# Guess what I'm going to do with this!!!



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

The local Robinson's May department store is going out of business, and in addition to getting rid of all their merchandise, they were selling their display cases and fixtures as well. I saw this baby and couldn't help but think of the possibilities. It sits about 6' 5" high. I did a gallon conversion on the usable space, and it comes to about 125 us gallons. It's going to require a little bit of modification for frog use, but it's going to be damn nice when it's done.





































I'M LOCKED IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTION!!! (Anchorman)









The biggest problem is going to be the door. It's going to have to be side opening or a slider. Sources for parts would be appreciated. Light will also be an issue. I think a MH will be the only thing that could produce enough to penetrate all the way to the bottom. Any comments or suggestions would be helpful.


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## kleinhanz (Oct 18, 2004)

> I think a MH will be the only thing that could produce enough to penetrate all the way to the bottom


I think it may be a losing battle (plants needs) if you plan on only putting lights in at the top of that very tall enclosure. You may want to think about running a strip light down the sides.

Awsome score! Your possibilites are endless


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## Darks!de (Nov 16, 2004)

Yes, what I was thinking was the lighting issue. An MH will probably be the only option. But even then, you will need massive amounts of air movement to get rid of the heat, and the bottom will still be pretty shady. No idea on the door...do the sides come apart or is there some kind of door already? DAMN DAMN...you need some large colony in there...what are you thinking?

Luke


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

> I think it may be a losing battle (plants needs) if you plan on only putting lights in at the top of that very tall enclosure. You may want to think about running a strip light down the sides.


I thought about that, but there are several ferns that I've wanted to use in the past, but my tanks were all too bright, so I may be able to find a happy medium with lower light plants at the bottom.



> Yes, what I was thinking was the lighting issue. An MH will probably be the only option. But even then, you will need massive amounts of air movement to get rid of the heat, and the bottom will still be pretty shady. No idea on the door...do the sides come apart or is there some kind of door already? DAMN DAMN...you need some large colony in there...what are you thinking?


I don't know if it's obvious in the pics, but there are eighteen 1/4" holes on each side. I was thinking that they would make good exhaust vents if covered with mesh, so I could run a couple larger intake fans at the top, and have the holes provide an exit for the hot air. Plus with a tank this high, the temperature gradient should be substantial, and the frogs could move earthward if the canopy gets too hot.

As far as species, I think eggfeeders are a must. I was either going to put all 7 of my adult bastis in and let them go wild, or get a group of 4-5 harder to find pumilio (Nancy, Colon, Green & Orange) and seeing how well they do. I'm sure that will be the toughest choice of all.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Dane said:


> It's going to require a little bit of modification for frog use, but it's going to be damn nice when it's done.


No freakin' kidding :lol: !

I think I'd go with a T-5 HO on each side...might be tricky to make it look classy though...


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Darks!de said:


> DAMN DAMN...you need some large colony in there...what are you thinking?
> 
> Luke


If nothing else, looks like you have an excellent "time out" room!


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Just an idea, but I believe that there are mercury vapor bulbs that operate from regular fixtures. At least I’ve been told that there are. You could simply place a free standing fixture on each side to illuminate from different levels. Nice brass fixtures would probably give the whole thing a classy look.

Good luck that’s a sweet case.


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## RGB (Jan 15, 2006)

Nice find Dane, that thing definitely has possibilities.

I like Chris's idea of using freestanding fixtures on the sides of the viv. I've seen some nice cf fixtures at frye's that may work.

Good luck with it and keep us posted.


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## Catfur (Oct 5, 2004)

WoW!

Instead of intake fans trying to push through the vent holes, I would recommend exhaust fans at the top that pull air in and up. Also, you could just put some PC lighting up top and perhaps on the sides and not worry about the bottom being dim, put your high light plants from the middle on up and put some low light stuff (pothos, etc...) on the lower end, creating a natural shade gradient.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

> Just an idea, but I believe that there are mercury vapor bulbs that operate from regular fixtures.


Yeah, they make 100 watt and 160 watt. In an open top the 100 watt creates a basking temp of near 100 degrees at about a distance of a foot.


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## Jesse (Sep 19, 2005)

*sick*

Sweet, I can't wait to see this done!

Jesse


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## biocmp (Mar 7, 2006)

Baxter, bark twice if your in milwaukee! seriously, I really want to see you finish this. Definately plan 20 times and only do it once. I think this could be awesome and give the frogs so much space to climb. I think you could get away with one long fluorescent going down the back, if you wanted to build up the sides with plants. You could also just run patches of great stuff with coir and put a few plants here and there on the back wall, but leave most of it transparent. Sooo many options.


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2006)

A nice pilea would do great all the way at the bottom of that tank. I've got some pilea outside a viv growing in a windowsill type flower pot on the floor and it gets tons of shade. It looks better there than in my viv. It even flowered for me.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

That's a very nice find.

For the holes, I'd looke into open cell foam instead of screen. Using foam will allow you to keep the whole thing looking clean because you won't need an adheasive.

I've helped a couple of people with light level fall off, and it's an inverse relationship (y=k/x), so if it's 60" tall, you're looking at needing around 5000 lumens of light to get a good amound of light to the bottom (500 lumens). As for what lights to use to make this 5000 lumens, I don't know.

Edit: I think I'm forgetting to take floor area into account. I'll check my numbers and post back.



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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Was I the only one that thought the Anchorman line/picture was funny as $%!* :?: Nice find...I've been thinking about doing a really tall viv!


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## jsagcincy (May 2, 2005)

dmartin72 said:


> Was I the only one that thought the Anchorman line/picture was funny as $%!* :?: Nice find...I've been thinking about doing a really tall viv!


I'm with you David. That movie is a classic.

Good luck converting that. It should turn out awesome no matter what you do with the lighting. Personally, I'd go with the shaded bottom and just do a bright overhead fixture. There are some cool shade plants and if you put some pumilio in there they won't hang out down there much anyway.


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2006)

lots of ferns and other plants will do well in low light, and if you really want higher light plants, just use two stand alone lamps in the sides to light it (like someone mentioned before). Really really jealous here. Make sure to make a journal.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I just about rolled over and died when I saw the anchorman pic (especially since I just recently saw the movie). Way too funny.

I think it would be cool to see if you could have a log of driftwood (or make one) that goes up the tank... leaf litter bottom with seriously low light plants (there are a number that would do fine with just ambient room light - like maranta, as my zaparo tank has proved), and as you get closer to the top more and more sun loving epiphytes.

Or we could just put the door on and remember to feed you every once and a while


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## Hak (Jul 10, 2005)

OMG jealous as hell here! I could only imagine the possibilities and pain involved in that project but so worth it. Reminds me of when i found a 6'L 4'H 2.5'D jewelery dispay case someone had a boa or something in just sitting next to the dumpster at my apartments :lol: I turned that badboy into a chunk of the Outback for my Bearded Dragon and ran into many problems with heat/light but it all worked out. I cant wait to see what u do with it! I'm with Catfur on the ventilation idea. I would suck fresh air through the holes in the side and pump the heat out of the top.


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## vignolo (Mar 9, 2005)

Hi

That's a real nice ideal. I'm always looking at glass display cases and wondering to bring them home! But you did it 

For the door, can't you use the drilled holes to put some strap hinge (google translation )? This way, you could make a full opening front door.
You would just hav to drill the door to fit the fixtures.

Good Luck!
PL


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## TimsViv (Feb 16, 2004)

For the front door you might get some good ideas from this website - http://www.glassdistributorsinc.com/sho ... rdware.htm - Or do a search for "Frameless Glass Shower Doors".

For lighting, I'm working on a large viv and have come up with a great solution for getting light to the bottom of the tank. Cut a piece of 4" or 6" PVC tubing the exact width of your cabinet. Then cut the tubing in half length wise. Secure this in your vive and cover it with cork bark. Then install some compact flourescent lighting in the PVC tubing. Visually it will look like a fallen log that is suspended horizontally across the viv.

It may be difficult in your application, but I'm drilling openings in my side walls and using computer fans to cool the light tubes (one fan blowing in, one blowing out - creating cross air flow). Also, wire your ballasts remotely and mount them on the back of your canopy instead of inside the "light log". 

I would, also, use exhaust fans mounted in the canopy of your viv. You want to draw the hot air up and out of the viv.

Good luck and keep us posted.
Tim


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Thanks for the link Tim. Those hinges look great, but the fact that they're all about $100 each makes them a little outside the realm of possibility. I suppose I could use a few of the holes to mount some different types of hinges, but that will take some thinking. I want to leave a few of them open so that I can make some brackets to hold branches running from side to side, or back to side.


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

Dane, I used some piano hinge for my recent verts. I think this stuff would be plenty strong enough to hold the front full size door on your soon to be viv. At home depot the piano hinge is $10 for 4 feet. Just an idea.

Great find, I look foreward to seeing its progress.

-Frank


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

I donno. I'm trying to decide if I want to make the front door out of 1/4" glass like the sides, or go with something a little thinner. Either way, I kind of think that a 6' x 21" glass pane will be a little heavy to trust piano hinge. If it were to ever fall apart it would be disastrous.


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Oct 5, 2005)

Just a FYI - I saw something VERY similar at IKEA a couple of
weekends ago. $59.99 I think was the price. I was standing there
looking at it thinking about the possibilities, when my wife saw
me - shes' like - I know what you're thinking. Then shes like - go
ahead - buy it.  I love my wife! 

I think the one at IKEA had a swing out front door.


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Oct 5, 2005)

http://tinyurl.com/b6zld

<ridiculously long URL snipped, Catfur>


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

Maybe try cutting the front door into 2 doors.. less weight per door, and you can have a upper door and lower door.. I think this might help with escapees while feeding or viv maintanence. IF you can keep the gap between the doors small, this might be a good option.
-Frank


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## Darks!de (Nov 16, 2004)

Luke


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Looks a little narrow, but for the price, that's not a bad deal. The thing I really liked about the cabinet I got is the double layered MDF base with heavy duty casters. You can't see them unless it's on its side, but I'm sure they'll make a world of difference when it's full of plants and frogs, and I ever have to move it.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Maybe something like this for the doors?


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## Darks!de (Nov 16, 2004)

I would definitely try that design, however you should make the doors vertical, so that they open down. This way there won't be so much force on the hinges if you decide to use heavier glass.

Luke


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2006)

Dane, you need one of the 6" Daystar AC hoods on this page:
http://hydrofarm.com/content/growlights.html#Reflectors :wink: 
they also make a cool tube, just a 6" glass tube with socket inside. you could use a 1000 mh in one of these to make up for the depth, but you'd need some pretty high light plants for the top 3 ft. there is also a 600 watt conversion bulb made for 600hps ballasts, or there's always a multiple of smaller halides, as suggested earlier on...

Robert.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

What do you think of this? http://www.hydroponics.net/i/388525 The included reflector is adjustable to produce a wide range of output configurations, and the reflector itself is just the right size to fit over the tank. I really can't imagine how much light a 1000 watt MH bulb would produce. I'd probably never need to turn on another light anywhere else in my apartment.


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

1000 watts running all day everyday will add up and you will notice it on your electric bill. (unless its included in your appt rent  )


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Yeah, I had thought of that. The cost shouldn't be that big of a concern, especially if whatever frogs go in are producing for me, I just don't want local law enforcement thinking that I have some large scale marijuana operation going.


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## RGB (Jan 15, 2006)

Yeah, you better watch out. If you keep looking at those Hydroponics websites they're gonna be onto you!


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2006)

really depends on the your local rates... @ $0.10/kw/hr, and 16 hours a day, you're looking @ 53 bucks.edit-/month. a light manufacturer will tell you this light will allow for an 8'x8' grow area. elsewhere, it will note: "coverage area may be reduced if this is your primary light source". for a high light garden we run a single 1000/4'x4' area, or a 600/3.5x3.5 for multiple light setups. but if you read about light loss and lamp height then you start to realize whats actually left by the time it's made it 6 feet, which is less than 3% of the original source.... the reflector you pointed out though, fyi, can't be cooled. they made glass inserts and fittings for some of them but because of the gull wing design it only fits in one position and kind of defeats the purpose of the glass. and for reference, generally we use about 200 cfm of inline centrifugal fan per big light. really, i was joking about using a 1000 though, with that thing in you're living room you'd never have SAD, but you'd probably totally be running around the house with ZZ Top glasses on all the time! :wink: somebody just came out with a very pretty adjustable electronic ballasted 150: http://www.sunthrower.com
i don't know what it runs. you really would probably do better with multiple smaller lamps though, considering the height, you'd waste soooo much cash with a big light just to light the whole thing, and most viv plants would hate the intensity of the top 2 or 3 ft. if it was mine i'd air cool a 400 mh in the top and put a few smaller spot lights around about halfway down... sweet setup by the way...
robert.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Dane said:


> Yeah, I had thought of that. The cost shouldn't be that big of a concern, especially if whatever frogs go in are producing for me, I just don't want local law enforcement thinking that I have some large scale marijuana operation going.


If it is in you're living room, you would also want to try and use a different circuit for the tv, stereo etc, and use a good surge protector...when one of those big lights kicks on, they can draw enough power to make you're tv blink!


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2006)

yeah it's true 9.5 amps @ 120v for a 1000 watt.


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2006)

i wonder what this would be like in a viv:
http://nationalgardenwholesale.com/detail.php?id=&prod=1364
it sure would be bass-ackwards...
rob.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

13013 said:


> i wonder what this would be like in a viv:
> http://nationalgardenwholesale.com/detail.php?id=&prod=1364
> it sure would be bass-ackwards...
> rob.


Actually if it was heat sheilded enough, it could be the answer...you could have the front of it disquised as a tree trunk so you didn't see the fixture...


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