# My 18x18x24 ExoTerra Pumilio build.



## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

I sold and moved a bunch of animals around in my collection. Ended up with an empty ExoTerra. I have had Oophaga Pumilio on my wish list for quite some time now and i figure i'd build a tank in hopes of acquiring a 1.1 pair or 1.2 trio later on . Torn between what kind i'll put in this tank. (i want them all, lol). I have "Black/Blue Jeans" available locally, so i'm pretty sure that's what i'll be keeping in this tank. But after alllll the reading I've done, i really want to eventually get a Bastimentos pair. 

Anyway. Made a stop at my local shop (Fauna) who had 99% of the build materials in stock!

This build will be a tree panel background on 2 of the 4 sides, with some cork-bark and driftwood features. Lots of Broms. I'll be pulling cuttings of trailing/creeping vines and Jeweled Orchids from my other tanks.. Not sure if i will do a water feature or drip-wall in this tank. I pretty much have a picture of how i want the tank to look in my head and i'll wing it on a few things. 

~Jon

Oh, Pix!


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

looks like a good start!

Can't tell from the picture... is that GE I or GE II? I would recommend using GE I


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

If they are from Julio,you won't be disappointed.I have a pair of black Jeans.They are nice big Pumilio.Bastis are cool too.They were my first pumilio and they are nice and hardy.I love the smaller ones too but they do require small feeders,especially the froglets.Good luck with them,Pumilio are my favorite.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

carola1155 said:


> looks like a good start!
> 
> Can't tell from the picture... is that GE I or GE II? I would recommend using GE I


Thanks. In the pic it is GE2. I was a bit confused when looking at the gazillion types of silicone. I did end up ordering some GE1 since I couldn't get it locally. Should be here Thursday. Plenty I can do in the mean time . But this week is pretty busy for me and there is about 20 overtime hours available and I'm taking all 20. I don't expect any real progress on this tank until after this coming weekend.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

oddlot said:


> If they are from Julio,you won't be disappointed.I have a pair of black Jeans.They are nice big Pumilio.Bastis are cool too.They were my first pumilio and they are nice and hardy.I love the smaller ones too but they do require small feeders,especially the froglets.Good luck with them,Pumilio are my favorite.


They are from Julio. &#55357;&#56842;. 

He has both Black jeans and Blue jeans. I'll figure out which I'll take once this tank is done . I also have varadero and benedicta . So small frogs is not my limitation . Three different kinds of Isos and heap of tropical springtails will be going in this tank.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Got some time at 12am to start construction on the fan tunnel (Tanks Grimm for the idea). 

Got some of that plastic corrugated board stuff from work and some duct tape. Looks like poop, but shouldn't matter once it's all covered with Great stuff. It will go in the left corner between the 2 sides that will be covered in tree fern panels. Still have to create an entry at the bottom and cover it with screen. 

I'll make a removable foam "hat" that will be covered in silicone and substrate that will sit on top of the tunnel. This way i can just remove it and cut the duct tape to access the fan if it ever needs service.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Got the shaft mounted and filled in with GS and some cork bark flats. Also got around to doing the back in tree fern panels. I'll wait for it to dry, then do the other side. All the gaps between the Tree Fern panels will be filled with GS and then covered in the TB3 method using crushed tree fern mixed with a bit of ABG and tree fern fiber. If it comes out like my other tanks it should match the panels perfectly and look like one solid piece. Just before this i will be adding some driftwood to the hard scape. I wired the fan to a USB and had an old iphone charger laying around for the power supply. Glass top, drainage layer, clay substrate, leaf litter and planting will be next.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

I had a hack saw that worked great for cutting the tree fern panels. Wanted to bring the panel as close to the corners as possible. I was short 2". So i use a spare panel to cut 2" x 10" pieces to fill the gap.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

I was going to post this when i got home, since i couldn't get the images off my phone. But i got it sorted out. Last night i got around to doing the other side in tree fern and added some drift wood pieces.


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## Jake H. (Mar 23, 2010)

Coming together real well.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Jake H. said:


> Coming together real well.


Thanks. Can't wait to get this thing done and planted. I have a ton of miniature orchids in mind.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Got around to covering the exposed foam. I used TB3 with some crushed tree fern needles mixed with some peat and ABG. The hopes is that it will dry to the same color as the panels and blend everything to look as one solid piece.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Had it drying a few days and decided to start on the substrate. I was going to do a false bottom, since this tank was going on the top of my rack. But i moved some tanks around and moved all the 10g verts to the tom and my Exos to the bottom. So weight is not an issue. I decided to do the more traditional drainage layer.

Did a siphon tube for draining the tank, i didn't want to drill the ExoTerra.

Also added 4 cultures of Springtails and Isopods.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Found a 48"x24" damaged pane of glass at a local flee market for $6. I cut the lid for the tank and looks like i'll have some left over for a 20g vert i have in the works. I drilled it for 3 misting nozzles (2 straights over the back walls , and one adjustable in the front right corner pointing towards the middle of the tank. ).

Also seeded the wall with a moss mix. I will just be misting the tank and keeping it lit until the moss catches (about 2-3 weeks), then i will pull the broms and other plant cuttings from my other tanks to plant this one. This tank will eventually have 2 of the smaller Glow and Grow JD LEDs, and maybe a 20" t5 6700k i have laying around. 

Plan is to hopefully have some pumilio in the tank in a month or so. 

Oh , and the substrate is a layer of ABG mixed with crushed leaf litter, the micro fauna cultures, then a clay substrate ontop. There will be a thick leaf litter of dwarf magnolia/magnolia and live oak. But i want the tank to be planted with terrestrial plants before i add the litter. I find it hard to shuffle leaves to get to the substrate to plant plants.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Added some Broms and a few cuttings of M.petrola


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## Jake H. (Mar 23, 2010)

Can't wait to see this take off.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Went to the NY Expo yesterday and picked up some leaflitter and live moss.

The tank is pretty much done for now and will be left to grow in before i plant anything else.


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

looks good so far.

That brom down the bottom might run into some trouble eventually though. It will be tough getting light down to it especially when the other ones grow in. I've had broms in spots like that end up losing color and getting leggy on me.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

So i didn't drill any vents yet, just wanted to see if any were needed. It would be easy to just pull the lid and drill it if needed. 

Well i left the tank with the fan off and it sweat like a sauna. And the 2nd pic is with the fan on for a few hours. It didn't dry the tank out, but did keep the condensation off the glass.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

carola1155 said:


> looks good so far.
> 
> That brom down the bottom might run into some trouble eventually though. It will be tough getting light down to it especially when the other ones grow in. I've had broms in spots like that end up losing color and getting leggy on me.


Thanks. Yea, i'll be moving it higher up eventually. Just didn't have a spot in mind for it. I also have a few more Neos to add. But wanted the moss mix to start growing before i add broms that might shade them out.

few pix from the top down.


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## Giga (Mar 31, 2011)

JonRich said:


> Thanks. Yea, i'll be moving it higher up eventually. Just didn't have a spot in mind for it. I also have a few more Neos to add. But wanted the moss mix to start growing before i add broms that might shade them out.
> 
> few pix from the top down.


What is that top middle brom?


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Giga said:


> What is that top middle brom?


Honestly. I'm not sure what these are. There were purchased locally without labels. The only neo i'm sure of is the "Mo Peppa" pup that i pulled from another tank.

I was trying to ID them, but there are just sooo much similar looking neos out there.


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## Gnarly (Mar 3, 2011)

That looks great! Very natural scape. 

I really like the brom in the middle as well; it's gorgeous.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Gnarly said:


> That looks great! Very natural scape.
> 
> I really like the brom in the middle as well; it's gorgeous.


Thanks. 
Not i'd really like to know what it is (its one of the two purple ones at the top. ). It has lost some color since i got it a month ago. Hopefully under better lighting it will regain it's color.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Wow, noticed the drastic loss of color in my neos today and did a side by side pic. The purple neos started to turn green ( they have been under 6700k T5s the past month or so. ).. 

I guess i have a lighting question. What lighting would be needed to have them regain the purple. ??

4 of the 5 neos are in both pictures. (one of the green ones rooted solid in my other tank and i left it).


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## slimninj4 (Dec 31, 2013)

Wow looking at that last photo, it is a total change in color. Have you tried hydroponic light bulbs used for indoor plants or even a grow reflector bulb to test out different lighting?


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## lookitsadam (Jul 1, 2013)

Looks awesome! I'm in the middle of a Pumilio build myself. What kind are you hoping to put in here?


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

lookitsadam said:


> Looks awesome! I'm in the middle of a Pumilio build myself. What kind are you hoping to put in here?


"black jeans"


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

It's been about a week and i got my first sprout out of the moss-mix. Hopefully more (a lot more) to follow. Also, frogs should be here in a week or so weather permitting. They will be held in a QT tank for a bit while things settle in with their display tank.


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## athiker04 (Nov 15, 2013)

I've really enjoyed watching this build. I like the way you set up the circulation fan. Couple of questions on that. Is there a way to get at the fan in case it fails or needs maintenance or replacing? Also, do you have any photos showing the holes in the background where the fan moves the air through.

Again, the tank looks great.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk


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## Kalakole (Jun 30, 2011)

It came out very nice, where'd you get the pannels from?


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

athiker04 said:


> I've really enjoyed watching this build. I like the way you set up the circulation fan. Couple of questions on that. Is there a way to get at the fan in case it fails or needs maintenance or replacing? Also, do you have any photos showing the holes in the background where the fan moves the air through.
> 
> Again, the tank looks great.
> 
> Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk


Thanks. I actually didn't have a plan to get to the fan. I have a dremel and i'll be cutting the top later this week t make sure i can get to the fan before it's covered by plants.

The openings were originally rectangle (2" x 4"). but after it was all covered, the openings are more circle shaped at about 2"x2". I'll have pix tomorrow,its actually a bit hard to tell where the openings are because of the black screen material used and the dark tree fern. Does a good job of keeping the class clear.

I'll have pix tomorrow .


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Kalakole said:


> It came out very nice, where'd you get the pannels from?


Thanks. I got them locally. They were about $8 each for 10"x10".. I also see them online for about $11-$12 for 12"x12" panels. But then there is shipping and wait time to consider. I lucked out that one of my local shops carries it and actually carries a lotttt. All of my future builds will be based off this tank.


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## ngeno626 (Nov 14, 2013)

looks good!!!


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

ngeno626 said:


> looks good!!!



Thanks.. Cant wait for frogs.. Last week was in the 50's, this week is in the single digits. Hoping next week has better weather and they can be shipped.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

Added some more plants and the moss mix justtt started to germinate.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Looking good, Jon. I'm diggin it!


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

eos said:


> Looking good, Jon. I'm diggin it!


Thanks, so am i. haha

I can't wait for things to grow in and for the frogs to get here.


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