# 65 gallon for Blue Jeans



## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

I have been slowly working on a 65 gallon for my blue jean pair (female will be here when weather warms up  ). 

The viv has a false bottom, about 2.5"s high or so. The main substrate layer is straight MVP turface (gawd I love this stuff). I then have a nice layer of palm fronds, magnolia leaves, sea grape leaves, and a few local scrub oak. The main feature branch is a gorgeous piece of manzanita (THANKS CHRIS!!!!) that fits PERFECTLY! This aged manzanita is amazing. 

The background is simply 1" thick corkbark insulation sheets siliconed into place. These sheets are made of cork chunks that are heated and pressed into shape. As they are heated, the natural saps and resins come out and then hardens as the sheet cools. Very natural product, these really beat the shi%$$$ out of foam, and silicone, and peat or coco dust. Never again will I do a foam background. I use foam to anchor the branches and what not but that is the extent.... The nicest thing about these sheets is the plants actually root to them, instead of on top like foam 

The plant list thus far is a bunch of unk neoregelias and a bunch of fireballs, Pleurothallis tonduzii, probably maxillaria minuta (if I decide to leave him in), Tillandsia biflora and Pyrrosia lingua 2 (ecuagenera). The rest will primarily be nice low elevation costa rican orchids and plants. Two definites that will be coming out of their growing containers are Elaphoglossum peltatum and Monstera dubia. I actually have photos in costa rica in a pumilio population with these plants , how fitting.

here is the first stage of planting


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## tahir tareen (Dec 17, 2009)

whats the awesome plant in the second pic?


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

that is tillandsia biflora


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

Where did you acquire the cork panels though?


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## FrogNub (Aug 5, 2009)

That is indeed an awesome tillandsia. I would have guessed it to be some kind of Billbergia Brom.

^This along with Turface and cork bark backgrounds are the next generation of viv making!


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

2nd round of planting, i've been working on this for about 7 hours today... It is funny how it now takes longer for me to plant a vivarium than it does to build and hardscape.....





























Thanks for looking!


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

and the plant list:

African violet???
Clidemia hirta
Elaphoglossum	peltatum
Marcgravia	rectiflora
Marcgravia	sp.
Maxillaria costaricensis
Maxillaria minuta
Maxillaria tenuifolia
Maxillaria variabilis
Meiracyllium	trinastum
Microgramm	repens
Monstera dubia
Monstera siltepecana
Neoregelia	alpine rose
Neoregelia	Fireball X 7
Neoregelia	unk X 5
Peperomia	pellucida
Peperomia	prostrata
Peperomia	rubella
Peperomia	sp. Costa rica
Pleurothallis	allenii
Pleurothallis	costaricensis
Pleurothallis	deflexa
Pleurothallis	endotrachys
Pleurothallis	microphylla
Pleurothallis	pruinosa
Pleurothallis	quadrifida
Pleurothallis	quaternaria
Pleurothallis	tonduzii
Polypodium	formosanum
Pyrrosia lingua
Restrepia muscifera
Ruellia makoyana
Ruellia sp manuran
Scaphosepalum	fimbriatum
Selaginella	erythropus
Selaginella	serpens
Stelis edressii
Syngonium	erythrophyllum
Syngonium	rayii
Tillandsia	biflora
Trichosalpinx	orbicularis
Manuran Vine	NOID


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

Thats a beautiful tank! The bjs will love it!!!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Awesome vivarium, can't wait to see it grown out!


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## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

sports_doc said:


> Where did you acquire the cork panels though?


I second this question. Very nice looking I would be interested in using those myself.


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## Sigaw (Apr 3, 2010)

And I would like to know where you got your Tillandsia biflora!
It's so purrty.


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

sports_doc said:


> Where did you acquire the cork panels though?


The cork panels come from maryland cork. You have to order a pretty hefty carton of them through this supplier.



Sigaw said:


> And I would like to know where you got your Tillandsia biflora!
> It's so purrty.


The tillandsia was brought in with an importation of orchids from ecuagenera.com, as well as the pyrrosia lingua that I have in there. I'm not a big fan of tillandsia's, but when I saw that one, I had to have it .


thanks for all comments

ed parker


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Make sure the lids seal perfectly around the edges, those center braces tend to bow and create gaps where the frogs can get out. I wound up dremeling my brace off, sanding the lip down and making a custom glass and screen lid.


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

ChrisK said:


> Make sure the lids seal perfectly around the edges, those center braces tend to bow and create gaps where the frogs can get out. I wound up dremeling my brace off, sanding the lip down and making a custom glass and screen lid.


I ended up bracing it with an aluminum rod.


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## kate801 (Jul 7, 2011)

This is really looking great Ed! You have such an eye for plant placement.


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## motydesign (Feb 27, 2011)

REALLLY ED!!!???? wow that 65 came out NICE!!!! let me know when you need to make that glass order and ill be by shortly with the camera to check this thing out!


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Wow. That turned out great. I already thought it was nice after round 1 of planting.


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

Here are some better shots without as much glare - most of the plants have already rooted and Trichosalpinx orbicularis bloomed!


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## Redknee (Feb 19, 2012)

Awesome looking tank!


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## andersonii85 (Feb 8, 2004)

Nice!!! 

Are you running any fans for circulation? If so, where did you put them?


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

andersonii85 said:


> Nice!!!
> 
> Are you running any fans for circulation? If so, where did you put them?


No, i typically don't use fans in the viv. It is easier when I build something from scratch, but I typically try to design for a passive flow system, using the heat from the lights to draw air in through bottom vents and up through the top vents. With this tank being all tempered, I couldn't do that, so all I have is 6 2.5" ventilation holes up top. A fan inside of a viv really doesn't do anything other thanmove stagnant air. Most orchids do better with more passive ventilation I have noticed anyway.


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## froggies3 (Feb 1, 2011)

Man all of your vids are just so beautiful, you have such an eye for plant placement. I'm sure your blue jeans will love it.


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## PappaFrog (Feb 27, 2012)

Have you ever used the granulated cork from Maryland Cork for a drainage layer?


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

PappaFrog said:


> Have you ever used the granulated cork from Maryland Cork for a drainage layer?


I have not. just another thing to rot. I am currently using the turface MVP, makes a great base layer, springtails actually love it (i am only using this now for springtail cultures as well), and the leaf layer is great for isopods. You can't really beat the price, weight, and functionality of it as a substrate. I will be adding some clay mix in the turface in my next few builds.

Thanks for the comments, planting is my thing, not really hardscaping


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## ilovejaden (Jan 6, 2011)

Ed...looks like im going to have to come check this tank out next week buddy. Looking real good bro!!!


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

the inhabitant as of now, his girlfriend will be here soon!



















the flash washed his red out, he is a very very pretty color. I only wish his legs were more blue


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## Ricordia (Feb 29, 2012)

Nice! I can't wait to get my frogs, one more week...


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## redfrogger (Nov 6, 2010)

Great viv! What type of plants will grow and take root into the cork board?


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## asid61 (Mar 18, 2012)

HOLY MEEPS!
That is possibly one of the best vivs I have ever seen! Do you have a garden?

So, only one pair of blue jeans? Won't they be hard to find in a 65?


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Looks great man! That is an excellent plant list.


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

redfrogger said:


> Great viv! What type of plants will grow and take root into the cork board?


Almost anything. all epiphytes work great. Broms will root into it, orchids, ferns, shinglers, vines. It is really great stuff.



asid61 said:


> HOLY MEEPS!
> That is possibly one of the best vivs I have ever seen! Do you have a garden?
> 
> So, only one pair of blue jeans? Won't they be hard to find in a 65?


The male alone has been pretty easy to spot. He has a perch that he is constantly hanging out on right up front. Being such bright bold frogs, they should be fairly active and about. I have found that the more hiding spots your frogs are, the more active they seem to be. Also, the idea was for their juveniles to have more space when they morph, and it is much easier to maintain a microfauna population in a larger viv. I like to give my frogs as much space as possible, like i've got 4 veradero in a 115... I can usually find all 4, and I have even been able to find most of their egg clutches.


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