# The Peninsula



## GRIMM

...Nuff said


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## stevenhman

Haha, finally! I remember the cardboard mock up. Going to be nice man!


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## Tex22seg

Dude it looks like it's gonna be awesome really looking foward to it. How are u going to construct the peniunsula, are you going to use styrophome and grout or Great Stuff it? I know you like the kitty liter thing but I just dont see how that would work without some other support Perhaps eggcrate. Also what are your plans for the sump? Looks like ur of to a good start!


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## nschmitz06

Always love seeing your builds grimm, gives me really good ideas and nothing quite can explain like seeing a new masterpiece in vivarium/terrarium construction. Will be looking forward to your updates!!!


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## GRIMM

Should be a fun one! Thanks guys.

The main structure against the wall will be created from pvc piping and expanding foam attached to a foam board. It will tie into some amazing pieces of driftwood I have ordered from the US. It is tough to descibe what I will be doing, but think lots of verticle branches covered in moss and epiphytes, aswell as vines hanging from the glass tops There will also be a "bridge" made from one of the driftwood pieces, overhanging my the water feature. Nothing to fanch in the feature though, as it will be similar to the slow drip I have in my 1st twin tank. Finally all the wood will be attached together using a minimal amount of foam, then coated using a mixture of silicone, toluene, peat, and coir fiber strands.

To make up for the lack of a clay background, I have already made a large batch of clay substrate. It seems to be clumping a little to easily for my liking though, so I'm thinking of getting it fired using higher temps at the pottery store next door. Using a clay background on something this large doesnt appeal to me, as it will not last as long as foam and pvc. The strength quality tends to be variable when using clay depending on the location in the tank, which also isnt something I want with a taller viv like this.


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## Saviorself

Looks like its gonna be a sweet build. Where did you end up getting the wood from grimm?


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## amnesia

Keep the updates coming GRIMM. I'm looking forward to following the progress on this one. Use lots of glowing mushrooms!

Are you going to drill the bottom or side to plumb into your sump?

Cheers,
Scott


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## Wallace Grover

What might have the privelege of staying in this mansion?


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## Mitch

I commented on the YouTube video too... subscribed.


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## GRIMM

Saviorself said:


> Looks like its gonna be a sweet build. Where did you end up getting the wood from grimm?


I got the wood from TheDriftwoodStore.com ...I recommend this driftwood store to EVERYONE. Amazing service, website, and prices. He takes clear shots of every piece, with dimensions, and prices right on the website. I asked him if I could see a piece from a side view, he sent me a picture within an hour. Superb guy.



amnesia said:


> Keep the updates coming GRIMM. I'm looking forward to following the progress on this one. Use lots of glowing mushrooms!
> 
> Are you going to drill the bottom or side to plumb into your sump?
> 
> Cheers,
> Scott


Bottom drilled sump. 3 holes. Return, supply, and a ball valved controled full drain when I want to do a complete water cleaning and suck out any particulates that have fallen through the false bottom.



Wallace Grover said:


> What might have the privelege of staying in this mansion?


Most likely a family of Cristobals. My buddy Lance has recently had success with a little baby, and there are plenty of tads on thier way. I might change my mind down the road, but I want a decent sized egg feeder that will make use of all the precarious climbing areas in the tank. Possibly a family of Bastimentos, whichever tickles my fancy at the end of summer.


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## Ross

Subscribed. I've always wanted to have a tank like this; viewable from multiple sides, background on one or both ends (to give it a "canyon" feel). I remember one tank very similar in size to yours from a couple years ago that a member here had at the foot of their bed. It was the only one I had seen like it and I can't find the thread..


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## iRyan

Looking forward to seeing this completed!

Also that driftwood store link you provided is amazing, thank you.


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## Wallace Grover

Oh my god, I just remembered a tank A LOT like this. Viewable from 3 sides and all. I wish I could dig it up...

EDIT: Found it! http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/27124-55-gallon-journal.html


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## Pickét

I can't wait to see the finished result! Thanks for the driftwood link also, I found the perfect piece for my next setup!


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## calebrez

Grimm I have been waiting for this! Icannot wait to see it done! Thanks for posting the link i've been looking for some awesome pieces of driftwood!


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## Lunar Gecko

OHHH this is going to be NICE! Subscribed!


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## Okapi

Lookin forward to it!


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## VicSkimmr

hell yes! I may have missed it, but how wide is this tank going to be? 

That's a _kick ass_ light.


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## amnesia

I know the G-mann fixture has built in fans (it really is an EPIC light fixture), but are you planning on further cooling? My concern would be that the halides are going to put out ALOT of heat that may transfer to the tank.

Cheers,
Scott


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## dtfleming

It's a standard 75 Jason, and yes he started off right with a great light


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## VicSkimmr

eesh, that's pretty narrow, but I'm sure you can pull it off. The standard 75 is the same footprint as the standard 55 right?

A standard 120 is 4x2x2  That would have some great depth.


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## GRIMM

VicSkimmr said:


> hell yes! I may have missed it, but how wide is this tank going to be?
> 
> That's a _kick ass_ light.


The tank is 48long X 24front to back X 30high. The top will sit about 8" down from the light right now. I will most likely lower the light once I have everything settled.



amnesia said:


> I know the G-mann fixture has built in fans (it really is an EPIC light fixture), but are you planning on further cooling? My concern would be that the halides are going to put out ALOT of heat that may transfer to the tank.
> 
> Cheers,
> Scott


There are actually no fans in the fixture, it is completly silent. Due to the magnesium and aluminium body construction, it doesnt get very hot at all. Only the glass and about 4" below the bulb gets hot. I'm hoping the temps wont break 82 near the top of the tank. If the temps get to high, it takes about 30 seconds to raise fixture. If they continue to overheat the tank, I'll have to make myself a fan bar to blow across the top of the tank.



dtfleming said:


> It's a standard 75 Jason, and yes he started off right with a great light


Its a 150 gallon, not 75


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## dtfleming

oops, sorry dont know why I thought it was a 75


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## ryan10517

this is the first thread i have ever subscribed to. Grimm you better make this thing freakin awesome or I shall be greatly disappointed in you. I have high expectations for this build haha


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## VicSkimmr

GRIMM said:


> The tank is 48long X 24front to back X 30high. The top will sit about 8" down from the light right now. I will most likely lower the light once I have everything settled.


That's an epic size for this style tank


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## Wallace Grover

Take some scale pictures with a soda can once it's done, I wanna see the sheer scale of this baby in my FACE!!


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## Lunar Gecko

Grimm - I know its a long ways off but if I had a big tank like that I would be getting this plant for it. YOU NEED IT... then when it pups send it to me for giving you the idea. 

BROMELIAD Cryptanthus NIVEA Great Designs! - eBay (item 270726812367 end time Apr-01-11 17:22:31 PDT)

you neeeeeeeeeeeeeed it for that tank. Dooooo iiit!!!


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## GRIMM

Haha dont worry, I have over 3 watts per gallon for the sole purpose of bringing out the colours of amazing plants. I'll keep my eye out for one like that when the time comes. I'll be making a +300$ order in a few months to fill this baby with the finest plants I can find north of the boarder. I already have some sweet moss growing out in a 15 gallon aquarium, and 2 large tupperware containers lol. Green down low, and bright colours up top.


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## Lunar Gecko

Fine I see how it is.  But keep in mind if you do less than 4 crypts in that tank I may have to dive up and yell at you!


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## eos

I'm along for the ride... I'll be watching this build


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## GRIMM




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## Tex22seg

Man i have said it before but man this is looking good. Can't wait.


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## amnesia

Grimm.

In the vid you said sump setup for the misting system. By that are you referring to just having it below the tank, or do you plan on having water drain into the pail to feed the mist pump?


Scott


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## GRIMM

amnesia said:


> Grimm.
> 
> In the vid you said sump setup for the misting system. By that are you referring to just having it below the tank, or do you plan on having water drain into the pail to feed the mist pump?
> 
> 
> Scott


Sorry, not a sump, just a reservoir below the tank. I will have a 15 gallon aquarium sump to the left of the tub, but it will be for the pump and drip feature. Im actually second guessing the drip feature at the moment. I'll have to get my wood before I make any final decisions. I have some big pieces comming so they might not allow for a water feature. The main piece will need to be cut up into 3 sections to fit into the largest shipping box available at a reasonable price lol


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## EdVanRyzin

i love the thought you're putting into this.


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## GRIMM

Quick teaser....Is this not the most EPIC display piece of driftwood ever? 

First 2 pictures are of the original piece, from the front and left side. Final picture is of it rearranged from the 3 sections once cut apart. I need it to fit inside a predetermined size box, so it had to be cut. Im loving the possibilities though!


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## VicSkimmr

Bad. ass..


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## dtfleming

Yes it is, I got three pieces today from thedriftwood store


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## Mitch

Wooooooowwwwww


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## GRIMM

Im so pumped to get this wood. Hes cutting up another big piece for me tonight.

And if anyone gets some wood from him (thedriftwoodstore.com) as a result of me saying good things, let him know I suggested his website to you. The owner Rod has been extremely helpful and he definitely goes the extra mile. Im not getting commision, discounts or credit, but I like to help others who help me out!


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## Lukeomelas

GRIMM, that wood is going to look sick! I have a feeling your boy Ron is going to have his hands full with a bunch of new orders. I'm going to hit him up for my next project for sure. Can wait to see the next vid.


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## GRIMM

Air Circulation Hookup...


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## amnesia

GRIMM

The video updates are awesome! I think your build is going to be a huge reference point for newer (and veteran) members of the community for a long time to come. Keep up the great work! Please continue to share with us pictures and links to your sources of inspiration/products etc along the way.

Quick side question. Did you finish the glow mushrooms? I'd love to get my hands on some 


Cheers,
Scott


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## GRIMM

amnesia said:


> GRIMM
> 
> The video updates are awesome! I think your build is going to be a huge reference point for newer (and veteran) members of the community for a long time to come. Keep up the great work! Please continue to share with us pictures and links to your sources of inspiration/products etc along the way.
> 
> Quick side question. Did you finish the glow mushrooms? I'd love to get my hands on some
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Scott


Hey thanks a lot. I might not have the most soothing voice haha, but I like to think the video explanations are a little bit more personable and it helps to actually see everything that is going on. Hopefully will all the videos, everyone will be able to visualize every aspect of the tank, without having to ask millions of questions haha.

And mushrooms are on hold for the time being. As you can tell I'm a little busy  Once I put every dime I have into this build, I'll finish the shrooms and make a little money back lol.


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## EdVanRyzin

your voice reminds me of the show trailer park boys


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## Mitch

Your voice reminds me of a combination of Fergie and Jesus


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## leuc11

im doing somthing similar with a tank that size only its gonna be a marine aquarium. I cant wait to see it finished looking forward to updates


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## GRIMM

Hahaha Mitch, I have no clue if that is good or bad, but you win the "sounds like" contest anyways!

On another note, wood will be here this Friday if UPS doesnt let me down! All in, the wood cost me 125$ shipped up to Canada, with package isurance. Not bad concidering I spent 40$ on a single piece at an auction up here. I have 2 huge pieces, cut up into 7 chunks, all of which are bigger, and nicer then the 40$ piece.


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## ynotnad

GRIMM this build looks to be amazing to say the least. I am very interested in the fan circulation set up once installed in the tank. Excellent choice on the fans I have used those fans many times when building HTPC's for people they are dead silent.


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## Fishboyfromohio

Following this all the way! Way cool!


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## DragonSpirit1185

Where did you get the variable fan speed controller?
I've been browsing some fans I can't seem to find a speed controller.


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## GRIMM

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Where did you get the variable fan speed controller?
> I've been browsing some fans I can't seem to find a speed controller.


I bought them from an incredibly nerdy local computer store. Here is a link to the store, and Fan Mate speed controler. Everyone, keep in mind that I'm from Canada, and for everything I buy you will most likely need to find an equal alternative.

Zalman Fan Mate 2 Fan Controller at Memory Express Computers


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## GRIMM

Glass tops and silicone perimeter beads...


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## ryan10517

"thats what she said" hahahaha nice try being nonchalant with that one grimm. That was a good laugh!


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## leuc11

HAHA thats what she said


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## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Should be a fun one! Thanks guys.
> Using a clay background on something this large doesnt appeal to me, as it will not last as long as foam and pvc. The strength quality tends to be variable when using clay depending on the location in the tank, which also isnt something I want with a taller viv like this.



When you say foam do you mean using Great stuff or foam slabs?
If you mean the GS method then have you thought about doing both clay and GS?
I don't know if you've seen Aaron's HD vivarium build vids or not but he uses both the GS and clay.





I'm thinking about doing this in my next tank.

How well does clay hold up tho...cause I have a large Golden Gecko and I'm gonna make him a GS and clay background and I'm curious with his strength would be be able to tear up the surface of the clay...
I know from exsperiance in art class back in school wet clay can be pushed around and scoured and whatnot.
My gecko is pretty strong....do you think he would only mess the clay up or is the clay pretty stout?


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## GRIMM

Nope, no clay in this viv except for the clay substrate. I'll be using pvc piping, expandable foam, and a mixture of silicone, toluene, and peat for coating everything. No offence to Aarons video or tank because they are both great, but my backgound will be much to intricate to do with clay.

Im unsure on how large golden geckos are, but I would assume the clay would eventually coat the entire surface of everything in the tank from their feet smudging it everywhere.


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## Saviorself

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Where did you get the variable fan speed controller?
> I've been browsing some fans I can't seem to find a speed controller.



Check out newegg.com for a fan speed controller. They have some real nice ones if you want to get fancy. Cheap ones with knobs will do the trick too.


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## GRIMM

My take on hidden in tank air circulation....Easing everyone into the good stuff


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## Mitch

Pretty cool GRIMM. Can't wait to see her finished.


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## GRIMM

Mitch said:


> Pretty cool GRIMM. Can't wait to see her finished.


Thanks Mitch, at least one person likes it haha. I looks huge and out of place now, but it'll all come together and be hidden eventually.


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## Chris155hp

Ughh I whisk you would have Postedthis a month ago when I was making my 46 Bow and I would have totally done the internal air flow idea. Such a good idea!!! I'm interested to see how it comes out


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## DragonSpirit1185

That circulation system is definently unique lol
Most that I have seen are at both ends of the tank to circulate the air completely.
At first look it seemed like it would only circulate one side of the tank with the tank being so big.
Seems tho it will be drawn from the bottom and since you're gonna have the sealed tank the air should hit the top glass and move along it and down the other side correct?
I caint wait to see how your gonna hide that thing lol
Idk if I missed it or not but are you gonna put window screen on top?
Idk how high darts will climb but id hate for one to get inside and fall into the fan.
Looks awesome tho I might steal this idea and split in half and put it on both sides in the corner maybe or if I'm only doing like a 20 or 40 gallon vert I could just only use one side of it and put it in the corner. 
I know most use the fans on the screen vent on the front of the tank but that seems like it would only suck the dry air from outside the tank inside right?

About the gecko....what I meant to ask is if the clay will smudge. So I guess you understood what I was asking, thanks.
Since I've never dealt with a clay background I've always been curious if larger herps would just track the clay around. I'm using all ya'lls ideas to make tanks for my anoles, geckos, and green tree frogs and practice.
Then after I practice I'm gonna get into the dart hobby. It's so exspensive I wanna 
practice and become knoledgeable and get the dart tank right the first time.
Plus I'm still reasearching all the different breeds of darts and trying to figure out which ones I want.

Can't wait to see it all done from the looks of all your other work it's gonna be amazing


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## GRIMM

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> That circulation system is definently unique lol
> Most that I have seen are at both ends of the tank to circulate the air completely.
> At first look it seemed like it would only circulate one side of the tank with the tank being so big.
> Seems tho it will be drawn from the bottom and since you're gonna have the sealed tank the air should hit the top glass and move along it and down the other side correct?
> I caint wait to see how your gonna hide that thing lol
> Idk if I missed it or not but are you gonna put window screen on top?
> Idk how high darts will climb but id hate for one to get inside and fall into the fan.
> Looks awesome tho I might steal this idea and split in half and put it on both sides in the corner maybe or if I'm only doing like a 20 or 40 gallon vert I could just only use one side of it and put it in the corner.
> I know most use the fans on the screen vent on the front of the tank but that seems like it would only suck the dry air from outside the tank inside right?
> 
> About the gecko....what I meant to ask is if the clay will smudge. So I guess you understood what I was asking, thanks.
> Since I've never dealt with a clay background I've always been curious if larger herps would just track the clay around. I'm using all ya'lls ideas to make tanks for my anoles, geckos, and green tree frogs and practice.
> Then after I practice I'm gonna get into the dart hobby. It's so exspensive I wanna
> practice and become knoledgeable and get the dart tank right the first time.
> Plus I'm still reasearching all the different breeds of darts and trying to figure out which ones I want.
> 
> Can't wait to see it all done from the looks of all your other work it's gonna be amazing


The only other type of circulation I have seen remotely close to this, is by using pvc duct work above the tank. Im sure there is something out there like this, but I havent come across anything like it so far. Since the lighting system hangs from the roof and I dont have a canopy, I want the top to look relatively clean and simple, hense the internal ducting.

Most people do not use fans on screen blowing dry outside air into the viv, or at least they shouldnt...There is a big difference between circulation and ventillation. In our hobby, circulation is the key word, as humidity needs to remain high.

You wouldnt need 2 fans or 2 intakes for your setup. I could have used 1 larger fan, but it would have taken up to much space as the fans are 5 inches across. These fans are just over 3 inches, and 2 of them produce 20cfm more then 1 large one.

And yes, all duct openings are to be covered with mesh. Once Im done with everyting, you wont even be able to see the lower intakes, and the upper output ducts will barely be visible, im hoping.


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## frogparty

Check out Mark Budde's 55 gallon build to see another good example of in viv air circulation. 
Can't wait to see this viv finished


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## VicSkimmr

I don't have sound here at work, did you mention what type of media you used for the duct work? I've been trying to come up with a way to build custom enclosures for my fans like that.


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## GRIMM

VicSkimmr said:


> I don't have sound here at work, did you mention what type of media you used for the duct work? I've been trying to come up with a way to build custom enclosures for my fans like that.


I forgot to mention it....It is "Plastolite" corrugated plastic board. I got it at Home Depot in the same section that you can find acrylic sheets. 

Plaskolite - White Corrugated Plastic - .157 Inch x 24 Inch x 48 Inch - 1TW2448A - Home Depot Canada

I also forgot to mention, but any duct tape that is on the inside of the ductwork will be removed once the structure is held together with foam. Im unsure if it will even be a hazard without comming into contact with water, but I'm staying on the safe side just in case.


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## GRIMM

frogparty said:


> Check out Mark Budde's 55 gallon build to see another good example of in viv air circulation.
> Can't wait to see this viv finished


Yes his ducting is very cool also. Only problem for me is that the tank is directly agaisnt my wall, so thats why I want everything inside the tank. Plus keeping the ducting the same size as the fans themselves, will hopefully keep the fans running at max flow. I though about using pvc, but it was more costly in the end and it limits flow.


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## Saviorself

any reason you decided not to go with a titebond peatmoss mix for this one?


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## VicSkimmr

GRIMM said:


> I forgot to mention it....It is "Plastolite" corrugated plastic board. I got it at Home Depot in the same section that you can find acrylic sheets.
> 
> Plaskolite - White Corrugated Plastic - .157 Inch x 24 Inch x 48 Inch - 1TW2448A - Home Depot Canada
> 
> I also forgot to mention, but any duct tape that is on the inside of the ductwork will be removed once the structure is held together with foam. Im unsure if it will even be a hazard without comming into contact with water, but I'm staying on the safe side just in case.


You just saved me an incredible amount of frustration! Man I hope we have that stuff here at our Home Depot


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## GRIMM

Saviorself said:


> any reason you decided not to go with a titebond peatmoss mix for this one?


It is much to dificult to stick it onto detailed structures. As you probably know from working with it, it isnt very sticky at all!!! It took me forever to get those practice roots structures covered with it, especially the single roots away from the main structure. 

I recently saw someones root background covered with the silicone/toluene/peat mixture, and it looks just the same. Only differences are that it is flexible when cured, and very sticky during application!


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## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Most people do not use fans on screen blowing dry outside air into the viv, or at least they shouldnt...There is a big difference between circulation and ventillation. In our hobby, circulation is the key word, as humidity needs to remain high.
> 
> You wouldnt need 2 fans or 2 intakes for your setup. I could have used 1 larger fan, but it would have taken up to much space as the fans are 5 inches across. These fans are just over 3 inches, and 2 of them produce 20cfm more then 1 large one.


I've seen a few use the fans on the screen part of a vert conversion. I think they possibly had one facing opposite dirrection....like one blowing air in and one out. 
The hundity levels in my tank only need to remain at about 70or80%

I was only gonna use the two fans on each in in a large tank like this 55g I have.
I only plan on using one fan per tank especially if I'm gonna do a vert convert.
Like how people do the corner in their tanks for their pump well I was gonna do the same and drill holes in the glass for the wires to com out.
I was thinking about using a smaller fan like the laptop size fans for a 20g very and maybe a bigger one for a 40g vert
I'm possibly thinking about taking the 55g and vert converting it. But I would only do that to mix the anoles and the gecko and the tree frogs but most don't believe in mixing species. I had them together for a while but they are all seperated now. I would like to have a forest in a tank lol. 
People say it's not a good idea cause they occupy the same niche but the tree frogs stay in the corners or against the back ground or on the leaves of plats and the anoles stayed on the vines.
Even with them seperated I've been paying attention to see since the frogs weren't occupying those areas that the anoles never go there they stay under the lights on the vines and even at night they sleep in different places than the frogs.
Is this the only problem with mixing or is their other problems?
Hopefully you could help if not ill forward this to Ed. He seams to know about other herps.
If you are knowlegeable about other herps I'd appreciate the info, thanks.


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## GRIMM

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> I've seen a few use the fans on the screen part of a vert conversion. I think they possibly had one facing opposite dirrection....like one blowing air in and one out.
> The hundity levels in my tank only need to remain at about 70or80%
> 
> I was only gonna use the two fans on each in in a large tank like this 55g I have.
> I only plan on using one fan per tank especially if I'm gonna do a vert convert.
> Like how people do the corner in their tanks for their pump well I was gonna do the same and drill holes in the glass for the wires to com out.
> I was thinking about using a smaller fan like the laptop size fans for a 20g very and maybe a bigger one for a 40g vert
> I'm possibly thinking about taking the 55g and vert converting it. But I would only do that to mix the anoles and the gecko and the tree frogs but most don't believe in mixing species. I had them together for a while but they are all seperated now. I would like to have a forest in a tank lol.
> People say it's not a good idea cause they occupy the same niche but the tree frogs stay in the corners or against the back ground or on the leaves of plats and the anoles stayed on the vines.
> Even with them seperated I've been paying attention to see since the frogs weren't occupying those areas that the anoles never go there they stay under the lights on the vines and even at night they sleep in different places than the frogs.
> Is this the only problem with mixing or is their other problems?
> Hopefully you could help if not ill forward this to Ed. He seams to know about other herps.
> If you are knowlegeable about other herps I'd appreciate the info, thanks.


I suggest making your own thread for all those questions. No offence, but Id like to keep the majority of the thread dedicated for the build.


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## Tex22seg

Looks cool, how r u planing on keeping the condensation of of the firont. That look pretty cool thought. I might do something like that in my next build. Keep up da Gud work!!!


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## wesly2007

cant wait to see more


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## GRIMM

Well most people would think I am a nutty dork for saying this, but you guys will most likely understand. I CANT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I WAS THIS EXCITED! Wood got here today, and it looks absolutely incredible set in the tank. It will be causing a lack of sleep for sure tonight. It is such a good size that it will cut down the amount of work I will need to do to complete the tank. 

No pics yet..I know, Ima huge jerk! But Im buying a neat little camcorder to replace my 10 year old cybershot so I'll try to make a cool timelapse video as I build everything. No pics/vids till the background is complete though....Gotta get you guys psyched also 

Well almost 9pm....I guess I'll make supper and stop cleaning wood in the tub haha


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## camlov2

Looking forward to the video. 
I know what you mean about being excited, I just finished my latest build and was really happy with how it turned out. 
Now I am a little down that I don't have anything to work on. 
I would love to do a tank like the one you are building here but I think my wife would be a little ticked if the frogs expanded beyond their corner of the house.


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## Lukeomelas

Aw man, I was hoping you got your wood on Friday and were just working diligently on your awesome build all weekend so you could blow us all away today! I bet you were pretty mad when you got jacked by the mail man. Well, we know we're all dorks too following your build so closely! Get to work dude


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## GRIMM

Lukeomelas said:


> Aw man, I was hoping you got your wood on Friday and were just working diligently on your awesome build all weekend so you could blow us all away today! I bet you were pretty mad when you got jacked by the mail man. Well, we know we're all dorks too following your build so closely! Get to work dude


Yeah I was just dissapointed. I hate getting my hopes up lol. But I think it worked out for the best. I fired all my clay substrate, picked up all the tubing/connectors/ and pump for the sump setup, and got my glass tops fitting tighter then a camel's ass in a sandstorm lol.

I assume I will have the majority of the background done by the weekend, and hopefully I can get the foam/pvc sections all covered by next monday...Im in no rush though. My style is measure 5 times cut once.


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## GRIMM

Here are a couple other additions that will be added to the tank soon enough.

Bought myself a sweet multiple LED lighting system from IKEA last night. It has a dial that changes the output to anything in the colour spectrum you could want. Anything from a red/orange sunset, to dark blue moonlight. I'll post pictures of it installed and of how I will hide all the wires once it is completed.

IKEA | Integrated lighting | Bookcase lighting | DIODER | Light strip

I also found an awesome timer online. It is extremely affordable and has much more functionality then any other timer I have seen. It has 6 sockets, 5 of which can be *INDIVIDUALLY* programmed down to the minute, up to 6 cycles per day. The 6th socket is always on. This is super handy concidering there are 4 plugs comming down from my lighting fixture, and a 5th plug for the LED system mentioned above. The last socket will be used for my circulation fans for constant air flow. Everything can be syncronized together from the same timer! You are welcome 

Aquarium Digital PROGRAMMABLE TIMER Wave Maker/Light

PS...If you buy one, make sure to switch it to 120V because the default on the site is 220.


----------



## calebrez

Man grimm what is your budget on this thing lol! I hope I can make one like this someday! I'm getting married in august so no luck on that right now lol. Looking forward to seeing more! Great work!


----------



## GRIMM

calebrez said:


> Man grimm what is your budget on this thing lol! I hope I can make one like this someday! I'm getting married in august so no luck on that right now lol. Looking forward to seeing more! Great work!


The joys of being a single bachelor who doesnt blow money on alcohol every weekend I guess haha. The timer is actually saving me at least 50$. For all the equipment I have I would need to buy 5 different timers.

...And the LED system is just for the bling factor


----------



## calebrez

Haha true that lol the Bling factor is a must. Have you thought about a herpkeeper? You can control all your lights and misting down to the second. There is 5 individual programmable outlets and you can have temp and humidity and fan controls also. Its pretty versitile I love it makes everything really easy


----------



## ryan10517

grimm we need pics of the wood in the tank. Now!


----------



## Mitch

GRIMM said:


> Well most people would think I am a nutty dork for saying this, but you guys will most likely understand. I CANT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I WAS THIS EXCITED! Wood got here today, and it looks absolutely incredible set in the tank. It will be causing a lack of sleep for sure tonight. It is such a good size that it will cut down the amount of work I will need to do to complete the tank.
> 
> No pics yet..I know, Ima huge jerk! But Im buying a neat little camcorder to replace my 10 year old cybershot so I'll try to make a cool timelapse video as I build everything. No pics/vids till the background is complete though....Gotta get you guys psyched also
> 
> Well almost 9pm....I guess I'll make supper and stop cleaning wood in the tub haha


Wow, I thought I was the only one who go that excited about frog stuff. The best is when you look over at the tank and smile because your so happy about it. I guess we're in the same boat then.


----------



## asunderco

Here's a link to a slightly more expensive LED strip kit but has a wireless remote with a TON of features. I bought it for accent lighting on my Entertainment Center. 

LED Light Strip Kits For Home Accent Lighting

And hello all! First post, but I've been lurking for about a year now and finally registered. I've been researching and just pulled the trigger on my first viv. Actually started the same time as Grimm. And I want to thank Grimm and everyone else on the board for their knowledge! I'm taking pictures throughout the build and will post once my 55g is housing plants. Thanks again EVERYONE!


----------



## GRIMM

That is pretty cool. The only thing that would interest me on that system is the remote for quick colour changes, and perhaps the brighness adjustment. Im not concerned though, since I think I'll be able to mount the light ajusting wheel right beside my couch incase I want a mood change....Or if someone else does  hahaha. And if it is too bright I'll diffuse and reduce the brightness using mesh or something.


----------



## toksyn

Love the ductwork.


----------



## Qfrogs

This thing is impressive, and you haven't even put the wood in! Can't wait to see more. I'm very interested to see how you will mount all of your dials and controls for everything to make it seem nice and seamless.


----------



## bsr8129

asunderco said:


> Here's a link to a slightly more expensive LED strip kit but has a wireless remote with a TON of features. I bought it for accent lighting on my Entertainment Center.
> 
> LED Light Strip Kits For Home Accent Lighting
> 
> And hello all! First post, but I've been lurking for about a year now and finally registered. I've been researching and just pulled the trigger on my first viv. Actually started the same time as Grimm. And I want to thank Grimm and everyone else on the board for their knowledge! I'm taking pictures throughout the build and will post once my 55g is housing plants. Thanks again EVERYONE!


You can actually get this remote cheaper on eBay. I bought one a couple of months ago along with some RBG strip led lights and it works pretty good


----------



## GRIMM

Qfrogs said:


> This thing is impressive, and you haven't even put the wood in! Can't wait to see more. I'm very interested to see how you will mount all of your dials and controls for everything to make it seem nice and seamless.


Thanks buddy. I attached 2 of the central display pieces together last night. It is going to take longer then I thought, because each piece will need to be attached one at a time, with a 24 hour foam drying period in between. It is a huge pain waiting for foam to dry, but it is the best option for holding everything together permanently.

As for all the gizmos, it is really quite simple. The 4 light power cords, the LED cord, the fan wires, and the misting water line will all drop down in between the wall and the tank, then punch through the drilled holes in the base. The main power strips will be screwed to the bass sidewall, and everything plugs into them.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

I've seen that some use the green can of GS...is that one better than the regular can?


----------



## asunderco

Update! Grimm! Please!


----------



## GRIMM

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> I've seen that some use the green can of GS...is that one better than the regular can?


Im not sure bud. Ive never seen the green cans before. I use the black/yellow cans usually. This build, I'm using black pond foam from work. Different brand, but it says fish and aquarium safe right on the packaging.



asunderco said:


> Update! Grimm! Please!


Not till I finish the background  . Im doing a time lapse build video, so it'll be fun to watch it come together in a few minutes of footage. I have the 3 main pieces together and the foam has been carved to shape. Next I'm starting the FB and main background, and it'll take a lot of hours this weekend. I'll post some pics of my hidden led lighting tonight though.


----------



## randommind

GRIMM said:


> Im doing a time lapse build video, so it'll be fun to watch it come together in a few minutes of footage.


Ahhh....Next step in the evolution of the build thread, I am looking forward to it!


----------



## GRIMM

K here is my LED setup. I only used 2 of the 4 lighting bars because I didnt like the look of the LEDs up in the corners lengthwise. It worked much better mounting them inside the groove in the middle brace. It actually worked out perfectly as the leds have a wide illumination angle and can hit the majority of the tank. All the bits and wires were permanently siliconed into position after running a lighting test. If a light needs replacing 5 years from now, I left the last connection open so it can be swapped out with one of my extra LED bars.

In the groove









The connector bits









Bits covered with silicone. Final connection is visible for replacing.









Nice bead concidering I haven't trimmed it yet 









Moonlight










Ok, back to trimming foam and makin' stuff....


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Moonlight


Doesn't seem that bright.....wil it go brighter?
Might be the light in the background?
Looks great


----------



## GRIMM

They are very bright actually. The camera is overcompensating because of the extreme light difference. Im only using this as dusk for 30 mins. Then two 54W HO tubes for 30 mins, another two HO 54W tubes for the next 3 hours, and finally both 150W HQI bulbs during the 4 brightest hours of the day (similar to hourly light intensity at the equator)...Then go backwards until bedtime 

And...Tons of progress tonight. LED's all hooked up, both false bottoms are built and wrapped, tubing joints are done and have water lines run, finished carving the centerpiece foam, and attached the ductwork to the sidewall. The videos are hilarious in fast motion too so far


----------



## WaynePaulette

Awesome build updates Grimm!

When do the videos come out? lol

Oh and maybe after youre done post all the videos in one new thread? Maybe a good "sticky DIY" thread.

Just an idea?

-Wayne


----------



## slipperheads

Really cool seeing this come together GRIMM. I'll keep my eyes peeled for the next video. Good inspiration for my big display tank this Summer .


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> They are very bright actually. The camera is overcompensating because of the extreme light difference. Im only using this as dusk for 30 mins. Then two 54W HO tubes for 30 mins, another two HO 54W tubes for the next 3 hours, and finally both 150W HQI bulbs during the 4 brightest hours of the day (similar to hourly light intensity at the equator)...Then go backwards until bedtime
> 
> And...Tons of progress tonight. LED's all hooked up, both false bottoms are built and wrapped, tubing joints are done and have water lines run, finished carving the centerpiece foam, and attached the ductwork to the sidewall. The videos are hilarious in fast motion too so far


Exo Terra makes a light system that dims for sunrise and sunset
Exo Terra : Light Cycle Unit / Electronic Dimming Terrarium Lamp Controller


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Can't wait to see the videos


----------



## GRIMM

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Exo Terra makes a light system that dims for sunrise and sunset
> Exo Terra : Light Cycle Unit / Electronic Dimming Terrarium Lamp Controller


They might be good for a small tank, but Ive got 6-12X the lighting power as those little trinkets 

And Im still working hard to the background and videos. I'll be starting the main root structure and additional vines today.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> They might be good for a small tank, but Ive got 6-12X the lighting power as those little trinkets
> 
> And Im still working hard to the background and videos. I'll be starting the main root structure and additional vines today.


Yeah just thought I'd show you for future reference...it definently wouldn't work for your peninsula


----------



## Mitch

Sorry if I missed it somewhere, but what lighting are you using? T5 or MH could be awesome... especially a combination of both. The broms would look friggin' nuclear.


----------



## GRIMM

Mitch said:


> Sorry if I missed it somewhere, but what lighting are you using? T5 or MH could be awesome... especially a combination of both. The broms would look friggin' nuclear.


48" ceiling mounted Giesemann Infinity. I think I said it in the very first post in the video incase you want to see it mounted. It has four 54W HO T5's, and two 150W HQI metal halide bulbs. 516W when everything is on....Ballin'


----------



## Mitch

GRIMM said:


> 48" ceiling mounted Giesemann Infinity. I think I said it in the very first post in the video incase you want to see it mounted. It has four 54W HO T5's, and two 150W HQI metal halide bulbs. 516W when everything is on....Ballin'


Holy Crap! You can't ask for much more in a fixture


----------



## GRIMM

Mitch said:


> Holy Crap! You can't ask for much more in a fixture


Haha yeah. If I didnt buy it used I would have needed to get a second job to afford it. I think it is one of the best fixtures available. Only better one I have seen is the model up from this made by Giesemann, called "Moonlight". It has a 28 day moonlight cycle feature build right into it, all lights are dimmable and programmable from the fixture also. It even simulates clouds! Haha totally insane and only for the rich. It would cost more then my entire setup together.


----------



## Mitch

GRIMM said:


> Haha yeah. If I didnt buy it used I would have needed to get a second job to afford it. I think it is one of the best fixtures available. Only better one I have seen is the model up from this made by Giesemann, called "Moonlight". It has a 28 day moonlight cycle feature build right into it, all lights are dimmable and programmable from the fixture also. It even simulates clouds! Haha totally insane and only for the rich. It would cost more then my entire setup together.


Man... I gotta be rich when I grow up so I can get me one of those . The one you have now sounds just as awesome.... the features on the "better" one sound pretty pointless to me, though.


----------



## Azurel

GRIMM said:


> 48" ceiling mounted Giesemann Infinity. I think I said it in the very first post in the video incase you want to see it mounted. It has four 54W HO T5's, and two 150W HQI metal halide bulbs. 516W when everything is on....Ballin'


This a frog tank or reef tank?.....LOL Great light set-up don't get better then that.


----------



## gator

Very cool 

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk


----------



## brp4e

GRIMM said:


> IKEA | Integrated lighting | Bookcase lighting | DIODER | Light strip


Yes, thanks for posting that, I was looking for a good LED set up that I could use to light my tanks, and from that, light my room at night as well, for when I have girls over


----------



## GRIMM

****Background Part 1!!!****
Watch in HD


----------



## Qfrogs

That is wicked. Is that Malaysian driftwood? and where did you get it from? Looking great


----------



## ryan10517

hahahaha at 4:23 it looks like you are doing the moonwalk!!


----------



## GRIMM

Qfrogs said:


> That is wicked. Is that Malaysian driftwood? and where did you get it from? Looking great


Sycamore and American Chestnut root structure driftwood. I got it from here...

The Driftwood Store

And thanks!


----------



## Azurel

Awesome vid.....Gonna be a great looking set-up for sure.


----------



## mikefromearth

GRIMM said:


> Sycamore and American Chestnut root structure driftwood. I got it from here...
> 
> The Driftwood Store
> 
> And thanks!


Rod is great! He went above and beyond the call by finding me an unadvertised stump piece that is perfect for my viv.


----------



## ynotnad

GRIMM I just have to say I thought I was the only one that used duck tape and electrical tape to hold things in place to see if I like them..I showed my wife the video and she just laughed and said "Now I know there are two of you that are freakin nutty" LOL

I do have a quick question on the bling-bling LED lighting...are you not worried about the humidity frying out the led lights?

Love the build so far can not wait till part II...

Tony


----------



## Lukeomelas

GRIMM!!! That was awesome. I'm loving the layout. Can't wait to see the next step. You're a pretty clean worker, I would have silcone and dirt tracked from one side of the house to the other. I would also be covered head to toe. It looks like you are going to have some open water between the land masses, that should look sick too! Keep up the great work! Well worth the wait, now get back to work.


----------



## WaynePaulette

Keep it up Grimm. So far it's looking amazing. I'm really curious about what you're overall goal is looking like. Its worse than a kid on christmas... i want to shake the thread and hear whats inside. 

Waiting on update Video II!

-Wayne

PS> In the video what is the clear shiny stuff you put on the false bottom? Saran wrap? Its purpose?


----------



## Vinnner

Wow, just impressive. Awesome work so far! Looking forward to more updates.


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks everyone. Took the night off yesterday, but I'll ba back at it tonight.



ynotnad said:


> GRIMM I just have to say I thought I was the only one that used duck tape and electrical tape to hold things in place to see if I like them..I showed my wife the video and she just laughed and said "Now I know there are two of you that are freakin nutty" LOL
> 
> I do have a quick question on the bling-bling LED lighting...are you not worried about the humidity frying out the led lights?
> 
> Love the build so far can not wait till part II...
> 
> Tony


No not worried at all. Every connection is completely covered with silicone, with the exeption of the last one. The connections are quite tight also, so I dont see any moisture getting inside the glass tubes where the connections/leds are.





Lukeomelas said:


> GRIMM!!! That was awesome. I'm loving the layout. Can't wait to see the next step. You're a pretty clean worker, I would have silcone and dirt tracked from one side of the house to the other. I would also be covered head to toe. It looks like you are going to have some open water between the land masses, that should look sick too! Keep up the great work! Well worth the wait, now get back to work.


Yeah I'll have a small feature running across the tank. It looks much bigger right now then it will be. I'll slope my aquarium substrate and fill most of it up.



WaynePaulette said:


> Keep it up Grimm. So far it's looking amazing. I'm really curious about what you're overall goal is looking like. Its worse than a kid on christmas... i want to shake the thread and hear whats inside.
> 
> Waiting on update Video II!
> 
> -Wayne
> 
> PS> In the video what is the clear shiny stuff you put on the false bottom? Saran wrap? Its purpose?


Yes it is saran wrap. Im using it to block off the 1/2" gaps between the false bottom and glass. This will prevent peat from falling into it. I dont have a vacuum attachment that will be able to suck stuff out if it falls in. And I only want to see my ADA substrate against the glass, nothing else.


----------



## Saviorself

Lookin great grim! Love those pieces you picked up beautiful arrangement.


----------



## WaynePaulette

GRIMM said:


> Yes it is saran wrap. Im using it to block off the 1/2" gaps between the false bottom and glass. This will prevent peat from falling into it. I dont have a vacuum attachment that will be able to suck stuff out if it falls in. And I only want to see my ADA substrate against the glass, nothing else.


Ohhhhhh... well that is beneficial for me. I just got my false bottom done and i of course have a small gap between the actual false bottom and the wall. Saran wrap works to do that and wont cause any issues? You just lay it in on the false bottom and stick it onto the glass? I think i found the way I'm going to make sure i don't have substrate falling in!

Im very curious as to your next steps. What exactly were you doing with the Nylon rope? and mixing it with what looked like silicon/coco fiber? If i could tell from the video or not. Just wondering.

-Wayne


----------



## GRIMM

WaynePaulette said:


> Ohhhhhh... well that is beneficial for me. I just got my false bottom done and i of course have a small gap between the actual false bottom and the wall. Saran wrap works to do that and wont cause any issues? You just lay it in on the false bottom and stick it onto the glass? I think i found the way I'm going to make sure i don't have substrate falling in!
> 
> Im very curious as to your next steps. What exactly were you doing with the Nylon rope? and mixing it with what looked like silicon/coco fiber? If i could tell from the video or not. Just wondering.
> 
> -Wayne


I'll be making root structures and hangings vines similar to Raf's build.

The mixture is 2 parts silicone and 1 part toluene, mixed together first. Then I added 1-1.5 parts peat moss. Im actually loving this method. Way better then just plain silicone and peat. It can be painted on, and doesnt skin over quick like plain silicone. Plus if for whatever reason all the surface peat falls off, it has a coloured textured base coat with peat embedded into it anyways.


----------



## davidadelp

I cant wait for the next video! I actually watched it a few times to see how you were doing things! Get to work!!


----------



## ynotnad

GRIMM what is toluene? 
When I google it I come up with:
"Exposure to toluene may affect the developing fetus"
"Exposure to toluene occurs from breathing contaminated workplace air"
"Hazard/safety rating of TOLUENE by Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Review Database"

I am pretty sure that is not what I am looking for.


----------



## GRIMM

ynotnad said:


> GRIMM what is toluene?
> When I google it I come up with:
> "Exposure to toluene may affect the developing fetus"
> "Exposure to toluene occurs from breathing contaminated workplace air"
> "Hazard/safety rating of TOLUENE by Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Review Database"
> 
> I am pretty sure that is not what I am looking for.


Yup that is the stuff. 100% of it evaporates though. Use in a well ventillated area or outside. It thins the silicone so it can be mixed with peat, and lengthens the curing time slightly making it easier to get the peat to stick to it. The toluene smell went away much faster then the vinegar smell from the silicone.


----------



## ynotnad

Ok that makes sense then it acts as a thinning agent to the silicone.


----------



## Kavyaanshrike

GRIMM you never cease to amaze me with just how good you are at what you do


----------



## epiphytes etc.

we're ready for that next vid. now!


----------



## Tex22seg

Wow 14 pages of replies and their is not even a drop of water in that tank let alone a frog!!!!! Must be a record.


----------



## FwoGiZ

Just WOW... and I thought us Canadians were no gooder at viv n frogs! I am glad I was wrong!
I too kindo laughed when I saw you using tapes to hold wood pieces  I do the same and thought I was also the only one doing that hah!

I never really liked silicone but I am totally gonna try this toluene method as it seems so much easier!! You prolly get it at HD, prolly some paint or something like that related chemical, right? What brand?

Is that what you used to "paint" the inside of your air circulation thingy? Only silicone mixed with toluene? Also, the fans are suposed to be reachable down there? >_>

We have VERY similar methods, but I must admit I am miles away from the talent you have... You are also very good at innovating, something I lack (love that air sys!)

I use my garage as a workshop... how do you manage to keep the house clean??!! My workplace is filled with silicone, gs, styrofoam, pieces of a bit everything I cut... it is a total mess!!! 

Only one thing I would be worried, and I am talking about experience.
I see you are using some type of MeshX garden thingy instead of the popular fiberglass mesh. Well I use that too, but lately, after several monthes, I noticed it gets cloged and the water cannot go through well enough for my pumps... so some areas get flooded!!! I am currently (and always) working on several vivariums projects so I started to modify some of my FB while I still can, by cutting off some meshX area, and siliconing some fiberglass mesh just to prevent/help this issue in the future!
I don't know if you ever had similar problems (guess not), I thought I'd share this with you as it was found to be quite problematic for me.


am eager to see that part 2  but I won't rush you like everyone here is doing because I want you to take your time, so this viv will be an art work.... but please HURRRRRYYYYYYY 

once again, GREAT work... simply amazing


----------



## leuc11

nice grimm that viv is pretty tripy can twait to see it done

and you kinda look like my cousin


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks for the compliments guys. I guess people are enjoying the videos and build 



FwoGiZ said:


> Just WOW... and I thought us Canadians were no gooder at viv n frogs! I am glad I was wrong!
> I too kindo laughed when I saw you using tapes to hold wood pieces  I do the same and thought I was also the only one doing that hah!
> 
> I never really liked silicone but I am totally gonna try this toluene method as it seems so much easier!! You prolly get it at HD, prolly some paint or something like that related chemical, right? What brand?
> 
> Is that what you used to "paint" the inside of your air circulation thingy? Only silicone mixed with toluene? Also, the fans are suposed to be reachable down there? >_>
> 
> We have VERY similar methods, but I must admit I am miles away from the talent you have... You are also very good at innovating, something I lack (love that air sys!)
> 
> I use my garage as a workshop... how do you manage to keep the house clean??!! My workplace is filled with silicone, gs, styrofoam, pieces of a bit everything I cut... it is a total mess!!!
> 
> Only one thing I would be worried, and I am talking about experience.
> I see you are using some type of MeshX garden thingy instead of the popular fiberglass mesh. Well I use that too, but lately, after several monthes, I noticed it gets cloged and the water cannot go through well enough for my pumps... so some areas get flooded!!! I am currently (and always) working on several vivariums projects so I started to modify some of my FB while I still can, by cutting off some meshX area, and siliconing some fiberglass mesh just to prevent/help this issue in the future!
> I don't know if you ever had similar problems (guess not), I thought I'd share this with you as it was found to be quite problematic for me.
> 
> 
> am eager to see that part 2  but I won't rush you like everyone here is doing because I want you to take your time, so this viv will be an art work.... but please HURRRRRYYYYYYY
> 
> once again, GREAT work... simply amazing


Thanks bud. Im not trying to be cocky, but I hope this will be the nicest viv in Canada so far. At least in my mind it looks like a top contender once finished haha 

The visible parts of ducting were covered with silicone/toluene/peat mixture, then covered with dry peat. I bought it at HD in the paint section, and it had "TOLUENE" in huge wrighting directly on the front of the tub. I can fit my hands down into the ducts to place the fans on the little knobs. They will be in place using their own weight. No adhesivs holding them in position incase I need to replace them.

I think the weedblocker I'm using will slightly repel water if dry, but once it absorbs enough it starts to let it through. There will be a minimal amount of plants on ground level, but I'll be using a very high draining substrate mixture, aswell as fired clay substrate in the areas with ground folliage.

I'll try and work on it tonight. Ive been lazy after work, it saps all my energy and building enthusiasm lol. I need to get into a certain mood to get into the building groove haha


----------



## FwoGiZ

You're not cocky, you're just realistic! You've been doing many smaller viv, and I've seen you improve your methods and techniques, I think this bigger project will be kickass! I too am working on a similar 36x22x22 living room tank for some terribilis.

What I mean is that the water will get to the sump from under one of your FB right? And will be thrown back into the viv via some kindo dripwall or whatever you will do with these 2 tubings right?
I have idential setups and what I would be worried, is that the water won't be able to go through the weedblock fast enough for your pump capacity unless you run the pump at very low flow.
It might very well be fine tho as you have 4 large sides while this problem happens in my 18 and 24 large exos where I only have 1 side letting water through
Click here for an example of what I am saying: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/FwoGiZ/Avatars/workshop/IMG_2785.jpg


----------



## GRIMM

Oh I see what you are saying. I'll be doing test runs a few weeks after everything cures, so I'll keep an eye out for flow restriction problems. I dont think it'll be an issue though, since my other drip feature in my 20 gallon uses the same stuff. It is pretty much see through as you can see in the video lol.


----------



## FwoGiZ

Yeah after checking closely, I think your mesh might be thiner than mine ha !
With such a setup, a few killiefishes might look pretty kickass in that viv!! are you planning on having fishes in there along with the cristobals/bastimentos? or anoles?
i think if done properly, with the right species (i don't know cristobals behavior, is it a climber a bit like bast?) the challenge gets a step higher which can be interesting!

good luck with the part2 ;D


----------



## GRIMM

FwoGiZ said:


> Yeah after checking closely, I think your mesh might be thiner than mine ha !
> With such a setup, a few killiefishes might look pretty kickass in that viv!! are you planning on having fishes in there along with the cristobals/bastimentos? or anoles?
> i think if done properly, with the right species (i don't know cristobals behavior, is it a climber a bit like bast?) the challenge gets a step higher which can be interesting!
> 
> good luck with the part2 ;D


Once everything is said and done, I'll probably only have about 2-4 gallons of water area for something to live in (even though I'll have 40 gallons of water total. I dont want anything that I will need to feed, so possibly a couple shrimp and that's it. Im a total moron when it comes to "water keeping", so Im going to try my hand at some easy aquatic plants first once my water is cycled. Anubias coffeefolia/nana/nana petite, water lettuce, java, and pellia rotundifolia. And if I'm lucky enough to find some, utricularia graminifolia. The expensive ADA Amazonia substrate will help my ph levels a lot, and I have herd red cherry shrimp do very well with it, especially with lots of live plants. It'll be an experiment for a while lol

Im not big into mixing, and even if I was I sure as hell wouldnt tell people on here  The tank may be a big 150 gallons, but I believe the usable space is slightly reduced due to my overall design. I'll have plenty of cover ares and view obstructions though, so I'll easily be able to get away with a family of cristos for sure.


----------



## Mitch

I know you're not looking to mix but are vampire crabs compatible with pums? If they are that would be awesome to have a few in there because they could make use of the water area and they're really cool. I'm 99% sure they'd happily munch on a frog though. 

Other then that I'd get some Crystal Shrimp for the water area. Cherries aren't very pretty unless you get high end ones IMO - like the Sakura's. Also cherries breed like rabbits so they could over-populate the water area in just a couple of months. Red Crystal shrimp breed more slowly IME and are much prettier, especially high grade ones like SS or something.


----------



## GRIMM

YES, Cristals, not Cherries. I wanted the white/red stripped ones. I guess I have a lot of research to do before getting them concidering I didnt even know the correct name eh  Thanks for the suggestion!


----------



## dmartin72

I think it would be very difficult to keep the water within tight paramenters for S grade CRS or higher. TDS of 150...RODI water...etc. Just something to keep in mind.


----------



## FwoGiZ

Ah you said cherry but I also had the stripped one in my mind!! They call them "amanos" around here! A very good idea indeed  I think I might have a surviving one in my mossy pallu.... try and find it tho.........
I still have SO much to learn so I can improve my water areas, and also I just plain suck with plants=_=
but yeah, more stuffs more challenge just like martin is saying 
That is something I like about vivariums... there are SO many field of expertise that can be mixed together! Orchids alone are a world apart! Fishes, Reptiles, Amphibs, Plants, the viv build itself, and then all those fancy electronics! I just love this passion!


----------



## Mitch

dmartin72 said:


> I think it would be very difficult to keep the water within tight paramenters for S grade CRS or higher. TDS of 150...RODI water...etc. Just something to keep in mind.


I keep them in a Moss filled 5 gallon tank that receives no water changes... just top-offs. I also barely feed them either. They have been breeding steadily for months now. I believe the key with them is a balanced diet, stable water parameters, and lots of moss for them to forge on. Not much else to it. 

Oh, and these are Golden Crystal Shrimp by the way. If you want to make some SSS Crystals I hear you can breed the Goldens to the low grade red crystals and get some awesome SSS shrimp. Not entirely sure if this is true though.


----------



## dmartin72

The most important thing is water stability. Dead FF's will almost certainly skew that.

Anyway, where the heck is the 2nd time lapse video...get cracking!



Mitch said:


> I keep them in a Moss filled 5 gallon tank that receives no water changes... just top-offs. I also barely feed them either. They have been breeding steadily for months now. I believe the key with them is a balanced diet, stable water parameters, and lots of moss for them to forge on. Not much else to it.
> 
> Oh, and these are Golden Crystal Shrimp by the way. If you want to make some SSS Crystals I hear you can breed the Goldens to the low grade red crystals and get some awesome SSS shrimp. Not entirely sure if this is true though.


----------



## GRIMM

Water section inhabitants are an afterthought. Might not even get any lol.

And its the Stepdad's 60th this weekend, so Im away from the tank. Wont be an update for a while, most likely end of next weekend. Maybe a plant update if I find some gooders this weekend.


----------



## dmartin72

Such a tease!


----------



## GRIMM

Well today was a total flop and dissapointment. Went to two great greenhouses, and didnt see any broms under 16" across, a single tillie, or any other types of miniature tropicals that could be used in the tank. There is still snow here, so I dont know why I got my hopes up thinking my luck would be better lol. Im desperately hoping the awesome orchid shop is open tomorrow. It's my last hope.

And I recieved a word of caution from a friend about the toluene, so Im going to be doing more research before I get to covering the background. As long as the toluene completely evaporates when mixed with silicone, I'm in the clear. But if it somehow changes the composition and does not dissipate from the silicone, it could cause problems down the road. If anyone has sources of info on this, it would help out a lot. This is the only hobby where a mixture like this would need to be 100% safe, so it is difficult to find other sources that go into detail about cured silicone/toluene hazards. I have found aquarists that have used toluene with no ill effects, however it was not mixed with another substance.


----------



## Qfrogs

GRIMM said:


> Well today was a total flop and dissapointment. Went to two great greenhouses, and didnt see any broms under 16" across, a single tillie, or any other types of miniature tropicals that could be used in the tank. There is still snow here, so I dont know why I got my hopes up thinking my luck would be better lol. Im desperately hoping the awesome orchid shop is open tomorrow. It's my last hope.
> 
> And I recieved a word of caution from a friend about the toluene, so Im going to be doing more research before I get to covering the background. As long as the toluene completely evaporates when mixed with silicone, I'm in the clear. But if it somehow changes the composition and does not dissipate from the silicone, it could cause problems down the road. If anyone has sources of info on this, it would help out a lot. This is the only hobby where a mixture like this would need to be 100% safe, so it is difficult to find other sources that go into detail about cured silicone/toluene hazards. I have found aquarists that have used toluene with no ill effects, however it was not mixed with another substance.


I looked at attempting this awhile back. Might give you what you want without the ill-natured effects of toluene

Shop Klean-Strip Quart Turpentine at Lowes.com


----------



## GRIMM

Qfrogs said:


> I looked at attempting this awhile back. Might give you what you want without the ill-natured effects of toluene
> 
> Shop Klean-Strip Quart Turpentine at Lowes.com


Definitely looks like a winner....Now only if they carried them at canadian Lowes 

Ill be looking to get this shipped up here, but I would still like to figure out if toluene completely evaporates when mixed with silicone. Any chemists on the board? 

I left a large blob of silicone/toluene on a piece of saran wrap as a test. I cut it open 2 days later and it didnt smell like anything. It appeared that the toluene had evaporated, and the silicone had cured normally, but I cant be sure solely from a smell test.


----------



## frogparty

with many organic solvents, enough exposure to air can facilitate full evaporation. In organic chemlab, we often use simple distillation to remove the majority of the solvet from our samples, then use airflow to fully evaporate the rest, leaving only the sample, as checked by gas chromatography, UV/VIS, IR SPEC etc.
As a solvent, my guess is that it is completely removable from the silicone, because it is not acting as a nucleophile.


----------



## GRIMM

frogparty said:


> with many organic solvents, enough exposure to air can facilitate full evaporation. In organic chemlab, we often use simple distillation to remove the majority of the solvet from our samples, then use airflow to fully evaporate the rest, leaving only the sample, as checked by gas chromatography, UV/VIS, IR SPEC etc.
> As a solvent, my guess is that it is completely removable from the silicone, because it is not acting as a nucleophile.


This is reasurring. Any way you could run a test for us? 
So even though toluene is an extremely terrible chemical, the only real dangers lie during application, and not once the silicone has cured. When you say nucleophile, are you saying that it will not form any bonds to the silicone to change it's composition? That would be the main concern here.


----------



## frogparty

thats what Im saying. When you put salt in water, the water is the solvent. Removing the solvent via evaporation returns your salt UNCHANGED. That is the nature of the reaction. Solvation is NOT a chemical reation, because no changs occur to the chemical composition of the substrate OR the solvent. Under specific(albeit beyond my scope of knowledge) conditions, ALL the toluene would theoretically be able to be captured as gas and collected back into liquid form. In this case, all the solvent is doing is interfering with the intermolecular forces that dictate hydrogen bonding, london dispersion forces etc, allowing the silicone to be spread thinner than otherwise possible. Once evaporated, its still just silicone.
As for running a test, I doubt that Im going to be putting silicone into my microdistillation glassware anytime soon.


----------



## frogparty

recollection and reuse of solvents is EXTERMELY COMMON in the chemical industry, and the nature of this interaction is what makes it possible.


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks for all the info. Very appreciated and puts my mind at ease!

Minus the horrible fumes, this method is actually very enjoyable, and I see it being much better in the long run then just plain silicone with substrate stuck to the surface. If I could, I would definitely opt for the natural turpentine though. Ill be dragging this beast of a tank right up to my patio doors to ventillate the fumes outside


----------



## frogparty

yeah, use a fan, and nitrile gloves. When working with organics, always use nitrile gloves. After my O-chem midterm today, I didn't think Id be wanting to talk about solvents. But its definitely interesting. I didnt find any reaction mechanisms online where the toluene acting purely as a solvent changed chemical properties in the presence of paint or silicone. In the presence of other organics, especially acids or bases, I can't say. Thats research for another day, I know its broken down to other things (xylene I think is one of them)


----------



## FwoGiZ

Hey tx a lot frogparty for all this input!
I will definetely be trying this method.

Grimm, are you sure turpentine can't be found here? There ought to be some other brand that would do the job!

But yeah, I don't mind toluene if it completely evaporates! uncured silicone is very toxic too so... we just need to make sure to respect curing time

My garage is usually kept pretty cool, specially in winter as I put some frog into aestivation in there, so pretty much all cure times usually take much longer for me than what I usually read on the boards, so its no biggie.


----------



## frogfreak

I was concerned about the use of Toluene so I asked a Chemist.

His response:

I had a look at the MSDS. It looks like a typical silicone polymer. The data sheet says that the material will dissolve in Toluene so that is a suitable solvent for clean up and I think that was the intent of the writer. Silicon polymers cure through reaction with air. In the reaction, acetic acid (vinegar) is given off which is why they smell the way they do.

If Toluene were used in small amounts to reduce the thickness of the polymer before curing, then nothing much would happen as far as I can imagine.
The viscosity would go down proportionally with the amount of solvent added. The strength of the bond made by the cured polymer would likely go down...(the cured polymer strands may have a hard time creating entanglement within the matrix due to being further apart through dilution...)
However, the toluene in the blend would be short lived. The toluene will not become a part of the polymer. It will slowly evaporate out of the sealant until it is all gone.
As for the health of the frog, I am sure they will not tolerate VOC’s in the habitat very well. Any toluene still remaining may act as an intoxicant through inhalation or skin absorption.
That being said, the flash point of Toluene is low enough that you can probably drive it from the cured polymer with heat from a hair drier.

So in short, yes it can work as a thinning agent with some precautions. Don’t use too much Toluene, realize that the holding strength may go down, and be careful to ensure the Toluene is gone before putting the frogs in.


----------



## Sigaw

What type of turpentine is that? Balsam?


----------



## fleshfrombone

I hate working with turpentine, very messy stuff and the smell makes me gag.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

frogfreak said:


> I was concerned about the use of Toluene so I asked a Chemist.
> 
> His response:
> 
> I had a look at the MSDS. It looks like a typical silicone polymer. The data sheet says that the material will dissolve in Toluene so that is a suitable solvent for clean up and I think that was the intent of the writer. Silicon polymers cure through reaction with air. In the reaction, acetic acid (vinegar) is given off which is why they smell the way they do.
> 
> If Toluene were used in small amounts to reduce the thickness of the polymer before curing, then nothing much would happen as far as I can imagine.
> The viscosity would go down proportionally with the amount of solvent added. The strength of the bond made by the cured polymer would likely go down...(the cured polymer strands may have a hard time creating entanglement within the matrix due to being further apart through dilution...)
> However, the toluene in the blend would be short lived. The toluene will not become a part of the polymer. It will slowly evaporate out of the sealant until it is all gone.
> As for the health of the frog, I am sure they will not tolerate VOC’s in the habitat very well. Any toluene still remaining may act as an intoxicant through inhalation or skin absorption.
> That being said, the flash point of Toluene is low enough that you can probably drive it from the cured polymer with heat from a hair drier.
> 
> So in short, yes it can work as a thinning agent with some precautions. Don’t use too much Toluene, realize that the holding strength may go down, and be careful to ensure the Toluene is gone before putting the frogs in.


Iwas looking at this grout sealer and it says no VOC's.....does that mean it will be safe when cured?


----------



## kylesmoney

Stunning build with a beautiful light fixture!


----------



## WaynePaulette

frogparty said:


> As for running a test, I doubt that Im going to be putting silicone into my microdistillation glassware anytime soon.


Ha. This part made me giggle a little.

Come on Grimm; It's update time!

-Wayne


----------



## kylesmoney

WaynePaulette said:


> Ha. This part made me giggle a little.
> 
> Come on Grimm; It's update time!
> 
> -Wayne


I second that!


----------



## davidadelp

kylesmoney said:


> I second that!



I third that!!


----------



## GRIMM

Cant rush perfection!  

Ive been lazy, so havent done much. I'll get to work soon, im just trying to figure out how I'm going to hide everything. I might need to cut off the driftwood attached to the ductwork, then add roots below it. It's gonna be tough adding roots and covering everything up if I keep the wood attached.


----------



## erlese

Damnit!!!! Im having" Grimm- 2nd build video-hasn't come out yet" syndrome. I had the shakes this morning. but its cool now... I get it...... perfection takes a while. so Get to it King!!!! ( JOKE) what part of Edmonton??? my parents live in Ottewell area.. ( Near Capilano Mall)


----------



## GRIMM

Haha you think this last week or two has been a tough wait...Wait till I wont be uploading planted vids/pics until I get a few months of growth and a wall of green. Everyone will be jonesing for an update haha. Only local frogger friends will get to see if they visit.

And I live just off Whyte Ave. Party central lol.


----------



## erlese

GRIMM said:


> Haha you think this last week or two has been a tough wait...Wait till I wont be uploading planted vids/pics until I get a few months of growth and a wall of green. Everyone will be jonesing for an update haha. Only local frogger friends will get to see if they visit.
> 
> And I live just off Whyte Ave. Party central lol.




DAMN YOU!!! ( in a friendly tone!!!) right on!!! looking great!!! Well....I guess I will join the mormons and learn patience!!! and not demand you to hurry!!! ( not really)..... Whyte Ave??? NICE!!!!. I haven't been back home for a visit in 3 years. I left Edmonton.

my viv building abilities arn't quite as good as yours. i'm an electronic GEEK so I love to build canopies ( lights react to music) with speakers built in and flushed with the canopy LED lights are in sink with " thunder sounds" from itunes.. and then the misting starts... give it that " storm" look.. but the rest I SUCK ASS at... 

im a special effects guy in California now... so thats where my strengths are.. but what you are doing.. is awesome!!

OH.. and I AM CANADIAN!!! Canadians rule!!!!


----------



## Tex22seg

GRIMM said:


> Wont be an update for a while, most likely end of next weekend. .


guess what time it is.
GRIMM i hold you to your word.  lol


----------



## GRIMM

K here is your update....There is no update 

Seriously though, I had to chop off the large driftwood attached to the ductwork. I didnt totally think things though and once it was on, I realised it was going to be impossible to add roots and coat everything below it....So this weekend was spent cutting it off, adding base roots, coating everything, and reattaching the piece. I also am finishing up all the other pvc root structures tonight, then I'll be adding the coated ropes you saw in the video. Once all the main structures are done, I might need to flip this tank on it's side for the coating process. What a pain it is doing detailed work in a top opening tank while it sits upright. It'll all be worth it soon enough though.

I also made my first liana vine and it looks pretty sweet....Maybe I'll post pics of it tonight to make up for my lame update haha....Be back shortly.


----------



## GRIMM

Here ya go.

All the ropes are tied to a bolt. The large hex section gets covered up using foam, leaving the threaded nub sticking out the glass top. I also tied the ropes together at certain points to give it some "form" and stop everything from hanging perfectly verticle. This is my first attempt, and I plan on having at least 1-2 more.



















Dont worry there is saran wrap covering the granite!









Carved...









Test fit...Tight as a tiger.









And coated..


















No one gets to see them mounted yet! Muahaha!


----------



## FwoGiZ

Can you go in detail on how you made these? they're pretty sweet!
I am a bit confused because of the 3rd and 4th pic... I get it you smudge a mix of 2 silicone, 1 toluene, 1 peat? then you carve it?

Keep it up grimm!


----------



## ryan10517

dude that looks BA. Now you need to stop taunting us and make another video....


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Come on guys you can't rush perfection give him time lol 
I rushed my tank and all I see is worn silicone and the white styrofoam underneath in some places (._.)
I'm impatient but for this I can wait.
Can't wait to see it done!
Please tho give us more detail on how you made that sweet vine
Did you put the foam all the way down or just at the top to cover the twine?

It would be awesome to see a video explaining how you make it


----------



## GRIMM

Lol you guys can thank and compliment Raf. Even though these are pretty easy and simple, I definietly didnt think of them on my own.

Um there isnt much more to it then what you see in the pictures. That black goop is expanding foam, and I only used it for the upper section to ensure everything stays together. I added more then what is pictured, so that I could carve it down to a nice flat surface on top. Other then that, all I did was make a batch of the silicone/toluene/peat mixture, then dunk the liana into it to cover the surface. The seperate ropes all stuck together, so I had to separate them while I coated the surface in dried peat. Now that everything is coated, I will wrap the ropes around eachother to give it more form. I'll most likely need to touch up some section that gets tied together with twine, plus I may add more smaller roots to give it more detail.


----------



## dfrmav

how many of these rope/vine things are you planning on making?


----------



## slipperheads

dfrmav said:


> how many of these rope/vine things are you planning on making?


From the same post...



GRIMM said:


> This is my first attempt, and I plan on having at least 1-2 more.


----------



## chinoanoah

looking great, grimm


----------



## dfrmav

§lipperhead said:


> From the same post...


yea, thats brilliant...lol. whoops.


----------



## LookinRound

dfrmav said:


> yea, thats brilliant...lol. whoops.


well, I took what he said to mean that he still will be trying it 1 or 2 more times so that he can get the 'perfect' vine for what he's looking for.


----------



## GRIMM

Im pretty sure I'll be using my first attempt, unless I totally perfect the method and make way better ones....Which might be a possibility 

In the end, I'll have at least 2 holes in the top for mounting points...Possibly more depending how they look on the far side of the tank. Im thinking I might just keep them near the ducting/tree side of the tank though.


----------



## LemurLad

Oh man, just found out about this project. SO AMPED.


----------



## dfrmav

how are you handling the toluene + silicone mixture? working out okay? does it stink like hell? doing it outside? thinking of doing this with my next build, if I don't do the clay. Decisions, decisions...


----------



## Peter Keane

dfrmav said:


> how are you handling the toluene + silicone mixture? working out okay? does it stink like hell? doing it outside? thinking of doing this with my next build, if I don't do the clay. Decisions, decisions...


Grimm, excellent build by the way.. Using Toluene??.. Isn't that the stuff found in gasoline that makes gasoline smell sweet and some people loving that gas smell?.. It has also been known to cause neurological damage with people getting 'high' sniffing the fumes and people with asthma should not work with this close up.. Is this the same Toluene? Have you used this before with any good result?.. I like the idea of thinning and being able to 'paint' on the silicone to products in the vivarium, but due to it's volatility I am very afraid. (hey, it took me like 2 years after word got out to do my first 'Great Stuff' background, but now I have many cans on hand, LOL). I'm 'OLD SCHOOL'.. LOL

Thanks, 
Peter Keane


----------



## Peter Keane

Yeah, I just looked this up.. Beware of this Toluene stuff.. Please use in WELL ventilated area. I checked the EPA site on this and found... 

see: Toluene | Technology Transfer Network Air Toxics Web site | US EPA 

Peter Keane


----------



## WaynePaulette

Ill attempt to answer for GRIMM.

I'm sure he will post a reply anyway.

The toluene he is using is standard Toluene. It is volatile and the fumes can be toxix. I dont suggest sniffing and huffing the fumes. The toluene thins the silicone out so you can paint it on and mix it as a liquid easier to prevent the silicone from curing as rapidly. The silicone will still cure normally and the toluene will evaporate out completely. Therefore not leaving any fumes or toluene on the ropes when they go in the tank.

When working with the toluene do it in a vented area and dont sniff the fumes if possible.

The gasoline smell and such i'm not completely sure about. I believe it is in "gasoline" which is a mixture in general. If you want to get a little more reading on it try out this. 
Gasoline - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes it is wikipedia, but generally the scientific stuff is accurate.

Happy Frogging!

Wayne


----------



## Peter Keane

WaynePaulette said:


> Ill attempt to answer for GRIMM.
> 
> I'm sure he will post a reply anyway.
> 
> The toluene he is using is standard Toluene. It is volatile and the fumes can be toxix. I dont suggest sniffing and huffing the fumes. The toluene thins the silicone out so you can paint it on and mix it as a liquid easier to prevent the silicone from curing as rapidly. The silicone will still cure normally and the toluene will evaporate out completely. Therefore not leaving any fumes or toluene on the ropes when they go in the tank.
> 
> When working with the toluene do it in a vented area and dont sniff the fumes if possible.
> 
> The gasoline smell and such i'm not completely sure about. I believe it is in "gasoline" which is a mixture in general. If you want to get a little more reading on it try out this.
> Gasoline - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Yes it is wikipedia, but generally the scientific stuff is accurate.
> 
> Happy Frogging!
> 
> Wayne


Wayne, 

OK, phew.. Thanks.. It looked sooo promising, then to read the EPA article.. scared the livin hell outta me, but perhaps I will give this a try. I love the fact that this can be added to the silicone and 'painted on'!.. That would make life so much easier.. 

Thanks again, 

Peter Keane


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Grimm when you made that vine did you burn the end of the ropes to keep them from fraying?


----------



## LookinRound

Peter Keane said:


> Wayne,
> 
> OK, phew.. Thanks.. It looked sooo promising, then to read the EPA article.. scared the livin hell outta me, but perhaps I will give this a try. I love the fact that this can be added to the silicone and 'painted on'!.. That would make life so much easier..
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> Peter Keane


It's the same as idea what painters/woodworkers do to thing waxes and finishes and whatever out. Lacquer thinner is used in oil based paints for instance to thin it out. They are solvents, so just act as a means for you to transport what you want onto the final product. They can be dangerous if inhaled, so as mentioned you want a highly vented area to work in when doing this. A mask can help as well. Play safe and there is nothing to worry about, it'll evaporate.


----------



## GRIMM

Peter Keane said:


> Grimm, excellent build by the way.. Using Toluene??.. Isn't that the stuff found in gasoline that makes gasoline smell sweet and some people loving that gas smell?.. It has also been known to cause neurological damage with people getting 'high' sniffing the fumes and people with asthma should not work with this close up.. Is this the same Toluene? Have you used this before with any good result?.. I like the idea of thinning and being able to 'paint' on the silicone to products in the vivarium, but due to it's volatility I am very afraid. (hey, it took me like 2 years after word got out to do my first 'Great Stuff' background, but now I have many cans on hand, LOL). I'm 'OLD SCHOOL'.. LOL
> 
> Thanks,
> Peter Keane


Its already been answered since you posted from other helpful members, but take a quick look a few pages back to see a discussion we had on the toluene if you want more info. A few chemists piped up and they agree the toluene evaporates 100%, and does not change the composition of the silicone. I havent noticed any differences in the cured silicone, other then the fact that it grabs onto the peat WAY better. I was attaching coated ropes to the background last night and was attempting to rub the peat off so the glue would grip them better...I couldnt 



DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Grimm when you made that vine did you burn the end of the ropes to keep them from fraying?


Yes I burnt them with my little lighter torch thing. I only did it because the ropes I have will fray and separate quickly. It isnt necessary at all though.

I made a few more lianas last night, with a difference "style" I guess you could say. I took a picture when I was in mexico of some roots dropping down from the canopy. Its a pretty poor picture, but it'll give a hint as to what I'm trying to accomplish. Lots and lots of thin ropes attached to the ends of others. I'll make sure to post pics tonight once I coat them. Hopefully they turn out ok.


----------



## GRIMM

Finished coating the addition liana vines using the previous picture as inspiration. They are less bulky then the first, yet have more detail. I like think I like them, let me know which type you guys like best though. I'll probably use all three in the viv anyways. I'll plant small epiphytes on the larger one, and probably only use a small amount of moss mix on the new ones.

Old one is on the bottom...


----------



## Azurel

I like all of them bro....Each one has it's own character.....


----------



## eos

They all look great! I like the variety if widths with those


----------



## Okapi

Those vines are looking nice!


----------



## dfrmav

i like the old one the best. not that the other ones aren't good, i just like the old one the most.


----------



## toksyn

Those vines look fantastic.


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks guys. I think they will look pretty good when mounted vertically and intertwined with the background. If they all dont, I'll cut them up and attach them as roots to the background.

And.....Everyone will be happy to know that I have finished the first major coating for the background. Hopefully it dries relatively quickly and I can get a second coating on later tonight or early tomorrow. It *WILL* be done by sunday night. And I will try my best to finish and post the part 2 video as soon as I can after finishing.


----------



## leuc11

GRIMM said:


> Thanks guys. I think they will look pretty good when mounted vertically and intertwined with the background. If they all dont, I'll cut them up and attach them as roots to the background.
> 
> And.....Everyone will be happy to know that I have finished the first major coating for the background. Hopefully it dries relatively quickly and I can get a second coating on later tonight or early tomorrow. It *WILL* be done by sunday night. And I will try my best to finish and post the part 2 video as soon as I can after finishing.


Thank god GRIMM I had to build a viv to make myself feel better because there hasnt been an update


----------



## GRIMM

***Background Part 2***

Hope everyone enjoys the video. If you do, do me a favour and "like" it on youtube. Apparently Im close to being a partner or something lol


----------



## Mitch

Looks AMAZING so far!!!


----------



## vivlover10

Can't wait to see it planted! It looks AMAZING!!!


----------



## chinoanoah

Looks tight dude! this is using the silicone+toulene method?


----------



## Tex22seg

Amazing!!!!


----------



## fleshfrombone

Wait a minute, we all know nothing cool is allowed to come from Canada. First you make a viv build music video, and then you build this thing. I'm pretty sure you're breaking international law here.


----------



## Boondoggle

Seriously, dude, do you even OWN a flannel shirt.


----------



## leuc11

Bad A$$ The beggining was great Looks good!!! whens The next update


----------



## erlese

OMG!!! seriously.. this is down right SICK!!! makes me feel proud Im from Edmonton. LOOKS BEYOND AMAZING!!!!


----------



## frogfreak

fleshfrombone said:


> Wait a minute, we all know nothing cool is allowed to come from Canada.


Haha

BEER 

The build looks awesome Grimm!


----------



## Azurel

Background looks great......Amazing work bro.


----------



## Frank H

its looking awesome Grimm. Nice time lapse vid!


----------



## epiphytes etc.

why must you raise the bar so high?


----------



## Lukeomelas

Very nice Grimm. It is looking awesome. Have your neighbors turned you over to the Mounties yet for all of those fumes? Probably think you are making meth in there! Can't wait to see it all planted up. I'm sure you are fired by now, but you are so close so keep up the good work.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Hell yeah man....it looks great.
I'm about to start on one of my vivariums soon.
Deffinently stealing your ideas haha


----------



## WaynePaulette

Awesome Video!

Nicely done so far Grimm, so where is the next update?! 

Question:

The way you put the 'background' on; As in the coating over the GreatStufff. Was that the toluene/silicone mix also? Just painted on? I didnt even think about doing that. I went into Lowes and asked about Toluene and the lady looked at me like i was stupid.... she didnt even know what toluene was. I'll have to go and find it somewhere else.

Wayne


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks for all the compliments guys! Really appreciated!

My computer really had problems and continually crashed as I tried to edit the full quality video, so thats why it isnt in HD or anything....So here are the full quality pictures seen at the end of the video. No other updates for a little bit. I'll be drilling holes in the top tonight for mounting the lianas, aswell as hooking up the sump and misting system for my test runs. I'll probably give it at least a week to let air out, then a two week wet test to see how well the background covering does. Im not overly concerned about it, as everything above substrate level will be covered with mosses, vines, and orchids. Once everything is setup and ready for planting, I'll post another video, nothing to fancy though like the last one


----------



## dfrmav

that wood is truly amazing, especially the larger piece not attached to the background. i am going to be re-doing my tree frog tank and i'm looking for a large piece like that to be the central feature. you've inspired me . the best feature about this is the viewing angles. because you made the narrow side the part that gets covered with foam or kitty litter, it gives it a new dimension. i like it


----------



## Gert-Jan

All people who made 'How To" vids should be ashamed after seeing this..

Great job dude!


----------



## Gumby

GRIMM you are the man! That is looking Sexy  I'm loving the music choice too. This is flipping awesome. I can't wait to see when it's finished.

-Chris


----------



## Teckdragon

The way the light reflects off the wall is absolutely fantastic! Can't wait to see this finished.


----------



## Tex22seg

Al right I can't wait Anny more!!!! Ballpark how long till the next update, its killing me!!


----------



## GRIMM

It'll be a while until I post anything substantial, sorry. I have to wait for my ADA substrate to arrive and it will probably be 2-3 weeks, which totally sucks. 

As for what else I have done in preparation...I've applied a layer of silicone to the glass tops to hide the ductwork, drilled the holes for the lianas/electrical wires, and hooked up all the plumbing and misting system. Im second guessing the background covering right now, and might need to take the tank off the base to add another thick layer. If I do, I will most likely cut up the 1st liana and attach the pieces to the background for more detail also. There is only room for 2 hanging lianas and a 3rd makes it look too cluttered as far as I can tell by holding them up. I'll keep everyone updated when some real work gets finished but until then sit tight lol


----------



## LookinRound

Thanks for the update Grimm. From your last video I had a hard time telling where the tubing goes from under the false bottom. I think I see them go up towards the top with the duct work. Is this correct? what are they for? I may have missed that when reading through everything, if so I apologize.


----------



## GRIMM

No apologies necessary, I really havent gone into any detail on the water feature yet.

The 2 tubes you see coming up go to seperate areas, and will mainly act as an intermittent drip feature. On the picture, the blue lines are the tubes, and the red arrows indicate where the water will drip from. The green things are the fittings. From left to right, I have the supply T, the constant drain with a set height of about 3", and the emergency full drain with ball valve in sump. This is incase I need to fully drain the tank for full water changes or moving of the tank. I'll eventually make another quick explanation video of everything in the base, but hopefully that gives you an idea for now.


----------



## LookinRound

ok, that explains it perfectly. I look forward to the video to see more detail of how you fitted it all and what you used exactly for the emergency drain/ball valve. Thank you


----------



## ryan10517

that water feature is gonna be sweet! i'm sure i've missed this, but have you made a decision as to what is going in the pond? I don't feel like going back and reading through 23 pages to find out haha.

I think adding the cut up liana vine to the bg will definitely make a positive. addition. Lookin good man


----------



## DJboston

This tank is going to be total eye candy! I love the background and design. Very unique. Going to be so cool and I can't wait to see it finished. 

I haven't been following the thread and can't find what's going in there for frogs...can you fill me in?


----------



## GRIMM

ryan10517 said:


> that water feature is gonna be sweet! i'm sure i've missed this, but have you made a decision as to what is going in the pond? I don't feel like going back and reading through 23 pages to find out haha.
> 
> I think adding the cut up liana vine to the bg will definitely make a positive. addition. Lookin good man


The pond will be an experiment at first. Once I have the water parameters relatively ok, then I'll be adding some small aquatic plants and mosses. Then once everything settles I might try some cristal shrimp, but it all depends on how difficult it is to keep water parameters are the correct levels. I wont be heartbroken if nothing goes in the water section, since the main purpose of this tank is for awesome plants and darts. I have read the ADA substrate will pretty much do the work for me, so extra attention to the water levels might not be needed.

And yes, the added vines will make it look a lot better. I also have a big bag of all those vines I covered in the part 1 video. I forgot about them till now haha 



LookinRound said:


> ok, that explains it perfectly. I look forward to the video to see more detail of how you fitted it all and what you used exactly for the emergency drain/ball valve. Thank you


Haha it isnt fancy at all. Just clear tubing shoved into the bulkheads then run down into the 20 gallon sump tank. The tubing took about a hundred pounds of pressure to squeeze into the bulkheads, so Im hoping no silicone is needed in case I need to take everything apart.



DJboston said:


> This tank is going to be total eye candy! I love the background and design. Very unique. Going to be so cool and I can't wait to see it finished.
> 
> I haven't been following the thread and can't find what's going in there for frogs...can you fill me in?


Bastis, or most likely a family of san cristobals.


----------



## slipperheads

You have a good hand in Microsoft Paint if I may say so.


----------



## ryan10517

with a 20 gallon sump, water parameters shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially if the pond is densely planted. What filter are you planning on using for the sump? you could run a small canister like a fluval 205 or an eheim 2211 which would make maintenance a breeze. Just make sure you have a lot of bio-balls because they don't come with a substantial amount out of the box.


----------



## VicSkimmr

it seems like a cannister filter would be 1) overkill and 2) more of a pain to maintain than a simple HOB filter


----------



## GRIMM

I had actually bought a used fluval 205 and didnt like the size/look/functionality of it, so I sold it the next day. I'll probably just look for a little submerged filter rated for 30-40 gallon and be done with it. I have a small 20 gallon rated hang on filter so I might even just use that.Any extra aquasoil I have will also be dumped in the sump to aid water parameters.

What is a HOB?


----------



## VicSkimmr

Hang On Back


----------



## Wallace Grover

Do a freshwater algal scrub filter in the sump!!


----------



## FwoGiZ

That is an aspect which I have to read a bit more about: sumps
It's not like we usually have sumps in every vivarium, but I am also planning on having one for my living room display!
I am not very knowledgeable bout aquariums but I thought some 30-40gal filter wouldn't be able to pump water back up into the vivarium... !


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Why would ya want a hang on filter when you have it drilled?
Why not make a sump?


----------



## GRIMM

You guys are confused....Ill put the hang on filter on the sump if I end up using one....Not in the tank. And I have a seperate pump for pushing the sump water up to the tank. I already bought one with the perfect head height.


----------



## Wallace Grover

If you do a normal sump it should be like a gigantic filter...








See, if you make a refugium area you can have both biological and physical filtration. (IMO chemical filtration like activated carbon would be useless since you have so many organics it would get used up in so short of a time, and you would be taking a ton of nurtients out of the system)


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Wallace Grover said:


> If you do a normal sump it should be like a gigantic filter...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> See, if you make a refugium area you can have both biological and physical filtration. (IMO chemical filtration like activated carbon would be useless since you have so many organics it would get used up in so short of a time, and you would be taking a ton of nurtients out of the system)


Very nice sump man. I plan on building one just like it.
Do you have any pics of it up and running?


----------



## crested

This tank is going to be amazing, I would be incredibly proud to have something like this in my living room, what a great piece!

I noticed in your part 2 vid you didn't lay down a coat of silicone on the glass before the pond/aquatic foam... any reason why not? I think you had used a layer first in some of your previous build vids right?


----------



## fleshfrombone

Wallace Grover said:


> If you do a normal sump it should be like a gigantic filter...
> 
> See, if you make a refugium area you can have both biological and physical filtration. (IMO chemical filtration like activated carbon would be useless since you have so many organics it would get used up in so short of a time, and you would be taking a ton of nurtients out of the system)


What purpose do the inserts serve?


----------



## GRIMM

crested said:


> This tank is going to be amazing, I would be incredibly proud to have something like this in my living room, what a great piece!
> 
> I noticed in your part 2 vid you didn't lay down a coat of silicone on the glass before the pond/aquatic foam... any reason why not? I think you had used a layer first in some of your previous build vids right?


Thanks a lot bud, and welcome to the forum. I am definitely proud of it, to bad not many of my friends "get it" haha

I never did mention it, but adding a thin coat of silicone to the glass side was the very first thing I did once I received my tank. Take a look at the 1st part of the background video, you will see the silicone prior to me attaching the ductwork.


----------



## ryan10517

VicSkimmr said:


> it seems like a cannister filter would be 1) overkill and 2) more of a pain to maintain than a simple HOB filter


with a smaller canister, maintenance is a breeze. With my fluval 205, i simply rinse off the filter pads maybe once a month, thats all. Really no more than what you would do with a HOB. A smaller filter with a flow rate of less then 200 gph is not overkill at all for a 15-20 gallon sump in my opinion. 

I agree with wallace that you should skip out on the activated carbon. It only lasts about a month or so anyways. IMO, filter priorities are biological, mechanical, and then chemical (in your case the plants will do this for you). I always take out the activated carbon out of canisters and just add more biological material (like bio balls, bio stars, and those ceramic tube things) 

Grimm, a smaller hang on back or submersible filter will work fine for a small sump like this one, but keep in mind that a small canister will have more biological filtration as well as better mechanical filtration. This goes without saying that they are 5 times the cost. Personally i like my fluval 205. It does what it intends to do, but i did get it for pretty cheap (on sale for $90 plus a 20% employee discount at the time )


----------



## Wallace Grover

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Very nice sump man. I plan on building one just like it.
> Do you have any pics of it up and running?


Oh, I just googled sump and found a good diagram for examples sake...



fleshfrombone said:


> What purpose do the inserts serve?


If you have a skimmer in one area they help keep water levels at a certain point for it to operate while keeping it normal in the other areas...


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Wallace Grover said:


> Oh, I just googled sump and found a good diagram for examples sake...
> 
> 
> If you have a skimmer in one area they help keep water levels at a certain point for it to operate while keeping it normal in the other areas...


The skimmer is used to seperate the protein fron the water....
From my understanding you don't want a lot of protein buildup in the water.
It bubbles up the water and then the protein is collected and I believe it's discarded.

If you are using a freshwater sump just to clean the water and not really for fish you don't need a protein skimmer.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

fleshfrombone said:


> What purpose do the inserts serve?


By inserts....if you mean the glass panes....it serperates the different parts of the sump.
First you have the intake area, which you can fill with sponge...or leave as is
Then you have the bubble trap that gets rid of all the bubbles. Some fill that with sponge as well.
Then you have you refugium which some put a drip tray and fill with bioballs or leave out the tray and just put a lot of filtering aquatic plants....or sponge.
Some people actually make that a small tank and put a fish in it

There is a cheap sump you can make yourself that I will be making.
If your tank is allready drilled like his is.....you simply make an overflow box out of plexiglass or acrylic at the water height you want and it flows into a pipe to you sump. 
Since you have or use a false botton you don't nessesarily have to put eggcrate or screen on top of the overflow box to keep critters from falling in.
Attach a ball valve midway to the sump.
You get a rubbermaid container the put 2 holes in it...an inlet or an outlet.
Then you take a 5 gallon bucket and cut the bottom off and put egg crate on the bottom like you would a false bottom. 
Then you take the bottom that you cut off and drill it full of holes..aka the drip tray.
You get the white filter sheets (forget the name) and put that in the drip tray.
Fill the bucket full of bioballs or some really cheap plastic pot scrubbers from the dollar store.
Take 3 pvc pipes and cut them and use them as supports and place the peice you drilled into the bucket.
Then you take the bucket lid and cut a hole and put a bulkhead on the lid and put itit on top and cut you hole in the rubbermaid lid...this will be your inlet.
That will be the filter.
At the opposite end you place a return pump and connect it to a pipe and run it up to the tank. Aka the outlet make sure you put a ball valve on it as well.
The water goes into the sump large particles and debris are stopped by the sheet then it dripps into the bucket and has to go through all the balls or scrubbers then it flows down to your return pump and back to your tank.
Since we use soil and whatnot you might wanna surround the return pump with sponge so it doesn't get clogged. This shouldn't be nessary once the water clears
And presto you have a dirt cheap sump 

I can supply you with videos if interested...
A sump or canister filter(that doesn't use carbon filter inserts) is the way to go...as one guy said before the carbon might take the organics out...
All the sumps I seen never use any carbon..only plastics 
Besides these ways you don't have to buy replacement filters yet you do have to clean it and maintain it tho


----------



## erlese

ryan10517 said:


> with a smaller canister, maintenance is a breeze. With my fluval 205, i simply rinse off the filter pads maybe once a month, thats all. Really no more than what you would do with a HOB. A smaller filter with a flow rate of less then 200 gph is not overkill at all for a 15-20 gallon sump in my opinion.
> 
> I agree with wallace that you should skip out on the activated carbon. It only lasts about a month or so anyways. IMO, filter priorities are biological, mechanical, and then chemical (in your case the plants will do this for you). I always take out the activated carbon out of canisters and just add more biological material (like bio balls, bio stars, and those ceramic tube things)
> 
> Grimm, a smaller hang on back or submersible filter will work fine for a small sump like this one, but keep in mind that a small canister will have more biological filtration as well as better mechanical filtration. This goes without saying that they are 5 times the cost. Personally i like my fluval 205. It does what it intends to do, but i did get it for pretty cheap (on sale for $90 plus a 20% employee discount at the time )


Do you have pics with how you piped your Fluval into your tank??? You have me curious!!


----------



## erlese

GRIMM said:


> It'll be a while until I post anything substantial, sorry. I have to wait for my ADA substrate to arrive and it will probably be 2-3 weeks, which totally sucks.
> 
> As for what else I have done in preparation...I've applied a layer of silicone to the glass tops to hide the ductwork, drilled the holes for the lianas/electrical wires, and hooked up all the plumbing and misting system. Im second guessing the background covering right now, and might need to take the tank off the base to add another thick layer. If I do, I will most likely cut up the 1st liana and attach the pieces to the background for more detail also. There is only room for 2 hanging lianas and a 3rd makes it look too cluttered as far as I can tell by holding them up. I'll keep everyone updated when some real work gets finished but until then sit tight lol


Why is your ADA taking 3 weeks???? Maybe I read this wrong ( which will be no surprise )
Or are you referring 2-3 weeks for your next update probably.
Because I got my ADA from eBay in 4 days.


----------



## GRIMM

erlese said:


> Why is your ADA taking 3 weeks???? Maybe I read this wrong ( which will be no surprise )
> Or are you referring 2-3 weeks for your next update probably.
> Because I got my ADA from eBay in 4 days.


The ADA will arrive in 2-3 weeks. I bought it directly from the ADG website, and they had a long wait time due to the Earthquake in Japan. At least I got it relatively cheap and didnt have to pay for shipping, plus some of the proceeds went to disaster relief. I'll try for an update next week once I finish up the background additions and have everything ready for the wet test run.


----------



## fleshfrombone

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> By inserts....if you mean the glass panes....it serperates the different parts of the sump.
> First you have the intake area, which you can fill with sponge...or leave as is
> Then you have the bubble trap that gets rid of all the bubbles. Some fill that with sponge as well.
> Then you have you refugium which some put a drip tray and fill with bioballs or leave out the tray and just put a lot of filtering aquatic plants....or sponge.
> Some people actually make that a small tank and put a fish in it
> 
> There is a cheap sump you can make yourself that I will be making.
> If your tank is allready drilled like his is.....you simply make an overflow box out of plexiglass or acrylic at the water height you want and it flows into a pipe to you sump.
> Since you have or use a false botton you don't nessesarily have to put eggcrate or screen on top of the overflow box to keep critters from falling in.
> Attach a ball valve midway to the sump.
> You get a rubbermaid container the put 2 holes in it...an inlet or an outlet.
> Then you take a 5 gallon bucket and cut the bottom off and put egg crate on the bottom like you would a false bottom.
> Then you take the bottom that you cut off and drill it full of holes..aka the drip tray.
> You get the white filter sheets (forget the name) and put that in the drip tray.
> Fill the bucket full of bioballs or some really cheap plastic pot scrubbers from the dollar store.
> Take 3 pvc pipes and cut them and use them as supports and place the peice you drilled into the bucket.
> Then you take the bucket lid and cut a hole and put a bulkhead on the lid and put itit on top and cut you hole in the rubbermaid lid...this will be your inlet.
> That will be the filter.
> At the opposite end you place a return pump and connect it to a pipe and run it up to the tank. Aka the outlet make sure you put a ball valve on it as well.
> The water goes into the sump large particles and debris are stopped by the sheet then it dripps into the bucket and has to go through all the balls or scrubbers then it flows down to your return pump and back to your tank.
> Since we use soil and whatnot you might wanna surround the return pump with sponge so it doesn't get clogged. This shouldn't be nessary once the water clears
> And presto you have a dirt cheap sump
> 
> I can supply you with videos if interested...
> A sump or canister filter(that doesn't use carbon filter inserts) is the way to go...as one guy said before the carbon might take the organics out...
> All the sumps I seen never use any carbon..only plastics
> Besides these ways you don't have to buy replacement filters yet you do have to clean it and maintain it tho


You just blew my mind sir or madam. Sounds like a Russian doll.


----------



## Azurel

That is a pretty good description of a cheap sump and filter and can be made like that with smaller buckets if a 5g is too big....The inserts are called baffles, but with being FW they wouldn't be needed, nor a skimmer do to the fact they do not work as efficiently in FW and for them to be efficient they have to be huge, the biggest purpose of them is for marine tanks.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

fleshfrombone said:


> You just blew my mind sir or madam. Sounds like a Russian doll.


Haha I'm a dood mayne


----------



## erlese

GRIMM said:


> The ADA will arrive in 2-3 weeks. I bought it directly from the ADG website, and they had a long wait time due to the Earthquake in Japan. At least I got it relatively cheap and didnt have to pay for shipping, plus some of the proceeds went to disaster relief. I'll try for an update next week once I finish up the background additions and have everything ready for the wet test run.


Did have to pay for shipping... Nice !!! Sounds good!! Pretty cool of you to think of the people of Japan. ( even when its tempting to spend!!)Looking forward to the update Grimm.


----------



## Wallace Grover

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> The skimmer is used to seperate the protein fron the water....
> From my understanding you don't want a lot of protein buildup in the water.
> It bubbles up the water and then the protein is collected and I believe it's discarded.
> 
> If you are using a freshwater sump just to clean the water and not really for fish you don't need a protein skimmer.


That was a saltwater sump I believe...


----------



## dtfleming

LOL, skimmer is for saltwater tanks. A sump is to add water volume or to house equipment form the main display. Like putting a filter in there to help keep the water clean.


----------



## Wallace Grover

dtfleming said:


> LOL, skimmer is for saltwater tanks. A sump is to add water volume or to house equipment form the main display. Like putting a filter in there to help keep the water clean.


A proper sump should be a filter within itself...


----------



## GRIMM

From the lips of Webster....Sump - a pit or reservoir serving as a drain or receptacle for liquid...

....which is exactly what im planning. The complexities of this build are in the tank itself. Dont you guys worry to much about the stuff behind the scenes  I'll figure it out like I do with everything, then update you guys with the news lol

Edit: Speaking of news, should have the background completed to my liking tomorrow night, and I will be dropping some major coin on orchids this weekend in preparation for planting time. I'll get pics of the background with all the added vines and mounted lianas as soon as I can for everyone, sorry for the slow build


----------



## bmcdarts

Can I hire you to make me a sweet looking Viv? Haha just kidding. Would be nice though!

Brittany


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> sorry for the slow build


It's ok man. Rather it be slow and look good than to be rushed. I got all the patience in the world for this build


----------



## WaynePaulette

[email protected]#$

GRIMM, im craving. Come on man!

Wayne


----------



## GRIMM

Outa town this weekend, but I did drop 325$ on orchids. In additon to the following list, I also have a full grow-out shelf of plants/mosses under the twins, a brom order, and an orchid order from Ecuador to be made 

This weekend's orchid shopping list...
Bulbophyllum - Concinnum, Longiflorum, and Longissimum
Aerangis Biloba
Sophronitis Brevipedunculata
Neof. Falcata
Angraecum Didieri
Haraelle Retrocalla (odorata)
Masdevallia Floribunda
Phalaenopsis Parishi
Cirrhopetallum Fascinator
Leptotes Bicolor
Rodriguezia Obtusifolia
Oncidium Veluntinum


----------



## Wallace Grover

Interested to see this tank, never saw something that sounds so predominated by orchids...


----------



## GRIMM

Wallace Grover said:


> Interested to see this tank, never saw something that sounds so predominated by orchids...


Haha well the sum of my orchids, and a few additional plants are all growing out in a 10 gallon tank, and a 5 gallon rubbermade. These orchids arent very big by any means. I think in my 20 gallon viv I have 5 species, and you can hardly even notice them. I gots a lot more to buy to fill this beast.

Im getting supper delivered so I dont waste any valuable time tonight. Small update shortly of the tank back on the base with finished background


----------



## GRIMM

Haha I didnt even eat supper tonight....Mmmm dry cereal 

Ok here is where I'm at. I'll let it air out tonight, and start the wet test run tomorrow night. If it passes, I'll start adding my moss mix everywhere and turn the misting system on overdrive.


----------



## fleshfrombone

Jesus dude, that is really something!


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks bud!

One last thing for tonight...I cant decide what mood I'm in. Help me


----------



## LookinRound

you're in a mood for teal


----------



## martin

That's gonna be a great centerpiece


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Thanks bud!
> 
> One last thing for tonight...I cant decide what mood I'm in. Help me


The forth one....that light blue or greenblue lol


----------



## ynotnad

GRIMM that is looking freakin sweet so far. The mood lighting is a nice touch of bling bling...


----------



## Azurel

Damn Grimm that is sweet.....One of the best builds yet. Can't wait to see it planted. Good luck on the wet test.


----------



## Sigaw

I've seen better. 
Haha, jk!

It's totally amazing! I wish I had the patience to make a background like that.


----------



## revolution292004

Nice work...the build looks great and your documentation is second to none.


----------



## eos

Grimm... slowly but surely.... this thing is turning up super!


----------



## fleshfrombone

From now on Grimm please finish your builds and document them as you go then post all at once. I only say this because waiting for you to finish this thing has me writhing with anticipation.


----------



## Mitch

I want an update. With plants and stuff. See above.


----------



## leuc11

wow it looks nice I like the red It looks awsome


----------



## GRIMM

Haha you guys. Its hasnt even been 2 months since I got the tank! Where would the fun be if everything was done and finished in a few days eh?

LOL Mitch. I'll post pics of the plants going in the tank, but nothing of them planted for a while. Im planning a cool time lapse, but it'll be a few months in the making


----------



## pet-teez

Epic, and your roots look really awesome in there.
I'm glad I'm watching this thread


----------



## WaynePaulette

GRIMM said:


> Haha you guys. Its hasnt even been 2 months since I got the tank! Where would the fun be if everything was done and finished in a few days eh?
> 
> LOL Mitch. I'll post pics of the plants going in the tank, but nothing of them planted for a while. Im planning a cool time lapse, but it'll be a few months in the making


If i had a dislike button i would have just raped it....

A few MONTHS! I can't go that long... (no joke) 

You're killing me. Oh GRIMM. PS>> My boss who was doing the second 55 gal tank had to bail because he doesn't have time with work and his baby girl due in a week.... Guess who is building a second tank! Suggestions?

Wayne


----------



## VicSkimmr

GRIMM said:


> Haha you guys. Its hasnt even been 2 months since I got the tank! Where would the fun be if everything was done and finished in a few days eh?


You give'm an inch, they take a mile


----------



## erlese

GRIMM said:


> Haha you guys. Its hasnt even been 2 months since I got the tank! Where would the fun be if everything was done and finished in a few days eh?


A true leader always keeps an element of surprise up his sleeve, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless.  yep, you can't hurry perfection... lol.... so get to it!!  *** Joke***


----------



## GRIMM

Yay, finally time for a quick update! Sit back and take a 4 minute break from arguing over all the ridiculous mixing threads going on. Apparently all hell breaks loose when everyone is bored!  haha


----------



## Mitch

I think I need to put on a new pair of pants now...


----------



## fleshfrombone

power timer power timer power timer. That cracked me up.


----------



## Ross

If you haven't found one yet, a check valve should help you prevent backflow into the sump.


----------



## epiphytes etc.

start over


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM, 

As for the sump how do you plan of filtering the water?
The hang on filters like you previously mentioned?


----------



## dfrmav

GRIMM,

Do you have a video or tutorial for how you set up your fan system? I'd like to emulate it pretty much exactly, if you don't mind. Parts list, at least? Thanks, man!


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

dfrmav said:


> GRIMM,
> 
> Do you have a video or tutorial for how you set up your fan system? I'd like to emulate it pretty much exactly, if you don't mind. Parts list, at least? Thanks, man!


I'm not GRIMM but I can help haha
The videos are here in this thread...but here they are anyway

Equipment:





Duct work:


----------



## dfrmav

ahh, gotcha. Yea, I should pay more attention to the thread lol. Thanks!


----------



## extra

Nice, can't wait to see the next stage.


----------



## talbot777

Hey Grim,

Iv'e just finished watching your "circulation videos" and want to clarify my electrical understanding.

If i am looking to buy this adaptor: AC 100-240V DC 12V Adapter Converter Power Supply (AU) | eBay

which is rated at 12volts and 1 amp. would the following scenarios be true:

I could run 1 12 volt fan less then 1 amp
I could run 2 6volt fans in series as long as the amp is < 1
I could run as many 12 volt fans as i want in parallel as long as i keep the total amps < 1

thanks


----------



## GRIMM

talbot777 said:


> Hey Grim,
> 
> Iv'e just finished watching your "circulation videos" and want to clarify my electrical understanding.
> 
> If i am looking to buy this adaptor: AC 100-240V DC 12V Adapter Converter Power Supply (AU) | eBay
> 
> which is rated at 12volts and 1 amp. would the following scenarios be true:
> 
> I could run 1 12 volt fan less then 1 amp
> I could run 2 6volt fans in series as long as the amp is < 1
> I could run as many 12 volt fans as i want in parallel as long as i keep the total amps < 1
> 
> thanks


Im no electrician, but I believe the device will only draw the amount of amperage it requires. As long as the supplied amps are greater then the total amps drawn, you are in the clear. If the total is greater then what is supplied, the converter will be overloaded and may eventually burn out. 

Volts need to be equal, and supplied amperage must be greater then the sum of all devices, in short. So yes, all those scenarios would be fine. I believe a good rule of thumb is to allow for an extra 20% amperage draw for startup. At least that is what the super nerdy electrical dork nerd told me when I bought mine


----------



## crested

As for the drainage valve for your water feature...
Any tips/tricks on drilling this?

You've inspired me to do my own viv and just bought a 36x36x18 tank.

Drilling a hole in the glass has me VERY nervous.

Looking great Grimm!


----------



## LookinRound

crested said:


> As for the drainage valve for your water feature...
> Any tips/tricks on drilling this?


Here is a link for you to read that may help: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/69457-cutting-glass.html#post608139


----------



## GRIMM

crested said:


> As for the drainage valve for your water feature...
> Any tips/tricks on drilling this?
> 
> You've inspired me to do my own viv and just bought a 36x36x18 tank.
> 
> Drilling a hole in the glass has me VERY nervous.
> 
> Looking great Grimm!


I actually didnt drill the bottom, I got the aquarium store to do it when I purchased my tank. 

I did however drill the hole near the top for the ultrasonic humidifier, and all the holes in the tops for the misting heads and liana bolts. Its pretty easy. Just use the weight of the drill and keep water flowing over the drilling area. Thicker glass is less likely to crack, but it takes waaaaaay longer. Took me 20 minuted to drill a 3/4" hole through the 5/8" glass as my buddy misted intermittently to keep things cooled down. I went through a fully charged 18v battery, and didnt even make it through haha.

Here is a quick vid I made and you can see me drilling the tops. The drill I used has a spring loaded head, so it came in handy for drilling with low pressure.


----------



## Wallace Grover

Is this your... third tank?


----------



## FwoGiZ

I create a tiny pool with playdough around where I drill the hole!
The most important thing really is to go very slowly! 
When you put the bit down on the glass, put it with an angle else it will kiss and scratch the glass. Wait a minute, and once there is a small cavity, you can slowly raise the angle until you reach 90 degree. Then I usually slowly move the drill around so it applies pressure (only the drill weight!!) on every side of the whole.
I usually go thru small glass in 5min. Take your time 

Practicing on other viv or piece of scrap is a must imo..


----------



## GRIMM

Wallace Grover said:


> Is this your... third tank?


Its my 4th tank, but additionaly I did make those practice root structure backgrounds. I also did an 18x18x24 exo with finished background that I traded to a local friend for 4 borja ridge vents.

I have a steep learning curve I guess


----------



## Wallace Grover

Sooo clean, I guess it goes to show how a well planned tank can turn out...


----------



## BlueRidge

GRIMM said:


> Im no electrician, but I believe the device will only draw the amount of amperage it requires. As long as the supplied amps are greater then the total amps drawn, you are in the clear. If the total is greater then what is supplied, the converter will be overloaded and may eventually burn out.
> 
> Volts need to be equal, and supplied amperage must be greater then the sum of all devices, in short. So yes, all those scenarios would be fine. I believe a good rule of thumb is to allow for an extra 20% amperage draw for startup. At least that is what the super nerdy electrical dork nerd told me when I bought mine


You also need to watch the ratings of the fans. As voltage decreases, amperage increases so just because you are splitting the difference by using 2 6v fans doesn't mean it will be under 1A.


----------



## talbot777

Thanks Grimm for answering the electrics questions for me. Can't wait to see some more video updates


----------



## coffeeaddict

Wow! That was an incredible read! (Read all pages)

If ever someone asks me what the best source for reading up on building a vivarium is I will point them to this thread...


----------



## Nate Mcfin

Stunning pretty much sums it up.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

coffeeaddict said:


> Wow! That was an incredible read! (Read all pages)
> 
> If ever someone asks me what the best source for reading up on building a vivarium is I will point them to this thread...



Yeah I like GRIMM's work and the fact that he explains stuff. Some ppl on here are just to lazy to go through it all and leave important details out and when ya ask they just kinda blow you off.
They also use all these abbreviations of things and my being a n00b I'm like 
Once I read through a ton of threads I finally deciphered the lingo lols.



Can't wait to see the tank grown in GRIMM  if all goes well I'll be using that duct work but scaled down some and only one fan. I'm. Using your silicone method for all my vert convert doors to seal em better....
I want some of those glowing mushrooms man


----------



## nelcadiz

Do you plant the vive yet?, I´m crazy to see it spooted with them XD!!


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks guys.

And, stiiiiiilllllll waiting for the fricken ADA Aquasoil to show up. Im incredibly frustrated and unmotivated to work until I get the stuff. No replies to my emails with tracking info or estimated arrival time either. I hate shipping!!!!

I wish they spent half the time on customer service as they do on their new youtube videos.....


----------



## VicSkimmr

haha, you too huh? I'm waiting on a load of it too


----------



## frogparty

such an epic build! Can't wait to see it planted


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> And, stiiiiiilllllll waiting for the fricken ADA Aquasoil to show up. Im incredibly frustrated and unmotivated to work until I get the stuff. No replies to my emails with tracking info or estimated arrival time either. I hate shipping!!!!
> 
> I wish they spent half the time on customer service as they do on their new youtube videos.....


Aquasoil???


----------



## BlueRidge




----------



## Arpeggio

That stuff is the best. ADA rocks all around. Have you seen this? How-To Video: ADA 60-P (Updated with Episode 2 link) The video tutorials are really neat.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Arpeggio said:


> That stuff is the best. ADA rocks all around. Have you seen this? How-To Video: ADA 60-P (Updated with Episode 2 link) The video tutorials are really neat.


Wow that's awesome...
I bet it gets exspensive tho having to buy all those chemicals to do the process.
Or can you just throw the stuff in there for a vivarium?


----------



## Stango

What an amazing step by step thread .... I am a long time dart lover and first time keeper ( in the next 6 months or so ) 
This is exactly the info and thread in needed to get my brain juices flowing ! 
Cheers Grimm and hope to see more espeacially the the darts in completion !


----------



## crested

Ahhh, ok that helps a bunch! Much appreciated!




GRIMM said:


> I actually didnt drill the bottom, I got the aquarium store to do it when I purchased my tank.
> 
> I did however drill the hole near the top for the ultrasonic humidifier, and all the holes in the tops for the misting heads and liana bolts. Its pretty easy. Just use the weight of the drill and keep water flowing over the drilling area. Thicker glass is less likely to crack, but it takes waaaaaay longer. Took me 20 minuted to drill a 3/4" hole through the 5/8" glass as my buddy misted intermittently to keep things cooled down. I went through a fully charged 18v battery, and didnt even make it through haha.
> 
> Here is a quick vid I made and you can see me drilling the tops. The drill I used has a spring loaded head, so it came in handy for drilling with low pressure.
> 
> YouTube - ‪The Peninsula - Glass Tops‬‏


----------



## Raf

You've been busy Grimm. Nice job!
Makes me wanna upgrade my viv again


----------



## Qfrogs

Raf said:


> You've been busy Grimm. Nice job!
> Makes me wanna upgrade my viv again


----------



## singhm29

This may sound like a stupid question but Im looking into getting the basic mistking system which says it can support 10 nozzles. From your equipment overview you have a single nozzle that can point 4 ways does this count as 4 nozzles? Where did those super nozzles even come from I didnt see them on mistkings site. Great build youve got going.


----------



## fleshfrombone

Grimm what in the hell is the hold up? You're screwing with us man.


----------



## GRIMM

singhm29 said:


> This may sound like a stupid question but Im looking into getting the basic mistking system which says it can support 10 nozzles. From your equipment overview you have a single nozzle that can point 4 ways does this count as 4 nozzles? Where did those super nozzles even come from I didnt see them on mistkings site. Great build youve got going.


Im pretty sure every output counts as a nozzle. The adapters look like a single nozzle T, but with only 1 nozzle per adapter. I needed to buy 4 of these to make my 2 dual nozzles into 3 quad nozzles.



fleshfrombone said:


> Grimm what in the hell is the hold up? You're screwing with us man.


Dude you dont even want to know. Damn ADG pretending they sent me response emails to my 2 messages asking for tracking info...Im getting free shipping out of it now due to the hold up. I sent them a major PMS email so thats why. Who knows how much longer it will be though, I dont even know if they have shipped it yet. Irritating to say the least. Pretty much ruined my summer of planting and getting everything grown-in.


----------



## GRIMM

^^^

That is supposed to say "2 dual nozzles into 2 quads"...Stupid editing time limit and late night posts lol


----------



## VicSkimmr

ADG shop has always had piss poor customer service in my experience. I typically buy my stuff through Aqua Forest now.


----------



## fishman9809

VicSkimmr said:


> ADG shop has always had piss poor customer service in my experience. I typically buy my stuff through Aqua Forest now.


I agree very much with this. I tried buying stuff from ADG at one point and they respond terribly slow to emails. I live near AFA so I always go to them for things I need or help.


----------



## VicSkimmr

I ordered a 60P from them last year, they said it was in stock. It didn't ship out for a week so I emailed them... no response. I waited 2 days then called, oh it's not in stock but they should be in next week. I didn't get a shipping notice the next week so I called again, "oh the shipment hasn't come in yet but it should in any day now." This went on for a month before I ordered it from Aqua Forest and had it by the end of the following week. 

There's just no excuse for that.


----------



## RedEyeTroyFrog

Just watched ur video for the first time on youtube, Jesus Christ dude... that thing is ridiculous...cant wait to see it complete...What frogs are you planning on putting in there?? Really Really Fantastic Display tank!


----------



## tclipse

fleshfrombone said:


> power timer power timer power timer. That cracked me up.


Bacon strips & Bacon strips & Bacon strips & Bacon strips


----------



## gootswa

I don't know anything about ADG, but I ordered plants from Glass House Works and it took them like 5 weeks to actually ship them. I had to email them about 8 times before getting a response. Eventually, about 5.5 weeks later I got them. The quality of the plants was great, but god awful customer service.
Sorry to hear about the predicament.


----------



## vivlover10

this might sound pretty stupid but what the hell is ADG?


----------



## Nate Mcfin

vivlover10 said:


> this might sound pretty stupid but what the hell is ADG?


Aquarium Design Group

Aqua Design Amano USA/ADGshop.com- now available in the U.S.A, prouldy offered by Aquarium Design Group. The finest planted aquarium products.


----------



## gootswa

They seem pretty legit, surprises me how bad they screwed you over.


----------



## VicSkimmr

They _are_ legit. Their products are second to none. There are 2 main companies that sell ADA products, ADG and Aqua Forest. One has awesome customer service, the other has none at all.

Hope your stuff comes in soon GRIMM, at least you're getting free shipping out of it


----------



## vivlover10

I cant wait any longer!!!!!!


----------



## yellow dart frog man

Good luck with the viv!


----------



## GRIMM

vivlover10 said:


> I cant wait any longer!!!!!!


Yeah neither could I...

I reached my breaking point today and said F$#K IT! I went and bought a tonne of the Fluval Stratum aquarium substrate. I got both the "planted aquarium" type and the "shrimp" type. To be honest, it looks IDENTICAL to the ADA Amazonia Aquasoil and from reading online it seems to have great reviews. The planted type has larger particles, and the shrimp type will be used as a nice looking fine particle top layer. If the ADA aquasoil ever gets shipped this year, I'll be selling it to local hobbyists. Enough is enough.

Water section substrate + 75 dslr timelapse pictures = done


----------



## Qfrogs

i don't think i have fingernails left...been biting them in anticipation. Plant that sucker NOWW


----------



## dainiusiva

Thanks for your decision to say **** it  waiting for your masterpiece to get to the next level grimm


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Yeah neither could I...
> 
> I reached my breaking point today and said F$#K IT! I went and bought a tonne of the Fluval Stratum aquarium substrate. I got both the "planted aquarium" type and the "shrimp" type. To be honest, it looks IDENTICAL to the ADA Amazonia Aquasoil and from reading online it seems to have great reviews. The planted type has larger particles, and the shrimp type will be used as a nice looking fine particle top layer. If the ADA aquasoil ever gets shipped this year, I'll be selling it to local hobbyists. Enough is enough.
> 
> Water section substrate + 75 dslr timelapse pictures = done



That is ludicrous it's not there yet. Next time I'd order way in advance.
I can't wait to see more done to it....I can be patient tho.
I would rather you take your time and do it right.....than rush and maybe mess something up.
I hope everyone isn't pressuring you too much to get it done already. Rushing usually leads to problems lol
I'm finally gonna start a nice tank here soon....I just wish I could find some good mini broms and some moss locally.

People I know youre eager to see it done but give the man time to work his magic I guarantee it's gonna be worth the wait.


----------



## FIT BMX

Grimm you are an artist second only to Da Vinci!

I just read the thread and you should do contracts for zoos or something.

Take your time, Rome wasn't built in a day.
GOOD LUCK!


----------



## johnyrocks

Grimm! PLANT PLANT PLANT! I can't wait anymore! PLANT! UGH! I'm going to die if you don't plant this NOWWWWW!


----------



## johnyrocks

I think GRIMM is uploading pics


----------



## GRIMM

Lol take a deep breath buddy. Even though I went and bought the substrate doesnt mean I'll be showing anything off soon. Just means my nights are filled with viv work. The Kraken wont be released for anyone to see for quite a while, but I guess I can explain as I go along here since my next video wont have any talking.

*Substrate*

The larger particle "Fluval Planted Aquarium Stratum" went around the perimeter of the false bottom, and in the water section. Then a thin top layer of the fine particle "Shrimp Stratum" was added next. I also created a sloped section against all glass sides to hide the land area substrate and give a consistent look.

For the first few months I'll be running my misting system on overdrive to give the moss a kickstart. As a result, I have a super fast draining substrate to prevent anything getting soggy. Hopefully it will also act as a giant springtail/isopod culture (which have now been added). It consists of half and half orchid bark and orchid charcoal, a small amount of crunched up leaves, a small amount of sphagnum to retain a little moisture, and a few handfuls of my clay substrate (about 30 pages back lol)

Then leaves, and more leaves. Sorted from ugly to nice, the latter on top. Honestly, every leaf has it's place and I didnt just throw them in the tank. One at a time, no joke. Not to say it looks too perfect, but I placed them where I wanted. Right now the leaves look much to light in colour, but once they start decomposing they will blend in perfectly with the Stratum substrate. Im going for a very specific look. Not only is the tank a peninsula itself, but inside will have an island of green in a sea of dark leaves. Im thinking the contrast will work nicely, similar to planted aquariums.


K back to work on my end


----------



## johnyrocks

Can you at least post a few pics?  I'm sure everyone on this whole forum is waiting to see something new, and the substrate/moss/etc is a big thing so goof for an update


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

johnyrocks said:


> Can you at least post a few pics?  I'm sure everyone on this whole forum is waiting to see something new, and the substrate/moss/etc is a big thing so goof for an update



Please don't rush the magic 
This hobby takes lots of patience. Grimm seems to be pefectionist which makes it take longer but the outcome is so much better.
What I do is pour through other builds and just wait lol.
Patience is a virtue as they say


----------



## ynotnad

GRIMM the Fluval Planted Aquarium Stratum is a really awsome substrate. I used it in my 120gal tank both in the water section and in some of the land section and the plants are taking root like crazy...


----------



## singhm29

I was debating between ADG and Fluval stratum for awhile Im leaning towards Fluval stratum but im wondering if theres a way to mix something into it to make it look more natural but to get the same kind of aeration/benefits it gives. How do you think it looks GRIMM? Any ideas if theres something that could be mixed to give it more of a soil look?


----------



## GRIMM

Singhm29, I obviously havent seen both products in person, but I can safely say they look almost identical from pictures. Both in particle size and colour.
They may show performance differences in the long run, but I doubt it from what I have read.

Also, I didnt choose to use this substrate because it looks "natural" at all. I chose it because it looks clean and consistent against the glass, with the added bonus of helping lower ph levels. Im not really sure if it would look good mixed with anything, especially because of it's dark colour and small circular particle size. Its just my style to have a consistent look, so it may not be for everyone. 

And thanks ynotnad, good to hear another positive review on the Stratum.


----------



## fishman9809

Have you seen up close pictures of the AquaSoil? If not I can take some of mine if you want.


----------



## FIT BMX

I would love to see some photos of the AquaSoil.


----------



## exacerbate.me

WOW thanks for the link to this site grimm! this thread is amazing to say the least!! This is definitely a one stop reference for anyone building a viv. Has helped me IMMENSELY!! Keep up the OUTSTANDING work.


----------



## AeroWRX

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> I'm not GRIMM but I can help haha
> The videos are here in this thread...but here they are anyway
> 
> Equipment:
> YouTube - ‪The Peninsula : Vivarium Circulation Hookup‬‏
> 
> Duct work:
> YouTube - ‪The Peninsula - Epic Vivarium Duct Work‬‏


Nice looking ducts for the CPU fans! I'm using 120mm ones hooked up to a harness I made from computer power supply cables lying around.
I just put the fans on the screen top for function of aesthetics


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

exacerbate.me said:


> WOW thanks for the link to this site grimm! this thread is amazing to say the least!! This is definitely a one stop reference for anyone building a viv. Has helped me IMMENSELY!! Keep up the OUTSTANDING work.


Yes this site is amazing 
Welcome n00b


----------



## exacerbate.me

thanks i have a quick question though instead of takin all the time to mix/thin silicone would a synthetic rubber material such as plasti-dip work for covering a great stuff background? i ask because it would be a lot easier and faster but id like to know if anyone knows if it is animal safe or not? any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

Mike.


----------



## mellowvision

I don't know if you'd be able to work it the way Grimm works silicone, but Plasti Dip is AP non-toxic when dry, and I've used it in several aquariums with no problems.

The problem I do see, is that the thinner used in Plasti Dip is a really strong solvent, which would likely eat the foam. It also smells really bad and requires ventilation while it dries.


----------



## dfrmav

and back to the original thread topic...

looks great so far Grimm. Can't wait to see this bad boy when it's planted!


----------



## Dew

Wow GRIMM< holy bageebers! This thing is going to be so epic!(Is that even a word???) Any ideas on what kind of plants are gonna go in here? Ohhh This is so cool!


----------



## GRIMM

Dew said:


> Wow GRIMM< holy bageebers! This thing is going to be so epic!(Is that even a word???) Any ideas on what kind of plants are gonna go in here? Ohhh This is so cool!


Thanks Dew. As for plants I will be using a lot of orchids, miniature broms up top, slower growing vines on the back wall, peperomia drapping off the wood, and various mosses coating everything. I will have minimal planting on ground level, possibly non at all except for a few begonia clippings and fallen moss chunks. Right now Im doing research on all my orchid's individual needs to try and figure out which ones I will work best in my tank, and also where the best location is for each of them. Now the hard part of trying to remove them from their epiweb mounts with a very gentle touch lol

I guess this is a little update also...

About 10 days ago I started my moss mix test run. 50-70% dried sphagnum blended with 30-50% live tropical mosses. After being out of town for the last 5 days, I came back to all the test sections looking greener with lots of tiny moss bits growing out from the surface. Last night I covered most of the driftwood centerpiece, aswell as the larger center portion of the "trunk" with the same mixture. Basically any location that gets a lot of light and mist got covered with it. I also have the water section planted with a few things. Various anubias, round leaf pellia, water lettuce (might remove them), and miniature water lily things. Yes that is their scientific name, dont question me!

So yeah, all I gotta do now is mount the orchids, wait for Hawaiian Botanicals to get more broms in (since they sold out of all the amazing types I wanted), and let the moss green-up! Still no pics until its all done and grown in, sorry!


----------



## Dew

GRIMM said:


> Thanks Dew. As for plants I will be using a lot of orchids, miniature broms up top, slower growing vines on the back wall, peperomia drapping off the wood, and various mosses coating everything. I will have minimal planting on ground level, possibly non at all except for a few begonia clippings and fallen moss chunks. Right now Im doing research on all my orchid's individual needs to try and figure out which ones I will work best in my tank, and also where the best location is for each of them. Now the hard part of trying to remove them from their epiweb mounts with a very gentle touch lol
> 
> I guess this is a little update also...
> 
> About 10 days ago I started my moss mix test run. 50-70% dried sphagnum blended with 30-50% live tropical mosses. After being out of town for the last 5 days, I came back to all the test sections looking greener with lots of tiny moss bits growing out from the surface. Last night I covered most of the driftwood centerpiece, aswell as the larger center portion of the "trunk" with the same mixture. Basically any location that gets a lot of light and mist got covered with it. I also have the water section planted with a few things. Various anubias, round leaf pellia, water lettuce (might remove them), and miniature water lily things. Yes that is their scientific name, dont question me!
> 
> So yeah, all I gotta do now is mount the orchids, wait for Hawaiian Botanicals to get more broms in (since they sold out of all the amazing types I wanted), and let the moss green-up! Still no pics until its all done and grown in, sorry!


Hehe, I guess it is fun waiting  I really think this will be just plain awesome when done. I've been keeping an eye on this from almost the beginning, and it's so hard waiting! I have some begonia in my tree frog tank, and might I add, it grows really fast, even in low light! I'm not sure the exact species, but i'll try to look it up. It's 30 inches deep in the tank and it grows a few inches and as few new leaves every few days. I'm really glad you got the substrate issues solved (you did, right?) and that you're starting to plant.


----------



## dainiusiva

GRIMM I just cant wait for it to get planted. I really like that you have chosen to use a lot of orchids in this build. This will be epic!!!


----------



## skynett

I got into this thread just a tad late but Ill will still be able to see the finish on time  but all I can say is wow i recently got into this hobby and this makes my first vivarium look like well excuse my french SHIT hahah but im young and soo I know I will make a lot better one someday definitely not as good as this grimm you got talent  but this gives me a ray of hope for the near future :0 and grimm if you don't mind answering I was just wondering overall for everything how much has this been because I want to make something this size and similar but im just wondering how much for future references you know?


----------



## dertien616

what is the brand of light fixture you used and what kind of light bulbs?


----------



## 31drew31

In his first video he mentions the light.


----------



## stevenhman

Hopefully this tank won't end up being like Duke Nukem Forever...


----------



## Titanoman

My first post on the boards, and I had a question for you GRIMM. I'm putting together my first viv for my firebelly newts (I know, not frogs, but this place has some of the best info I've found yet!) and my initial thought was a root system background. So your viv and Raf's are obviously my major inspirations right now. I was wondering how things were holding up with your silicone/toluene/peat mix now that you've had water running in your tank? I was going to do some sort of foam/drylock rock water fall thing, but honestly I like your and Raf's more natural water drip features. Did you do anything different where your water will be flowing? Also, do you think that it would hold up if submerged? And finally, have you heard/read anything else about the toluene? I believe the consensus was that it won't have any ill effects, but I've had these newts for a long time so I don't want to take any chances!

Thanks in advance for any help, and congrats on an awesome looking viv so far. I can't wait to see it progress!


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Titanoman said:


> My first post on the boards, and I had a question for you GRIMM. I'm putting together my first viv for my firebelly newts (I know, not frogs, but this place has some of the best info I've found yet!) and my initial thought was a root system background. So your viv and Raf's are obviously my major inspirations right now. I was wondering how things were holding up with your silicone/toluene/peat mix now that you've had water running in your tank? I was going to do some sort of foam/drylock rock water fall thing, but honestly I like your and Raf's more natural water drip features. Did you do anything different where your water will be flowing? Also, do you think that it would hold up if submerged? And finally, have you heard/read anything else about the toluene? I believe the consensus was that it won't have any ill effects, but I've had these newts for a long time so I don't want to take any chances!
> 
> Thanks in advance for any help, and congrats on an awesome looking viv so far. I can't wait to see it progress!


I would do a half land half water type tank for your newts...
Grimm's tank might not have enough water idk cause he hasn't really had it running to full potentional yet and Raff's tank doest really have much land it is just a background submerged in water.
You need a good mixture of both. Newts like to get out and crawl around.
I made a newt tank back when I was 15(26 now)
What I did was....I took a peice of plexiglass and seperated the tank in half and siliconed it in place. Then I filled up one side with water and put a pump/filter then I put eco earth in the other side.
Now knowing these new ways tho I would have made a GS background and planted it and made a false bottom on the other side just a bit lower than the plexiglass to hold the ABG mix in and then planted some plants and thrown some moss down.
I am currently running a setup like this for my green treefrogs minus the background lol.
Check it out....btw I made this vid for YouTube but it was too large to upload it with wifi soooo that's why I was mentioning this forum and whatnot 

VID_20110813_030757.mp4 video by dragonspirit1185 - Photobucket

That would be the best way to setup the land and water for a newt.
With some fake rock(to cover the plexiglass), great stuff background with live plants, 
maybe a waterfall...it would be perfect 
I hope this helps you


----------



## Raf

I you want a submerged background you better use epoxy/elastopur. silicon/sealant or sika/flevopol/compaktuna are not good. If I need to rebuild my viv i would def use epoxy for my waterfeature.


----------



## Titanoman

I agree about wanting a more open area, especially in the water feature part of my viv. I already have about 1/3 of my tank planned to be a more open water area for the newts to move around in, and plenty of crawling space in the rest. I'm looking to try my hand at a much simpler root system that will be more in the corner of my tank than throughout the whole thing, this being my first viv and all. I had contemplated some roots trailing off into the water pool (hence the question about being submerged), but will likely avoid that with this viv for now. Per Raf's suggestion, I'll use epoxy in the areas the water will be traveling over.

Ok, so complete noob question here, how much does the peat mix suck up and spread the water? I'd like to avoid thinking I'm safe, only to find out the water has spread farther than expected and drowned my false bottom area.

Since discovering this and other forums, I feel like I've almost got too many ideas! But thanks for the quick responses, that's why I chose this board, everyone seems very helpful here


----------



## GRIMM

Titanoman said:


> I agree about wanting a more open area, especially in the water feature part of my viv. I already have about 1/3 of my tank planned to be a more open water area for the newts to move around in, and plenty of crawling space in the rest. I'm looking to try my hand at a much simpler root system that will be more in the corner of my tank than throughout the whole thing, this being my first viv and all. I had contemplated some roots trailing off into the water pool (hence the question about being submerged), but will likely avoid that with this viv for now. Per Raf's suggestion, I'll use epoxy in the areas the water will be traveling over.
> 
> Ok, so complete noob question here, how much does the peat mix suck up and spread the water? I'd like to avoid thinking I'm safe, only to find out the water has spread farther than expected and drowned my false bottom area.
> 
> Since discovering this and other forums, I feel like I've almost got too many ideas! But thanks for the quick responses, that's why I chose this board, everyone seems very helpful here


Yes I second Raf, I wouldnt use the mixture in direct water flow. I actually made a mistake and didnt fully think things through on my water feature. I didnt account for the elevation change between both outputs, so I had nothing to adjust the flow. It worked in my favour though, because after test runs I only wanted the water to come out the bottom output anyways. The other reason this was good is that the bottom output ONLY flows water over the driftwood and not over my peat/toluene/silicone mixture. And yes, Toluene evaporates fully when mixed with silicone. 

Also, in my experience peat doesnt wick water to badly. My old build using coco fiber wicked like crazy in comparison.


----------



## leuc11

Grimm just finish the tank


----------



## Titanoman

Thanks man! The info you guys provided has helped a lot in narrowing down my approach to this first viv. Good luck as you continue on with yours


----------



## mcaiger53

hey grimm, 
I see in another thread that you are planting your last orchid in a "new tank" does that mean what I think it does?????? I have been quietly watching this thread, waiting to see the finished product, I am definitely a big fan of your work. I have learned a lot and gotten some great ideas from you.
thanks, mike. hope I didn't spoil any suprises.


----------



## GRIMM

mcaiger53 said:


> hey grimm,
> I see in another thread that you are planting your last orchid in a "new tank" does that mean what I think it does?????? I have been quietly watching this thread, waiting to see the finished product, I am definitely a big fan of your work. I have learned a lot and gotten some great ideas from you.
> thanks, mike. hope I didn't spoil any suprises.


Thanks bud. And yes, Im all done planting for now, about 75% completed using the plants I had. I just need to add broms, a few more cuttings, to buy more orchids, then let everything grow. The only place in Canada that carries nice enough broms is sold out of the species I want at the moment though. Hopefully they will be getting a shipment in late august or early september from Hawaii. My next video wont really be a DIY per se, but I`d like to finish it within 1 month and enter it in the video contest. Might not happen because of the broms though.


----------



## vivlover10

GRIMM said:


> Thanks bud. And yes, Im all done planting for now, about 75% completed using the plants I had. I just need to add broms, a few more cuttings, to buy more orchids, then let everything grow. The only place in Canada that carries nice enough broms is sold out of the species I want at the moment though. Hopefully they will be getting a shipment in late august or early september from Hawaii. My next video wont really be a DIY per se, but I`d like to finish it within 1 month and enter it in the video contest. Might not happen because of the broms though.


Why do you have to get from Canada? You could get them from micheals bromields or tropiflora? Maybe because of shipping?


----------



## GRIMM

I couldnt even get dried leaves or the ADA Aquasoil across the boarder, so I seriously doubt I'd be able to get plants. Unless someone wants to lie about package contents and send them super express, I dont think I'll ever be able to get plants up here alive.


----------



## Hoodsquirrel

I can't wait to see how this will turn out. ^_^ I'm actually making a build myself (18x18x24 exo) from watching your vids on youtube.


----------



## Lance

vivlover10 said:


> Why do you have to get from Canada? You could get them from micheals bromields or tropiflora? Maybe because of shipping?


The problem with shipping is Customs. A buddy on Canadart had an order of broms a while back. Customs took over a month to finally release the package. Most of the broms were dead. Plus orchids are a Cities plant so extra paper work and customs to screw Canadians over is high. The best that Grimm and myself and a few others is that we have to wait for a big orchid show to get some awesome stuff from down south or make up one hell of a wish list and hope to god.
Also I talked with Mike at micheals, hes seen the same thing with Customs holding a package for over a month with barely any of the plants surviving.


----------



## masterkush

All I can say is sick. I love the Peninsula look. I have been planning one my self for a few years now. Just have to buy a bigger house or take down my reef tank. Keep up the great work Grim, I love the clean look.


----------



## dartboard

Grimm, we need some kind of teaser. Give us something, anything. Give us a small little 2 inch squared sneak peek of something.... Pretty pretty please?


----------



## GRIMM

Filler post....


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

dartboard said:


> Grimm, we need some kind of teaser. Give us something, anything. Give us a small little 2 inch squared sneak peek of something.... Pretty pretty please?


Dude you got my hopes up :/
I got my email notification and I saw it was Grimm's build and got excited.

Cool it crackpots  haha

Grimm it would be awesome for a peak tho >.>


----------



## GRIMM

Im feelin' generous. Its my birthday today and I'm heading down to Mexico at 4am tomorrow morning, so Im in a good mood 

My gift to everyone. Still unfinished and plenty more orchids/broms to add once I come back. I'll be rescaping later on once I get enough plants so it doesnt feel to "polka dotty" also, and so it flows better. I might even remove the water feature and add more dritwood in the front left area to fill it up. Never ending project will never end...

Adiós a todos!!!


----------



## raybo

Absolutely amazing Grimm!


----------



## Mitch

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh


----------



## ryan10517

i'm glad i subscribed to this thread grimm!!! the tank has turned out great, and will only increase in beauty once everything grows in. It has a very "other-worldly" prehistoric jungle or something look to it. Very professional terra-scaping.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Looks pretty sweet man!!
I love how the light reflects and beams lol. Is that how it looks or is it an edit?
Can't wait to see it finished.
I'm currently working on something 
I'm gonna be using your hanging vine idea mixed with James' vines coming off the back wall to the floor.
I'm contemplating on using your air duct design but I'm working with a 10g
Might put it in the top corner idk lol


Happy Birthday! Have a good one dude


----------



## HDreptiles

!Dios mio amigo! !Es muy fabuloso!

Thought I would help you get in the spirit for Mexico. Have fun man, and amazing viv.


----------



## dartboard

Let the records show I was the one that got him to break and give us a peek. You can thank me in the form of free frogs everyone.

You know you love a viv when you wish you could copy it exactly. Wouldn't change a thing. Happy birthday, and enjoy mexico.


----------



## heatfreakk3

Looks great! I'm sure this question has already been asked.. but whats going in there??


----------



## nelcadiz

WUUUUUUUUAU!!!, I am waiting to look it with plants, AMAZIIIIIING!!!, what dendros you put it in?, MORE PICS PLS!!


----------



## davidadelp

Its Amazing, if only one day I could have a tank half as nice id feel accomplished!!!! I cant wait to see it grown in! remind me again what frog is going in here so i dont have to search through and look it up my lazy self lol


----------



## Sigaw

Niiiice.
What type of moss are you growing on the driftwood?


----------



## FIT BMX

Looks great! the lighting is just super!


----------



## eos

Looks great! From all angles!


----------



## Wallace Grover

*claps* It's like an art exhibit, but at a zoo!!


----------



## trevtron2

WOW that is way better than any exhibit I have seen at a zoo!!!!!


----------



## Zoomie

After seeing this tank, I don't even know I toil designing tanks that the fogs thrive in, as well as adding visual appeal. 

I am throwing all my tanks in the trash and keeping frogs in Sterilites. Why do I even bother?


----------



## Judy S

Sigaw said:


> Niiiice.
> What type of moss are you growing on the driftwood?


I'm also curious about the moss mixture...your idea of diluting the silicone is a great one...would love to see a "blue print" of the viv...have spent the last day and a half going from page one to page forty...and played all the videos...hopefully this will be a "sticky." So inspiring...


----------



## dainiusiva

Grimm, this is incredible. Hats off to you man. Looking forward to seeing it full of orchids and frogs. I am also waiting for another video


----------



## xixon

Incredible,incredible,incredible...............


----------



## GRIMM

Seems like everyone likes it so far, and thanks a lot for all the compliments! Especially whoever said it looks better then zoo exhibits. Maybe there are some big exhibit companies out there who want some canadian blood working for them  

As for some of the questions. The moss on the lower driftwood is "spiky moss". It is an aquatic moss similar to java, but grows much faster and imo looks better/fluffier. The moss mix everywhere else is 50% dried sphagnum blended with 50% random tropical mosses. I got most of the moss from a local orchid store which was growing on bare concrete, and then others from orchid/brom pots over time. These pictures are about 10 days old, and the moss mix really start to take off just before I left for mexico. I'll be sure to add pictures of everything like I usually do in a few weeks.

As for frogs, most likely Bastimentos, or Benedicta. I change my mind all the time though, so it might just depend on what is available in the comming months. Id really like some bastis of multiple different colours, but the only ones available up here are the red/orange ones from understory.

Hopefully the pictures dont take away from the upcomming video. I have the entire build in timelapse form and i think its pretty original. I'll also add pictures and names of every moss, vine, orchid and brom inside the tank like usual lol. Hola!


----------



## eos

Welcome back GRIMM... and happy bday. I bet you were excited to come home to see the tank huh?


----------



## motydesign

how many bastis you think you are going to try for?


----------



## FIT BMX

How long would it take you to build a tank like that, if you went at it like a full time job with the building materials on hand?


----------



## motydesign

i bet you could knock that out in four days with all materials procured including plants


----------



## dfrmav

what is the moss in there? how long did that take to grow and get established?


----------



## Okapi

Looks great GRIMM!


----------



## Greasy

Oh wow, very nice.


----------



## gosaspursm

How is it that every one of your vivs is incredible?  Great looking tank.


----------



## Morgan Freeman

I saw someone mention that we have a long way to go to catch up with the planted aquaria gang, this is a massive step in the right direction.


----------



## Wallace Grover

Morgan Freeman said:


> I saw someone mention that we have a long way to go to catch up with the planted aquaria gang, this is a massive step in the right direction.


Why in the world would they say that?


----------



## Ross

Wallace Grover said:


> Why in the world would they say that?


Because it's true. There are many _many_ more planted aquarium enthusiasts in the world than there are poison frog/tropical vivarium enthusiasts. A multitude of international forums specializing on freshwater aquariums, dozens of international and local conventions and aquascaping contests, etc. There's an aquarium store in almost every city where I live; relatively very few places sell vivarium animals. That hobby has been growing/evolving for much longer. It's to be expected that with that many people "practicing" their hobby, they should advance their techniques and the few true artists would rise to the top (think Takashi Amano).

The PDF world doesn't have an ADG equivalent (yet) but as Morgan Freeman said, tanks like GRIMM's certainly push the envelope on vivarium design.


----------



## Wallace Grover

I've seen amazing tanks before Grimms and I would hope that we will see them after. Look at the Europeans when in doubt


----------



## tachikoma

Ross said:


> The PDF world doesn't have an ADG equivalent (yet) but as Morgan Freeman said, tanks like GRIMM's certainly push the envelope on vivarium design.


That's absolutely false. There are many many epic and beautiful vivs out there. Most of the aquascape scene looks so amazing and lush because it fills in so easily (not to be confused with grows in easily) I am saying because it's under water plants sprawl out more because of the reduced gravity. So you can get these very dense "forest looking" clumps of moss and ground covering plants. 
Here are just a few amazing examples of vivs. But there are so many more. 
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2745352/1/Vivariums?h=c05d4e

( None of these are mine just random ones I have collected over the years and I don't know the names)


----------



## flyingSquirrel

Thanks for sharing that gallery, there were some really awesome ones in there! (...adds to my own stash of inspirational pics...)


----------



## punctata

tachikoma said:


> That's absolutely false. There are many many epic and beautiful vivs out there.)



I do not think so. I think the PDF community is smaller and there fore less tanks/vivs. I have seen so many tanks on here that are just cluster mess of Broms and tons of plants that are all different colors making the viv look fake and unatural. That to me is not a nice natural look.


----------



## tachikoma

punctata said:


> I do not think so. I think the PDF community is smaller and there fore less tanks/vivs. I have seen so many tanks on here that are just cluster mess of Broms and tons of plants that are all different colors making the viv look fake and unatural. That to me is not a nice natural look.


I never claimed that there are more or less. I was commenting about the claim that the dart frog community doesn't have any vivs that rival ADG tanks in design and looks. Which if you look at the gallery I provided you will clearly see is false. And for every cluster mess of a viv you see there are 10 aquariums that have castles, bubble treasure chests, and multicolored gravel.


----------



## Ross

tachikoma said:


> I never claimed that there are more or less. I was commenting about the claim that the dart frog community doesn't have any vivs that rival ADG tanks in design and looks.


You misunderstood my post. I did not claim that we have no jaw-dropping tanks that rival ADG; my saved folder of vivariums includes the majority of those you linked. 

By "ADG equivalent" I meant we don't have any companies similar to ADG that are world-renowned for their displays. Most of those tanks in the gallery appear to be by different people whereas the aquascapes in ADG's portfolio were done in-house, so to speak. 

The fact that such a design group exists and you can mention "ADG" on a planted tank forum with very little misunderstanding what you're talking about implies that the dart frog community does have some catching up to do. 

That said, I would rather have one of the vivariums in your gallery than an ADG tank any day.

Just a clarification,
Ross


----------



## tachikoma

Ross said:


> You misunderstood my post. I did not claim that we have no jaw-dropping tanks that rival ADG; my saved folder of vivariums includes the majority of those you linked.
> 
> By "ADG equivalent" I meant we don't have any companies similar to ADG that are world-renowned for their displays. Most of those tanks in the gallery appear to be by different people whereas the aquascapes in ADG's portfolio were done in-house, so to speak.
> 
> The fact that such a design group exists and you can mention "ADG" on a planted tank forum with very little misunderstanding what you're talking about implies that the dart frog community does have some catching up to do.
> 
> That said, I would rather have one of the vivariums in your gallery than an ADG tank any day.
> 
> Just a clarification,
> Ross



Ahh sorry about that I definitely misunderstood your post. Now to speak towards your intended point I believe you are right. 
The only similar place I can think of is Vivaria Projects but they are located in France so it's for all intents and purposes inaccessible to the US hobby.


----------



## froggies3

This is one of the best vivs have ever seen and i have spent lots of time on db keep up the amazing work!!!!!!!!


----------



## ynotnad

GRIMM amazing job my friend, love the attention to detail on the planting and layout. Look forward to seeing this grown in.

Tony


----------



## VicSkimmr

With a little effort and research anyone in the US could make a tank that rivals (at least in theory) their tanks. Setting the vivarium up the same as they do is relatively simple and any DIYer could do it. It's their artistic touch that puts them on another level. We have plenty of people in the US that can match them.

If froggers in the US decided to take the time, effort and resources to build display tanks like GRIMM has, we could rival the Europeans.


----------



## leuc11

ok forget airsoft im building a monster viv and I don't care if my collar bones broken or not


----------



## GRIMM

End the debate please. We have other threads for that, and this one is getting long enough as it is 



eos said:


> Welcome back GRIMM... and happy bday. I bet you were excited to come home to see the tank huh?


Thanks bud. I got back yesterday actually, and it was nice to see the progress. One of the awesome part about keeping this many orchids is that there is usually something starting to grow. I have 2 different orchids about to flower, so its pretty rewarding so far.



motydesign said:


> how many bastis you think you are going to try for?


If I can find some, 2 pair, and whatever offspring are in the tank. If I end up with benedicta, who knows how many I will get. Most likely 4 and then let them multiply up to a family of 8-10 max. We'll see lol



FIT BMX said:


> How long would it take you to build a tank like that, if you went at it like a full time job with the building materials on hand?


There is a lot of waiting for things to dry so it would be difficult to fill an 8 hour day building just one tank. If I had everything at my fingertips, probably 2 weeks of solid solid work. Im a perfectionist so it take me longer. Not to say I dont work fast, but the added attention I give everything adds up.



dfrmav said:


> what is the moss in there? how long did that take to grow and get established?


Aquatic moss is called "spiky moss", and it has been growing for 2 months. The other moss everywhere else is a tropical moss mix, and it has been in less then a month. Its just starting to take off like crazy though.


----------



## ryan10517

i looked it up, and "spiky moss" is the same genus (taxiphyllum) as java moss (taxiphyllum barbieri). Same genus as a lot of other aquatic mosses like flame moss, taiwan moss, peacock moss, string moss, weeping moss, xmas moss, etc etc... Is there a noticable difference between your "spiky moss" and java/others? in pictures it looks lighter green.


----------



## Greasy

ryan10517 said:


> i looked it up, and "spiky moss" is the same genus (taxiphyllum) as java moss (taxiphyllum barbieri). Same genus as a lot of other aquatic mosses like flame moss, taiwan moss, peacock moss, string moss, weeping moss, xmas moss, etc etc... Is there a noticable difference between your "spiky moss" and java/others? in pictures it looks lighter green.


Spiky moss should make triangular fronds, java is just a stringy mess IMO. I'm not exactly sure if they change form emersed.

list of different mosses:
List of Aquatic Moss. How to grow Aquatic Moss. Info on Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Taiwan Moss, Peacock Moss, Stringy Moss


----------



## ryan10517

IceDragon said:


> Spiky moss should make triangular fronds, java is just a stringy mess IMO. I'm not exactly sure if they change form emersed.
> 
> list of different mosses:
> List of Aquatic Moss. How to grow Aquatic Moss. Info on Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Taiwan Moss, Peacock Moss, Stringy Moss


i'm thinking that frond shape and color are the main difference. i guess frond shape, especially emmersed in this case, makes a big impact on looks.


----------



## bhali333`

*Hey I'm a newbie*

Hey Grimm,

I'm planning out my first dart frog viv this video tutorial has been priceless dude a real inspiration!

I am a little confused about the drip system, is it ok to put the potting soil into the bed where the water will lay or did you cover the bottom with silicone?

Bruce


----------



## FrogFever

Grimm, I've been reading this post for 2 days now. 
Unbelievable. Indescribable. 
Your pictures are ALWAYS better than my mind could ever imagine! 
The talent that you possess is unsurpassed. 
You have been a great inspiration to me and I will be using some of your ideas for my future build. 
WOW WOW WOW.


----------



## crested

GRIMM said:


> I'll be making root structures and hangings vines similar to Raf's build.
> 
> The mixture is 2 parts silicone and 1 part toluene, mixed together first. Then I added 1-1.5 parts peat moss. Im actually loving this method. Way better then just plain silicone and peat. It can be painted on, and doesnt skin over quick like plain silicone. Plus if for whatever reason all the surface peat falls off, it has a coloured textured base coat with peat embedded into it anyways.



Hi Grimm,

I'm interested in employing this method too. I believe you're using black silicone? Do you not find that the black silicone shows through a lot? I recently covered my background with silicone/toluene and then a layer of peat, but I'm finding it very thin in many sections and considering using your method above to go over it again.


----------



## bhali333`

Guy's,

I was going to use a mixture of Titebond II and peat, is the formula that Grimm mentions regular tube silicone and were can I get toluene? 

Is that mixture necessary or can I just use the Titebond and Peat mixture and brush it on.

Bruce


----------



## ryan10517

woo! look what i found at menards today!










I find it funny how happy and colorful the packaging is. Its even Sunnyside brand lol.

GRIMM i'm stealing your background method. You can't stop me. Muahahahaha!


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

ryan10517 said:


> woo! look what i found at menards today!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I find it funny how happy and colorful the packaging is. Its even Sunnyside brand lol.
> 
> GRIMM i'm stealing your background method. You can't stop me. Muahahahaha!


You're lucky man I can't find any around here.
Well one place has it but they want like $35 for a gallon.
I'm gonna wait until I see how his background holds up with all the misting and whatno before I do this method.
It just seems to me that the toluene will take away a lot of the tackiness from the silicone and make the peat more prone to wash away and just wind up having silicone.
I've got good faith it will hold up but I gots to have visual proof lols 
Has there been anyone else who has done this and had their tanks running a while?


----------



## ryan10517

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> You're lucky man I can't find any around here.
> Well one place has it but they want like $35 for a gallon.
> I'm gonna wait until I see how his background holds up with all the misting and whatno before I do this method.
> It just seems to me that the toluene will take away a lot of the tackiness from the silicone and make the peat more prone to wash away and just wind up having silicone.
> I've got good faith it will hold up but I gots to have visual proof lols
> Has there been anyone else who has done this and had their tanks running a while?


ya it was kinda pricey. $19 or so for a gallon i think. I'm not sure of anyone else using this method yet. at least not to my knowledge. I'll be using it for my 40breeder and possibly the 125 gallon display i'm making for the new pet shop i'll be working at shortly. I'll keep everyone updated on how it works haha


----------



## inka4040

Incredible use of negative space, man! You've definitely raised the bar again.


----------



## parkanz2

I was at the hardware store today and was looking at some of the concrete additives/binders. All of the ones I could find where latex based and said they shouldn't be used in frequent contact with water. Are there other types? I thought I read through most of the thread but didn't see it. Not that I couldn't have missed it... there's a lot.

Cheers!


----------



## Okapi

Ive been ordering orchids lately and while researching some care requirements I found your thread on Orchid Board. I cant wait to see pictures of those frogs and more pictures of the orchids


----------



## GRIMM

Unless you are coating a lot of ropes/lianas at once, you dont really need to use the toluene. If you work fast, normal silicone application works just fine. I needed to touch up some sections so I just used plain silicone, and the end result looks identical. Ive been getting like a million PM's about the background covering and its getting old lol. Making sure the peatmoss/coco/whateveryouuse is dry is the most important point in covering any type of background evenly. 

And yes Okapi, I did put my 2 leucs inside the tank for now. Never ever seen them this active or vocal, and it has me thinking of getting a large group for the tank. I thought I had a pair for the last year, but within 5 minutes of introducing them I saw both calling at the same time to establish dominance. They are thoroughly enjoying every inch of the tank, even the very tip of the highest piece of driftwood. The goofs also havent experienced strong wind before, so they seem to get a kick out of standing in front of the air vents. Anyone who says leucs dont climb much dont have fun jungle gyms inside their vivs 

My personal computer is still broken, but here are a couple quick shots from today.


----------



## Okapi

So are your 20 gallon tanks going to be plant only tanks now?

Go for the large group! Whenever I get around to my big build I plan on a group of something bigger and noticeable, like maybe leucs or bicolors


----------



## FIT BMX

Grimm, your frogs look like dogs on an AC vent on a hot day.
They look really really happy!!


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Awesome pics Grimm 
I can't wait to see some FTS pics and some videos of this tank.

I remembered you was doing foggers and I'm wondering if you use a fogger in a tank.
I've been wondering if foggers would just filter out the lights and cut the amount of lights the plants would be getting down.
What do you think?


----------



## Okapi

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Awesome pics Grimm
> I can't wait to see some FTS pics and some videos of this tank.
> 
> I remembered you was doing foggers and I'm wondering if you use a fogger in a tank.
> I've been wondering if foggers would just filter out the lights and cut the amount of lights the plants would be getting down.
> What do you think?


He shows the fogger in this video:





Fog usually clears up pretty fast with ventilation and/or circulation, so it shouldnt affect the light that the plants are getting.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Okapi said:


> He shows the fogger in this video:
> The Peninsula - Equipment Overview - YouTube
> 
> Fog usually clears up pretty fast with ventilation and/or circulation, so it shouldnt affect the light that the plants are getting.


yeah i know he is using a fogger lol  
I meant to remove that last part of that sentence lol...i was falling asleep.
thanks for the info.
I didnt think it would affect the plants but i was a bit curious.


----------



## Judy S

Grimm...love the viv. A question about the silicone.toluene, etc. Have you ever mixed into the "soup" some moss spores??? When you use the peat--is it milled spag. moss, or long fibered spag., or peat like you'd put in an outside garden....?? It took me forever to get Toluene...seems as though some crack addicts use it for meth or something...


----------



## GRIMM

Peatmoss itself will grow random moss eventually. Ive already had a bunch of cool looking liverworts pop up in the moist sections of my backgrounds. You could definitely add some spores yourself, but it would be most effective added at the same time as the final peat layer, and not directly in the mixture. Im a fan of the moss mixture myself. Instant gratification compared to waiting for random stuff to magically start growing.


----------



## ryan10517

GRIMM, would you happen to know if Riccia works in a moss mix? like can you blend it up without killing it? I'm not sure if its the same concept seeing it is a crystalwort and not an actual moss. Just curious.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

ryan10517 said:


> GRIMM, would you happen to know if Riccia works in a moss mix? like can you blend it up without killing it? I'm not sure if its the same concept seeing it is a crystalwort and not an actual moss. Just curious.


So by taking moss and blening it into coc fiber or peatmoss and applying it to GS using silicone the moss will grow out of the background?


----------



## ryan10517

no the theory is if you blend up moss with beer or yogurt (still not sure what the purpose of that is) and then "paint" it on your background or something it will start to grow moss a lot faster than just waiting for it.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

ryan10517 said:


> no the theory is if you blend up moss with beer or yogurt (still not sure what the purpose of that is) and then "paint" it on your background or something it will start to grow moss a lot faster than just waiting for it.


wow that is weird...
so i can just paint it on the background as is....and with it still being misted?
I'd rather just have it growing a bit on my wood and maybe some splotches here and there on my BG


----------



## HiMonster

I have been watching these videos over and over for months.. Grimm the Great is one of the most informative vivarium enthusiasts out there… You made everything sooo clear and it's awesome how much people you are inspiring.. 

….forget the frogs!! I want to live in that tank!!


----------



## GRIMM

Brandon and Ryan. I know its pretty tough finding info in this thread now since its so long, but a while back I mentioned the method I used. 50-70% dried sphagnum, blended with 30-50% live tropical mosses. No beer or yogurt or milk or buttermilk or whatever added. Just those 2 ingredients and it has taken off like crazy. The sphagnum helps maintain moisture for all the moss bits to start growing. It looks like throwup for the first few weeks, but after that every inch will be green. If I ever get my crashed computer fixed I'll be able to put together the final video to show off the tank the way I want, and I'll be sure to show the moss sections that were done with this method.

If you want to try and see the mixture without major growth, go to page 39 of the thread and check out the pictures. I think the first pic should show the mixture attached to the peatmoss section of the main driftwood centerpiece.


----------



## bhali333`

Grimm,

Where do you get the live tropical mosses and how do you do the blending process?

Bruce


----------



## GRIMM

GRIMM said:


> The moss mix everywhere else is 50% dried sphagnum blended with 50% random tropical mosses. I got most of the moss from a local orchid store which was growing on bare concrete, and then others from orchid/brom pots over time.


And I blend it in a blender....lol


----------



## ryan10517

sweet! I'll definitely be using that moss mix sometime soon.


----------



## FIT BMX

There is a store called moss acres (Moss Acres: Moss Starter), they have a moss mix that will stick to walls and other stuff. I don't know how good it works.


----------



## TechNerd

FIT BMX said:


> There is a store called moss acres (Moss Acres: Moss Starter), they have a moss mix that will stick to walls and other stuff. I don't know how good it works.


I have used the Moss Milkshake from them and was unsuccessful... It has an absorbent clear gel type of binder that is not very visually appealing as well.


----------



## FIT BMX

WOW! Thanks for saving me the money.


----------



## Judy S

Judy S said:


> Grimm...love the viv. A question about the silicone.toluene, etc. Have you ever mixed into the "soup" some moss spores??? When you use the peat--is it milled spag. moss, or long fibered spag., or peat like you'd put in an outside garden....?? It took me forever to get Toluene...seems as though some crack addicts use it for meth or something...


So is it peat moss, that you generally buy in "bales" which is run through a blender to make it bits and pieces? Or is it "milled" spag. moss, or is it the long-fiber spag. moss that you run through a blender??? Sorry to be such a pest, but the outcome, to me, is worth the followup question before I start painting!!! Thanks ...


----------



## dfrmav

Judy S said:


> So is it peat moss, that you generally buy in "bales" which is run through a blender to make it bits and pieces? Or is it "milled" spag. moss, or is it the long-fiber spag. moss that you run through a blender??? Sorry to be such a pest, but the outcome, to me, is worth the followup question before I start painting!!! Thanks ...


No, it's actual living sheets of green moss mixed with sphagnum.


----------



## GRIMM

Judy S said:


> So is it peat moss, that you generally buy in "bales" which is run through a blender to make it bits and pieces? Or is it "milled" spag. moss, or is it the long-fiber spag. moss that you run through a blender??? Sorry to be such a pest, but the outcome, to me, is worth the followup question before I start painting!!! Thanks ...


Im not sure what you are asking about now....

For the background covering, I use Shultz sphagnum peat moss. Looks like dirt lol. The first 2 pictures in the link is what I use. You can buy it in smaller bags, or giant bales. It will eventually grow mosses and liverworts from the surface over time if you are lucky.

schultz peat moss - Google Search

For the moss mixture, I used normal long fiber sphagnum moss and blended it (while dry) into very fine pieces, then added water and live tropical mosses, and blended it further. This long fiber sphagnum moss is typically used for mounting orchids and keeping their roots moist.

Google Images


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Im not sure what you are asking about now....
> 
> For the background covering, I use Shultz sphagnum peat moss. Looks like dirt lol. The first 2 pictures in the link is what I use. You can buy it in smaller bags, or giant bales. It will eventually grow mosses and liverworts from the surface over time if you are lucky.
> 
> schultz peat moss - Google Search
> 
> For the moss mixture, I used normal long fiber sphagnum moss and blended it (while dry) into very fine pieces, then added water and live tropical mosses, and blended it further. This long fiber sphagnum moss is typically used for mounting orchids and keeping their roots moist.
> 
> Google Images


I use Schultz too.....good stuff 
Walmart use to carry it but now they just have Miracle Gro now


----------



## crested

Well I'm glad I ran into this piece about the moss when I did!!
Hadn't thought about doing a live moss covering!

Very interested in this 'moss milkshake' (Shade Plants - Moss Acres Fern Moss and Other Shade Plants) just concerned it's not well suited for high light? Most of the mosses here actually say prefer shade/low light??

I had chosen to go with a dry Moss Mix/Spagnum Mix coating some rope for vines (pics), but I'm now thinking I'll try to grow some live stuff! Thanks Grimm!

I've been following your post for awhile and its inspired me to build this 36x18x36. Any suggestions on plants?


----------



## Judy S

Thanks for clearing up the question about the mosses...did you get your "sheets" from Black Jungle, or somewhere else...the tropical mosses--have you had more success with one type?? I bought one of those small coffee grinders at Goodwill for about $3--perfect for what your process requires...will have to go back to one of your earlier posts to see how you get your "vines" shaped to look natural...thanks for all your advice...


----------



## FIT BMX

Grimm, hows is the plant growth going?


----------



## GRIMM

FIT BMX said:


> Grimm, hows is the plant growth going?


Its going ok. Im not really happy with the way it looks right now. Most of the "colourful" broms I bought ended up coming to me completely green. I just started to notice them getting some colour this weekend though. I'll be moving/removing/adding orchids and broms this week, and continuing to get plant/flower timelapses. Ive probably taken about 5000 images of stuff so far. Trying to get the next video out soon but it always takes longer then I think. Plus Im building a custom background for my 1st ever "customer" at the moment, so time is limited. To make up for it, here are more leuc pictures for everyone.

8 shot focus stack.









Another 4-6 shot stack on a N. "Charm"









4 second exposure in moonlight









"Hangin' Out"









"Lemme Out?"









"Preparing for Takeoff"....No joke. This little guy attempts a 2 foot gap jump on a regular basis. Fails miserably every time


----------



## InHoc1855

Those pics of your frogs are OUTSTANDING!! 

WOW.

Again, thank you for all your inspiration.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

nice pics Grimm 
I can't wait to see the tank.
I bet it's gonna be pretty sweet.
you should do a live camera feed of the tank for a few days 
I hope you do some time lapses from different points of view lol


----------



## FIT BMX

Photos look great!!!
Your gap jumping frog should be the mascot for Tree Bicycle Co. Trees the best!!!

An pics of the costume background? I would love to see what you got going there!


----------



## Okapi

Awesome pictures, as always.


----------



## Dendroguy

Hoooolllllyyyy crap  that's amazing,that is one of the most beautiful vivs I've seen


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Dendroguy said:


> Hoooolllllyyyy crap  that's amazing,that is one of the most beautiful vivs I've seen


haha calm down there lulz....we haven't seen the whole thing completed...
which I hope is very soon!


----------



## Lance

There happens to be an orchid show happening here over the weekend, Justin should have a few pics within a week.


----------



## GRIMM

^^^ Dont pay attention to my buddy Lance....He just wants to see updated pics as bad as everyone else  ...There is a show though, and I will be buying some little jems, hopefully from Equador.

But yeah, shouldnt be to much longer. I spent 3 hours yesterday editing the first half of the video and thousands of pictures. I'll be taking timelapse footage for the next week and then should have enough video to make everyone happy.


----------



## Okapi

Looking forward to it


----------



## toksyn

Lance said:


> There happens to be an orchid show happening here over the weekend, Justin should have a few pics within a week.


You don't happen to be in Gainesville, do you?


----------



## Okapi

toksyn said:


> You don't happen to be in Gainesville, do you?


Hes in Canada


----------



## swampy459

toksyn said:


> You don't happen to be in Gainesville, do you?


I'm in Gville.


----------



## FIT BMX

Hows the growing going!!


----------



## GRIMM

Its going great for the most part. Im still capturing some wicked flower timelapses though to lengthen the final video. The only orchids that are doing poorly is my Phal. Parishi and Leptotes Bicolor.

So far inside the tank I have gotten the following orchids to bloom: Pleurothallis grobyi, Epidendrum Porpax, Cirhopetallum Pulchellum, Haraella Retrocalla, Masdevallia Floribunda, Sophronitis Bervipedunculata, and I have a long flower stem from a Aerangis Biloba that should be opening shortly. Its fun having this many orchids in one tank  Right now 4 of the ones listed have flowers open, or growing.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> Its going great for the most part. Im still capturing some wicked flower timelapses though to lengthen the final video. The only orchids that are doing poorly is my Phal. Parishi and Leptotes Bicolor.
> 
> So far inside the tank I have gotten the following orchids to bloom: Pleurothallis grobyi, Epidendrum Porpax, Cirhopetallum Pulchellum, Haraella Retrocalla, Masdevallia Floribunda, Sophronitis Bervipedunculata, and I have a long flower stem from a Aerangis Biloba that should be opening shortly. Its fun having this many orchids in one tank  Right now 4 of the ones listed have flowers open, or growing.


I got the email and was like yay finally pics or something.
lol no you're just being a tease 
I hope you're taking some FTS pics of the viv with these flowers all in bloom or maybe even a video tour cause I don't wanna miss it lol.

I finally finished my tank Grimm and I would love to know what you think.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...rt-semi-n00b-viv-pic-heavy-15.html#post656569

I cant wait to see some pic and vid updates of your viv


----------



## FIT BMX

That's so cool to have that many orchids in one tank!!!


----------



## GRIMM

Finally, the planting video. If you like it, like it, and if you wanna help me out click an ad on my youtube page. Hope everyone enjoys it! 

I'll have another video down the road so I can explain any questions people have. I'll also add pictures of all the plants with names included.






I'll add some pictures since I cant figure out youtube's quality yet lol.


----------



## Mitch

That was so awesome I just cried... I cried rainbows!


----------



## sethshaun

Hahaha! How am supposed to go to sleep now after I watched that!?...twice 
Awesomeness. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## asunderco

Excellent job Grimm, worth the wait.


----------



## FrogFever

Oh. My. God.


----------



## drutt

good job....


----------



## leuc11

This deserves a Me Gusta


----------



## Grrrit

Effing wicked man. Absolutely amazing


----------



## freaky_tah

Very, very cool Grimm. That's an excellent looking viv.


----------



## kickedinthevader

So till now I've been trying to avoid jumping on the Grimm complimenting wagon. But seriously Grimm, you have some amazing talent. I'v watched your videos well before even registering for DB. Thank you for everything you have brought to the hobby.


----------



## FIT BMX

That is just marvelous!!!!!!!!

Your orchids are absolutely beautiful!! And the video is just NUTS!!!

Great work on ever aspect of this build, you should be very proud!


----------



## FIT BMX

What are the different layers of ground cover?


----------



## dfrmav

AWESOME grimm...few questions

1) what is the plant on the background creeping up on the lower left? 

2) what is the plant underneath the big stump (planted in soil) with a bunch of long, skinny green leaves? 

3) what are the small vines hanging down off of the stump?

Thanks!


----------



## Grubb

Absolutely remarkable. I just love watching all the critters running around in the orchid bloom stop-motions. Thanks Grimm it was well worth the wait!


----------



## Absolutbill

That should be renamed

Planet Earth: The Peninsula!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Raf

Nice job Grimm!


----------



## jacobi

Can you repost the video set to the Star Wars soundtrack? The force is strong in you...


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Great job Grimm I love it.
I imagined it would be more lush tho, it's more wide open than I though it would be lol.
btw what happened with the water feature, did you just feel it in and decide not to have a pool of water there?


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks for the compliments everybody, and glad everyone enjoyed the video. Super appreciated!



FIT BMX said:


> What are the different layers of ground cover?


First the Fluval Stratum went down around the FB, then my substrate mixture, then different types of leaf litter. I'll go over it next video for sure.



dfrmav said:


> AWESOME grimm...few questions
> 
> 1) what is the plant on the background creeping up on the lower left?
> 
> 2) what is the plant underneath the big stump (planted in soil) with a bunch of long, skinny green leaves?
> 
> 3) what are the small vines hanging down off of the stump?
> 
> Thanks!


I'll go over all the plants shortly, but... 
1. Marcgravia Sintenisii 
2. Masdevallia Wendlandiana
3. Peperomia Prostrata/Rotundifolia



DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Great job Grimm I love it.
> I imagined it would be more lush tho, it's more wide open than I though it would be lol.
> btw what happened with the water feature, did you just feel it in and decide not to have a pool of water there?


Im still planning on adding more wood and plants. And I didnt plant this tank using anything fast growing, I made that mistake with my other tanks. Im hoping it takes 1-2 years to look at it's best. No joke, the moss/anubias are the fastest growing things in the tank.

I had a Cyanobacteria bloom in the water section, so it will remain dry 10 months of the year. It will be flooded during springtime/breeding season. Most of it will be filled in and made less flat using more wood/plants though. If only I could get a reply from my original driftwood supplier.


----------



## frogparty

If you are referring to the guy from the driftwood store, he just bought a new boat for harvesting and is probably out getting more awesome stuff. I just got a few pieces from him


----------



## FIT BMX

A new boat! Driftwood most be a good line of work.


----------



## Shohin

Truly inspirational Grimm. 

Thank you for taking the time to put this video together so that we all may share in your awesome creativity!

-Troy


----------



## VicSkimmr

love love love


----------



## jacobi

frogs Frogs FROGS?


----------



## froggies3

Man thats crazy beautiful!!!!!!!!! Did you use any moss spores?


----------



## the_deeb

Fantastic job Grimm (on both the tank and the video)!


----------



## Cfrog

Wow,amazing. Can't wait to see the progress.


----------



## pet-teez

You, dear sir, are my HERO!
I just watched your final video, was so fantastic!
And the time lapse of the flowers was so nice


----------



## curlykid

the inspiration for my viv. absolutely beautiful.


----------



## brinkerh420

My inspiration for a viv too!


----------



## winstonamc

yea so I had to share this video on facebook...


----------



## teggner

Wonderful! now we need the info about the plants!


----------



## Nate Mcfin

Amazing viv and very good documentation of the build. 
Quick question about the air circulation, now that you have had the viv running for awhile would you do the air the same way. Any changes you would make? 
I have a mock set up with a variation on yours so I wanted to see how you liked yours. 
Thanks, 
Nate


----------



## FIT BMX

Grimm, what kind of ultrasonic humidifier did you use?
I am building a tank, and I am thanking of using one.


----------



## GRIMM

Nate Mcfin said:


> Amazing viv and very good documentation of the build.
> Quick question about the air circulation, now that you have had the viv running for awhile would you do the air the same way. Any changes you would make?
> I have a mock set up with a variation on yours so I wanted to see how you liked yours.
> Thanks,
> Nate


I love the setup. Im actually almost done a tank for someone and used the same style, only a single column duct for it. The only small problem with mine is that if a fan craps out, I'll need to disconnect my misting system and unplug a few switches to take off the glass covering it. On this new tank the glass can lift right off just incase.



FIT BMX said:


> Grimm, what kind of ultrasonic humidifier did you use?
> I am building a tank, and I am thanking of using one.


I honesty have no clue, and doubt you can find the same one where you live. Just go shopping around at home trinket stores. Look for something that has a circular output and can be modified.


----------



## rocko1

DO NOT USE TOLUENE ITS CONSIDERED A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL!!!!! For those who have please be responsible and dispose of it properly so you don't contaminate the environment.

ICSC:NENG0078 International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO) | CDC/NIOSH
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927301


----------



## GRIMM

rocko1 said:


> DO NOT USE TOLUENE ITS CONSIDERED A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL!!!!! For those who have please be responsible and dispose of it properly so you don't contaminate the environment.
> 
> ICSC:NENG0078 International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO) | CDC/NIOSH
> http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927301


IMA GOOGLE "TOLUENE" AND MAKES ACCOUNTS ON FORUMS TELLING PEOPLE NOT TO USE IT. TROLOLOLOL

Yup, so hazardous that my frogs are even healthier now in this tank than they were in the past. They have even started growing second heads they are so healthy!

It evaporates completely, and if used with the proper precautions it is completely safe to the user.


----------



## FIT BMX

That's great! About the humidifier, and your frogs second head!LOL

Took a photo of your frog, when you weren't home today.
Hope that's all right Grimm.
P.S. I made sure to lock up the house before I left.


----------



## skanderson

good reply to a bad post grimm. i am planning on using this technique this weekend to make some vines and roots. im waiting on some sunshine so i can do it in my greenhouse with the fans on. i was just trying to remember if you used toluene or xylol so this reply saved me the trouble to looking it up. i hope the earlier poster also avoids gasoline as that can be very bad in the enviroment if not handled properly.


----------



## motydesign

Yup I use the same stuff in my vivs and everything is healthy and growing all over it!


----------



## MA70Snowman

I've used the toulene in a couple of my builds as well and have had no issues.. as grimm mentioned. let evaporate and give it plenty of time. 

Grim I gotta ask though.. on the timelaps video between 1:20 and about 1:35 what is the actually lapse there. also all that moss (during that same time frame) that's popping up on the center piece, is that you planting it, or is that all new growth.. essentially what I'm getting at.. is how'd you get your centerpiece covered in nice moss like that so quick. I"m about to complete a tank, and would very much like that effect in mine as well.


----------



## GRIMM

During that time frame I was waiting for plants, and adding small plants here and there. Basically Id take a shot every day or two while I waited. Its mostly the moss growing and not me adding it. Go back a few pages and read how I did the moss mix, its here somewhere lol


----------



## B-NICE

I just seen the end of your built youtube video. How did you get such great moss on the driftwood?


----------



## curlykid

grimm i sent you a message about your fogger. could you respond please? thanks.


----------



## GRIMM

The Sharper Image® Ultrasonic Cool Mist™ Humidifier - Bed Bath & Beyond


----------



## Lbacha

I have a couple questions about your ventilation, I'm doing a Borneo Stream Biotope terrarium Lbacha's proposed "Borneo Stream Biotope" terrarium (The rocks came: pics 11-29) - Page 8 and I was considering a similar air circuylation concept in a 75g tank, instead of a central pleneum I was thinking two fans one located in each corner. My question is now that it has run for a while is there anything you would do differently or does the square shaft with a fan at the bottom work well, second is it enough air to keep the glass clear and if so what humidity levels are you able to maintain with the fan blowing. My final question is with the humidifier, does the cool air version work well for you or do you think there would be a pro or con to a warm air version. My apartment is fairly cool and I will be running alot less light than you so warming my terrarium will be a concern that I need to work out.

Thanks in advance and your vivarium is amazing.

Len


----------



## FIT BMX

Thanks for posting the Humidifier link!


----------



## curlykid

thanks Grimm.


----------



## GRIMM

Lbacha said:


> I have a couple questions about your ventilation, I'm doing a Borneo Stream Biotope terrarium Lbacha's proposed "Borneo Stream Biotope" terrarium (The rocks came: pics 11-29) - Page 8 and I was considering a similar air circuylation concept in a 75g tank, instead of a central pleneum I was thinking two fans one located in each corner. My question is now that it has run for a while is there anything you would do differently or does the square shaft with a fan at the bottom work well, second is it enough air to keep the glass clear and if so what humidity levels are you able to maintain with the fan blowing. My final question is with the humidifier, does the cool air version work well for you or do you think there would be a pro or con to a warm air version. My apartment is fairly cool and I will be running alot less light than you so warming my terrarium will be a concern that I need to work out.
> 
> Thanks in advance and your vivarium is amazing.
> 
> Len


I love my fan/duct design. I have, and will do it again. Actually, I wouldn’t build a large tank without some sort of built in air circulation now that I see how well my plants are doing. Plus I like the consealed design. The fan can be mounted near the top. It also helps keep the glass clear, but that is more dependant on ambient temperature.

I don’t measure humidity (or temps anymore). Any enclosed glass box with regular misting/fogging will have sufficient humidity. The fans also help keep temps down even though I have +500 watts of light during midday's sun.

As for the "cool mist", I think it’s just a marketing ploy. I’m pretty certain all these ultrasonic humidifiers use the same type of internal gizmos similar to the exo terra foggers. Just test out which model gives good fog output and go with one that has a removable reservoir. Also try and envision how you are going to modify and attach a hose to it. No sense buying something that cannot have a tube or fitting attached to it somehow.


----------



## Kaben

Hi Grimm,

Amazing thread and youtube series. I found this by accident searching for viv ideas on youtube and now i have a very clear set of new ideas i would like to use.

I have a question though and i apologise if this is a basic concept. Does it ever get /too/ humid in the enclosed vivarium? Im from the UK and i have only ever seen tanks with mesh strips in the lids for ventilation in dendrobates. I guess this is what you guys consider a european viv style? 

What i mean is something like this:









I woudl like to build something simlar to yours in concept as it means less escaping moisture to deal with in my room messing up paint and wood etc in nearby furniture.Im just scared that im going to suffocate my frogs with lack of decent airflow? Or is that the plants provide the oxygen for the viv? 

I look forward to more images of your viv over time!

Rob


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Kaben said:


> Hi Grimm,
> 
> Amazing thread and youtube series. I found this by accident searching for viv ideas on youtube and now i have a very clear set of new ideas i would like to use.
> 
> I have a question though and i apologise if this is a basic concept. Does it ever get /too/ humid in the enclosed vivarium? Im from the UK and i have only ever seen tanks with mesh strips in the lids for ventilation in dendrobates. I guess this is what you guys consider a european viv style?
> 
> What i mean is something like this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I woudl like to build something simlar to yours in concept as it means less escaping moisture to deal with in my room messing up paint and wood etc in nearby furniture.Im just scared that im going to suffocate my frogs with lack of decent airflow? Or is that the plants provide the oxygen for the viv?
> 
> I look forward to more images of your viv over time!
> 
> Rob


you don't want that vent in the middle....it will block your lights.
they usually put them on the front or back and that vent is pretty large maybe a bit too big


----------



## Kaben

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> you don't want that vent in the middle....it will block your lights.
> they usually put them on the front or back and that vent is pretty large maybe a bit too big


Well ideally i would like to have no vent at all, like Grimm has his tank - that image was to illustrate how most of the vivs here are made. 
I just want to make sure that i wont be making a death box for my frogs without a ventilation strip like that. (i.e is there something that Grimm has included in the build to ensure oxygen etc is getting in or am i just over thinking the issue?)

As i say i have never seen a vivarium without a vent strip in the top so im curious about how Grimms one works. That said im relatively new to the Dendro scene so the fact that i haven't seen any without mesh means little!

Also, without any ventilation the viv must stay at nearly 100% humidity - can this be too much humidity for plants in some cases? As i say, sorry for the noobish questions, i have just never seen this style of fully enclosed viv before and im fascinated by it.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Kaben said:


> Well ideally i would like to have no vent at all, like Grimm has his tank - that image was to illustrate how most of the vivs here are made.
> I just want to make sure that i wont be making a death box for my frogs without a ventilation strip like that. (i.e is there something that Grimm has included in the build to ensure oxygen etc is getting in or am i just over thinking the issue?)
> 
> As i say i have never seen a vivarium without a vent strip in the top so im curious about how Grimms one works. That said im relatively new to the Dendro scene so the fact that i haven't seen any without mesh means little!
> 
> Also, without any ventilation the viv must stay at nearly 100% humidity - can this be too much humidity for plants in some cases? As i say, sorry for the noobish questions, i have just never seen this style of fully enclosed viv before and im fascinated by it.


well he uses a fogger so that might pump new are in and the fans help circulate air but I'm sure his viv isn't 100% vacuum sealed so I'm sure oxygen is getting in there and also he opens the tank to feed them so oxygen gets in then.
some vivs I've seen on here don't have any vents.
I'm sure there has to be some sort of oxygen/co2 exgnage or the frogs would die


----------



## GRIMM

I think you are overthinking the oxygen issue. At least for this size of tank, I dont see these little frogs ever being capable of suffocating themselves, even if I left the tank closed for a month straight... I had completely enclosed 20 gallon tanks and it wasnt an issue either. Every time you open the tank there is air exchange and it prevents a build up of CO2.

Ive never measured humidity in this tank, or any of my past ones. All I can say is that it smells like a jungle. High humidity is a good thing, as long as the tank isnt stagnant and the plants are not wet during the night. My last misting session is at 3pm just after the metal halides turn off, and I give my plants 6 hours to dry off before the lights turn off.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

GRIMM said:


> I think you are overthinking the oxygen issue. At least for this size of tank, I dont see these little frogs ever being capable of suffocating themselves, even if I left the tank closed for a month straight... I had completely enclosed 20 gallon tanks and it wasnt an issue either. Every time you open the tank there is air exchange and it prevents a build up of CO2.
> 
> Ive never measured humidity in this tank, or any of my past ones. All I can say is that it smells like a jungle. High humidity is a good thing, as long as the tank isnt stagnant and the plants are not wet during the night. My last misting session is at 3pm just after the metal halides turn off, and I give my plants 6 hours to dry off before the lights turn off.


yeah I mist in the middle of my light cycle as well to give the plants time to dry.
I'm sure it's not all that important in my tank as in yours cause you have all those orchids.

I'm thinking about removing the screen off my vent and putting a small piece of glass there cause I mist once a day so I will have air exchange.


----------



## Kaben

GRIMM said:


> I think you are overthinking the oxygen issue. At least for this size of tank, I dont see these little frogs ever being capable of suffocating themselves, even if I left the tank closed for a month straight... I had completely enclosed 20 gallon tanks and it wasnt an issue either. Every time you open the tank there is air exchange and it prevents a build up of CO2.
> 
> Ive never measured humidity in this tank, or any of my past ones. All I can say is that it smells like a jungle. High humidity is a good thing, as long as the tank isnt stagnant and the plants are not wet during the night. My last misting session is at 3pm just after the metal halides turn off, and I give my plants 6 hours to dry off before the lights turn off.


Thanks for the response Grimm you have answered all of my nagging thoughts, I just wanted to make sure i wasn't missing something simple before i changed my mind to go for an enclosed tank instead of that ENT style. Its great that you share so much of your experience/insight so readily rather than keep it to yourself as you could have done.
I am now going to go for a fully enclosed tank design similar to yours in concept/construction (the placement of the sump, use of fans etc) but in a much smaller size and internal layout (32"w x 20"D x 24"h - i have no idea how many gallons that is!?). 
I really like the negative space design by being able to see through your tank but unfortunately i have no space in my humble abode to place it anywhere facing out from the wall. Nevermind! i had never even had that in my head before i saw yours so its no biggie.

On the oxygen issue, part from it being nothing to worry about as you say - im sure with all of those plants in an enclosed space it must be pretty oxygen rich anyway from the photosynthesis. 

As for the humidity - thanks for the explanation of your timings. 

I cant wait to get my hands on a tank now!


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Kaben said:


> Thanks for the response Grimm you have answered all of my nagging thoughts, I just wanted to make sure i wasn't missing something simple before i changed my mind to go for an enclosed tank instead of that ENT style. Its great that you share so much of your experience/insight so readily rather than keep it to yourself as you could have done.
> I am now going to go for a fully enclosed tank design similar to yours in concept/construction (the placement of the sump, use of fans etc) but in a much smaller size and internal layout (32"w x 20"D x 24"h - i have no idea how many gallons that is!?).
> I really like the negative space design by being able to see through your tank but unfortunately i have no space in my humble abode to place it anywhere facing out from the wall. Nevermind! i had never even had that in my head before i saw yours so its no biggie.
> 
> On the oxygen issue, part from it being nothing to worry about as you say - im sure with all of those plants in an enclosed space it must be pretty oxygen rich anyway from the photosynthesis.
> 
> As for the humidity - thanks for the explanation of your timings.
> 
> I cant wait to get my hands on a tank now!


with a tank of that size (it looks small) I would possibly keep the front bottom vent tho and ditch the top vent


----------



## Kaben

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> with a tank of that size (it looks small) I would possibly keep the front bottom vent tho and ditch the top vent


Really not wanting to hijack Grimms thread, but for what reason do you recommend keeping the lower vent?

Many thanks!


----------



## Boondoggle

Kaben said:


> Really not wanting to hijack Grimms thread, but for what reason do you recommend keeping the lower vent?
> 
> Many thanks!


The lower/upper vent combo (Euro-vent) creates slight airflow due to hotter air rising through the top, drawing air from outside bottom. Generally with the result of keeping glass on front clear.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185

Boondoggle said:


> The lower/upper vent combo (Euro-vent) creates slight airflow due to hotter air rising through the top, drawing air from outside bottom. Generally with the result of keeping glass on front clear.


didn't think about that lol if this is true then I would keep them both.
I'm gonna stop this convo now tho and not blow up Grimm's shizz lulz


----------



## Brian317

Amazing ! I love your set up, I'd give a kidney for a vivarium like that 

One question: How did you hang your light up above your vivarium? I looked thru some photos and looks like it is suspended somehow....I'm working on trying get a large 48 inch light above my vivarium in my house....without hanging it from the ceiling. 

Thanks and amazing job again


----------



## VicSkimmr

I don't know how GRIMM has it, but you can easily build your own ADA style mounting setup.

Example:


















For larger lights you would use 2 pieces of conduit, bend them once and line them up with the mounting holes. That's what I am using for my big tank and it's a very clean looking way to mount lights.

How to:
How To: Build an ADA inspired lighting stand - Carolina Fish Talk


----------



## GRIMM

Wicked DIY Jason. I might have to use that idea on my next coffee/side table tanks. You should copy/paste the write up here on the boards. Im sure everyone would appreciate it.

As for how I mounted mine...Giesemann makes some of the highest end lighting equipment you can buy, so they have a setup for every mounting option you could want. Here is the link to the different ways to mount it. I used the suspension kit that came with the fixture. All you need is 2 long screws lined up with a roof truss and you are done. The fixture really isnt very heavy and hight can be adjusted in like 10 seconds.

Giesemann Lichttechnik -

www.giesemann.de


----------



## Brian317

Thank you both. I have a great idea how to go about this now....plus I know a friend with a conduit bender so this should work ! The website looks neat too, I'll take a look more in depth here in a bit.

Thanks to you both.


----------



## snfsm

*new wave of lighting*

sooo, long time no see.  everything seems to be coming along fantastic. it was a long time ago you told me i should check out your threads over here. i'm a late bloomer, but here i am. 

as great as everything seems to be coming along i can't help but to wonder when it is we'll see you moving up to fiddling with the new wave in lighting. maybe some programmable sunrise/sunset cree xp-g or xm-l fixtures? maybe controlled with a ddc-01 pwm controller w/remote? have you considered such as of yet? i'm thinking that's right up your alley and all we need now, is for you to have another upcoming project in the mix.

i'll go ahead now and subscribe to this thread so you can cuss me out in real time (close enough) for razzin' ya.


----------



## Venutus1

VicSkimmr said:


> I don't know how GRIMM has it, but you can easily build your own ADA style mounting setup.
> 
> Example:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For larger lights you would use 2 pieces of conduit, bend them once and line them up with the mounting holes. That's what I am using for my big tank and it's a very clean looking way to mount lights.
> 
> How to:
> How To: Build an ADA inspired lighting stand - Carolina Fish Talk


OOh. Love the conduit arm.


----------



## GRIMM

*Re: new wave of lighting*



snfsm said:


> sooo, long time no see.  everything seems to be coming along fantastic. it was a long time ago you told me i should check out your threads over here. i'm a late bloomer, but here i am.
> 
> as great as everything seems to be coming along i can't help but to wonder when it is we'll see you moving up to fiddling with the new wave in lighting. maybe some programmable sunrise/sunset cree xp-g or xm-l fixtures? maybe controlled with a ddc-01 pwm controller w/remote? have you considered such as of yet? i'm thinking that's right up your alley and all we need now, is for you to have another upcoming project in the mix.
> 
> i'll go ahead now and subscribe to this thread so you can cuss me out in real time (close enough) for razzin' ya.


Im not sure where I met you online, but glad you checked out the thread. 

As for the high tech lighting, maybe someday on a different tank, but Im extremely happy with the lights I have now. And the only reason I went with a fixture this high end, is because I purchased it used (in perfect condition) for 30% retail value. I did see a wicked LED system that a local reffer had, so I might need to research up on it. It had all the programming bells and whistles for a decent price...For the most part, I dont think extra features benefit anything inside the tank, only creatures outside lol.

Changes you will most likely see in a year or so, include a major replanting, and additions to the hardscape. More driftwood in empty spaces, and very nice stones throughout. Im really getting into the aquarium side of hardscaping, so I want to try and use their planting techniques into the peninsula and into any future tanks I make. After doing as much searching online and oogling over tanks built by the Japanese, I have realised how unsatisfied I am. Well maybe unsatisfied is harsh, but I know I can do better. Now that I know an open style tank like this does not seem to bother the inhabitants at all, open style hardscaping is what I will focus on. So long as enough useable space is provided, while keeping visual barriers and hiding spots, I see no reason why we cant use the techniques and styles aquarists have evolved over the decades. I dont want to start a massive discussion about this here though...just giving updates on what my plans are down the road. 

And stick around on the forums. Lots of other amazing stuff build by Dendroboard members. Plus, I'll be starting another semi-big display tank within the month.......It arrives tomorrow


----------



## Shrimpnmoss

Hi Grimm. Thanks for your suggestions. Your Viv is awesome.


----------



## MrMonterrubio

Hey Grimm,


I adore your Peninsula. The reason why I joined Dendroboard.

Anyway, I have some questions and I hope you can help me.

I'm building this tank as if it were some kind of swamp. Everything is great so far, but I'm having doubts on the right way to cover the Great Stuff I used for the background.

I already read your method but I can't find any Toluene or Turpentine here on Mexico. You think that a Marine heavyduty Varnish / Peat moss mix will be enough?

Maybe if I try an Acrylic Cement / Peat Moss Mix?

I'm a bit lost at this point.


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks bud. I'll check out your build and post a reply there.


----------



## jsb

Hi There; Not sure if this is right or wrong, but this is my 1st post. I just wanted to thank Grimm for the link to The Driftwood Store, Rod was great to work with. Anyway thanks again.


----------



## titansfever83

I might have missed it amongst the 50 some odd pages in this thread but was there ever a plant list for this tank? I saw where you posted a few of the orchids and the water plants. Just curious of the Broms and other plants(including mosses) you used.


----------



## GRIMM

titansfever83 said:


> I might have missed it amongst the 50 some odd pages in this thread but was there ever a plant list for this tank? I saw where you posted a few of the orchids and the water plants. Just curious of the Broms and other plants(including mosses) you used.


No I never did make a list. But sometime this week I'll take some updated pictures and lable the plants for everyone. Thanks for reminding me.


----------



## ynotnad

Thanks for not sharing your plants with us GRIMM... not like you have been doing anything else since you built this tank... LOL  Look forward to seeing the completed list.

I wanted to say thank you for always taking the time to share "IN DETAIL" all of your projects you have done with us.

Tony


----------



## bmasar

Hey Grimm, I've been off Dendroboard for a bid and just read through the whole thread. Really awesome stuff.

I was hoping for a good look at the technique you used to make your vines, but the videos are offline. Is there a particular Dendro thread you followed to make them?


----------



## GRIMM

bmasar said:


> Hey Grimm, I've been off Dendroboard for a bid and just read through the whole thread. Really awesome stuff.
> 
> I was hoping for a good look at the technique you used to make your vines, but the videos are offline. Is there a particular Dendro thread you followed to make them?


Sorry I took the videos down because I used copyrighted music. Maybe eventually I will repost them with non copyright tunes. 

The structure is made with expanding foam, pvc piping, and various sizes and types of rope. Then it was all covered with silicone and dried peat moss. Check out the build by "raf" to get a better idea how to do this. Just sort the parts and construction section by view count, and his thread is near the top. His roots are much better then mine, and he has a lot more of them.


----------



## GRIMM

Updated pics from a few days ago. Lets just say it took me a while to edit these plant pics in Paint  To bad photobucket has an upload limit, because both of them are 30 Megapixels EACH and look sweet on a massive monitor. Hopefully you can still see the plant names with the decrease in size.





































And a bonus pic I entered into a local reptile forum contest. Requirements needed some heavy post processing modifications, thats why its a blacked out and desaturated background.


----------



## bratyboy2

Amazing! I saved every picture!


----------



## Dizzle21

Awesome! Grimm you have way to much time on your hands..


----------



## Mitch

Wow, incredible work Justin. Your vivarium is absolutely amazing, and your pictures are too. Check my new Peninsula build out when you get a chance! I might have gotten some inspiration from you...


----------



## RedEyeTroyFrog

Looks great man


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks guys.



Dizzle21 said:


> Awesome! Grimm you have way to much time on your hands..


Haha it was all done over work breaks and lunch  Im to busy building other stuff to do this editing at home. Plus I dont even have a computer of my own.



Mitch said:


> Wow, incredible work Justin. Your vivarium is absolutely amazing, and your pictures are too. Check my new Peninsula build out when you get a chance! I might have gotten some inspiration from you...


Thanks Mitch, I'll be sure to check it out soon. Seems a lot of people are trying the peninsula displays now, which is awesome. I like them better then multiple 10-20 gallon tanks any day.


----------



## VPardoel

Your vivs are awesome.

No disrespect to the others but you are the takashi amano of the vivariums


----------



## Azriel

Wow, that looks amazing Grimm! How do you not just stand there and stare at it all day?! lol I love how the peperomia rotundifolia are trailing down.


----------



## winstonamc

Grimm, sorry to beat a dead horse, but how did you apply your moss mixture? with the toulene and silicone or basted on top of that and the wood?


----------



## FIT BMX

Looks great Grimm. You should post those photos on Orchid Board they would love them!


----------



## ynotnad

GRIMM that is more professional detailing than I have seen on plant retailers websites...Not only did you display the names nicely you haven given me a better understanding on where to mount certain types of plants.

Thank you

Tony


----------



## GRIMM

VPardoel said:


> Your vivs are awesome.
> 
> No disrespect to the others but you are the takashi amano of the vivariums


Haha thanks for the awesome compliment. Hes an idol of mine for sure. It would be amazing to even achieve a quarter of his success and to be able to do this as a career.



Azriel said:


> Wow, that looks amazing Grimm! How do you not just stand there and stare at it all day?! lol I love how the peperomia rotundifolia are trailing down.


Thanks I like the peperomia also. As it continues to grow I'll be moving more of it in high places. I think it is a good way to continue the root idea further throughout the tank, and not just on the back wall.



winstonamc said:


> Grimm, sorry to beat a dead horse, but how did you apply your moss mixture? with the toulene and silicone or basted on top of that and the wood?


I mentioned it several times, but I used a 50/50 blended mixture of live mosses and dried sphagnum then stuck it onto whatever surface I wanted to be green. The frogs have moved bits of moss throughtout the tank, so it has been spreading into the leaf litter also.



FIT BMX said:


> Looks great Grimm. You should post those photos on Orchid Board they would love them!


Look harder, the peninsula is everywhere 



ynotnad said:


> GRIMM that is more professional detailing than I have seen on plant retailers websites...Not only did you display the names nicely you haven given me a better understanding on where to mount certain types of plants.
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Tony


Thanks Tony. I could have done a simple plant list but it was fun adding everything together on a single picture. Makes it easier to track future tank progress  Glad that it helps others in the mean time though.


----------



## bratyboy2

How did you attach the peperomia to the wood so it would cascade like that?


----------



## seleçao

Grimm, is it possible for you to repost video of peninsula on youtube. They are unavailable.


----------



## FIT BMX

Found it, I just didn't see the update on the orchid board.


----------



## Arpeggio

Where do you get your driftwood?? I love you viv.


----------



## Dizzle21

I believe from Rod from thedriftwoodstore.com

Its kinda pricey after shipping, but its some nice driftwood!


----------



## Arpeggio

Really? Cool, but everything I like is sold out!

Sorry Grimm for asking the question on your thread.


----------



## frogparty

Arpeggio said:


> Where do you get your driftwood?? I love you viv.


You like Grimms wood


----------



## titansfever83

Arpeggio said:


> Really? Cool, but everything I like is sold out!
> 
> Sorry Grimm for asking the question on your thread.



I had a box that was almost 4 ft long, 24" wide and about 30" tall come from thedriftwoodstore.com and shipping was only $17 but I am only about a 6 hour drive from him.

Arpeggio, if you have specific sizes or looks you are going for then just send him an email with your build information(tank size, inhabitants, etc.) Rod goes collecting quite often and he will specifically look for a piece for you on his next trip. The pieces i got from him were never posted on his site and were sent straight to me. I just described to him what I wanted over the phone and he sent me pics of the centerpiece to get my approval. He has an eye for driftwood, whether it's for Vivs, fish tanks, etc. He has had his fair share of aquariums over the years so he knows what to look for.


Sorry to post here Grimm, but it's one less you have to respond to


----------



## Noort

Love it!

I was going to ask you to repost the first 2 youtubes you made, but just read they are supposed to be back?! (those are my next stop)

The 'charts' you made with all the plants shown around the tank in the centre are smashing!!!

Thanks you *so* much for sharing!


=
Sorry to highjack your tread: all the so called 'eurostyle' tanks (the stand alone ones, the racks have a different arrangements of course) I've ever seen have a full hood/ not a half one since we do all the maintenance (feeding, pruning etc.) through 'the front door'.
So it's usually an upside-down box-like arrangement with the lights attached to it that is almost permanent in place -> much easier to get more light into your viv's that way.
And of course there is a vent as wel (usually in the back) to let the lamp-heated air escape and assist in the ventilation of the tank that way.
=

Your Giesemann is wonderfull, I've tried for years to get one for my fishtank, but they are almost as expensive as they are top of the line!


----------



## frogslegsareBAD

I believe its Toight like a tiger


----------



## GRIMM

I swear I posted this here yesterday....Anyways...
I will be removing, replacing and adding plants over the next couple months, so here is a video to log the tank progress as of a couple weeks ago. It might be pretty boring, so you can just flip through the video to see different stages of the fogging schedule. Frog makes an appearance around the 5 minute mark to give a sense fo scale


----------



## frogparty

Love that tank


----------



## Jsnptnd25

This viv is amazing. I'm thinking about trying a viv like this. I just wanted to know Grimm if you had any plans to either get more leucs or swap them out for something else eventually? Keep making sweet tanks man.


----------



## GRIMM

Jsnptnd25 said:


> This viv is amazing. I'm thinking about trying a viv like this. I just wanted to know Grimm if you had any plans to either get more leucs or swap them out for something else eventually? Keep making sweet tanks man.


Thanks bud. As for frogs, Im content keeping the tank low on waste (frog crap). If I do get more frogs, I want a proven female leucomelas. Also if the opportunity presents itself, I will get rid of the leucs and buy a proven breeding pair of pumilo (orange bastis or nice cristobals). Its pretty rare to find proven anything up here though so Im happy just listening to the leucs call for imaginary females till then 

And I'll be making a quick video and taking pictures of the finished 75 gallon display tonight before it gets picked up. I might hold off for a month or two so I can get some grown-in pictures from the owner though. Freshly planted tanks always look kinda blaa.


----------



## Jsnptnd25

Yeah I saw 'The Gnarly Jewel' video. Great job on the way that viv came out. I only have a pair of Azureus but I want to get a group of 5 leucs if I ever make a huge tank like the peninsula. I wish it was easier to get frogs here in Canada. My dream is a pair of O. pumilio 'blue jeans'. Anyways keep up the sick videos man, your builds are awesome.


----------



## The Wolfe

Awesome viv. you do such great work its inspiring! I was wondering if it would be possible for you to repost your vid of you building the vines? If not could you give some details on ho to make them? 

Thanks 
The Wolfe


----------



## ralph

Fantastic and innovative work Grimm. Inspirational – both on a aesthetic/layout level and the thought behind the 'tech' of the behind-the-scenes workings.

After seven long years of having an interest in PDFs & tarrariums, I finally have the space (e.g. not at university or various house/flat shares in central London) However, now I'm personally finding it difficult to look at an Exo Terra terrariums in the same way after spending a while engrossed in the aquascaping hobby and exposed to Amano's minimal & elegant aesthetic. Although considerably more expensive, and possibly less practical than a standard font access (à la Exo Terra), the temptation to convert a pristine ADA 'Cube Garden' (rimless & braceless, opti-white glass with immaculate silicon work) is great. ...And this thread and your YouTube channel doesn't help this.  I'll have a think.

Anyway, I have one question I'd really appreciate you shedding some light on:

I've read all about your method of blending *a mixture* of tropical mosses with dead Sphagnum (and optional, although you didn't do it; yoghurt/buttermilk and a little beer or soya sauce). I'm imagining that potentially a few of the mosses could 'succeed' and start growing at the same time in the same area and there could be a situation where several are gowing in amongst each other? I can only imagine it looking quite patchwork and untidy mix of species, rather than a more uniform blanket of one sp. in any given area.

1) does this / would this happen? Or even if it did start to, one sp. would rise as dominant and suppress the other(s)?

2) if it does happen, how does it look? How was your experience with this...Maybe it looks entirely more natural and better than I imagine?

Thank you.

The 'miniature lilly pads' (or 'giant duckweed' hehe) you described is probably Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) by the sound of it. Congrats on 'The Peninsula', it's stunning.


----------



## GRIMM

Xeophex said:


> Fantastic and innovative work Grimm. Inspirational – both on a aesthetic/layout level and the thought behind the 'tech' of the behind-the-scenes workings.
> 
> After seven long years of having an interest in PDFs & tarrariums, I finally have the space (e.g. not at university or various house/flat shares in central London) However, now I'm personally finding it difficult to look at an Exo Terra terrariums in the same way after spending a while engrossed in the aquascaping hobby and exposed to Amano's minimal & elegant aesthetic. Although considerably more expensive, and possibly less practical than a standard font access (à la Exo Terra), the temptation to convert a pristine ADA 'Cube Garden' (rimless & braceless, opti-white glass with immaculate silicon work) is great. ...And this thread and your YouTube channel doesn't help this.  I'll have a think.
> 
> Anyway, I have one question I'd really appreciate you shedding some light on:
> 
> I've read all about your method of blending *a mixture* of tropical mosses with dead Sphagnum (and optional, although you didn't do it; yoghurt/buttermilk and a little beer or soya sauce). I'm imagining that potentially a few of the mosses could 'succeed' and start growing at the same time in the same area and there could be a situation where several are gowing in amongst each other? I can only imagine it looking quite patchwork and untidy mix of species, rather than a more uniform blanket of one sp. in any given area.
> 
> 1) does this / would this happen? Or even if it did start to, one sp. would rise as dominant and suppress the other(s)?
> 
> 2) if it does happen, how does it look? How was your experience with this...Maybe it looks entirely more natural and better than I imagine?
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> The 'miniature lilly pads' (or 'giant duckweed' hehe) you described is probably Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) by the sound of it. Congrats on 'The Peninsula', it's stunning.


The moss did look patchy and uneven in the beginning to the point where I was even thinking about redoing it. However now it seems only 1 or 2 species (both look like java) have taken over everything, and it looks more uniform. It is getting pretty thick now though, so if I ever redo it I will probably only use java since I know it grows great. The best looking moss/liverwort in my tank is the stuff that appeared randomly from the peat and wood, but it is sparse and the growth location can not be predicted.


----------



## ralph

GRIMM said:


> The moss did look patchy and uneven in the beginning to the point where I was even thinking about redoing it. However now it seems only 1 or 2 species (both look like java) have taken over everything, and it looks more uniform. It is getting pretty thick now though, so if I ever redo it I will probably only use java since I know it grows great. The best looking moss/liverwort in my tank is the stuff that appeared randomly from the peat and wood, but it is sparse and the growth location can not be predicted.


Thanks Grimm. Was Java one of the mosses you blended up in your mixture you painted on then? Or did Java rise as the most successful moss, despite not even putting it in the mixture?

Thanks,
R


----------



## GRIMM

Xeophex said:


> Thanks Grimm. Was Java one of the mosses you blended up in your mixture you painted on then? Or did Java rise as the most successful moss, despite not even putting it in the mixture?
> 
> Thanks,
> R


Yup java was in the mixture for sure. Who knows with moss though. They all look similar so it might be something else.


----------



## tgregoire

Hey Grimm, Im wondering how that piece of wood from Rod is holding up under such high moisture levels? I have a few pieces from him that Im putting in my upcoming build and they havent yet been reintroduced to moisture of any kind, so Im curious.


----------



## jacobi

Photo update!


----------



## GRIMM

Sure why not, its been a while 

About 9 days ago I did a major cleaning and overhaul of the tank. Ripped out about a pound of moss, and removed every single bromeliad. I also hacked the marcgravia down about 16" on each side, and removed a few orchids. Rinsed everything off, removed dead leaves, then mounted everything back in along with additional angel face brooms I purchased. Took an entire day, but Im glad I did it. As you can see I lost my favourite masdevallia due to to much heat, so I'll probably replace it with another anubias coffeefolia, or more jewel orchids. 

Thanks for stayin' interested!

Great view from my computer desk 


Peninsula August 8 2012-1 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Peninsula August 8 2012-4 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Peninsula August 8 2012-3 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Peninsula August 8 2012-2 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


----------



## BlueRidge

Are there any frogs in there.. thats awesome!


----------



## skanderson

still looking very nice. always hard to take out things that are growing well but often it improves the overall look.


----------



## Spirit-of-Jungle

Still beautiful and even more over time !


----------



## hawks66

It must be a great conversation starter when people come over for the first time!!

also a few questions

1. are the ikea lights dimmable?

2. do your fans run all the time?

3. how often do you mist/fog


----------



## GRIMM

JaredJ said:


> Are there any frogs in there.. thats awesome!


Yes 2 Leucomelas, and soon to be 3 additions in a week or 2.



hawks66 said:


> It must be a great conversation starter when people come over for the first time!!
> 
> also a few questions
> 
> 1. are the ikea lights dimmable?
> 
> 2. do your fans run all the time?
> 
> 3. how often do you mist/fog


1. No

2. Yes, except when I want a fog cloud to accumulate at the bottom.

3. Mist twice a day, 5 seconds when the light turn on, and 30 seconds mid day. Fog throughout the day multiple times, and a long 30 minute fog session at sunset without the fans on.


----------



## snake54320

Still looks awesome !
Do you have any problems with the water ? As it is still (doesn't move) aren't you scared mosquitos will lay eggs in the water ?
How often do you clean it ?


----------



## pdfCrazy

Justin, what species of Marcgravia is that? It wouldnt happen to be M. Sinntenissii would it? It looks to large to be M. rectifolia. If its Sinntenissii, I have been looking for that for a LONG time, came to the conclusion non in the US.


----------



## pdfCrazy

And......I just realized your in Canada......so theres still none in the US.


----------



## JoshsDragonz

Man Justin your viv is just awesome. It has filled in very nicely. I have a thing for moss and it has grown in very good in your tank. I have to say that your tank played an inspirational part in my current 180 gal build.


----------



## masterkush

Looking great


----------



## Jsnptnd25

Hey Justin, was the 150 gallon tempered glass or did you drill the bottom yourself?


----------



## Dendroguy

Great vivarium Justin! I think you should trim the plants on the leaf litter, to make a little bit of a minimalist look, but I'm just one person, check out my http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/86476-ds-drop-off-vivarium.html project in a few weeks once I get the hardscaping done and tell me what you think! It's going to be the first drop-off style vivarium in the Dendrobatid hobby so far as I can tell, and include some traits from your 'Peninsula'. Keep up the good work!

D


----------



## FIT BMX

It has grown in very nicely Grimm!
Thanks for posting the update.


----------



## eos

Looking way stellar, GRIMM!


----------



## GRIMM

Alrighty, time for a different kind of update. I wasn't going to post much about the inhabitants I added into my tank, however I have been having success and don't see any reason not to share it with the people following the build. One stipulation though....I ask that people against mixing should keep negative comments to themselves, or just message me directly about their concerns. 

In saying that, I added a 2.1 trio of tricolours into my tank. They were added the same time as I reintroduced my leucomelas from a tank hiatus. I was hoping the time away from the tank would help the leucs establish new territories without any disputes. To be honest, I haven't seen any aggression. Not much has changed with the leuc's behaviour either except some minor shyness for a couple days. Now they are back to their normal goofy selves, and the tricolours are having a blast it seems. Here are some of the successes so far.

The first clutch was deposited in 2 glass shot glasses laid on the ground, then they were removed/placed into a large tupperware. I will also be flooding the bottom of the tank before the second clutch get transported in hopes of having some froglets morph out naturally without much help from myself.

Clutch 1, the day I first found it.









The second clutch found 5 seconds after the first.









And here is a third I found yesterday, on an impossibly difficult to reach fragile fern leaf. I clipped the leaf and placed it somewhere more humid and less likely to get lost. Still have no idea how they she laid up there...









Dad making a fashion statement!


















...And some extras. Sorry about the quality of the pics today. Nothing amazing or that sharp, although I do like the last shot a lot because of the originality.














































I may or may not have some videos of the tads wiggling around sometime soon  Thanks for reading!


----------



## goof901

Amazing!!! when you take pics, do you take them through the glass, or do you open the viv and take some pics?


----------



## GRIMM

goof901 said:


> Amazing!!! when you take pics, do you take them through the glass, or do you open the viv and take some pics?


All the pictures above are handled through glass. Thanks!

I just took this pic from the top of the tank with the lid removed though, with a Macgyvered tripod rig for support...










Here is a crop from above.


----------



## JoshsDragonz

Justin, I love the pic of the leuc! I always like updates to this awesome tank.


----------



## Peakone

GRIMM said:


> My personal computer is still broken, but here are a couple quick shots from today.


Sorry, but what is the name of that moss?


----------



## goof901

GRIMM said:


>


The second pic is awesome!! reminds me of my leucs enjoying the wind


----------



## vraev

GRIMM said:


> I may or may not have some videos of the tads wiggling around sometime soon  Thanks for reading!


Amazing pics Grim. Can u post up a HD (1920 x 1080p) version of that leuc pic? its an amazing wallpaper


----------



## simonphelps

this is a sweet picture. I wouldn't mind using it as a background either!


----------



## GRIMM

Watch in HD!

I was practising some new video techniques and had planned to make a normal video using my gathered clips. I decided editing them to some over the top epic music was more fitting! I think its a pretty funny combo actually 
Thanks for checking it out, liking and sharing.

I promise I'll have a new project finished up in a couple months also.


----------



## drutt

Fantastic, profesional, superb, bravissimo what more can I say....


----------



## Azurel

Awesome video Grimm.....Tank is looking amazing.


----------



## Nismo95

epic pretty much summed it up nicely. How do the Leucs and SI's do together? and talk about a clutch! jesus lol


----------



## Spirit-of-Jungle

Frankly it kicks ass, the Tracking Shot is really worth the project.
Great as always and even more every time !


----------



## JoshsDragonz

Awesome vid Justin! Very well made. I have always loved this viv. 

-Josh


----------



## Jsnptnd25

If there has ever been any at home viv better than this one I haven't seen it. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Shinosuke

I kept expecting a scene with one of the frogs slow-mo leaping out of an exploding building.
Way over the top, but still awesome. Good work, man!


----------



## frankpayne32

Wow! Best video I've ever seen of a viv. The viv overall is easily one of the best out there as well. Congrats on a job well done. Thank you for sharing, what an inspiration.


----------



## patrice_b

Very nice, thanks !

Patrice.


----------



## eos

Super cool video! The end went perfect with the music.


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks for watching and all the compliments everyone. Definitely an over the top video, but it was fun for practice


----------



## The Wolfe

Once again you have left me speechless! All your work is unbelievable that is truly a work of art!

The Wolfe


----------



## Turningdoc

Encore! Encore!


----------



## amnesia

Grimm,

You need a second peninsula viv, for the opposite side of the room. Perhaps one with a bigger water feature, like a waterfall feeding into a pond. Or maybe a massive vert.

Alright, maybe you don't *need* one. But I bet everyone else here would love to see you build another!

I'm looking forward to seeing your next build no matter what it happens to be.


----------



## FIT BMX

Best video yet Grimm! I loved the ending!


----------



## chrisdrake

Outstanding thread and videos. The last video was fantastic. 

Chris


----------



## ICS523

probably the best tank on this forum.


----------



## Duff

Simply amazing. It was great to watch you build it and now see it in all it's glory.


----------



## Raf

Great viv and video skills!
Great work Grimm!


----------



## titansfever83

How did you extend your misters out to reach the corners? Is the tubing stiff enough to hold the weight of the nozzle?


----------



## GRIMM

titansfever83 said:


> How did you extend your misters out to reach the corners? Is the tubing stiff enough to hold the weight of the nozzle?


I only used a few inches of tubing to extend the nozzles. I used the curved shape of the tubing to my advantage, and made sure it was pointing upwards to counteract the weight.


----------



## Jungleboy

Wow, I am just speechless!!! Two questions though, what is your lighting and how do the two species do together?


----------



## FrogFever

You are my idol.


----------



## GRIMM

Jungleboy said:


> Wow, I am just speechless!!! Two questions though, what is your lighting and how do the two species do together?


Lighting is a roof mounted Giesemann Infinity fixture. I only use the HOT5's bulbs on it and not the metal halides now though. The frogs were doing great together and the tricolours were breeding like mad. I sold all my old frogs/tads though about 2 months ago though, and finally got my dream frogs today. Ive wanted them even before I was doing the plans for this tank 

No kidding, this is the very first picture I took today after adding them to their new home  I currently have 2, and will be picking up a third once it grows a bit more. Yellowish gold, bronzish gold, and a red eventually.


Pumilio Bastismentos by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


----------



## trevorthetoad

Can't wait to see some videos of the new frogs in their tank!


----------



## EPI

Very beautiful


----------



## Meow Kitty

Mistking just posted your video up on their facebook page XD i wonder if Marty has any cool dart vivs


----------



## Arpeggio

Grimm, I love it!

I do have a question though, since I am building a display tank for myself and I was wondering about this issue; how do your frogs do with the minimal plant coverage? Obviously there are plants but it's not a thick, impermeable jungle. Are they more skittish then in other vivs? Or was your selection of frogs not bothered by it?

Much appreciated!


----------



## toaddrool

Wow, thanks very much for making this thread. I have already gotten some ideas from you Grimm. 
Beautiful drift wood. Its perfect, it seems to leave very little shadow footprint allowing for more plants. 
The moss growth is great!!! I've never tried java moss but I will soon.
The plant selection is nice. If that were my tank, I would experiment with _Rhododendron_ 'Ruby Grace' a tropical Vireya that stays small and can grown epiphytically somewhere in your moss cushions. Also I would try out _Ceratostema rauhii_ as a vine on the background. 
I am in love with your water feature!!!! For almost ten years now I have been trying to recreate a river like water feature where part of it is somewhat hidden giving the view the illusion of greater depth. Yours comes very close!!

Love the videos and excellent photography!!


----------



## hamsterdave

As a newbie to the hobby, an engineer who's looking to build a lot of my own equipment, and a photographer, I have to say I am in awe. And suffering no small amount of jealousy.

You have certainly given me something to aspire to, and no small amount of inspiration.

Beautiful, absolutely stunning!


----------



## preludecurtis

Justin,

I am completely astonished by your design and have been planning my next build for a month now using your Peninsula as an inspirational model. My main question is about your glass top. If I am understanding correctly, the top now seals the vivarium to a nearly airtight space. Does this mean that your frogs are surviving strictly off the oxygen put off by the plants and circulated water? And also, the lack of UVB getting through the glass to your plants. It is to my understanding that plants, especially moss, rely on high amounts of UVB light to survive. I see that your design is successful so I understand that you are correct. But I was wondering if you could provide me with more explanation as I am hesitant to follow that portion of the design. Thank you! -Curtis


----------



## toaddrool

preludecurtis said:


> Justin,
> 
> I am completely astonished by your design and have been planning my next build for a month now using your Peninsula as an inspirational model. My main question is about your glass top. If I am understanding correctly, the top now seals the vivarium to a nearly airtight space. Does this mean that your frogs are surviving strictly off the oxygen put off by the plants and circulated water? And also, the lack of UVB getting through the glass to your plants. It is to my understanding that plants, especially moss, rely on high amounts of UVB light to survive. I see that your design is successful so I understand that you are correct. But I was wondering if you could provide me with more explanation as I am hesitant to follow that portion of the design. Thank you! -Curtis


Obviously Im not grim, but I think I can help answer; he has a fogger connection from the outside which would always introduce fresh oxygen. Even if it really is airtight everywhere else some air would enter through there.


----------



## GRIMM

Arpeggio said:


> Grimm, I love it!
> 
> I do have a question though, since I am building a display tank for myself and I was wondering about this issue; how do your frogs do with the minimal plant coverage? Obviously there are plants but it's not a thick, impermeable jungle. Are they more skittish then in other vivs? Or was your selection of frogs not bothered by it?
> 
> Much appreciated!


They have over 2 square feet of darkness under the tree, which is more then most tanks have in total. They never even go under it though, so I doubt they are bothered. Usually I can see both frogs if I take a walk aound the tank.



toaddrool said:


> Wow, thanks very much for making this thread. I have already gotten some ideas from you Grimm.
> Beautiful drift wood. Its perfect, it seems to leave very little shadow footprint allowing for more plants.
> The moss growth is great!!! I've never tried java moss but I will soon.
> The plant selection is nice. If that were my tank, I would experiment with _Rhododendron_ 'Ruby Grace' a tropical Vireya that stays small and can grown epiphytically somewhere in your moss cushions. Also I would try out _Ceratostema rauhii_ as a vine on the background.
> I am in love with your water feature!!!! For almost ten years now I have been trying to recreate a river like water feature where part of it is somewhat hidden giving the view the illusion of greater depth. Yours comes very close!!
> 
> Love the videos and excellent photography!!





hamsterdave said:


> As a newbie to the hobby, an engineer who's looking to build a lot of my own equipment, and a photographer, I have to say I am in awe. And suffering no small amount of jealousy.
> 
> You have certainly given me something to aspire to, and no small amount of inspiration.
> 
> Beautiful, absolutely stunning!


Thanks for the compliments guys. Dont be jealous, just get to building your own big display!




preludecurtis said:


> Justin,
> 
> I am completely astonished by your design and have been planning my next build for a month now using your Peninsula as an inspirational model. My main question is about your glass top. If I am understanding correctly, the top now seals the vivarium to a nearly airtight space. Does this mean that your frogs are surviving strictly off the oxygen put off by the plants and circulated water? And also, the lack of UVB getting through the glass to your plants. It is to my understanding that plants, especially moss, rely on high amounts of UVB light to survive. I see that your design is successful so I understand that you are correct. But I was wondering if you could provide me with more explanation as I am hesitant to follow that portion of the design. Thank you! -Curtis



Thanks buddy.
I honestly dont worry about the kind of stuff you have mentioned. My plant and moss growth is great so I dont question it...Also, I havent opened my tank in over 2 weeks, and surprisingly my frogs still havent started pounding on the glass to get air 

Im sure a few of the human encyclopedia members will tell you the problems with my setup and get you all worked up by overthinking everything about your future setup, but personally I wouldnt change a thing.


----------



## Dendroguy

I gotta say, you have a gift. Wow, Cool man, very cool.

D


----------



## eb6713

GRIMM said:


> ****Background Part 1!!!****
> Watch in HD
> 
> YouTube - The Peninsula - Background Part 1


Grimm, is this video still available? I am interested on how to proceed with the background build


----------



## Nke

eb6713 said:


> Grimm, is this video still available? I am interested on how to proceed with the background build


Unfortunately he removed all the good parts ;'(


----------



## KarmaPolice

GRIMM said:


> I havent opened my tank in over 2 weeks


I'm probably missing something, but how are you doing your feedings if you don't open the lid when dusting and feeding your FFs?


----------



## 1moreminute

Hello Grimm,

Just wanted to thank you for your video on YouTube about the fan ducts, I made one very similar to yours and its working great. If you look into my build thread you'll see a pic or two of it. 

I wanted to swing in here and thank you for that. Your tank is awesome, you did a great job on it.


----------



## fox403

just joined forum and came across this build, 2 hours and two cups of coffee and still more to read...very nice


----------



## wikiwakawakawee

Hey GRIMM, you should start a new thread just so people can keep talking on there and it would be easier to go through things too


----------



## wikiwakawakawee

Also, how much do you think this tank is worth?? Im not asking to buy, but just how much do you think it'd go for?


----------



## toaddrool

GRIMM said:


> My take on hidden in tank air circulation....Easing everyone into the good stuff
> 
> YouTube - The Peninsula - Epic Vivarium Duct Work



How did you make the stubs to hold the fans? Did you just cut and fold inwards from the very bottom?

A question on fans, maybe this is not the place. Can I increase the speed of my fans by using a speed control mechanism like yours? By increase I mean faster than the speed they are working at now with a simple connection to ac/dc plug. Thanks.


----------



## JoshsDragonz

toaddrool said:


> How did you make the stubs to hold the fans? Did you just cut and fold inwards from the very bottom?
> 
> A question on fans, maybe this is not the place. Can I increase the speed of my fans by using a speed control mechanism like yours? By increase I mean faster than the speed they are working at now with a simple connection to ac/dc plug. Thanks.


A fan controller only reduces speed of the fan. It works by decreasing the voltage going to the fan. If you are supplying straight 12v to a 12v fan it will be running at its maxium speed.


----------



## toaddrool

Thats what I thought. Thanks!


----------



## swope2bc

GRIMM said:


> ****Background Part 1!!!****
> Watch in HD
> 
> YouTube - The Peninsula - Background Part 1


:-( the video in this post didn't work for me.... Im working my way through, i have to pinch myself every time im tempted to skip ahead lol! I want to watch it evolve not just skip to the finished build.


----------



## teggner

The climbing plant that is hanging from the root, whats the latin on that one?


----------



## Cspatz23

Hey Grimm. Your viv is insane. Really quite amazing. I was wondering how do you regulate the temperature? And what's the schedule for the mister/fogger?


----------



## TheReptileGuy

teggner said:


> The climbing plant that is hanging from the root, whats the latin on that one?


I am not Grimm but I have just read through the entire feed and I can tell you that that is a peperomia rotundifolia. They are very cool and I am going to put some in my upcoming build. If you want the names of any other plants in his build he has some pictures on the feed that have all of the plants labeled very professionally.


----------



## GRIMM

Sorry everyone, I should definitely check out my own thread more often.
Thanks to the people who have answered some questions from others. I took my old videos down because my youtube channel is partnered, and I used copyrighted music in past videos that needed to be taken down.



Nke said:


> Unfortunately he removed all the good parts ;'(





KarmaPolice said:


> I'm probably missing something, but how are you doing your feedings if you don't open the lid when dusting and feeding your FFs?


I tend to keep 1 old culture in the tank at all times. Sometimes the ff population will boom again being in a humid environment, so I wont even need to feed for a long time.



teggner said:


> The climbing plant that is hanging from the root, whats the latin on that one?


I have both Peperomia Prostrata (my favorite), and Peperomia Rotundifolia hanging everywhere.



Cspatz23 said:


> Hey Grimm. Your viv is insane. Really quite amazing. I was wondering how do you regulate the temperature? And what's the schedule for the mister/fogger?


I mist 3 times a day. once early morning for maybe 10 seconds, once mid day for 45, and once around 5pm for 5. Fogging is random 6 times throughout the day/night for 10-20 minute sessions.

I dont really measure my tank temps at all. The temperature is very stable in my condo, and it only changes slightly depending on the season. As long as Im not freezing or sweating my b*lls off, the frogs should be fine as well


----------



## VicSkimmr

GRIMM said:


> Fogging is random 6 times throughout the day/night for 10-20 minute sessions.


I'd love to know how you achieve this. Do you have some kind of timer that you can set to come on randomly for set parameters or something?


----------



## epiphytes etc.

How bout some updated pics?


----------



## GRIMM

VicSkimmr said:


> I'd love to know how you achieve this. Do you have some kind of timer that you can set to come on randomly for set parameters or something?


By random, I basically meant that Im too lazy to go look at the exact times it comes on. Same 6 times every of day unfortunately, however I have no clue what they are  Sorry to let you down buddy. PS, Im going to PM you one of these days about your reef. I might go to the dark side at the end of this summer.

And sure Epiphytes, I'll do some maintenance while I have time tonight and post pics soon. I think it needs a major moss hacking and revamp at this point, but I'll let it keep going for a while because it still looks relatively good.


----------



## GRIMM

Well I went ahead and did my once every 4 months upkeep on the tank. For those of you that ask what I do to maintain it, here you go.

-Dust the top glass
-Clean exterior glass
-Clean/razor blade the glass tops interiors
-Removed all dead bromeliad leaves and dead foliage.
-For the loose unrooted bromeliads, I remove from the viv and clean the algae/waste off of them
-Cut down shingler vines and replant closer to the tank bottom
-Organize random strands of peperomia, and cut/move longer strands to driftwood overhangs
-Push down all the moss and peperomia off the glass
-Razor blade algae from the bottom 1-2 inches of glass
-And a final rinse/squeegee of all 3 glass sides.

Thats all. Not bad for letting the tank sit unattended for almost half a year.

Special bonus points whoever can find the only visible frog and label it on my flickr page! And no the photograph on the wall doesn't count 


Peninsula (Left) - May 1st 2013 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Peninsula (Front) - May 1st 2013 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Peninsula (Right) - May 1st 2013 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr

Also, viewing on a phone will destroy the colours for some reason. Not sure why...


----------



## carola1155

I see the frog! But I don't know how to label it on Flickr... Haha

Also, the viv is lookin good as always!


----------



## VicSkimmr

That thing is otherworldly! Very cool how its growing in.


That sucks about the fog though, I had my hopes up that you had found some really kick ass timer. I want to figure out how to make a system that will randomly generate rain and fog throughout the day. A good bonus would be thunder sounds and having an LED system tie in to simulate cloud cover and lightning


----------



## Dendro Dave

Very nice...Lookin good Grimm!


----------



## 1995sportster883

This viv is to die for.

Adam


----------



## bsr8129

GRIMM said:


> I tend to keep 1 old culture in the tank at all times. Sometimes the ff population will boom again being in a humid environment, so I wont even need to feed for a long time.


Does this mean you are not adding suplements to your flies


----------



## GRIMM

carola1155 said:


> I see the frog! But I don't know how to label it on Flickr... Haha
> 
> Also, the viv is lookin good as always!


Haha that was quick! I thought he was harder to spot  Thanks



VicSkimmr said:


> That thing is otherworldly! Very cool how its growing in.
> 
> 
> That sucks about the fog though, I had my hopes up that you had found some really kick ass timer. I want to figure out how to make a system that will randomly generate rain and fog throughout the day. A good bonus would be thunder sounds and having an LED system tie in to simulate cloud cover and lightning


"Otherworldly", I like that! Thanks. And yeah besides programming something yourself I doubt there is much out there for random power timers. I think lightning would be cool for about 1 day or when people come over, but it would probably get annoying real quick. The only super high tech addition I wouldn't mind would be a more effective LED system with gradual intensity/colour changes throughout the day/night. Unless I set up a reef I won't get something like that though



bsr8129 said:


> Does this mean you are not adding suplements to your flies



I still supplement when I feed from other cultures. I also have uncovered calcium clay subtrate below the tree, so the frogs can get some benefits from it when Im lazy and not diligent with feeding.


----------



## hypostatic

dammmmm look at all that moss!


----------



## GRIMM

I finally managed to capture some clear shots of my 3rd Bastie, and got super lucky with an appearance from the big yellow male! Only managed to capture a few quickies while he was calling. The others are focused stacked between 4-7 shots.

If you want to see larger images, they are on my flickr 4X as large. Im really trying to focus on my photography and posting pictures more regularly, so it would be awesome if I could get some followers on my flickr account. I have a few major photography trips coming up, so there will be some epic landscape posted there as well. Thanks!


Contrasting Pair by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


On The Hunt by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Pumilio Bastimentos by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Pumilio Bastimentos 2 by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


----------



## kitcolebay

Those pics are brilliant Justin!

-Chris


----------



## jardo

Beautiful pictures, congratulations on those frogs so pretty.


----------



## GRIMM

Thanks! I like these guys a lot. I did unfortunately see my thought-to-be-female start calling for the first time while taking pics. I think I have 3 males going by the red's thin body shape now, so I'll be looking for a 4th at the very least.


----------



## rigel10

Beautiful pictures as usual! Here - Italy - Bastimentos are heavy males. It is hard to find Bastis females.


----------



## Trickishleaf

Phenomenal pictures!


----------



## pet-teez

*oh my gawd this update!!!*
So much <3 <3 <3


----------



## Adam R

Justin, would you be so kind as to fix your deleted videos? i have several questions about the background feature (even after looking at rafs how to) that relate directly to your fan design and your glass tops. 

im sure they would be very helpful to me.
beautiful tank btw, looking forward to your next build

-adam


----------



## gdandrews54

Hello Everybody,

I am a bit new here and I am just so confused on one aspect of this build and many others like it. When others put a glass or acrylic top on the vivarium how do the uv rays penetrate the glass to get to the plants. After much research I am pretty sure that uv rays cannot pass through this. PLEASE REPLY. 

Thank you, Gdandrews54


----------



## Trickishleaf

You are correct. My understanding is that a minute amount of UVA passes through glass, but UVB does not at all.

However, Plants do not need UV to grow. Most frog keepers do not use UV. 

The keepers who do use UV, do so by putting a segment of screen in the glass top and shining the UV bulb through that.
It is reported that the frogs seem to benefit from it, though I do not believe any scientific documentation had taken place.


----------



## gdandrews54

so does uvb help plants grow? what bulbs emit uva?


----------



## Dendro Dave

gdandrews54 said:


> so does uvb help plants grow? what bulbs emit uva?


recently someone claimed surprisingly that their broms ilost color with more intense led light over their viv instead of flourecent lights which do emit uva so it may be possible plants react to uv in some way. Uvb is mostly of concern for vitamin synthesis but darts are understory animals adapted to live in shade much of the time so it is thought uvb isn't as necessary as with some other herpes but we generally supplement with stuff that has vit d3 which is mainly what uvb would help them make


----------



## Trey

You said herpes haha


----------



## toksyn

Not to derail this thread, but I don't think it's that simple - I've used LEDs and have both induced and regained coloration in plants, especially bromeliads. It's all a matter of spectrum.



Dendro Dave said:


> recently someone claimed surprisingly that their broms ilost color with more intense led light over their viv instead of flourecent lights which do emit uva so it may be possible plants react to uv in some way. Uvb is mostly of concern for vitamin synthesis but darts are understory animals adapted to live in shade much of the time so it is thought uvb isn't as necessary as with some other herpes but we generally supplement with stuff that has vit d3 which is mainly what uvb would help them make


----------



## curlykid

If you're only using white leds you're not going to get very good plant growth or color, simply because they lack the spectrum of fluorescent lights.


----------



## Dendro Dave

Trey said:


> You said herpes haha


LoL ya, I typed that on my phone...and between sucking at texting and retarded autocorrect...stuff doesn't always come out as I planned, and I was to lazy to proof read 




toksyn said:


> Not to derail this thread, but I don't think it's that simple - I've used LEDs and have both induced and regained coloration in plants, especially bromeliads. It's all a matter of spectrum.


Ya it may not be, it was just my theory since I couldn't think of any other reason why the broms would loose color under more intense light, and I think even better plant spectrums since they were swapping out CFLs for Jungle Dawns. They should have had significantly better spectrum for plants. The only thing that LEDs seemed to be missing that the fluorescent would have had was the UVA radiation....maybe a tiny tiny tiny bit of UVB as I think many florescents just barely dip into that part of the spectrum if I remember right. (much less then a reptile bulb...or maybe not at all)...So I don't know, was just throwing it out there as the possible cause, and it seems likely that plants probably respond in some way to uv.


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## hypostatic

Hey Justin, what species are currently inhabiting this build? I remember at one time there were leucs and anthonyi, is this still the case?


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## kitcolebay

GRIMM said:


> ...The frogs were doing great together and the tricolours were breeding like mad. I sold all my old frogs/tads though about 2 months ago though, and finally got my dream frogs today. Ive wanted them even before I was doing the plans for this tank
> 
> No kidding, this is the very first picture I took today after adding them to their new home  I currently have 2, and will be picking up a third once it grows a bit more. Yellowish gold, bronzish gold, and a red eventually.
> 
> 
> Pumilio Bastismentos by Justin Grimm, on Flickr


Here ya go Hypostatic.  I had to go back a few pages to find it. 

-Chris


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## Harpo

Grim,

A while back you were talking about flooding the bottom of The Peninsula. Any moving forward with this idea?


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## GRIMM

hypostatic said:


> Hey Justin, what species are currently inhabiting this build? I remember at one time there were leucs and anthonyi, is this still the case?


I have 3 Bastis right now, and will have 3 more by this weekend. I'll do an update once they settle in and I can get some good pics of them.



Harpo said:


> Grim,
> 
> A while back you were talking about flooding the bottom of The Peninsula. Any moving forward with this idea?


I did for the first few months, then drained it, then filled it up while the tricolours were breeding. I actually had a tank raised tricolour pop out of the water 3 months after selling my tricolour group so it was a nice surprise.


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## tbhf

Beautiful tank and frogs.


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## hypostatic

Cool, whats the sex ratio of the group? I know that I've constantly read that they should only be kept in single male groups or else they would fight


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## Elsongha

Grimm, I know I am a bit late on the draw but wanted to thank you for creating this thread. Must be nice to have a mini self-sustaining ecosystem! The vivarium and pictures are awesome!

Quick question: how many times, if ever, have you had to replace your fans for your internal circulation? 

Two thumbs up dude!!


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## GRIMM

Elsongha said:


> Grimm, I know I am a bit late on the draw but wanted to thank you for creating this thread. Must be nice to have a mini self-sustaining ecosystem! The vivarium and pictures are awesome!
> 
> Quick question: how many times, if ever, have you had to replace your fans for your internal circulation?
> 
> Two thumbs up dude!!



Thanks! The original fans are still running strong with over 2 years of constant use. They still make no noise at all.


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## papa_mcknight

Was there ever a follow up on the "Gnarly Jewel"? Would have loved to see how it grew in and it's inhabitants.


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## jjhill001

How did you make the back ground look so much like vine/roots. The youtube video of that portion of the build is now set to private.


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## VPardoel

jjhill001 said:


> How did you make the back ground look so much like vine/roots. The youtube video of that portion of the build is now set to private.


Guess he did it the same way as Raf.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/57563-pics-my-new-constructed-vivarium.html


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## GRIMM

Sorry, the videos used copyright music so I needed to take them down. The background is made using pvc piping, various sizes of rope, expanding foam, countless hours of carving, and covered with silicone and peat moss. I didnt exclude any details of the build in this thread. Its all here somewhere.



papa_mcknight said:


> Was there ever a follow up on the "Gnarly Jewel"? Would have loved to see how it grew in and it's inhabitants.


I would really like to see how it looks today, but my phone lost it's contacts, and I'm not sure the owner ever had a profile on this forum. If he sees this, contact me please!  I might have an updated picture of my "Forest Unleashed" tank soon though.


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## gdandrews54

Hey Justin, I have a few questions about this build. First off do you think you could re-uplode the video of the background, it would help me and I'm sure many others immensely because i want to learn how to use pvc and vines in my background. Also, what is the plant you used that looks like baby tears and falls down from the driftwood in little strands it looks really cool. Also, how did you mount ferns as an epiphyte? what is the name of this fern? Your reply would be much appreciated. THANKS Graham. Oh also how did you keep the water feature from saturating the soil, it looks as though the water was as high as the soil. did you use sand in the water feature or what is it haha.


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## gdandrews54

One last thing haha, does anyone know what he used instead of silicon to hide the false bottom? Is it sand?


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## SaFFyR

I think it's called fluval stratum.


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## GRIMM

Due to an upcoming move and life changes, my tank is now up for sale. Only available to locals who can pick it up in Edmonton. I will post some updated pictures shortly. Still looks great, and only needs a couple new colourful broms to be in prime display shape.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pl...5858-complete-vivarium-display-peninsula.html


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## wriggles

Oh my god I wish I was canadian so bad right now!


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## dendrorani

Amazing looking piece of nature. It totally reflects the artist behind this project. Fantastic photographer with amazing shots.

I cannot emphasize on the quality of your projects...

Rani


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## GRIMM

Sold it, thanks a bunch.

And thanks again to everyone for following and complimented my work here over the years. It was a super fun and rewarding project, and I'm glad it managed to inspire a lot of you and spark new creative ideas in the awesome hobby.

It is the end of an era, but once I relocated and settle into a more permanent address/life, there will eventually be a new tank.....And it will, of course, be GLORIOUS!


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## rabu92

Very happy you were able to sell it that quickly. I'm sure the new owner is stoked with his new masterpiece  Could you maybe ask him to post a link to his update page if he has one?

I'm looking forward to your next awesome build, but in the meantime enjoy photography! As an avid photographer myself, I have to say that your pictures are amazing! Can I ask what lens you use, is it a TS-E one?


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## GRIMM

rabu92 said:


> Very happy you were able to sell it that quickly. I'm sure the new owner is stoked with his new masterpiece  Could you maybe ask him to post a link to his update page if he has one?
> 
> I'm looking forward to your next awesome build, but in the meantime enjoy photography! As an avid photographer myself, I have to say that your pictures are amazing! Can I ask what lens you use, is it a TS-E one?


Thanks Rabu. Part of the reason for me moving is for my landscape photography. Closer to the mountains, and more importantly family.

I used to use a Canon with a 17mm Tilt-Shift, but recently switched to a Nikon D800e and 14-24mm. Much better image quality for big prints. I use some pretty advanced focus work to get some of the perspectives I capture, most of the experience coming from taking pictures of my frogs


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## rabu92

That is some good landscape equipment, looking forward to seeing the results. And I never thought of using focus stacking (if that is what you were referring to) in landscape photography. I'm usually satisfied with f11 DOF, but I can see why stacking would be useful for big prints. I suppose you also do HDR in some of the shots?


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## rigel10

Customers who bought your tank has made ​​a deal: it is a true work of art. Like a painting or a statue it will furnish his home. 
Grimm I wish you all the best future and I hope you come back soon into this hobby


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## VAnative

Yeah, it's time to come back. You've had plenty of time to settle in...


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## wikiwakawakawee

GRIMM said:


> ****Background Part 1!!!****
> Watch in HD
> 
> YouTube - The Peninsula - Background Part 1


GRIMM! Did you purposely take down the video? I've been trying to figure out how you did the background for years haha.


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## flyingSquirrel

Still one of my fave tanks ever. This thing is ridonkulous in a good way. Thanks for the inspiration / details on the internal air ducts. I might try that for my new build.


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## loving

Hello there; greetings from Turkey.
You do really awesome projects. Do you have any new projects? and the address of the website or facebook. I'm wondering current version of The Peninsula project and I look forward to creating new projects that inspire you.﻿


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## Damon Ryan

I found this picture on Facebook and thought some of you would like to know what happened to it. This is how the peninsula sits today! Kind of sad, but it is said that it will be put back together sometime.


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## erlese

Damon Ryan said:


> Hello everyone. I found this picture on Facebook. This is how the peninsula sits today! Kind of sad, it is said that the owner will put it back together sometime or whoever is next in line...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




That is too bad!! Wow! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cam1941

Damn dude, you didn't have to post it on his thread LoL


Circle of life...



Damon Ryan said:


> Hello everyone. I found this picture on Facebook. This is how the peninsula sits today! Kind of sad, it is said that the owner will put it back together sometime or whoever is next in line...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Lokirathehunter

Why anyone would let that masterpiece die off, i don't know. That tank should have been passed on to people who actually cared. I feel like the people who owned it have let the entire hobby down. I guarantee there's someone here that would have taken care of it. But the owners just let it go to waste. Nobody ever gives enough of a shit to preserve the beautiful things in life. 

This is depressing. Someone destroyed something that's one-of-a-kind.


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## Lokirathehunter

If anyone can get in contact with the current owner, let's try to get this thing to someone who will take care of it. Not waste away in a garage...... with a bunch of junk


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## Kalle

The Peninsula was a work of art and has given so much inspiration to people, myself included. It's sad to see it gone, but as anything living and changing, it has a beginning and an end. This end came maybe a bit too soon. Hopefully it will be reborn into something new and exciting.


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## Luckyfroggie

Man that brings me to tears. I've watched the EPIC peninsula vid so many times on YouTube with my kids and now to know it doesn't exist anymore is truly heartbreaking.


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## Kalle

I think this calls for a power ballad. Let the circle soon begin another turn.


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## braydens

my heart hurts after seeing that


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## Lokirathehunter

Someone who's experienced, please try to buy it back and restore it to its former glory


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## Nepenthe

Wow, that tank was the reason I got into this. Hopefully someone will restore it one day.


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## Dendviv

At first glance I thought the young man who posted those pictures of the vivarium was being a jerk, then a double take made me realize that it actually WAS the Peninsula vivarium. After seeing that, there is no way I'm not in shock. ? I'm sorry for the disappointment this is causing to us all. I have hope that someone will step up and prove to GRIMM that his masterful example was of great value and inspiration to us and bring this vivarium back to it's magnificence. I loved following this thread and the attention to detail that Justin gave us all with his work. Grimm, get ready, it is our desire that you will see how much of a positive impact you have donned on us, we appreciate it and will prove one was or another that the Peninsula Vivarium WILL BE REBORN. ??????????????


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## Dendviv

At first glance I thought the young man who posted those pictures of the vivarium was being a jerk, then a double take made me realize that it actually WAS the Peninsula vivarium. After seeing that, there is no way I'm not in shock. I'm sorry for the disappointment this is causing to us all. I have hope that someone will step up and prove to GRIMM that his masterful example was of great value and inspiration to us and bring this vivarium back to it's magnificence. I loved following this thread and the attention to detail that Justin gave us all with his work. Grimm, get ready, it is our desire that you will see how much of a positive impact you have donned on us, we appreciate it and will prove one way or another that the Peninsula Vivarium WILL BE REBORN.            



Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


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## GermanEdam

Hello, my name is Erik I have been on this board for only about a year. My inspiration for getting into the hobby was Justin Grimm. I have spent around 90 hours researching every detail in the peninsula, I did manage to locate the owner 8 months ago and was going to restore it, but the deal did not fall through. I was quite disappointed, but did not stop there. Instead I have been making my very own 150 gallon 48"24"30" replica. The project started about 7 or 8 months ago and has been continuing ever since, I have used ALL of the methods Grimm did to try to create a close replica. It has been growing in for about 2 months and I just added some Leucomelas yesterday. I am fairly proud of it, but am still blown away every time I see a picture of the real peninsula. Due to my funds, I was not able to import or find an awesome piece of ghost wood, but instead settled for a large chunk of mangrove that looks more like tree stump than anything. If It get any interest I would complete my build forum and do updates...
No matter what people say, I still think Justin Grimm's Peninsula is still the best looking vivarium.
Thank you Justin Grimm!!!


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## DragonSpirit1185

I doubt it's ever going to get restored. They didn't even cover the top of it so who knows all the junk that settled on that background. I wouldn't use the background I would be ripping it out. I wish the new owner would have taken better care of it. 
Also I noticed people asking about his videos. When his projects blew up he decided to monetize his YouTube and he got flagged and had to take some videos down because of the music. 
It wasn't long after that he vanished. 
It sucks I was looking forward to more work from him. 


Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note4 using Tapatalk


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## frogboy99

Words cannot express my utter disappointment in what I have seen today. This tank alone dragged me into this hobby and is the reason I have dedicated the last 7 years of my life to acquiring the knowledge in order to construct something as breathtaking as the Peninsula. I am truly heartbroken at the sight and I give my sincerest hopes to whom-ever will restore her to her former glory 
she will go down as the most beautiful vivarium in the hobby, no doubt.


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## joe23reptiles

anyone know why all the videos are down exept the 2 where the tank is finished?

im just building my ducts and wanted to rake a look at the vid again but theyre all gone.


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## DragonSpirit1185

joe23reptiles said:


> anyone know why all the videos are down exept the 2 where the tank is finished?
> 
> im just building my ducts and wanted to rake a look at the vid again but theyre all gone.


YouTube took him down because he was using music they didn't pay for have the rights to.
Someone has told me that somebody said that he could use the music but then reneged.
It was the music/audio that got them pulled

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


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## Damon Ryan

joe23reptiles said:


> anyone know why all the videos are down exept the 2 where the tank is finished?
> 
> im just building my ducts and wanted to rake a look at the vid again but theyre all gone.




He removed them himself not YouTube. He hasn’t been active in a long time and the day he posted a home video he also removed most of his viv videos. Try messaging him, he may still have them. He also has an Instagram...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DragonSpirit1185

Damon Ryan said:


> He removed them himself not YouTube. He hasn’t been active in a long time and the day he posted a home video he also removed most of his viv videos. Try messaging him, he may still have them. He also has an Instagram...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


He actually talks about YouTube pulling the videos

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


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## Damon Ryan

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> He actually talks about YouTube pulling the videos
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk




You are referring to his background videos. If you look at his YouTube channel now, he has 3 videos.... Most of his diy’s didn’t even have music and therefore were not violating YouTube’s terms.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## joe23reptiles

yeah. i wasnt talking about the background vids. that i knew already. i was talking about all other vids cuz theyre gone too.

i wrote him a mail now, but i dont ecpect to get answers. i bet he got hundrets of messages about that viv.

its my all time favorite viv and im just building my own viv based on this style


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## braydens

Raf's viv was also up for there for me


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## hanuman

Where all the videos done by Justin Grimm ever uploaded somewhere, somehow by someone?


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## tropfrog

hanuman said:


> Where all the videos done by Justin Grimm ever uploaded somewhere, somehow by someone?







BR
Magnus


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## tropfrog

Most of the other films had to be taken off youtube due to copyright issues.

It is in the history somewhere.

BR
Magnus


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## hanuman

tropfrog said:


> Most of the other films had to be taken off youtube due to copyright issues.
> 
> It is in the history somewhere.
> 
> BR
> Magnus


Thanks. Yes that video I have seen and I have read nearly the entire thread so I am up to date on the situation. I was only asking if all the other videos that were taken down by Grimm himself had somehow magically resurfaced somewhere.


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