# Kirru's Tank



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Howdy all, I was referred to here by a friend who has dart frogs and always loved them so i pulled the trigger and decided to get started.

A little about me. I am 20, I am in college full time and I have a 40g Breeder and 25g long mixed reef saltwater tanks.

I actually got a basic all in one set up with really nice features.. Here is what I mean, I bought a used Exo-Terra Terrarium, the $200 one that is fully loaded.. I mean loaded with stuff. I found it on Craigslist here in Atlanta and well right now I scored a great deal I think... Here is a list of what it contains.

Exo-Terra 18x18x18 Terrarium - $200
501 Canister Filter - $60
Retro light - $30
Exo-Terra Fogger - $50
Completely landscaped tank - Free
Live (i was told orchids) plants - free

My price... $50. It was a steal of a deal so I had to get it.. 

If you look at it straight on it looks as if it is at the edge of a river bank in the rain forest complete with small river and waterfall. 

Finally here are some pics:


























Let me kno what you guys think.. keep it nice, i am new at this and keep in mind that this set up was built for someone else, i like it but it may not be right or whatever..


Thanks!!


----------



## Vermfly (Jun 6, 2010)

Definitely a great start for $50. I'd get some bromeliads and a few other plants but it looks pretty good.

Sent from my MB300 using Tapatalk


----------



## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

First of all welcome to the board.

The following is just my opinion: 
The 18x18x18 tank is usualy about $100 new. Zoo med 501 canister filter $37 new. The fogger will depend on the model. and I am not sure of the light kit without more info.

Now here is the hard part. Has this set-up been used with animals in it before? If so then I would tear it all apart and start fresh. The plants you may be able to salvage by cleaning them in a mild bleach solution. The background and substrate should be trashed.

A little reading on this board will go a long way. At 50 bucks it sounds like you got a good deal. 

But there is no way of you knowing what pathogens may be in that tank.
last thing you want to do is get yourself a pair of frogs that you are all excited about just to watch them perish because of an unknown factor from that tank.

Read a bit and search this board.. it is full of great info. Have fun setting up your viv to be your own little world and take WARNING! this is a very addictive hobby....lol


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

thanks, i'll look in to getting some.

do you, or anyone, know what type of plant that is currently in the tank?


----------



## johnachilli (Feb 8, 2007)

looks like a couple of different jewel orchids. the darker one is a Ludisia of sorts maybe Ludisia negra.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

bobzarry said:


> First of all welcome to the board.
> 
> The following is just my opinion:
> The 18x18x18 tank is usualy about $100 new. Zoo med 501 canister filter $37 new. The fogger will depend on the model. and I am not sure of the light kit without more info.
> ...


Ok, this prices are based of local store prices. But then again i didnt buy them new so its nothing that i care to much about lol

Yes, the previous own had dart frogs in the prior to me getting it.

Wouldnt bleach hurt the plants? they are fake, but you said mild bleach so i may go for it.. I'd really hate to tear it apart and clean it as i am not sure how everything goes together to begin with and dont want to have a problem putting it back together. any advice on that?

yes, this hobby will be addicting and so it my saltwater tanks lol


----------



## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

Jewel Orchids...


----------



## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

Yup done the Reef bit for years. But frankly I enjoy the frogs much more.
Doing a bit of homework on this board will help guide you in which direction to go with when it comes to set-up of your tank. You will have many options and there is no "ONE" way of doing things. It will all depend on the frogs you intend to keep and even where in the home you intend to keep them.

I would start by reading here http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/beginner-discussion/11865-good-threads-read-beginners.html


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Tank will be kept in my room with my 40g saltwater tank. basement location. stays about 76-85* and is humid, thanks to the fish tanks lol

thanks for the link i will read it.. actaully now, cause i am bored..

i have read a lot of other sites, particularly the joshs frog site.


----------



## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Sounds like you got a good deal on the tank and such. 

To clean the plants give them a 5-10% bleach solution bath... Filter can be cleaned, but as far as the tank goes. Its a great idea to clean it out. Completely. 

It would be very easy to build your own landscape, and much more rewarding imo. The 501 filters are fine, I've used quite a few of them over the years. BUT depending on what size frogs you get (and most of the beginner frogs need a lot of land), w/ that size tank, you'll want to keep your water feature small. I've had small water features go into a pot that drained directly into the false bottom so the substrate didn't get water logged. 

Go through a few of the threads here, there are a lot of great build threads, and like mentioned , read through the beginner topics. You'll be glad you did.

Having 15 saltwater aquariums myself, I'd say the dart frog hobby is even more addicting. So welcome aboard.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

i do like the water feature it has currently because it looks as if it is a small river bank. this tank does have a false bottom for the water to drain under it and the water is blocked off from saturating the substrate. yea it could be smaller but then again, i really like it and dont want to risk killing the plants when i remove them from there locations as i am unsure how fragile they are. if i had the know how to rebuild it in a day that would be one thing but i am not sure how the best way to go about doing my water feature. heck right now, some fish would be really cool and set off the 'river' part lol but back to topic. i'd like to know what this huy used to make the backing and sides.. looks like some sort of silicone but if it is... that is a LOT of silicone. maybe like 10 tubes or more


----------



## bobzarry (Mar 2, 2005)

From the pics it looks like Great Stuff and silicone.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

ok, i saw something in the FAQs about it and how to use it... maybe i'll give it a go.. maybe today maybe sometime in the near future

EDIT:

Would I use the Great Stuff product or will any one them work?
http://building.dow.com/na/en/products/specialty/pondstone.htm


----------



## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

I use the greatstuff pond and waterfall since its black


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

AaronAcker said:


> I use the greatstuff pond and waterfall since its black


ok, how would you brown it out and make it look natural rather than complete black. gonna go find that in the FAQs i remember reading something about it.


----------



## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Well my theory behind using the black gs is that it is not an eye sore when you do see it. You'd still cover it in silicone (i use either black or brown) and coco fiber/peat moss whatever.. but when you have a little great stuff showing through (if you miss a spot or what not) it isn't white/yellowish color showing through. In some places I intentionally leave some of the black showing through as it adds a little contrast in texture and color.

Here is one of my build threads... I used just about every method. Great stuff w/ silicone coco fiber, clay, and fake rock..

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/56367-40-gal-vert-build-pic-heavy.html


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

ah, ok, that makes sense. i'll head up to petsmart and lowes and get all the supplies before i start the tear down.

Question though: Should I build the false bottom first before the wall or after I build the wall? I didnt see that anywhere in the FAQs for beginners


----------



## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

its a lot easier imo to build the false bottom first. egg crate, zipties, and a screen material.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

ok, so if i cant find the Great stuff pond and stone product, what else is there to use?


----------



## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

If you cant find the great stuff pond/waterfall, but want a black foam, HD sells another brand version,,, usually found near their pond/fountain filters and other products....


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

I saw some at lowes called Waterfall foam sealant. though, it said it wasn't bondable to silicone so would that be a problem to add brown silicone and coco fibers after it has cured and i shaped it?


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Howdy all, been really busy with school and work and then my mom went in to the hospital.. now that she is home I have time to fool around with this again. I went on a destroying spree and ripped everything out that was suggested... here is what it looks like (Just posting this from another forum I am part of)

Ok, here are some tear down pictures... took me about 40 min to get where I am at. That foam shit aint no joke. tho, peeling off the silicon made it slightly easier to remove.

from here, i will take it out side tomorrow and hose the shit out of it (literally and figuratively) and try to get the rest of the foam off the back wall off so i dont have to re silicone that over again, though I may end up doing it anyway.

As I was tearing it apart, found some blocks of wood. looks as if it is some sort of cork, soft and tear-able but eh, how should i sanitize it so i can use it again?

Also, when i ripped up the false bottom, i found a nice HUGE root system from the orchids. it was pretty neat and scary looking lol

Any suggestions on what I should do from here to make it look good? any designs that spark your interest?
Here is what I am gonna try to do:
I want to have a water fall where it pools in to one spot, I'd like to be able to use a fogger on occasion to keep the humidity up and constant. I also want as much floor space as possible.
If anyone wants to come over and help with the build let me know, I'll be glad to have it. Also, anything else I should get?



































Any opinions or suggested are welcome, this will be my first build for this type of tank and will be the last for a long long time till I decide to go.. well bigger 

Thanks

Also, the clock says 12:36... AM muwahahaha


----------



## Jarhead_2016 (Jan 7, 2010)

my favorite tool at this point is a glass scraper with the razor blade on the end to get all of the extra stuff off from that point you can do the great stuff background or my favorite the kitty litter/clay background which is alot easier and not as messy but its up to you and also where do you live?
-scotty


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

I have never heard of the kitty liter clay backgrounds... seriously. I'll have to see if I can find anything about it.

Yup, gonna find me a clean razor somewhere around my house lol but I'll probably do great stuff and those wood things.

This is gonna be fun..


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Just adding these pics to my build thread.... 

































And I am updating it with new info. I just finished covering it in the garden mat. gonna do some more on thursday hopefully... i have decided to use GG and GS as a background media, mainly for conveinence. I'll be applying it directly to the glass and the GG i tried tonight on the glass worked very well... to combat the color from the outside I will spray paint the back glass black... possibly on the inside.. maybe the outside.. idk


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Here is an upadate...

And it looks as if I had time before I went to work to take a few pics and here it is.. i want to have something that goes from the left rear to the right front pond.. like a stream of water or something...



























Sorry for the quality, these were taken in a hurry


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

I feel like I am talking to a wall but here goes..

Got motivated to put the piece of wood in i picked up from Petsmart the other day and GG'ed it in place. Also tested the waterfall to the wood to see its projected path down to the piece of wood. Laid down a thin coat of GG to be carved out later for a little stream to the pond on the opposing side of the tank.

Not sure how it will look with out plants but I assume with plants it will look pretty interesting. I figure I need some Sphagnum to put around the top part of the channel and in the bottom of it to give it a nice aged look.

Anyone have any thoughts?


----------



## weapon_X (Aug 3, 2010)

Looks good so far. You probably already thought of this, but leave an easy way to access/replace the pump. You don't want to have to tear down everything if it goes out on you.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

No need actually.. along with my purchase of this tank i got this for free...
Terrarium Pumps and Filters: Zoo Med Turtle Filters at Drs. Foster and Smith

so my pump is on the outside. but if there is a problem i wont have a problem repairing the opening in the bottom of the tank or the pump itself


----------



## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Looks great so far! I think you are going to end up with a much cooler viv than the one you bought, even if it was a PITA to tear down.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Aight frogface.. tell me how cool it is now compared to the other one... this one doesnt have plants yet so it make look a little off.. for now.. muwahaha lol
..................
..................

Woohooo! Almost there. Had to put down a coat of silicone in the channel the water takes to the pond cause there were some major leaks. Hopefully this took care of that. Just got to let it set over night and can run a test tomorrow to see. Then after taking care of the water stream i started to use the rest of my silicone up, which was less that a quarter of a tube, so i filled in some areas to give it some.. green lol rather than brown look. looks 100x's better now.

Here are some shots just after putting it in.. note: on the back wall where there is moss, that is just put there just to make it look nice.. its not permanent.. yet.

What do all of ya'll think?











































Thanks for checking it out once again!


----------



## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Yup, I'm still liking it


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Sweet! Thanks!


----------



## sbye (Nov 10, 2009)

Yeah Kirru that looks awesome! Great job. I just finished my background. Now all I need are lots of broms


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks Sbye, I ment to post some more pictures yesterday but for the past week, accessing this site is near impossible. I can't access it from home but I can from school and on my phone.. go figure.

Anyway, here are some new pictures of it running with the water  it really moves down the branch so i am going to have to add and shape the stream again. its a work in progress bit it looks great to me, adding the moss works great to cover up imperfections.


----------



## NVEOUS (Oct 6, 2010)

Im liking the setup so far. Looks like its going to turn out pretty good. I dunno if this has been asked yet but what are you planning on putting in there?


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

so far, it will be just plants. i have to take down one of two of my saltwater tanks cause i am tired of dealing with it.. lol not sure what types of frogs i want to put in to it.


----------



## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

The tank is looking very good so far.

I just wanted to chime in on the Jewel Orchids

The light colored one looks to be Macodes petola.

The dark colored one is Ludisia discolor and is not var nigrescians as one post suggested.

I would suggest putting the plants into a ziploc bag if you dont have anything else.

Bleach
1/4 cup to 1 gallon of water should be plenty for sterilization of the plants.. rinse your plants thoroughly before you soak them in the bleach solution
Also make sure the root systems are thoroughly rinsed so there is no substrate to retain the bleach solution. Unless its something hard to root I typically cut all the roots back to almost nothing before I sterilize.
I typically let my plants/cuttings soak for about 3 minutes or so. and then I rinse thoroughly for about 6-10 minutes to ensure all the bleach residue is gone. Also helps is to only do maybe 3-4 plants or cuttings at a time this way your able to pay more attention to each piece to see if it is rinsed thoroughly.

Ive also started rinsing with a dechlorinator which I dont think is all that needed for most stuff but its helpful with mosses.

I hope this helps and good luck to you. If you need some plants cheap let me know majority of my stuff is terrarium grown and most is frogfree.


Todd


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks for the info. Just a tad bit late. Everything died when I pulled it out. Which is ok. Means I can go for something that I really want.

Right now, I have decided that I need to redo the base of the "root" and make something that will connect all the way across to the pond, less than 3" so it shouldnt be to hard, right? wrong.. its annoying, but that is a water feature for ya lol


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

WOOT! Finally after so much hard work with this freakin water feature it finally doesnt leak. Now I just have to get a ABG mix that my buddy was masking for his tank. 

Since I also have an external pump, I didn't think of leaving an access point in the bottom to get to the open area underneath. I will be cutting out a portion of the bottom, under the root to make it easier to get to the opening for the water to go up and out just to clean it out on the off chance it gets clogged. Plus, I think the tube has curled upward allowing air to get in to it cause air to get chopped up in the pump which is noisy. I'm so excited! it look amazing too


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Turns out it wasnt the intake in the tank, but rather the connection to the top piece as it comes out of the tank... i took some GS and filled in the space and BAM.. as it expanded the air went away... for good muwahaha... anyway, i thought hey, enough with pictures of the water feature, here is a short 2min video of it running 

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v334/Kirru/?action=view&current=MOV00087.mp4


comments welcome!


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

hmm, no comments. i am disappointed.

anyway, after running the water feature for two days straight, i discovered that it eventually overflows and the sidewalls need building up and a little cutting but should be good after that... I am so excited!


----------



## winstonamc (Mar 19, 2007)

Lookin great Kiru. That water feature is really nice, I'll be interested to see what if anything you plant along the edges, that leak might actually give you the option of planted something that likes having its roots a little wetter than the average epi. It's definitely shaping up. 

Question, how are you bringing in the water from the 501, did you drill a hole for a bulkhead? The video is nice, keep posting.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

well, i have had a busy life with school and to jobs and almost stopped and sold the build completely.. but i decided to try my had at just keeping plants alive and then adding spring tails for seeding, then frogs eventually. i tore the side wall off the branch/root and have it 99.8% sealed so all the water goes to the "pond".

Now, I have to get some mix to go on the bottom and put some plants... since i have just finished the water feature, yes, almost a year later lol, i am goin to let it run for a few days. 

There is a local store that I now of that is big in to saltwater tanks and reptiles. he specializes in reptiles tho. So I may stop by saturday on my way to road atlanta.

i am getting excited again, i can't wait to see it up and running all the time with plants and soon amphibeans... 

and to answer above, late i know, i used the 501 supplied plumming supplies and ran a long tube with strainer from the bottom of tank to the top. Then started to use the supplied fitting but being that it is cracked, i just took the tubing and connected it directly, its tight and now air or water leaks, yet lol. for the return, i just used the supplied tubing and fittings... i can get a picture to help for visualization if needed.


again i am excited and can't wait.

also, i was thinking of ordering almost everything from neherp.com for my plants, moss, and bedding.. anyone with experience with them? 


thanks all to who read that.. i got long winded.. and it is latee lol


----------



## davidadelp (Sep 29, 2010)

I got all my plants from joshsfrogs and they always looks great and do very well Id check them out if I was you. Ive also heard good things about junglebox plants to


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

thanks, i got to looking and now i am stuck on what plants i want... any suggestions?

i want colorful and flowering plants.. fairly easy to keep, and will always look good lol

i am not sure what to get tho, not sure ho to place them either.. i want to order the ABG mix and all live plants and put them all in at once to save on shipping.

thanks for thee help


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

these are some plants i would like to have, does anyone disagree with these or think i should not have at all? thanks...`

ABG mix (8 quart)
Pilea 'Pink'
Hoya lacunosa "Snow Caps"
Pilea involucrata "Friendship"
Oncidium Twinkle
Codonanthe (xCodonatanthus) Sunset
Neoregelia Grower's Choice
Mini-cattleya
Begonia partita


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

anyone have opinions or suggestions?


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

My water feature is still having probelms so i may just leave off and plant something in it.. i don't know yet.


i also have just recently installed a mistking system as i hate doing most anything manually lol i am just lazy sometimes

currently, i will just be growing plants until i decide i can have frogs. 

the tank stays close to 80* degrees through out the day and may drop a few degrees over night. the humidty is staying above 85% now and hits close to 90% through out the day

I would like active thumbnails and possibly breed them. not sure how many though

here are a few pics from just a few moments ago to that shows where i am at.


















































thanks for checking it out.

also, i'm in atlanta, ga if there are any others close the me that'd be cool


----------



## RikRok (Nov 5, 2009)

Hey Kirru. 

You need to add more leaf litter and plants. A couple of Bromileads would definitely make it more complete. Did you end up fixing the water feature?

It's coming along. Almost there!


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

hy more leaf litter? and i can't decide on what broms i should add.. i do not want them to get overly big but i want the frogs to be happy.

heck, i have been even contemplating to build a new viv and not use this one. i have a 30g that can't be used as a fish tank anymore because it has chips in the corners.. would make a great viv i think.

we'll see what happens.


----------



## RikRok (Nov 5, 2009)

Kirru said:


> hy more leaf litter? and i can't decide on what broms i should add.. i do not want them to get overly big but i want the frogs to be happy.
> 
> heck, i have been even contemplating to build a new viv and not use this one. i have a 30g that can't be used as a fish tank anymore because it has chips in the corners.. would make a great viv i think.
> 
> we'll see what happens.


Leaf litter promotes microfauna(springtails/ispods) to thrive as well as security for the frogs. It makes them bolder(being more out and about) knowing they have somewhere to hide near by. You don't necessarily need to cover all the dirt but more than what you have would definitely make everything more happy.

As for Broms, here's a link to a website with a list of some that might solve your problem. (you can find them for cheaper if you look around fyi) http://www.rainforestflora.com/minineos.php

IMO you should follow through with this one to get the hang of things and then go to the 30g and apply what you have learned. 

Good luck!


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Ah ok, i will break the leaves up so its not so crowded with such big leaves. I think i should of gotten a ddifferent type but at least i can have a mixture of large and mix out of one bag.

Thanks for the link, i will check it out.

I am going to wait, before i do any expanding i have to finish school and get a better job and get my own place so i can have a bigger saltwater tank... then i can move on to my froggies if i eveer gt around to getting them.

btw does anyone have suggestions on active colorful thumbnails?


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

i like a few of them listed. some prices change when you add them to the cart. i am goin to see what i have locally or can find online first and hopefully i find something the same or exact


----------



## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

Tanks looking great. If you are in Conyers you should have no trouble finding magnolia leaves for leaf litter, they work awesome in vivs. For a first frog you really cant go wrong with leucs. They are more forgiving than other species which is good for busy people (I'm in school full time at North Georgia and work all the time). If you aren't in a big hurry to finish the tank Repticon is coming in early July and Under the Canopy usually has a bunch of broms and tills, so you could stock up then.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

ah, i knew there was another convention other than Frog Day lol i just couldn't remember what. thanks, i ill be saving for sure. would they happen to have darts there as well? i am in no hurry since this build as started back in October i think so yea, waiting isn't going to hurt. I am home a lot but i do work two jobs but they reuire very little effort. like today and yesterday i was home all day.. monday and tuesday i was at work watching movies.. not to hard. and school is once a week in the summer and three days during the fall with two classes online. lol taking my times and relaxing is what i do best lol


----------



## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

Under the Canopy will have cb darts, sometimes others will have them. I have some frogs I am trying to sell, shoot me a pm for details. The best thing to do is to get to the show early on the first day because there aren't that many frogs and they sell out quickly. Sounds like you have an easy school schedule, I keep getting stuck having to drive to school every day, which sucks.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

yea i plan on first day and possibly last to see if i can't snag any items for cheap or free so they dont have to pack it all back up and take it home.

i wish it wasn't 2 months away but then again i can save up for a good visit.


----------



## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

That's what I used to do...early first day and end of last day. I can tell you that if you are just looking for frogs it really isnt worth going back on the second day. I have gotten some good deals on geckos and stuff, but pretty much all the good frogs are gone by the end of the first day. Because there are so few frogs there in the first place, everything good gets picked through pretty fast. I just go ahead and spend a little extra money on the first day and save money by not driving there again on the second.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

i am thinking of buying the VIP tickets, they are only $12 for to days with early admission on saturday before the regular crowd. in fact i may just go ahead and buy them now so i dont forget.


----------



## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

That might be a good idea....I've thought about it before but the only thing holding me back was that when I get there around 11 vendors are still setting up. Might be worth the extra couple of bucks though. Honestly the show is almost totally snakes, wc lizards, and some people with geckos and beardies. Under the canopy will be the main people with darts, maybe some of the bigger resellers will have freshly imported pumilios and auratus. Sometimes there will be one or two people with cb treefrogs.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Well it is only $2 more plus, for me at least, gettin to the fair grounds is only about a half hours drive. and I have already taken both days off since this is my first time I want it to be good..


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

went and picked out a few new flowering plants from lowes since it was close.. pickd up and orchid and an african violet. now just need a nice small bromeliad.


----------



## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

african violets are great viv plants, surprised more people dont use them. I had a huge one in my Polypedates dennysi tank, flowered almost constantly.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

yes they are quite beautiful . mine are white with a purple rim. I'll post pictures tomorrow


----------



## bgmike64 (Mar 16, 2008)

I might have to take a trip to Lowe's. I never new African Violets were good in the viv. Good thread and nice to see some active ATLiens 

Kirru, I just moved from Conyers a little over a month ago. Small world!! I work at the hospital, so I'm there Mon-Fri. Let me know if I can help with anything.

If you don't have the time, take it slow and just build up the micro fauna in your tank. There's nothing like coming home to food on the table. Seed them with whatever your preference you'll have the frogs soon enough. watch out for those pesky little snails that seem to come from nowhere when the tank is all set up!! I went to the last Repticon over at the fairgrounds on that Sunday and might have seen 1 dart. I guess the first day would be the best time to go....


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

great to see another. glad we are to scarse.

i'll be getting pics up shortly so keep and eye out.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Anyone know what these are and if they are safe?
Got them from Lowes and planted in pots outside, figured I could root them easily but want to make sure they are safe before continuing.

This has a velvety leaf. or felt fabric. 









this is a vining plant with flowers.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Does no one have a thought?


----------



## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Last 2 look like a Coleus and a Mandevallia.

I would say neither are good ideas to put in the vivarium.
They both tend to get HUGE.


Todd


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

So size is just an issue, they are not poisonus to the frogs. That is what I am concerned with. The bottom pic did not make it for rooting so I threw it out. The first pic is doing extremely well and from the mother plant out on the deck they do not seem to get big, just the center piece grows out and flowers. i'll get some pics to show what it looks like, i am goin to trim it as to prevent it from over growing.

thanks for getting back


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

New plants courtesy of NE Hetptoculture.


----------



## bgmike64 (Mar 16, 2008)

The tank is looking good. What are you thinking about putting inside?


----------



## Fitzy (Sep 12, 2008)

Tank is filling in nicely! Once the moss and vines spread out more it will look great, with or without your stream!


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

been quite busy the past few weeks.

currently just letting the plants grow and looks great. stream is running, i just got over the fact that it was going to leak and went with it..

everything seems to be growing just fine, now i need something to put in to it.. i and thinking thumbnails as i dont want anything to big.

i'll be at the convention this saturday and sunday, bought 2 day vip tickets at $12 total. can't beat that.

anyone else goin?


----------



## bgmike64 (Mar 16, 2008)

sent you a pm


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Got it... responded...

I have just gotten back from ReptiCon... you guys were right, it was bland for us Dart froggers.. but Josh's Frogs was there and another one that slips my mind but both had lots of frogs. but no thumbs that caught my eye.

bought a fruit fly culture, moss, and a nice reddish brom


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Hey all, just a little update for the new year and to show off the growth of the plants in the tank. No frogs currently reside in here but i have kept the plants going as I find them quite relaxing.. along with my reef tank....



























































I am contemplating the tear down of this tank and building a larger tank. for now it will stay unless i get motivated.


----------



## Equidoc2013 (Nov 28, 2011)

Why on earth would you tear it down?? That's a beautiful tank! Just build another one and start your collection of dart frog tanks! That's the way it works in this hobby.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

True, though I have no place to put another tank or I probably would. I mean my Mist King set up would surely handle both tank. And the main reason I have no dart frogs is I have failed at making ff so I have held off on that plus i am about to transition to another job and finish school.


----------



## Shinosuke (Aug 10, 2011)

Beautiful tank! Don't stress about having frogs or not, if you like it as is then that's good enough =)


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

well i have come to this determination.... i am now at a job making twice as much as i was before or ever have and I think I can handle having the frogs or anything really in that tank... my question is to anyone should FF be the only diet or is crickets a good diet? I determined that maybe the thumbs were just to small and not as forgiving as I had hoped and maybe that is why I lost them. I am sure that disease is NOT what claimed them but me being to stressed out over school and work. In the last pictures you can see what about 7-8 months of not touching the tank will accomplish but its getting crowded with plants and I sure dont have many in there. I have a 30g standard tank that I have thought about making in to a terrarium and possibly selling the one I have now but transplanting most of the plants I have in to it. I have literraly turned off the mistking as the water feature keeps the moisture up and everything seems fine with out it. I'm just at a loss of what I should do. I probably will take out the water feature in my next tank as it really is a waste of space. Of course nothing is solid until i upgrade my saltwater tank to a larger tank and take care of a few... car upgrades as well. any input is welcome. and if anyone sees anything they would like let me know. I'm not asking much but anything I do make will go in to the "frog fund" for supplies or ultimately a pair of frogs that are not to shy.

/ramble

any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm headed up to Banner Elk, NC (stayin in a house of Beech Mountain) to snowboard for a week if anyone is up that way and wants to join. trying to get a group discount with some of my friends and sister and family that are going.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

fyi on the plant growth, it has doubled since posting those pics so it is really filling it but does look a bit... messy i guess you could say but does look natural.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

Just another update on plant growth and I think I may try frogs again in the future. Just not sure which species i want to go with. Definitely want a pair though. Tank is kind of plant crowded but looks extremely natural. Even thought of building up another tank and sell this current one. Here are some pics.


----------



## Kirru (Aug 20, 2010)

There is a water feature that runs from the upper left to the front right in that last picture... but its covered up but looks nice.


----------

