# 40 Gallon construction journal...



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

So here's my latest project, a Oceanic 40g cube with matching cherry stand. I wanted to use this as an oppertunity to do a fully integrated system with zoo-quality fit and finish. The plan is to build up a realistic hardscape in the form of a rock wall, to recreate a boulder filled, dripping ravine. I'm not sure what frogs will go in this, probably retics or some of the higher elevation Epiptobates.

This will be going on slowly over the next month or so, I hope to have it finished by June. The whole thing started out as a giant pain in the butt..... :x The tank was not supposed to have a tempered bottom, as I need to put in a drain for the drip wall. Well, it was....as I quickly found out during drilling. So I ended up replaceing the glass bottom, drilling a hole in it, and then painstakingly fabricating a matching bottom trim piece out of wood :? 

Here's my first step: the tank with drip system in place. That is made using adjustable drip heads and some small pvc pipe.









Here's a close up of the system:









Then came the tricky part, fabricating my custom rock wall from epoxy and sculpting it. I wanted a solid, one piece background that plants would easily root to but would not break down over time...
Here's the wall:


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Now I have the backgound in place and the drip system is running correctly, here's a full frontal view:


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## Mac (Aug 14, 2007)

How do you make sure that the water doesnt get absorbed before it reaches the drain? Therfor eventually running the pump dry? I have always wanted to know how drip walls worked with out this problem.


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## edwing206 (Apr 9, 2008)

Looks great! Be sure to keep this updated. Please.


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## pet-teez (Oct 3, 2007)

Nice start! I'll keep my eyes on this thread!

One thing, first thought when I saw your back wall was in Labyrinth when the main character goes down a place and there are all the "stone" hands that make up faces and stuff, it's quite odd (yes, I know I sound nuts)


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## tkromer (Dec 20, 2007)

So far so good, keep us posted. That back wall should look fantastic in 6 months when it's covered in algae and all "natural" looking.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Mac said:


> How do you make sure that the water doesnt get absorbed before it reaches the drain? Therfor eventually running the pump dry? I have always wanted to know how drip walls worked with out this problem.


Well, it's a solid, hard epoxy background and the water just drips down the front. So there really is no absorbtion, plus there's a 5 gallon sump filter under the tank that it all drains down into. That way the pump always sits in about four gallons.

I think the rocks will be perfect once the algae and moss take over


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

Very nice!


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## Mac (Aug 14, 2007)

Ya but what about the substrate? Doesnt it have to pass through that first?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Mac said:


> Ya but what about the substrate? Doesnt it have to pass through that first?


I prefer not to have any organic subtrate in a tank like this. It will probably be either a small amount of leca or gravel with more rocks scattered through it. Since most of the plants will be growing off the mossy rocks it won't need real soil. I'll end up putting leaf litter on top to make it more realistic. By doing all this the water will simply flow right through the gravel and down the drain. That's the way it's done a many public institutions such as the NAIB.


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## Mac (Aug 14, 2007)

I see, so you could also just have a layer about 3-5 inches from the wall, of gravel or leca, and that would work to right?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Ok, heres some updates. I made a few more rocks to bring the bottom out a little and give it the boulder filler look. Then I made some vine/roots out of coco/peat on stainless steel wire. I just started to put a few different types of moss in to see how they do. And I ground up a few varieties of moss and rubbed it into the rock, so hopefully it will start to pop up everywhere


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## thetattooedone (Mar 26, 2007)

I like the idea! Can't wait to see how it turns out.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

So it's been awhile, but now the rock background is fully cured with no more epoxy smell  I still haven't built the light system yet, which will be a 100w PC. I didn't have alot of "show piece" plants to put in it so it still is looking kinda sparse. But once these guys take hold and the moss covers the rocks, then I'll be putting in the rarer Anthuriums and Pleurothallids  Here's some new pics...


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## IndianaJosh (Jun 20, 2008)

Startin to look really good!


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## LittleDip (May 20, 2007)

Looking good!! :shock: 

are you doing a false bottom or leca?


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

I really like how there are different levels to that kind of background. What kind of epoxy did you use and how did you do it?
Candy


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

LittleDip said:


> Looking good!! :shock:
> 
> are you doing a false bottom or leca?


Since there is a drain in the bottom I was going to put in gravel and smaller rocks. I'm just waiting until I can find stuff that matches the background color...


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

divingne1 said:


> I really like how there are different levels to that kind of background. What kind of epoxy did you use and how did you do it?
> Candy


Basically it's a type of potable water tank two-part paint over a foam base. The main thing is to carve out and sculpt the solid foam piece and then spread many coats of epoxy over it. The downside right now is the cost, the epoxy runs $70 or so a gallon. Then it has to cure for several weeks before the smell goes away, after that it's inert.


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## DizzyD (Sep 19, 2006)

That's a pretty sweet little system you got going there. :twisted: Best of luck w/ it.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Thanks for all the compliments! Now I'm building my list of plants to go in it.... so far I have small specimens of the following....

Anthurium radicans
A. polyschistum
A. scandens
A. gracile
A. cutucuensis
Violet
Selaginella emmeliana
S. eurethropus
S. plana
Microgramma sp.
Marcgravia
Syngonium rayii
Masdevallia sp.
Pleurothallis grobyii
P. alleni
Philodendron Burle Marx fantasy
Philo sp?


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## froggiefriend (Jan 4, 2008)

any new updates?


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