# Newbie: Terrarium Build



## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Greetings.

Complete newbie here. In the past I have had significant salt water reef acquarium experience - so am no stranger to artificial environment husbandry... but have never done what I am doing now... exprimenting with a moss terrarium. I have been researching for quite some time (a year?) and frequently run into articles and threads on this board, so I thought this may be a good place to get feedback and help.

At present - I have no plans for dart frogs or any animals in this tank, but I admit it is a possibility at some point. I have not done enough research there yet. I understand if animals are concerned, that building the environment first is putting the cart before the horse.. but I think options may become evident after this tank matures.

So my immediate goal is to create a small mini / nano tropical environment with a significant water feature, and assorted mosses and small plants that will keep the 'miniature' feel of the naturescape. I dont want a gigantic bromeliad taking up 1/2 the tank, but aiming for something that looks somewhat more open but also with plenty of interest, nooks and crannies.. lots of mosses, and what tiny ferns, tillansia, or whatever might look like it will do well. I would like to get closer to a balanced ecosystem. I do not want it to look overcrowded or simply stuffed with 'stuff'.

Sorry - I am starting to ramble... here is where I am:

Zoo Med 12x12x18. I intend to build an oversized water feature (styrofoam, Grout, DryLoc) powered by an external Eheim 2211 canister (60gph). False bottom to act as a water reservoir. I have the JungleWhite LED bulb from lightyourreptiles (looks very nice!) and I will add some dimmable waterproof LED tape at some point to create morning/evenig light. Substrate will be ABG mix that I will make up, and background will be combination of tree fern panels, cork bark and fake rockwork. (foam/silicone/coir if needed for some areas). No plans for misting system yet, I think I want to do it manually for a while until I learn what it needs.

I know.. its going to be very hard in this tiny little tank. This is part of the challenge. 

Here is my first question: Since this will basically have a false bottom / water reservoir / Sump, I am concerned with how this might look later... perhaps growing algae on the glass etc. Should I perhaps coat the glass below water level with black silicone?

I do want to keep visibility of the 'pool' that I plan to have at the lower left front of the tank, but I also dont need to see into the false bottom where there is simply egg crate and PVC. What do you think?

Pics of step 1 here:
Richardson Planet | Terrarium Build: Part 1

Thanks folks. ANY comments appreciated... even if its just pointing and laughing. ;-) I plan to post pics as I progress over the next couple of weeks.. though Ihave a feeling the styrofoam build is going to go a bit slow.


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## mordoria (Jan 28, 2011)

Nice blog. I love the garden.
As for your 12x12x18, i think you should keep it simple. The sump is unnecessary. drill a hole for a bulkhead so you can drain it or just syphon it out from the pool you made. Trying to make a waterfall is a pain in that size. Also, after 6 months, every surface will be covered with growth and that can mess with the falls too. Dont over do it on this first one. I have a simple 12x12x18 that i keep orchids in and it looks amazing. I also have about 10 complicated terrariums and they are harder to maintain due to all the water features I put in them. Half the waterpumps have died anyway. From reading your blog posts, it seems you like to go all out (marine bioclasses to get you reef running!!!!). This time, maybe you should start slower. Youll have plenty of time to fill your house with terrariums. I know I did!

ps. dont coat the glass with silicone. its nice to see the pool


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Hi.. thanks for the reply.

I wasnt clear probably... but im not doing a sump. (I got sloppy with my words)... just a false bottom that will sort of act like one. I need a couple inches of water so that this external canister filter will have enough water to draw on.

So you say dont bother coating the lower 3" of glass. The only thing you will see down there on 3 1/2 sides is eggcrate and PVC supports. 1/2 of the front you could see a little tiny pool area, but otherwise I am just wondering if the rest is more of a eyesore. Hm.

Yeah - I understand the water feature will be a P.I.T.A. I am determined to do it though for several reasons including keeping the water moving and clean (filter not just pump), and humidity. I also want more than a little dribble of water. Hopefully this Eheim filter will be reliable.. I have used them in the past and they are solid, Very quiet, and just run for years (and years).






Agree on taking my time. Im in no hurry.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

My only recommendations:

1) Start with something larger. You've got big ideas, you need a bigger tank 

2) Use black contact paper around the outside of the tank to hide the false bottom, instead of silicone. Then you can easily remove it when you remodel the tank (and you will, over and over  )


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

frogface...yeah.. you see.. the problem of course is that this is the tank I have... for now. I do what I can with it... and if its a success after a year or 2.. then maybe look at something else.

But.. I do like the contact paper idea... or something like that. Good idea.


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Update:

Took a crack at making a waterfall, and failed..  It looks totally artificial.










SO.. I tried again and got something a little better. I think it will work out once I work it a bit more. I threw a coat of grout on it and will try to do a water test this weekend... if its functional I think I will go with this. Its 14.5" tall and with the false bottom in the tank pretty much eats up 1/3 of the tank.


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

beady styrofoam is a huge mess to deal with. GoodlucK!


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## Dev30ils (May 1, 2012)

Make sure you seal it extremely well too, the chemicals in styrofoam are bad business...


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Yes - I will seal it.. I plan on a couple layers of grout all over to do that.. then I am going to use a couple layers of tinted DryLoc to waterproof / color / texturize it. I may use finally use silicone (sprinkled with sand) on area where I expect standing water 24x7.

My next challenge...after realizing that there is no good way to go through the top of this with the external filter.. is to drill it. Ordered a 1.75" diamond bit and a 1" bulkhead. We will see how that goes. $25 bucks, not bad. I've never done that so Im nervous about it. It looks easy... I suppose the important part is simply to go easy and use plenty of water.

45mm, 1.75" Diamond Coated Glass Drill Bit / Hole Saw for 1" Bulkheads - AquaCave.com

I'll have a few days to finish working on the waterfall while it ships.


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

§lipperhead said:


> beady styrofoam is a huge mess to deal with. GoodlucK!


you got that right. This stuff gets everywhere...I was picking it out of my hair.


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## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

Im doing a similar water feature idea, although just using an aqualifter pump as mine is teeny tiny in a 20g L. 

Good luck, Ill be following along.


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## Duff (Aug 4, 2011)

Hey there, looks like your off to a great start - the second attempt looks very nice! I did also go with the Jungledawn LED from lightyour reptiles and am very happy with it. It's been a bit challenging to find smaller sized plants but found that many aquatic plants and Moss fit right in. I'm really excited to see you drill this tank - you'll be happy you did! Just be sure to play with the flow on the 2211 and use black filter foam in front of the outlet to slow it/diffuse it a bit more, it's pretty strong. I'd also suggest a drip manifold on the outlet (the ones used for drip irrigation) I have a 4 outlet retrofit I've been playing around with and you can also pick up barbed ends with valves on them. you's then end up with 4 water points instead of one. I think it best to drill/widen the barbed drippers to get a better flow. IF that makes sense? I picked up the items at a big box store for about $7. Anyway, just a thought  

Looking forward to seeing this come together - should be awesome!


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Quick update:

I tried a water test with the Eheim 2211 filter and the waterfall this weekend.

Result was mixed, this pump puts out alot of water (60GPH), but you can adjust it back if needed, thankfully. I may be able to leave it open 80% though.. (Output may be less once I actually put media into the filter.. I was running empty so it was a max flowrate). I am thrilled at how quiet it is - it is almost dead silent. Dont hesitate on this pump if you are looking for an external canister, it is very nice.

Anyway - some of the water was getting away and running off the sides... its trickier to control than I thought. So I am making a few cuts and adding some extra styrofoam in a couple key areas... more pics soon once I slap another coat of grout on it and test again. I think its close - I should be able to start really putting everything together next week if my drill bit comes in to drill the glass and I can get a couple coats of DryLoc on the waterfall nice and cured.


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

also...

I picked up a piece of 'natural pebble accent' from home depot - in the tile department. $5 bucks for a sheet about 4"x12". They are attached to a mesh and peel off easy enough. They have uniform thickness and interesting shapes that fit well together. There are a couple places I am siliconing them in on the eggcrate where it is exposed... Looks nice, if perhaps 'too clean'. I will try and make it more rustic by filling in gaps with moss perhaps...

Indonesian Mosaic Jakarta Moon 4 In. x 39 In. Marble Border Floor & Wall Tile (10 Sq. Ft./Case)-6005b1 at The Home Depot


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Almost ready to start putting things together. Just waiting for some Ghost Wood to come in (from Poison Dart Frogs | Food Fruit Flies Supplies Vivarium Terrarium Moss Habitats | Wood Vine Cork Tubes | Consultation Sales by Vivarium Concepts), and some quick release valves for the pump and drill the tank. (and put glass in the hood!)

Waterfall is about done though. I took a couple water tests and 'corrections' too keep the flow contained well since it is flowing about 40 gallons per hour, but its working fine now.

This has about 4 coats of non sanded grout, and then a couple coats of DryLoc. I added concrete dye to the Dryloc to get assorted black / gray / browns. I really like the DryLoc... it is thick and gritty and really leaves a good stonelike finish - if a little bit rough. My goal is to get some moss growing on this eventually.


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## Dev30ils (May 1, 2012)

Came out nice, good job!


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Oh.. and these are the small stones I got from home depot, siliconed to the front of the false bottom where it will be visible. Most of this will be below water, but I think it will look good when done.

My only worry here is I am not exactly sure what these stones are. They feel like marble, and I am hoping they are not some kind of limestone that could start affecting the pH of the water.


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## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

Waterfall has come a long ways since you started - Ill be interested to see about the rock as well. 

Wont work for my viv - but an interesting building material for sure.

Im kinda surprised that they dont say on the page what the rock is.


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Drilling wasnt so bad - I was nervous about doing it.

1" bulkhead, 1-3/4" diamond bit, about 5 minutes. Easy.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Very nice! Can't wait to see the finished tank


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

frogface said:


> Very nice! Can't wait to see the finished tank


Well... I admit you were right in your first comment in this thread. I need a bigger tank.  The waterfall is too big and the cork I have is too big and the false bottom is too small and the pump is too big... 

you get the idea. I think I will be able to get started this weekend on the background and floor...so lets see if we can turn it into something that will work.

I'm half inclined to get it all put together and leave it outside in the sun and rain and wind and frash air for a week or 2 to sort of mellow it out a bit.


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## kitcolebay (Apr 7, 2012)

Very nice looking waterfall! I like the original approach with the rocks around the false bottom. I hope they work out. Good luck on getting it all to fit. I imagine you'll be shopping for a slightly(or much) bigger tank soon.


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Update... I have some of it put together... I plan to add one piece of ghost wood, and then hook the plumbing up. I tested the waterfall a few times before really building it in so it should be good.

Wow is that LED (jungle dawn) bulb bright. I wonder if its going to be 'too bright' to look at at night! (I need to follow through on the dimmable LED strips I think for dawn/dusk light)

I guess Im ok with how it turned out so far. You cant really see it here, but there are plenty of places to mount small plants, mini orchids. mosses, etc.

pics:


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## Duff (Aug 4, 2011)

Looks great! How do you like the flow with the 2211? How much did you need to turn it down?


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

I think it will look alot nicer once I get some green things in there.

The eheim pump is foremost - quiet and powerful... And yes, I need to throttle it back by about 1/3. That doesn't seem to affect the pump at all which is good. I'll be getting all the water going tomorrow and take a couple more pics... Maybe a video to show the flow rate.

It's dry as a bone right now... I bet it will take a week to get everything moistened up.


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Update:

*We have Water* !! 

I hooked up the Eheim 2211 and all is working perfectly.. I am so stoked about it. It really looks good...and I am hoveriong at about 83% humidity with no fog on the glass.

The pump is running wide open.. maybe 50 GPH (?) but it is all quiet and the water is, (unbelievebly actually) sheeting down the length of the waterfall with only a slight tingling and no real splashing. Very cool.

Thats it baby. Time to plant. (yeah, I threw a little moss in from the back yard.. I couldnt help myself.. we will see how it does). I have some moss and some mini orchids in process and still have to put a piece of ghost wood in here somehow.

pics:


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

I meant... 'a slight tinkling' (of water).. not tingling.


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## Duff (Aug 4, 2011)

It looks great! A little slice of tropical heaven. What are you thinking for plants? Anything specific?


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Well, I started this as a moss experiment - and that is still highest. However, I have recently been exposed to the 'orchid crazies'... And I have a small 6 pack of minis in the works...

We will see if I can keep them healthy... Time for a crash course on adding these.


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## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

Glad to see it all together...what happened to using that moss from Josh's Frogs?

How did you get the hosing into the viv while maintaining a tight seal?


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## SteveR (Jul 26, 2012)

Well, I had a few hurdles to get over... namely cloudy water and soaking wet substrate.

After looking closely at it for a couple days, I could see that there were a couple spots on the waterfall where water was getting away and dribbling a bit to the outside. It doesnt take long for the tiniest of dribbles to soak the small areas at the bottom of this tank. Partly because of a weak design, partly because of the 15" vertical drop, and partly becaise of the volume of water I have going over it. Some adjustments to how the water is actually released at the top seems to have fixed that. I will be looking tonight when I get home to see how it is going. If the floor is relatively dry, I will drain and fill one more time, add carbon and that should be the end of the cloudy water.

I ordered the 10-pack of Tillandsias from NE Herp, which - for $20 bucks, seems like a nice deal. There are too many and some are too big for this tank, but I put 6 of them in and we will see how it goes. 

New England Herpetoculture LLC - Plant Packages

Also put in some of the Pillow Moss (On the right), and got a small bag of the sheet moss.

New England Herpetoculture LLC - Moss

I also ordered the small 'heart fern' from them, but I got an email saying they were out of it and would I like a refund or substitution. I replied less than an hour later to just refund it, but they sent a substitution anyway that I cant use... its too big. Shrug. Besides this, I have been happy with what I got from them. (Also got ABG from them).

I did receive a bag of the dry sheet moss from Josh's frogs... Now that I have the tank a bit more stable from the water perspective, I plan to 'blend an paint' some on the fake rockwork and perhaps on some of the cork. 

I also have a set of small mini-orchids on the way soon (from a member of this board), so that should fill this out nicely. I also plan to have a small 1.6" fan mounted in the tank soon to help with air movement. I plan to enclose it in cork bark to make is as near to invisible as I can.

Amazon.com: Scythe Mini Kaze 40mm Silent Mini Fan (SY124010L): Computers & Accessories


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## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

Looking really good man...glad to see it growing in


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## diggenem (Sep 2, 2011)

Looks clean. I like it.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2


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