give people the confidence to go big. I'm never going back to pairs in ten gallon tanks or Exo terras. The range of behavior is amazing! I feel so fortunate to see pumilio regularly climb 5 feet up every day. 

Btw- got any lugs? Haha. My lone male finally found the tree hollows I made for him (and his future mate) and has been calling like crazy.


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## stemcellular

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Yeah, I hear ya on that. I'm really seeing much more calling in the new setups. Also, easier to see all the frogs, haha.

I'm working on it. Just made custom little deposition sites this weekend to try to coax them to breed. Females are huge, just nothing yet.


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## frankpayne32

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

What an amazing display. Very natural looking. Thank you for sharing it!


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## andersonii85

stemcellular said:


> Yeah, I hear ya on that. I'm really seeing much more calling in the new setups. Also, easier to see all the frogs, haha.
> 
> I'm working on it. Just made custom little deposition sites this weekend to try to coax them to breed. Females are huge, just nothing yet.


Did you move your collection into bigger setups? I tell you what, I haven't been this excited about keeping frogs in a good number of years. Bigger is better! 

Good luck with the new deposition sites. Do you have calling males to go along with the plump ladies? They really seem to be off and on breeders. When I was churning them out I would get a great deal of eggs in the winter months and virtually nothing over the summer. I think I was keeping them too hot.


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## andersonii85

frankpayne32 said:


> What an amazing display. Very natural looking. Thank you for sharing it!


Hey thanks! It was a huge investment in time/thought/money. The plantings were meticulously planned out and I'm still making adjustments. Biggest difficulty was melding my inspiration photos together to create a setting that seemed natural without feeling too contrived.


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## frankpayne32

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*



andersonii85 said:


> Hey thanks! It was a huge investment in time/thought/money. The plantings were meticulously planned out and I'm still making adjustments. Biggest difficulty was melding my inspiration photos together to create a setting that seemed natural without feeling too contrived.


Well I'd say it's paying off and you've succeeded.


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## stemcellular

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*



andersonii85 said:


> Did you move your collection into bigger setups? I tell you what, I haven't been this excited about keeping frogs in a good number of years. Bigger is better!
> 
> Good luck with the new deposition sites. Do you have calling males to go along with the plump ladies? They really seem to be off and on breeders. When I was churning them out I would get a great deal of eggs in the winter months and virtually nothing over the summer. I think I was keeping them too hot.


Yup, got all the epips in 30" high tanks, really fun.


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## stemcellular

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*



stemcellular said:


> Yup, got all the epips in 30" high tanks, really fun.


My EU lugubris are a 1.2 (or 2.1) and old line are 4.1 i think.


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## snake54320

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Nice tank, looks very green! 
What's the name of the plant on the very left side at middle height who looks like a brom? 
What size is it?


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## eos

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Wow. That's an awesome display. Beautiful, just plain beautiful.


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## andersonii85

snake54320 said:


> Nice tank, looks very green!
> What's the name of the plant on the very left side at middle height who looks like a brom?
> What size is it?


I believe the one you are talking about is Catopsis morenniana. It's a very small bromeliad (maybe 6" across max) from Central America. It's not as impressive in color as the standard Neoregelia fair I see here on DB, but hey what can I say- I like botanicals!


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## hellbender

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Beautiful tank! How thick is the glass that was used for this size? Thanks!


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## andersonii85

hellbender said:


> Beautiful tank! How thick is the glass that was used for this size? Thanks!


Not sure of the thickness, but I know that Protean uses thicker glass (1/4" I think?) on the bigger setups these days. The bottom ended up cracking under the weight : (


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## packwolf

Looks amazing!! I've found some inspiration for my next Viv! 

How does feeding wok? Just drop em in the top and they fall the 60"?


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## andersonii85

packwolf said:


> Looks amazing!! I've found some inspiration for my next Viv!
> 
> How does feeding wok? Just drop em in the top and they fall the 60"?


The left side has 4 foot tall sliding glass doors ala Euro viv style. I slide them open and feed at the feeding station. Plus I toss in some bean beetles every once in a while. It's fun to watch them forage.


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## crested

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Can you please please please share with us your misting schedule, the lighting setup you finalized, timing and the timing of your fans??

Looks like you've nailed down those elements beautifully and I'm very curious to see whats worked out so well there.

Stunning!

Thanks!!


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## andersonii85

crested said:


> Can you please please please share with us your misting schedule, the lighting setup you finalized, timing and the timing of your fans??
> 
> Looks like you've nailed down those elements beautifully and I'm very curious to see whats worked out so well there.
> 
> Stunning!
> 
> Thanks!!


I'll take this a piece at a time...

Lighting: 

Looking to get into LED's soon, but don't have the budget. Until then, I have two 96 watt pcf bulbs running. One runs from 6am to 3pm, the other kicks on at 11:30am and runs until 8pm. I'm trying to not only get a diurnal cycle, but also trying to get temperature differentials that are conducive to blooming orchids. 

Misting :

Most people I talk to think I'm crazy, but I mist heavily once per day- 1 minute, 45 seconds. I'm currently running an old ( and loud) Vivaria.nl misting system with a mistking timer. The heavy misting is balanced by a number of factors: good drainage, the top drys out too fast, and plants roots (mostly thick velamen rooted plants) need to be soaked to be happy as they dry out from heavy fan schedule. 

Fans:

Currently running two (90mm, 55cfm) for the lights to keep temps down. They kick on when the lights do. Then I run another two internally to circulate the air. They run 24-7. The glass still has areas that show condensation. I'm working on two attempts to mitigate. I'll post more if these trials work out.


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## andersonii85

Some fun (but blurry) photos

Maxillaria lankesteri 








D. ebbracattus on night time prowl








Impossibly small orchid to photograph: Platystele aurea


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## andersonii85

Pleurothallis sigmoidea- a native of CR.


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## andersonii85

A. clidemioides - finally getting some larger leaves


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## hydrophyte

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

What a cool plant!


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## andersonii85

Fun shot I took today. Growing in nicely.


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## andersonii85

Side view shot while I was cleaning glass... Too much glass to clean.


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## andersonii85

Some other shots...


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## epiphytes etc.

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Too much glass to clean? Oh, what a problem to have!


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## NM Crawler

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

Absolutely breath taking! Viv is filling in great!


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## andersonii85

Mods- can someone please change the spelling of terrarium in the title of this thread for me? I'm a teacher for Pete's sake. This reflects badly on me!


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## shiloh

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*

This isn't fair. I want a sick Terrrium like this


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## jpstod

*Re: Large Terrrium Build*



andersonii85 said:


> Mods- can someone please change the spelling of terrarium in the title of this thread for me? I'm a teacher for Pete's sake. This reflects badly on me!


Yea it does... We All know Teachers are perfect TYPISTs


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## andersonii85

Things are growing in nicely. A few more recent shots...


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## limike

This thing is amazing!!!!............absolutely amazing!!!!


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## diggenem

Nice!!! Very nice indeed!!! 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## Azurel

Now that my friends is a display...amazing.

sent from my Galaxy S lll


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## masterkush

Looks sick


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## kev_n_gina

Wish I was a frog right now...


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## rigel10

Very, very nice! But can you see the frogs in this lush forest?


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## andersonii85

rigel10 said:


> Very, very nice! But can you see the frogs in this lush forest?


Thanks all for the kind comments. Many years of growing plants and scheming went into this. 

As for being able to see the frogs, the photos make it look deceivingly dense. I regularly watch pumilio ascend and descend 4 feet of branch. My lugubris pretty much calls out in the open every day starting around 12 noon until about 4pm.

The important thing to remember is balance and the habits of the frogs. The lugubris love the dense "understory". Plus, I have an open area at the bottom where I placed a large piece of slate. This is lugubris country as well. The top of the tank I planted densely but used smaller plants. The basti's mostly occupy the top 3rd. In addition, I vary the feeding stations from top to bottom so they have to forage more.


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## stemcellular

Looking great, Justin!


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## oddlot

Nice Justin!The tank has grown in nicely since I last seen it.It's only going to get better.


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## diggenem

andersonii85 said:


> Side view shot while I was cleaning glass... Too much glass to clean.
> 
> View attachment 35572


This shot does not even look like its in a glass box!!!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## eos

Man, that looks amazing!


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## toaddrool

Amazing display!


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## DragonSpirit1185

Finally some nice pig pics of the viv 
Looks amazing. Great work Justin!!


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## andersonii85

The jungle rages on...










Guzmania lingulata inflorescence


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## diggenem

Still awesome. Let me lease it for a few months

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## oddlot

It looks awesome but the pictures don't do it justice.It's even more amazing in person.It's filling out nice Justin!


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## kitcolebay

The plant arrangement and growth are fantastic. Picture perfect!

-Chris


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## andersonii85

Thanks guys! Need the positive vibes right now.


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## KRich Frogger

Subscribed, cant wait to see more!


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## skanderson

still looking very nice.


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## MD_Frogger

Wow! Inspirational work sir. Do you have a foam or rubber mat between the tank and the stand?


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## Dendro Dave

Wow nice work...I'm having a hard time being stingy with my vivarium praise lately...lots of good work being done! 

Still needs a holo fairy, and holographic plasma thunder/lightning cloud with sound loop 

oh...and some firefly lights!


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## andersonii85

MD_Frogger said:


> Wow! Inspirational work sir. Do you have a foam or rubber mat between the tank and the stand?


Yes, foam mat. I fear it has compressed too much though. There's a hairline crack somewhere in the bottom as I have a slow leak. I'm planning on doing something about it this summer when I have the time. Until then... It will keep me up at night!!!!!


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## andersonii85

Dendro Dave said:


> Wow nice work...I'm having a hard time being stingy with my vivarium praise lately...lots of good work being done!
> 
> Still needs a holo fairy, and holographic plasma thunder/lightning cloud with sound loop
> 
> oh...and some firefly lights!


I'd love to do all of that but I have run out of plugs...hahaha. Plus it would drive my wife nuts or possibly scare the kids.


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## JonRich

Amazing!!!....


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## Dendro Dave

andersonii85 said:


> I'd love to do all of that but I have run out of plugs...hahaha. Plus it would drive my wife nuts or possibly scare the kids.


Ya it is going to take up several plugs....Other then that it is pretty harmless  That fairy cave is going to get muted to so it doesn't make that stupid sound all day


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## Dendro Dave

How are things going with this?....This viv is similar scale to the Dryad concept viv I'm doing, so I'm wondering if your finding the light adequate? Still using the 2x 96 pcf?

My viv will probably be at least 40"-48" high and 48-60" long, 20-24" deep....I gotta have enough head room the Dryad from the lower stomach up to the head. Her chin just peaks over the top of a standard 55 or 75 so I figured basically 2 of those on top of each other (about 40")will be good height to show her scale, and give her a little head room so a light doesn't melt the top of her head 

I'm really hoping mine comes out like a mix of your viv with the lush viney look, but with a mix of rock background/sideground elements. I may go for some thicker vine work though, possibly even fake tree trunks in the fron't corners and 1 or to like stripper poles more in the center of the viv to give that illusion of looking through a stand of trees...not sure, all still evolving.
*
Love this viv!* Bigger is better...I hate futzing with 10 gals and stuff now after having that 75. I pretty much want all my displays from now on at least 30gal...10's 20's are for growout/QT tanks and miscellaneous crap


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## andersonii85

Working on a species list. Probably better to do this in chunks. I removed a good number of plants to get a more homogenous look. At any rate, here's the anthurium list:

A. bakeri
A. clidemioides 
A. friedrichsthalii
A. flexile
A. spectabile
A. sp. "Costa Rica"


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## andersonii85

andersonii85 said:


> Working on a species list. Probably better to do this in chunks. I removed a good number of plants to get a more homogenous look. At any rate, here's the anthurium list:
> 
> A. bakeri
> A. clidemioides
> A. friedrichsthalii
> A. flexile
> A. spectabile
> A. sp. "Costa Rica"


Oops. Missed one:
A. crystallinum


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## andersonii85

A more recent photo...


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## ndame88

Amazing Viv!!


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## Dendro Dave

Yep looks great!


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## epiphytes etc.

>Yawn< 

Jk that thing is amazing.


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## goof901

andersonii85 said:


> A more recent photo...


Dang!!! What's the small leaved plant at the bottom right and the tall leafy one growing off of the ground on the left-ish side?


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## IROCthisZ28

Wow this looks like it will be epic!!


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## andersonii85

goof901 said:


> Dang!!! What's the small leaved plant at the bottom right and the tall leafy one growing off of the ground on the left-ish side?


Not sure which small one you are speaking of as there area few on that side- possible Peperomia trinervula. There's also some Marcgravia and Syngonium ratio growing over there. 

The tall leafy on the left one is a Clidemia. Not sure of the species.


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## goof901

andersonii85 said:


> The jungle rages on...


It's a lot more visible in this picture. I'm talking about the small leaved one growing up the branch at the bottom right.


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## andersonii85

goof901 said:


> It's a lot more visible in this picture. I'm talking about the small leaved one growing up the branch at the bottom right.


I see. That's Marcgravia sp. "Suriname" formerly sp. "ABG". It's grown significantly since then.


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## goof901

andersonii85 said:


> I see. That's Marcgravia sp. "Suriname" formerly sp. "ABG". It's grown significantly since then.


Dang!!! That looks good!!


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## ndame88

Sorry I didnt read through all 160 posts, but what are you running for lighting?


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## andersonii85

ndame88 said:


> Sorry I didnt read through all 160 posts, but what are you running for lighting?


Currently 2 of the 2 x 96 watt pcf bulbs. Tried a few LED's but none had the push I was looking for. Hate dealing with the heat.


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## ndame88

andersonii85 said:


> Currently 2 of the 2 x 96 watt pcf bulbs. Tried a few LED's but none had the push I was looking for. Hate dealing with the heat.


Thanks, for answering, I am amazed by the lower lever plant growth in your viv, in my 36x24x48 viv I just cant get the lower level plants to take off, I am running 2 x JD Super Spots, a quad T5 HO with Arcadia and 36 inch Finnex Ray II, still not enough push to reach the bottom.


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## Trickishleaf

ndame88 said:


> Thanks, for answering, I am amazed by the lower lever plant growth in your viv, in my 36x24x48 viv I just cant get the lower level plants to take off, I am running 2 x JD Super Spots, a quad T5 HO with Arcadia and 36 inch Finnex Ray II, still not enough push to reach the bottom.


I rigged 1 spotlight on one side of my tank that is 48" tall. The single spotlight has everything growing really well on the bottom. Although, the floor of the viv is only 12"x21".


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## andersonii85

ndame88 said:


> Thanks, for answering, I am amazed by the lower lever plant growth in your viv, in my 36x24x48 viv I just cant get the lower level plants to take off, I am running 2 x JD Super Spots, a quad T5 HO with Arcadia and 36 inch Finnex Ray II, still not enough push to reach the bottom.


Another thing to take into account is the levels. Each planted level was carefully designed to leave enough of a gap to allow for light penetration. The plants at the substrate level were chosen for their low light level capabilities.


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## andersonii85

Will most likely be dismantling this build sometime next month. I'm moving plus it has a leaky bottom that needs fixing. 

Wishing everyone peace!


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## epiphytes etc.

Will you be rebuilding?

Peace to you too!


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## andersonii85

epiphytes etc. said:


> Will you be rebuilding?
> 
> 
> 
> Peace to you too!



Once I'm settled into the new house I'll be re-scaping it. The current layout makes cleaning frustrating. If all goes my way, I'll be building two more at this size within the next year or so.


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## rigel10

I really like this your viv, but if it loses or if you are not satisfied how its layout turned, you do well to do it again. Very often the lack of space is equal to the desire to set up new vivs.


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## ssalgado

Wow im still new at this and have very little expirience with plants. I'm curios to know how you have ur plants mounted on ur background and on your branches. Same with the moss it looks so natural growing on ur branches and vines. Other than that amazed by your tank.  good job!!!! And happy new years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dendrothusiast

andersonii85 said:


> Once I'm settled into the new house I'll be re-scaping it. The current layout makes cleaning frustrating. If all goes my way, I'll be building two more at this size within the next year or so.


That's a nice trade off for having to rebuild one lol. Good luck with everything - the last time I saw you were busy.

Any ideas what your going to model the next 2 for?


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## andersonii85

ssalgado said:


> Wow im still new at this and have very little expirience with plants. I'm curios to know how you have ur plants mounted on ur background and on your branches. Same with the moss it looks so natural growing on ur branches and vines. Other than that amazed by your tank.  good job!!!! And happy new years.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Thank you for the kind words. The plants on the background were mounted using a low tech technique- I wrap the roots with LFS and then use fishing line to secure the moss mass. Toothpicks secure it to the background. 

Plants on branches were tied on with fishing line.


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## andersonii85

dendrothusiast said:


> That's a nice trade off for having to rebuild one lol. Good luck with everything - the last time I saw you were busy.
> 
> 
> 
> Any ideas what your going to model the next 2 for?



Probably won't get the other two. Shooting for a greenhouse now instead ; )


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## roxrgneiss

Hmmm... I found the 'Like' button, but couldn't locate the 'Love' or 'Envy' buttons.  Really like what you've done, great execution of the concept. Couldn't imagine a nicer selection of plants, too. Looks like a portal to the jungle. 

Any chance we could have an update? 

Mike


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## hellbender

Hey Anderson beautiful build  . Did you ever re-build this tank? Update?


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