# 100 Gallon Paludarium/Caiman Lizard



## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

Alright guys I will be posting my build of my 100 gallon paludarium for my baby caiman lizard.
I know its a dart frog forum but this forum has helped me discover great possibilities and tools/equipment to use. 
I have been lurking around, looking at everything and everyones projects learning as much as I could to create my own.

This is not my first viv/palu. But this time I feel much more confident of my enclosures. Any feed back and support would be awesome. 
Thanks guys!!


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I love caiman lizards !! Can we get some full tank shots?

Are you feeding it snails?


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

frogparty said:


> I love caiman lizards !! Can we get some full tank shots?


^^^^^ That! More photos and details please!


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

This was the initial sketch I made as a vision I had for the paludarium. I wanted the build to be artistic/and natural (As I am an artistic guy). 
Also wanted to make a cool center piece driftwood display with large rocks on the corners for a basking area, with a cave in between each rock structure.(looks like the mountain in The Lion King). 

I also am going to plant a creaping fig on the top center so it may grown accross draping over the glass. I will not have a back ground. (I have herd of it trailing on glass but its only an idea of mine to try and achieve.) I will try to do this by using great stuff. I will be covering with drylok and black non toxic acrylic paint so it may look like a floating rock with a plant growing off of it. Just a vision of mine. I may substitute for some broms make it look like a floating crown of Bromeliads. What do you all think?


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

frogparty said:


> I love caiman lizards !! Can we get some full tank shots?
> 
> Are you feeding it snails?



Yeah sure!! I have him in a temporary 55 gallon paludarium I built a while back so now im upgrading to a 100, then in a year or two I will have to upgrade to a 6x4x6

I feed him Live, and frozen snails, live and frozen clams, some high quality cat food, pinky mice, chopped mango mix with mustard greens. Hes eats like a champ I followed zoo feeding techniques and got him hooked on all sorts of foods! I was to exited!


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

After the sketch I began searching for nice shaped rocks. I could not find any especially in the color I wanted. So what I came up with is to sandwhich two rocks to form a the structure I wanted. (They are medium sized rocks so it wouldn't be too heavy).
(The reason I did choose rocks and not to do the polystyrene method is because eventually the caiman is going to get heavy enough to rip it off and toss it around like a beach ball.)

-I used Great stuff to sandwhich them together. Let it cure.
-then I coated 3 times with drylok (non tinted)
-lastly I coated 2 more times with a mix of drylok and black acrylic paint.


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

So far I have completed the rocks I made and started on the driftwood.
I had 4 seperate parts and put them together to make one big bad ass driftwood. looks a bit evil lol 

I used great stuff to glue them together then carved out the exesses. 
Finally put silicone then some soil over.

This is my result what do you all think??


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

looks great. Cant wait to see it done


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## Rhac (Sep 12, 2013)

I like the driftwood !!

1.2.0.3 Crested Geckos 
1.0 Leachianus
2.0 Gargoyle Gecko


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## mfsidore (Oct 10, 2012)

IndustrialDreamz said:


> This was the initial sketch I made as a vision I had for the paludarium. I wanted the build to be artistic/and natural (As I am an artistic guy).
> Also wanted to make a cool center piece driftwood display with large rocks on the corners for a basking area, with a cave in between each rock structure.(looks like the mountain in The Lion King).
> 
> I also am going to plant a creaping fig on the top center so it may grown accross draping over the glass. I will not have a back ground. (I have herd of it trailing on glass but its only an idea of mine to try and achieve.) I will try to do this by using great stuff. I will be covering with drylok and black non toxic acrylic paint so it may look like a floating rock with a plant growing off of it. Just a vision of mine. I may substitute for some broms make it look like a floating crown of Bromeliads. What do you all think?
> ...


THIS IS A SKETCH?!


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

mfsidore said:


> THIS IS A SKETCH?!


Haha yeah!


Thanks everyone!


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

The rocks, and driftwood have fully cured and are ready to be put in. So far I have put up a wall to seperate the substrate using great stuff. Got some bio filters and zipped tied it on the false bottom that I placed behind the wall.

I will be coating about 5 times with drylok and blackacrylic paint mix.

I put everything so far in a small video check it out 

Its a bit dark sorry guys!


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

Ok so I put the black stones up and the driftwood piece and finally found the right positions that pleases me. What do you all think??


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

[/ATTACH]


jacobi said:


> ^^^^^ That! More photos and details please!


Got in my new Broms
2 Neoregelia Pauciflora X Minuta
2 Neoregelia Fireball
2 Neoregelia Sara Head
2 Neoregelia Punctatissima Var. Rubra

Also got me some aquatic plants (dont have pics of yet)
baby tears
dwarf hair grass (wich I plan to plant in the aquascpae style)
Tiger Lotus
Hydro.......idk lol
and Lewedgia repens

Does anyone know of *Marginal plants *that have broad leaves but can be cut back to stay under a foot in height? 

Also looking for a vining background cover plants that can be emersed, or epiphytical (if thats the word). and is also hardy!!
was thinking of doing creeping fig, or a pathos (pining it down).


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

jacobi said:


> ^^^^^ That! More photos and details please!


Alright I got 2 new photos i took yesterday for you guys of my caiman lizard Atlas!


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

*Black Mountain.*

So my initial set up didnt go as I wanted due to my lack on research and how great stuff does not adhere to glass very well. I finished everything and planted it, to have it a month later all float to the top. I have started over from scratch again. This time I put a layer of silicone down first before anything else. and made a mountain themed. So I will be calling this BLACK MOUNTAIN.
This is what I got so far.








This is afther a few coat of drylok and its all dry now..








What do you guys think?


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## jrodkinsey (May 27, 2013)

Looking good so far, man! I had a caiman lizard a few years back when they first came back on the market. Definitely a awesome lizard. Where do you get your snails?


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

*Re: Black Mountain.*



IndustrialDreamz said:


> So my initial set up didnt go as I wanted due to my lack on research and how great stuff does not adhere to glass very well. I finished everything and planted it, to have it a month later all float to the top. I have started over from scratch again. This time I put a layer of silicone down first before anything else. and made a mountain themed. So I will be calling this BLACK MOUNTAIN.
> This is what I got so far.
> View attachment 91218
> 
> ...


Now insert an LCD screen behind the tanks to show loops of sun/moon/stars/northern lights in those places where you left the glass showing and you will have beaten me to some of my future plans


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

jrodkinsey said:


> Looking good so far, man! I had a caiman lizard a few years back when they first came back on the market. Definitely a awesome lizard. Where do you get your snails?



I get my snails from a Asian supermarket way across town from me, so I load up on quantity when I buy lol
And it is amazing, she is great at eating. Not like the old husbandry counterparts. One of the most hardest reptiles to keep back then, did yours manage to survive? 

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

*Re: Black Mountain.*



Dendro Dave said:


> Now insert an LCD screen behind the tanks to show loops of sun/moon/stars/northern lights in those places where you left the glass showing and you will have beaten me to some of my future plans



Well Mr. Dave you just blew my freaking mind!!!! Wish I had that money, but I got another idea in the midst 

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


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## jrodkinsey (May 27, 2013)

IndustrialDreamz said:


> I get my snails from a Asian supermarket way across town from me, so I load up on quantity when I buy lol
> And it is amazing, she is great at eating. Not like the old husbandry counterparts. One of the most hardest reptiles to keep back then, did yours manage to survive?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


Mine did great. Ended up selling him about a year ago due to downsizing. I found a site with raw, organic snails that I use to order from.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

*Re: Black Mountain.*



IndustrialDreamz said:


> Well Mr. Dave you just blew my freaking mind!!!! Wish I had that money, but I got another idea in the midst
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


Yay! ...another mind blown, mission accomplished 

As long as you don't fill in those areas at the top you could add it later. (or you could make magnetic planted wall insert that fits in those spots and take it out if you ever wanted to do the video elements)

Semi cheap ways to do it would be the android mini pc's and/or tv dongles an app called "video looper", and cheap LCD's tv or computer monitors from craigslist. Or if you wanna try smaller video elements used or cheap tablets like ipads, android pads from banggood.com tmart.com and everbuying.com could work. You only need a screen big enough to fill the places with exposed glass, can even use multiple tablets or small lcds/android pc's to have several different loops running. Can edit any downloadable video you can find with free video editing software.

Often you can find super long storm, or ambient nature videos from youtube also so if you have a jerry rigged stand behind the viv just pull up the youtube vid on the tablet (and your home wi-fi network) push play and you'll be good for a few hours. It's easier then setting up a continuous loop and/or permanent mounted lcd or tablet. It's something you can save for guests or just when you're in the mood. Used wifi capable smart phones and the video loop app will work for smaller video elements. 

I'm curious what your idea is, give me a heads up when you're ready for the reveal


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

*Re: Black Mountain.*



Dendro Dave said:


> I'm curious what your idea is, give me a heads up when you're ready for the reveal


Well do so pretty soon! And I will

All those options sounds freaked awesome! I actually look into that see how it may work out 

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

jrodkinsey said:


> Mine did great. Ended up selling him about a year ago due to downsizing. I found a site with raw, organic snails that I use to order from.


Come on man don't leave me hanging give me the goods!! What's the site!!! Lol

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


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## jrodkinsey (May 27, 2013)

IndustrialDreamz said:


> Come on man don't leave me hanging give me the goods!! What's the site!!! Lol
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


I'll see if I can find an email from them so I can get the web address. I'll send you a PM.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

*Re: Black Mountain.*



IndustrialDreamz said:


> Well do so pretty soon! And I will
> 
> All those options sounds freaked awesome! I actually look into that see how it may work out
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk


Rad, if you need any help working it out let me know. I haven't done it yet other then the quasi holographic fairy cave...
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...erie-flys-through-cave-viv-proof-concept.html
...But I've thought about it some and might be able to help locate products/apps or give some input on how to set it up. 

One of the easiest and most controllable ways to do it would be to hook up a cheap pc to the monitor you use, and from there load up youtube vids or whatever. You could even do it from another room using Teamviewer on your main pc to load up and play the vids on the pc in the other room for the viv, or across the room, whatever. You can get used or build really cheap pc's capable of playing video and working over wifi pretty easy these days. 

Many samsung phones and tablets can also be controlled from a pc using teamviewer. That seems to be one of the best ways to do 2 or more video elements, but sadly for now you are mostly restricted to samsung devices unless the device is rooted then there are a few other options besides teamviewer. Hopefully in the future they will expand that functionality to other non rooted devices somehow and make this all much easier to do and control from a distance.


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

Hey guys quick question, I have searched the forum but not much I can find. I have it all set up now, and started testing the lighting, heating, filter, ect. I bought some moss and first layed it down but it all started to turn brown and just die. I got this moss from Home Depo from a 5 dollar bag. I know it may not work for certain either way, but it was green and live when I got it, but the next day it just all turned brown so rapidly it was stupid. Any idea why this may be?? I used either thread to tie it down. I also used gorilla glue to get in on hard to thread locations. So please help me before I go buy moss from anywhere else.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

IndustrialDreamz said:


> Hey guys quick question, I have searched the forum but not much I can find. I have it all set up now, and started testing the lighting, heating, filter, ect. I bought some moss and first layed it down but it all started to turn brown and just die. I got this moss from Home Depo from a 5 dollar bag. I know it may not work for certain either way, but it was green and live when I got it, but the next day it just all turned brown so rapidly it was stupid. Any idea why this may be?? I used either thread to tie it down. I also used gorilla glue to get in on hard to thread locations. So please help me before I go buy moss from anywhere else.


you sure it was a live moss? I've never seen home depot sell bags of live moss. They may sell the dyed green moss, which is bad... you don't want that... that might turn brown fast in a viv.


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

Dendro Dave said:


> you sure it was a live moss? I've never seen home depot sell bags of live moss. They may sell the dyed green moss, which is bad... you don't want that... that might turn brown fast in a viv.



Yeah I went ahead and just ripped it all off, I ordered a couple gallon bags of it as they suggested on my other post. I am going to use the technique you told me. With the spaghnum underneath.


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

Okay guys, I worked on the tank this weekend and got most of the plants planted now. I just have a couple broad leaved marginals to add. Thus far, I have completed the background Planting and tied down all the moss. So if you guys see anything that needs some work please dont hesitate to advice.!

I also will be working on the outside of the tank to add some texture and complete its stand. So future pictures to come for that!!


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## IndustrialDreamz (Jul 15, 2013)

I will also include better pictures when I get the time to take them.


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