# My First Exoterra



## toaddrool (Feb 5, 2013)

Hello All,

Here is my first exoterra, I believe they lable this one as a large wide.
When I purchased this one I wanted it to be able to grow some tropical Rhododendrons aka Vireyas and other epiphytes. 
What I did was I used the ABA substrate over a false bottom. I drilled a hole in the back to drain excess water, got rid of the screen top, replaced it with a glass top. Drilled that to make holes for misting system and fogger hose, and drilled the edges to make it fit into the top.
I am using a computer fan in the fashion shown in the Peninsula thread created by GRIMM for constant strong internal ventilation.
The only draw back to this tank is that I have to keep it in a cool room to keep the temperature down. I am lighting it with T5 setup that uses 8 lights.

Plant list
_Dendrobium sulawesii
Dendrobium bullenianum
Tillandsia xiphloides
Tillandsia albertiana
Tillandsia ionantha
Tillandsia medusae
Episcia_ 'Silver Skies'
_Episcia_ 'Blue Moon'
_Achimenes erecta
Sinningia_ 'Mighty Mouse' x Self
_Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides_
_Rhododendron_ 'Periwinkle'
_Rhododendron_ 'Ruby Grace'
_Rhododendron_ 'Fire Plum'
_Rhododendron_ 'Little Bo-Peep'
_Rhododendron_ 'Lucie Sorenson'
_Rhododendron_ 'Saint Valentine'
_Rhododendron_ 'Carillion Bells'
_Rhododendron_ 'Saxon Bonnie Belle'
_Rhododendron_ 'Alisa Nicole'


New Vivarium-02 by tindomul1of9, on Flickr

New Vivarium-04 by tindomul1of9, on Flickr

New Vivarium-07 by tindomul1of9, on Flickr


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## bastimentos (Jun 23, 2012)

I like the rugged forest floor look but add some moss or preferably leaf litter to ensure the frogs don't come into contact with those white foam pellets also You should add some isopods and springs at this point.


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## toaddrool (Feb 5, 2013)

done, done and done.
Well my leaf little is rather sporadic and the moss is starting to grow. I know I wont be putting any frogs in there until some time from now. For now I am spending a sometime everyday picking up those damn white things and either burrying it in some more ABA soil or moss.
The first picture shows a lot of the stuff, but its mostly gone now, that picture was from when I first built the tank about 2 months ago. The ground looks more like pics two and three which were taken this afternoon.


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## Sammie (Oct 12, 2009)

Love it!
I can't tell from the pictures, are all the rhodys planted in the substrate?
If grown epiphitycally, how would you mount it? 
For example, would they grow on xaxim with roots exposed?
Right now I only have one Vireya which is mounted on a cork slab with Epiweb around it's roots, but I think it dries out a little too quickly.


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## toaddrool (Feb 5, 2013)

I wouldn't mount them unless I had some good moss as substrate. I have one small cutting of R. 'Alisa Nicole' growing on living moss in another tank. The moss is on a piece of drift wood attached to the background half way up the tank.

Yes, all those Rhodies are planted into the substrate, using ABA for best drainage. There is no water logging the soil thanks to the false bottom.


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## toaddrool (Feb 5, 2013)

Tank is roughly 4 months old now and getting along nicely.

Here is an updated pic from last week, later tonight I will post a more current picture with the Rhodie blooms.

*Current Plant list*
Dendrobium sulawesii
Tillandsia xiphloides
Tillandsia albertiana
Tillandsia ionantha
Tillandsia medusae
Episcia 'Silver Skies'
Episcia 'Blue Moon'
Achimenes erecta
Sinningia 'Mighty Mouse' x Self
Fuchsia 'Swingtime'
Fuchsia thymafolia
Fuchsia microphylla
Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides
Sphyrospermum buxifolium
Ceratostema rauhii
Rhododendron 'Periwinkle'
Rhododendron 'Ruby Grace'
Rhododendron 'Fire Plum'
Rhododendron 'Little Bo-Peep'
Rhododendron 'Lucie Sorenson'
Rhododendron 'Saint Valentine'
Rhododendron 'Carillion Bells'
Rhododendron 'Saxon Bonnie Belle'
Rhododendron 'Little Pinky'


New Vivarium by tindomul1of9, on Flickr


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## toaddrool (Feb 5, 2013)

New Viv by tindomul1of9, on Flickr


New Viv by tindomul1of9, on Flickr


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## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

I LOVE your use of uncommon plants. They're gorgeous. Very inspirational to see something new. What's the humidity, temperature, and misting schedule?


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## toaddrool (Feb 5, 2013)

I have the misting system go on for one minute at 10 AM and then again at 7pm. I then have the fogger on from 9 to 11 am and then again for a few hours at night. Needless to say, since there is not much air exchange with the outside of the tank, the humidity stays very high. I keep the temps between 65 to 80 because the tank is sitting near an AC that I set to 65 from 5pm to 9AM and then raise it to 75 during the day.
I don't have any thermometers or humidity indicators in the tank.

Really appreciate your comments too, I have been planning a tank like this for growing tropical rhododendrons and tropical blueberries for many years now, and finally I am giving it a try. I know not many people grow these plants, and fewer still grow them in a vivarium. So I am hoping to introduce Vireyas and tropical blueberries to the hobby.


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