# Started a new 20gal vert..



## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

Stopped by my local Pet Supplies Plus to get a few crickets. The lines were a little long so I decided to take a quick look around and saw they had their 20H's on sale. So it looks like I just started a new 20 gallon vert...lol

I went looking for some driftwood in the river and found a few nice pieces. I was going to use a cool burnt out looking stump I found, but it took up too much room so I set it aside for another day. Instead I decided on this driftwood root mass that looks really cool....even if it was attached to about 10' worth of tree....and I didn't bring a saw.....lucky I had the Jeep.

So now I got it home, cut down to size, and foamed in to place. I was debating on placement for a little while (roots up or down / leaned against the back or the corner). I settled with the roots in the air since it will be for thumbs, and when placed flat against the back it was kind of boring looking. I think this placement gives the terrarium more depth without loosing much ground area for leaf litter. Now I just have to wait a week for the foam to cure completely before I move on to the silicone/coco phase....I hate waiting but it gives me time to do some plant planning. Well here it is so far......


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

Sweet looking piece! Do you plan on keeping it in place with the foam insulation or are you just leaning it there for now?


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

It is foamed into place on the back side.


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## Geckoguy (Dec 10, 2008)

I like the wood that should turn out sweet.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I am always on the lookout for sweet pieces like that when I am fishing on the river


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## milleryan46 (Jan 29, 2009)

Looks great so far man! What did you use to cover the gap? Like how did you bind it together> It looks like black string???

-Ryan


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

^^^ Are you talking about connecting the egg crate together? If so it looks like zip ties.


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

Yeah their zip ties. I use them to hold the screen in place on the eggcrate, and to secure up any edges like on the little pool.

I really didn't want to add the little pool at the front, but needed a place to drain water off. I would rather have a drain hole in the front but this is the first one that I planned on using glass for the bottom dam and didn't feel like spending the money on a drill bit, etc.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

very nice piece of wood, that will make a sweet center piece!


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

A little update.....

I waited a week before finishing the background and I'm glad I did. Like always the background shrunk after the 3rd to 4th day and if I would have done the silicone and coco it would have pulled away from the sides as well. Instead I know get a chance to fill in the gap with a thick bead of silicone while doing the rest of the background.

After cutting in a few planting areas, I siliconed the background and then put a nice layer of dry fir bark down followed by a thick layer of dry coco fiber. I also cleaned up the edges a little and added the floor dam which has been blacked out to cover up the false bottom.

I also picked up a few broms and a Calathea micans 'Silver Stripe' at the Cleveland reptile show last week. I don't have them planted yet since I'm waiting on my hinge to get here for my door. Once that's on I'll get it planted up, and get some springs in there. I'm still not sure if I want to move my Intermedius into here, or pick up my first pums? I'll let it grow in for a couple months first either way. Maybe if my Intermedius start to breed in there current 10 vert I'll leave them in there, and if they don't I'll move them.

Here are a few picks as well. Two pictures of the terrarium with the background done (one flash, one terrarium light). There is a pic of the group of broms. I don't have any idea on the broms so please don't ask, lol. I really like the long leaved one that I have in the last picture in the terrarium. The others are all small varieties some with a good sized pup already going. I didn't get a picture of the Calathea, but will make sure to get one later.


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## RachelRiot (Jan 20, 2009)

I love it, great job so far.


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

Another quick update.

I got the door put on and started planting. I really only added some of the broms I picked up last week since I haven't decided what else to put in it yet. I had my heart set on a few things but some may not work out. It seems like everyone has something I want, but no one has everything I want. So I have some deciding to do.

I really wanted to use an Alocasia nebula 'Elaine' in this viv, but it won't fit in the back right corner like I wanted. I could still add it to the front left but ??? I may just stick with some epiphytic peperomia and ferns for the back wall with 1-2 terrestrials on the floor near the background. Maybe a fern, a jewel orchid, and some small philo like a mini red empress or 'wend imbe'. It's still pretty cold here so waiting a little while isn't a bad thing.

Any way here are 2 current pics. The first is with the viv light only and the 2nd is with a little fill flash added. Hope you llke.


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## kamazza (Sep 2, 2008)

Looking good! That piece would look awesome covered in moss!


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## vartz04 (Mar 1, 2009)

is the small pool fed by anything? I am doing a 10 gal vert and want some small water feature like that. Are you using a pump to have it sorta drip down that driftwood piece?


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## MonkeyFrogMan28 (Feb 3, 2009)

how much did get the 20 gallon for, a shop near me sells them for $40. i wish they were $30


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

> is the small pool fed by anything? I am doing a 10 gal vert and want some small water feature like that. Are you using a pump to have it sorta drip down that driftwood piece?


No, it's just a place to siphon water off. After some thought I am actually just going to fill the area completely with gravel and cover it with leaf litter. When I need to siphon water off I will just move the leaf litter and dig an end of tubing down into the gravel and siphon away. I wanted to put a bulkhead in the front but didn't feel like buying all the stuff I needed and this is just my simple fix.

I added water features to all of my first practice tanks, but decided it was more work/money/trouble than it was worth. I don't have any water features or open water in any of the tanks I have made and put frogs in. I just add either portion cups or something more natural like dendropods for a small water area for any tadpole deposits.



> how much did get the 20 gallon for, a shop near me sells them for $40. i wish they were $30


Pet Supplies Plus. I think most bigger chain stores carry them for around $30 with the occasional sale price of around $20. If you are lucky enough to have a *good* locally owned pet store still around I think that it's worth the extra cost.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

The tank is looking very good. One suggestion is to possibly remove the moss around the base of that brom on the wood (and if you have it anywhere else too like that). They do better without the constant moisture on them which could possibly lead to rot.


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

boogsawaste said:


> The tank is looking very good. One suggestion is to possibly remove the moss around the base of that brom on the wood (and if you have it anywhere else too like that). They do better without the constant moisture on them which could possibly lead to rot.


Consider it done. 

I never put it around broms before, but all my other ones were fresh stolon cuttings that I pushed into a foam and coco background. I wasn't sure how already rooted broms would do mounted to wood so I thought it would help. Thanks for the heads up, I'd hate to see them rot.


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## cliner (Oct 31, 2007)

Looking really good. I'm starting a 20H this week. Where did you get the broms?


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

I got the broms from a vendor at the Cleveland reptile show.


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## garweft (Mar 11, 2008)

Finally got a few plants to put in here. Just got my shipment from Josh's Frogs today and got them put in. I picked up the "special offers" of a Restrepia and a Jewel Orchid along with a mini Trinervula Peperomia and an Alocasia "Dewey's Reversa. I made the order because I originally wanted an Alocasia nebula "Elaine" until I saw this and had to have it. It also gave me a chande to pick up the Orchids at a good price and a new Pep for cheap.

Anyway I still need to get a plant or 2 for the background and I should be pretty much done. Well here are some updated pics. First is the Alocasia, notice the beautiful light leaves with the darker veined areas. I can't wait till this guy starts to put out some full sized leaves. Next are 2 pics of the viv, first with fill flash and second with only viv light. Hope you like it.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

Looks good!!


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

Lookin sweet! I love the amount of plants, not too much, but still enough, perfect!


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