# Chaos by Design



## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Started a new viv this past week. My goal is total chaos..... coupled with a lot of open air & floor area. Mostly mini broms and trailing vines, there's a couple spots of fern and small orchids to fill the gaps. I am interested in seeing what kind of balance this mass will find. I expect domination as well as death (of plants).... but hopefully this stays minimal. I will expand the light soon to give everything it's fairest chance. 

I plan on adding imis. I keep going back and forth between nominant, intermedius or Linbo Taros. I can not decide. I have leucomelas in another vivarium and I am afraid that I will find too many similarities between the two.....


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Not bad; I like it. My uneducated guess is that if anything ends up taking over it would be the vine/trailing plants, as they usually grow really fast.

If you want something very different, maybe go for some pums.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

hypostatic said:


> Not bad; I like it. My uneducated guess is that if anything ends up taking over it would be the vine/trailing plants, as they usually grow really fast.
> 
> If you want something very different, maybe go for some pums.


Thanks for the compliments. I was thinking the same thing on plant growth regarding the vines. Hopefully a majority of the growth will cascade and not climb the taller plants. My long term worry is broms going loony tunes and pushing eachother + orchids out of the way for space.... a botanical mosh pit. 

I have considered pums and still may lean towards them in the long run. I like the conrast in colors that many of them present as potential inhabitants. I have nothing in hand at this moment so the search will continue.


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## lando (Sep 10, 2010)

I really like the concept and I think it looks great. I may have just used a couple different kinds of broms in bunches though. Maybe let them pup out into bigger bunches.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

lando said:


> I really like the concept and I think it looks great. I may have just used a couple different kinds of broms in bunches though. Maybe let them pup out into bigger bunches.


I am with you on that. I was hesitant to use such a variety.... I will likely just see how things go and watch where they fill in. The camera is hard to capture it's first person appeal. 

And you know, it's funny that you said that. I was looking at it tonight and admired the front-top middle micro brom (yellowish in the photos....far more striking in person) and thought to myself how amazing this would look completely covered in just the one. That might be a concept in the future. I bet it would look great.

I am hoping as things color up that this will be predominately red-toned with the broms. The big one on the top left is a fireball that has been sitting in a poorly lit window all summer. 

I will grab some more photos this weekend. It acts as a peninsula right when you enter my master bedroom. I took the afternoon off and built it while my wife was at work.


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

I like it!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

therizman2 said:


> I like it!


Thank you! I appreciate your compliment not only as a great vendor, but I am a Lansing native myself (by way of DeWitt).


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## Kadjec (Nov 3, 2012)

Looks good. I like the concept. Keep us posted on what wins out/how it balances out.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Very nice viv! I like it! How many broms are there?


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## mongo77 (Apr 28, 2008)

Southern varabilis would look great in there. Their colors would really pop against the green.


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## mongo77 (Apr 28, 2008)

You don't mention the size of the viv but from the pic I'm guessing 18 cube.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

rigel10 said:


> Very nice viv! I like it! How many broms are there?


There's about 14 type....maybe 16 or 17 specimen. One of the Tiger Cub (I would have to reference the name...not so sure I am correct on that one) is kicking out two pups. One of the other micro types is producing as well.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

mongo77 said:


> Southern varabilis would look great in there. Their colors would really pop against the green.





mongo77 said:


> You don't mention the size of the viv but from the pic I'm guessing 18 cube.


Southern Varabilis are pretty awesome, but I think I may have found my occupants 

It's an 18*18*24.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Couple shots. I still need to clean up the wires and tubing but this will give an idea of floor space and openness of empty space + background.


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## baileyjames6 (Jul 16, 2008)

That looks nice, does the room get a lot of traffic. Are you in any way worried about the frogs not having enough privacy without a background?


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

baileyjames6 said:


> That looks nice, does the room get a lot of traffic. Are you in any way worried about the frogs not having enough privacy without a background?


Thank you BailyJames. 

Its in a master bedroom. 

I have zero concern about a background in terms of privacy for the frogs. Defined/described direction, tank orientation and viewing angles are all strictly human concepts. To a frog the "front of the tank" is always going to be that which is directly in front of it. Same for the background, but behind. If the frog can cover it's body from behind, sides, top and bottom all at once it will feel secure. That's won't be any trouble in this viv. There is a tremendous amount of cover from both foliage and form/structure. 

Plus I have the common courtesy to look away during their bath time.


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## baileyjames6 (Jul 16, 2008)

Good points and I imagine not having to buy all that silicone saved you some cash to spend on more broms. Is it one piece of wood they are all attached to? Also did you do a false bottom with egg crate or is it layered leca and dirt and you will just siphon water out of the corner?


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

baileyjames6 said:


> Good points and I imagine not having to buy all that silicone saved you some cash to spend on more broms. Is it one piece of wood they are all attached to? Also did you do a false bottom with egg crate or is it layered leca and dirt and you will just siphon water out of the corner?


Plus, no background build means no build mess 

I like backgrounds. However, I find a lot of the tanks with one have an environment that seems rather dark and confined. This is a matter of personal preference more than anything. I will place a link below to show how this tank used to look. I was generally very happy with it. It had a background but began to have a confined feeling when viewing in person. The openness of my leucomela viv makes for a neat presentation and I wanted to use some of those elements in this set up.

I used two pieces of wood joined together. I am unsure of the type. I got it from a planted aquarium hobbiest about a decade ago. 

I am using a clay/ABG combo on top of a laterite/clay layer over an egg crate bottom. Tons of leaf litter.... probably going to add some more. 

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/92985-harpos-bakhuis-redesign.html


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Cuties in QT. I went with "none of the above" and grabbed some UE Taras.

I should note there was some basic sanitization performed when setting up this tank with structure/plants/etc. There is no perfect method for that sort of thing but I did some 5 to 10% soak/wipe where applicable along with obsessive compulsive rinsing/soaking with tap followed with OCD filtered water soak/rinse. Combining with quarantine this should atleast stack the deck for these guys in the long run.







Greased Lightning



Unboxing


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## desertFrogger (Mar 15, 2012)

What happens when the plants get bigger?


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

_*What happens when the plants get bigger?*_

A majority of the individual plants are full grown. Offsets and vines can be trimmed if needed. I expect some cramming, pushing and shoving between the broms, orchids and ferns as they fight for real estate but that's what I'm hoping for. 

The vines might get interesting....depends on the growth pattern they develop and the speed at which they grow but I am not expecting them to go kudzu on me.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)




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## papa_mcknight (Feb 3, 2013)

I love this build. Im just wondering if you have a pic of the driftwood structure before it was all planted?


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Love this! I can't wait to see the plants go wild in there.


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## Hill (Jan 6, 2014)

Very nice


Sent from my iPhone


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## Tuckinrim8 (Jul 26, 2007)

Sweet viv, I love the plant placement!


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## CTM75 (Aug 10, 2005)

Beautiful tank..well done!


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