# Beginner's 18x18x24 exo terra build.



## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

Hi! 

I am new here and I am in the early stages of my build. I have been relentlessly reading these forums and it's been brilliant so far. I have come to the conclusion that a lot of my questions would be better answered if I could get specific guidance, rather than searching for a potentially ill suited answer to someone else's question. 

Here we go! 

I have glued a zoo med forest tile to the back using gorilla glue after cutting the bottom off. 

I have laid in the hydro balls. Next I am looking at how to apply the substrate barrier. It seems to me that just laid on top the substrate would escape down the sides. Do you guys silicone it to the glass or am I overly worried about this?

Also, I have read mixed reviews on building a corner pond by sectioning off some of the hydro balls. What are your collective experiences on this? 

I have more questions for other parts as I go but will stick to this for now. 

I look forward to hearing from people as I have been most impressed with this place so far. Especially the lack of people talking down to newbies which I find is endemic within the snake and lizard background from whence I came. 

Regards, 

Dan from England. 

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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

danfullwood said:


> I have laid in the hydro balls. Next I am looking at how to apply the substrate barrier. It seems to me that just laid on top the substrate would escape down the sides. Do you guys silicone it to the glass or am I overly worried about this?


I usually just cut it a little bigger than the space and allow it to kinda ramp up the glass a little bit. When you add the substrate, add it to the middle of the tank and then push it towards the sides. It should limit the amount that will fall through the cracks.



danfullwood said:


> Also, I have read mixed reviews on building a corner pond by sectioning off some of the hydro balls. What are your collective experiences on this?


What type of frogs are you planning on keeping? There are a few species that may benefit from a bit of water, but generally you are better off saving the space (and headache of saturated substrate) by skipping the corner pond.


Hope that helps! Welcome to the forum!


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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

Thanks! I have been struggling to find hydroball techniques in amongst the masses of stuff detailing how people did egg crate. Anyway. 

I was thinking of Azureus, but, this build is a belated birthday present for the wife. She asked for dart frogs in May. Turns out I've been reading and not doing anything about it for a while. I was just so worried about getting it wrong. 

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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

I just realised I missed out the context of the birthday present statement. She's wanting a blue frog type but isn't sure on the spots. She has that weird thing where she gets freaked out about groups of small spots/holes. 

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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

OK so I have installed my windscreen mesh. Two layers. First one forming a sort of basket after folding the corners up. Second one a little smaller and just laid in the bottom. 

For drainage I was thinking of installing a pvc pipe at the back that I can feed a siphon pipe into. 

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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

Looks good so far. Easy drainage is helpful, especially if you are going to use an automated misting system... so adding a tube with a cap somewhere wouldn't hurt.

I would avoid doing a pond if you are looking at tinctorius species. They won't need it and it'll just take up floorspace. Azureus are a great morph. If she isn't sold on all the small spots, "sipilawini" tinctorius usually have larger patterns and are also great frogs.


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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

Welcome to the hobby, and it looks like you're off to a great start! As Tom mentioned earlier, I too just cut the screen a little larger and fold up the sides. Some people silicone it to the glass, but it looks like you're already past that part. You should be good. 

As far as the drainage, a pvc pipe as you mentioned would be fine. I think the trick is to somehow cover or hide it so it doesn't unnaturally stick out like a sore thumb. 

What I've been doing for a drainage option is creating a sort of drop off section at the front 5-10% of the tank and sectioning it off from the drainage layer. I'll fill that with fish tank gravel, and it allows a very easy way to see the water height and access to siphon it out when it gets too high. I personally like how this looks, and it creates a super easy way to monitor and drain the excess water. Plus, in my heavily seeded tanks, the springtails love to hang out in the gravel and make for easy pickings for the frogs!





As a matter of fact, I mist my tanks pretty heavily and I have yet to need to drain my 20 gallons. I drain my 10 gallons every couple weeks, but the 20's never need it. So, unless you're absolutely drenching your tank, I doubt you'll need to drain all that often.


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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

Oh, and as for frog choice... I absolutely LOVE my Azureus. I have lots of different species, and everyone who visits always zeros in on the Azureus and they are usually the most liked. Lots of personality, quiet call, super bold, etc... Great beginner frog as well.


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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

Thanks guys I'm really appreciating this. The PVC pipe is going to go in later. I figured it'll be pretty easy to slide down the side when I get around to it.

I just put in my substrate, it's a mix from a pet shop that looks like a mix of soil and some of the stuff from the abg mix. It's called forest life but as it's here in England I'm not sure if people will recognise it. 

I need to get some glass cut for the top but for now, I've wrapped cling film (u.s. Saran wrap I believe) around the exo terra lid leaving a gap at the front. 

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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

Finally gotten around to adding frogs! 2 Epipedobates. Not sure whether male or female yet. Exciting times.









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## CrimsonRaine (Sep 13, 2018)

danfullwood said:


> Regards,
> 
> Dan from England.


Hi Dan! Fellow Englishman (well, woman, but that's not important....) here 

Loving the look of your new set up, how did you get on sourcing the plants, and the frogs? There seem to be few retailers here in the UK!

Are you going for a misting system at all?


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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

Hi! I ordered the plants online. Can't remember where. I'll look through my emails. I got a couple of replacement plants. The one in the front right is new and the fern at the back right. I had a moss dry out from my frogless two years and the plant I originally put in the front got chronic scale insect. These new plants were from a garden centre in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Same place for the frogs too.

Update! I've heard some froggy calling. Very pleasant. 

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## danfullwood (Oct 17, 2016)

And I've decided not to go for a misting system. Didn't want to drill holes in the glass at this late stage. 

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## CrimsonRaine (Sep 13, 2018)

danfullwood said:


> Hi! I ordered the plants online. Can't remember where. I'll look through my emails. I got a couple of replacement plants. The one in the front right is new and the fern at the back right. I had a moss dry out from my frogless two years and the plant I originally put in the front got chronic scale insect. These new plants were from a garden centre in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Same place for the frogs too.
> 
> Update! I've heard some froggy calling. Very pleasant.
> 
> Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk


Perhaps it was Rainforest Vivs? I've had an order from them, they've got a nice selection.

A few of our garden centres around here (Worcestershire) have a good selection of houseplants which crossover into vivarium favourites, but I'm a huge fan of the more specialist rainforest species that don't translate well into pot plants, like mini orchids and marcgravia (I love climbers and basically anything epipthytic). But I've never seen any of them have dart frogs available! That's pretty cool.

What kind of call do yours do? One of the reasons I chose the Azureus was because of their quiet call, as they are in our living room, and the husband didn't want loud obnoxious frogs to ruin movies and the like


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## CrimsonRaine (Sep 13, 2018)

danfullwood said:


> And I've decided not to go for a misting system. Didn't want to drill holes in the glass at this late stage.
> 
> Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk


You've got an Exo Terra though, right? No need to drill holes as you have the cable ports in the back, they fit tubing through perfectly.


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