# Treated Myself today! :)



## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Sometimes its good to just go out and shop  lol... Treated myself today w/ new ExoTerra 18x18x24, and a bunch of other stuff lol....


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## kingbacon (Apr 30, 2006)

*exo terra*

i just started two my self. i drilled them over super bowl. if you don't mind let us know how you are going to fly proof it. that part im still looking in to.

thanks mike


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Not sure how I'll ff prof it quite yet, but I'm thinking that if i use some great stuff on all three sides, and have it come up to the front doors that I can eliminate the possibility of the ff getting out from the sides of the door. Not sure if thats how I'm going to do it yet or not, but we'll cross that bridge when it comes...

Here is how far I am so far lol....


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

becarefull the doors swing in


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## mydumname (Dec 24, 2004)

> becarefull the doors swing in


You sure about this?


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## boombotty (Oct 12, 2005)

I believe he means the edges on the outside of the doors. If you take GS all the way to the front, the doors will hit it when opening.
Scott


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Here is my idea... hope this clears up my idea on the subject... Again, not sure if this is what I will do, but its a possible option...


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

boombotty said:


> I believe he means the edges on the outside of the doors. If you take GS all the way to the front, the doors will hit it when opening.
> Scott


yup thanx.!!

i have a 18x18x24 they are really nice you will like it


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

already do! lol... got the background gs done on the back, will do one of the sides tomorrow...

Should be interesting...


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Cool Aaron!

PICTURES PLEASE

 :mrgreen:


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Here is where I am so far. Have gs on back and one side, applying cocofiber to side right now...


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Very neat project... What do you plan on putting into those clay pots?


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

For the plastic pots, I plan on putting some broms and ivy. Have a few other types of plants for the viv, but thats whats going in the pots.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

AaronAcker said:


> For the plastic pots, I plan on putting some broms and ivy. Have a few other types of plants for the viv, but thats whats going in the pots.


I didn't know you could plant broms in soil, unless if it were coco fiber with good drainage. What substrate are you using in them?

Thanks for the fast reply,


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

I've had good success with broms in a mix of perlite, orchid bark, cocofiber, and peat moss. Of course I'm not as fortunate as some members here on my selection of broms, and by no means am a plant expert. But this has worked for me thus far with the broms that i have available.


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## MonopolyBag (Jun 3, 2007)

HAVE FUN! Wish I had that room and money. LOL


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

setting up water fall on 3rd side....


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Is that mesh net you're using? I would also like to see how people make their viv more accessable, so if you can talk a bit about hat it would be great!

Cheers


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Its window screen, used it over my false bottom, and also to cover up egg crate and Styrofoam used on the background.

To make the viv more accessible? Well it has front opening doors, and lid so that takes care of most of it. I use egg crate/screen to make triangular corners on the back so that I can access the intake and outtake of the filter. Its external so there's no need to really need to get into the viv except for feeding. Can also use siphon from the back corners to do water changes. Also the largest plants are potted, which allows me the ease to take them out, if needed.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Sorry for the poor clarification, I meant accessibility to the water feature's pump! I think you've answered most of it. Do you see how the left side has a bunch of silicone residue on it?; how do you plan on getting it off? finger nail?

Sorry for all the questions.


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

The waterfall is powered by an external filter, which eliminates that problem. As for whats on the left, that is now all covered up by gs and coco fiber. If I had wanted to clean it up (have some residue on the doors that I will have to clean up) I just use a razor blade and water... I'm using the concrete binder method to adhere the coco fiber, and if it lasts as long, and adheres as good, as the silicone, I'll never go back. It is amazingly easy to do, easy to clean up, apply everything.


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Update: just touching up the cocofiber... here's a look at where I am so far.


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## Mikee (Oct 23, 2007)

Looking real good Aaron! cant wait to see it filled with plants now!


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Me too! I have 2-3 generic broms, a good sized ivy, a generic fittonia, couple small tropicals i'm not sure the name of, ready to be planted, and eventually a couple of orchids will be put in there as well.


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## HappyHippos1 (May 7, 2007)

Such a waste of driftwood. I've learned to foam and then place most of the driftwood and then foam/silicone it in.

Viv looks good though.


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Just started planting, and putting rocks into false bottom... Hopefully will have the substrate put in tonight, and clean up waterfall...


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## MJ (Jun 16, 2005)

Taking shape nicely Aaron 8)


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Will have to wait for some sphagnum moss and some leaf litter, but here is what i have right now put in...


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

I don't know how deep it goes, but that hole in the left corner under the broms looks like a cave! That moss is to die for, Where'd you get it?


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

It is a little cave... Goes maybe an inch under the waterfall.. The moss is the T-Rex brand Terrarium Moss, I get mine at PetSmart. Some people say that it is "dead" but I've had it in other vivs of mine and it has grown in those? lol... Once I get some sphagnum moss/leaf litter and get the waterfall running I'll have my brother take some pics with his D40x, my pictures are not as high quality as what he'll do.

Thanks


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Some final pics.. (or at least tell i can get leaf litter and some orchids  )


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Looks nice Aaron! Did you just silicone pebbles to the part where water comes down?


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

In previous waterfalls I've siliconed the pebbles in place, but now, I just toss them into the great stuff, w/ the netting underneath they dont fall through... If there was a spot that the gs didn't cover, or i missed a spot, or wanted to touch it up, i'd use silicone, but i think it turned out decent.


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## Jungle_John (Feb 19, 2007)

man i can never keep the pillow moss alive or green after 2-3 days. let me know what your doing to it!!!!! ive probly gone through over 200$ of that stuff :shock:


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

I'm pretty sure its not "pillow moss", I buy it at petsmart, its the T-Rex "terrarium moss", and i think other places sell it as "frog moss" but the petsmart bags are better quality/$, I've kept it in all of my other vivs, and has done great, even grown. I keep it well lit, great drainage, and mist daily. I think that if it got soggy or wasn't allowed to dry out a little it would do bad. As for real pillow moss, i've yet try any, the only place i've even seen it was through patric nabors. 

the real question, is how well the African violet will do in there :?


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## hopalong (Sep 19, 2005)

Wow, that looks great! I've a question though. You said you used the concrete binder/coco mixture for the background and sides, right? And according to the date and time stamps on your posts you started the whole project on Tuesday, right? I noticed that you have a waterfall running over the concrete binder/coco mixture on the Friday post. Aren't you worried about drying time for the binder? I've read in other posts people letting it dry with fans on it for 3-4 days minimum w/ some people waiting 3-4 weeks! I've also read that people who applied running water onto the binder/coco too soon makes the binder/coco break down really quickly. Like a couple of weeks quickly.

So, my question is what have you done to prevent that from happening? I am going to be using concrete binder/coco method on the back of a tank later this week and would love your secret to speed up the process. Any advice would be stellar! Thanks!


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

I didn't use the concrete binder where the waterfall would be. Instead, for the area around the waterfall, maybe 2", I put the coco fiber directly onto the great stuff. I think that answers your question?


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

AaronAcker said:


> I'm pretty sure its not "pillow moss", I buy it at petsmart, its the T-Rex "terrarium moss", and i think other places sell it as "frog moss" but the petsmart bags are better quality/$, I've kept it in all of my other vivs, and has done great, even grown. I keep it well lit, great drainage, and mist daily. I think that if it got soggy or wasn't allowed to dry out a little it would do bad. As for real pillow moss, i've yet try any, the only place i've even seen it was through patric nabors.
> 
> the real question, is how well the African violet will do in there :?


I am definitely investing in that stuff! Thanks


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Just got the future inhabitants for the viv! Here is a picture of one of them:










the other









and a surprise!










time to set up a second QT tank


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

lol, and i heard the male calling from the QT tank! WOW, first time I've heard a any of my frogs call


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

AaronAcker said:


> lol, and i heard the male calling from the QT tank! WOW, first time I've heard a any of my frogs call


Congrats 

Is that a Guyana Leuc or just a juvenile? Thank you for sharing your time making this journal, I appreciate it.


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

As far as I know its just a normal leuc froglet... but again, it was a surprise, and haven't heard back from the seller after sending the "THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, everything got here fine" email


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Gosh completed in 4 days :shock: . You must have a lot of time on your hands  . I think I want to "borrow" your idea for the water feature, is that ok? I've never made one before. I'm still nervous on how I should go about making the false bottom more accessible, and what the responsibilities are for a pump(filter, type of water, etc - clueless).

Cheers


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

§lipperhead said:


> Gosh completed in 4 days :shock: . You must have a lot of time on your hands  . I think I want to "borrow" your idea for the water feature, is that ok? I've never made one before. I'm still nervous on how I should go about making the false bottom more accessible, and what the responsibilities are for a pump(filter, type of water, etc - clueless).
> 
> Cheers


There are many ways, and many threads on this form that'll help you in any topic. You're more than welcome to use the idea on the water feature, i'm assuming you're referring to the the coco-hut at the base? I liked the idea because it prevents the water from soaking the substrate.. One word of advice, is that w/ any pond/waterfall that the frog has to be able to get out of it easily. As most people would agree that dart frogs are not the best swimmers. 

As for access to the false bottom, you'd only really need to be able to get into it if you had a submerged water pump? If you use an external filter than you eliminate the need to get into the false bottom. For syphoning out water you can easily go from the water feature, either in the pond or from the waterfalls "mouth" 

I use RO/DI water, only because I have it available. I have an RO and DI filter that keeps about 120gallons of water in storage at all time and probably use about 300-500gallons a day (have about 40 fishtanks..) Many members use filtered water, or treated tap water, basically the same principals for water used in keeping freshwater fish tanks.... Hopes that helps...

Yeah, plenty of time on my hands lol... I'm an artist and work from home with no horrible time deadlines, so if i take a week or two to build a new tank, its kosher 

I should add that the imitators aren't going into this viv for about a month, they'll be kept in a temporary QT viv while this one settles in...


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

put some ffs in the viv, and watched them for a couple of hours,,, gave me some ideas on places that needed adjustment. Not just in ff proofing the viv, but thumbnail proofing the viv! With frogs this small (and these are my first thumbs) kinda makes you think things over a couple of times. SO noticed that were a couple places that the thumbs could get behind the background, where the plumbing inters and exits the viv. SO I did some re-arranging, fixing, and well more fixing lol.. Moved the plants around to be more to my liking, and more a full look.

Am still waiting to put in some leaf litter and a couple of orchids and creeping fig, but I think it looks better. I'll post some high quality pics once my brother gets home w/ his camera, but you'll get the idea... Also finished ff proofing the top. At first I attempted to cut glass to fit in the top, well after almost needing stitches and the glass shattering I went to a plastic material that i could cut. I got of piece of the plastic that is made to cover office florescent lights, and cut the right size... Left a couple of places to insert some air tubing for ventilation... Worked much better than the glass, and no need for stitches!


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)




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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Very nice Aaron, creative viv


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## Dbr109 (Feb 20, 2008)

So aside from the tank how much did the other stuff cost? i am not sure how much of a backing i want to do lol...looks complicated hehe

But man that is awesome looking! make me one  hehe j/k


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

I'll shoot you a PM...


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## Daniel (Mar 3, 2008)

i am wondering if you can help i have the same tank as you and am very new to this i have 10 DENDROBATUS VENTRIMACULATUS in it. They are eating well and have layed eggs in 2 spots on the tank. I have a 3 inches of moss in the bottom which is wet and has pools of water in it but am having problems with the tempreture and moisture i have a heat mat under the tank and a ceramic heat bulb in the top. The heat mat is the size of the bottom of the tank but dosent heat the tank enough on its own, and when to bulb is on there is no moisture in the air, the tank is also well planted. I notice in the bottom of your tank you have a cage like stucture in the bottom of yours to show my ignorace what does it do? sorry to load my problems on you can anyone help?


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

sure I can help to the best of my ability... I'll shoot you a PM....


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Updates on the tank at this thread:

http://www.dendroboard.com/member-s-frogs-vivariums/topic37060.html


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## Here-Frggy (Jan 25, 2008)

Hey Aaron that is a great looking tank. Love your plants!!


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## McBobs (Apr 26, 2007)

Man...What can i say?! Amazing looking viv! Im very impressed with it. 

I started working officially on my first full viv about 2 months ago but has been slow due to the lack of income, but now that the money is starting to flow quite heavily again, my project has started picking up. WELL, due to my status of being a noob in this amazing hobby, its definitely a trial and error project, but everything seems to be coming together without too many problems. The only major problem i've had is getting my water pump to work with my water feature and have been thinking on it for a week now trying to figure out what i was going to do about it, but your water feature has just solved my problem like you wouldnt believe....I've thought of everything and scoured every thread i can to come up with solutions for my problem and the way you've done yours not only looks great but is something i can do financially and make it look good at the same time. SOOO, im asking for permission to use your water feature idea...The only thing is that if you say no to my request, there's a good chance that i might steal your idea anyways and shoot you a huge grin....  There you go...My work is done here. Much more to the point, youre a GODSEND!!!

I just hope that I can get my viv to look HALF as good as yours! Well done sir!


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## Demosthenes (Dec 8, 2006)

Aaron, I really like that viv. So much so that I favorited it. I am a noobie as well, and I think my biggest problem is the water feature. I'm concerned about how it will work, will there be too much water, ect. I like the idea of an external. Can you show us pictures of the outside works of your aquarium? Will I need a separate tank full of water if I went with an external pump? Which pump do you use? 

Thanks in advanced, Jessica


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

I'll shoot you a pm. THanks for all of your compliments... Hope you saw the viv in the update thread::

http://www.dendroboard.com/member-s-frogs-vivariums/topic37060.html


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