# 12x12x18" Hygrolon and cork tank



## Sammie

I don't think I've shown this before. It's a 12x12x18" exo tank that I put together quite recently, the interior is all left over scrap pieces from previous builds and all but one of the ferns are hitchhikers.
I think it turned out pretty good for 15 minutes or so of work
I don't think I'll put any frogs in it, but in case I'll want to use it as a grow out tank in the future I put a horizontal cork tube in the background to maximize usable space.





Please let me know what you think.

Edit: Oh, and two of the fake vines have a hygrolon core, only the visible side has peat/coco bedding on it. Seems to work pretty well.


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## frogparty

Looks great. Super clean and natural


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## Sammie

Thanks, thats what I was going for
I would like to add a small vining plant like _Peperomia prostrata_ and perhaps a small _Microgramma sp._, but after that its pretty much done.


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## frogparty

Theres some killer Microgramma that would make that viv pop for sure


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## Mike1980

Looks pretty and neat. Great placement of cork.


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## SDRiding

Looks great man, is that a single sheet of hygrolon in the back with the cork attached to it? I'm really liking the idea of hygrolon more and more.


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## mindcrash

How did you attach the cork to the hygrolon and how did you attach the hygrolon to the glass? 

Looks great!


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## Sammie

SDRiding said:


> Looks great man, is that a single sheet of hygrolon in the back with the cork attached to it? I'm really liking the idea of hygrolon more and more.


No it's several small pieces unfortunately, so I have to hand mist the top half.
But it's no biggie, I would have had to mist it anyways to keep the moss on the cork moist so it's not really any extra work.

Thanks for all the nice comments everyone, makes me happy



mindcrash said:


> How did you attach the cork to the hygrolon and how did you attach the hygrolon to the glass?
> 
> Looks great!


Plain 'ol silicone


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## Colin C

A very nice start, I like the minimal planting with more emphasis on the hardscape. Can't wait to see it in a few months!


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## zth8992

This is awesome! How did you plant the cork tubes so well? I would like to do something similar for a vittatus viv but not sure what plants or methods to use.


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## Sammie

zth8992 said:


> This is awesome! How did you plant the cork tubes so well? I would like to do something similar for a vittatus viv but not sure what plants or methods to use.


On the horizontal one I just pushed the plants into crannies with a little sphagnum and sprinkled some live mosses on top.
The fern on the left cork tube is planted in a hole, the tube is half full of substrate.

A also drilled a bunch of holes in the tubes for zip-ties, but I didn't use them in the end. I think the korean rock fern on the upper right is zip-tied to one of the fake vines but I can't really tell at this point.


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## rigel10

Very nice! But this viv claims frogs! Maybe variabilis or sirensis (lamasi) "Highland".


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## Sammie

Variabilis is actually my favorite dart, but I've never seen them in person so I have no idea of how big/small they are. If they are small enough to be happy in a tank of that size I might go for it.
Either way I'll try to get some, I just have to find them first. I know they are pretty common here in Sweden but it's illegal/prohibited to ship reptiles and amphibians here so it comes down to if I can find some close by.


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## Trickishleaf

My variabilis are ~6 months ootw and they are the size of my pinky fingernail.


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## Sammie

Wow, that's a lot smaller than I thought. Are they fully grown by 6 months?


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## VenomR00

Sammie said:


> Variabilis is actually my favorite dart, but I've never seen them in person so I have no idea of how big/small they are. If they are small enough to be happy in a tank of that size I might go for it.
> Either way I'll try to get some, I just have to find them first. I know they are pretty common here in Sweden but it's illegal/prohibited to ship reptiles and amphibians here so it comes down to if I can find some close by.


You just have to go to Germany and bring them back then your not shipping.


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## Sammie

I thought it's time for a small update.
I've added a few more plants, and a few added themselves...so much for the clean look I haven't had very good growth as my light broke forever ago and up until last week I've been using a pretty crappy light.

Anyway, here's the tank as of today, please excuse my bad photography.


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## Sammie

Does anyone have an idea of what the big gesneriad looking plant in the lower center might be? If you have used the Dusk/Folius moss mix you probably have this plant popping up in your tanks as well.


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## azure89

That's a rad tank, it looks like it's growing in pretty nicely so far


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## Sammie

Sammie said:


> Does anyone have an idea of what the big gesneriad looking plant in the lower center might be? If you have used the Dusk/Folius moss mix you probably have this plant popping up in your tanks as well.


Anyone wanna have a go at this, pretty please?


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## toaddrool

The arrangement of the background is really nice, I like how you used the hyrgrolon, I couldn't think of how to use it without it being an eyesore. However you managed it.


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## dgibbons1

Looks nice. The cork placement really helps bring more into this tank. As for that plant I have no clue but it definitely helps give your viv more character.


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## Judy S

why not PM Folius???


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## Sammie

Judy S said:


> why not PM Folius???


Haha, wow! Three question marks, you must be really eager to know.

As I had already posted my pictures here I thought that i might as well ask. 
But I just sent a message to the guy behind Dusk tropic, hopefully he'll shed some light over this


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## pavochavo

That background does look awesome! Really well done!


Robert


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## Yuley

Sammie, did you silicone the hygrolon flat to the glass? Would you still get good growth on the hygrolon on it if it was flat to the glass?

Thanks

Liam


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## Sammie

Yes it's flat. 
The key is to apply the silicone very thin so it doesn't seep through the hygrolon. You only want the silicone to touch the outer layer.


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## Yuley

Sammie said:


> Yes it's flat.
> The key is to apply the silicone very thin so it doesn't seep through the hygrolon. You only want the silicone to touch the outer layer.


Hi Sammie thanks for the quick reply . Did you do it all over the hygrolon or just the outer borders? Sorry for silly questions just want to do it right  

Thanks

Liam


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## Sammie

No problem
Well, something in between I guess. I did the boarders and one or two dabs in the center, but then I used a piece of cardboard to smear it out ( as I wanted it thinner than I could do it with the "silicone gun") so it got pretty good coverage.

Oh, and just so there's no confusion. The silicone was applied to the glass and then I just pushed the hygrolon in place. Not the other way round.


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## SimpleLEDLightingSystems

This is an amazing viv! Makes me want to just build a show vivarium but I would be too tempted to put something in there... Haha! 

-Mike-


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## Yuley

Hey Sammie, 

How's this viv? I always pop by this thread to see if anythings been added! I like it that much  lol!.. Any updates? It's been long enough to notice a difference 

Liam


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## frogparty

I think that big plant throws the viv out of proportion..... Id pull it and put it into a bigger viv personally.


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## Sammie

Yuley said:


> Hey Sammie,
> 
> How's this viv? I always pop by this thread to see if anythings been added! I like it that much  lol!.. Any updates? It's been long enough to notice a difference
> 
> Liam


Since you ask so nicely, you shall receive



frogparty said:


> I think that big plant throws the viv out of proportion..... Id pull it and put it into a bigger viv personally.


The big plant is long gone. It just wouldn't stop growing and became too big.


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## frogparty

OOOH. Much nicer. Tanks really growing in well


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## rigel10

Do you put epiphyte on the cork the fern above cripthanthus? What kind of fern is it?


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## Sammie

rigel10 said:


> Do you put epiphyte on the cork the fern above cripthanthus? What kind of fern is it?


This one? 


It's _Microgramma nitida_, probably my favorite Microgramma (of the ones I have.).


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## papa_mcknight

Did you ever get an ID on the plant you pulled? I have what looks like the same thing growing from my epiweb moss mix on my epiweb wall but can't ID it yet.


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## Sammie

No, I threw it out before it bloomed.
_Digitalis purpurea_ was suggested, a temperate plant very common in Europe. 
It did indeed look a lot like a _D. purpurea_ seedling but I couldn't say for sure.


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## papa_mcknight

They do look like foxglove leaves come to think of it. Mine sprouted a few inches away from the lid and is now close to touching. Gunna keep an eye on it haha.


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## papa_mcknight

Pretty sure i've seen you discuss tarantulas on here with Hydrophyte, just wondering if you think this tank would be suitable for an Avicularia Versicolor? Absolutely love the adult coloration and would be tempted to pop my tarantula cherry with one


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## Dr Christopher McHale

Very Nice!

I am super excited to see where this goes.


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## Sammie

papa_mcknight said:


> Pretty sure i've seen you discuss tarantulas on here with Hydrophyte, just wondering if you think this tank would be suitable for an Avicularia Versicolor? Absolutely love the adult coloration and would be tempted to pop my tarantula cherry with one


Yes, tarantulas used to me my thing. I think this setup would work very well with most _Avicularia sp._. 
You should definitely get _A. versicolor_, stunning coloration and generally pretty timid. Pretty reclusive thought, as most arboreals are



Dr Christopher McHale said:


> Very Nice!
> 
> I am super excited to see where this goes.


Thanks doc!


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## papa_mcknight

Awesome, I'll start saving some pennies  I'll just blame you when my female friends are reluctant to visit


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## ByQ

Sammie, you are the best! Tank super!! Soma like this one: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/130490-cork-tube-tank-build.html

I want make my new terra like your


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## Wusserton

Sammie said:


> Does anyone have an idea of what the big gesneriad looking plant in the lower center might be? If you have used the Dusk/Folius moss mix you probably have this plant popping up in your tanks as well.


That looks like a common yard weed, I have 8 walnut trees in my backyard and if you know walnuts you know that nothing but ferns, mosses, some types of grasses and weeds are about all that will grow under them lol my bet is its a yard weed from wherever they cultivate their moss, no biggy, let it grow!


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## Jeremy M

If you're thinking of broad-leaved plantain (Plantago major- not the banana relative) it's definitely not that. The folius moss mix mixes tropical plant seeds and fern spores into their moss mix, which is sold as finely chopped bits of moss which you add water to and apply to your desired surface. I doubt it wasn't added to the mix intentionally.


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## inka4040

Really love this tank. Having just finished a build in a tank of the same dimensions, I am astounded by how huge this scape feels in comparison to mine. Any updates?


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## Sammie

Well, it hasn't changes very much since the last picture but I'll take a few pics tomorrow.


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## Triangle08

what lighting are you using and do you know if that moss mix is available to the US? tank looks amazing so natural looking. I hope to achieve something similar over the next few month. natural look wise.


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## hydrophyte

That would be great to see some new pictures. You have some of my favorite plants in there.


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## Sammie

Sorry for not updating when I said I would, it seems like I'm just getting worse and worse at photography and haven't been able to get any decent pics
Maybe I've changed some settings in the camera by mistake or something, I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to that.
I might try again tonight now that you've reminded me, but I'm not promising anything. I get so frustrated when it doesn't work that's it's barely worth trying




Triangle08 said:


> what lighting are you using and do you know if that moss mix is available to the US? tank looks amazing so natural looking. I hope to achieve something similar over the next few month. natural look wise.


Thanks
Until quite recently I used a 30w cfl (6500k) which got pretty hot and I think that's why I've haven't had very good growth, but now I'm trying a generic led light that I got of ebay. 
It's a little less light but things seems to be growing more now,so sometimes "Less is more".

You can get the moss mix from Folius, and remember, a little goes a long way


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