# Vic's Display Paludarium



## VicSkimmr

So I've been working on this for months and months, and I feel like it's finally at the point where it's worth sharing some pictures 

The specs are: 
*Enclosure*: 36x24x48, hand built by me. The water area is roughly 36x24x10 with a 10 gallon sump. It holds about 50 gallons of water and will be a low-tech planted community freshwater aquarium. 

*Lighting*: 4x39 24" Tek HOT5 unit with high quality reflectors. I used this on my previous 18 gallon SPS reef with great success so it should be sufficient light for bromeliads. If not, I have a friend who builds custom LED units that I know could handle the depth of this tank.

*Misting*: Mist King

*Air Movement*: Internal air circulation is achieved by 4 PC fans controlled by an NZXT Sentry LX built into the front of the stand.

*Plants*: The bromeliads are from Chris Teem (Rainforest Herps) and are spectacularly large. The largest is about 15" in diameter (Neo. Strawberry Blush). The begonia is also from Chris. The rest are an assortment of ferns and other random plants from Black Jungle and Home Depot. I'm only about 3/4 done with planting.

*Frogs*: No frogs as of yet, but they will be a large group of some type of Ranitomeya. My first plan was for vanzolinii, but their shyness has somewhat put me off for choosing them for such a large tank.

Anyway, on to pictures 


















More pictures (including the build process) can be found here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonwithers/sets/72157626535672598/


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## rcteem

Thanks for finally posting this on this forum...If you come to the show in Raleigh I got some really cool water plants you should put in there...plus ill give you some free fish I need to get rid off....lol


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## VicSkimmr

Bromeliads

Neo. Strawberry Blush









Neo. Walking Tall









Neo. Gold Fever









Neo. Cocktail









Neo. Kawika x Hawaiin Rainforest









Neo. Pauciflora x Kaustkyi









Neo. Shamrock


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## VicSkimmr

rcteem said:


> Thanks for finally posting this on this forum...If you come to the show in Raleigh I got some really cool water plants you should put in there...plus ill give you some free fish I need to get rid off....lol


Sounds good  I was going to keep it a secret till I had finished planting it and let it grown in, but I was too excited, and plus I'll probably never really _finish_ planting it.


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## rcteem

Ill shoot you the email of the ferns/ begonias/ and vines later on tonight for you to choose from


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## Bokfan1

looks great!! How are you filtering it??


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## VicSkimmr

Some old Power Filter I have. It's got a bit of biological, mechanical and chemical filtration built in.


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## red91wing

Looks good, hopefully mine will come out just as well 

0.0.2 D. Costa Rican Auratus
0.0.2 D. Azureus
0.0.2 A. Calidryas 
0.1.1 R. Auriculatus


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## Lukeomelas

Wow, that is one awesome tank. Nice job! Do you have any construction pics? I'd love to see how things went together.


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## VicSkimmr

Yep! Start at the bottom of this set and work your way up
Paludarium Project - a set on Flickr


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## Fitzy

Looks great! Where did you get material for the background panel?


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## VicSkimmr

It's ecoweb, I got it from here
https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/commerce.cgi?product=EcoWeb&cart_id=1313111081.278&exact_match=on


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## vegas chad

NICE! I now have 2 threads that ill keep up on.


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## NickJR

your two builds are by far my favorites!


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## eos

Awesome job so far. It's definitely display material


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## dendrothusiast

vic your paludarium is really sharp. great job on your brom choice - it makes an immediate attention grabber


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## vegas chad

How did you mount all your broms?


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## ZookeeperDoug

Very nicely done. I like that you used aquasoil. Did you get it from ADG? That tank will look really good when it all starts to grow in.


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## VicSkimmr

Most of the broms are mounted just by shoving them in holes in the wood or behind it (I made sure to leave some area open between the wood and background). The others are pinned in place by a toothpick.

I got the aquasoil from Aqua Forest. I gave up on ADG a while back.

I had a chance to rearrange some stuff and I think I'm happy with where everything is sitting now. It looks more natural IMO.


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## VicSkimmr

Better pic of the Neo. Pauciflora x Kautskyi









The Neo. Strawberry Blush again. It's really spreading out now. I really need to do a size reference in these shots. It's unbelievably big









ET Fern


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## eos

Quick question, where is your ET fern planted?


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## Frank H

Skills! Nice work.


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## VicSkimmr

eos said:


> Quick question, where is your ET fern planted?


The one in the picture is just pinned to the background. I dunno if it'll do well there or not. Ferns are so finicky


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## rcteem

VicSkimmr said:


> The one in the picture is just pinned to the background. I dunno if it'll do well there or not. Ferns are so finicky


Love the layout a lot more!!! Glad to see the broms are opening up more...they are big I know but if I sent you small ones it would look as natural...hope you are okay with their sizes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## VicSkimmr

I think they'll do fine!


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## GRIMM

I like the fine tweeks bud. Lookin beast.


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## dendrothusiast

Vic as far as frog choice i don't know if pums are your thing but they would definately appreciate those broms especially basti but as thumbnails go - maybe some chazuta imitators? I just got a trio for my paludarium and they are always out and calling. My first imitators after leaving the pumilio side.......I don't regret it.


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## rcteem

dendrothusiast said:


> Vic as far as frog choice i don't know if pums are your thing but they would definately appreciate those broms especially basti but as thumbnails go - maybe some chazuta imitators? I just got a trio for my paludarium and they are always out and calling. My first imitators after leaving the pumilio side.......I don't regret it.


Pumilio will rot out those broms when they lay infertile eggs in the axils to feed the tadpoles. I would stick to thumbs as they are easier on the broms


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## frogface

Gorgeous!

Please tell me how you did the substrate. What keeps it from falling in the water? I started a paludarium but gave up when my substrate fell in


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## GRIMM

rcteem said:


> Pumilio will rot out those broms when they lay infertile eggs in the axils to feed the tadpoles. I would stick to thumbs as they are easier on the broms


Can this be avoided by flushing out the broms regularly? Reason I ask is I also plan on having display broms, and possibly pumilio.


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## VicSkimmr

frogface said:


> Gorgeous!
> 
> Please tell me how you did the substrate. What keeps it from falling in the water? I started a paludarium but gave up when my substrate fell in


It's just a standard false bottom with super long supports









I lined the edge of the false bottom with great stuff and siliconed the substrate to it. It functions really well as a dam to keep the substrate from falling into the water 

I have Uhern line intermedius in the other tank which are essentially identical to Chazuta. Right now the top contenders are Baja Huallaga imitators and Blackwater Vents, though I still have a soft spot for vanzolinii.


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## rcteem

GRIMM said:


> Can this be avoided by flushing out the broms regularly? Reason I ask is I also plan on having display broms, and possibly pumilio.


Never tried that before...fear it would wash out the tadpole as well...looks like we have a good question for a new thread


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## Feelin Froggy

That's the same one you sent me that link to the other day isn't it? Pretty BA!! You should get him an arawana swimming around under there


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## dendrothusiast

rcteem said:


> Pumilio will rot out those broms when they lay infertile eggs in the axils to feed the tadpoles. I would stick to thumbs as they are easier on the broms


This wpould be a good topic/ poll to see how long people's broms last with their eggfeeders over a period of time.

I never knew the eggs were rotting them at a specific pace - however i never really kept showpiece broms with my egg feeders. I just presumed i kept them too wet when they gave on me after a year or two. Vic - jsut wait till those polypodium ferns get going. They're gonna look great


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## VicSkimmr

Yeah I've seen them at their full size before, they'll look pretty spectacular


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## VicSkimmr

Ugh I hate doing this, but I really can't make this decision on my own.

I can't figure out what type of frog I want in here. Aside from my little 18x18x24, this is going to be my _only_ tank. There's no wiggle room here, I built this knowing that I could only have one tank (I convinced the wife to let me build the 18x18x24 as practice, but she won't fall for that trick twice).

So, here are the requirements:
1. Has to be Ranitomeya

That's it. Other things to keep in mind:
- This is a big tank so it needs to be pretty visible
- Have to be able to tolerate each other
- Price is not a concern


Taking everything in consideration, what would you guys choose?


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## Fitzy

The Vents *WILL* be skittish anytime you walk by the tank, which is a minus IMO, although they do look fantastic...but then you can't move.

No experience with vanzolinii habits.

BH Imis will almost never run, will be very active and very visible throughout the viv. Plus I want a pair since I feel these are more attractive than the CV or Nominal/Standard Imitators


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## GRIMM

If money isnt an option, Benedicta. I have someone nudging me to get them for my tank also


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## VicSkimmr

The only reason I hadn't considered benedicta is because they're supposedly so shy.


OH, I almost forgot to mention another requirement:
2. I don't want to pull eggs, so whatever ends up in there needs to raise their own tadpoles.


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## vivlover10

Are you sure you want to have them raise Tads? I would be concerned if the fish ate the tads. But that's only if they transport to the water on the bottom which is a very good possibility. Also what happens if a frog falls in? That's just something to keep in mind.

I would go for standard lamasi. 

Standards and benedicta are my two favorite frogs.

The reason people say benedicta are so shy is because there tank is not well suited for them. Benedicta like dim light and a very well planted viv. So having them in a viv with bright lights cause them to hid deep in broms.


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## VicSkimmr

vivlover10 said:


> Are you sure you want to have them raise Tads?


Yes. I'm confident the frogs can find somewhere in the 180 gallons to deposit tads other than in the water area. How many Ranitomeya deposit their tads in running water in the wild?


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## boombotty

vivlover10 said:


> The reason people say benedicta are so shy is because there tank is not well suited for them. Benedicta like dim light and a very well planted viv. So having them in a viv with bright lights cause them to hid deep in broms.


I have my group of 6 in a very brightly lighted, heavily planted 50g and see them all the time. I hardly ever see all 6 at one time, but usually 3 or 4.


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## VicSkimmr

But is it worth spending $1,000+ on a group of frogs that I might never see?


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## Fitzy

I don't think so. 

Get something vibrant , under $100 per frog and in a trio.


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## vivlover10

In most thumbnail species cases it all depends on the frog.


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## skylsdale

A group of _Ranitomeya variabilis_ would be a good option as well.


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## VicSkimmr

Yeah, Southern variabilis would work well for sure. Grouping frogs, bold, easy to spot.

What I should _probably_ do is just get a group of imitators, but something in me feels like I should put something harder to find/breed in here. Unfortunately all of those seem to be shy


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## frogface

Thanks to Vicskimmr, I'm finally getting motivated to redo my failed paludarium. Vics inspirational photos, good advice, plus, Chris Teem stopping by last night to pick up some of his frogs, looking at my tank and saying something like 'what the hell is that'?


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## VicSkimmr

We should totally have a meeting out here once it's grown in and has frogs in it


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## skylsdale

You already have a group of imitators in your other tank! But another population would be just as good--it's a great species. R. variabilis is what the hobby's nominal imitator form imitates.


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## rcteem

I say go with Standard Lamasi. I know you loved mine when you saw them . Maybe they will be bold for you like mine...lol. In all seriousness I would go with Amazonicus or Southern Variabilis... Im working with all three fyi


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## rcteem

frogface said:


> Thanks to Vicskimmr, I'm finally getting motivated to redo my failed paludarium. Vics inspirational photos, good advice, plus, Chris Teem stopping by last night to pick up some of his frogs, looking at my tank and saying something like 'what the hell is that'?


Didnt mean to hurt your feelings Kris


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## BethInAK

the clean lines of the tank are so elegant. Very, very beautiful.


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## BethInAK

vic, how did the wood get "in place" - what did you use to affix it?


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## VicSkimmr

I just carved holes in the ecoweb, filled them with great stuff, then pressed the wood into it. It's pretty rock solid (which is good because the wood on the left is about 30 lbs).


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## VicSkimmr

rcteem said:


> I say go with Standard Lamasi. I know you loved mine when you saw them


That's kind of why I've been mulling over Baja Huallaga imitators since they seem to vaguely imitate lamasi and share the same colors.


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## VicSkimmr

Ok I've got a question. 

How much water uptake should I be seeing from my terrestrial plants? When I designed this system I had planned on replacing any evaporated water by misting so the water level in the sump never changed, but in order to do that I'm having to mist 3 times a day for 2 minutes a piece.

The way I figure it, there's no way that a significant amount of water is evaporating out of the main display since it's essentially a closed system, and the sump doesn't have a large enough surface area to evaporate _that_ much (it's like a gallon a day). 

I think I'd have noticed it by now if the system had a leak, so the only conclusion I can come to is water uptake from the plants. The only one that has really taken root and started sucking water out of the water area is my begonia, and it has more than quadrupled in size since I planted it, but man that's a lot of water to lose. I'm going to have to invest in a RO/DI system at this rate.


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## skylsdale

How much contact does your substrate have with the water? Any edges? That could be wicking up water. I assume the EcoWeb doesn't do much wicking, but that could be a possibility as well.


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## VicSkimmr

The substrate doesn't have any contact points with the water (as best as I can tell). Neither does the ecoweb.


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## exboyz04

waw hun what a crisp clean lovely design you have created, so love it


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## Markw

Wow. This surely is an elegant, beautiful setup. You've got me really wanting to do something similar with my 150g. How many frogs are you planning to have in the group? Have you decided a species yet?

I'll be tagging along!
Mark


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## VicSkimmr

Thanks!

I found a group of 6 Baja Huallaga imitators that will be ready in the time frame I'm looking at  They can bolster their own numbers from there.

I may change my intermedius tank into a benedicta or vanzonlinii tank in the future, but for this large of a tank I needed something easy to care for that would raise their own young without much intervention from me. I appreciate everyone's suggestions!


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## GRIMM

How is the search for more plants going bud? Im finally getting my nicer broms tonight, so damn excited! Still wont come close to the ones you have, but at least I got nice orchids to make up for it


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## VicSkimmr

More plants are on hold for the time being. I'm letting everything I have get adjusted. Eventually I'll hopefully find some vining plants and ferns, but for the moment I'm content with what I have.

There's a big car show coming up next weekend and I'm trying to get mine ready, so the viv will be completely neglected for the next week and a half.


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## ZookeeperDoug

Would love to see some updated pics.


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## VicSkimmr

Can do! I'm out of town till Monday so they'll have to wait a bit, but I'll take some as soon as I get back


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## VicSkimmr

So I was leaving to head up for a car show Thursday after work when I get a call from my wife saying the tank was leaking. I turn around and rush home to find it completely drained (mostly by my wife, bless her), and what I assume to be a crack in the bottom somewhere. She said water was pouring out between the tank and the stand. 

So needless to say, this will no longer be a paludarium, and pics will have to wait a bit till I get the new land area figured out. I've spent the entire weekend pulling up the carpet and making sure everything is dried out. I estimate that we lost about 20 gallons of water that is now residing in the carpet/walls. It sucks too because I just spent the last week and a half getting my car ready for the show (put an air ride suspension and new wheels on it, that's a lot of work for me for a week and a half) and then didn't even get to go.


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## eos

Damn dude... totally sucks (about both situations) ... It's always something huh!


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## GRIMM

Rough, sorry to here about that. What type of options are there for fixing something like this? Hopefully its just the silicone that came apart because replacing the glass bottom would be a nightmare. Good luck with the fix.


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## VicSkimmr

That's the plan. It wouldn't work if there was going to be a lot of water in the bottom, but since it'll just be a drainage area now it should be fine. I haven't gotten motivated enough to see how bad it is yet. The most I've done is drag it from one side of the room to the other so I could pull the carpet up, and that was more than a little difficult. Even without water this thing is heavy as hell.


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## dfrmav

hey, where did you buy these broms from? they're gorgeous!


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## VicSkimmr

Rainforest Herps


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## Mitch

VicSkimmr said:


> Rainforest Herps


LOL

Anyways, everything is looking good! Yeah, I'm a little late. (sorry)


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## dfrmav

Mitch said:


> LOL
> 
> Anyways, everything is looking good! Yeah, I'm a little late. (sorry)


Yeah, I heard. Shocking because my one interaction was positive. Oh well, what can you do?


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## VicSkimmr

lol, did something happen to Chris' business? I'm a little out of the loop

Oh snap I just looked up his feedback thread. In that case try Jason DeSantis, he sells the same types of bromeliads.


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## dfrmav

VicSkimmr said:


> lol, did something happen to Chris' business? I'm a little out of the loop
> 
> Oh snap I just looked up his feedback thread. In that case try Jason DeSantis, he sells the same types of bromeliads.


Already ahead of you on that  Thanks, though.


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## Happy_Frogger

Beautiful build!!! Wanna build me one lol


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## VicSkimmr

I may actually be putting this one up for sale. The wife has never really been fond of it since it's so large, I may just sell it and set up a smaller tank to make things easier on myself.

If anyone is interested shoot me a PM.


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## ZookeeperDoug

VicSkimmr said:


> I may actually be putting this one up for sale. The wife has never really been fond of it since it's so large, I may just sell it and set up a smaller tank to make things easier on myself.
> 
> If anyone is interested shoot me a PM.


 Bummer man. So happy my wife loves my vivs. She's not terribly thrilled by all the bug cultures though.


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## raimeiken

Great looking Viv! Are your neos retaining their original colors?


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## VicSkimmr

Oh yeah, they've actually colored up quite a bit  I'll try to remember to take some pics tonight. 

I'm still unsure about keeping it or selling it. I love it, but I'm just not sure it's worth incurring constant flak from the wife.


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## 19jeffro83

Keep it. Give her money for a purse or something an tell her to buzz off. Tell her to let you have your fun or her shoes will start to disappear.


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## GRIMM

VicSkimmr said:


> Oh yeah, they've actually colored up quite a bit  I'll try to remember to take some pics tonight.
> 
> I'm still unsure about keeping it or selling it. I love it, but I'm just not sure it's worth incurring constant flak from the wife.


Easy fix bud, get rid of the wife instead 

But seriously, why doesnt she like a nice tank like that as a room centerpiece? Its an eye grabber that almost everyone would want in their home, especially if it is maintained for them! Would there even be a difference if it was smaller and sat in the same section of that room?


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## onetank

Great Job! Looks awsome


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## VicSkimmr

GRIMM said:


> But seriously, why doesnt she like a nice tank like that as a room centerpiece? Its an eye grabber that almost everyone would want in their home, especially if it is maintained for them! Would there even be a difference if it was smaller and sat in the same section of that room?


She thinks it's too big. We have this same discussion about TV's, but we settled that little dispute by having a home theater room haha. She can have her puny little TV in the living room and I can put whatever size display I want in my room :evil laugh:


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## VicSkimmr

Not a great picture, but...









I haven't done much more than remove the supports for the land area. I still need to rearrange the plants and build up the substrate so it doesn't look so flat


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## curlykid

wow! im impressed. i too have given up reefing for darts. Hope its just as, if not more rewarding. love the plant selection btw.


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## Dendroguy

Looks awesome!


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## VicSkimmr

Got some presents in today  I think it's time to finally frog proof this thing.


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## VicSkimmr

#1









#2









#3









I'll take some shots that are in better focus once they're all settled in and I can use the tripod


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## frogface

Yay! Grats


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## Alegre323

what happenned to the water!?

looks good now too,i liked it more with the water


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## VicSkimmr

So did I, but the water decided it liked being on my floor better


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## phytotelmata

Are those Baja Huallaga imitators?


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## VicSkimmr

yes'sir. I've been waiting for them for a while


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## lilherp25

Be-e-a-utiful! haha love it


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## phytotelmata

VicSkimmr said:


> yes'sir. I've been waiting for them for a while


Very nice. I haven't seen them talked about much, or up for sale often, on this site. Cool imitator morph. Good luck with them.


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## VicSkimmr

Yeah they're still fairly new. So far I love them, they're very striking in person and judging by what I got sent there's a lot of variation within the morph 

They remind me of standard lamasi (or whatever they're called now), except they're much bolder


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## skanderson

i think it looks great without the water but agree that a little bit of change in lvl would help. hope you get the wife problem worked out. im sure mine will complain when she is able to get down the stairs and see the viv that i am putting in. hopefully it will be almost finished so it looks good by then.


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## VicSkimmr

I found the source of the leak. I'll upload pics in a bit.


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## Alegre323

cool and it sucks so much lol


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## VicSkimmr

The crack









I'm not used to seeing cracks that don't span the entire pane, I don't know how that happen. I assumed that the tank wasn't sitting on the stand quite correctly and the pressure from the water caused it to crack, but who knows.

I somehow managed to delete all the pics I took of the fix, but I basically put a bead of silicone directly over the crack, and then siliconed a pane of scrap glass on top of it. Hopefully that should do it.


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## Alegre323

test it and see if it works. then update us


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## VicSkimmr

Nah I'm not going to fill it back up, I just wanted to make sure what little bit gets down there from misting doesn't leak out.

More frog pics


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## VicSkimmr




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## Alegre323

sweet pics


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## Sticky Fingers

Beautiful viv and frogs!


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## teggner

Sweet!! but what's the frog species name?


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## Ryno202

phytotelmata said:


> Are those Baja Huallaga imitators?





VicSkimmr said:


> yes'sir. I've been waiting for them for a while


*Baja Huallaga imitators*


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## drutt

VicSkimmr said:


> Nah I'm not going to fill it back up, I just wanted to make sure what little bit gets down there from misting doesn't leak out.
> 
> More frog pics


Nice frogs, I have heard that they are monogamous, but can I have several pairs together?


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## VicSkimmr

drutt said:


> Nice frogs, I have heard that they are monogamous, but can I have several pairs together?


I'll defer that to more knowledgeable members. 

I'm attempting it because of all the room I have. They used to be considered a good grouping frog, so if nothing else I think they'll tolerate each other, but space constraints might have an effect on their behavior.

I'm looking forward to eventually having multiple pairs in this tank though


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## curlykid

hey vic! love the tank. where'd you purchase the epiweb from?


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## kisozaza

Vic - really enjoyed the first 'round' of this constructions life. It is just so neat and tidy. Very inspirational. Sorry to hear about the crack but hey - it's still a centre-peice and worth a lot of praise. 

I'd fit an entire section of toughened glass in the interior base - like fire-glass ( the one with a cross-hatch of metal strands running through it - don't know what it is called over in the Us !). The weight should hold and again you will have the original design. Either way it is a great project.


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## VicSkimmr

curlykid said:


> hey vic! love the tank. where'd you purchase the epiweb from?


As far as I know this is the only vendor that sells it
https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/commerce.cgi?product=EcoWeb&cart_id=1322579405.573&exact_match=on

I may have been mislabeling it. In the USA it's known as Ecoweb.


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## VicSkimmr

Still haven't gotten any really nicely posed shots of the frogs with the tripod yet, but they're definitely not shy



















I've heard one of them calling for the past couple of nights, so I definitely have at least 1 male.


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## curlykid

beautiful frogs. i found firstrays and ended up getting a piece of ecoweb for my viv.


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## wimvanvelzen

Beautiful pictures of gorgeous frogs - thanks for posting!


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## VicSkimmr

Finally got one of them to pose long enough to snap a few pictures  I don't know if this is a male or female, but it's the odd one out from the trio.


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## VicSkimmr




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## goku

stunning!


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## curlykid

Jason, I took some inspiration from your build for mine, It looks somewhat similar, with the ecoweb and what not, but I have a bit more moss. I think you'll like it when I post some pictures.


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## VicSkimmr

Added some resurrection ferns 


















I'm probably going to break it up a bit and spread it out all over the background.


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## J Teezy

nice build. I like it better without the water personally


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## VicSkimmr

Thanks  It's growing on me, but I _really_ liked it with water in it. On a side note, it's STILL leaking, so I'm thinking there may be another crack hidden under the substrate down there. I'm not looking forward to catching the frogs and tearing everything out to find it.


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## MzFroggie

Any updates on this beast?


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## [email protected]

I like how clean your setup looks


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## teggner

Where did you buy your, what do you call it in english.. overflow? Kick ass tank btw!


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## mmcguffi

update plz!


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## mahji

Omg that is gorgeous, i am in love with that tank. I wish all mines came out as nice as that . Good job , really good job. 
FYI much better without water


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## VicSkimmr

Ack I didn't realize this was bumped. I'll clean the glass and take some pics tonight. I've been trying to catch the frogs so I can tear down the bottom portion to fix a leak but haven't had much luck finding them. They keep moving their HQ it seems.

The overflow (assuming we're talking about the same thing), is just a high quality bulkhead and some random PVC parts put together by me to make a hybrid durso standpipe setup. I've done it a lot with my past reef tanks and it worked pretty well in this situation.

Luckily all the plants seem to be doing well. I've had to re-locate some resurrection ferns from what I assume must have been a lack of light (never thought that would be possible), but other than that all is happy.


----------



## froggies3

How do you keep the glass soooo clean? Do you use those magnetic things or just paper towels of some sort? BTW awesome vivarium I just want to jump into it.


----------



## VicSkimmr

I just clean it before I take pictures. I also make sure to angle the misting nozzles so they don't spray excess water onto the glass and I keep my tanks well ventilated (internal air circ) to keep condensation from forming, which goes a long way to keep the glass clean. I only feel the need to clean the glass every couple of months.

Right now it's pretty dirty, and I'm out of paper towels.


----------



## snake54320

VicSkimmr said:


> Added some resurrection ferns
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm probably going to break it up a bit and spread it out all over the background.


Very pretty plant, do you have it's scientific name ?


----------



## mmcguffi

snake54320 said:


> Very pretty plant, do you have it's scientific name ?


Pleopeltis polypodioides


----------



## VicSkimmr

As of tonight

IMG_2935 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## teggner

What a source of inspiration! great work


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks! 

Found a couple of frogs this morning

IMG_3051 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

I finally got a belly shot

IMG_3039 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

and I found Korean Rock Ferns at Lowe's for $3.48 this morning! I might have to go back and clean them out. I love these ferns so much.

IMG_3060 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## dendrothusiast

VicSkimmr said:


> and I found Korean Rock Ferns at Lowe's for $3.48 this morning! I might have to go back and clean them out. I love these ferns so much.


They're one of my favorite ferns for vivariums


----------



## parkanz2

That is one of the most amazing belly shots I've ever seen due to the astonishingly crystal clear glass.


----------



## Peter Keane

parkanz2 said:


> That is one of the most amazing belly shots I've ever seen due to the astonishingly crystal clear glass.


I know, it's like the frog landed on the camera lens.. no mineral/water spots or anything.. Gorgeous vivarium btw.. And the frogs, these are some of my personal favs.. Baja Huallaga imitators are stunning!.. 

Peter Keane


----------



## VicSkimmr

Ah the power of the clone tool haha 

Here is the original. The glass was still pretty clean though, I got lucky.


----------



## VicSkimmr

After approximately 8 months


----------



## frogface

Still beautiful!


----------



## Hubla75

this is one of my favorite tanks


----------



## hypostatic

Oh wow its even more beautiful without the water feature. Was the lighting changed too? The tank looks a lot brighter too!


----------



## VicSkimmr

Nah, same lights, there are just a lot more plants down in the bottom now that reflect the light onto the camera's sensor. Actually I'd like to convert this tank to LED lighting, but that's a long ways off.


----------



## Giga

Looks great, I followed ur thread on nanoreef and it's what convinced me to start my vivarium. Looks like you lost some color with the broms but still looks great. I use LEDs on my viv,and with the optics you can get th intense light to have them keep their color


----------



## VicSkimmr

Yeah that's what I'm hoping. Sadly it would cost a fortune to do right now (well, at least what I have in mind would) so that little project is going to sit by the wayside for a while.


----------



## jeeperrs

VicSkimmr said:


> Yeah that's what I'm hoping. Sadly it would cost a fortune to do right now (well, at least what I have in mind would) so that little project is going to sit by the wayside for a while.


What lights are you planning on using for your LEDs?

I absolutely love your display. Great work!


----------



## VicSkimmr

I haven't decided that yet since technology changes so fast. If I chose anything today it would be obsolete by the time I actually got around to building it. The controller would be what would cost the most money, since I would most definitely want to try and simulate light moving through the canopy (LED's dimming randomly) as well as thunderstorms.


----------



## Mitch

Looks awesome! Nice job!


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks!

Caught the male calling tonight. First time he's ever done it out in the open (and continued to do it while I grabbed the camera instead of darting away). You can't see in this photo, but the female was only about 3" above him.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Well, I'm considering tearing this down to help raise funds for a Canon 6D.


----------



## Julio

VicSkimmr said:


> Well, I'm considering tearing this down to help raise funds for a Canon 6D.


I bet if you post it for sale you will get your camera money!


----------



## VicSkimmr

Maybe, but it can't be moved unfortunately  Someone might be willing to take the frogs, plants, and wood though.


----------



## Julio

why can't it be moved?, i am sure someone local would be more then willing to buy it and pick it up.


----------



## VicSkimmr

the bottom is cracked and it weighs about 200 lbs empty. I can't even imagine someone trying to move it.

All in all it probably weighs upwards of 350 lbs now.

I'd be happy to help someone recreate it with new glass if they're local though


----------



## Julio

if i lived closed by i would have loved to go pick it up from you, def worth keeping.


----------



## VicSkimmr

yep, it's coming down. We're going to use most of the plants/wood and create a nice riparium in its place and we're going to transfer the frogs to our little tank downstairs. The intermedius will go up for sale.

Since we're going to completely dismantle it, I'll repair the bottom pane (replace it if possible) before I sell it. If anyone is interested let me know.

I still won't ship it, but I'll help deliver it.


----------



## VicSkimmr

perfect timing, i found my first froglet today lol.


----------



## GRIMM

Damn its sad you are taking this beauty apart just before it hits it's prime. Why the 6D anyways, and why not just save up a couple months and keep the tank? Ive been seeing some insane deals on lightly used 5Dmkii lately. 2 grand up here for 5dmkii and 24-105 f4. Probably even cheaper down in the US.


----------



## VicSkimmr

It's not necessarily just to get the 6D. It's more a "appease the wife, consolidate frog stuff, set up awesome planted tank" type of situation. I haven't really been happy with it ever since I lost the water portion. 

The 6D is going to debut at $2k also, FWIW. I'll be waiting till it shows up in the loyalty program for a huge discount though.


----------



## VicSkimmr

We're not sure if this is the same froglet (nicknamed "Squishy") or if this is a different one









It's funny, the lines look so defined in pictures but you can barely make them out in person. He's essentially solid black to look at him.

Mama wasn't happy we were bothering him









Missed the focus by just a hair


----------



## VicSkimmr

Now Krista thinks we should keep it since the frogs are having babbies.


----------



## MrBiggs

GRIMM said:


> Why the 6D anyways, and why not just save up a couple months and keep the tank? Ive been seeing some insane deals on lightly used 5Dmkii lately. 2 grand up here for 5dmkii and 24-105 f4. Probably even cheaper down in the US.


True, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a Canon...


----------



## Jungleboy

Did you end up keeping this vivarium?


----------



## VicSkimmr

yeah it's still going haha. I ended up tearing down our small tank downstairs. We're going to put a 33 gallon riparium in its place instead.

So for now, the plans for this tank are:
- New lighting. I'm going to build some kind of track lighting setup for it with LEDs so I can transfer my T5 setup to the riparium. Hopefully with this new setup I can dim the lights since it sits just outside our theater room. For right now I have to shut the lights off altogether whenever we use it (which is a lot)

- Replanting. A lot of my show broms have either died or are in the process of dying since they were purchased in their prime and we're coming up on 2 years. I have multitudes of pups but nothing to fill the big spots. It definitely needs some spring cleaning. I'm going to wait till the new light setup is finished so I can hopefully avoid losing all those pretty colors this time.


----------



## VicSkimmr

not a great shot, but I'm practicing with my flash.


----------



## VicSkimmr

more shots with the flash. It really makes a difference when you can get it to bounce right where you want it


----------



## Amphinityfrogs

The shots look good to me. You must be a perfectionist lol


----------



## curlykid

Jason, are you still reefing? I noticed you posted a picture of an acan on the picture a day thread on NR. Congrats on the froglets btw.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Amphinityfrogs said:


> The shots look good to me. You must be a perfectionist lol


I like them too  I'm just picky



curlykid said:


> Jason, are you still reefing? I noticed you posted a picture of an acan on the picture a day thread on NR. Congrats on the froglets btw.


No I gave that up a couple of years ago (actually it was when I started keeping frogs again). It was too much work and I'm too lazy.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Testing out a new lighting setup. I'm stuck using the halogen bulbs until my 15 watt LED replacements come in.










trial run


















You can't really see how dynamic it is in the picture, but in person it looks AWESOME.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Decided to re-edit one of the last imitator pictures I took for part of my 365 day photo project, the exposure looks a lot better now.


----------



## rigel10

VicSkimmr said:


> perfect timing, i found my first froglet today lol.


I wish I had a similar surprise! Your viv is beautiful, very inspiring. I am following your thread from the beginning and I'll follow it to the end. Greetings


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks! We haven't seen much of him after the first week. We're not sure if he passed away or if he's simply hiding. It's a big space with tons of hiding spots.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Macro shots are a lot more challenging with the full frame body. I can't zoom in nearly as close as I used to. Of course I could crop it down, but that's no fun.


----------



## GRIMM

VicSkimmr said:


> Macro shots are a lot more challenging with the full frame body. I can't zoom in nearly as close as I used to. Of course I could crop it down, but that's no fun.


I know how you feel! Ive come to terms that a decent shot won't happen past 12" from the lens. Almost makes me want to get a 180mm macro if it wasn't for reflection problems.

If its any consolation, I will say significant noise reduction in that shot compared to old ones  Wait till you use some wide angle glass though, then you'll be happy.


----------



## easternversant

VicSkimmr said:


> Testing out a new lighting setup. I'm stuck using the halogen bulbs until my 15 watt LED replacements come in.
> 
> You can't really see how dynamic it is in the picture, but in person it looks AWESOME.


I'm debating moving to LEDs--what did this setup run you if you don't mind asking me (feel free to pm me in response)?


----------



## VicSkimmr

GRIMM said:


> I know how you feel! Ive come to terms that a decent shot won't happen past 12" from the lens. Almost makes me want to get a 180mm macro if it wasn't for reflection problems.
> 
> If its any consolation, I will say significant noise reduction in that shot compared to old ones  Wait till you use some wide angle glass though, then you'll be happy.


Yeah the ISO performance of the 6D is amazing! I can always revery to Krista's XSi if I really need the extra zoom



easternversant said:


> I'm debating moving to LEDs--what did this setup run you if you don't mind asking me (feel free to pm me in response)?


About $100, but whether these LEDs are powerful enough is yet to be seen. 

$40 for the bulbs (ebay) they're 3x5 watt GU10 bulbs
$10 a piece for the pendants
$10 for the track
$10 for the power cable


----------



## teggner

An offtopic question. What kind of setting do you use on your camera/flash most often? I have just purchased a MR-14ex for my 7d.. do you know at which values I would aim for?


----------



## VicSkimmr

I'm just getting to know my flash too (its a 580exii), so my experience might not help much, but I'm using it in ETTL mode and I push it at least one stop above what it thinks it needs.

For the camera I typically set it in manual mode at around 1/320th and f/8, iso 100. That makes for a shot that is pretty much only lit with the flash. It seems to work pretty well so far. I'm going to play with remotely firing it from above soon, but I have to set the flash manually in that situation.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Mama in her usual spot


----------



## VicSkimmr

February 17th, 2013


----------



## VicSkimmr

The male temporarily got over his shyness for a photo op


----------



## VicSkimmr

moar









and also yay for a batch of eggs i can photograph!


----------



## VicSkimmr

Sorry to whore these guys out so much, but they're such an easy subject while it's still cold outside


----------



## Whitneyd88

VicSkimmr said:


> moar
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and also yay for a batch of eggs i can photograph!


Are the eggs clear?? Or is that one egg to the left?


----------



## VicSkimmr

I'm not sure what happened to the rest, everything was gone the next morning


----------



## VicSkimmr




----------



## VicSkimmr

Trying some full tank shots


















I hope this lighting works out because I'm totally in love with it.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Fern garden









Miscellaneous orchid









I'm LOVING the colors this camera captures too. Everything is so vibrant!


----------



## diggenem

Man that looks awesome!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## JoshsDragonz

Looks great... I like the spot lighting. Adds a cool look to the tank.


----------



## kitcolebay

Same here...love the lighting! It gives it a very clean and modern look!

-Chris


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks guys  Assuming these lights can continue to make the plants grow I'll break everything down, paint them black and hide the wires. For right now I'm just testing them out.


----------



## VicSkimmr

uno mas

March 14th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

The frogs moved shop when I re-arranged some things, now their home is much easier to photograph 


March 15th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


March 16th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## kitcolebay

Awesome photos!

-Chris


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thank you!


----------



## eos

Everything looks great man!


----------



## rackodac

That is one sick paludarium


----------



## gturmindright

Awesome stuff man. How did you make that glass door?


----------



## Tincman

Nice Visibility in your Setup, I like how you have a variety of colors in the backround with the epiphytic Broms... Great Show tank...Browsing some of the nicer Vivariums on here is making me want to revamp my setup even more..


----------



## VicSkimmr

gturmindright said:


> Awesome stuff man. How did you make that glass door?


It's a single sheet of glass with rare earth magnets siliconed to the outside. Then on the inside pane of the tank there are another set of rare earth magnets, so when the door in in place is looks like this:

magnet|glass|glass|magnet. 

This picture _kind of_ illustrates it

WIP - Day 4 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

At the bottom I have an aluminum rail for the door to sit on. It's virtually fruit fly proof. The only issue is fingerprints at the corners where I have to hold it, but that's a small price to pay for not having any unsightly plastic pieces around the frame of the door.


----------



## gturmindright

Well, I'm going to have to duplicate some of the things you've done. Hopefully you take that as a compliment because it is.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Knock yourself out!


----------



## VicSkimmr

I had someone ask what all I had in the bottom portion of the tank, so here's a shot. I'll need some help with some of these plants, I picked them off the tropical rack at Lowes


March 18th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Right to left:
Polystichum tsus-simense - Korean Rock Fern (believe it or not they do get this big)
Spathiphyllum - Peace Lily
??
??

I don't know what the 2 on the left are


----------



## VicSkimmr

March 22nd, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


March 23rd, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

March 25th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


March 24th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## vivlover10

Hey looks very full with plants which gives it a jungle look! Very Cool! 


What are the new bromeliads you replaced the old ones with?


----------



## VicSkimmr

I haven't replaced anything yet  I trashed all but 3 of them.


----------



## VicSkimmr

fog 

March 29th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

I can't tell if these guys are doing any damage or not, but they're sure thriving in this tank 

March 31st, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


March 30th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## GRIMM

If you cant notice any damage I doubt they are causing to much harm. They look identical to the ones in my display, maybe 4mm in diameter max? Mine seem to only enjoy dead leaves, the big ferns that grew from my background, and older jewel orchid leaves.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Yeah I don't ever see them eating leaves, but I have a frightening number of them. Hell I caught 6 of them in one macro shot covering maybe 2" of space.


----------



## blehrer

Pretty awesome Vic. Are you going to start up a new palu any time soon? I'm really digging mine, but looking for some more lessons learned from people who keep them. 

Any issues with the deep water and frogs taking a swim ever? I don't want to find a floater!


----------



## VicSkimmr

I never had an issue with that, but it was only a paludarium for about 6 months so my experience is kind of irrelevant. This is the only frog tank I'll have, so I doubt I'll set up another paludarium unless I tear this one down.


----------



## rigel10

Do you think that plants grow better with this lights?


----------



## VicSkimmr

Still too early to tell I think. They're definitely still growing, which is all I really care about, but I don't know if they're growing _better_. I'm still considering adding a second row of lights but that might be overkill.


----------



## Spaff

I don't think I've ever commented on this tank, but it is very well done! Everything is very neat and the whole set up looks very clean.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks man!

A couple more frog shots

April 4th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


April 5th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

Invasion of the resurrection ferns

April 11th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


April 12th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

They're still acclimating but I'm pretty sure most of them will survive


----------



## rigel10

I never get tired of seeing your viv!


----------



## Dendro Dave

I'm pretty stingy in my viv praise but you've earned it...great tank Vic!

Uh the snails...keep an eye on them, some type decimated my darklands eggs back in the day (I saw them eat eggs), but those frogs breeding took off once the snails were under control...if you aren't breeding and don't plan to I wouldn't worry to much, unless the plants start ending up as food.


----------



## kitcolebay

rigel10 said:


> I never get tired of seeing your viv!


Absolutely agree. Everything about it is terrific. The placement in the house, the lighting, the design, the plants, the frogs, the...(goes on and on)! More than a touch of class to it! Then your pictures just pop with the beauty of it and the frogs!

Thanks for sharing!

-Chris


----------



## VicSkimmr

rigel10 said:


> I never get tired of seeing your viv!





kitcolebay said:


> Absolutely agree. Everything about it is terrific. The placement in the house, the lighting, the design, the plants, the frogs, the...(goes on and on)! More than a touch of class to it! Then your pictures just pop with the beauty of it and the frogs!
> 
> Thanks for sharing!
> 
> -Chris


Thanks guys 



Dendro Dave said:


> I'm pretty stingy in my viv praise but you've earned it...great tank Vic!
> 
> Uh the snails...keep an eye on them, some type decimated my darklands eggs back in the day (I saw them eat eggs), but those frogs breeding took off once the snails were under control...if you aren't breeding and don't plan to I wouldn't worry to much, unless the plants start ending up as food.


Thanks!

It's hard to tell with the snails. My frogs haven't had much luck breeding, then again I'm not trying to help them any either. We did have one froglet but I haven't seen it for a while now, I figure it probably perished due to a lack of suitable foods.

If the snails are attacking the eggs I'm in serious trouble because I don't even know where the frogs are laying them. For right now it seems like the snails are eating algae off of the plants. I haven't noticed any damage to the plants themselves.


----------



## Dendro Dave

VicSkimmr said:


> Thanks guys
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> It's hard to tell with the snails. My frogs haven't had much luck breeding, then again I'm not trying to help them any either. We did have one froglet but I haven't seen it for a while now, I figure it probably perished due to a lack of suitable foods.
> 
> If the snails are attacking the eggs I'm in serious trouble because I don't even know where the frogs are laying them. For right now it seems like the snails are eating algae off of the plants. I haven't noticed any damage to the plants themselves.


What I did was put little bottle caps of beer in the viv and after about a month or 2 of diligently doing that the snail population was down enough that the darklands eggs started surviving and I was getting froglets. The bottle caps were so small the darks would have had to land right in them and just sit there to soak any beer up but probably the better way would be to make an enclosed container with openings small enough for snails but not frogs...also I don't know if non alcoholic beer also works on snails but if so that would be even safer.
I later sold the pair and some offspring to finance my fox purchase  ...I miss them though


----------



## VicSkimmr

I think I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. I didn't really have much in the way of froglet food in the tank so for all I know they could be breeding quite successfully but I just never spotted the froglets. I was shocked to find the froglet we did. I've since seeded it with multiple kinds of springtails and isopods, so hopefully that will improve now.


----------



## rigel10

Leaf lettuce. Works well with snails in my fishtank.


----------



## pet-teez

This tank is EPIC!


----------



## Keister

I love this Viv! It looks absolutely fantastic and I will be using it as inspiration for my new extremely large display Viv!


----------



## Tolan

VicSkimmr said:


> March 22nd, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


I'm not gonna lie, that's the background on my phone. It's such an amazing photo.

I am in love with your tank. Great job with it; it's definitely one of my favorite vivs ever. Everything is so perfect, from the fog to your choice of live stock. The room and the setting of the cage fits it perfectly, being alone on that wall and all. Not to mention that your photography of it is amazing. It makes the frogs look at least 10 times better.
Keep it up!


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks, that means a lot! 

My pair don't seem to be in any hurry to bolster their numbers on their own so I may be looking to get a few more to help pretty soon. I'm pretty sure they're raising a tadpole now though, I've hardly seen them over the past 3 weeks.


----------



## mollbern

Tolan said:


> I'm not gonna lie, that's the background on my phone. It's such an amazing photo.
> 
> I am in love with your tank. Great job with it; it's definitely one of my favorite vivs ever. Everything is so perfect, from the fog to your choice of live stock. The room and the setting of the cage fits it perfectly, being alone on that wall and all. Not to mention that your photography of it is amazing. It makes the frogs look at least 10 times better.
> Keep it up!


Have to agree. That photo is insane! Taking quality pictures makes such a difference in doing justice to the real-life experience of a viv. 

I'm learning a lot about the equipment and process reading through this thread. Thanks for all the info and inspiration. 

And congrats on potentially getting some more frogs for that tank – super exciting.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Yeah I've found that since starting to practice with my flash my frog shots have gotten exponentially better. 

I think I'm about to the point where I'll be comfortable with adding orchids too, I just need to get some money together. Too many other projects going on at once.


----------



## cowboys22

One of the best looking setups I've seen..how much to build me an enclosure like that?lol


----------



## VicSkimmr

From my understanding the design I used for the door setup is patented, so I can't create them to re-sell, which sucks. I have about 50lbs of glass and a whole bunch of aluminum railing just laying around because I had originally wanted to make a side business of making these.

So it would cost nothing, because I can't do it


----------



## madran2

Very nice!!


----------



## VicSkimmr

I finally found where they're laying their eggs. The background has pulled away from the glass at the top and they're hiding them back there.

Daddy doing his thing









A new batch

Eggs! by jasonwithers, on Flickr

This is pretty damning. I don't care if it's just a coincidence, I think it's time to do a purge of these snails.


----------



## easternversant

Wage war on those things man! I once saw a snail eating an egg less than 10 minutes after it was laid. I was less than pleased.


----------



## DrawntoLife

Take the frogs out and gas the tank with co2 for a while


----------



## VicSkimmr

Can't be done unfortunately. There are about a billion places for the frogs to hide in a tank this size, not to mention there could be froglets running around that I haven't seen yet.

I've stopped misting for the past 4 days, which kills most of the snails, but when I start it up again tonight I'm going to start pulling every one I find.


----------



## Nath514

VicSkimmr said:


> Can't be done unfortunately. There are about a billion places for the frogs to hide in a tank this size, not to mention there could be froglets running around that I haven't seen yet.
> 
> I've stopped misting for the past 4 days, which kills most of the snails, but when I start it up again tonight I'm going to start pulling every one I find.


I have been doing the lettuce trick for the past month and after the first week I now only see one maybe two snails a week. Been pulling healthy eggs out of the tank like crazy!


----------



## VicSkimmr

So you basically just toss some lettuce in and they gravitate toward it? I'm definitely going to try that too.


----------



## GRIMM

VicSkimmr said:


> So you basically just toss some lettuce in and they gravitate toward it? I'm definitely going to try that too.


Its best to grab the lettuce early in the morning before the lights come on. Also, If you have any broms that have recently flowered they fricken love noming on the freshly dead centers. I found like 10 adults in my brom that just finished flowering.


----------



## Nath514

Yup, just toss a piece or two in. I agree with Justin pulling the lettuce in the morning usually results in the best snail haul. As long as you use the lettuce every now an then you should be able to keep them in check.


----------



## rigel10

Lettuce is a good trick. Or maybe you need some Botia or Badis (genetically modified) for terrestrial life.


----------



## EverettC

rigel10 said:


> Lettuce is a good trick. Or maybe you need some Botia or Badis (genetically modified) for terrestrial life.


Dwarf chain loaches will take care of anything in the water


----------



## rigel10

Or Anentome helena. However, in my opinion, snails are pest in aquarium or in terrarium. I use alum for fish tank against snails. Has anyone ever used alum to sanitize plants for vivs?


----------



## Dendro Dave

*Beer...*

I used it in 2 liter bottle caps in my darklands viv to catch snails...if I did it over again I'd make special containers with holes big enough for the snails but not the frogs...I never had any problems but that is the safer way to go.

I don't know if non alcoholic beer attracts snails, but that would be even safer. 

Anyways...Beer worked for me...they'd been having all their eggs wiped out before they became tads and I got no froglets...but after the beer I started getting a lot of froglets. I sold the parents and some froglets from them to buy my fox...then ants got the couple I kept


----------



## VicSkimmr

Do you have a pic to show how you did it? Was there 2 caps layed on top of each other? I'm just worried that the frogs/froglets could get into it.


----------



## Dendro Dave

VicSkimmr said:


> Do you have a pic to show how you did it? Was there 2 caps layed on top of each other? I'm just worried that the frogs/froglets could get into it.


No I don't, but basically I just sat a couple of 2 liter bottle caps filled with beer in the front corners of the 10vert they were in. I figured the frog would basically have to land right in the bottle cap, and probably do so repeatedly before it absorbed enough beer to be harmful, and those guys didn't much venture up to the front of the viv...

If anything they'd probably just tip over the caps...but I don't think they ever really got into them or tipped them over at all...but like I said in hind sight I would take something like a small rubbermade container or the little bowls with lids that frogs often come in and make the holes large enough for whatever type of snails you have to get in...but not the frogs and just sit those in there and dump them every couple days once the beer starts to go bad and there are a lot of dead snails in them. 

Just do a ring of snail sized holes in the lid or upper part of the container and I'm sure they'll find their way in...keep that up for awhile and eventually you'll be taking them out faster then they can reproduce and eventually....no more snails  

...At the very least in my experience it limited the problem so much that even with a few snails still in the tank the darklands were able to sneak most of their eggs by them so they'd have the chance to become actual tadpoles then froglets. I can only imagine how many potential froglets I missed having by not realizing the snails were doing that much damage, and doing something about it quickly....those guys were breeding machines till the ice storm came and broke their rhythm (They were one of the few frogs that got rescued and sat next to my parents fireplace the week I was out of power...then like I said sold along with most of the babies to buy my fox)


----------



## VicSkimmr

Snails are on their way out I think. I'm finding less and less of them

Random shots

IMG_1977 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


IMG_1974 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

All natural light for this one

IMG_1978 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## kitcolebay

Very nice Jason! Beautiful pics! Glad to hear the snails are going away!

-Chris


----------



## Jewelvivariums

What wood is that and were did u buy it? Looks amazing. One of my new favorite vivs.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks! I got the wood from Vivarium Concepts, but I just went to their site and it looks like it no longer exists? If they went out of business that's a huge blow to the hobby, they were great to work with.

The wood was called "Malaysian Driftwood"


----------



## Jewelvivariums

Also what conditions are your plants in to keep them looking so bright and healthy? I'm trying to start breeding my own bromeliads. Also are you worried about your frogs drowning or are you less worried cause thumbnails are gonna use that canopy space more?


----------



## VicSkimmr

Hmm, I suspect you're looking at older pictures. It hasn't had any water in the bottom since September 2011. Most of my broms lost their colors.


----------



## Jewelvivariums

Oh sorry didn't know the pics were that old. How much luck are you having breeding?


----------



## Jewelvivariums

P.s. sorry to keep bothering you


----------



## VicSkimmr

Jewelvivariums said:


> Oh sorry didn't know the pics were that old. How much luck are you having breeding?


It's been up for a while  They've successfully raised one froglet that I've seen, but I'm afraid i didn't have enough microfauna to support it. I haven't seen it since last October. They're currently raising another tadpole so hopefully I'll see another froglet hopping around soon. I've seeded the tank with multiple kinds of springtails and isopods, so hopefully this time we'll have more luck



Jewelvivariums said:


> P.s. sorry to keep bothering you


You're not bothering me at all!


----------



## Jewelvivariums

VicSkimmr said:


> It's been up for a while  They've successfully raised one froglet that I've seen, but I'm afraid i didn't have enough microfauna to support it. I haven't seen it since last October. They're currently raising another tadpole so hopefully I'll see another froglet hopping around soon. I've seeded the tank with multiple kinds of springtails and isopods, so hopefully this time we'll have more
> 
> 
> So your letting them raise the tadpoles on there own.


----------



## VicSkimmr

I don't have the time or energy to raise them myself. The tank is too big and there are too many hiding places.


----------



## Jewelvivariums

How big is your tank?


----------



## VicSkimmr

36x24x48, roughly 180 gallons


----------



## Jewelvivariums

That's huge!


----------



## VicSkimmr

Yeah it's pretty big hahaha. My wife insists I lied to her when I described what it would look like.


----------



## Jewelvivariums

That would be to big for me to manage. I can see what you mean about there being to many hiding places. How thick is the glass you used? I'm about to start constructing a tank half this size.


----------



## VicSkimmr

I used 1/4" all around


----------



## Nismo95

VicSkimmr said:


> Yeah it's pretty big hahaha. My wife insists I lied to her when I described what it would look like.


I believe it is just a preconceived idea that when we mention size all woman think we are lieing 

Couldnt resist. haha


----------



## VicSkimmr

New froglet!


New Froglet by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

This guy is either super bold or just hasn't learned to jump away when I bring the camera near haha

Froglet #2 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Froglet #2 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## rigel10

This froglet is gorgeous! It looks like a cartoon figure.


----------



## VicSkimmr

The froglet is getting fatter by the day and is very bold, I'm thinking he's in for the long-haul. We've also got another one that's about ready to leave his film canister. I'm so glad the frogs are getting the hang of this.

Mama

R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr


R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## kitcolebay

Great photos, beautiful frog! 

-Chris


----------



## dgibbons1

Lukeomelas said:


> Wow, that is one awesome tank. Nice job! Do you have any construction pics? I'd love to see how things went together.


I second this very clean looking tank would love to see how things went together


----------



## VicSkimmr

Sure, they're all in this flickr set. Start at the bottom and work your way up 
Paludarium Project - a set on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

Found another froglet. They certainly seem to be finding plenty to eat

Froglet #3 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## toksyn

Beautiful shots! Though, looking through your album I'd expect no less . 



VicSkimmr said:


> The froglet is getting fatter by the day and is very bold, I'm thinking he's in for the long-haul. We've also got another one that's about ready to leave his film canister. I'm so glad the frogs are getting the hang of this.
> 
> Mama
> 
> R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr
> 
> 
> R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

haha, thank you! It's funny, once I finally got used to using my flash, I have a "frog macro" setup that I flip it to and just fire away.


----------



## Leaf28

VIC from nano-reef? 
It's Reeferbarra ! What the hell has been up ?
It's funny I saw you onhere, although I'm not surprised , 
because it seems like a lot of u reefers are on here .
How long have you been keeping darts?


----------



## VicSkimmr

HEY!

I flip flop between this hobby and reef keeping, but I think I'm permanently on frogs now. I set up my first vivarium in 2005, so not long after I joined N-R  This current one has been set up for about 2 years now.





Hey does anyone know of a good vendor to get cheap ET/Caterpillar ferns from? Polypodium Formosanum. The resurrection ferns almost all rotted away (not hugely surprising) but I've always had good luck with ET Ferns.


----------



## JoshsDragonz

NEHERP usually has the ET ferns but they appear out of stock. I think Black Jungle has them in stock.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Black Jungle charges a fortune  Maybe I can find a really large one somewhere and chop it up. I've had good luck doing that in the past


----------



## VicSkimmr

He's getting big

Froglet #2 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## GRIMM

Now thats a nice shot Jason! Super duper sharp.


----------



## Harpo

He reminds me of The Joker. Great shot!


----------



## tbhf

Beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous .


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks!  My flash wouldn't sync with my camera at first, otherwise I may have been able to get the female and the froglet in the same shot.


----------



## 1.0reef

I love your pics! I remember seeing your tank on NR too (I'm also into reefing)


----------



## kenstyles

just curious..what happend a dart frog jumps in the water? Can they swim? Will they just jump back out when they want?


----------



## VicSkimmr

They can swim, but not well. If you have any type of water feature that's deep enough that they could drown there need to be lots of ways for them to easily get out.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Most of my resurrection ferns rotted away, which wasn't totally unexpected but still sucks. I need to get a better timer so I can cut back to less than 1 minute (my mistking one died out a while ago). Still, things are growing in pretty well 


September 30, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

New fern growth after the resurrection ferns melted. Not sure what kind of fern this is

New Fern Growth by jasonwithers, on Flickr

My Korean Rock Ferns and ET Ferns are still going strong though. You can see a Staghorn Fern I just put in as a test to see how it does in the background. I think it's a Staghorn at least, Home Depot is terrible with tags.

Fern by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## Adam R

looks nice jason. btw idk how you ever found your imitators in there. my display tank is 1/3 your size and i have enough trouble pin pointing my vents


----------



## Spaff

VicSkimmr said:


> Most of my resurrection ferns rotted away, which wasn't totally unexpected but still sucks. I need to get a better timer so I can cut back to less than 1 minute (my mistking one died out a while ago). Still, things are growing in pretty well
> 
> 
> September 30, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr
> 
> New fern growth after the resurrection ferns melted. Not sure what kind of fern this is
> 
> New Fern Growth by jasonwithers, on Flickr
> 
> My Korean Rock Ferns and ET Ferns are still going strong though. You can see a Staghorn Fern I just put in as a test to see how it does in the background. I think it's a Staghorn at least, Home Depot is terrible with tags.
> 
> Fern by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Jason, I don't see any staghorns in that last picture. They get BIG though. Let me know if you want to try some more resurrection fern, and I'll try to scrounge you up some. Also, those unID'ed ones pop up in my tanks too. Likely native down here, and the spores are coming out of the res. fern rhizome. It's a neat little plants, whatever it is...can get too big for some tanks, but I doubt you'll have that issue in there.


----------



## Trickishleaf

My resurrection fern was growing in the deep shade under a waterfall with very little air movement, so it might have been easier to acclimate.

A lot of of it in the bright light dropped all its fronds, but is now putting out tons of tiny new fronds. Did yours not do this?


----------



## LizardLicker

VicSkimmr said:


> The froglet is getting fatter by the day and is very bold, I'm thinking he's in for the long-haul. We've also got another one that's about ready to leave his film canister. I'm so glad the frogs are getting the hang of this.
> 
> Mama
> 
> R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr
> 
> 
> R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr


It amazes me how you all get shots like this. I can never get the camera in position without the frog moving. They also always retreat a little when I open the door. 

The only frogs who don't seem to care are my bicolors. They aren't afraid of anything.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Adam R said:


> looks nice jason. btw idk how you ever found your imitators in there. my display tank is 1/3 your size and i have enough trouble pin pointing my vents


It really just depends on the frog. My female is extremely bold, I'm fairly certain I could pick her up if I ever wanted to. When I'm cleaning the tank I can swipe the glass within inches of her and she doesn't even bother moving. That's why 90% of my frog pics are of her.

The male I rarely ever see, and if I do he's high-tailing it away from me. The froglets are much bolder than the male though.



Spaff said:


> Jason, I don't see any staghorns in that last picture. They get BIG though. Let me know if you want to try some more resurrection fern, and I'll try to scrounge you up some. Also, those unID'ed ones pop up in my tanks too. Likely native down here, and the spores are coming out of the res. fern rhizome. It's a neat little plants, whatever it is...can get too big for some tanks, but I doubt you'll have that issue in there.


The one I'm talking about is at the bottom right. I could be way off on the identification, that's just what they had it labeled as. It's pretty big already but we'll see how it does. Edit: I just looked it up, you're right. I'm not sure what I have.

I'm going to try some more ET Ferns to see how they do instead. I've had good luck with them so far.



Trickishleaf said:


> My resurrection fern was growing in the deep shade under a waterfall with very little air movement, so it might have been easier to acclimate.
> 
> A lot of of it in the bright light dropped all its fronds, but is now putting out tons of tiny new fronds. Did yours not do this?


They are but the new fronds are a different kind of fern. 



LizardLicker said:


> It amazes me how you all get shots like this. I can never get the camera in position without the frog moving. They also always retreat a little when I open the door.


I don't open the door, that's how  I press the lens up against the glass to steady the camera. It helps that my macro lens has more reach being a 150mm too. Most of the good macros I've gotten have been from the frogs hanging out on the right side of the tank by the glass. They've been raising tadpoles in a film canister near the top which is in a prime spot for me to get shots of them.


----------



## rigel10

Always glad to see pics of your viv and its inhabitants. Now it seems to me that your viv - always wonderful - it looks more mature: it is perfect for me.


----------



## Sammie

Very nice Vic!
The tank looks better and better for every update.
What's the plant in the lower left corner? I like that one.


----------



## VicSkimmr

rigel10 said:


> Always glad to see pics of your viv and its inhabitants. Now it seems to me that your viv - always wonderful - it looks more mature: it is perfect for me.


Thanks! It's slowly but surely filling in. I'm still struggling to find plants that will thrive in each area.



Sammie said:


> Very nice Vic!
> The tank looks better and better for every update.
> What's the plant in the lower left corner? I like that one.


I'm not sure which you're referring to. The one on the very far left I don't have a name for, it was in the tropical plants section of Lowes one day. Right below it is a rabbits foot fern, and just to the right of it is some selaginella


----------



## VicSkimmr

Male on the hunt for flies

On the Hunt by jasonwithers, on Flickr


On the Hunt by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

Forglet #3 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

So my broms are about to bite the dust and I just saw that Jason DeSantis has closed his shop. Does anyone have a suggestion on who I should contact for some large bromeliads?


----------



## Julio

Michael's Bromeliads


----------



## VicSkimmr

This guy was way way out at the edge of the foliage today, furthest point from the background over a 3.5 foot drop.


R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Closer up

R. imitator "Baja Huallaga" by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## frogparty

Great shot! That one wants to be a sirensis so badly. Great pattern


----------



## hypostatic

Wow. Such photography. Much amaze.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks guys


----------



## rigel10

They seem happier frogs in the world!


----------



## kitcolebay

Great pic Vic!

-Chris


----------



## bluedart

Absolutely gorgeous... thanks for sharing!


----------



## VicSkimmr

The new froglet finally showed his face  Hopefully he does ok.
Froglet # 4 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

I also found a giant cockroach in the tank a few days ago. He must've hatched from one of the plants and gorged himself on the literal feast of food in the tank. He's a good 2+ inches long  I'm worried that he's eaten all the food for the froglet.


----------



## Adam R

VicSkimmr said:


> I also found a giant cockroach in the tank a few days ago. He must've hatched from one of the plants and gorged himself on the literal feast of food in the tank. He's a good 2+ inches long  I'm worried that he's eaten all the food for the froglet.


well get him outta there! lol


----------



## VicSkimmr

I tried to stab him twice and haven't seen him since. I may have to risk some type of poison to kill him.


----------



## Giga

VicSkimmr said:


> I tried to stab him twice and haven't seen him since. I may have to risk some type of poison to kill him.


I don't think I'd use poison as it might kill the frogs and make the tank no suitable for them. Maybe use a blow dart gun lol, or just sit I front of the tank for a long while. That really sucks


----------



## snbrd4evr

Perhaps some sort of inverse bottle trap?










We used to use them for pests in salt water tanks. Put a little bit of food in there a cockroach would love and get ready to catch pretty much every insect in your tank. You might have to re-seed a bit. But you will get the cockroach.


----------



## frogparty

dont think they can climb the slick surface.


----------



## Adam R

use a bugzooka, just kidding(this is a real thing). maybe you could bait him into a cup with a yummy treat and seal it when hes in it


----------



## VicSkimmr

I'm thinking I can use a trap where he goes in, eats some poison and then dies later right? Cockroaches are nocturnal and the frogs are asleep during that period, I should be able to use it as long as I'm good about picking it up every morning.


You have to remember how large this tank is, he grew to more than 2" long before I ever saw him. I might not see him again for a long long time.


----------



## ChrisAZ

I think the trap would work, you could scuff up the surface of the smooth plastic where it would enter the trap. Also if you waited around at night for the roach to come out you might be able to scare it out of your tank at least. Please don't use any poison!


----------



## ChrisAZ

That fly trap might work even better upside down like a funnel, the roach would hopefully be attracted to the smell of something like old fruit, dog food or peanut butter as bait, then fall in and not be able to climb out. But I agree, get it out of there!


----------



## Dragonfish

Nice bike too


----------



## VicSkimmr

lol thanks!


----------



## VicSkimmr

More pics. Still haven't found that cockroach again.

Froglet 4 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Froglet 4 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

One from the other tank

IMG_4206 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

Full Tank Shot - 2.9.14 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


On the Hunt by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## Dragonfish

Would you happen to have a bigger version of that last one? I'd love to use it as my wallpaper!


----------



## nick65

Hi Jason, 
Do you really have 'only ' 4 LEDs ?
What sorts are they? 
Thank you nick


----------



## VicSkimmr

Dragonfish said:


> Would you happen to have a bigger version of that last one? I'd love to use it as my wallpaper!


Sure 

This is the biggest I have uploaded but I'll post the full-size shot tonight
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/12422252614_1a0d1d5e5d_o.jpg


----------



## VicSkimmr

nick65 said:


> Hi Jason,
> Do you really have 'only ' 4 LEDs ?
> What sorts are they?
> Thank you nick


Yeah just 4. They're 15 watts each:
US Seller Dimmable Pure Warm White 15W 12W 9W GU10 E27 LED Light Bulb Watt | eBay

I've been using the warm white bulbs and the plants seem to be doing pretty well, even at the bottom.


----------



## nick65

Thank you Jason.
I checked your first post..nov 2011! At the time you were using:

Lighting: 4x39 24" Tek HOT5 unit with high quality reflectors. I used this on my previous 18 gallon SPS reef with great success so it should be sufficient light for bromeliads. If not, I have a friend who builds custom LED units that I know could handle the depth of this tank.

How 
How long have you swapped LEDs with t5s for? Any comments about any changes in the plants conditions? Any died? Did they loose reds? Etc..
It's amazing .. You have cut by more than 50% your power consumption! and still manage to light plants at the bottom of he tank .. 
LEDs seem to be the way forward ..
Nick


----------



## VicSkimmr

Wow, it looks like I switched a year ago almost to the day, I didn't realize it had been that long. I had been losing the reds for a while even with the T5s and those broms are all but dead at this point so I'm not sure how much of a difference the LEDs made. The next batch of broms I get I'll make sure to get a couple that are red to see whether I can keep it.

The LEDs started off as an experiment, but so far they seem to be doing pretty well. I'm sure there is a better spectrum than what I'm using and I'm sure I could squeeze a lot more power out of the fixture if I had the talent but I'm happy so far. I just love how much natural the tank looks with multiple light sources compared to the T5s.


----------



## Leester

Hey Vic, Awesome Tank and Photos!!!!

My question is about your fans, did you glue them so through switching they act as push or pull. Meaning, are the output sides facing each other, and if they are have you noticed any noise or performance issues. 
thanks,
Lee


----------



## Wings

Leester said:


> Hey Vic, Awesome Tank and Photos!!!!
> 
> My question is about your fans, did you glue them so through switching they act as push or pull. Meaning, are the output sides facing each other, and if they are have you noticed any noise or performance issues.
> thanks,
> Lee


Interested in this as well.


----------



## VicSkimmr

The output sides face outward. The 2nd "fan" is just the housing that I've glued to it so I could mount the metal tube to it. I'm terrible with terminology. I hope that makes sense.

This is the best pic I have

Fan Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Fan Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr


----------



## VicSkimmr

These cheap eBay bulbs keep shorting out and at $15 a pop that's just too much for me (had to replace all 4 in the last 3 months), so I'm going to take a huge gamble and swap them out for a set of Phillips Hue lights, which are LED lights with wi-fi built in so you can program them for dimming and set whatever spectrum you could desire. 

They're $200 for a starter pack of 3 so I'll be $260 in for this setup but this could be absurdly cool if it works. It says they come in a GU10 flavor but I haven't found a retailer that has them yet.
Meet hue | This is hue


----------



## tyler

Nice tank, plant choices, and photos! Enjoyed reading through this thread as I slowly get back into the PDF game after a few years


----------



## KarmaPolice

Are the "ebay bulbs" that are talking about, the spot LEDs in the previous 'FTS'?
Wouldn't you need more direct focus on the new lights to get the penetration needed for this tall tank?

Other than the light bulb inquiry, the tank looks great as always and would love to have that natural piece in my home.

Good luck.


----------



## Dendro Dave

VicSkimmr said:


> These cheap eBay bulbs keep shorting out and at $15 a pop that's just too much for me (had to replace all 4 in the last 3 months), so I'm going to take a huge gamble and swap them out for a set of Phillips Hue lights, which are LED lights with wi-fi built in so you can program them for dimming and set whatever spectrum you could desire.
> 
> They're $200 for a starter pack of 3 so I'll be $260 in for this setup but this could be absurdly cool if it works. It says they come in a GU10 flavor but I haven't found a retailer that has them yet.
> Meet hue | This is hue


Have you considered an Ecoxotic e series light with RGBW and FX? or a BML light and their controller? You'd probably get as much light if not more from those options then these Hue bulbs but those are cool.... Mind if I post them in the tech finds thread and give u credit? ...or you can post em if you want 
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/168890-dendro-daves-vivarium-tech-finds.html

Oh I see they also have flexible led strip that work like those bulbs and can do sunrise/sunset it looks like...
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-431643-Personal-Wireless-Frustration/dp/B00BSN8DN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398775767&sr=8-1&keywords=philips+hue

LiL pricey but still a potentially cool way to add sunrise/sunset to lots of vivariums. You should be able to cut the strips and connect em with wires so that you can use just the length you want in each viv.


----------



## VicSkimmr

Knock yourself out


----------



## VicSkimmr

KarmaPolice said:


> Are the "ebay bulbs" that are talking about, the spot LEDs in the previous 'FTS'?
> Wouldn't you need more direct focus on the new lights to get the penetration needed for this tall tank?
> 
> Other than the light bulb inquiry, the tank looks great as always and would love to have that natural piece in my home.
> 
> Good luck.


Yeah they're the ones from the previous shots. I'm trying to figure out how many LEDs and what wattage these new bulbs are but no luck so far. The ones I got from ebay use 5x3 watt LEDs which are definitely enough to grow plants at the bottom assuming the light doesn't get blocked.


----------



## harrisbt

How is the tank? Frogs? Froglets? You ever wipe that roach off the face of the earth?


----------



## VicSkimmr

Super late in replying, sorry.

We had a new froglet but I haven't seen him in a while, I think the springtail / isopod supply must have dried up 

I've actually decided that I'm going to sell off my system (for real this time, lol). It's been getting ignored for the past few months. I just don't see the point in keeping it going when I never spend any time looking at it.

So that being said, if someone is interested in the entire setup shoot me a PM. Here is the ad:


*http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pl...ds/206225-fs-180-gallon-display-vivarium.html*



.


----------



## rigel10

I'm sorry that you have decided to sell this your jewel. I hope the new owner will continue to post updates.


----------



## Drewbacca

Wow, I bet it's hard to let this go. But I am glad that you are aiming to have this beautiful setup go to someone who can cater to its needs. This is an amazing work of art. If I had the money, I'd be all over this!


----------



## VicSkimmr

Thanks. Yeah, I have too many hobbies and it's been getting neglected. Time for someone else to enjoy it.


----------



## Y0urbestfriend

Were the fans in your viv pulling air up or pushing air down?


----------



## Stiles

sometimes less is more. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SETUP! its a dream of mine to have a paludarium filled with darts, williamsi, cool fish, just a mini amazon of my own!!!!! what type of mist or fogger system are you using?


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## VicSkimmr

Thanks! The mister setup was from Mistking and the fogger was a CVS branded humidifier that is at least 15 years old at this point. In fact it's still running on my new tank, the thing is a tank.


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## Gac800

This is amazing! how thick is the glass on your build?


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## Scott

The poster hasn't been active since August/2020. But maybe you'll get lucky.

I have done a bit of glass work, and I'm guessing the glass is 1/4" thick. The bottom is likely reinforced - by sitting on plywood or such. So when you move the viv (which you would _not_ want to have to do) you have more support for the viv.



Gac800 said:


> This is amazing! how thick is the glass on your build?


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## Gac800

Scott said:


> The poster hasn't been active since August/2020. But maybe you'll get lucky.
> 
> I have done a bit of glass work, and I'm guessing the glass is 1/4" thick. The bottom is likely reinforced - by sitting on plywood or such. So when you move the viv (which you would _not_ want to have to do) you have more support for the viv.


Hi Scott, thanks for the response. I am wanting to build something similar in size, although maybe a little smaller. So that answers my question.


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## Gac800

Scott said:


> The poster hasn't been active since August/2020. But maybe you'll get lucky.
> 
> I have done a bit of glass work, and I'm guessing the glass is 1/4" thick. The bottom is likely reinforced - by sitting on plywood or such. So when you move the viv (which you would _not_ want to have to do) you have more support for the viv.


The plywood base is siliconed to the glass? Or it just sits on it?


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## Scott

Either.


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