# 350 gal construction journal--custom viv with Mayan ruins



## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

After adding a second floor to our house, we had an alcove under the stairs without a purpose. We decided to have custom cabinets built with, you guessed it, a vivarium built in. After reading what seems like thousands of posts, the project is 95% complete; here is my construction journal. 

The whole thing took me 6 months to complete, including research. My first tank and yes, I could not fight the urge to go big too soon; no patience at all.

Most of these pics are self-explanitory, please let me know if I need to clarify anything.

Starting with the artificial tree root buttress, I used the tutorial by Brent Brock (posted all over this board) as closely as possible. I’m fairly satisfied with the result. Note that I have zero artistic ability. It is not difficult and it is not expensive, but it is VERY time consuming. A few suggestions that I think Brock (respectfully) missed. First, don’t bother coloring your mortar, it will be painted anyway and the gray mortar color is a good base (I ended up painting most of it grayish anyway). Second, the painting is the hardest part but you can just keep painting over it again and again if your not happy with it. The colors he suggested didn’t work for me. The real saving grace is when you blend up the moss and spread it all over. Use a blender and keep blending until it’s almost dust. I have a feeling this thing will be around long after I’m dead. I haven’t attached any “vines” yet, so hopefully it will look better soon.

























Here is the completed raw wood tank. 








I only used 1/2" plywood but I reinforced the corners with 1" squared wood and then covered everything with this:








Ended up using twice as much because I didn't realize the first batch would start to harden too quickly. Turned into a jelly-like consistency fast!

The compact fluorescent lights are held up by these:








...two drilled holes with a metal strip gorilla glued to reinforce the wood. Then I used plastic zip ties through the holes.

Shown here are two holes for drainage out of the false bottom.









Later I siliconed a pond liner to the bottom just to be sure of no leaks and used bulk valves to penetrate the liner. Note the groves I cut with a dremel to keep the water level as low as possible.









As for drainage, I used my wife creme brulee torch to heat the pvc so it would bend just right for drainage:









Here is what the back looks like:









I made my stream out of colored mortar but I didn't want to just set it on the soil for fear of settling. So I built a GS foam base and carved it to my liking:

















BTW, I used Ocean Forest Potting Soil which I have never seen anyone use as a substrait. It is organic and probably the best soil money can buy. I put a light layer of coco fiber over it because I think it looks better. I may end up with tropical moss over it anyway.

I gorilla glued eggcrate on the back wall because I will be hanging some heavy objects and needed something for the glue to grip. Also it helps keep the foam from falling.









Here is my external walmart ultrasonic humidifier which I modified by adding a bulk valve and caulked to seal. It goes through the top back via a 2" pvc pipe. 









Believe it or not my biggest challenge was incorporating my original idea of some kind of ruins. Let me say that this has been my true love ever since I went to Angkor Wat, and to a lesser extent Machu Pichu. My first idea was to carve a Buddha head out of foam but decided I didn't have the talent. My first two attempts:









Then I thought I could use Styrofoam and simulate cut rocks with either colored mortar or special textured paint. Not so great:

















How about I just buy an Mayan tablet on Ebay? Yes, yes, yes. Here it is with some moss applied along with some pillars I found as a pet store (thanks goodness for aquarium supplies). I glued the whole thing to a wood frame that will be hidden (these bricks are just holding them down while the glue dries).









I wanted to make water come out of a cork tube but couldn't find one with a small enough diameter so I made one out of bent pvc pipe (covered with the usual GS/peat) and glued some pond liner on the back to prevent leakage:









I prefer handi-foam over Great Stuff. Also below the viv you can see what the cabinets will hold.








Note the Malasian driftwood and flagstone attached to the wall weigh about 30 pounds each.

Now it's getting close to completion. The container at the top of the waterfall is foamed in to the whole stream thing is one big piece. It has a 1 inch slit waterfall weir.


















Here is what the space looked like at the start:









Now with the basic frame (No, we did not build the cabinets ourselves):









Now the final result:









Final ruins shown with bonsai ficus:









I used a single piece of tile, the kind with a backing with 2 inch squares. I cut away the backing and mortared them into two big pieces so I could remove the tree if need be. I put crush moss between the stones. 
Another angle:


















My "pond" still needs a little work to make it blend in:


















Secret door for service and for hiding from my wife:

















What type of frog is this? It’s a rare dendro-plastica, that is to say it’s fake. I’m going away for two weeks this summer and didn’t want to leave any new inhabitants alone, especially considering I’m a newbie. I also want to let the tank air-out and mature a little first. Honestly, if I had to do all the research on the frogs before building it would have taken me another two months and I just want this thing finished now.










As you can see I also don't have the glass up yet but it will be a 2 piece slider and I have 3 small fans hidden above to keep the air moving and to keep moisture off the glass. There are also 2 fans on the top back-one input and one output to vent the entire volume of air as needed (5 1/2 inch each). It is 67 inches wide, 48 inches tall, and 25 inches deep. The bottom soil is about 4 inches deep plus 2 inches of false bottom (the usual soil separator fabric over eggcrate sitting on pvc risers with groves cut for drainage).

I used 16 tubes of GE Silicone Sealant. Unfortunately, I got a case of inhalation poisoning from the methanol and ammonia. I was working with my head in the tank with no air circulation for too many consecutive hours. I was sick for two days.

Countless thanks to all of you who answered my many question in the past months!!

Comments welcome.


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## edwing206 (Apr 9, 2008)

That's amazing! I love the tablet all the way to the right.


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

HOLY Shnikies!!! That is AWESOME! I love the way you integrated it into the wall. How clever.
Candy


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

damn thats the shit! :shock: when that thing is all grown in its gonna be a site to see


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## trunda (Oct 15, 2007)

Great job, i especially like the "secret door for hiding from wife" feature, i should add some to nearby my vivs. :lol:


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## chibisan (Apr 4, 2008)

That is so cool! I would love to have something like that in my house someday...

Only thing is like you said, that the pond needs to blend in a bit more.

And I love the bonsai!


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## heyduke (Sep 19, 2006)

viv/liqour cabinet = BRILLIANT!!!!!! :lol:


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

looks awesome! great use of space :lol: I love the little tiles next to that mayan tablet

As for the pond... I would recommend finding a few ways to cut down on the lip. Right now it looks like it would be pretty tough for a frog to get out if it fell in. How deep is it? maybe take a few of those tiles and make a ramp?

anyway... keep up the good work! i can't wait to see this all grown in.


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## Brian Ferriera (Nov 1, 2006)

I usually don't liked themed tanks but that is just beautiful make shore you post updates on it and also when you put frogs in it. Thanks again for sharing
Brian


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

carola1155 said:


> As for the pond... I would recommend finding a few ways to cut down on the lip. Right now it looks like it would be pretty tough for a frog to get out if it fell in. How deep is it? maybe take a few of those tiles and make a ramp?


Now that you mention it, it could be tough on a frog to get out. I'm going to try to make the lip thicker (probably with silicone). It's about 4 inches deep.


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

Did you use a black plastic bowl for your pond? I used a clear glad disposable bowl but would love to find a black one. What I did was use the small river pebbles (sold at aquarium store) and some large lake rocks...put the lake rocks on one side and then poured the pebbles in and pushed the pebbles to the side the rocks were on and made the pebbles slope to the bottom of the bowl. The larger rocks help hold the slope so the pebbles don't all shift and flatten back out.
Candy


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## EricT (Nov 10, 2007)

Wow ... Looks incredible... your hard work and tireless research payed off in spades!... Please keep us updated as to the progress....


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## Cobra (Feb 13, 2008)

Wow, that viv is beautiful!!! Great job :wink:


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## beachbabe18509 (Oct 29, 2007)

So... you want to build me one next?

Thats is absolutly awesome! I love it!


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## hyla23 (Apr 27, 2008)

Sweet cage and can you forward me that forum on how to make those tree roots i cannot find it.


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## Leucs2008 (Mar 8, 2008)

Absolutely beautiful!! You did a wonderful job & Im jealous!! :mrgreen: I just have 3 tanks on top of my entertainment center!! Yours looks very classy.


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## RPN (Mar 25, 2007)

WOW, Amazing. Looks great and cant wait to see what becomes of your build and its live members.
Oh yes... viv/liqour cabinet and secret door from the wife, you really planned this one out. What more could you ask for.
Nice job.


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## tkromer (Dec 20, 2007)

That is going to be just absolutely fantastic. Your work is amazing. So what inhabitants are planned for it?


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

Many thanks for the compliments, it makes the effort more worthwhile  
As for the future inhabitants planned for, something for beginners is all I know right now, but I’m anxious to start. I’ll post an update when I get them.

The pond is actually clear plastic painted black; I don’t think they make Tupperware in black. I will likely coat it with brown or black silicone and maybe add some pebbles too (thanks for the suggestion Candy). 

Here is the link for the famed Brent Brock tutorial: http://www.bbrock.frognet.org/Making%20 ... 0vines.pdf


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## MzFroggie (Mar 22, 2008)

Man that thing is schweet!!!!!!!!Excellent job...


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## arielelf (May 23, 2007)

Nice job! I would suggest some creeping fig to fill in the back wall. Also, you might want to consider moving the ficus to higher soil, they like lots of drainage and their roots should be able to dry out every once in a while. I lost a few before I realized that.

Very nice work though! I want one!!!!! You could do some Tinc's or Luecs in the bottom and some Imi's for the top, you could do just about anything in a tank that large!


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

arielelf said:


> I would suggest some creeping fig to fill in the back wall. Also, you might want to consider moving the ficus to higher soil, they like lots of drainage and their roots should be able to dry out every once in a while. I lost a few before I realized that.


I actually do have a creeping fig against the back wall but it needs to mature a little to be seen better. Thanks for the tip on the ficus; I can't let it die because it's integral to the design. It is sitting directly on the eggcrate bottom so hopefully it will drain well but I will take your suggestion to heart. I chose the ficus partly because I heard they are pretty forgiving and easy to care for.


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## bLue_reverie (Mar 2, 2008)

heyduke said:


> viv/liqour cabinet = BRILLIANT!!!!!! :lol:


let's just hope those two never mix in the stream. it would be a horrible sight to see some belligerent, disoriented frogs return home to their broms only to beat the crap out of their tads.


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

When that grows in it will be stunning I am sure!


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

amazing project! should look even better when it grows in.


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## Jellyman (Mar 6, 2006)

Very nice. I've been telling my wife I was going to put a tank setup under the stairs and after seeing yours I am very motivated. Awesome job and thanks for all the pictures and details.


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## tzen (Nov 22, 2007)

Jdogfunk99, you are my new hero.   

Not just because that viv rocks.
Not just because you combined a viv with a liquor cabinet.
Not because you did a ton of research as well as trials and and incorporated many fantastic features into your first viv.
But because you claim not to be artistic or mechanically inclined and you flippin' pulled out all the stops and did it! 

And you used your wife's brulee torch!
Although personally, when I make creme brulee, I use my propane torch for plumbing. (Hey, Cooks said it did the best job.)

Anyway, kudos to you!


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## weta (Mar 2, 2008)

Wow! great work!
please keep us updated as it grows in.


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## hobbyuniverse (Jun 22, 2008)

Any new pics of this viv grown in? I love this setup!


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## dannyces (Apr 1, 2008)

heyduke said:


> viv/liqour cabinet = BRILLIANT!!!!!! :lol:


you read my mind and oh yeah thats an awesome dual tank i mean i love how theres twoof them right next to each other


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## melas (Oct 24, 2007)

Can't believe I never saw this! Awesome!


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## Brock (Jun 29, 2007)

Glad there's a reply to this old one to bring it up again,
I'd love to see a shot of this viv all grown in now.


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

I will post updates soon; I actually just finished choosing PDF's, getting the glass doors on and trimming out the details on the exterior frame. Thanks for your comments!


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## Faceless (Sep 11, 2008)

Awesome, what did you end up choosing ?
I would love to see some updates for sure
im curious how its growing in


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## beachbabe18509 (Oct 29, 2007)

We want new pictures!!! This tank always looked so awesome.. I'd love to see how it's filled out, and to here what extremely lucky frogs are going to get to call it home


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## Fishman (Jan 16, 2007)

WOW! I to would like to see updated pictures. I also have a question, how do you access the insides of the viv? Could you please post some photos of your access door(s)


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## mydumname (Dec 24, 2004)

Can anyone explain the epoxy and the hardener...like difference between the two and how they are used. For some reason I was envisioning it not being clear (it didn't look like the wood ever changed color).

Does this waterproof the wood?

And is their a difference between this and the mortar?


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## ahinkle (Oct 15, 2007)

mydumname said:


> Can anyone explain the epoxy and the hardener...like difference between the two and how they are used. For some reason I was envisioning it not being clear (it didn't look like the wood ever changed color).
> 
> Does this waterproof the wood?


The epoxy is a chemical that requires a catalyst to be activated and harden. The hardener is that catalyst and once cured marine epoxy it completely waterproof. There is an if here though and it is that you must get a 150% coverage or else there is potential for leaks developing.
It is a clear compound and it might tint the wood a little but not much.


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## adrian72 (Mar 5, 2008)

Everthing looks great I would love to do a large system one day, could you post a little more on what you did to the walmart ultrasonic humidifier to make it work for you please.


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## Bcs TX (Sep 13, 2008)

Awesome job!!!! Love the way you think outside the box with your theme.
Especially like the bar under the tank. 
Where or where do you keep your f/f cultures.

-Beth


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## Laxgoal100 (Sep 9, 2008)

I've had a ficus roots in water for like 4 months now and it's growing well, maybe even too well for a 10 gal... oops


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## frogsanddogs (Jun 21, 2008)

I think this is my favorite or one of my favorite tanks ever!!! I keep checking back to see if you've posted updates. I would love to do a tank like this, but definately don't have this much space. Love the cabinets built around it.. that is what I wanted for my racks, but it was just too cost prohibitive for me right now... hopefully some day. I keep checking back to this for inspiration for a 36 inch display tank I am trying to start but don't know where to begin... I'm sure we would all LOVE if you have a moment to post some updated pictures... this is truly a work of art- Congratulations on your fine, fine work!!!


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

do you have any updated pictures of the viv since it has grown in?


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## chinoanoah (Mar 9, 2009)

Yeah, more pix!


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## rob65 (Aug 27, 2009)

Wow I just found this thread and all I can say is, "That's Amazing!!!" You did a spectacular job on that. Every bit of it is amazing. It is going to be even more beautiful when it grows in. I love the ruins with the bonsai ficus. I recently bought one of them for my new red eye tree frog set up and it is doing good. 
Any ideas on a new vivarium project yet?
I have had to show several of my frog buddies your pictures. I hope to see more work from you in the future!


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