# Mitch's 18x18x18 Zoo Meds



## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

This thread is a journal for my two 18x18x18 Zoo Meds. They were both recently planted and stocked but were seeded with microfauna weeks before the arrival of plants and frogs. Here are some details about them.

*Tanks:* Two 18x18x18 Zoo Med Naturalistic Terrariums with glass covering all but one inch of the screening in the front to keep the glass clear. 
*Lighting:* Fishneedit 3 ft. T5 HO fixture. Holds 2 x 39w bulbs, 6700K. Photoperiod of 12 on/12 off per day. 
*Substrate:* 2 inch layer of hydroton followed up by a few inches of ABG mix with leaf litter on top. Leaf litter is regular oak and live sand oak.
*Background Material:* The right tank has GS/Silicone/Tree fern fiber while the left tank has GS/Silicone/Peat. 
*Plant List:*
Left tank: Pellonia ''Waffle'', Begonia partita, Pilea involucrata, Philodendron wendimbe, Wandering Jew Bolivian, Begonia sp., Christmas Moss. 
Right tank: Neoregelia 'Hot Pink', Neoregelia ampullacea 'Rio de Janeiro', Neoregelia 'Grapevine', Ficus Pumila, Peperomia angulata, Peperomia sp., Begonia sp., Wandering Jew Bolivian, Several Plants that I need ID of that come from plant package from Brooklyn Dart Frogs. 
*Frogs:* Left tank has a probable pair of D. azureus and the right has a trio of R. ventrimaculata 'Iquitos'. 

Tank Pictures: 









Double Tank Shot









Right Tank









Left Tank

Frog Pictures:









R. ventrimaculata 'Iquitos'









D. azureus 



















Plants:









Neoregelia 'Grapevine'









Neoregelia ampullacea 'Rio de Janeiro'









Neoregelia 'Hot Pink' - Needs to color up









From Plant Package - Need ID









Begonia partita - Currently flowering









Pilea involucrata - Starting to take off









Philodendron wendimbe - My favorite viv plant

_________________________________________________________________
These vivs still have a lot of settling in and growing in to do. I'll be updating this thread often just like my other journal threads. Thanks for reading


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## dendroman1234 (Dec 4, 2010)

Nice job


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

dendroman1234 said:


> Nice job


Thanks Brian


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## PantMan (Dec 10, 2009)

nice, what is the large leafed begonia in the right tank. Looks kinda like rex begonia.


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## mordoria (Jan 28, 2011)

They look sweet. 
Id love to know where you got the Philodendron wendimbe from. I love how tall it gets. Do you know if it grows as easy as other Philodendrons, from cuttings?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

PantMan said:


> nice, what is the large leafed begonia in the right tank. Looks kinda like rex begonia.


I do not believe it is a begonia... I got it from Andy at the meet. I'll try to ask him what it is.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

mordoria said:


> They look sweet.
> Id love to know where you got the Philodendron wendimbe from. I love how tall it gets. Do you know if it grows as easy as other Philodendrons, from cuttings?


I got it from Josh's Frogs. It grows very well under this light. It was a plantlet when a first got it but has since grown many new leaves in just a few weeks.


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

Looks good Mitch!I really like that grapevine brom.Where did you get it?


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Looks awesome!!!

Todd


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

oddlot said:


> Looks good Mitch!I really like that grapevine brom.Where did you get it?


I got it from a member here... I actually got 2. They arrived today and I'm hoping once they settle in they will color up some more. Their coloration is very purple. Here's a photo of the mother plant: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/Tarencedale/Mobile%20Uploads/grapevine.jpg



Dartfrogfreak said:


> Looks awesome!!!
> 
> Todd


Thanks Todd!


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## PantMan (Dec 10, 2009)

Mitch said:


> I do not believe it is a begonia... I got it from Andy at the meet. I'll try to ask him what it is.


Was it in the bag by the sink with some other cuttings?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

PantMan said:


> Was it in the bag by the sink with some other cuttings?


Yup!

(10 characters)


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

They look great Mitch.... Wend Imbe is one of my faves too. I've been in the hunt for that plant for a while.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

eos said:


> They look great Mitch.... Wend Imbe is one of my faves too. I've been in the hunt for that plant for a while.


Thanks Riko. It's definitely an awesome plant... I believe Josh's frogs only had 1 left in stock when I bought mine. 

How are your tads doing? I just had one morph out yesterday. It's hopping around with a big tail haha.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Looks awesome man! Your foregrounds look extremely well filled with a diverse selection plants, yet still look like a natural dart habitat. Just gotta let the backgrounds fill in and they will be a couple of jems!

...Oh yeah, and your sig is friggen awesome! Hahahaha


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

GRIMM said:


> Looks awesome man! Your foregrounds look extremely well filled with a diverse selection plants, yet still look like a natural dart habitat. Just gotta let the backgrounds fill in and they will be a couple of jems!
> 
> ...Oh yeah, and your sig is friggen awesome! Hahahaha


Thanks GRIMM... That's what I am going for. And yes, my sig is awesome. Thank pumilio for that one.


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## freaky_tah (Jan 21, 2009)

Nice lookin tanks dude, that Philodendron looks pretty sweet


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Mitch said:


> Thanks Riko. It's definitely an awesome plant... I believe Josh's frogs only had 1 left in stock when I bought mine.
> 
> How are your tads doing? I just had one morph out yesterday. It's hopping around with a big tail haha.


They're doing well. Still have little hind legs, but growing nicely.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Added an Anubias barteri to the right tank to replace the dead large-leafed, begonia like plant. It'll have to adapt to emersed conditions but once it does I think it'll look great.

Also I like this new "like" feature. I think I'll overuse it though


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## Wallace Grover (Dec 6, 2009)

This tank needs progress photos, it looks like it would be PERFECT for seeing the plants grow in and meld with each other!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> This tank needs progress photos, it looks like it would be PERFECT for seeing the plants grow in and meld with each other!


It's been like 3 days since the last update! hahaha

I'll post update photo's every so often though and I'll definitely try to get some YouTube videos up too later on.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

The Neoregelia 'Grapevine' do not appear to be doing very well... the leaves seem like they are rotting. Is there anything I can do to help? All the other broms are doing fine as of now and the Hot Pinks seem to be coloring up nicely.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Pictures from today - 4/6/11*









Begonia partita in full bloom today









Pilea involucrata growing well 









Knock Knock









What do you want?









Hot Pink starting to color up









Grapevine not doing very well 

I don't care how common azureus are... they are still awesome!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Today I replaced the Grapevine Broms with a Neoregelia 'Fireball x Green Apple' and a Neoregelia 'Fireball x Burgundy'. They look pretty nice, Ill try to get pics up later. I also got a cool epiphytic fern from BJ, which didn't look to healthy but I'm hoping I can get it growing again.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Update - 4/17/11*

Mostly just pictures...









Right tank FTS - with newly added broms









Left tank FTS - looks a little sparse because I just gave it a trim. The plants were looking a little leggy and I'm trying to get more compact growth. 









Philodendron wendimbe









Pilea involucrata









Chillin'









Neoregelia 'Fireball x Green Apple'









Neoregelia 'Fireball x Burgundy'









Azureus amongst foliage









Azureus shot... messed with it a little to make it look old

That's basically it, everything is doing well. I just haven't seen the vents in 2 weeks but last I saw them they were nice and plump. Thanks for looking.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Lookin' good as usual.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Looking awesome Mitch. I love plant picture updates. Your tanks are so simple yet look complex at the same time. Good plant choices and placement  

I love the pic with the azureus all the way at the top. He has an amazing jungle floor to roam but decides to be a loner up top haha.

And since you asked me the same question, what lighting are you using? Broms look very happy.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

eos said:


> Lookin' good as usual.


Thanks Riko!



GRIMM said:


> Looking awesome Mitch. I love plant picture updates. Your tanks are so simple yet look complex at the same time. Good plant choices and placement
> 
> I love the pic with the azureus all the way at the top. He has an amazing jungle floor to roam but decides to be a loner up top haha.
> 
> And since you asked me the same question, what lighting are you using? Broms look very happy.


Thanks for the complement! The azureus likes to wedge herself up in that crack before bedtime... no clue why but she likes it. 

Lighting: Fishneedit 3 ft. T5 HO fixture. Holds 2 x 39w bulbs, 6700K. Photoperiod of 12 on/12 off per day.


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## dendroman1234 (Dec 4, 2010)

Lovely Vivs Mitch


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

dendroman1234 said:


> Lovely Vivs Mitch


Thanks Brian. How's the pygmy chameleon viv doing? You should post some pics!


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## saruchan (Jun 12, 2010)

Great looking viv's I especially like the one with the tree fern background were does one get that from?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

saruchan said:


> Great looking viv's I especially like the one with the tree fern background were does one get that from?


Thanks! I got the tree fern fiber online from a bonsai supply store.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*A Few Pictures From Today - 4/24/11*









Azureus Posing - 1









Azureus Posing - 2









I'm seeing the vents more and more each day. I'm glad they're getting bolder. Sorry about the crappy shot, I had to take it through the glass or else they'll hop away.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Lookin good Mitch. I'm not sure if I asked you before, but how old are your azureus?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

eos said:


> Lookin good Mitch. I'm not sure if I asked you before, but how old are your azureus?


Uh, I think about a year? I got them from Mike at NEHERP as a probable pair but he got them from Andy at Brooklyn Darts so I believe they're about a year, maybe less. These frogs have definitely gotten around, and I'll have to sell them when I leave for college next year, so that'll be their 4th home.


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## Nigel Moses (Oct 7, 2010)

Great vivariums and pictures all around!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Nigel Moses said:


> Great vivariums and pictures all around!


Thanks!

Today I got some awesome orchids from Fleshfrombone... pics to come soon!


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## Nigel Moses (Oct 7, 2010)

Can't wait!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Orchid Pictures*

I got these orchids yesterday from Fleshfrombone. They arrived in great condition and he sold me a few nice vivarium-friendly orchids for cheaper than you can get them anywhere else. If your looking for orchids I'd definitely talk to him. I don't have ID's right now but if you see this fleshfrombone feel free to comment... or anyone else. For now they are just species 1,2, and 3.









Orchid 1 









Orchid 2 (bottom left) and Orchid 3 (top right)









A different Orchid 2. 

I'm hoping they'll do where where I'm keeping them. I have the right conditions for them so I'll be happy to see them grow.


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## dendrobateslover (Aug 18, 2010)

Looks great. Those orchids look like they're doing pretty well. I really like the fact that some plant matter has grown on the hut; it makes it look more jungle-y.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

dendrobateslover said:


> Looks great. Those orchids look like they're doing pretty well. I really like the fact that some plant matter has grown on the hut; it makes it look more jungle-y.


Thanks! I've only had the orchids for a day so I'm not sure if they're liking the conditions yet. As for the coco hut, all you have to do its spread some sphagnum moss on it and cover that with christmas or java moss, and when the moss acclimates it'll grow like mad. The sphag is also coming back to life which looks cool too.


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## dendrobateslover (Aug 18, 2010)

I might actually try that. Thanks


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Azureus Video - 4/28/11*
Watch in HD!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

The orchids have been doing very well so far. I've seen some growth which is very reassuring. I'll try to get pictures up tomorrow for a plant update.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Im liking azureus more and more lately. Sweet video and thanks for boosting them up my wanted list farther!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

GRIMM said:


> Im liking azureus more and more lately. Sweet video and thanks for boosting them up my wanted list farther!


Thanks! They're great frogs... incredibly bold and beautiful. When anyone comes over they always want to see the "blue frogs." I love 'em!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Plant Update 5/7/11*

Getting good growth on most plants. I'm too lazy to put ID's but here you go...































































Pellonia 'Waffle' is doing horrible over here...









...but great over here









Coloring up nicely


















Not in these vivs but this dwarf Alocasia amazonica finally put out it's first new leaf after 5 months. Damn this thing grows slow...









This shot isn't the best but I thought the angle was cool.

As for the frogs both the azuerus and vents are doing great. The vents are growing up very quickly!


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## Wallace Grover (Dec 6, 2009)

No FTS? Grrr, I wanna see!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> No FTS? Grrr, I wanna see!


Plants only! I'll put FTS's up in the next update.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Mitch your Pellionia 'Waffle' is not Pellionia 'Waffle' because that doesnt exist LOL
Its actually Pellionia pulchra 

All look awesome!




Todd


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Plants are looking great.....Video was sweet as well.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Dartfrogfreak said:


> Mitch your Pellionia 'Waffle' is not Pellionia 'Waffle' because that doesnt exist LOL
> Its actually Pellionia pulchra
> 
> All look awesome!
> ...


Haha I thought it was kinda weird too but that's what Josh's Frogs is selling it as. Link: Pellonia "Waffle"


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Azurel said:


> Plants are looking great.....Video was sweet as well.


Thanks!

(10 characters)


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Look who I just saw 










Sorry for the crappy through-the-glass quality.


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Mitch said:


> *Orchid Pictures*
> 
> I got these orchids yesterday from Fleshfrombone. They arrived in great condition and he sold me a few nice vivarium-friendly orchids for cheaper than you can get them anywhere else. If your looking for orchids I'd definitely talk to him. I don't have ID's right now but if you see this fleshfrombone feel free to comment... or anyone else. For now they are just species 1,2, and 3.
> 
> ...


Orchid 1
Mediocalcar decoratum

Orchid 2
Random pluerothallid (ie no idea )

Orchid 3
Encyclia/Dinema polybulbon

Orchid 4
Restrepia sanguinea (massive flowers for the species on that clone)


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Good news... the epiphytic fern I have in the right tank is starting to grow some new leaves! I just stuck it onto a piece of wood and I guess it likes it there. I'll post pics when I get back from my trip... These vivs are going to be without me for a few days.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

fleshfrombone said:


> Orchid 1
> Mediocalcar decoratum
> 
> Orchid 2
> ...


Thanks for the ID's!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

I'm getting another Philodendron wendimbe and some Marcgravia sp. cuttings soon. I'm excited to try growing the Marcgravia. I'll post pictures when I receive them!


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## Dart Frog (Jun 9, 2010)

Beautiful tanks! I'm hoping to switch to cubes soon. I might go with exos but I really like the latches better on the zoo meds.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Dart Frog said:


> Beautiful tanks! I'm hoping to switch to cubes soon. I might go with exos but I really like the latches better on the zoo meds.


Thanks! Cubes are harder to 'scape IME but the frogs appreciate the extra space. I like Zoo Meds better too. The one piece door is nicer for viewing IMO, and the latch system is better too. There used to be a problem with the Exo's door latches... don't know if that got fixed or not.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Azureus Begging For Food*









Azureus: "Mitch, can I have some food?"

Me: "No, you just ate two hours ago you pig."









Azureus: "Oh yea... Okay, well bye!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

I got the Philodendron wendimbe and Marcgravia sp. cuttings today. They came in good condition and I planted them right away. I'll post pictures tomorrow!


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Mitch said:


> *Azureus Begging For Food*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


CLASSIC!!!


Mitch, glad to hear they arrived in great condition! I had to remount the whole Philodendron colony after cutting that out for you LOL


Todd


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Dartfrogfreak said:


> CLASSIC!!!
> 
> 
> Mitch, glad to hear they arrived in great condition! I had to remount the whole Philodendron colony after cutting that out for you LOL
> ...


Haha, thanks again. I'll post some pics in a few minutes.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Update - 5/21/11*









FTS(ish) - right viv









New Philodendron wendimbe









Marcgravia sp. cuttings - mounted epiphticaly (is that a word?) with sphag









FTS right tank - I need something to fill in the back left corner... any ideas?









Vent checking the camera out

Enjoy... and feel free to comment!


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## dartfrog2011 (May 23, 2011)

looks nice great job


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

The broms in the right viv aren't steadily coloring up like they were before... some of them are even losing color. Once I get my reef set up I think I'll invest in a second two bulb T5HO fixture to get the broms to really "pop." Also the bulbs that came with the fixture are pretty crappy, so I'll be replacing them with nicer bulbs soon. Maybe some Geissman bulbs would be nice.


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Mitch, dude, frog comics. That's hilarious.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Quick Update - 5/31/11*









This Neoregelia 'Hot Pink' flowered a few weeks ago and now it's getting a pup









I placed a few Philodendron micans cuttings in the back left corner of the right viv. I'm hoping it'll fill in the empty space. I love the foliage on it!

All the frogs are doing well. One of the vents has grown way faster than the other two and basically dwarfs it. I don't know what's going on there but the other two are growing at a steady pace so I'm not worried. Thanks for looking, and feel free to comment!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Crap, I found a few snails in the right viv. The battle begins...


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*A Few Pictures from Today*


















Hunting


















A really crappy shot of one of the vents 

Enjoy! Also feel free to comment


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## Peter Keane (Jun 11, 2005)

What, no pics of the intermedius and tricolors?.. Oh wait, those are not in 18 cubes are they?.. Peter


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Peter Keane said:


> What, no pics of the intermedius and tricolors?.. Oh wait, those are not in 18 cubes are they?.. Peter


Nope! Check out the 20H verts thread. Updated it today with a few shots...


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Nice shots!!!



Todd


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Dartfrogfreak said:


> Nice shots!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Todd


Thanks Todd!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

These Pictures were originally much larger but I had to resize them so I could upload them. They look nicer larger but they're still kinda cool...



















Enjoy!


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Those are some good shots.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Hello Again!*


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Iquitos Vent Pictures - 6/20/11*

They've gotten much bigger/bolder since I got them!




























Enjoy!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

*Two things to post here today...*

First, here's a feeding video I took of the Azureus. Watch in HD, and if you can, please take the time to like the video. 






Secondly, I have some horrible news. One of the Iquitos vents was recently looking very skinny and was refusing food, so I removed it and put it in quarantine. It still refused to eat and I found it dead today.  This frog was much smaller than the other two and never really got much bigger than the size I bought it at. There may have been something wrong with it from the start. 
On the other hand, the remaining two vents are doing very well. They have grown a lot and are becoming more and more bold each day. 

That's all for this update!


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Sorry to hear you lost a frog.....


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Azurel said:


> Sorry to hear you lost a frog.....


Thanks Azurel


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Hey kids, I'm back! Did you miss me? I had an amazing time in Fiji and the Solomon Islands. The diving was insane. 
The caretaker did a great job with the frogs, couldn't have asked for anything better. He did overfeed though, so the frogs need a good fasting. 
Just decided I'd post here because it's one of my more popular threads. Updates for all of my tanks to come soon!


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## dartboard (Jan 30, 2011)

What are those stringy bean stalk looking plants you have all over the one viv?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

dartboard said:


> What are those stringy bean stalk looking plants you have all over the one viv?


Bolivian Wandering Jew


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

I'll post an update on these vivs in the next few days.


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Mitch, how has the Grapevine been doing? I see josh sells TONS of it and it looks a lot like a mix of Malaysian driftwood and mopani. I plan on getting 2-3 chunks for my build. Thanks.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Neontra said:


> Mitch, how has the Grapevine been doing? I see josh sells TONS of it and it looks a lot like a mix of Malaysian driftwood and mopani. I plan on getting 2-3 chunks for my build. Thanks.


Grapevine wood? I've got none of that... it's a mold grower. I like Manzanita wood the best. 

I'll post an update soon, I've been busy lately.


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Mitch said:


> Grapevine wood? I've got none of that... it's a mold grower. I like Manzanita wood the best.


 oh when you said grapevine bromeliad i thought you were growing a brom on grapevine in the viv  my bad. Good to know it molds. Thanks


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Neontra said:


> oh when you said grapevine bromeliad i thought you were growing a brom on grapevine in the viv  my bad. Good to know it molds. Thanks


No problem. It'll mold and might not ever stop... it might just be stuck in perpetual moldiness.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Sorry I've been so late with this update, but without further adiue, here we go...

*Update - 8/23/11*

Just some pictures I snapped today...






















































FTS Right tank









FTS Left tank 

Enjoy, and please comment!


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Crazy ass growth on that azureus tank... nice


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

eos said:


> Crazy ass growth on that azureus tank... nice


Yea, it looks a little overgrown, but I really like it. Imagine what it'll look like in another six months.


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Mitch, was is that plant that's taking over the second tank? I have some of it, (and gets really leggy like yours) and don't know what it is...


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Neontra said:


> Mitch, was is that plant that's taking over the second tank? I have some of it, (and gets really leggy like yours) and don't know what it is...


Bolivian Wandering Jew


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## ajb28221 (Aug 23, 2011)

How does the silicone/coco fiber method hold up for you? how long do you think timewise?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

ajb28221 said:


> How does the silicone/coco fiber method hold up for you? how long do you think timewise?


Holds up very well. My oldest tanks are about a year and the backgrounds are still in perfect condition... besides the fact that they have a lot of moss and root growth on them.


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Mitch said:


> Holds up very well. My oldest tanks are about a year and the backgrounds are still in perfect condition... besides the fact that they have a lot of moss and root growth on them.


Since you have some older tanks with peat moss/gs/silicone (and not coco fiber)
does moss grow on it after a while, turning green from the peat?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Neontra said:


> Since you have some older tanks with peat moss/gs/silicone (and not coco fiber)
> does moss grow on it after a while, turning green from the peat?


Yea, I've found that it does. Sphagnum moss will do this faster, though. Also you get some nice mosses growing on the Tree Fern fiber because that stuff is most often harvested in tropical environments.


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## Dart66 (Aug 24, 2011)

looks great


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## Neontra (Aug 16, 2011)

Mitch said:


> Yea, I've found that it does. Sphagnum moss will do this faster, though. Also you get some nice mosses growing on the Tree Fern fiber because that stuff is most often harvested in tropical environments.


Thanks Mitch. It would be really nice to have a very well established vivarium with mosses and plants basically welded in the tank, and flourishing. I've seen many euro vivs from the netherlands where they basically have no substrate, just a expanding foam water feature, and a tree fern background. I always love how if you look at some of them, water puddles in the GS foam with peat on it, and it turns green and gives it a well established, natural look to it that some mosses like java doesn't deliver so well. Wish I had some spagnum, I would mix some in to the background i'm doing instead of peat. Your tank is a good example, if your background is turning green, and everything grown in so well.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

I just got back from the White Plains show today. I picked up two nice plants - Cissus sp. 'Panama' and Begonia 'Little Darling'. I was also supposed to pick another Iquitos Vent to get a trio again but it ended up not working out. I think both of the vents I have are females considering they are fairly plump and have not called despite being over 7 or 8 months old. I may wait a few more months though before purchasing a confirmed male. Anyways, on to the pictures:









Begonia 'Little Darling'









Macro of foliage 









Cissus sp. 'Panama'









Foliage









Unknown Begonia I have in the vent tank. An ID would be great if anyone knows!

Enjoy, and please comment!


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

I didn't include any frog photos in the last update, so here are a few:




































The eye doesn't just look like a black dot in this shot!










Also, can anyone take a shot at sexing the Azureus? I'll probably have to post better pictures but if you could give it a shot that would be great.


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## freaky_tah (Jan 21, 2009)

Nice shots man, that Cissus sp. 'Panama' would look nice in the new viv I'm workin on


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

freaky_tah said:


> Nice shots man, that Cissus sp. 'Panama' would look nice in the new viv I'm workin on


Thanks. I could probably give you a couple of cuttings if it does well.


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## EntoCraig (May 17, 2011)

Awesome pics.


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## freaky_tah (Jan 21, 2009)

Mitch said:


> Thanks. I could probably give you a couple of cuttings if it does well.


Right on man, I hope it thrives!


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## cjelley (May 5, 2011)

The colors on those azureus look amazing


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