# Evolution of a 75 Gallon....



## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Ok some may remember this tank from way back. I think its been atleast a year since its made an appearance on the board. Its gone through alot of tweaking as all my vivs seem to  It survived the Ice storm we had here that wiped out my frog collection pretty well...though the frogs in it didnt, then it got neglected and lots of tiny ferns took over the moss and overgrowth blocked light and killed off alot of the moss. I also robbed some surviving moss out of it for other tanks periodically throughout its life...now the moss is coming back and i've added some more to speed that along.

First group of pictures we'll call "phase 1 construction and pre ice storm"










































Ok This second group is "phase 2 post ice storm". I miss my lush green moss carpet so thats making a come back, and as you might notice i've added quite a bit of wood through the planted area and around the waterfall...im thinking of completely (or nearly so) obscuring the waterfall with drift wood and installing drip lines on several pieces to encourage moss growth. At one time the wood piece infront of the waterfall was completely covered in moss and looked awsome. There is a small female betta in the pond area, and i've started planting it with kyoto grass, anubis nana on the right and micranthemum on the left. i'm sure more stuff will be added.


















Thats the glow in the dark desert viv below, check out http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/lounge/35591-desert-vivariums.html for more details on that, more updates coming soon on that.


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## Geckoguy (Dec 10, 2008)

That is awsome I love the central water feature!


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## MzFroggie (Mar 22, 2008)

It looks really good. Good job. Are you going to put anything else in it?


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## jausi (May 14, 2008)

Great setup!!!

congrats


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

That water feature actually extends to the back glass, though it narrows back there i believe. Then the top of a large exoterra waterfall stradles it, i use the unused waterfall bottom as a water dish for my fox sometimes 

There is a lone black bassleri in there now....and the betta. Basically with the one frog the tank is self sustaining, i doubt i really even need to feed that frog and in fact havent for long stretches of time, but its always been nice and fat. its seeded with various springtails, temperate and tropical woodlice, and who knows what else is living in there. i know there is some type of spider reproducing naturally in there, fairly small and hasnt seemed to be a bother to any of the animals in there, my guess is its babies have been just another food source. I tend to just hide a small ff culture among the plants and let nature take its course. 

I'll probably move that frog out and into another tank soon, and then a colony of some kinda darts will go in there. Im on a waiting list for red galacts, so maybe those when i eventually get em.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

i forgot this one.... just another angle.


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## gold3nku5h (Jul 24, 2008)

Dude dendro dave, im supprised to see such a nice living tank so close to me. Im also a tulsan. Anyways thats awesome, im in the process of making my first paludarium, and am about to start making my custom hood and stand. I've got my lighting system just about built, and am waiting for blue LED's to get here to completely wire the whole thing before i move on.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Hey good to see another Tulsan on here. My first viv was a paludarium, no false bottom or anything, built up on two brick right angles and a bunch of slate and gravel...amazingly it worked and is still up and running. Its gone through some tweaking also, and i plan to shop vac out the old gravel and add fresh gravel, i may pull the fake tree and replace it with a large piece of natural drift wood also....but here is the current look.

First viv ever...


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## ThePetFreak (Dec 29, 2007)

Very nice, I also like the way you have the water area.


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

wow! they were both really great looking. this time though it looks like you really went all out!

i like that first viv you did too. kind of like side of a pond area on the forest floor. what went in there?

nice job


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

wow, that 75 has grown in nicely!!


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## divingne1 (Mar 21, 2008)

I now have a bad case of tank envy...these look great. 
Is the tank you posted second the same as the tank below the 75g? If not, can we see that one as well?


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

divingne1 said:


> I now have a bad case of tank envy...these look great.
> Is the tank you posted second the same as the tank below the 75g? If not, can we see that one as well?


Thats the new desert viv im building....i believe there is a link in the intitial post to the thread but here it is again...

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/lounge/35591-desert-vivariums.html


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

Wow that is really nice! Cool to see the changes too.


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## clwatkins10 (Nov 15, 2008)

Great tank! I'm glad you didn't give it up after the ice storm.


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## Tran2la (Nov 6, 2009)

Truly amazing!


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## reptile_jones (Apr 18, 2008)

WOW!!!!! I hope that some day I'll be able to set up tanks that look that great!!


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