# 75g Construction Journal/Finished (loads of pics)



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Hey all,

Sometime around December, Scott Menigoz and myself began working on this tank for Yasmine (MzFroggie). We chiseled away at it when we had free time and tried to get the important bits right as well as the fine details. I'm not very good with taking shots through glass, but I tried to document the process and get some decent shots of the finished work. I am very happy with the way it turned out.  When starting something like this, it isn't too hard to form a general idea of what the tank should look like upon completion, but once you get all the materials (which don't exactly match the imagine originally conceived), it's always nice when they can be added together to form something that exceeds the conception. 

My thanks to Yasmine and Scott for making this happen! And a special thanks to Scott for the many productive hours logged and also the gracious (and long term) use of his space. 

The guts:

MistKing Value system
Rena Filstar XP1 canister filter
Coralife Lunar Aqualight Deluxe ouble compact 48" 4X65W - [email protected],700K + [email protected],000K
2X 40mm fans
Cork Bark Backing and logs
Cypress Driftwood
PA Flagstone
~ABG Substrate Mix
Egg Crate False Bottom


I would make a list of plants, but there are too many to type. 

The tank has been up and running for about a month and it looks like most of the plants are happy.

Enjoy!

From the false bottom up:


































































































(Aquatic plants didn't make it I'm affraid )

Mid-back:









Mid-fore:









Left - two weeks ago:









Right - two weeks ago:









Left - now:









Right - now:








(emptied of water today for delivery!)


Some details:














































FTS (with flash) - two weeks ago:









FTS - two weeks ago:








(I'll update with a larger image when I get over some comp troubles...)


Now I wish I had a tank like this!! Maybe next time... 

Cheers!

Mike


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## Ulisesfrb (Dec 8, 2008)

Awesome water feature. Very nice tank. What are you planning on housing there?

Ulisesfrb


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## Ulisesfrb (Dec 8, 2008)

Never mind, I guess that would be a question for MzFroggie. Still, awesome tank.

Ulisesfrb


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## michaelslenahan (Mar 10, 2009)

Amazing and awe-inspiring. Why was this not entered into the contest?

Would've had MY vote...


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks for the comps guys! 



michaelslenahan said:


> Amazing and awe-inspiring. Why was this not entered into the contest?
> 
> Would've had MY vote...


Funy you mention that... I was considering entering the tank but... A, we were just adding the finishing touches to the tank during the last days in which a photo could be entered B, it is a new tank and new tanks seem to be frowned upon in this contest rolleyes C, it wasn't mine to enter.  The thought did cross my mind a few times though. To be fair, I liked the design of a tank that implemented a 'cutting edge' type of hardscape, that looked great, and had killer plant selection best out of them all.  Thanks for the vote though!! 

Mike


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Aaanyway, as promised, here's a larger shot of the tank. 










Mike

Edit: Here's a shot of the minuscule Platystele stenostachya blooming (flower is about he size of a pinhead):


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## gretchenellie (Aug 7, 2007)

that is amazing!

one of the best larger tanks i have seen!

very, very good job!


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## ckreef (Aug 29, 2008)

Great tank!! Where did you get the cork. I am about to set up a 120 gallon and need lots of cork. Thanks Chris


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## mellowvision (Feb 6, 2009)

really really well done. nice tank!

I'm curious, with all that space, why you chose to have such a small open water area? just curious, I see that a lot.


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## orchid_man (Sep 21, 2008)

That is the vivarium of my dreams!!!


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## xm41907 (Nov 26, 2007)

Mike,
As always, I love your eye for plantings. This is a great setup. I'm sure it will grow in nicely. Did you ever finish that buttress tank?


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks everyone! 



Ulisesfrb said:


> Awesome water feature. Very nice tank. What are you planning on housing there?
> 
> Ulisesfrb


You know, after thinking about it a little, if the tank were mine, I would put a large (five or so) group of intermedius inthere and watch them explore all the levels. 



ckreef said:


> Great tank!! Where did you get the cork. I am about to set up a 120 gallon and need lots of cork. Thanks Chris


Actually, Scott, myself, and a friend made a pilgrimage to Maryland Cork so that we could pick everything out in person and save a bundle. I think they can ship bulk orders to individuals.



mellowvision said:


> really really well done. nice tank!
> 
> I'm curious, with all that space, why you chose to have such a small open water area? just curious, I see that a lot.


Well, I wasn't sure what kind of frogs would go in the tank later on and wanted plenty of room for plantings and other features. Although I'm happy with the water feature, I think it could extend into the mid-front a little and look even better. However, I'm glad the water feature isn't too big, because the lighting doesn't seem strong enough for all but low light aquatic plants. 



xm49017 said:


> Mike,
> As always, I love your eye for plantings. This is a great setup. I'm sure it will grow in nicely. Did you ever finish that buttress tank?


Thanks James! I hope it does grow in really well, so far so good. Ah, the buttress... I had to put it on a winter hiatus, but I've picked up some paint and I'll try to get it finished once the warm weather and my sched coincide. 

Mike


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## ckreef (Aug 29, 2008)

Thanks for the info!!!


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

What kind of moss is that all over the tank? Looks great!


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

JoshH said:


> What kind of moss is that all over the tank? Looks great!



Thanks man, I'm pretty pleased with how the moss worked out too. Honestly, I had never heard of this moss before and put a bunch of it on the logs as an experiment... just happened to work out well. It's a Taxiphyllum sp, called 'peacock moss'. Someone into aquatic planted tanks turned me on to it - neither of us knew if it would grow 'emersed', as the aquatics people call our tank conditions. I think the misting system and the lack of ventilation on the tank together is what has allowed the moss to do so well, even with the fans running all day. The misting system has about 6 settings right now, producing mist for 3-15sec intervals (before the intervals were longer to allow the moss to acclimate; 10-30sec intervals).



















Here's some info about it: Aquatic Moss. How to grow Aquatic Moss. Info on Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Taiwan Moss, Peacock Moss, Stringy Moss

There is also some Java moss on the ground level, near the pond and some xmas or taiwan moss (forgot which) around the roots the mounted plants. Some of the java isn't doing that well, but most of it and the other moss are doing just fine. 

Later,
Mike


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

tank is looking great, i love the orchids in there, any frogs in there yet?


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## piduttj (Feb 9, 2009)

What a great looking tank. Just wondering where you got such terrific pieces of cork bark for your background.


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

piduttj said:


> What a great looking tank. Just wondering where you got such terrific pieces of cork bark for your background.


Thanks, the cork came straight from Maryland Cork, where it is imported from Portugal. They had curls, tubes, and some very flat pieces too. The best part was being able to select the lightest pieces, considering they charge by the pound! 

Mike


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Julio said:


> tank is looking great, i love the orchids in there, any frogs in there yet?


Thanks, Julio, I don't think there are any frogs in the tank yet (though it's no longer in my care), but I think Yasmine was considering getting some Mint Terribilis.  I bet they would enjoy the space and look pretty nice in there too. 

Mike


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## NathanB (Jan 21, 2008)

you guys did a great job, i'll have to look into maryland cork


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## SMenigoz (Feb 17, 2004)

orchid_man said:


> That is the vivarium of my dreams!!!


Sort of the same feeling Mike and I had...Hopefully Jasmine will enjoy all the hard work we put into it.
Mike truly has the green thumb--I can figure out creative ways to work the hardscape but you're seeing Mike's skills with plant placement.
I can now appreciate the difficulty in building a "turn key" tank--basically just add water(guess we did that too) and frogs! If you ever factored the time investment in planning/ordering/fitting all the materials, you'd find out just how $$ it really is. This was our first attempt at creating a tank for someone other than ourselves and a learning experience. Perhaps the next one will be...maybe I ought to consult with Mike first on that one!
Scott


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Great job to you too Scott!


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

SMenigoz said:


> Sort of the same feeling Mike and I had...Hopefully Jasmine will enjoy all the hard work we put into it.
> Mike truly has the green thumb--I can figure out creative ways to work the hardscape but you're seeing Mike's skills with plant placement.
> I can now appreciate the difficulty in building a "turn key" tank--basically just add water(guess we did that too) and frogs! If you ever factored the time investment in planning/ordering/fitting all the materials, you'd find out just how $$ it really is. This was our first attempt at creating a tank for someone other than ourselves and a learning experience. Perhaps the next one will be...maybe I ought to consult with Mike first on that one!
> Scott


Yes indeed, my friend, it was a valuable learning experience and no easy task!  I must say that I have never put as much thought (and love!) into a tank before. It's much easier to settle on a detail when the tank you're making is for yourself - we spent hours just figuring out the placement of plumbing, false bottom aspects, plants, how to hide things, the water feature, what particular items and plants would be used in/for the tank, how to make everything truly secure (we had to transport the tank up many stairs (many!) and over an hour down the road for delivery), and various other details. Then there was the actual work involved... In any case, our skill sets were well matched for this project.  Anyway, enough about us! I hope the vivarium proves to be a source of enjoyment for years to come. 

Scott, if you ever want to make another tank, just say the word; partnering up for this was a great experience for me and a lot of fun.  However, if we could stick to lighter tanks...  

Best,
Mike


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Hey there,

Time for an update! I recently did a little maintenance on this tank and was able to take a few pics. I'm very pleased with how the tank is doing overall. The moss, peperomia, and Rhaph are trying to take over , but I guess that's better than not growing at all!  I added a couple accent plants that need some time to grow in, but the cryptanthus is pretty visible (the tank owner wanted a little color). Hopefully, the mini african violets will start blooming soon and put on a good show.

Anyway, here's the tank now:














































Cheers,
Mike


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## dart_frog_junkie (Apr 9, 2009)

Nice Viv What is the top left plant in the second "some details" pic?


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

dart_frog_junkie said:


> Nice Viv What is the top left plant in the second "some details" pic?












Thanks! The plant in the top left is Pilea glauca (goes by other names sometimes). It's pretty easy to find online and occasionally at local greenhouses.

Mike


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## Marinarawr (Jan 14, 2009)

It looks amazing! Two questions; What will occupy this lovely viv? What on earth is that amazing, wide-leaved brom on the background just left of center?


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Marinarawr said:


> It looks amazing! Two questions; What will occupy this lovely viv? What on earth is that amazing, wide-leaved brom on the background just left of center?


Thank you! I think the owner is waiting on some terribilis (orange or yellow, can't recall which). Hope they enjoy their new home!

The bromeliad is Neo 'Shamrock'. Seems to be doing well, it also has a couple pups now. 

Mike


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## jackxc925 (Dec 22, 2007)

Awesome tank! One quick question though, in thew fourth picture down, what are the two bromeliads on the left? I ask because I got a few from the botanical gardens at UNCC and I really like them, but I never knew what they were called


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## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

jackxc925 said:


> Awesome tank! One quick question though, in thew fourth picture down, what are the two bromeliads on the left? I ask because I got a few from the botanical gardens at UNCC and I really like them, but I never knew what they were called


Thanks, glad you like it! The two bromes on the far left, attached to the driftwood, are Neoregelia tigrina. The two that are forming a group on the far right of the tank are Neo punctatissima (yellow form). 
There are also two Neo 'Midget' on the cork logs in the middle of the tank and one Vriesea erythrodactylon 'Mini' attached to the driftwood.

Mike


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## ray1taylor (Nov 15, 2008)

Thats an awesome viv. Great work!


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

Any new pictures of your beautiful tank? I really like your slate waterfall.


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## rob65 (Aug 27, 2009)

Wow! Now why isn't that in my living room??? LOL! Wonderful looking! Best I have seen.
Rob


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