# Reef tank to Vivarium



## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

hello everyone im new here, i started gaining interest in vivariums and decided to convert my 20l reef tank into a vivarium. i am planning on keeping my 24x 3w led's on the tank, ive got pots on both blue and white light so i can adjust it for plants not corals. I have a bulk head on the back wall that i will use to pump mist into the tank and i decided to use a small pump to add a water feature. I decided to try out the great stuff method. I plan on using expanded clay pellets separated by plastic mesh for the false bottom. So far i have laid down the great stuff and carved it but I have a few questions before i continue my build any further. 1) i love the look of moss what substrate should i silicone to the background to facilitate moss growth, ive seen people use coconut coir, sphagnum, and other concoctions. 2) ive got a bunch of organic peat soil that is sifted, is this ok to use as the sole substrate on the bottom of my tank, to be honest i love the look and feel of it.

I will try and post some pics tomorrow of the build so you guys can give me some feedback on my setup


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Welcome to the dark side 

I wouldn't use a peat substrate because it will be soggy.


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

as promised here is some pictures of my tank so far, let me know what guys think or if you have any suggestions.

What could i mix in with the peat soil to make it drain better?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I use orchid bark and 100% natural charcoal (smashed up with a hammer) and some sphagnum crunched up. Also crunched up leaves. I've used peat in the past but only a little. 

The substrate needs to be well draining.

Let's clarify, is this viv for frogs or just plants?


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

frogs, im really partial to the orange terribilis. well i might just save the peat soil for mixing in with springtail/ iso cultures. What would you guys recommend i silicon to the gs to facilitate moss growth, is plain coco fiber the best or should i try a mixture.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

That would be a good place to put your peat. I mix it in with cocofiber for the background. Really, your background can be whatever you want it to be, that will stick to the silicone. Just make sure that the substance is dry before you stick it on to the wet silicone. Or you can use Gorilla Glue with damp stuff. 

There have been a few stories here about terribilis getting foot rot in tanks that were damp. Anecdotal but enough times that I would be especially careful of making sure the tank did not have soggy substrate.


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

ok cool, thanks for the input its much appreciated. After i have the viv completed how long does it normally take to equilibriate? Also i plan on culturing springtails and isopods. How long do cultures take to establish before i can even think of going frog shopping. My guesstimated time frame is a couple of months, is this correct?


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## mimic711 (Oct 18, 2012)

Sweet tank, talk about a center piece huh?


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks I hope it will turn out looking nice. What would everyone recommend as far as net pot placement, or should I leave them out because the tank it pretty short.


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

i performed a leak test on the water feature and so far so good. i wanted to make sure my pond areas wasn't leaky before i started with the substrate. i am having trouble getting my peat soil to dry so i can begin to silicon it to the back. I tried putting it in the oven at 170 for a couple of hours but it is still damp. We aren't supposed to have rain for awhile so im going to try leaving it out in the sun and see if that works. 

Here are some pictures of the water feature in action and a cool moth i found today lol.


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## Shinosuke (Aug 10, 2011)

Wow, that is a really cool moth! Do you know what kind it is?


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

How'd I miss this build?!? Subscribed now! Looking forward to seeing it develop! Great start!

-Chris


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that water feature WILL leak into your substrate area over time. Great Stuff does not stick to cured silicone very well, if at all, and water will slowly and gradually leak through the tiny gap that will form where the silicone attached the bottom and side panes of glass. The likelihood of this NOT happening in the long run is extremely low.

That said, I like what you did with the Great Stuff. Nice carving job. If you do a little more carving and use different mixes (of coir/peat to glue to the background) you can get that to look like a buttress root. That's what I originally thought it was.


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## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

jacobi said:


> Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that water feature WILL leak into your substrate area over time. Great Stuff does not stick to cured silicone very well, if at all, and water will slowly and gradually leak through the tiny gap that will form where the silicone attached the bottom and side panes of glass. The likelihood of this NOT happening in the long run is extremely low.


I second this. The only way that would hold up over time would be if you silicone a piece of glass where the GS is and then you could hide the glass with GS.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

I used about 3/4 of a tube to build a thick wall of silicon around the "pond" so hopefully this will retard leaking but we will see. By the time it leaks i will have an excuse to build a new tank  i think in the future i might try bending acrylic to form the pond.

I just laid down my first layer of peat to cover the great stuff and i hope it turns out well. in a few days ill cover the banks of the pond and water trickle with some small pebbles and sand. i also went collecting behind my apartment and found a surprising amount of plants. i collected them on abandoned property so i know there hasn't been recent pesticide or herbicide usage. I have no idea what kind of plants they are, im sure a couple are ferns. if you guys have any ideas i love to here them. Some of the plants are not looking so good so we will see which ones make it. Let me know what you guys think.


















Here are the collected plants









i think this one is my favorite


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

picoreefer said:


> I used about 3/4 of a tube to build a thick wall of silicon around the "pond" so hopefully this will retard leaking but we will see.


Fresh silcone doesn't bond to old/cured silicone....


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

I did it all in one go, but in my experience I have had new silicon bond to old silicon, it might have to do with curing temps or humidity maybe?


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## picoreefer (Oct 17, 2012)

Operation vivarium is almost completed, today i got the substrate in the tank and picked up an ultrasonic humidifier. I need to go to home depot tomorrow and pick up some tubing to pipe it up to the bulkhead. As you can see the collected plants aren't looking so hot. i might look into buying a plant starter kit with plants more suited to live in a vivarium. i want to plant something in the pond that will grow out of the water and stand up anyone have any suggestions? 

FTS

















Here is a piece of wood i picked up from a fish store









This is the little humidifier i got


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## stephen-mcginn (Sep 26, 2010)

if the ground is wet enough possibly java moss or ricia moss....duckweed weed as well will grow in the water definetly. Pothos are great plants various in size from small to huge leaves. I love philodendron good sized leaves for tree frogs. Strong and sturdy and his extremely hardy. hard to hurt it. cut a leaf and germinate it. im currently in search for others aswell interested to see what is posted


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