# Ecuadorian Cylindrical Vivarium



## Bunsincunsin

I thought I would post a little project I’ve been working on lately.

I made this 14”x20” (35cm x 51cm) cylindrical vivarium out of 1/32” polycarbonate (Makrolon) sheet with a 1/4"x16”x16” base. The top is 3/16” glass with three 3/4” holes drilled for ventilation and one 40mm fan providing circulation. The lighting is supplied via three 6W CREE LED spotlights. The subject piece is made from one large (cut roughly in half) and one small Hygrolon liana accented with a few small pieces of cork bark; I may add another piece of liana, but I think I will let this all settle in for a bit and see what I think a few months from now.

This is my first try with Hygrolon; so far it has been doing a good job of wicking water – the upper parts seem to only get the ambient moisture, as opposed to wicking it up from the base, but the moss on those parts seems to be getting sufficient moisture, regardless. The lights seem to be doing okay – the moss has put out some decent growth and the _Peperomia_ sp. ‘Banos, Ecuador’ has responded nicely as well – I will have to wait a while to decide for sure; I may end up replacing/supplementing them with a Jungle Dawn or something. These shots are a few weeks old, taken just after adding the _Pearcea_; I just added some leaf litter today, which has given it a nice touch.

I went for another Ecuadorian biotope on this one. I may still add a plant or two – such as _Microgramma piloselloides_ or some sort of micro/mini orchid – along with a liverwort or filmy fern, but for the time being this is the plant list:

_Pearcea hypocyrtiflora_
_Peperomia_ sp. 'Banos, Ecuador'
_Pleurothallis niveoglobula_
_Sphyrospermum buxifiloium_
_Trichosalpinx_ sp. 'Ecuador'
Various mosses - including Black Jungle moss, NEHERP moss, Manuran's low-growing moss and some local moss (the majority of what you see in the photos, this one has done really well so far - it started as just a few small pieces).

I realized after taking the full tank shots that the reflections produced within the cylinder are kind of distracting – I may try a white background for the next update and see if that resolves the problem…

(click on the photos to resize)








_Pearcea hypocyrtiflora_








_Peperomia_ sp. 'Banos, Ecuador' – hopefully I can get a nice carpet of this one going!






_Pleurothallis niveoglobula_








_Sphyrospermum buxifiloium_




_Trichosalpinx_ sp. 'Ecuador'


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## corey.chadwick.14

Amazing!! Is it built on a false bottom?


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## bsnile23

Awesome!

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


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## Phyllobates

Very nice Shaun. Love the lighting and high-tech look!


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## rigel10

Gorgeous! I also have a similar tank - I wanted to put in a tarantula, but that project failed. In the future I'll do something like this your viv!


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## skanderson

beautifully done. did you form the markon sheet into the cylinder and if so do you have a visible seam?


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## mollbern

Wow! This is spectacular.

Do you have any pictures of just the hardscape?


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## frogparty

Sleek and classy!!! Nicely done


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## Bunsincunsin

Thanks for all of the comments everyone - much appreciated!




corey.chadwick.14 said:


> Is it built on a false bottom?


Yes, the side that has the substrate built up has a small egg crate false-bottom underneath. The Hygrolon lianas are offset to the side of the false-bottom and go right down to the base.




skanderson said:


> did you form the markon sheet into the cylinder and if so do you have a visible seam?


I ended up simply bolting the two ends of the sheet together, with stainless steel hardware, creating a 3/4" overlap - if you look closely at the first photo you can just barely make it out in the back. The seam is actually concealed quite well due to the positioning/twisting of the lianas - you hardly notice it when you look at the tank in person.




mollbern said:


> Do you have any pictures of just the hardscape?


No, unfortunately I don't - I'm always more interested in the final product of something that I rarely take the time to photograph the actual process.


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## Aldross

very nice. 

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2


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## amgini

wow..that looks great! wish I could build something like that.


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## pa.walt

reminds me a lot of dusk tropics/mikeils cylynder tank


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## Bunsincunsin

pa.walt said:


> reminds me a lot of dusk tropics/mikeils cylynder tank


Yeah, Mikael's nanovivs were the main inspiration for this build; he has a lot of nice cylinders.

Here's a link to Mikael's tanks for those who haven't seen them: Nano vivarium and cabinets - a set on Flickr


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## tongo

goodness your creations are wonderful!


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## rigel10

Do you think you put frogs in this viv?


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## mollbern

Wow, thanks for posting this link - those are definitely inspiring. 

Time to get me some hygrolon....



Bunsincunsin said:


> Yeah, Mikael's nanovivs were the main inspiration for this build; he has a lot of nice cylinders.
> 
> Here's a link to Mikael's tanks for those who haven't seen them: Nano vivarium and cabinets - a set on Flickr


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## Adam R

i love this.

i am doing a very similar build in the next year or so but with the epiweb "kaos" structure. i am helplessly drawn to centerpiece structures, especially when they contain a few orchids.


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## Bunsincunsin

rigel10 said:


> Do you think you put frogs in this viv?


No, I don't think so. It would be a cool concept for a _Ranitomeya_ tank with a few modifications - mainly just the addition of a hinged top for easier/safer access for maintenance (right now the whole cylinder lifts off of the base, making it difficult to control potential escapees).


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## ryno71

Very unique, great work!


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## Bunsincunsin

A few updated photos with more moss growth and leaf litter. I used a lighter background for the photos this time - the reflections still show up, but at least the contrast between the "branches" and the background is better. The growth has been really good so far…


(click photos to resize)


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## hypostatic

very nice!


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## snake54320

I'm waiting for more growth before ranking this thread 5 stars


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## hydrophyte

This thing is so cool!



Bunsincunsin said:


>


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## fullmonti

Love it, nice clean look!


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## hydrophyte

An enclosure like this could be cool as a consumer product. You could router cut the top and bottom with a thick plastic. The whole thing could just pack flat as a kit for assembly.


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## Dendro Dave

I really wanna do something like this with a motorized display turntable and a suspended light (so it could turn freely). I think if it was slow enough, or maybe just put it on an interval timer it would be ok for the animals.


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## Bunsincunsin

Thanks for the comments, guys.

I think I'm going to add one more liana to the right hand side, with _Philodendron verrucosum_ or something similar, to fill up some of the negative space in the center; I'd like to find something slightly smaller than _P. verrucosum_ but the leaves on this one seem to top out at about 4-5" long with a bit of trimming - which should fit nicely. I'm just waiting for Folius to get them back in stock.




hydrophyte said:


> An enclosure like this could be cool as a consumer product. You could router cut the top and bottom with a thick plastic. The whole thing could just pack flat as a kit for assembly.


Yeah, Dusk Tropic sells complete kits for around $400 - I think he's the only one selling an actual kit at the moment (all others I've seen have been custom made).


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## Bunsincunsin

I found this guy this morning while misting:


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## aspidites73

Is it an Earwig?


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## Bunsincunsin

aspidites73 said:


> Is it an Earwig?


No, a silverfish.


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## hydrophyte

Did that silverfish just find its way in there, or was it part of a culture?


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## Bunsincunsin

It just appeared; not sure how though, as it was unable to climb up the sides of a container I put it in temporarily...


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## Bunsincunsin

A bit of diversity for a Sunday morning; this is exactly why I made this tank.


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## cbridgeman

This is beautiful! Do you hand mist it? I didn't see any misting nozzles. 

Also, how do you keep the acrylic so clean? Do you wipe it down with a cloth before you take pictures?


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## Bunsincunsin

cbridgeman said:


> This is beautiful! Do you hand mist it? I didn't see any misting nozzles.
> 
> Also, how do you keep the acrylic so clean? Do you wipe it down with a cloth before you take pictures?


Thank you.

Yes, I hand mist it about once a week. The cylinder stays fairly clear with the fan constantly running while the lights are on - but, yes I always wipe it down before taking photos.


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## Bunsincunsin

I was concerned that the lights I chose wouldn't be sufficient enough for plant growth - and especially for orchid growth - but I was happy to see that I'm starting to get some new growth from the orchids and the _Trichosalpinx_ is in bloom again. Things are starting to look like they could use a trim already, as well!


_Trichosalpinx_ sp. 'Ecuador'



New growth:




New growth from the _Pleurothallis niveoglobula_:



A nice little liverwort on the _P. niveoglobula_ mount:




_Pilea microphylla_




I used some of the moss I have growing in my 10 gallon epiphyte branch vivarium and must have snagged a leaf cutting from the _P. emarginella_ 'Ecuador':




Another leaf-shot of _Pearcea hypocyrtiflora_:




_Peperomia_ sp. 'Baños, Ecuador'



Some nice red coloration on the underside of the leaves:


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## Bunsincunsin

Here's an updated wide-angle shot, taken from above the tank, after three months of growth (I added the rest of the _P. niveoglobula_ mount as well):


(click photo to resize)




And, the last wide-angle shot (taken in February) for comparison:



Bunsincunsin said:


>


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## shawq0x01

Absolutely amazing. One of the coolest I have seen...simple and elegant!


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## Spaff

Geez Shaun! That Pths. niveoglobula is really taking off for you. The piece you sent me is doing great, but yours is growing way faster. 



Bunsincunsin said:


> Here's an updated wide-angle shot, taken from above the tank, after three months of growth (I added the rest of the _P. niveoglobula_ mount as well):
> 
> 
> (click photo to resize)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And, the last wide-angle shot (taken in February) for comparison:


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## Bunsincunsin

Spaff said:


> Geez Shaun! That Pths. niveoglobula is really taking off for you. The piece you sent me is doing great, but yours is growing way faster.


Ha!…I wish, Zach. I actually added part of another mount I had to that spot just a few weeks ago; I wish it grew that fast - it has only just started to put out new growth for me.

Have you done anything with the seed pod that was/is on yours?


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## Spaff

Well, now I don't feel so bad about mine being slow :roll eyes: ...I was thinking I may need to change the bulbs in my lights or something. 

Unfortunately, that pod fell off prematurely while I was moving the plant home and nothing could be done with it, which is a real bummer because I have a friend who owns a nursery and does all of his own flasking. 



Bunsincunsin said:


> Ha!…I wish, Zach. I actually added part of another mount I had to that spot just a few weeks ago; I wish it grew that fast - it has only just started to put out new growth for me.
> 
> Have you done anything with the seed pod that was/is on yours?


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## Bunsincunsin

Here's a quick teaser shot of something I have been working on for the cylinder over the last few days:


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## jebb

Do you think having microfauna like isopods in a viv like this would be beneficial? I have an orchid tank that I've been debating putting some in. Also intrigued by the teaser, I'm a carpenter by trade and love putting wood accents on my tanks.


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## Bunsincunsin

jebb said:


> Do you think having microfauna like isopods in a viv like this would be beneficial? I have an orchid tank that I've been debating putting some in. Also intrigued by the teaser, I'm a carpenter by trade and love putting wood accents on my tanks.


I would think it would be beneficial. Isopods are great for recycling nutrients and springtails can help to control fungus and mold. I currently keep dwarf white isopods, silver springtails and black globular springtails in the tank - I haven't noticed any problems, if that's what you're worried about.


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## Bunsincunsin

One more teaser…


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## Bunsincunsin

Here are a couple of quick full-tank shots of the cylinder - you can see the newly finished hardwood base I posted teasers of earlier. I will try to get some updated close-ups as well.

(click photos to resize)


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## ChrisAZ

Simple and clean,very nice! I'm interested in the lights your using. They seem to be working okay for your plants. How hot do they get? I'm wondering why I haven't seen them used more often. Do you have any specifics on them that you'd be willing to share?


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## Bunsincunsin

ChrisAZ said:


> Simple and clean,very nice! I'm interested in the lights your using. They seem to be working okay for your plants. How hot do they get? I'm wondering why I haven't seen them used more often. Do you have any specifics on them that you'd be willing to share?


Thanks, Chris.

So far I really like the lights - though, they are a bit intense for some of the lower-light-loving species; I don't have them on any brackets or anything so this can be easily fixed by repositioning them. I don't think I would use them on a tank less than around 20" (~50cm) tall, though. They don't get hot at all and are merely warm to the touch - you can easily grasp your hand around them without feeling any discomfort for any period of time.

They are MR16-type lights, using one CREE MC-E diode per fixture, rated at 6W each, with a beam angle of 24 degrees and a 6000K color temperature. I purchased them from Super Bright LEDs; I believe this model has been discontinued, though I think they offer similar models. I think one reason they aren't used much is because there are already several companies making plant-specific LED lights that are readily accessible and relatively inexpensive - several characteristics that are hard to beat. These lights aren't geared towards plant growth, and as result are probably not as efficient or ideal as other lights may be in such applications - I would say they are more for special purposes, such as being used as spot/fill-lights, in combination with others, on taller tanks.


Here's a quick photo of one, for reference:


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## GBR

Man...I love that Pilea microphylla! Great looking ground plant!


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## Illustrator

Fantastic!


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## Bunsincunsin

New lights!


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## ChrisAZ

Nice! What kind of lights are they and why the switch?


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## Spaff

Bunsincunsin said:


> New lights!


Shaun, I don't think that Pearcea is happy enough in that tank


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## Frogtofall

I too am curious about the light details. This little thing looks amazing. Love it!


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## hydrophyte

I'd also like to hear more about the lights if you don't mind sharing.

How did the make the bottom of the enclosure? Is that round dish some kind of manufactured part that you found?

That hardwood base is a real nice touch. I'm working on finished square cases with finger joints to wrap the bottom for a few of my setups.


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## FroggyKnight

This tank is just awesome! Great choice in plants, too 

Of course, I'm interested in the lighting too

John


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## Bunsincunsin

Thanks for all of the likes, everyone - they are greatly appreciated!

The new lights are CREE XM-L2 LEDs with 60 degree optics. I ended up going with three neutral-white (5,000K) and three cool-white (6,500K) LEDs, for a total of six LEDs. I have them mounted on an aluminum ring that I cut out of some plate stock I had laying around; it measures roughly 12" in diameter, by about 2" wide and 3/16" thick. The LEDs are being driven by a small circuit board that cost around $6 in parts, and allows for dimming. The photo I posted is with the lights running at about 35-40% of full power. It's probably overkill for this tank, but it gives me some room to play around.

I was, and still am, happy with how the old 6W CREE LED spotlights performed - the plant growth was great, the color temperature was nice and they put out little to no heat. I made the switch because I wanted a setup that provided a more even amount of diffused light that was also dimmable. The old spotlights had a beam angle that was much too narrow (24 degrees) for my liking; they created some dynamic lighting with strong highlighting and shadowing depending on how they were positioned (a positive or negative characteristic depending on how you look at it, I guess).

So far, I'm happy with how the new light setup looks. It's providing a much more evenly distributed light throughout the whole tank that showcases the plants quite well. The overall "package", or appearance, of the setup is also slimmer and "cleaner" looking, I think, than the old spotlights. The color temperature is also slightly warmer than what it was with the spotlights - especially when it's running at anything less than 50% of full power - which I will have to get used to, or swap out the neutral-whites for more cool-whites. I will have to see how well the new lights do for plant growth before I make any changes.




Spaff said:


> Shaun, I don't think that Pearcea is happy enough in that tank


I think you are right, Zach - it looks as though it desperately wants out.  (I'm waiting for it to bloom before I give it a good trimming; it currently has two buds - hopefully it won't be too much longer!)




Frogtofall said:


> This little thing looks amazing. Love it!


Thanks, Antone!




hydrophyte said:


> How did the make the bottom of the enclosure? Is that round dish some kind of manufactured part that you found?
> 
> That hardwood base is a real nice touch. I'm working on finished square cases with finger joints to wrap the bottom for a few of my setups.


The bottom part of the tank is simply a 3" tall piece of polycarbonate (same thickness as the cylinder) that has a slightly smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the cylinder itself - this allows the cylinder to fit tightly around it (kind of like a "sleeve" fitting). The 3" tall piece of polycarbonate is adhered to the polycarbonate base, which creates a water-tight seal and allows space for a small false-bottom, substrate and leaf litter.

I'm very pleased with how the new hardwood base came out - it makes it much easier to transport and more aesthetically pleasing, I think. I may start doing similar bases for all of the future vivaria I build.

I would love to see those cases you're building. Be sure to post them when you're done - they sound great!



FroggyKnight said:


> This tank is just awesome! Great choice in plants, too


Thanks, John.


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## dendrothusiast

Shaun if only you lived closer because I would've been bugging you like crazy to make me one! Phenomenal craftsmanship as always - thank you for the update!


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## Spaff

Bunsincunsin said:


> I think you are right, Zach - it looks as though it desperately wants out.  (I'm waiting for it to bloom before I give it a good trimming; it currently has two buds - hopefully it won't be too much longer!)


Fingers crossed they open in a hurry! I think this plant has some of the most interesting flowers of those often kept in vivs. There's just something about those brightly colored globes that makes them special.


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## michaelbishop33

I love your work. I wish I could plant mine as well as what you have created.


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## Bunsincunsin

dendrothusiast said:


> Shaun if only you lived closer because I would've been bugging you like crazy to make me one! Phenomenal craftsmanship as always - thank you for the update!


Thanks, Arman - that means a lot coming from you. If you want one bad enough, I might be able to figure out a way to get one to you…


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## Bunsincunsin

Spaff said:


> Fingers crossed they open in a hurry! I think this plant has some of the most interesting flowers of those often kept in vivs. There's just something about those brightly colored globes that makes them special.


Finally!


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## mwallrath

Very cool tank. Love the 360 view.


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## austin

Awesome flower there!


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## Bunsincunsin

Here are a couple of new full-tank shots with the new lights. I gave the tank a good trimming and added some new leaf litter, as well. About two months ago I extended the main Hygrolon piece (larger diameter liana) about six inches so that it now reaches to the very top of the tank; it seems to be filling in nicely with moss and overall looks much nicer than it did when it was shorter. I took out the _Sphyrospermum_ cf. _buxifolium_ when I extended that piece, as well.

Currently in bloom: _Pearcea hypocyrtiflora_, _Pleurothallis niveoglobula_, _Stelis_ sp. (previously labelled as _S. patens_, but it is not) and _Trichosalpinx_ sp. 'Ecuador'.

I believe this tank has been running for approximately 10 months at this point.







Two close-up photos:




I particularly like this shot as it shows the _Peperomia_ sp. 'Baños, Ecuador' growth in the "back" of the tank; I don't think I have shown this side of the tank yet - and I rarely see it myself, as it is up against a wall between another tank and a side wall.




I will be starting another cylindrical vivarium soon; it will be a Peruvian-themed tank with the intentions of housing a pair or trio of a _Ranitomeya_ sp. I ordered the glass top for this new tank last week, so it should arrive early this coming week. I will try to document the build process of this new tank, so stay tuned and keep an eye out for a new thread!


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## fullmonti

Love this tank!


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## jimmy rustles

Bunsincunsin said:


>


I think i even prefer this side, as i have the feeling that the leaves of the pearcea are a tad bit too big for that build and overpower the rest. But thats subjective of course.


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## Sktdvs14

Wow! What a show piece!!


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## Dendrobait

Bunsincunsin said:


> I will be starting another cylindrical vivarium soon; it will be a Peruvian-themed tank with the intentions of housing a pair or trio of a _Ranitomeya_ sp. I ordered the glass top for this new tank last week, so it should arrive early this coming week. I will try to document the build process of this new tank, so stay tuned and keep an eye out for a new thread!


I'm looking forward to this! I thought of the exact same thing but finding glass tubes of the right size and price is proving problematic. I went ahead and put together a similar layout in a 12 x 18 zoomed. The one difficulty is lighting the back side of the thing enough that the plants will do well around the whole "trunk". How did you wire up those spotlights?


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## Drewbacca

Very, very beautiful work Bunsincusin! I'm just down the road in Salem, and one day I hope to possibly get the chance to obtain some clippings from you! 

-Drew


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## Judy S

Indeed...it is just so elegant...less is more I guess.... hope if you do another tank that you do take the time to document it...but we mortals know that whatever most of us do will be far beneath the high bar you have set.... By the way...where are you going to get the Hygrolon now that Folius will not be carrying it??


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## Sammie

You can still order Hygrolon from Dusk, it doesn't weigh a lot and can be folded to fit in a padded envelope so even though it's from overseas shipping shouldn't cost much at all. 
Regular mail from Sweden to the states takes about 5 days.


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## hydrophyte

This latest update from a couple of weeks ago looks awesome.


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## Bunsincunsin

Thanks for the comments, guys.

Wow, over a year since I have posted anything from this tank! Things are growing in nicely. The _Pearcea_ just finished blooming (so many flowers!) and so I cut it back. The _Philodendron_ has been doing well since I last cut it, though it doesn't seem to want to grow where I want it to… The _Pleurothallis niveoglobula_ sulks in the summer but starts to look nice again as the temperatures begin to fall.


_Pearcea hypocyrtiflora_






_Philodendron_ (sect. _Pteromischium_) sp. 'Ecuador'


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## fullmonti

looking good! 

New FTS?


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## jarteta97

Yes, we need a FTS of this beauty to be satisfied


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## Bunsincunsin

Here are a couple of really quick wide-angle full tank shots that I took a few minutes ago:






I'm hoping to get that _Philodendron_ to the very top!


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## TheCoop

Absolutely beautiful, so umm next time the wife and i are randomly visiting Portlandia i can pm and get a top secret baggie of clipping?!


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## Bunsincunsin

Another update a year later, at just about three years old.


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## rulzunivrs

Really cool build! Do you find yourself having to trim back the moss?


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## Granville

Great job! It only looks better with time. I used some inspiration from your lid design to build an acrylic spacer in-between two pieces of glass on a build I did about a year ago. I'm about to make another and I have a few new ideas but Any tips from you would be greatly appreciated. Heres a link to the build I did. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me...rst-post-but-not-first-build.html#post2822185
Have a great day stay classy


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## OrangeD

Very cool great job. What type of lighting did you use.


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## mferg72

Looks awesome


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## Lokirathehunter

It looks fantastic! Really inspiring!


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## AndrewSkoog1

Wow! Awesome setup


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## drcameraman

Looks awesome!


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## rigel10

I think this is a 5-stars thread! Compliments


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## d_mill24

Great looking tank!


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## drcameraman

Awesome small viv!


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## hp192

Thanks for sharing...I've really enjoyed following this gorgeous build. Just curious about why you chose Ecuador? Any specific inspiration?


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## azbombero

This is museum quality!


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## comas60634

Inspirational!


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## comas60634

Mesmerizing, I'm going to have to try this. Wow!


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## rjs5134

This is another amazing tank!!! 

Please let me finish what I'm working on before teasing me with another project to consider.

Thanks for keeping up the updates.


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## chulainnledsom

Very interesting tank, how do you find maintenance in the tak being that is cylindrical?


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## Bunsincunsin

Thank you all for the compliments!



hp192 said:


> Just curious about why you chose Ecuador? Any specific inspiration?


Many of the plants I had acquired prior to initiating this project were from Ecuadorian localities.




chulainnledsom said:


> Very interesting tank, how do you find maintenance in the tak being that is cylindrical?


It is much easier to do regular maintenance on when compared to a display with right angles (such as a glass box) - especially considering that the cylinder is easily removed to allow for complete access to the plants and hardscape.


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## Art93

Wow that's freaking awesome!! But how do you make round? Or does it come like that?


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