# Darklands Exo-Terra Construction Journal



## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

So I got a 24x18x24 from my professor for a pair of darklands. I saw the exo in the lab plenty of times, but I gotta tell you, I swear it got bigger when I put it on my rack at home, lol. Anyway, it looks like it will be a very spacious vivarium for a pair of darklands.

Right now, for the top, I just put some cut plexiglass over top of the screen to help keep the humidity up. I think that I might invest in a solacryl top before too long since this is for darklands, and they do reflect UV light. That'll probably be in a couple months, though. Not now, I'm strapped for cash at the moment, lol. I've got two coralife lights on the tank, which I'm hoping will provide enough light for the broms.

I'm going with a false bottom and was going to go with a clay substrate, but couldn't find it around here, so I'm going to go with a coco fiber/sphagnum moss layer with an oak leaf layer on top. Based on what I've read and what I've seen in the wild, I'm going for multiple layers and many, many laying and deposition sites. After coming home from MEFF, I had plants for the vivarium. Here's a pic of the plants:










The list is:

Neoregelia "Stormy Forest"
-Fireball x punctatissima rubra X2
-tigrina
-"Bloodshot Eyes"
-Unknown (the large red/green one)
-"Little Faith" (waiting on this one still)

Peperomia sp.
Epicipa "Pink Panther"
Hoya sp.
Nephthytis (Walmart pick up)
Pilea compressa
Ficus sp.
Hoya sp.
Moss I collected in my garden

I've got a piece of driftwood that I'm going to mount to the side of the exo for a suspended branch and mount a few broms to that. I've got a cork tube that I've filled with sphagnum that will have several vines and broms mounted to it. I'm also going to have a couple cork shelves in the back corners for vines and broms.

So in total, I'll have 8 broms (several of which have pups already) that I was told will be good tad sites. If I don't get these frogs depositing, I'm coming after the people who told me that these were good broms for it. You know who you are 

This is going to be in my room for the time being, but I think that once I get back to school, my prof wants it to be displayed in the classroom in which I will teach. I'm trying to make it as light as possible, but it's still going to be a pain to move around!

So feel free to critique and make suggestions. Also, if anyone knows the unknown species (hoyas and brom especially) I'd love to know the others. Here's a pic of one of the guys destined to live in it:


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Add Syngonium podophyllum to your plant list, it's the white/green one. Keep us updated!


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

that bottom right hoya looks like the one i just baught from HD in a hanging pot
its labeled.. hoya "bilobata" or hoya tsangii both are the same


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## bLue_reverie (Mar 2, 2008)

darklands. lovely. 

that'll be more than spacious for them.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Corpus Callosum said:


> Add Syngonium podophyllum to your plant list, it's the white/green one. Keep us updated!


That must be what's labeled as Nephthytis. I should know better than to listen to Walmart, lol. Here's some close ups of the Unknowns:

"Hoya" (right) and Ficus (left, next to Hoya)









"Hoya"









Unknown Brom


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## Jeremiah (Mar 1, 2008)

Its gonna be a great tank.

Some inspiration for setting it up, pumilio habitat pics

http://www.dendrogrove.com/autre/index. ... tre=panama

Some helpful criticizum, more broms


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Jeremiah said:


> Some inspiration for setting it up, pumilio habitat pics
> 
> http://www.dendrogrove.com/autre/index. ... tre=panama


Hahaha, I appreciate it. Although, I'm excessively familiar with pumilio habitat. I spent two months last summer studying them in Panama and am devoting my master's work to them 



> Some helpful criticizum, more broms


Haha, yea, we'll see. I'm trying to figure out exactly how to place the broms. As is, I'm going to be pretty packed, especially when those pups start growing out! I think there are 3 pups on these broms and the Little Faith has pup so, effectively, I've got 12 broms in there  We'll see once everything's set, though!


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## Jeremiah (Mar 1, 2008)

JP,

Panama sounds like fun! Did you stay in the bastimentos area?
I just got back from Costa Rica, had a blast!

About placement, of broms and other plants I use the three-tear method. Smaller ones in front, larger in back. A basic concept of landscape design. 
I use small driftwood, tfp sections, or rocks in the front, with broms(small and medium size) attached. Then in the middle I use a large piece of driftwood and attach a row of broms(medium sized) on it. And then in the back way up high I have smaller broms: Neo. fireball, lillipo.,zoe., ect.
I just completed a 55g and 30g using this method (w/ only broms, ficus, and philo for plants), and it looks great. Ill post some pics. I think I spent more on the 20+ broms then the pumilio. :shock:


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## crb_22601 (Jan 12, 2006)

Curious what line of darklands are you working with?


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Jeremiah said:


> JP,
> 
> Panama sounds like fun! Did you stay in the bastimentos area?
> I just got back from Costa Rica, had a blast!


I stayed at the Smithsonian station on Isla Colon, but I visited 12 of the pumilio populations.

I'll be going to Costa Rica in 5 weeks for a herpetology course, should be fun 



> About placement, of broms and other plants I use the three-tear method. Smaller ones in front, larger in back. A basic concept of landscape design.
> I use small driftwood, tfp sections, or rocks in the front, with broms(small and medium size) attached. Then in the middle I use a large piece of driftwood and attach a row of broms(medium sized) on it. And then in the back way up high I have smaller broms: Neo. fireball, lillipo.,zoe., ect.
> I just completed a 55g and 30g using this method (w/ only broms, ficus, and philo for plants), and it looks great. Ill post some pics. I think I spent more on the 20+ broms then the pumilio. :shock:


Thanks for the tip. I think I'm going to do largest on the bottom and smallest at the top. I toyed around with spacing today and I think I like how it's going to turn out. I'll post some updated pics tomorrow.

crb, I'm working with my professor's line of darklands (which I guess is Frye line to most ).


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## AQUAMAC (Jul 27, 2004)

JP,

I am just curious how your prof is able to get pumilio intended for research to be sold as "Frye Line" in the mainstream hobby. Here at Rutgers, they tend not to look too highly on that. 

-Mike


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

AQUAMAC said:


> JP,
> 
> I am just curious how your prof is able to get pumilio intended for research to be sold as "Frye Line" in the mainstream hobby. Here at Rutgers, they tend not to look too highly on that.
> 
> -Mike


I'll admit that I'm not 100% familiar with importation protocol, and I believe that things have changed since my prof did his import, but I'm guessing that the experiment with which he used the frogs ended, and he had no more need for the animals. Or the F1s were not covered by the import details. Like I said, I'm not too familiar with it (it happened several years before I knew my prof), unfortunately. I know things have changed in recent years, but I believe several years ago, import protocol was rather lax on what to do with animals after experiments were done. Either way, I wouldn't be too worried about them.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Alright, so I did a bit of work between today and when I last posted. I covered the background in coco fiber to get right of the styrofoam look. I put up a couple of cork shelves in each corner as well as the cork tube and other branch. I let the silicone cure overnight, then went to planting. I put a layer of coco fiber on the ground, which a layer of sphagnum on top. I've got to go collect some oak leaves for a litter layer, and then it'll be set.










The PVC tube in the front right is to siphon out water. I've got a hole in the bottom of the tube covered with screen so that no frogs accidentally get under the false bottom. I'll cover the tube with some cork bark.

So with morning I filled up the shelves with sphagnum and went to bleaching/washing plants and then placing them in the vivarium. All I'm missing right now is the Little Faith that I'm going to get from Michael. I think that that will go on the front branch to the right a bit. I also might put some silver pothos in the back to climb up the background. I really like the moss I collected. I have it in my leuc viv doing well, so I don't see why it wouldn't do well in this one. It gives a nice touch making the branches really look rainforest-y. I can also hide the sphagnum and fishing line holding some of the broms up, lol.










As requested, here's a close up of the moss. If anyone is good with these bryophytes (that's what mosses are, right?) and knows what it is, that'd rock 










I think that I'm going to let this run for a month or two before I actually put the frogs in it. I'm going to start seeding it with springtails, and I'd like them to have an opportunity to get a nice big population. I can't wait until this tank fills out!


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

have you thought about doing a U shaped circulation with a fan in the center on top?


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

dom said:


> have you thought about doing a U shaped circulation with a fan in the center on top?


Yes and no. I bought a computer fan with the intention of putting some circulation in there. I can't do it at the moment because I'd have to take off the shelf above the tank which currently has tanks on that (I wouldn't know where to put them if I did that!). When I move this tank in August to a classroom, I think I'm going to go and get solacryl and also put the fan in. I'm thinking/hoping that the plants will be okay until then!


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

yeah same here i thought of the idea after i put the light and top shelve up already. i think im moving it to another part of the house so i might do i then i seem to get some decent circulation if i have a fan pointed at at from and angle.. the airs get in the cracks between the doors. that is if you dont mind like 1 or 2 fruit flys around


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

I could, at least as a temporary solution, have it blowing on the 1" gap I left at the top for some air to get in. I'm just nervous about it shifting the humidity, though.


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

yeah thats what would worry me .. mine seems to stay at 86 witht the fan blowing on it like i described and i have no other vents open. the ones on the fron i have taped up


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Alright, I went out today to collect some white oak leaves. I washed them, and laid them down. I really like the look  Hopefully a nice population of springtails will develop in it!










Aside from circulation and the Little Faith, it's all done! I'll let it sit for a month and then toss the frogs in there!


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## Android1313 (Dec 15, 2006)

Looks great JP!
I really like the way the branch looks with the broms on it.
Awesome!


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Alright, now it's finished  I got the Little Faith from Michael and very much like it! It has a pup and what looks to be the bud of a second pup which is excellent! I hope that it roots into the branch and holds tight! Anyway, here's the pic of the Little Faith. Very pretty brom!










And here's a pic of the final product! So I've got 8 broms right now, but 4 of them have pups, so I essentially have a dozen broms in there. Hopefully there's enough light for all of them, and hopefully there's enough laying sites for the frogs!










I really like the looks of the branch too. With the broms and the moss, in my experience, it looks very much like what is out in the rainforest


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

:shock: :shock: thats a nicebrom


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Alright, bit of a bump from the last update. The tank has been up and running for 5 months now, and there have been a bunch of changes and improvements. I can't wait to see how it looks in a year really filled in. You can see the number of changes that have happened over that time. My Little Faith and Tigrina bromeliads have both produced pups, and rather than letting them stay with the plant, I separated them yesterday and attached them to the branch. Both pups are actively growing roots, so I'm hoping they'll attach to the branch quickly. You'll also notice that the punct. x fireball plants at the top have produced pups. I think that I'll leave those rather than separate them. We'll see. It depends on how pushed they get against the top of the vivarium.










This is the original Little Faith. Still doing well. Lost a couple leave, but that's not worrisome at all. I actually think that with this bright light, that it's gotten pinker on the tips. Very pretty plant.










These are the pups of the Tigrina (bottom) and the Little Faith (top). They're both stripier than the parents, which I think is because of the lighting. Overall I like it and look forward to seeing them mature. The little jar is an orchid (Onc. cathagenense) that I got in Costa Rica. I'll put it in this vivarium once it outgrows the jar (which will be soon!).










This is the other orchid I got in Costa Rica (Cattleya dowiana). Still little, and I imagine it might get too big for the vivarium, just like the other one, but we'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I took this one out because it was getting big and as an experiment. Last time I got these Costa Rican orchids, they died a day or two after removing them from the vial, but I think that that was because of my ignorance about them. This one is two days out of the vial and seems to be okay thus far!


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

This is the inflorescence of the Hoya in the corner. It has consistently bloomed about once a month. Neat little flowers 










And the sign of any good vivarium: 'Shrooms! There's about 4 of these pushed against the glass. None have managed to get over the litter layer. Very cool 










And finally, here's the lone inhabitant. Little girl, I'm guessing, as she's about a year old now and I haven't heard a peep from her. She's kinda shy, so I'll try to get a better picture of her later on. I'll be getting her a beau in a couple weeks, hopefully, so then they can get breeding and using all of those bromeliads!


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## AndrewFromSoCal (Jan 1, 2007)

I'm at school so a lot of the pictures aren't loading, but that frog is beautiful.

Can't wait to get home so I can see the plants.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

I'm happy to say that the little orchid is still alive, so something I did between removing it this time and last time changed, so hopefully it'll survive to adulthood


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## Jeremiah (Mar 1, 2008)

It turned out great!

Love the layout.

What are you using to keep the humidity up ? 
I burned through my saranwrap one too many times with my new exos!
I think I should just bite the bullet and head over to Portland Glass...


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## Tadpole4 (Mar 16, 2006)

I am seriously envious!!! I have been enamored of darklands ever since I first saw one. They are my #1 fantasy dream frog. I avidly followed the Fryes' "uber Viv" thread. That was amazing 
Sadly they are way outside my range- both for price and care. 

You have done a superlative job!! Good luck with those awesome forgs!!!


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

I mist it daily with a hand sprayer. Right now, I have plexiglass covering the screen, which helps keep the humidity up. For whatever reason, I can't get it as high as I could pre-move (might be that one of the panels isn't on quite right), but the humidity at the top of the tank is generally between 75% and 90%. Pre-move I could sustain it at 90+% for longer periods of time, but my data show that the 75%-90% is fine. Temperatures are high 70s or low 80s. I'd like to get it into the low to mid 80s, if at all possible, but it's not critical quite yet.

Once I can manage some money, I'd like to replace the screens with Solacryl since this morph has shown to reflect UV light, it'd be nice to emulate that in captivity.

I'll be getting a *hopeful* male on the 27th. So after a quarantine, I'll put him in with her, and hopefully, they'll be happy with the viv. That, after all, is the most important thing, that they like it, not that I or anyone else likes it, lol.


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## knuckles4696 (Jun 23, 2008)

wow seriously your tank looks very nice! and ditto what was said above darklands are awesome! i really like that little faith ill have to keep that one in mind, i just got my first 24x18x24 so yoiurs is definetely an inspiration, i just finished my 36x18x24 which was a fun build but kinda big lol. i think this size is perfect.


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## nburns (May 3, 2005)

Very nice tank and frog but I must say that I love that Little Faith brom.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

As promised, I'd work on getting pictures of the little gal. I was finally able to corner her and get a good picture of her:










After which, she hopped back in and hid in one of the bromeliads:


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## Jeremiah (Mar 1, 2008)

Pretty lady ! Great pix!!

I love the eyes of pumilio... very large and alien-like (in a good way). Makes them look intelligent.


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## afterdark (Jan 16, 2007)

Any updates on this tank, JP? It looks fantastic - I really like the branch.

Did you end up finding a male for your little lady?


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## Ben E (Oct 1, 2004)

does anyone else think the little guy has a touch of mbd>?


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

Ben E said:


> does anyone else think the little guy has a touch of mbd>?


What makes you say that?


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

Still just one darklands in there. I'll get pictures up later to show how it has grown in.


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## frogsanddogs (Jun 21, 2008)

This looks awesome! Please post updated pics on how it has grown in. Forgive me if I missed it, but where did you collect the moss for the branch from. I have a bunch of varieties of moss in my yard which don't seem to have a dormant stage as they are green all year round, but I have seen a lot of people on here say that mosses collected in the states would. I have some that looks like that and several that look like tropical mosses I have purchased for my vivs and wondering if it would work like yours which looks awesome. Also, how deep do you dig to collect it and how do you wash it that wouldnt' kill or make the moss fall apart? Would a bleach solution be too harsh? Is there another method that would be safe? Would be intererested in hearing anyone with answers... and would love to see your updated pictures of it growing in. Did you ever replace the light bulbs and if not, are they keeping the color in the broms?


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