# 55 gal construction



## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

Well, a while back I posted about an old soft pretzel box I wanted to use as a viv.... My sister got to it first and it is still producing pretzels. O well, I found a 55 gallon corner tank so its a fair trade off. Anyway, I already have the back siliconed and the false bottom constructed I drilled holes in the bottom of the pvc today and picked up some cool plants from stauffers. Also got some more cork not pictured. 
Can't wait to get to the fun creative stuff!!!


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

Ok, I got some good progress made today!! I think I have the water feature all figured out with the rocks and wood, now I'm just getting the GS applied and my cork bark situated. I picked up two new pieces yesterday. Also, I'm using bio balls for my drainage in place of hydroton or LECA, I just can't find it anywhere and I didn't really want to use hydroballs or order anything online. My local petstore uses bio balls and their tanks are doing extremely well!!!
First up, these are my new cork bark pieces








Here's the setup for my water feature from the front








from the top








This is where the water will be spilling in to the lake








Here is some of the GS applied, the empty space in the cork on the back is were the smaller cork tube will have the water line running through it spilling on the above pictured rock








just a top down pic


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## D3monic (Feb 8, 2010)

Looks like a good start. I love build threads.


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

*Update*

Ok, today I made the some good progress. I managed to get the entire background covered with coco even though I made it harder on myself with the positioning of my cork tube!!
Here are some tank shots
















As far as plants go, I managed to get a very healthy brom from the last place I would have expected, Walmart! It has 2 pups and I cut one off already because it was almost as big as the parent plant. Hoping it will go alright, I didn't have much luck with my last broms so experience wise with these guys I'm pretty much a beginner... Any help is appreciated!!!
















here's where I cut the pup off of the mother on the right, did I do this right?








Finally we have some other plant shots.... First up are my tillandisia's can anybody help me with ID, I think the first is Tillandsia bulbosa or creepy guy as my girlfriend has named it!!!








not sure about this one but it's about to flower and looks awesome








baby tears








lemon button fern








just a full plant display I have in my room, sooo many plants, thats what I get for being a botany major.... don't mind the didge in the pic








These are the bio balls I'm using in place of leca or hydroton, I dunno why I just think these things are really cool looking, kinda like knex or something?!


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

So far so good!!! I got the drainage layer and substrate put in with only a few setbacks (my false bottom was leaking bio balls into the bottom) so I put an extra piece of egg crate in the corners, easy fix! I also got most of my plants in and it's looking pretty good if I do say so myself!!
Here's the bare bottom and bio balls layer shots
























Next, the substrate
















Now some FTS, I didn't get the water feature fully operational yet, too tired, but I tested it earlier today and it looks awesome!!!
















left side








right side








top down
















I had the hardest time mounting this brom, the root system is sooo massive, it was planted in a pot when I bought it and the roots went crazy!!! I might end up changing it from the way it is now. Anybody have any good ideas?!


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## nathan (Jul 24, 2009)

You could cut some of the roots off . . .

Looking good so far. It will be interesting to see it fully planted and operational, and again in a few month after some grow in.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Looking good! Can't wait to see it all grown in. I like the way the ground has a slope. I think I'll try that in my next tank.


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

Thanks frogface, my local pet store does most of their tanks that way, that kinda gave me the idea!
Nathan- if i trim the roots what would you think is an appropriate amount to cut off? the bundle is about the size of the palm of my or your hand roughly speaking.


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

*Water feature up and running*

Here's a few shots of the full tank. The broms look great and the tillandsia's are mounted higher up on the cork so they dry out in between mistings. I added some river rock gravel in the pond as well as a piece of mopani wood and a rock. The fish in there are white cloud minnows, I've always thought they were the coolest little fish, plus they're pretty resilient and tolerating. 
























I also made a short vid of the water feature/tank...enjoy!!!
http://s442.photobucket.com/albums/qq143/blackandblue156/?action=view&current=MOV00856.flv


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## kellynygard (May 13, 2010)

Hey there, i love your tank!!! You seem pretty cute!!!


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

nice work, are you gonna use anything to try and cover the screen and egg crate in the pond?


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## xsputnikx (May 11, 2010)

how are the bio balls working out as a drainage layer?... in comparison to the cost of LECA which is cheaper?


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

Yea, I wanted to get some java moss or something along those lines to coat the screen. What do you think, will that work or is there something else that will work better?
The bio balls are awesome, they have all the ridges and such for a great bio load to develop and they hold very little moisture so I won't have as much of a problem with boggy soil developing. For me the cost was definitely way cheaper, i got the bio balls in (2) 425 count boxes and the price was about 9 bucks a box, versus the 9 plus 15+ shipping for hydroton.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

java moss might work, it might take a while before it can cover all of it. 
did you place screen over the bio balls, also they have been know to store too much bio load and in the long term actually turn into nitrates and can cause probs in your viv over time.


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

yea i put screen over the bio balls before placing the substrate on top (it is a coco fiber/sphagnum fir bark mix), but i didn't know about the nitrate problem, hopefully I won't have any trouble with that!!!
Also just curious if anybody has any suggestions as to what frogs would be good for this viv. I've only ever had leucs but there is a lot of floor space so I was thinking of getting some tinc's. I love their color and size, but I'm just not sure, sooo many to choose from!


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## champagnerob (May 10, 2010)

Could you silicone slightly larger rocks all over the egg crate? Almost a stone wall look, with water still being able to pass through. Just an Idea. I'm about as new to this as possible. Learning from every post.
Once that egg crate is covered and a little more green in there and this will be top notch! Nice work!
-Robbie


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

thanks rob!! Yea i was thinking about doing that, guess I just didn't know how to go about it?! O well I'll probably just put some flat rocks up against it but not silicone them in place.


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## winstonamc (Mar 19, 2007)

what about making sheets of fake rock via the paper mache / epoxy method, might work well...?


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

thats a good idea, I just don't have any experience with epoxy so I have no idea how to use it?


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

*New plants update!!!*

Well last saturday I went up to my college and picked up some magnolia leaves, I wanted some leaf litter, some of the leaves were a little too big but I liked the outcome. I also found out that 1. walmart will give you all the film canisters you want if you just ask for their old ones and 2. Lowes has a discount plant rack that most of the plants on are 2 dollars and below. I picked up an african mask plant as well as Golden pothos _Epipremnum aureum_, and Berry Allusion nephthytis _Syngonium podophyllum_. I got another brom from Home Depot, for 5 bucks so I couldn't let this guy go, all the others looked so raggedy and I just had to save it!!
Here are some pics of the new additions, let me know what you think!!!
























And finally an FTS


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## macadlo (May 14, 2010)

"Ok, today I made the some good progress. I managed to get the entire background covered with coco even though I made it harder on myself with the positioning of my cork tube!!"

Hello there, I´d like to know what did you use to stick the coco to the wall. Thanks for the answer and keep up the good work


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

I just used the classic GE II silicone and coco trick, spread the silicone on and just smash as much coco as I could in one spot.... easier said than done sometimes!!


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## GiganticLips (May 25, 2010)

Looking really good Ev, can't wait to see it in person.


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## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

hahaha thanks bro, don't worry you'll see it soon enought


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