# Zoo Med 18x18x24 santa isabel vivarium



## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

I got the tank from ebay for $108 with shipping. That thing came in the biggest box wrapped with 2 inches of bubble wrap and a ton of packing peanuts. I put together the false bottom but not all of it because I still have to silicone the sides so you don't see it. I have a power strip mounted to the side of the shelf and I have two usb powered fans which I just used a wall adapter for. Got the lighting fixture at petco a manager special for $5 and I did some research and it is discontinued and valued at $100 so I saved a ton It is a zilla heat and light combo but I only use the ubv not the heat. It takes a 20 inch T5 bulb and has a built in timer on the side of the fixture. I will post updates as I get my paychecks , order items and assemble the viv Pictures will be coming soon sorry


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Here are the pics Sorry for the wait. The 10 gallon is just a temporary set-up for froglets but I will be changing that tank after the 18x18x24.


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## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

Looking good, buddy!


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Thanks I will be ordering my mistking and filter on Monday the 3rd.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

I've got SI's in the same, it is a nice size for a little group of these awesome frogs.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

If you add a few cuttings of pothos, your tank temp would be really perfect!


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

I am adding satin pothos, alocasia bambino, ficus pumila, selaginella plana, and selaginella uncinata. And I plan on housing a trio of those awesome frogs preferably 2 males 1 female


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Good choice! I love my epips "Highland"!


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## Jeremy M (Oct 19, 2012)

Nice choice of frogs. Do you plan on adding a piece of glass to the zoo med or the holding tank to raise humidity? It looks like you've just got bare screen right now, which won't keep it humid enough. I also suggest you put something else into the 10g temp tank like pothos, as suggested by rigel10. I'm sure that some bromeliads to the main tank plant list would be much appreciated by your frogs.


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

I plan on adding a plexiglass top to both the tanks to hold humidity. I also will add a layer of hydroton to the 10 gallon with a pothos and moss growing substrate. Thanks for all the comments tips and likes


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Just ordered my mistking with fittings for my filter I didn't have enough money for the filter though so I didn't order anything from josh's frogs yet. mistking.com was out of stock of timers so it should be here some time in late August


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Just got some new moss from hobby lobby to get the full details check out my thread on the plants forum titled new moss but here are the moss pics anyway


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Sorry guys but I have decided to spend my next paycheck and birthday money on something else so this thread may not be posted on for a month or so until I get my October paycheck so sorry about that guys


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

J.T.Tanks said:


> Sorry guys but I have decided to spend my next paycheck and birthday money on something else so this thread may not be posted on for a month or so until I get my October paycheck so sorry about that guys


It happends man....I have frogs in holding waiting for a permanent home


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

I actually re changed my mind and I just ordered from Josh's frogs and amazon


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## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

Yes!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

I will be making the plexiglass tops tomorrow


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## Celtic Aaron (Jun 12, 2013)

Very awesome...I really enjoy these guys. I am in the process of rebuilding a viv for my SIs as well. I am looking to add a small water feature with water flowing down some mopani wood into a very small, shallow pool. I will shoot a pic when I get there. I look forward to seeing what you have going on with your build.


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Just wait to you see my water feature I am making this SI cage a display cage for my room and a little breeding for some extra $$


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

I just spent two hours siliconing the two tanks. I will have to make some other touch ups to finish them but the main part is over. I also made the plexiglass top with a thermo/hygrometer probe hole, two holes for the water feature, two mistking nozzle holes, and two fan holes


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## loner556 (Sep 18, 2010)

Do you plan on shrouding the fans with some kind of plumbing to pull air from inside the viv? In their current state, they'd drop the humidity pretty abruptly if they're pulling outside air in.


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

One is blowing air in and the other is sucking air out. They will be on timers running for 30 minutes on one hour off during the twelve hour night cycle.


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

I think what loner556 meant was recirculating the humid air from inside the vivarium. Pulling in less humid air while pulling out more humid air is going to make it pretty difficult to maintain high humidity for the frogs. If you could somehow recirculate that already humid air, that would help out a lot.


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Oh like a big diameter tube going from fan to fan


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## loner556 (Sep 18, 2010)

zimmerj said:


> I think what loner556 meant was recirculating the humid air from inside the vivarium.


Exactly what I meant. Thanks for clarifying.


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## LewKo (Sep 8, 2014)

Without rigging up something macgyverish and bulky (like a full tube) you could always use a digital timer to reduce the time of circulation, I feel like 3-5 minutes every hour or 1.5 hours would get pretty good air exchange without drying ya out!

Or make a low profile box out of smoked acrylic or thin polycarbonate to connect the 2 fans. Like a 1" tall duct", if you want to get super crafty


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

LewKo said:


> Without rigging up something macgyverish and bulky (like a full tube) you could always use a digital timer to reduce the time of circulation, I feel like 3-5 minutes every hour or 1.5 hours would get pretty good air exchange without drying ya out!


I like the timer idea. I think that would achieve the result you're going for as far as air changes while not making it too difficult to maintain the humidity.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Also just keep in mind that acrylic can warp over time....Which can let the frogs get loose cause of the warping....

Thicker acrylic is more resistant to warping but also suffers from that......Just something to keep in mind


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Azurel said:


> Also just keep in mind that acrylic can warp over time....Which can let the frogs get loose cause of the warping....
> 
> Thicker acrylic is more resistant to warping but also suffers from that......Just something to keep in mind


Thanks but the plexiglass is 1/4" thick


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

LewKo said:


> Without rigging up something macgyverish and bulky (like a full tube) you could always use a digital timer to reduce the time of circulation, I feel like 3-5 minutes every hour or 1.5 hours would get pretty good air exchange without drying ya out!
> 
> Or make a low profile box out of smoked acrylic or thin polycarbonate to connect the 2 fans. Like a 1" tall duct", if you want to get super crafty


I think I might make a low profile plastic cardboard box thanks


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## jpg (Jan 3, 2009)

Even at 1/4" a T5 lamp burns hot enough that it will most likely warp the acrylic . I had that issue on a viv with two power compact lamps on it and had to flip the top over every few days to keep it flat .


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

The bulb is 12 watts


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

I still need to carve a little but here is the foam stage


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## dam630 (Dec 11, 2009)

J.T.Tanks said:


> I just spent two hours siliconing the two tanks. I will have to make some other touch ups to finish them but the main part is over. I also made the plexiglass top with a thermo/hygrometer probe hole, two holes for the water feature, two mistking nozzle holes, and two fan holes



Just so you know... that thermometer/hygrometer does not show %RH at the probe. The probe is strictly for temperature. The humidity is what ever it senses at the unit itself (there is a small hole in the back).

Ask me how I could never get the humidity in my first viv above 60% despite the fact the glass was always sweaty. Kept hand misting anyway... until my soil was swamped. 
Stupid probe thing... Guess I should have read the manual


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

dam630 said:


> Just so you know... that thermometer/hygrometer does not show %RH at the probe. The probe is strictly for temperature. The humidity is what ever it senses at the unit itself (there is a small hole in the back).
> 
> Ask me how I could never get the humidity in my first viv above 60% despite the fact the glass was always sweaty. Kept hand misting anyway... until my soil was swamped.
> Stupid probe thing... Guess I should have read the manual


Are you sure about this? It doesn't really make sense for the RH sensor to be part of the display itself. Also, RH measurements are based on temperature so the closer the RH sensor is to the temp sensor, the better. However, RH is not terribly accurate and RH sensors do have a high rate of failure. I think you may have just had a bad RH sensor.


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

zimmerj said:


> Are you sure about this? It doesn't really make sense for the RH sensor to be part of the display itself. Also, RH measurements are based on temperature so the closer the RH sensor is to the temp sensor, the better. However, RH is not terribly accurate and RH sensors do have a high rate of failure. I think you may have just had a bad RH sensor.


I sure hope your right and it works


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## dam630 (Dec 11, 2009)

zimmerj said:


> Are you sure about this? It doesn't really make sense for the RH sensor to be part of the display itself. Also, RH measurements are based on temperature so the closer the RH sensor is to the temp sensor, the better. However, RH is not terribly accurate and RH sensors do have a high rate of failure. I think you may have just had a bad RH sensor.


I am very certain of this. I have the same model.
The remote sensor is basically to tell you "outdoor" temperature.
The display unit tells you indoor temperature and indoor RH.
You have to press a button for it to give you the "outdoor" reading, but that is only temperature. Look at photo, the button that says "EXT" under it, EXT=external. Test it yourself, place probe in a warm moist place, press EXT button, you will see temperature change but NOT RH%. The RH% shown on the screen is being read at the unit. I know that sucks and it drove me crazy too, until I read the manual.


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## dam630 (Dec 11, 2009)

http://bwgs.blob.core.windows.net/docs/Hygro_therm_SM_Instructions_2013.pdf

Take note that it says OUTDOOR temperature.
There is no way of reading OUTDOOR RH%


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

Oh, yeah, I thought you were talking about the Exo Terra thermo-hygrometer. Sorry about that! On the Exo Terra, the temp and RH sensor are located in the probe as far as I know and can tell.


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## scooter7728 (Sep 1, 2014)

I bought one of those digi rh temp sensors thinking it would be mcuh nicer. same here tank is sweaty and RH doesnt go past 60/65. now that I'm thinking of it its just a piece of metal at the end with one wire going back. cant take temp and rh with that simple wire. dammit 


dam630 said:


> Just so you know... that thermometer/hygrometer does not show %RH at the probe. The probe is strictly for temperature. The humidity is what ever it senses at the unit itself (there is a small hole in the back).
> 
> Ask me how I could never get the humidity in my first viv above 60% despite the fact the glass was always sweaty. Kept hand misting anyway... until my soil was swamped.
> Stupid probe thing... Guess I should have read the manual


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

scooter7728 said:


> I bought one of those digi rh temp sensors thinking it would be mcuh nicer. same here tank is sweaty and RH doesnt go past 60/65. now that I'm thinking of it its just a piece of metal at the end with one wire going back. cant take temp and rh with that simple wire. dammit


Yeah I don't know exactly how an RH sensor works but you would see a hole or holes in the sensor for the RH. Since that probe looks like it's entirely sealed, it certainly isn't for RH monitoring.


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## scooter7728 (Sep 1, 2014)

follow up just figured I'd self test it put the digi gauge in the tank went back to check on it 60% to 81% in no time, dammit  I guess back to the old gauges


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

scooter7728 said:


> follow up just figured I'd self test it put the digi gauge in the tank went back to check on it 60% to 81% in no time, dammit  I guess back to the old gauges


I've only been keeping frogs for less than 2 months but so far, I've been very happy with the Exo Terra thermo hygrometers


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

That sucks I did buy an exo terra thermometer aswell so not a total loss


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## scooter7728 (Sep 1, 2014)

I paid $8 FOR IT ON AMAZON SO WHATEVER


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

scooter7728 said:


> I paid $8 FOR IT ON AMAZON SO WHATEVER


I paid 22.99 on josh's frogs so ugh!


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

J.T.Tanks said:


> I paid 22.99 on josh's frogs so ugh!


For the Exo Terra thermo hygrometer? That's not terrible. I get them on Amazon for around $18. I think Petco charges around $30.


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

zimmerj said:


> For the Exo Terra thermo hygrometer? That's not terrible. I get them on Amazon for around $18. I think Petco charges around $30.


No that was for the sunleavse digital combometer


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

Ok so to start off, i have not been active on dendroboard for a whole year and I do have reasons behind this but am not willing to share them online. I have now decided to continue to work on my viv and am going to start paying more attention to the advice the members give me. To start off I am not going to use the old light fixture that I had pictures on for this tank. I am going to make a custom plywood canopy with two jungle dawn LED bulbs in it so that they wont warp the plexiglass. next I am going to use plastic cardboard to make a low profile enclosing i guess you would say between the two fans so that the humid air stays in the viv but is circulated. And lastly, I will stain the canopy the color of my choice (haven't decided yet) to make it look professional.


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## J.T.Tanks (Jul 16, 2014)

If I do go the jungle dawn Led route, which fixture do you all think would be better to mount in the wooden canopy out of these two on NEHerp?


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