# 3 Ft Neodesha build



## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

So hey all this is my first build. I am leaving for basic in april, so for this project, it was more of a test everything and use what's cheap and laying around. I work construction and home remodeling so a lot of my materials came free from scrap. I wasn't too worried about plans, I am using local plants I find in the yard and area. I live in FL, so no problems there. And also, this isn't for any frogs it is for Bagheera my crested gecko. I used ideas from pretty much EVERY thread I read lol

Here we go!

First things first.. The litter damn on the Neodesha wasn't built or planned for drainage layers. I sealed it better, and also added a pane of glass from a jalousie window from a job site. 



















I then cut and sealed in 2 pieces of plastic also from a job. Forgot to remove the brown backing on one before sealing it though... 










http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww267/super_fly13/Viv Build Number 1/IMG_8983.jpg


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

While that was all drying, I put coco fiber in a 5 gallon bucket with water and let it soak up.. then laid it out on huge pieces of cardboard (thank god for cabinet boxes  ) Little did I know it would take 2 weeks to dry.










Then was the great stuff.. Next time, I will use the black version for ponds. I used an idea I found on here where someone put saran wrap on cardboard and then great stuffed on the plastic.. once dry, the GS came off no problem so carving was easy and outside of the cage.










Then I carved a bunch of things. The plan is to have the rocks be siliconed to the back and sides, then GS+coco fiber in between the rocks... Also an idea from someone else on here 




























Tools to carve.. they turned out to be AMAZING and I thank the heavens for my job 










Next step... Grouting. Had I known that you have to keep it damp between layers, I would have done this. But I didn't, so I didn't, and they are cracked.. But I'm not too worried as this cage will be taken down pretty soon anyway..

My "workshop"


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Grout. My skills don't come close to some on here, but not half bad... considering



















While the grout dried.. the most fun (for my pyro self) was the PVC. I scorched it.. Baggy lovesssss it.




























Next up, sealing the grout.. Since this would take a while, Baggy has been in his cage with paper towels and the plants in pots I plan on putting in..




























I also went cheap and didn't use the usual clay balls for drainage.. pics to come


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Okay!! Update. The grout is sealed with two coats of this.. Please let me know if it is okay? Home Depot is an hour further than Ace










Here is what I will use for the drainage layer. It is dirt cheap and I think it will work quite well..










That is a 5 gallon bucket










I found an awesome piece of driftwood I may incorporate into this viv or save it for another. I also picked up bags of leaf litter around the house.










Today I will be GS-ing the rocks onto the background! Tomorrow I silicone the Coco Fiber!!!

Also Wanted to apologize for the angry face.. I didn't know it would go there haha I wanted it to go in the post. If there is a way to remove it how is that done?


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions/comments/anything???

I finished with the GS and did one side of Silicone/coco fiber. I think it should be made more clear just how messy/annoying it is to get the silicone into all the nooks and crannies with speed and then press the coco fiber into it.. It is MESSY.


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

I now sort of have both sides of the viv done. The first one I tried has a lot of missing parts. This second one I literally piled on the Coco fiber about 3 inches high and realllly smushed it in there, as well as VERY generously applying the black silicone to the GS. I am out of silicone so I'm done for the weekend  but tomorrow on the way home from work I'll pick up 3 more tubes and finish when I get home!!! 










I also got the brilliant idea to wipe off the excess coco fiber after a few hours with a paint brush... I know others have definitely done it before me but it was just sitting there so I tried it and it definitely worked. 










I also got a cool idea when I was doing the GS yesterday to make what looks like roots coming off the top of the sides of the viv and spreading on the ceiling. I siliconed those and put on the coco fiber, and then I'll trim off the excess silicone with a razor blade. You can kind of see the outline of them:


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## pet-teez (Oct 3, 2007)

Keeping an eye on this.

I was wondering, wouldn't the funky pvc be bad for your gecko to crawl around on (drink water drops off?) and things like that?


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

I thought of just that when I made them, so what I did was scrub them extremely well with my hands and various brushes to get every bit of this black stuff (i assume burnt pvc) off of them. I did this multiple times and each time I dried them and then heavily rubbed my hand on them to see if anything came off. They were washed until nothing came off on my hand. They have also had a ton of time to air off.

Update on the viv: The background is almost done. I ran out of silicone AGAIN hahaha but this time I only need _maybe_ an eighth of a tube of silicone to finish. Too bad they don't come in mini-tubes. Tomorrow when I do the last bit, I'll let it air out for a few days under the house... I'm SO excited to put this thing together!!!


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Okay so the viv is semi-done!! I got the background done completely and put in the drainage layer and then some very black dirt and finally leaf litter. I also put in the PVC and some fake plants just so it can look nice temporarily. I plan on planting it over the next few days. Any tips on what plants would be best and how to go about planting them? I have a pothos, some small ferns from the yard and a type of moss I don't know... Also, should I fill the drainage layer before adding the plants or let it fill on its own from draining?


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## pet-teez (Oct 3, 2007)

Looks pretty good!
And such a budget build


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Good idea with the old neodesha. Looks like you got a good start. I'd like to see what it looks like when its all grown in and matured. You are doing a great job documenting the construction process for your viv.


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Thanks  Yes I believe the total cost to me is about 70, I had to buy coco fiber and silicone and GS. Everything else didn't cost a cent... even the Neodesha! And I was thinking that for now since it may have to be put into storage when I leave for basic, I would only put in cheap/locally harvested plants.. but as soon as I am able to get it back and actually set it up for real this thing will be planted out the waazoo!


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

*Moss mold!*

I have a quick question.. I put a couple things in and have let it sit for a few days. The pothos seems to be doing great. The moss however, is mixed. I keep it pretty humid, as well as lightly mist twice daily. I had taken the moss and planted it in 6 different places wound the viv. A few pieces are now covered in mold. The other places aren't though. Do I need a different light? Are there no springtails? Should I get isopods? I was planning on getting them anyway.. I figured the springtails would be there since I got the dirt and leaves from outside. Any help is appreciated!!

Brien


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

*Re: Moss mold!*

I have some updates and a load of questions.. Sorry for so many!! I got rid of the moss with mold and there doesn't seem to be anymore mold in the tank. I am in the process of ordering a few broms if paypal ever feels like working.. Would they be okay planted in the substrate with proper drainage or should i air on the safe side and attatch them directly to the gs? Do I need a different light if I get them? I have a T8 bulb I got from Ace hardware. Do you think there are any springtails in the tank? I figured they would be there since I got the dirt and leaves from outside... But not so sure.. Now to the pics!!

Is the fern in a suitable location inside the viv? It gets medium light. 



















Will the Lichen on the sticks harm the crested gecko? And will it survive and grow?



















What kind of moss is this?










I found this growing next to the moss outside and planted it in a few places around the tank.. What is it and is is safe does anyone know? It has very tiny little hairs on the leaves...if that helps.




























And I found these out in the yard also. They are everywhere! I think they are clover but not sure.. Can anyone confirm and are they in an okay place in the viv and safe?



















I found these two at the job site today. One is a ground cover that seems like one plant with shallow roots that are very widespread with shoots that sprout up all over:










And the other is a vine. I have no clue what it could be. Maybe a weed? It is very long and somewhat climbing. The leaves are very largely spaced on the vine and it only has one leaf rather than clumps at each spacing..










And a full tank shot so you guys can see everything...




























Thanks for looking!!

-Brien


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

*Re: Moss mold!*

Not a bad start at all. I expect the clovers, and most plants you found outside, to die eventually though. Anything from the outside is at risk of bringing in pesticides, and all kinds of crap that can lead to hurting your little friend. Althought having a budget is a good idea, it's an even better idea to take safety precautions to ensure that your friend serves a long term in his home. Some things I do:

Order everything online. I stay away from nursuries unless I know that they don't spray their plants. If you do use these plants, just take the simple precaution of leaving pets out of the tank for the next month or so, to make sure anything bad leaches out of the plant/ soil. 

Any driftwood I take from the wild I throw into the oven for a few hours. Use the search tool on the forums - some doa bleach wash, let it dry, then heat it - Whatever it takes to get rid of the hundreds of bugs living inside the wood; they are harmful to geckos/ frogs. 

Don't jump any hoops - buy bottle water/ use RO/DI. I never prefer to use solutions/ chemicals to break down harmful chemicals in tap water - sometimes it doesn't work throughout the entire batch of water you have. I am not a risk taker in that topic.

Hope this helps


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Why would the plants from outside die? Pesticides or because the conditions aren't right? We don't use pesticides in our yard, and I washed off all the roots thoroughly. 

I typically order any and all herp supplies online, unless I get things from fellow herpers, and places like Home Depot and Ace. I do occasionally get plants from Walmart and Home Depot, and haven't had a problem as long as I wash them well.

As for the driftwood, It was sitting out in the sun for months before I thought of using it here, then I washed it very very well. 

Our water from the taps is terrible. We drink only water from 5 gallon bottles attached to a dispenser similar to those in office buildings. I use that to mist.

Thanks for the tips though!


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

superfly said:


> Why would the plants from outside die? Pesticides or because the conditions aren't right?


Conditions, although you do appear to live in Florida, and plants could be more acclimated to terrarium conditions. 



> As for the driftwood, It was sitting out in the sun for months before I thought of using it here, then I washed it very very well.


The sun wouldn't do it, but it's every keeper's decision as to how far they are willing to go to make sure their vivs are bug-free.


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Yeah I live in north Florida. I think the plants should be okay with this setting. It is similar to conditions outside, only slightly more humid. I am not keeping the viv at a humidity level for darts, but for my Crested.

I generally do bake my wood before putting it into my cages, but in this case I thought it was more beneficial and that people on here place the wood right into the viv..


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## klik339 (May 17, 2010)

looks good man, i noticed you had some cracks on the parts you grouted. next time when you use grout mist it very lightly throughout the drying process and that will stop it from cracking. i had the same problems in my tanks when i used grout and remembered when i use to help install tile flooring that if the grout dried too fast it would crack.


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Yeah I was told to keep it moist between layers right after I sealed the grout  it happens. Next time I won't do that, or just might do drylok


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Okay quick update! Ill post pics soon.. I got n order of more broms than I ordered which was lovely, thanks Reptiles Etc!! I mounted them to the coco fiber with toothpicks and they are simply gorgeous. I can't wait for them to grow. I have a GE cool white 15W 18 inch T8 bulb on the tank right now. Is this adequate or should I get more or a different bulb?

I put in a couple more plants that I don't have an ID on but it was the first picture I posted above about what plant is this. 

I also set up a pill bug housing with moist soil and cardboard in a plastic food container. I poked holes in the lid and put a small bit of banana in it. Anything else I should do for them?


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

I wake up this morning and there is MOLD on the base of one of the BROMS!!!! Literaly overnight! What should I do???


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## slipperheads (Oct 17, 2007)

Picture? If it's white, its a fungus that is really common in the hobby


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

I took these in haste so they are kind of hard to see... but here are some pics!!


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

So is this fungus the common kind or the harmful kind?


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## Vermfly (Jun 6, 2010)

It is on the dead outer leaves of the brom. I wouldn't get too crazy about it. You may want to change how you mount that brom and just push the stolon into the wall. That would keep the leaves from being right against the moist background. As you have it now it might cause the whole brom to actually rot.


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

How would I push the stolon into the wall? It is GS, and then silicone and coco fiber.. Do I cut a hole in that? How is the brom supported if the stolon is in there and it hasn't taked hold yet?


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## Vermfly (Jun 6, 2010)

I'd still use the toothpicks to hold it in place while roots grow onto the wall. The big thing is that you don't want the living leaves sitting against the moist background.


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

Now at least half of the highest levels of coco fiber are covered in this white fungus!! This can't be normal!!! I pushed the stolons into the wall!!! What is going on here!?!?!?


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

As per suggestion, the dead and molding brom was removed, the rest were stuck into the GS by their stolons and held up by toothpicks and leaves held off the background. I also cut a hole on top that is 18" by about 1 1/4" and put the light there. The two vents where the light was sitting on are now more open. These have cleared up the fungus quite a bit and let in more ventilation.


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