# First vivarium with waterfall



## Giojo (Sep 17, 2013)

Hi people.. I've been keeping for years salt water tanks with spa corals and got tons of satisfactions in that world but then I've stumbled across vivarium and decided to try them out..
The tank is quite small, but it will probably host only plants or at most a couple of vampire crabs.
The dimension are 50x40x30 cm and I've built already some stuff in it..
I designed it to have a small pond on the back wall which will be give raise to two small streams, one with waterfall, the other more silent and hidden.
Everything worked out great till when I started to fill it in.. The drainage layer is done with eggcrate filled in with leca, this structure is cover with some sort of mesh, quite thin and in the front there should be the small water section.
I've filled it with some acquirium gravel and here the problems begin... When I started the pump, it will run for a while but after a while it will start working dry as if water doesn't pass through the sand or the mesh. Below a picture..
So my question is, how should I fill the water section? How should I avoid ground to enter the water?

Any other comments will be very appreciated!
Thanks










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## Giojo (Sep 17, 2013)

No body can reale Help me out? Is the mesh to fine? Should I use goarser gravel?
How do people usually do when using eggcrate.. How far down do they place the mesh or how do they avoid the gravel from going underneath the eggcrate? Thanks in advance 


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## s0082 (Jun 22, 2014)

I have had similar issues in past... I have even zip tied screen mesh around my pump base before.... Like a piece of candy


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## jturner (Nov 26, 2014)

I like the design of the streams. I use egg crate false bottoms for nearly all of my vivs. I could be wrong but what it sounds like is that the pump is pulling in water at a faster rate than the water can flow to the intake. If this is the case there are a few solutions. I am not sure if I understood correctly but did you fill beneath the egg crate with a layer of leca? If you did then I would remove the leca or at least clear a path between the pond and the pump intake. If the mesh is the problem, and this is pretty easy to see if the water level is significantly higher in the pond, then you should use something that isn't as fine for the water section and not drape the fine mesh into the pond. If the flow on the pump is adjustable you can also turn it down or you can increase the water level in the tank. The pump could also be clogged but it doesn't look like you have any soil or other material that would clog it. I made all these suggestions based on assumptions of what the actual problem is so ideally you should observe a little more so you can figure out the route of the problem and then it would be easier to help.


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## Giojo (Sep 17, 2013)

Thanks to both.. Jturner you were right on some points.. The mesh was too fine and also the water section soil was too fine and so water wasn't flowing fast enough to the pump...
I'll be redoing the lower stream because it is in some way too short and water was splashing around, I'll also change the mesh for a less fine one but give it a try to keep leca below the eggcrate.
I've done so in order to have more bacterial surface for the water section and also to have less water in it if I ever have to move it. 
More pics will come as soon as I get something done 


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## in2Diy (Dec 15, 2014)

Not sure if you're still looking for a solution but placing pond filter pad under the false floor. Helps filter the water as well as keep particulates out, they make the pads in large sheets so you can cut one solid piece. Forget who sells the best but use a muffin or coarse pad


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

There is a material called Matala that could be used...check with Frograck for his latest materials...


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## DrawntoLife (Nov 12, 2009)

yeah matala is the material i was thinking, works very well and will help filter the water biologically


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## FwoGiZ (Jul 8, 2008)

I hate to say and this is solely my opinion but I been there done that... same mistakeS you made, I made em all. It took me over 30 builds with water features to master it.

I am telling you straight up, this will not work very long if at all. It will be very very frustrating because of so many things not done the right way.

Leca under eggcrate is a no no for water features. You need as much water as you can under there, Leca takes too much space.
Then water needs to flow into the false bottom no faster than it comes in... common sense. If you use garden mesh, this will drastically reduce the flow. 
Then the pump needs to be easyly reachable because it will clog, it will fail.. you will have to have easy access to it.
Another thing is the waterfall is too big. You can make real tiny one but reality is they'll be splashing dirty water everywhere, and you'll loose water at a rapid rate.

How did you seal the polyeurathane foam too?

The idea you have in your head is really nice!! But it's REALLY hard to make it happen! You will figure it out with tries n errors!


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## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

Haha yep! ^^


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

Unfortunately I haven't been able to make a good "river" waterfall yet...and I've tried several times...usually the substrate gets really soggy from the splashing...and despite a lot of wrapping the pump with all sorts of things--it still has to be pulled out of the tank to get unplugged up.....have not tried to have a pump outside the tank yet...any advice on that? I would think that bioballs might be a substitute for the Leca...I usually use expanded glass/...have seen lots of vivarium pictures with sucessful water features...so we know it can be done....


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## Landon (Oct 13, 2009)

I agree with the more water the better, and that the pump has to be easily accessible. Things you cannot overlook. 

I also think you should avoid any falling water anywhere close to the front of the tank. You will battle wet glass all the time. 

IME, if you want to make a river work, I suggest making it way wider and deeper then you intend, then fill it will stones. It'll help flow, and allow you to contour it a bit within the controlled water. It'll also help keep water from splashing and seeping over the sides into your substrate.

I've always used the nylon mesh for cross-stitch as my under water protective barrier. It's large enough to allow water to free flow, but fine enough to hold back typical small sized aquarium gravel.


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## Landon (Oct 13, 2009)

I've used (am using) canister filters with great success. For an out of tank alternative. Can be a pain to get primed if you cheap out on the pump, or have a really tall tank.


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## Giojo (Sep 17, 2013)

I'm back with an update.. I've finished the foaming and covering process so far so good.. I'll be doing a water test and see how it goes.. First only with water then with water part soil and finally with the real soil.. Then planting for now a couple of pics.. 
I'm really hoping this water feature will work... Let's see ...
In the first one you can see the easy access to the pump.. 










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## hellbender (Oct 29, 2008)

Hey Giojo, How is the water feature coming along? I'm interested in how this turns out.

Landon: I'm glad to hear you're having great luck with a canister filter. I've been thinking of building a largish tank for a long time and my idea was to use this Rena Filstar Xp canister I had laying around. My idea was to have the return on the back wall,left side, high up to minimize the amount of hose inside the tank where the water feature is at and to have the intake on the back wall,right side at the bottom so it will actually move all the water under the substrate to prevent any stagnant water and to filter it. This way all the equipment is on the outside of the tank and you only have to worry about two bulkheads drilled through the tank and a few inches of return line hose that should never clog. At least, that's what I hope


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