# 18x18x24 Exo



## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

New tank time 

Air circulation
Mistking 
Fogger
Current USA led plus 
Moonlight

Going with a minimalistic background.
Cork, clay, and manzanita











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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

I have always liked clay backgrounds. This will be fun to watch


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Okapi said:


> I have always liked clay backgrounds. This will be fun to watch




I’m just sick of the great stuff backgrounds, I think the clay will look more natural, allow for better plant growth, and take up less depth. I’m going to use pumilos recipe, ordered the powdered clays today from axner pottery supply online. 


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

I'm looking forward to watching this, too. I have never seen a clay background in person. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it. What frogs do you plan on putting in there? You would be all set for pumilio if you do the clay background 

Mark


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Encyclia said:


> I'm looking forward to watching this, too. I have never seen a clay background in person. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it. What frogs do you plan on putting in there? You would be all set for pumilio if you do the clay background
> 
> 
> 
> Mark




I haven’t seen one either haha. I just think it looks cool. Hopefully I’ve got the right recipe I’ve heard of people having issues with it sticking, cracking, and falling off. My plan is to use a lot of corkbark and eggcrate and clay in between and elsewhere. Hoping that will provide it with a solid enough anchor to keep it in place. Probably some pumilio, not sure which ones. Anyone have a suggestion on boldness of the different locations? 


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

I used clay in several tanks. All were kitty litter based but one did have red art clay mixed in because I wanted it to be red. For the red art one I used clumping litter (Sodium bentonite) and the clay swelled up and kept sliding off of the glass. Another that I didn't add the red art clay to, just sodium bentonite and organics, the clay slowly sank down the glass before reaching an equilibrium where the whole background was thicker than it started, three inches shorter than it started, but very stable after that point. 

For the vivariums that the clay didn't fall off the glass I used nonclumping litter (calcium bentonite) which I soaked in distilled water, mashed into a mud, and then mixed long fiber sphagnum, peat moss, and coir fibers into. This mixture, when I packed it to the glass and molded into shapes stayed on the glass and didn't swell up. It was very good for planting plants onto as I could shape the clay and mold it around the stem to hold it in place until the plant rooted. Other plants I attached the plants to cork pieces and pressed the cork into the background, then just molded the clay to hold it in place. Java moss strands pressed onto it and misted often grew on it fine and areas where it got plenty of light moss started growing from spores in the peat. It stayed malleable and didn't crack or slide down the glass for years. Eventually the last calcium bentonite based background vivarium I had developed a scale insect and snail infestation so I dried it out and put it in storage. I just looked at it and the clay shrank back from the glass about a quarter of an inch and cracked a little but plant roots stabilized it to the point that it is pretty much one giant piece still.

You'll be glad that you went with the clay background as long as you don't go too heavy on the sodium bentonite and keep a regular misting schedule.


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Okapi said:


> I used clay in several tanks. All were kitty litter based but one did have red art clay mixed in because I wanted it to be red. For the red art one I used clumping litter (Sodium bentonite) and the clay swelled up and kept sliding off of the glass. Another that I didn't add the red art clay to, just sodium bentonite and organics, the clay slowly sank down the glass before reaching an equilibrium where the whole background was thicker than it started, three inches shorter than it started, but very stable after that point.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




The recipe I’ve found is 75 redart and 25 bentonite (sodium or calcium) then from that mixture 75/25 organics(sphagnum and peat) got it off an old thread of pumilos. Set the mixture and mist regularly but lightly til the biofilm develops. Does that sound about right? 


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

kiltboy1675 said:


> The recipe I’ve found is 75 redart and 25 bentonite (sodium or calcium) then from that mixture 75/25 organics(sphagnum and peat) got it off an old thread of pumilos. Set the mixture and mist regularly but lightly til the biofilm develops. Does that sound about right?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


If you are using Pumilo's recipe you will have a good clay. Pumilo and Ed did a lot of work with clay backgrounds and are a wealth of knowledge. I used kitty litter because it was cheap and easy to find at any store. Plus I just wanted to experiment. Looking forward to watching your build.


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Alright alright alright got some things done. 

Drilled a hole.....

























Got the bits off amazon for dirt cheap, they’re pretty good for the money my only complaint is that they are metric so the holes tend to be a little big but that’s what gaskets are for. 

Got the false bottom installed 

































Got the bones of the background in









I tied a bunch of stainless floral wire to the egg gate before I siliconed it that way if I wanted to put some baskets or whatever on I’d have some anchors. 

And we got some clay which Ima slap on er tomorrow 









I’m gonna try somethin weird for a top vent, I don’t like the look of window screen. I’m thinking im gonna drill three holes in the top glass and rig up a fan to draw air up through the bottom vent on the exo. I made a drawing with ms paint. I think I’ve seen it done but basically I’m gonna build a box and use a 40mm fan to pull air. 










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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Background done 


















Got the aluminum foil to hold some moisture til I get some glass cut for the top. Lightly misting by hand til biofilm develops. 


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

It looks good! What did you use as organics in the clay? If you mixed in peat or pressed some peat into the surface you will get nice moss growth starting on it.


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Okapi said:


> It looks good! What did you use as organics in the clay? If you mixed in peat or pressed some peat into the surface you will get nice moss growth starting on it.




Thanks, it was super easy to work with. I mixed the red art and calcium bentonite 75/25. From that mixture I mixed in peat moss 75/25. We will see how it holds up. I’ve got quite a bit of moss growing in some other tanks. Im gonna harvest it and blend it with some yogurt and paint it all over. 


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Got the vent done. Drilled for two double mistking nozzles and two cord holes for magnet mounted internal air circulation. 










I’ll paint it black so you can’t see the guts


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

This is really well implemented. I am interested in seeing how the clay holds up over time and how well plants grow in on the back.

Nice work!

Mark


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Encyclia said:


> This is really well implemented. I am interested in seeing how the clay holds up over time and how well plants grow in on the back.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Thank you. Hopefully everything works as planned. I’m hoping the clay will do well. So far it’s held on fine zero slippage. 


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Initial planting, lots more showing up over the next week. My spectral designs light got delayed in shipping. 









Wiring up the cabinet so hopefully I can keep all the cords pretty and run a single line to an outlet. 











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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Internal air circulation 











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## DPfarr (Nov 24, 2017)

Is there a certain brand of tiny fan people use?


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

DPfarr said:


> Is there a certain brand of tiny fan people use?




I like ac infinity. Amazon has them. Good quality and better air flow than the others I’ve tried. 


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## DTB (Apr 29, 2018)

great use of the perspex and the magnets, that looks really nice. I may have to borrow that idea if you dont mind.


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

DTB said:


> great use of the perspex and the magnets, that looks really nice. I may have to borrow that idea if you dont mind.




Thanks, borrow away!!! 


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Everything is sealed up so hopefully this will get the air moving under the doors and keep the front glass clear. 


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Spectral designs 16x10 

Current inhabitants 
Dwarf purp isos 
Giant springtails 


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

And more plants











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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Even more plants. Not real happy with the large vriesea on the top right. Got a couple more plant orders on the way. 










Bout to break down some old tanks. Both have been up over a year. I got real busy with work and let them go. I regret using Java moss, dusk moss mix, and the multiple species of ficus. If I didn’t use them they’d prolly be decent still today haha. 




















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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Love the progression. Keep the picks coming.


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## FatManJack (Sep 22, 2018)

I really like the overgrown look. Do you have a name for the peperomia-looking vine in the second pick that is all over the place. The leaves look too far apart to be prostrata and they don’t have markings either


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

FatManJack said:


> I really like the overgrown look. Do you have a name for the peperomia-looking vine in the second pick that is all over the place. The leaves look too far apart to be prostrata and they don’t have markings either




It’s def a jungle in there haha. It’s pepperomia Costa Rica green. Got it from glassbox. Transferred some over to the new viv. It took a while to take off but once it did it went everywhere. 


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Plant list 

Vriesea vagans
Neoreglia Chiquita linda
Peperomia sp. Costa Rica green 
Peperomia sp. Costa Rica red 
Marcgravia sp
Marcgravia surname 
Bulb. sessile 
Bulb. Accuminata 
Mas. descendens
Podochilus microphyllus
Micro. Piloselloides
Micro. Heterophylla
Micro. Vaccinifolia
Pyrossia nummularifolia
Dischidia ovata one stripe
Hoya cummingiana
Pellonia repens 

Lights schedule: 6a-8p, 14 hours a day with ramp. 4 hours midday max output
Moonlights: mwf, 10p-midnight
Internal air circ: runs continuously 24/7
Top vent fan: 5a-9a and 3p-6p, 7 hours a day
Mistking: 10s at 7a and 10s at 12p, 20sec a day



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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Almost done planting 










Updated plant list 
Vriesea vagans
Neoreglia Chiquita linda
Peperomia sp. Costa Rica green 
Peperomia sp. Costa Rica red 
Marcgravia sp
Marcgravia surname 
Bulb. sessile 
Bulb. Accuminata 
Mas. descendens
Podochilus microphyllus
Stelis hirtella
Stelis hirtzii
Micro. Piloselloides
Micro. Heterophylla
Micro. Vaccinifolia
Pyrossia nummularifolia
Dischidia ovata one stripe
Hoya cummingiana
Pellonia repens 

Updated tank schedule 
Lights schedule: 6a-8p. 14 hours, 4 hours max output 
Moonlights: mwf. 10p-12a, 2 hrs 
Internal air circulation: 6a-8p. 14 hours 
Top vent fan: 6a-9a, 4p-6p. 5 hours a day
Misting: 7a 10s, 1p 10s, 7p 10s. 30s a day 

Current inhabitants 

ISO’s
Giant oranges 
Dalmatians 
Dwarf whites

Springs
Giant
Tropical 


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Male rambala and some updated shots 


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## gonzalez (Mar 28, 2018)

Any updates? How well have the plants rooted in? Do you have to keep the clay at a consistent moisture for it to work? I've been thinking of switching from cork mosaic to this.

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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

gonzalez said:


> Any updates? How well have the plants rooted in? Do you have to keep the clay at a consistent moisture for it to work? I've been thinking of switching from cork mosaic to this.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk




The plants love the clay. They have all taken off. I just use my mist king and hand mist the hard to reach spots every couple of days. It’s held up fine. Up top where it stays consistently dry and where the clay wasn’t as thick has developed some cracks but that’s only because it was put on to thin. I’d recommend at least 2” of thickness at the bare minimum to account for that. Updated shots 











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## SoloSK71 (Dec 25, 2018)

That is nice. Looks like a slice of Amazon riverbank.

Solo


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## Neopixal (Oct 1, 2015)

Love the amount of automation that's going into this viv.


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Finally got an orchid bloom in here. Stelis hirtzii


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## kiltboy1675 (Feb 28, 2007)

Another bloom Stelis hirtella 


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## camps23 (Mar 10, 2019)

Beautiful build !
Are those 40mm internal circulation fans ?


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