# 200gallon bow front, corner vivarium



## @eco.tyler (Jun 14, 2019)

What’s up fellas,

Here’s a 200gallon bow front, corner vivarium design I came up with a few years ago. The vivarium housed 1.1 pumilio and was due for a huge makeover; it is currently being moved to another gallery and now houses 9 P. terribilis “mint.” I have more photos of the some of the process, but nothing special was done here to create this vivarium. Instead of your typical styrofoam/mold background, I opted for a black felt. It holds moisture well and allows for a simple background cover, even when growing it out at first since it’s black. What I wanted to do was almost “elevate” the plants in the enclosure above the floor space provided for the terrbilis. I laugh when people refer to them as “terrestrial” — they utilize every inch of this large vivarium. Plants include: bird’s nest ferns, anthurium, neoregelia sp., philodendron sp, creeping ficus, and tropical moss.

The first pic is from Oct. 2018, second is from last week. It is hard to see the depth to this enclosure, but it measures about 48”Lx36”Wx36”H. It is accessible through both the top and front. The front panel of acrylic can be removed, as it is fitted into place and held by pins. I will get more pics soon.


----------



## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

That is a gorgeous tank! Great job. I love that it's big enough to actually have bird's nest ferns growing and happy 

I had never thought of black felt as a background. Is it just siliconed to the inside back of the tank? Has it faded with time or started to break down as plants start to root into it? Does the dye fade over time? Is the dye known to be safe for the frogs? I wonder if multiple layers would work to provide more depth for rooting.

Interesting what you say about your terribs utilizing height in the tank. How old are they? Mine don't do that much, but now that I look at the tank, it is really designed to maximize terrestrial areas. Maybe it's a self-fulfilling prophecy? Mine are also a bit on the pudgy side so maybe they just need to lose weight before they want to climb more... Yours look to be more streamlined than mine.

Thanks for posting!

Mark


----------



## @eco.tyler (Jun 14, 2019)

The felt I believe is a wool woven felt. It holds very well, since this type of fabric was meant for hydroponic systems; I just can’t remember the specific name they used for it. Once the roots attach, the plants really took off. I think making layers with it would be fun.


----------



## @eco.tyler (Jun 14, 2019)

Here’s a poor shot of some of the group. They are extremely active frogs, making that mint color even more enjoyable and “pop” against the leaf litter. The group is about 2 years old, I believe. Not that others actually weigh their frogs, but I’ve found that a weight of 5-7g is typical for good body condition. People often forget that with terrbilis in particular, they enjoy cooler temperatures. 









Following are a few photos of the exhibit from the bare breakdown, some wood pieces glued together, followed by some epiphyte planting. Those vines are made from your typical silicone/moss combo. I have a large emerald tree boa enclosure I’m working on, where I apply the same techniques. They look even better when you get moss growing on them!

Empty:









Toying with some ideas for the wood. Believe it or not, the final product had 8 pieces glued together:









Planting some epiphytes:









Placement before centering and additional theming around the exhibit. It fit perfectly into this planter because of the corner style to it. The curved front really makes this enclosure unique I think.









Oh, and a sneak peak at the felt background containing wandering Jew vine. It measures 36”Lx48”H and has only been growing for 6 days. As you can see, it’s already taking off! Can’t wait to have a nice emerald contrast against those purple hues.


----------



## ds51 (Oct 13, 2017)

just love that jew vine background 
you done a great build look really fantastic


----------



## outdoorphunk (Jul 2, 2019)

Stunning build!


----------



## Philio (Apr 16, 2019)

Really cool viv!


----------



## @eco.tyler (Jun 14, 2019)

Here’s a shot of one of the inhabitants:


----------



## Lucano (Aug 21, 2017)

@eco.tyler said:


> Here’s a shot of one of the inhabitants:


Awesome shot! The tank looks amazing


----------



## @eco.tyler (Jun 14, 2019)

We’re approaching 1 year on the exhibit, so here’s the most recent shot. I hardly do any trimming in here. The Kessil LED light settings, along with the concentration of select minerals used to water, has really allowed for slow and steady growth; everything is thriving really well. I mentioned in a previous post about using black felt for a background to allow for foliage cover. I used this technique also here, and it provides great opportunities for growth. It would be cool to add depth with various techniques, but I wanted a “flatter” background to really keep the focus on the ‘forest floor’ of the exhibit.
I recently had a huge mushroom explosion. The terribilis are calling all day too!
The plant list is small and simple: philodendron, bird’s nest varieties, neoregelia, anthurium andraeanum, fontinalis moss, and creeping ficus to continue filling the gaps.


----------



## Kinstrome (Oct 6, 2017)

Very green and cool-looking! Bow fronts always seem to show off creative potential.

What kind of place do you have this tank set up in? The background behind it looks like the kind of elaborate hardscape that a zoo would use. What is this exhibit that you mention?


----------

