# Build log: 40B vivariumworks for thumbs or pums



## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

petco $1/gal sale strikes again

Im trying out some of the premade rocks from Vivarium Works 









I was initially going to use one of their drop-in backgrounds but figured a couple rocks would give me a bit more creative flexibility. I opted to get the hawaii falls rocks and chose limestone white. Amazing stuff, the detail and color is great and they're flexible enough to be able to make cuts easily. Scott was also mentioning that cuts into the foam can hold plants easily, so no need for pins or wires when mounting epiphytes. Side and back mount should give the tank some depth and the texture (...topology?) of the rocks will allow for some really cool plant mounts 










This will be the first tank Ive made that only has one viewing side. The background and sides will be built up w/ expanding foam, then the outside will be spray painted black. I dont think Ill bother with fake vines in this build, but I will try to use a lot of trailing plants like peperomias.










the top will have a small ridge where some of the high-light plants can be placed, and where some of the trailing plants will overflow. Im using standard insulating foam as a skeleton for the foam. The false bottom is Matala filter media; awesome stuff and a breeze to work with. Sturdy enough to hold a lot of substrate, but still lightweight, and best part is not having to zip-tie a bunch of screen as a barrier. The front of the tank will be a expanding foam gradual slope to water. Im not a huge fan of water features but the footprint will be small. Hole will be drilled for a bulkhead later... not sure if Im going to keep the water feature and the drainage layer separate or connected










The two cork tube pieces I had were siliconed to opposite sides, hoping to create a broken branch look when all is said and done. The majority of the interior was filled w/ foam, but theres enough space in either opening for some sphagnum and a plant. 










Lighting will be supplied by a Roleadro 300w full spectrum LED. I have this sitting over another tank currently and I cant speak for long term results but so far its great. Color is a little more yellow than I'd like, but not so much that it washes color out of plants/frogs

not sure on frogs or plants yet. Thinking punta laurels or rio colubres, but who knows. Still have a lot of foaming, trimming, and glass cutting to do, but Im excited about this tank. I go to pick up a sheet of glass for the front later today, ill cut it into three pieces and make it into a swinging door that drops down. Will keep the thread updated with changes and additions


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

foaming continues










both right and left walls done









with the LED unit, cant get a decent phone picture without it overexposing everything, will have to dig out the camera









bottom front foam still needs some carving and additional foam, but will eventually serve as the "shoreline" for the water/tad growout. In terms of drilling, I still need to drill a bulkhead hole on the bottom for the substrate drainage, and a couple holes up top for the misting nozzle and fan wiring.

glass front still needs to be cut, but I picked up some neodymium magnets to help hold the door shut. Plants are ordered; some of the typical broms and tillandsia, a jewel orchid, a Aristolochia fimbriata vine, some marcgravia, some duckweed for the water, begonia, moss, Selaginella, etc etc.

Hope to get the background siliconed and covered in substrate before the plants arrive.


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## dmb5245 (Feb 7, 2014)

Looks great. Following!


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

plants arrived. still plugging away on the background, but should have the plants in by the end of the weekend

*Salvinia natans for the water feature
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*Anoectochilus albolineatus, jewel orchid
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*Aristolochia fimbriata, dutchman's pipe
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*Selaginella*










*Billbergia spp, Casa Blanca (thing is massive, but has a nice small offshoot)
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Tillandsia ionantha, and Tillandsia concolor










*Neoregelia 'Wild Tiger'
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*cryptanthus, earth angel
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Neoregelia 'red bird'


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## wolfeingtons (Nov 2, 2012)

Following, really like how that is coming together.


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## cjkpa1 (Dec 17, 2016)

Very curious on lighting choice and plant growth hope you keep the updates coming


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## sick1166 (Jan 23, 2017)

very nice love how easy you made it look to set up
are you running water body and drainage together


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

sick1166 said:


> very nice love how easy you made it look to set up
> are you running water body and drainage together


thanks! probably not, I think the tannin levels would get too high and Im hoping the frogs will use it to deposit tadpoles. Some tannins are desirable but I want a little more control over how much. Ultimately it will depend on how well the foam acts as a barrier


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

background is taking longer than I'd like, and Im having an unusually difficult time getting full coverage



















still have a small area up top to cover, then its just touchup work










I have ~2 gallons of sheet moss ready to roll, so I dont think Im going to fret about areas where the foam are showing through the substrate, Ill just poke in some toothpicks and cover it with moss 

still need to do some drilling, and waiting on some stuff for the case fan. I have the neodymium magnets in place, but will post pics of all that once I get the front glass ready to install


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## baskis (Jun 7, 2015)

As far as coverage of the background goes, I've never had much luck with leaving the foam smooth and applying the texture. It always seems to work better for me when I shave off a layer and then glue on the background material


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

baskis said:


> As far as coverage of the background goes, I've never had much luck with leaving the foam smooth and applying the texture. It always seems to work better for me when I shave off a layer and then glue on the background material


hmm, maybe, could be my use of coco fiber instead of peat too. I patched the bare spots w/ spagnum and will cover anything that pops up w/ the sheet moss

Still have to drill and place the plants. Debating whether or not im going to keep it w/ the rest of my tanks or move it into my room and just hand-mist. More updates to come










also, simple magnet system to hold the door up. Coated in silicone to limit any rusting that might occur



















surprisingly strong little magnets, they do the job perfectly


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## Jermander (Mar 12, 2014)

Looking good. I can't wait to see the finished product. I'm curious how the Aristolochia will do. I am planning on using on in one of my vivariums as well.


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## AndrewSkoog1 (Jan 25, 2017)

Awesome job.


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

OK, so a list of what still needs to be done: 

install bulkhead for drain (arriving wed) and valve, hole is already drilled
drill a couple holes for vents on the top
add substrate and plant Aristolochia, Selaginella, jewel orchid and others
add water and duckweed to front water feature
seed w/ inverts and let it grow!

Im opting out of installing a fan or plumbing it into the climist system, and just sticking w/ a couple vents up top. I live in southern FL and have the central air on 70-75, so it gets pretty dry in here, so Im thinking just venting will be enough to keep the humidity relatively stable and prevent too much fogging. This tank is a bit more accessible than the others, so hand misting wont be much work.

I ordered a bunch of sheet moss from glassboxtropicals, turns out 2 gallons is too much, but brightside is I get to load the tank up with as much as I can fit and have extra for my other tanks

will continue to post pictures as things are updated, including some better pics of individual plants; here are a couple as it stands now.






































and here's a pic of my crappy stand, mid build. Not pretty, but itll do


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

hit up a 3D printer to make some vent frames:



















not sure which thread I got the idea from, but it works well. Push the frame down around the mesh and cut away the excess. Works well and condensation is primarily kept to the top 4-5"




























In other news, talked to Shawn and ordered a reverse trio of Punta Laurels! Been seeding the tank every day and now that the bulkhead and everything else are installed its ready to go.





































Updated shot of the tank, it found a home next to the kegerator 










water feature










microfauna and dying Aristolochia  started turning yellow and wilting after it arrived, hoping blackjungle will replace it, dont think it will bounce back










some highlights. Planning on transplanting some small orchid offshoots from other tanks tomorrow. Will update w/ frog pics when they arrive


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## CharlesT0271 (Jan 24, 2017)

chefboyardee said:


> Lighting will be supplied by a Roleadro 300w full spectrum LED. I have this sitting over another tank currently and I cant speak for long term results but so far its great. Color is a little more yellow than I'd like, but not so much that it washes color out of plants/frogs
> 
> not sure on frogs or plants yet. Thinking punta laurels or rio colubres, but who knows. Still have a lot of foaming, trimming, and glass cutting to do, but Im excited about this tank. I go to pick up a sheet of glass for the front later today, ill cut it into three pieces and make it into a swinging door that drops down. Will keep the thread updated with changes and additions



Those are Definetly not 5w leds. Not to ruin your post or rain on the parade. Those are 3w leds if they are cob like shown in the photo. If there are any red blue or any other color with a metal dome and two wires going to the chip in the center they are 1w leds. You have 180 watts max max and that's being generous. Still good lighting though.


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

CharlesT0271 said:


> Those are Definetly not 5w leds. Not to ruin your post or rain on the parade. Those are 3w leds if they are cob like shown in the photo. If there are any red blue or any other color with a metal dome and two wires going to the chip in the center they are 1w leds. You have 180 watts max max and that's being generous. Still good lighting though.



shrug* it works better than the 50w flood light I had used previously. At some point Ill bite the bullet and build my own fixture using a FW aurora puck or something, but it does the job for now. Here's the amazon page if you want more specifics. No other colors, all LEDs are all same color

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HI3AFYM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

they also claim IR and UV spec, but im doubtful that theres anything significant


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

This is an awesome setup man. Love the rocks. I was just looking at them on their website.


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## rjs5134 (Feb 1, 2017)

WOW!!! I can't believe how great this looks. I am now totally psyched to start my 1st tank... I am not expecting anything on this level however.


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## Jermander (Mar 12, 2014)

I think the Aristolochia prefers a drier area. I'm not sure if you can manage it in your viv or not, but I'd aim for letting it dry out slightly between waterings. But excellent work. It definitely looks amazing.


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

thanks everyone, this is rapidly becoming the favorite of my tanks, tho I just spotted a juvenile rio branco in my other tank!!






















Jermander said:


> I think the Aristolochia prefers a drier area. I'm not sure if you can manage it in your viv or not, but I'd aim for letting it dry out slightly between waterings. But excellent work. It definitely looks amazing.


thanks for the heads up on the Aristolochia, I may try again or may spend the money on orchids. Ive decided to keep this tank as a hand-misting setup, keeps me from the set it and forget it style upkeep I use with my other tanks. That said, things are still pretty wet to keep the moss and vines happy

some updated shots:









new wandering jew clippings









orchid cuttings, not sure of the name anymore, would have to dig it up, looks like a larger version of Encyclia polybulbon. maybe something in the Bulbophyllum genus?









small offshoot









resurrection fern cutting...hopefully it will resurrect


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

for those curious about the efficacy of the LED fixture, got some new growth and roots showing on the marcgravia and most of the plants are turning to face the light










The Aristolochia lives, somehow. Ive cut away the dead leaves and moved it up a ways so it wont be as soggy, there are new buds so hopefully it turns around


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## drcameraman (Jul 21, 2008)

Awesome vivarium!!


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

Pums it is! Reverse trio of Punta Laurels, the fat male is already calling


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

settling in


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

amazingly bold for pumilios, they remind me of my terribilis!


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## doclizard (May 6, 2012)

This turned out great, I love the look of the fake rocks Incorporated into the background!


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## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

Have they remained as bold as when you first got them? 



chefboyardee said:


> amazingly bold for pumilios, they remind me of my terribilis!


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

cam1941 said:


> Have they remained as bold as when you first got them?


the males have for sure, the female tends to hide a bit when I open the cage up.


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

update shots:


















































































Bonus shot, the juvenile rio branco is a bit more adventurous than before


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Great tank and great choice of frogs


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

two new babies!











you can see the adult male on the far left:


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## Wolf Guy (Feb 18, 2017)

This vertical use of space is amazing.


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## tfowers (Jul 30, 2004)

Yeah - great vertical layout, very dynamic. any worry about fall distance?


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

thanks guys, its my favorite tank by far. No falling issues to date, they seem to enjoy the extra vertical space; one male claimed the red brom in the top right, the other claimed the purple and green to the bottom left, and the female wanders between the two. The juveniles are largely keeping to the leaf litter at the bottom, but are around 3 months old and are exploring a bit more. I dont want over-crowding issues, so I might sell the 3 juvis soon

I fled miami when Irma hit, and had to leave the frogs. We lost power for about 3 days and it got fairly hot according to friends who stayed, but none of my tanks seem worse for wear. Some of the more sensitive orchids are unlikely to make it, but otherwise fine

will post some updates soon, once i get the tanks cleaned up a bit


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

lost some color on the brom, will be lowering the light to try and bring the reds back a bit. Ill get some frog closeups later


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## JoeKitz (Sep 18, 2017)

Awesome build! Overall do you like the light? It looked like in earlier pics you had the light resting on the glass directly and then in the pics with the Brom loosing color you had it raised up higher. Was the light getting to hot for the tank? I am looking at LED lighting and these lights look like they may work. I bought an evo quad off ebay and put it on a new build, too soon to judge how well the light will work. However, the price has recently doubled.


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

I did hang it above, probably somewhere around 2 feet above the top of the tank, so thats likely why the red brom lost some color. I have since dropped it down so we'll see how it does. Im used to LEDs in reef tanks and always had problems burning my coral, so opted for a safe distance 

I also cant exclude the possibility that the hurricane power outage did some damage. The brom had already started to lose some color but seemed considerably worse after a few days without power


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

some update shots:



















juveniles, you can see an adult in the background:









all 3 juvis, going to give them another month before putting them up for sale:


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