# Harpo's Bakhuis Redesign



## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Ok, let's start this again...

Same tank as before, Exoterra 18*18*24. Two CFL and to Jungle Dawn LED. New false bottom, new background and new wood. Some of the old plant, some new ones to come. 4 D.T. Bakuis inhabitants. 

The previous tank evolved in design quite a bit until I became uncertain about some mystery wood that I was using in the main structure. I ordered some manzanita from Rich at Manzanita.com. (<----awesome pieces in the Aquarium section). I had it running like that for a bit until I really began researching calcium supplementation for the frogs. That's when I decided to add some passive calcium opportunities for the frogs in addition to the regular dusting. 

I went with a basic recipe similar to Pumilo's recipe but with no Calcium Bentonite, and addition Calcium Carbonate and Bone Meal Calcium. Everything else is pretty much dead on....well everything except the shape. I used a PlayDoh tool and all the clay pieces look like little cat turds.

I used excess clay to amend the background appearance. There are also "caves" in the woodwork and I made clay patches at the bottom of each one. I have no clue what kind of wood this is. I have had it for years and it has lived in a number of fish tanks without issue. I actually got it from a guy in Durham years ago. The man had a 300 gallon+ planted tank build into his wall. He sold me a 150 at the time and gave me the wood as a freebie. All he told me was that it cost him a lot of money but was never going to use it. 

As far as the placement of the substrate goes, the clay forms a moat around the tank under the leaf litter. The clay behind the wood is fully exposed to wandering frogs. The middle area is a DIY ABG mix. 

I have been running a circulation under the hood. I am experimenting with a couple mods to the hood to allow for fresh air as well. I am also considering pumping in an airline with fresh air then just run the circulation.

The other two additions I am considering is to add a MistKing and possibly modify the lights in the hood to allow for more LEDS. We'll see.

Any way... enjoy


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Looks great! Lots of nooks and hidey spots


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

frogface said:


> Looks great! Lots of nooks and hidey spots


Thanks Kris! 

Yes, this driftwood is pretty awesome. Some of those holes are two or three times the size of the frogs, but I managed to make them all face forward. The frogs can hide but are always in sight.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Here's a couple shots of the false bottom 



















Background, top half










Structure + completed background + drainage layer


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## SuspensefulSteve (Oct 28, 2010)

That piece of wood is awesome. Just had to let you know.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)




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## toaddrool (Feb 5, 2013)

Awesome tank, great driftwood!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

SuspensefulSteve said:


> That piece of wood is awesome. Just had to let you know.


I agree! It's hard to capture it's full shape and features with a camera. 



toaddrool said:


> Awesome tank, great driftwood!


Thanks for the compliment!


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Looks great. Nicely planted too. Are you adding a lot more plants?


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

eos said:


> Looks great. Nicely planted too. Are you adding a lot more plants?


Thanks!

I will add some more stuff but I want to try and maintain smaller leafed plants. As far as "a lot"... who knows. It will depend on the vibe I start getting with the tank as things take root. The wood structure is pretty fun to look at so I hope to keep that as a focal point without massive growth.

I have a couple spots in mind for some mini orchids on the wall and perhaps on the driftwood tucked away in nooks & crannies. Any terrestrial plants will stay primarily in the middle section. I would like those plants to maintain a low profile as well.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Harpo said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I will add some more stuff but I want to try and maintain smaller leafed plants. As far as "a lot"... who knows. It will depend on the vibe I start getting with the tank as things take root. The wood structure is pretty fun to look at so I hope to keep that as a focal point without massive growth.
> 
> I have a couple spots in mind for some mini orchids on the wall and perhaps on the driftwood tucked away in nooks & crannies. Any terrestrial plants will stay primarily in the middle section.  I would like those plants to maintain a low profile as well.


Yep. The wood is a good focal point that's why I asked. Either way I'm sure it will look good!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I added a couple plants. I'll post names this weekend if I get a sec.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Love it!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

frogface said:


> Love it!


Thanks Kris!

==============

Here's some plant shots:

Begonia Red Planet:



















Oda. Arlington Orchid



















Mediocalcar decoratum:










Episcia dianthiflora (Syn. Alsobia):










Pleurothallis pachyglossa:



















I had some various bromeliads laying around so I threw them on this old grapewood. I plan on hanging it outside and rigging a mister to it once it warms up. 



















Crypt bloom:


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

One of the best tincs setup I've seen. Good choise of plants!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

rigel10 said:


> One of the best tincs setup I've seen. Good choise of plants!


Thank you for the tremendous compliments. I am really enjoying how this viv came together. The frogs are very active in it. They utilize the entire area and seem to be enjoying it as well.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

That crypt bloom opened up today. Very pretty.














































The orchids are teasing me a bit too. I am hoping these bloom out as well. Another is appearing to bloom but I must not have uploaded a photo.










This one climbs constantly. Every night before lights out it will scale the back wall and perch out as high as possible. A second frog usually follows about two minutes later, hangs out then leaves back to the bottom. That one and another always stay under the bottom plants at night. The one mentioned will always stay up top, and the 4th Bakhuis will always be in the same whole on the driftwood. Creatures of habit.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I stopped by a local garden center last night and found some nice ferns. I added another rock fern to the lower/back left corner. 




























Grabbed a couple frog shots too:














































That garden center has a great greenhouse for tropical and overwintering plants. This is a permanent resident. The philodendron stands about 12 feet tall. Check out the truck and roots in pic 3. Awesome. The guy who runs it also has a gorgeous tree fern but I didn't grab a photo.... next time


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Love the tank and love Bakhuis. There's something about this Tinc that's different than the others. They love to climb, are very active and are probably the fastest Tinc out there. I have a 4.1 group and love watching them. 

Congrats and enjoy! It turned out great!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

frogfreak said:


> Love the tank and love Bakhuis. There's something about this Tinc that's different than the others. They love to climb, are very active and are probably the fastest Tinc out there. I have a 4.1 group and love watching them.
> 
> Congrats and enjoy! It turned out great!


Thanks Glenn.

I agree with you about the activity level of Bakhuis. Not only are they active, but they are very bold as well. When I was putting that larger rock fern in I had to repeatedly shoosh them away. They were extremely curious. LOL.... they were not moving because they were scared....they moved because I pushed them. I did as much research as I could for the inhabitants of this tank and the Bakhuis definitely fit the bill. Active, bold, and play well with others. 

Do you have a thread on your group?


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Harpo said:


> Thanks Glenn.
> 
> I agree with you about the activity level of Bakhuis. Not only are they active, but they are very bold as well. When I was putting that larger rock fern in I had to repeatedly shoosh them away. They were extremely curious. LOL.... they were not moving because they were scared....they moved because I pushed them. I did as much research as I could for the inhabitants of this tank and the Bakhuis definitely fit the bill. Active, bold, and play well with others.
> 
> Do you have a thread on your group?


LOL I think they're a very underrated frog. There's some pics here,

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me.../72257-recent-shots-vivs-frogs-pic-heavy.html


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

frogfreak said:


> LOL I think they're a very underrated frog. There's some pics here,
> 
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me.../72257-recent-shots-vivs-frogs-pic-heavy.html


I love that rack unit. Very cool!

========

Here's a couple new shots:










This orchid is so close to blooming (LOL, I think!?!). Notice the second bloom growing to the left of the taller flower.










The episcia (Flame Violet) is running  I ordered a couple new ones tonight. I will update on those next week. The crypt is also still in bloom.










Top half










I love the color on this bromeliad.


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## Ryno202 (Mar 17, 2011)

I really like how you use the side of the tank as the front. Beautiful unobstructed view as opposed to the front with the doors and the vent on the exoterra.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Ryno202 said:


> I really like how you use the side of the tank as the front. Beautiful unobstructed view as opposed to the front with the doors and the vent on the exoterra.


If I were in charge I would completely overhaul the black vent with clear plastic and screening.....maybe even add dual side vents with a minimal front/top vent in exchange for the front bar. I can imagine you could create a similar air flow along the front glass while still being able to open the front.

Until then, I will turn my Exo Terras sideways 

Thanks for compliments!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I added two Silver Skies Episcia Stolons and another larger variety.... I forget the name..... 

I moved the Oda. Arlington to the right, behind the wood.... I am still up in the air as to where it will end up.



















LOL.... so my orchid "flower".... it's a leaf. I have 3 others popping through.... can you tell this is my first time growing orchids? It's pretty neat how pretty the leaf structure is when it first emerges. 










This one is kicking out some new leaves too.










Frog Bunk



















Frog Cave



















Full Tank Shot


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

The Waif Brom. that sits highest in the tank is rooting like crazy and kicking out a pup (left side / base). 










Couple random frog shots:


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Frog meeting


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I have a fascination with plants in general. The growth patterns can really be so striking. An underappreciated attribute of most plants are the root system. With the increased opportunity for observation of epiphytic plants in vivaria, I thought I'd post a couple shots I took tonight. 

I am also happy that 3 of the 4 broms in this tank are pupping out. The direction that all three pups are growing couldn't be more perfectly placed either 




























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I am going to open a thread in the near future with some plants from my yard. I am in Eastern North Carolina. Our climate allows us to cheat a little bit and grow a good selection of cold hardy tropical plants. Since we all seem to have a fondness for the tropical scheme I hope people will enjoy it. 

These photos will make their way to that thread, but I thought I'd share it here as well. They aren't of plants, but some fun wildlife. We snagged an anole off a garden wall this past weekend and let him go into the magnolias. It's a bit of a blur since it was zoomed 100% with the camera phone, but check him out grabbing some rays about 10 feet up  Spring is here.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

No real updates. The plants are really all rooting out and the frogs are super active with the warming temperatures. I'll be sure to grab some photos this week.

Here's some fun stuff from this evening:


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I love this tank!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

frogface said:


> I love this tank!


Thanks Kris!

=====================

I grabbed some quick photos at lunch. I added:

Resurrection Fern
I split and placed a Rabbit Foot Fern
Caladium humboltii 'Mini White'
Pilea glauca 'Red Stem Tears'
Brassocattleya 'Star Ruby' Orchid - Brassavola nodosa x Cattleya Batalinii-

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(The glass is a mess and I didn't have time to clean it up properly, so all the shots are from far away  )


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## skanderson (Aug 25, 2011)

great looking viv.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I have added some stuff in the past month including a gesneriad sp. and some red crypts. Additionally I added more res. ferns and split the pup off one of the broms. 

Everything has been growing like crazy. Two mosses are growing very well, Christmas Tree Moss and an unknown (to me) that hitched it's way in the tank with some orchids a while back.

The tillandsia in the lower right is massive and the episcia are doing great. 

The frogs are total pigs. I will get photos of them later.

Now, roll that beautiful bean footage....


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## Elphaba (Aug 26, 2007)

This tank just keeps getting better and better. =) Is the gesneriad sp. you added that lovely cascading plant with the rounded leaves? Where did you happen upon that beauty?

Best,
Ash


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## frogmanchu (Feb 18, 2011)

Very awesome sir. :thumbup:

Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

looks great, love the peninsula look!


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## FrogBoyMike (Aug 25, 2012)

A beautiful tank indeed! loving the frogs and the plants you chose. Oh and I'm not sure anyone mentioned this already but I love that you decided to make the door face to the side. Makes it very clean to look at. Great idea for a display tank like this


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Elphaba said:


> This tank just keeps getting better and better. =) Is the gesneriad sp. you added that lovely cascading plant with the rounded leaves? Where did you happen upon that beauty?
> 
> Best,
> Ash


Hey Ash,

Yes, that's the one. Its the middle vine, top top in the front shots. I have placed it in other random spots. It flowers often on the main batch. Its a Codonanthe Devosiana, though I am unaware of which cultivar. It's actually just the common gesneriad that you find at Lowe's, etc. It's usually in the $15 hanging rack at Lowes but I found this a while back on the death rack for $3.75.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

frogmanchu said:


> Very awesome sir. :thumbup:
> 
> Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2





Julio said:


> looks great, love the peninsula look!





Elphaba said:


> This tank just keeps getting better and better. =)





FrogBoyMike said:


> A beautiful tank indeed! loving the frogs and the plants you chose. Oh and I'm not sure anyone mentioned this already but I love that you decided to make the door face to the side. Makes it very clean to look at. Great idea for a display tank like this


Thanks everyone!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I added a second Tiger Cub and a Black Beauty + Tigrina Hybrid
Added a couple more Gedneriad clippings
Pinched a couple pieces of moss

I got a MistKing system that I will set up this week.

LOL, has anyone ever gotten flying Flightless Hydei FFs? I got a producing batch from a reputable online vendor.... poured some into new culture mixes and a half dozen of the dang things flew right out of the bin!

Photos:


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I think this viv deserves 5 ​​stars more than many others, so I clicked on the link of "rating": 5 stars!


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

rigel10 said:


> I think this viv deserves 5 ​​stars more than many others, so I clicked on the link of "rating": 5 stars!


Thanks Rigel. There are a lot of outstanding vivariums on DB that I admire and draw inspiration from. I appreciate your compliment.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Couple fun shots from tonight:


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

It does not seem wet. Let me explain: in my vivs woods are always wet. How many times do you mist?


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

rigel10 said:


> It does not seem wet. Let me explain: in my vivs woods are always wet. How many times do you mist?


I have been hand misting two or three times a day... morning and evening for sure, sometimes during lunch. I have a fairly high false bottom for drainage. Infact, I drained out a gallon and a half yesterday and the water wasn't even to the top of the egg crate yet.

I also only cover about 50% of the top. With that + the vent on the side (front of the Exo) the wood does dry out fairly quickly. The wood in this vivs has a ton of nooks and crannies though so it is able to retain moisture in a lot of random areas. 

The soil stays moist.

I installed my Mist King last night however so I will be experimenting. Right now I have it set for 15 seconds bursts at 7am, noon, 5pm and 9pm. The tank is tall enough with enough foliage that I am hoping to have a good range of humidity/moisture zones for the frogs while still maintain enough water/moisture for the plants. 

I also plan on building an extended leg for the canopy to allow for more air flow. This will probably cause me to increase the misting, but we will see.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

As mentioned in the previous post I installed a Mist King. This is the $99 unit with an added nozzle. I split the trunk line with the Y splitter (as opposed to the T splitter). So far so good. Here's some photos:


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I have a cover for the bucket that's not in the photo. 



The hood/tubing isn't 'finished' in this photo.... that will be a project for tonight or this week. All the tubing will be hidden within the hood.


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

I am considering selling the frogs and parting out this tank. I need to handle some medical bills and help pay for some home renovations that we are tackling. Last Sunday I got stung by 3 bees and it put me in the emergency room with an allergic reaction. With BCBS this is a cost + percentage payment for ER visits..... the bill will be nice and pretty for sure. 

There is a classified ad posted for the vivarium + frogs without the Mist King for $500. This is negotiable and I am open to the idea of parting out. With that being said, if you are in the market for 4 bakhuis tincs then I might be your best option. These are all from Joshs Frogs and unsexed, though I am pretty sure that I have atleast 1 make and 1 female through observation. 

$100 for all 4. Local sale or overnight shipping with SYR hub to hub. (My guess is this could go as high as $65). Cash and Paypal only.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I'm sorry to hear this. But how much does the emergency from you?


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Not sure yet but I am expecting $500 plus based on insurance trends for state employees / ER visits where I live. Between that, car issues and home renovation projects I unfortunately need to reprioritize some of my funds over the next twelve months or longer.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Best wishes. I also have problems with my car. (And here fuel is very expensive, rather than the cost of emergency).


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## Harpo (Nov 9, 2012)

Frogs have been sold to the nice young lady from Ohio 

=========

I am taking the rest of the set up off the market.

I got my ER bill. Unless they ambush me with other costs, it appears that I have it under control. I am at a bit of a crossroad with the viv. For now I will let it run as is. I might be inclined to mix it up a bit with a paludarium bottom and possibly rip out the background. I love the 360 degree aspect of my leucomela tank....that negative space adds such a better depth to the overall container IMO. I am also inspired by the Less is More tank that Hydrophyte has. Who knows....but my gears are turning


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