# 150 gallon stream bank



## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

I'm working on a huge hardscape tank and want to make it suitable for beginner darts. Heres some specs.

6' x 2' x 2' acrylic reef tank
tiny flowing creek: 47 inches
False bottom: 4 inches
water section: 8" x 11" x 3 " deep
3 drip walls

Any suggestions and criticisms welcomed

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

I'm worried about hard water stains on the front of the tank where the small water section is. My glass paludariums are easy enough to scrape with a blade but not the acrylic.

Should I go with an RO unit or run my 2 distillers? 

I have always just used distillers for my other tanks, but the consumption has never been this much and I am worried about keeping up with water changes and the like. 

I might be getting a grant to finish the tank as it resides in my biology lab. I have my fingers crossed but am not holding my breath if ya know what i mean. I may be able to purchase more distillers or a nice RO system. 

I couldn't help but add some detail work to a small section of the build even though the the tank isn't even ready for the final fitting. I still need to drill the tank and work out all of the plumbing.

Been reading about beginner darts and I'm not sure if the amount of water is detrimental in housing them. The river will be flowing but not too fast. it will be very shallow and easy enough to cross I think. The water section is small in comparison to the overall size of the tank and I can shrink it down if necessary by adding substrate and such. 

any thoughts??


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## wimvanvelzen (Nov 1, 2008)

That is a very promising setup, natural look. Don't overplant it - most tanks have way more plants in them than the natural habitats.

Don't worry about the water part. Frogs are used to water (think heavy rain) in their environments. 

Can advice you on RO vs distilling, but the effect should be about the same.

Keep us posted!


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Good job and welcome to the board! I would love to see a description of how you have built the tank so far. The detail work looks great. What materials are you using? 

As for distilled vs. RO, I am usually a fan of the former, but you are right that, for a tank that size, it might be tough to keep up. An RO unit might be more appropriate. You can get a float valve that would allow it to run automatically and keep a reservoir topped off.

I would think some Ameerega might do really well in a tank like that. Epipedobates anthonyii would love it in there, too (though not both together...). 

Well done!

Mark


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## chillplants (Jul 14, 2008)

Looks good so far. I can't wait to see how this develops.


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## ice19d (Jan 17, 2017)

this looks like it going to turn out really nice


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

thank you all for the encouragement. darts can seem a bit daunting when you commit to doing it right. very tankful for this forum, its amazing. been lurking for years to learn about building vivs but this is my first go at it for darts.

The tank was set up for leopard geckos so i could have a low maintenance tank but nocturnal critters are less fun when you only get to see your tank during the day. Been a blast building it so far.

I'll do some more homework on the RO and the floater. would love to have something top off the tank for me.....wonder if i can make that work. Any good direction for me to start my research? That should cut down on the mineral deposits on the tank right? The RO would remove most everything and the floater would keep the tank at a fairly consistent level...am i thinking right?

I live in Alaska so getting frogs might be tricky and keeping my FF cultures on point is going to be very important. If i have a crash in winter (-28 ambient temp this morning), i don't think ill be able to get a shipment for a fresh start. I'll be looking for advice on that in the coming months. I plan on getting frogs next fall so the tank will be completely dialed in and rooted.

more to come
thanks again
JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

wimvanvelzen said:


> That is a very promising setup, natural look. Don't overplant it - most tanks have way more plants in them than the natural habitats.
> 
> I don't plan on a ton of plants at all. I have some ficus trees that I want to make my centerpieces. I have three of them. I won't use the term bonsai as I am not nearly knowledgable enough and I don't want to offend anyone. I did purchase them a year ago as 6 six year old trees already trained. I am going to try and keep them under control and try to grow a bunch of arial roots to compliment the hardscape. One of them already has a beautiful long root ready to dig in!
> 
> ...


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

the base of the hardscape is pink foam and the rest is great stuff. both are super easy to work with.

I cover all my scapes with drylock waterproofing. It is awesome and super easy to work with. my newt tank paludarium has been submerged for years and still looks great. it out gases over night, doesn't jack up your water chemistry for weeks like concrete, and is a breeze to color. any concrete coloring will work and it has a white base for easy mixing and dry brushing. 2-3 layers is enough. Down side is its a bit pricey in comparison. Once you have the basic color scheme your looking for, let it dry for at least a few hours and then dry brush it to give it that weathered look. Super easy: dip your brush in the white dry lock and then brush it off onto a little piece of cardboard. It should look like there is none left on the brush. then lightly brush over the whole tank. each little bump will grab some of the white and give it that old look. voila 

accents are fun too. the 3 mm Kon tiki gravel from caribsea is sprinkled over a thin layer of smeared silicone (brown). lightly dab the area to seat the gravel and its done.

the mud look is titebond III mixed with coco husk/fiber. again kinda pricey cause it takes a lot of titebond and that stuff aint cheap either (especially up here). But if you really get the fibers completely soaked and then press it on, it will last for quite some time. only a very small amount has come off of my 5 year old newt tank (even when its submerged). It must be completely inert once dry because we did a bunch of water tests on all of the products. we even put fertilized coho salmon eggs in separate tanks with the silicone, GS, titebond III, gorilla glue, and dry lock to see if they would hatch and develop properly. each substance was smeared all over and then monitored for 4 months until they hatched. 98% hatched and were good to go. normal development and growth. was a cool experiment.

There are some serious tank builders on this site and i now many of them use concrete and other methods. this is just how i do it.
heres a few pics of the development


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Encyclia said:


> As for distilled vs. RO, I am usually a fan of the former, but you are right that, for a tank that size, it might be tough to keep up. An RO unit might be more appropriate. You can get a float valve that would allow it to run automatically and keep a reservoir topped off.


I can certainly say setting-up an R/O system + float valve reservoir for my misting system was very easy. I got a hose splitter for the *cold* water line going to the washing machine and then ran tubing to the R/O system and a plastic garbage-can I drilled with a float valve.

You can get a good r/o system for $150-$200, add another $30 for a float valve and reservoir bucket. You can consider how much that compares to the price of all the gallons of water you'll also need to carry across the Target or Walmart parking lot if you go the distilled water route.


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## Paddy (Jan 6, 2017)

This looks great, it has a lost Mayan or Inca temple vibe to it!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Paddy said:


> This looks great, it has a lost Mayan or Inca temple vibe to it!


awesome, that was part of the inspiration for the build!

thanks


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## BCMosaic (Oct 28, 2016)

Without a doubt this will look awesome when finished.
Congrats!


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## dmb5245 (Feb 7, 2014)

Very cool. Your students are lucky. I like the long low profile for the more terrestrial darts. Subscribing to this one.


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## sick1166 (Jan 23, 2017)

you have inspired me to do a bigger tank i have laying around


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

i had to bite the bullet and put the hardscape back into the tank for one last fitting. I need a better plan before i foam it all in and seal the junctions. There are 17 pieces all together and they are tighter than a snare drum now that the pieces have all been dry locked. Even just the few layers must've added 1/16th or so to each piece. Im going to have to trim some to make it work for the final fitting. not fun getting that beast all put together...its like a damn rubix cube.

I put the ficus trees in today to see what the splash of green will look like and i think they look pretty good. Might be harder than i thought to keep them from out growing this thing. My original plan was to keep the trees in their pot so I could attempt a bonsai -like approach to keeping the growth in check. theory seemed good but I'm now just going to take my chances and hope that i don't have to pull them once a year to trim roots. Always an experiment in the viv world!

finally have all my plumbing parts and hope to get the tank drilled very soon.

more to come

JD


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## GOSKN5 (Dec 31, 2011)

The force is strong with this one 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

Wow, very cool looking and inspirational! Can't wait to see this one progress.


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## Jermander (Mar 12, 2014)

This is one amazing build. I can't wait to see it finished. I bet gametophyte ferns would love it in there.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

sick1166 said:


> you have inspired me to do a bigger tank i have laying around


awesome!! how big is it......i love big vivs!!keep us posted


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## Granville (Apr 12, 2015)

Gibbs.JP said:


> Wow, very cool looking and inspirational! Can't wait to see this one progress.


Very inspirational indeed! great job so far!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

I've been doing a bunch of reading on the species i want and its time to ask the questions that I'm sure have been answered a thousand times. every build is different and every new comer likes to ask their own questions i guess. thanks again for all your help. forgive the neophyte

I am placing the following in order of importance:

1. frogs that move around during the day. bold is good for me since their behavior will be studied by lots of students.

2. Frogs that will live in groups. I can't imagine having only 2 frogs in the big ole tank.

3. frogs that are easy enough to breed. The breeding will be amazing for my students and raising new generations will greatly add to my genetics class.

Im a beginner to darts but a stickler for mil spec detail in the environments!

i really like the following frogs: 
leucomelas, which is termed a mid sized frog. still easy enough to find and view? not a thumbnail right?
auratus, skittish??? will they be harder to watch in the tank??
Azureus, seems like they can be tough to group up.

how many frogs can i put in this thing?? species dependent i suppose 

thanks again
JD


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Hi JD,
Here is my take on your frog situation. I am kinda in the same boat right now. I have a big tank I need to put frogs in and am trying to decide who's worthy ;-)

Of your options, leucs are by far your best option. Auratus would do great in there, but for me, they have always been hiders. That would be a shame and it might tempt you to add another species in that big ole tank, which would be unwise. Leucs are fantastic group frogs that have a great call, are easy to breed and rarely hide. They are also pretty inexpensive, which would be a boon considering you could put a dozen or more of them in a tank that size.

Going off the menu, there might be a couple of more frogs to think about. With all of that water, Epipedobates anthonyii would do great in there. They are fun frogs that have many of the same characteristics as leucs. There are also several varieties of them. Adelphobates galactonotus are good group frogs and would enjoy all the space, too. Phyllobates terribilis/bicolor/vittatus could do well in there, but I would make sure that the substrate stays really dry. Finally, I don't have any experience with them (yet! but soon...), but I would think that Ameerega would really do well in a tank that big with a water feature in it. They are really large, athletic frogs. They are also gorgeous. I can imagine a group of chrome bassleri or something like that in there. Again, take that last recommendation with a grain of salt because I have never kept that genus. If someone else thinks they wouldn't do well in there, listen to them  

Best of luck in choosing your new roommates.

Mark



AOA said:


> I've been doing a bunch of reading on the species i want and its time to ask the questions that I'm sure have been answered a thousand times. every build is different and every new comer likes to ask their own questions i guess. thanks again for all your help. forgive the neophyte
> 
> I am placing the following in order of importance:
> 
> ...


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

great ideas! i'll look into those for sure. thanks for chiming in! appreciate the advice.

a dozen leucs!! i was thinking a half dozen...more the better if theres enough space. 

how many flies per week would that be???? wow. new to darts, still a bit worried about culturing ff......

i run a fishing business in the summers up here and its non-stop crazy for 2 months. very limited time for tank work. Tourism in AK is such an amazing sight to behold. our little towns grow exponentially and the midnight sun keeps everyday a 15 hour one!! I'll be able to feed regularly and the tank will be well regulated. If i plan ahead, will i be able to stock pile flies or is the maintenance not too bad?? the videos seem easy enough but whats the real scoop with a dozen frogs? I have to have a contingency plan for crashes right? living up here means i have one petco, 50 miles away.....thats it. Can i even get a culture shipped quickly in the dead of winter????

JD


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## Jbenedicta (Aug 22, 2016)

Don't forget terribilis. They will work with leucs and azureus.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

I would suggest P. terribilis as well, large and bold. Several styles to choose from!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

i think i am leaning towards leucs after reading about all the aforementioned species. thanks for all the good choices. They just seem to fit and are reasonably priced for a beginner. and since i will possibly do the dozen or so, might be a smart choice for the checkbook!

man there are a lot of really cool darts out there!!

how many small caves should i have to support that many frogs?? will they share hideouts? the big cave could house many if thats the case. Ive seen many folks add specific places built in for egg laying...is that something i should look into doing? if so, now is the time for me to do it.

thanks again

JD


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## Paddy (Jan 6, 2017)

I think it'd be fun to start with fewer frogs than the viv can house, and that way as they begin to breed you can keep some the offspring in there too.


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

AOA said:


> i think i am leaning towards leucs after reading about all the aforementioned species. thanks for all the good choices. They just seem to fit and are reasonably priced for a beginner. and since i will possibly do the dozen or so, might be a smart choice for the checkbook!
> 
> man there are a lot of really cool darts out there!!
> 
> ...


I think leucs would be a great choice. As for the caves, the frogs will almost certainly just choose their own places to rest and hide (though that's why you are buying leucs - they don't hide much). My experience is that the harder I work on making a super cool hiding place, the less likely they are to use it  They will find their own spots.

For breeding locations, mine have always preferred coco huts that I put butter/margarine under. They lay their eggs and I can take the lid out and put another one in its place. No need to build a special place for it or anything. See my comment above 

Mark


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Paddy said:


> I think it'd be fun to start with fewer frogs than the viv can house, and that way as they begin to breed you can keep some the offspring in there too.


really like that idea!!!! I was thinking about that today. Is introducing a small group later on after frogs have already settled in a bad idea for leucs?


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

thanks Mark, do you think i can just put a petri dish lid inside the big cave or do i have to have a separate hut? I wasn't planning on a coco hut. I made two small removable caves behind the river, neither of which will fit a dish very well at all.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

just looked at an older pic of what the tank used to look like. housed 2 leopard geckos.


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

AOA said:


> thanks Mark, do you think i can just put a petri dish lid inside the big cave or do i have to have a separate hut? I wasn't planning on a coco hut. I made two small removable caves behind the river, neither of which will fit a dish very well at all.


You can try to put petri dishes out and they may take you up on the offer. They seem to like some privacy, though. The big cave may not offer what they are looking for. You can add flat, removable plastic pieces anywhere you have that offers said privacy. The coco huts seem to work well. Anyplace you have that is similar (small area; smooth, removable floor (for taking eggs out and waiting for them to hatch in separate container), and a relatively small opening (up to golf ball size?)) could work. For the plastic pieces, you can just cut from a butter lid whatever size and shape fits in the holes. If you don't provide a place for them to breed, they will probably still do it, but may use leaves or other flat spaces that you may not want to (or be able to) remove. I have had tons better luck pulling the eggs than leaving them in place and letting the male carry the tads to water. It would probably still work, but you won't get as many offspring. This could be a good thing 

Mark


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Encyclia said:


> You can try to put petri dishes out and they may take you up on the offer. They seem to like some privacy, though. The big cave may not offer what they are looking for. You can add flat, removable plastic pieces anywhere you have that offers said privacy. The coco huts seem to work well. Anyplace you have that is similar (small area; smooth, removable floor (for taking eggs out and waiting for them to hatch in separate container), and a relatively small opening (up to golf ball size?)) could work. For the plastic pieces, you can just cut from a butter lid whatever size and shape fits in the holes. If you don't provide a place for them to breed, they will probably still do it, but may use leaves or other flat spaces that you may not want to (or be able to) remove. I have had tons better luck pulling the eggs than leaving them in place and letting the male carry the tads to water. It would probably still work, but you won't get as many offspring. This could be a good thing
> 
> Mark


exactly what i needed to know . thank you

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

wondering if i should build in a fan system. originally i was going to and then i figured i would wait and see. goin back and forth now. its a show tank for sure so now I'm leaning on just going for it. any suggestions on brand and size or set up??


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## cjkpa1 (Dec 17, 2016)

Contact tropical breeze that is in classified and on fb explain what you have and can make suggestions


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

cjkpa1 said:


> Contact tropical breeze that is in classified and on fb explain what you have and can make suggestions


they look nice. wondering what the CFM is on their units??

some great threads on here but a lot of the links are now expired and show nothing. james67 had a great thread and grimm suggested silverstone. i think I'm gonna give these a try.... SilverStone Technology Co., Ltd.INTRODUCTION?AP81


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## wolfeingtons (Nov 2, 2012)

Thats awesome, can't wait to get something that large set up as well. Like others have said Leucs would be great but I would totally get a group for Terribilis to fill that up. Always entertaining watching those big chunky guys hop around and call. Either way its a great display tank!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

wolfeingtons said:


> Thats awesome, can't wait to get something that large set up as well. Like others have said Leucs would be great but I would totally get a group for Terribilis to fill that up. Always entertaining watching those big chunky guys hop around and call. Either way its a great display tank!


i have a while to decide, but now I'm really not sure what to get. i was set with leucs and now the more i hear from ya'll, I'm starting to waiver.

terribilis sound bold and fun to watch.....even more so than leucs.....

I like the colors of the leucs better........ is one easier than the other to keep??

do all new comers go thru this torture...hahah, good torture i guess.


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## Carolina Vivariums (Oct 27, 2016)

AOA said:


> i have a while to decide, but now I'm really not sure what to get. i was set with leucs and now the more i hear from ya'll, I'm starting to waiver.
> 
> terribilis sound bold and fun to watch.....even more so than leucs.....
> 
> ...




Leucs are very easy to care for in my opinion never had terribilis


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Hey JD, 
I sent you a PM about fan options (not selling anything! I am more of a buyer...), by the way. Lots of options.

Terribs are always out, but mine don't do too much, especially my mints. Really, mine mainly just sit where I feed them and silently judge me. Leucs, though, always seem to be out and about exploring their enclosure. They are more fun to watch, in my opinion. Terribs can also be susceptible to foot issues sometimes associated with wet substrate. Since you have a huge water feature in there, it might be tough to keep their substrate dry. That's just my $0.02.

Mark



AOA said:


> i have a while to decide, but now I'm really not sure what to get. i was set with leucs and now the more i hear from ya'll, I'm starting to waiver.
> 
> terribilis sound bold and fun to watch.....even more so than leucs.....
> 
> ...


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Encyclia said:


> Hey JD,
> I sent you a PM about fan options (not selling anything! I am more of a buyer...), by the way. Lots of options.
> 
> Terribs are always out, but mine don't do too much, especially my mints. Really, mine mainly just sit where I feed them and silently judge me. Leucs, though, always seem to be out and about exploring their enclosure. They are more fun to watch, in my opinion. Terribs can also be susceptible to foot issues sometimes associated with wet substrate. Since you have a huge water feature in there, it might be tough to keep their substrate dry. That's just my $0.02.
> ...


pm replied....

thanks for all the help. I'm sticking with leucs...atleast 87.4 % sure for now.

i wish i could go back to the beginning of this build. it didn't start as a dart tank and now I'm trying to make the necessary changes. Im a hardscape guy and enjoy the artistic-building aspect of the viv hobby. just a bit worried that i don't have enough substrate for microfauna and such. I've since built in a few more small places for substrate and more surface area for frog space. even though the tank is large, the usable space isn't really that impressive. kind of a bummer really, but theres no turning back. i have over 80 hours in the build right now!!

haven't posted any pics lately cause I'm working on plumbing (boring). there are more coming soon! tank is drilled and detail work is almost done!
thanks again for all the support

Cheers
JD


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

This is a pretty awesome build. I would love to do something like this some day


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

What did you use to do the detail work on the roots and stuff.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Keni said:


> What did you use to do the detail work on the roots and stuff.


I described some of it above a little bit. the really fine detail is with small art brushes and a palate of shades made with dry lock and concrete coloring. The colors blend a lot like oil paints and can give a pretty cool look. The natural materials are coco husk, moss, kon tiki 3 mm natural gravel, and local agates from our continent's tallest active volcano! my favorite part!!

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

I have the tank drilled now and got the bulk heads installed. will test this weekend.

been thinking a lot about the tank lately after reading an awesome thread on newbies always wanting to do water features in dart tanks. Its a must read for anyone wanting to put a water feature in...even more experienced folks would benefit.

I have built a lot of moving water vivs and made every mistake in the book. I have never kept darts. In my younger years i kept all kinds of critters but in the past decade or so I have focused on the viv itself, living and growing with flora, not fauna. This takes out so many variables and worries which has made some really successful builds with nice water features. 

With this build I am starting to get concerned with having complicated features in a dart tank. The original design was for a few shrimp and rasboras, maybe a couple of wood frogs as a temporary observation and release. It wasn't until after i started that i decided that i wanted to give darts a try. The tank could just be "so cool" i thought. Newbie mistake waiting to happen right. I have to remember my 5 year old river tank and 4 year old newt tank are still running strong, but have very simple inhabitants like guppies.....not sensitive darts. Feel free to give advice or point out pitfalls you may see along the way!

My distilled water will be well filtered, clean, and maintained with WC every week (thankful for students needing extra credit). It will also be well monitored for all the possible issues (NH4, NO2, NO3, etc).....again thank you students. With the 25ish gals of water in there I'm hoping it won't be tempermental once we get it stabile.

I can siphon out my little water section now and again as organics build up but i don't want to cause unwanted stress on frogs. In my experience ALL water features add maintenance no matter what. Is that going to be a problem? AND how trashy are they...obviously not like a FBT or something (thank goodness). But maybe its more than i am anticipating?????

With that said, I have been building in some contingency plans for the tank that will allow me to scrap the drip walls, river, or pool if necessary. 

more to come soon, my fingers are crossed.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

making a few more changes soon. 
Update: Right side drip wall removed, ledges dug out for more frog space, expanded on some more ledgy areas to make them more cave like for breeding. They now will have a bunch of cool places to breed that offer privacy! Hopefully they'l like one of them. 

Almost there

JD


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

This thing looks great! I can't wait to see it planted. Keep the pics coming!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Keni said:


> This thing looks great! I can't wait to see it planted. Keep the pics coming!


thanks Keni. Im making some adjustments to the hardscape to give the frogs some more floor space with soil to encourage microfauna. I hope to make some real progress soon. controlling water is so hard with these things. I am super worried about soggy soil. I think i have it worked out but its impossible to know until she's up and running. 

I also started sanding the tank which is no small task, figured i better make a real effort to give this beast the viewing possible. thanks again

more to come
JD


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## stepheneashia (Feb 3, 2017)

This tank will look great planted.


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## Dcairelli (Feb 13, 2017)

Looks awesome!


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

Any pic updates yet? 😊


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## VPardoel (Apr 2, 2010)

Awesome tank!

I'm sure a group of leucs would love it in there


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Keni said:


> Any pic updates yet? 😊


AHHH its driving me crazy! I just can't seem to get to the tank at all this week! Too busy. hope to get something done this weekend!

thanks for the shout Keni, Im on it


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

VPardoel said:


> Awesome tank!
> 
> I'm sure a group of leucs would love it in there


Thank you, Im chompin at the bit to get the darn thing back into the tank, almost done with the sanding! 

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

fans cut in and mounted. i think i am going to run the wires along the top of the side panel and then out the top. does that sounds right?? Thinking about tapping in a few small vent holes above the fan. a good idea?

I once used an air gap in one of my builds between the false bottom and my substrate. I think it helped with keeping my soil fresh and safe from an occasional over watering. Hope it helps keep my clay and soil mix from getting soggy. I put them on all soil sections that are within range of the false bottom. now all substrate layers will be suspended .5 inch above the false bottom layer on lower level pots. maximum drainage was my thought. who knows, maybe just a waste of an hour. can't hurt I guess.

Ive been acclimating my ficus trees to a humid environment and just lost one due to root rot. kicking myself...rookie move. It just came on so fast. took them all out of the store's soil and went with a straight inorganic bonsai mix for higher humidity environments. Had to trim a bunch of black roots from the other two trees that shared the pot with the one I lost. They are not looking great. Hoping for the best on that end. three still seem in decent shape. I'll post pics and see if anyone has some advice.

Added two small pots for riparian plants. Both dip down into the water below the false bottom. i think ill go with crypt.lutea on those.

Water filtration battle:
I built another small screen section in the back corner of the pool. Will now have two places for the eheim to push water in. The filters won't be sucking water out of the pool. its isolated except for the small windows of screen in front of the canister outlets. Its the only x factor with filtration.
I want good movement of the 30 gallons underneath the false bottom. Should help keep the water well filtered and give bacteria a good chance of colonizing the sump foam lining the tank. each of the two canisters are rated for close to 80 gal or something like that. I also have a jet pushing water along the back length of the tank to maximize circulation. 
runoff and erosion should be minimal. All potted sections have good lips to keep soil in and leaf litter should help too. as long as the darts do not track a lot of organics into the river and pond, i might be good to go???

more to come...maybe steal some time tomorrow to finish some things.....

Cheers
JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

some pics.

some ficus not looking good, some looking ok
fans almost ready for detailing
all trimming and reshaping dry locked
old river pauldarium successfully turned into terrarium. Sad in a way but the evolution is on its way and i just didn't want three water features running at once.

lotta work for only a few updates....till next time
Cheers
JD


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## deeloc (Jan 21, 2017)

kind of normal for ficus to drop their leaves when you move them indoors when they were grown outdoors.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

deeloc said:


> kind of normal for ficus to drop their leaves when you move them indoors when they were grown outdoors.


thats for sure. they were grown indoors and i have had them for over 2 months. I assumed the soil was really well-drained and it just wasn't. The soil was packed in so tight onto their roots that they rotted out. I should have known better.....hope i don't lose any more.


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## Sigis (Feb 8, 2015)

AOA said:


> been thinking a lot about the tank lately after reading an awesome thread on newbies always wanting to do water features in dart tanks. Its a must read for anyone wanting to put a water feature in...even more experienced folks would benefit.


Hi, awesome tank! Will be following this thread. Could you share the link to the thread you mentioned? Gonna be moving in to a new apartment in 6 months, so I'll be building a paдudarium myself. Iэve been lurking this forum for a couple of years now, but any useful info is always great!


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## DVent (Oct 15, 2009)

Awesome tank build! Can't wait to see it finished and again after it has had some time to grow in!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

thanks sigis and dvent! I can't seem to find that thread, i looked for it. Something like "whats with newbies and water features?"

at any rate, I'm frustrated as i can't seem to find the time to get working on the tank!! hopefully more to come

JD


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Sigis said:


> Hi, awesome tank! Will be following this thread. Could you share the link to the thread you mentioned? Gonna be moving in to a new apartment in 6 months, so I'll be building a paдudarium myself. Iэve been lurking this forum for a couple of years now, but any useful info is always great!


Here ya go, sigis.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/general-discussion/288609-whats-water-features.html


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

thanks mark.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

finished some detailing and picked my wood from an old planted 120


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## deeloc (Jan 21, 2017)

coming along nice!


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## stevel (Oct 17, 2015)

WOW! What an undertaking. Great job! Can't wait to see the finished product.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

stevel said:


> WOW! What an undertaking. Great job! Can't wait to see the finished product.





deeloc said:


> coming along nice!


thanks guys, I'm super excited to get it finished, just gotta get the acrylic viewable.........such an annoying chore......


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Update:
Finished the acrylic. Did not turn out awesome but much better than it was. My arms are pooped. Hope the lighting will be good enough. The LED fixture in front was not as bright as i was hoping. I am going to bring the 4 x 54 watt T-5 fixture a little further forward, might help. The night lights might look cool with he running river......
Starting to put some pieces in to see how its going to look. I fit the left side together for right now. I have to wait for a new bulkhead for the right side to come in. I broke one while fitting it in. Must have had a stress fracture or something. other 3 seem to be mission ready.
Note to self: should have bought more sump foam. I lined the outflow channels from the pumps to encourage bacteria growth but am going to run out before achieving the original goal.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Field tested the fan on the left side and am almost done detailing it out. Doesn't seem to have the flow i thought it would....supposed to have 30 cfm. Hope the 2 are enough to keep the front glass clear.
Cover for the hardware chamber fit perfectly and very snug.
Starting to look hard at my cover issue. Planning on getting some acrylic pieces but the middle is bowed down a bit. Any suggestions?


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

the big cave. wish i had a camera....


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

Installing a Webcam in there would be awesome...


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Keni said:


> Installing a Webcam in there would be awesome...


LOL, would be awesome eh.


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## T1NY (Nov 4, 2015)

AOA said:


> the base of the hardscape is pink foam and the rest is great stuff. both are super easy to work with.
> 
> I cover all my scapes with drylock waterproofing. It is awesome and super easy to work with. my newt tank paludarium has been submerged for years and still looks great. it out gases over night, doesn't jack up your water chemistry for weeks like concrete, and is a breeze to color. any concrete coloring will work and it has a white base for easy mixing and dry brushing. 2-3 layers is enough. Down side is its a bit pricey in comparison. Once you have the basic color scheme your looking for, let it dry for at least a few hours and then dry brush it to give it that weathered look. Super easy: dip your brush in the white dry lock and then brush it off onto a little piece of cardboard. It should look like there is none left on the brush. then lightly brush over the whole tank. each little bump will grab some of the white and give it that old look. voila
> 
> ...



Wow! Can't wait for updates on your tank..I was planning on building a 80 gal Paludarium and was planning on just egg crates...but I saw your post and loved the pink foam. I was wondering if I can get more information on the pink foam and drylock...like where you got them/price/brand and if they are safe for dart frogs or croc skinks...I have a 20 gal viv and want to upgrade to a bigger tank...just seeing what you did with the foam is so amazing...looks easier to shape and build a lot of levels...keep up the good work and update as much as possible please


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Thanks a bunch! The foam is super fun to shape and plan out for your ecosystem. It becomes the focal point of the tank. The more planning and drawing out, the better. And then once you get it going, it just evolves!! Heavily planted tanks just cover up all your work so figure out which one is more important to you and the critters. I think if your going to do darts, pick the species and then build it perfectly to suit them. Mine didn't start off as a DF build and I really had to do a fair amount of extra work because of it.

I am not an expert on polystyrene as far as safety for critters. there is some debate. I belong to the camp that thinks it will not leech a significant amount of styrene once it has polymerized (under normal vivarium use). However, I have not kept or bred darts. I will let you all know if i appear to have a problem. there are many great threads with guys a lot smarter than me on the subject. Do some searching and you'll figure out whats best for you.

The large hardscape with foam has its appeal and up side but also a list of issues. I would say that overall, my plant growth is best when i do not have so much foam in the tank. Large tracks of well made and properly drained soil is tough to beat once you throw some good wattage at the plants. The expansive hardscape requires good planning for plant placement and such. Once its built into the tank its permanent for the most part.

Up side for me is the water feature options and creativity you can have. I like the art aspect of the build so it fits me. Water control / manipulation has been more successful for me when I do large hardscapes, but there are a lot of great builders on here that manage success a lot of other ways. All water features add a level of commitment and maintenance IMO. 

My options for buying are limited being in rural AK, cant help much there. I have only 1 home depot as a local option for supplies. 

I use a serrated steak knife and hacksaw blade for most all carving, they work best for me.

Start a build thread when you get up and running!! good luck

JD


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## T1NY (Nov 4, 2015)

Hey thanks a lot AOA..yeah i plan on making a tread for my next build..I have built 3 vivs so far and am happy with the results but i haven't really felt like they are "amazing" which is why I haven't posted any pics..plus when I am building my vivariums i get too excited on the next step and forget to take pictures lol

I come from an aquascape background but the semi weekly water changes has gotten frustrated and the easy maintenance of the vivariums so far had made my life so much easier (a little too easy that i get so lazy and my plants overgrow) 

I guess the real issues im having is air flow and plants...i really need to figure them out before my next build

But thank you for all the info and good luck with your build


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

T1NY said:


> Hey thanks a lot AOA..yeah i plan on making a tread for my next build..I have built 3 vivs so far and am happy with the results but i haven't really felt like they are "amazing" which is why I haven't posted any pics..plus when I am building my vivariums i get too excited on the next step and forget to take pictures lol
> 
> I come from an aquascape background but the semi weekly water changes has gotten frustrated and the easy maintenance of the vivariums so far had made my life so much easier (a little too easy that i get so lazy and my plants overgrow)
> 
> ...



aquascaping is great but a lot of work. I have no planted tanks any more for the same reason. I do love them though.....such a cool hobby. Vivs are great for so many reasons and I'm sure you will be making some pretty sweet tanks right soon! keep us all posted!!

JF


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

i finally got the new bulk head in (AK takes forever with shipping). no leaks and can now move forward. Plumbing was tricky and took a lot of time to figure out. I made just barely enough room to maneuver all pumps and outflow jets. I think i have it planned out enough so went ahead and added all 17 pieces. No turning back now, its foamed in! 
This is the slowest build ever, but I'll post some pics tomorrow. Should be able to run water down the river and dripwalls in a few days. heres a couple of pics that were inspiring during the build. None of them are biotope im sure, just a really beautiful niche i think.

cheers,
JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

few more junctions to hide and some foam to cover up but im getting there!

You can really see the rivers elevation change from the long angle pic. kind of a cool view. I hope they like to climb! its like a jungle gym in there.........

wow ,sorry for the crappy iphone pics ....they dont look nearly that blurry on my mac book....


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## T1NY (Nov 4, 2015)

AOA said:


> few more junctions to hide and some foam to cover up but im getting there!
> 
> You can really see the rivers elevation change from the long angle pic. kind of a cool view. I hope they like to climb! its like a jungle gym in there.........
> 
> wow ,sorry for the crappy iphone pics ....they dont look nearly that blurry on my mac book....


holy moly! you are an amazing creature! wow..cant wait to see the finished product! have you tested your waterfall..does it flow just like you want? I had a couple leaks on mine and had to keep adding silicone until it stopped leaking


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

T1NY said:


> holy moly! you are an amazing creature! wow..cant wait to see the finished product! have you tested your waterfall..does it flow just like you want? I had a couple leaks on mine and had to keep adding silicone until it stopped leaking


lol, thanks so much. im chomping at the bit to get it done!! 

i have not run water thru the river or the drip wall yet. i have only a few places where i dont want water to flow and they can be managed if theres a leak. I left most of the river open so i can move rocks around while its running. Once i have the flow shaped and splashes accounted for, I'll dry it out and silicone everything in. rivers can be tricky to build and i have never done one this long before. Im going to down size my pump a bit and keep it more of a decent trickle. the little dropoffs along the way should move it along to the end. we'll find out shortly!

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

well i filled her up and gave the river plus dripwalls a field test. All in all I give it a 7.5! Only one leak which is a bummer but i think i can manage it. River flow took three differnet pumps before finding a match and i think i like it. only one spot towards the top (first waterfall) that the water might be dangerous for a wandering leuc. The delta of the river turned out exactly the way i planned, water followed the perfect three paths and trickles down into the side of the pond. not a single splash. I hope the frogs will use that area despite the gentle flow. I dont want to cut down on usable area with the water feature. You can see from the side view how much space i have already used up.

The little holding pond up top (below the dripwall) worked well, gave the river an extra boost and water trickles over the ledge and into the rivers main flow. I was thinking about growing some emersed HC or DHG or something. maybe just some sheet moss would take, i have a chunk of cork bark that fits in there and would keep the moss above the water level. Any suggestions?? Not sure wht to do with that spot. Its going to get blasted with light as its only inches from the top.

I had some splash from the dripwall with the wood pieces. Water really accelerates down the branch on the right and will be problematic. Should be an easy fix once things dry out.

Im getting excited now! water test number 1 is most nerve racking!!

cheers
JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

The front of the tank will have substrate in it once i get the water flushed out several times. The dividers in the pond section should allow a good fence to build up the substrate and get a nice contour. Max depth will be only 4 inches, most of it around 2.5 or so. 
I managed a little flow from under the beach section (right side of pond) buy hooking up a spray bar under the false bottom and facing it towards the screen. Would it be better if I turned the flow around and "pulled" water out of the pond area back in towards the canister intakes? Wondering if that would be a better plan. River brings in new water and the spray bar pulls it out?? I want to circulate the water as good as possible for filtration. Gratitude for your thoughts.

JD


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## deeloc (Jan 21, 2017)

Oh wow, that's awesome! I would push the water towards the canister intakes. However you may get detritus build up in inaccessible areas; I had an aquarium that was fully sustaining itself, everytime I went to clean it the plants were utilizing the fish poo and the sponge portion of the filter was clean as could be.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

deeloc said:


> Oh wow, that's awesome! I would push the water towards the canister intakes. However you may get detritus build up in inaccessible areas; I had an aquarium that was fully sustaining itself, everytime I went to clean it the plants were utilizing the fish poo and the sponge portion of the filter was clean as could be.


thanks....i love it when aquariums turn out like that....I have a small pauld thats like that....never touch it hardly at all and its the best of all I am running! I sure hope this one will turn out the same. the water section you can see is completely closed off from the water under the false bottom. I built in several small areas screened off to allow for some water exchange. I am hoping to have little to no detritus under the false bottom. I plan on siphoning out the nasties as needed from the pond. thanks for your take on it!!!

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

2 hour test after fixing leak: all plant areas dry as a bone and the leak on the ledge gone! I am super jacked.....

The water is controlled and even better than i thought. We'll see after the 24 hour test and then the week one test. Im trying not to be in a big hurry to plant it until i know exactly what that water is going to do. The flow seems about perfect except on the first waterfall....i keep imagining a dart frog getting grabbed by that current and bounced down the 4 inch drop, then tumbled over and over until he gets to the edge. IDK. He wouldn't travel but 8inches before the current shallows out and calms down. He wouldn't try that route twice i guess. 

The big cave stayed dry with the water level i plan on sticking with. And its seemed to drain decently well when i filled it up above the false bottom on purpose. The drip wall log should saturate and work well for some moss and the bottom of it drains really well. The flow peaters out before traveling all the way to the front. 

Not a single splash anywhere in the entire tank after 2 hours. Can hardly believe it. Super jacked....cant wait to get a plant order together!!
I had to stick something green in there just to see.....
JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

slow motion progress on the tank even though things had been running smooth. I set up my light fixtures today and my fear was realized.....the T5 lights may be too hot for the tank. I will have more data soon but I'm almost positive that my temps will be above 80 once they are all running. 

So I have been using my less than expert google-fu to search for some cooler LED options for the tank. I do have one 48" LED fixture that just didn't seem to be bright enough for the tank. I need to figure out lighting and need your help. The 48 incher will be ok for the back part of the tank I guess but i will need more light for the front section of the tank. I found a 6 foot fixture but it has a bunch of actinic bulbs in it as well......am at a loss. I could buy 2 36" fixture and that would span the length of the tank. any thoughts would be great!!

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

despite the questions I have about lighting and temperature, I decided to plant the tank since my plants came in from JF's. I have played with different light fixtures and the distance above the tank in order to get the proper temp. more to come on that situation although I think i can keep the tank around 78 at the hottest up near the top of the tank . few more tests and we'll see.

heres some progress pics

theres one more 30 inch t5 fixture not pictured on the right side of the tank


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

That looks crazy awesome man!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Keni said:


> That looks crazy awesome man!


thanks Keni, i can hardly wait for it to grow!!! hows ur tank going??.

JD


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## chillplants (Jul 14, 2008)

The pictures of the tank look incredible. My T5's keep my 5 ft tank pretty warm all the time. I have decided to get LED's, just saving some money while I look around.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

chillplants said:


> The pictures of the tank look incredible. My T5's keep my 5 ft tank pretty warm all the time. I have decided to get LED's, just saving some money while I look around.


thank you....theyre a bit warm as i forgot to shut off the sunset LEDS. I like the cool white look a lot better...... Keep us posted....would love to see another long tank build! this is now my longest thread ever, even old planted builds and paulds never took this much. folks must be bored with this one by now..lol

thanks for all the help, I really want to get this one right.....I'll keep ya posted


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

I came into the lab this morning and the entire tank was a thick giant cloud! This was the first time I had left both tops on over night. Holy humidity batman! I haven't even set up my sprayers yet! To my dismay I turned on one of my fans thinking it would start to work and it didn't even touch the condensation. Impenetrable fog. The lights kicked on and I lifted the tops a couple of times to fidget in the tank. the condensation dissipated and I could view most of the tank. Was quite disappointed in the inability of the fan to clear the front glass.

Modifications: I drilled a few more holes behind the fan hoping it can now draw more fresh, dry air from the room.

Angled the fan more directly onto the front pane.

Fixed my controller to get a bit more rpms from the fan...i had it upside down and was twisting the wrong stupid knob....what an idiot

I wired in the second fan for another test tomorrow in hopes that i can get clear viewing.

If this doesn't work.........more fans right??? Should have known that temp and humidity was gonna be the toughest part of dialing this beast in. Damn newbie dart frog vivs!!!
thanks for your continued support

frustrated neophyte JD


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

It is doing quite well right now. Some of the moss in the background has died off but it is starting to grow back now. I'll tank another pic later when I get home.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

OH momma thats sexy! love that from, I'm drooling bro!

JD


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## doclizard (May 6, 2012)

Awesome progress, subscribed!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

doclizard said:


> Awesome progress, subscribed!


thanks! I am filled with anxiety as my plants begin to melt and show signs of stress. Damn ficus are so touchy. Some are dropping leaves like crazy once again and Im not sure what to do. I am trying to be patient but only a couple of weeks have gone by and its killing me. I added some moss from JFs and am skeptical that it will work. I suck at growing moss. I was planning on having more PAR to throw at them but the elevated tank temps has caused me to raise my lights higher than expected. I think i am going to have to accelerate the plans for the LED DIY build!! Thanks for subscribing and keep me posted on thoughts to help make things work better!

does that tropical sheet moss stuff everyone seems to have great luck with need a substrate? I know it will grow on logs and such but i want it to grow on my dry locked foam......wishful thinking or possibility?? suggestions welcomed

Being new to dart tanks has a way of making a 15 year veteran of temperate builds and planted tanks feel like an idiot...super high humidity is proving tricky.... thankful for DB

JD


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## chillplants (Jul 14, 2008)

I have a hard time growing anything like ficus or even moss with my T5s, probably due to the extra heat. Moss grew ok on a log, but nothing else and vines are near impossible. My LED tank on the other hand is a moss wonderland and vines have no problem either. I have to trim it at least once a month.


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## Luckyfroggie (Apr 4, 2017)

Amazing build and great thread to read though. Subscribing to see the finish!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

chillplants said:


> I have a hard time growing anything like ficus or even moss with my T5s, probably due to the extra heat. Moss grew ok on a log, but nothing else and vines are near impossible. My LED tank on the other hand is a moss wonderland and vines have no problem either. I have to trim it at least once a month.





Luckyfroggie said:


> Amazing build and great thread to read though. Subscribing to see the finish!


interesting.......sounds like more reasons to do the DIY LED fixture!! Still can't find the right 6500K rope lights...i don't think they even make them. Will have to go with the 5-10W individual ones i guess. My t5's are way above the tank now and not even above the ferns or ficus.....the LED is above them.... but they are only .5 W LEDs and not very bright. The lighting is a train wreck right now.

thanks for reading through and giving your thoughts! more to come

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

built a little beach-side cave that looks pretty damn inviting if i do say so myself. and I think the large cave entrance looks better with all the leaf litter. They have so many places to hide now that i think they'll feel very comfortable in the tank. Have decided to go with 4 leucomelas for sure to start with and maybe add more as i get more comfortable. Isos show up tomorrow! Springtails are in 2 cultures, 1 is booming and the other is not. no visible mites or anything, maybe just less adults from that JF container?? I see like 3 or 4 when i open that one up and i see dozens in the one that is obviously thriving better.

more to come


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## bssknox (Apr 24, 2017)

Looks amazing! Can't wait to see the finished product and the frogs in their new home!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

bssknox said:


> Looks amazing! Can't wait to see the finished product and the frogs in their new home!


thanks!! I have added a few plants and some moss but things are going slow. the ficus trees are adapting albeit very slow. If you look at them wrong, they drop 5 leaves...... only one is showing any really strong new growth. I need to address my lighting issues and get some more PAR. I added a couple of new fans to get some better air flow as there is some mold growing on the wood. Sure thats somewhat normal from what I've read....hope it goes away. I will post some pics soon.

Hope this baby is dialed in before September which is when i plan on getting the frogs.

cheers
JD


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## comas60634 (Aug 20, 2015)

Incredible project, lots of details ., very interesting to see the progress. Good luck. Looking forward to see the finish results.


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## Grimsrude (Apr 6, 2017)

AOA said:


> thanks!! I have added a few plants and some moss but things are going slow. the ficus trees are adapting albeit very slow. If you look at them wrong, they drop 5 leaves...... only one is showing any really strong new growth. I need to address my lighting issues and get some more PAR. I added a couple of new fans to get some better air flow as there is some mold growing on the wood. Sure thats somewhat normal from what I've read....hope it goes away. I will post some pics soon.
> 
> Hope this baby is dialed in before September which is when i plan on getting the frogs.
> 
> ...


September :0 - should give you plenty of time for some good grow in. Just wanted to chime in and say it looks amazing so far. Lots of cool concepts and ideas going on here. Definitely going to try some of them in my next build, that's for sure! Need to find a good rimless 100g+ tank first though ... 

I haven't read post for post here, but do you have microfauna in it yet? Would certainly help with the mold problem, and could help getting some of the pickier plants to grow in. I've always hated how slow most mosses grow - usually the limiting factor in my vivs/terrariums.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Grimsrude said:


> September :0 - should give you plenty of time for some good grow in. Just wanted to chime in and say it looks amazing so far. Lots of cool concepts and ideas going on here. Definitely going to try some of them in my next build, that's for sure! Need to find a good rimless 100g+ tank first though ...
> 
> I haven't read post for post here, but do you have microfauna in it yet? Would certainly help with the mold problem, and could help getting some of the pickier plants to grow in. I've always hated how slow most mosses grow - usually the limiting factor in my vivs/terrariums.


thanks, I am really happy thus far and hope it grows in the way i see it in my mind!! the tank is running well for the most part. the river and drip walls are running flawlessly with no leaks and no wicking into unwanted areas. The 2 Eheims are keeping the water looking good except for some foamy bubbles still in the pond area. I added all the bio filtration now and hope to have good bacteria in the coming weeks. Plants are growing SLOWLY but budding and showing signs of new life. I HAVE to get better lights and Im working on that as we speak. That should speed up some things. I will also seed the tank this week with microfauna. my springtails are just not booming like I thought they would. Im 4 weeks in and there are some new babies but not like what i see online. trying to be patient......not easy. thanks again, I'll keep hoping for the mosses..

JD


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## Hercrabit (Oct 6, 2016)

About those springtails - I had the same problem until I started putting a fairly good sized slice of a fresh mushroom in their container. I was feeding brewers yeast and they were doing just okay, but the mushroom seems to jump start them. They can eat that slice in 2 days - completely gone!


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## steadyroller (May 17, 2015)

Great progress indeed. Love it.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Hercrabit said:


> About those springtails - I had the same problem until I started putting a fairly good sized slice of a fresh mushroom in their container. I was feeding brewers yeast and they were doing just okay, but the mushroom seems to jump start them. They can eat that slice in 2 days - completely gone!


holy cow, ur right. I just did that and the slices are gone! Hungry suckers. I seeded the tank a bit and I see a bunch in there but super tiny. Also some mites mixed in. Spotted some translucent worms in a brom about a week ago and had a quick look in the microscope. Should've took a picture but i figured i'd see many more.....not the case as of yet. Probably grindle or white worms. I'll keep my eyes peeled and make sure to get some shots with the stereoscope. 

Thanks!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

I have a leak all of a sudden after having a tough time with a tippy bromeliad. I got aggressive with the toothpicks and wires......must've opened up a tiny channel for water to leak in from the river. Not cool at all. I dried it out best I could and then siliconed the places it was likely leaking from. Sure enough there was a drip coming straight through. I am so bummed as things seemed to be going well. Hoping it will get sealed up and things will all work out.

Condensation issue is gone and I have humidity gradient from 67% (upper left quadrant) to 87% (upper right quadrant). Still havent drilled the misting system in yet so I'm sure I'll have to get things worked out soon once again. *Not sure of a misting schedule* as I have the river with drip walls that add a lot of humidity already.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Tamed the leak down to just an invisible seep. Water got in-between the sheets of poly and is seeping into the planted section above the cave. I drilled a nice hole for drainage and watched it the whole day. One drop of seepage every 40 seconds or so lands in the false bottom underneath the entrance of the big cave. Actually looks nice. Am hoping things stay as they are now and don't take a turn for the worse. I should have never been so careless when ramming holes into the bank of that damn river! I was frustarted and in a hurry......dumb move.

Moving on. I finally got to add some finishing touches to the right side after adding some structure underneath the ledge. I also added some real-estate at the beach with some more cork. Lastly, I added a pot to the cliff on the right side. I am hoping someday to see a bold, male Leuc using it as a calling platform. the goal was to have a draping wall of baby tears growing out of it and trailing down across the roots.....we'll see, it might bounce back and take root and do it!

The scraggly ficus is making a comeback and the pulmilla is starting to do well and branch out.

Cheers
JD


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## chillplants (Jul 14, 2008)

I am so impressed every time I look at these pictures. Hopefully you get the leak fixed or at least under control. I would hate to see all this hard work torn apart.


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

things are now back under control and moving forward!!

thanks Chillplants!!

JD


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## ATA86 (Feb 11, 2017)

I knew this would look great just from the hardscape, but it really is stunning with the plants in. Good effort!


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

ATA86 said:


> I knew this would look great just from the hardscape, but it really is stunning with the plants in. Good effort!


thanks a lot. I worked so hard on that scape. its been really fun to detail it out and get it planted. Im trying not to cover up all my hard work and hoping the plants will fill in nicely and not require to much pruning. 

I'll snap some new pics of the tank in the next few days. I moved some things around and add some detail.

Cheers

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

finally finished planting for the most part......hope it all continues to grow in. Having a little trouble with the dwarf amazonica.........browning and yellowing a bit on the edges and lost some leaves....have read that it can be picky.

curious to see which plants make it and which do not. 

water section starting to show first signs of algae but not bad. So far Ive been keeping up with the water changes each week. Gonna fertilize with fish mulm this week and then let it ride!!!

let me know what you think....not afraid of criticism!!

Cheers

JD


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Looking good, JD!

Since you are using an inert substrate for the plants, you might need to supplement beyond the water column. You might try some root tablets at the base of some of the plants. You might also keep an eye on how much light that section is getting. You are pumping quite a bit of light in there and aren't supplementing with CO2 or fertilizing the water column regularly, are you? That might result in some difficulties with algae, eventually. Time will tell 

The tank as a whole is looking impressive, though!

Mark


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

Encyclia said:


> Looking good, JD!
> 
> Since you are using an inert substrate for the plants, you might need to supplement beyond the water column. You might try some root tablets at the base of some of the plants. You might also keep an eye on how much light that section is getting. You are pumping quite a bit of light in there and aren't supplementing with CO2 or fertilizing the water column regularly, are you? That might result in some difficulties with algae, eventually. Time will tell
> 
> ...


thanks mark,
i did place some small chunks of flourish root tabs under the crypts. I started off with an eco complete substrate but i thought it made it look too dark. I wasn't planning on going with liquid or dry ferts in the water column, ,but I can if necessary. I was hoping that the emergent growth would have no need for CO2. we'll see about the c. parva down below, I never have been able to make that plant grow into a carpet without CO2. once the aquatic plants take a good hold they should out compete the algae. at least thats the plan right? haha time will tell on this one. never put so much time into a viv before trying to get it all right.......now I'm getting excited for the leucs! keep me posted.

JD


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

I really wanted some red in the tank and didn't research enough to find out how tough it is to get some broms to stay red. Any suggestions for a small red plant that might replace those less than vibrant fireballs??


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## baskis (Jun 7, 2015)

AOA said:


> I really wanted some red in the tank and didn't research enough to find out how tough it is to get some broms to stay red. Any suggestions for a small red plant that might replace those less than vibrant fireballs??


Try neoreglia red waif. It's stayed a very pretty dark red for me


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

well, here is some growth after the summer growth. lotta ups and downs with this build. I started a new thread on members section since this was getting so long. hope you guys continue to follow this build over there....

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/328609-150-gal-mission-ready.html 

cheers,

JD


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