# in situ alto build



## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

just got my alto in and got lots of ideas still waiting for my ghostwood shipment to visualize my build more planning on a drip wall for the back with a epiweb/hygroglon wall. this viv will be in the corner of the living room and plan on doing my plants that appreciate drying out more on the ghostwood and the drylock right hand side. open to feedback this will be my third build and plan on going all out😁


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## Patterhorn (Oct 4, 2019)

What are you planning for your drainage layer and where did you find an epi web piece for your back ground ? I can't find a source for epi web online.


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

Patterhorn said:


> What are you planning for your drainage layer and where did you find an epi web piece for your back ground ? I can't find a source for epi web online.


glassbox tropicals is where I got my epiweb and idk if you seen the in situ viva the have their drainage built in. there is just a small area in font where there will be water and im just gonna fill the front part with some leca or something


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## Patterhorn (Oct 4, 2019)

*I recently bought an isitu as well .The shorter one .I could have sworn glass box was out of stock on panels I have one for the base. I was on the fence about what I was going to do for a background .







*


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## jibby (Dec 17, 2020)

Are you planning on adding frogs? I've been considering selling my aquarium and buying an alto. I'm unsure if any dart frogs would make good use of the vertical space. I know that glass frogs or tree frogs definitely would.


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

jibby said:


> Are you planning on adding frogs? I've been considering selling my aquarium and buying an alto. I'm unsure if any dart frogs would make good use of the vertical space. I know that glass frogs or tree frogs definitely would.


Every Dart Frog species I own I've seen up at the very top of their enclosures. My _Ranitomeya imitator_ are often at the top of their 36" tall tank.


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

jibby said:


> Are you planning on adding frogs? I've been considering selling my aquarium and buying an alto. I'm unsure if any dart frogs would make good use of the vertical space. I know that glass frogs or tree frogs definitely would.


yes I'm moving my ranitomeya variabilis southern into it. I have a 18x18x24 their viv was fine and doing great but I've gotten a better job/place and wanted to do an all out display build for the living room


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## Fahad (Aug 25, 2019)

jibby said:


> Are you planning on adding frogs? I've been considering selling my aquarium and buying an alto. I'm *unsure if any dart frogs would make good use of the vertical space*. I know that glass frogs or tree frogs definitely would.


Tinctorius, terribilis, and leucomelas -- all so-called 'terrestrial' species -- casually climb that as part of their daily routine. 36" high is just scrambling over a small fallen tree or some rocks. It's not high.


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

it has begun!! 😁. they will be an epiweb with hyrolglon panel in the missing space and also the ghost wood I have to work with here on the bottom is sourced from glassbox tropicals. really happy with the piece I got from them and on top is from neherp


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

there will epiweb on the back over that foam as well just needed to creat a bump for the drip wall tube since the is about a 3/4 inch from it to the wall


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

wood layed in need to carve, put the bottom panel of epiweb paint the drylok the glue the hygroglon down


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## Leoito (Mar 4, 2021)

I enjoy seeing others taking advantage of tape when foaming pieces into place; it's certainly not the most stable way of handling things, but it is has also worked for me . I'm interested to see how plants take advantage of the epiweb vs. hygrolon since they fill similar roles in slightly different ways.


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

drylok applied 😁 once that is dry I will silicone some more epiweb in on the top to hide the tubes and bottom then glue in the hygroglon then I'm ready to plant


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## jibby (Dec 17, 2020)

I’m curious about the drip wall. Where did you install a pump? Is it external to the terrarium? I’d assume you have a reservoir and sump underneath your stand.

Will it be on a timer? I know the In Situ’s have the sloped drainage bottom, but I’m wondering if it would be bad to have your substrate constantly moist if it was always running.

Its looking great so far, and the wood placement is fantastic! I’m really close to selling my aquarium and building a second terrarium now ha.


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

there is an a external pump on the bottom of the tank. since the bottom humps it should allow the water to run straight down to my very thin layer of epiweb for drainage this should allow the water to make it's way quickly back to the pump I do plan on a slower drip as well. I'm not to worries about my soil getting to wet if it does I'll just add some leca up against the wall so it can flow straight down and for my plants that will go in my soil I picked out a few that don't mind wetter conditions to account for any splashage


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

and this will do it for the night got the stand I picked out put together finally after sitting on the floor for in it's package for a week all the epiweb is siliconed in and just need put the hygroglon in and should have a BIG plant order coming in a few days


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

late night update. I had a feeling that something had to go wrong things seemed they were going to easy 😅 .I was rinsing the Dry lok down and everything was perfect and water was running clear. started planting some of my ferns and my vining plants I notice a spot in the Dry lok that looked wet turns out it found its self a pocket behind the foam and pooled and wouldnt dry. after trying to stick paper towel pieces with a tweezer to dry it up some for a couple hours to no avail decided to just rip that section of foam off and silicon some abg to that spot so that's where I'm at as of tonight I will put a picture of what I planted so far and the repair job but I have lots of orchids ready to be planted for tomorrow.


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

orchids now planted I have broms I need to transplant from my other tank and I have an order from frog day coming with magravia, mosses , and a more space taking terrestrial 
here are my pictures of each plant


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## Leoito (Mar 4, 2021)

Oooooh this going to look cool grown-in with orchids⁠—where/what stores did you pick up your plants from?


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## Slatery0 (Feb 27, 2017)

Leoito said:


> Oooooh this going to look cool grown-in with orchids⁠—where/what stores did you pick up your plants from?


all from glassbox tropicals so far have a smaller order from frog daddy coming in tomorow


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## cjwhitsett (Mar 7, 2020)

Any updates? I’ve enjoyed following this build.


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