# Finally ready to plant! 5' x 5' x 2.5'



## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

After months of work, I finally finished construction of my new vivarium tonight! This vivarium replaces one I built last year, a 3'x3'x7' very vertical vivarium (dubbed the Orchid Shower because I used curved-glass shower doors for the front).

I've noted in previous threads why I am replacing the older viv. Suffice to say it was perfectly fine but various aspects of it were not what I'd hoped - the extreme verticality of it being the main issue.

The new viv is almost the same total volume but much more horizontal (something I hope will make the frogs that may eventually inhabit the viv a little happier). The other main difference is the interior 'scaping. In the Orchid Shower, I experimented with all artificial materials (styrofoam, hygrolon, epiweb). The new viv features a return to natural materials - I collected and used some great manzanita burls from an eroded hillside near Big Sur, CA and used those to create the vivscape.

Tonight was the final installation of the misting heads and hanging the lights. The next week or two will involve the movement of 100s of plants from my old viv to the one one. I'll post more pictures as the transplant unfolds...


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

That is an amazing hardscape...that wood is unbelievable!


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## T1NY (Nov 4, 2015)

kimcmich said:


> Greetings,
> 
> After months of work, I finally finished construction of my new vivarium tonight! This vivarium replaces one I built last year, a 3'x3'x7' very vertical vivarium (dubbed the Orchid Shower because I used curved-glass shower doors for the front).
> 
> ...


 wow that is some amazing wood...i live in CA as well...Big Sur is located a little north on santa monica right? I wanna get some of that wood!...did you do anything like soak them or bake them before putting them into your viv?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@T1NY,

Big Sur is located more than "a little north" of Santa Monica - it's about 2-3 hours north of LA. Much closer to you are the mountains in Orange and Riverside counties - and the best burls actually grow there. I would have come to Southern California to collect if it wasn't such a looong drive from Berkeley.

Here's a distribution map of Eastwood manzanita:
Calflora: Arctostaphylos glandulosa

Dirt roads over the mountains in the Cleveland Natl forest (for instance) are a great place to find burls. What you want is a road-cut with an eroding slope above it: Manzanita up-slope will slowly be killed by undercutting erosion and then eventually fall down for collection. When forest crews do "fuel reduction" along roads, they've often cut or plow up the manzanitas - and clearing firebreaks in forest fire areas often involves plowing-up manzanitas too. 

You're going to need to be patient, though: Both access to Big Sur and the National Forests in Southern California are largely closed right now because of the torrential rains and road-killing landslides that have occurred this winter. 
https://twitter.com/RoyalPhoto_/status/841381989340991490
On the plus side, though, those landslides are a great source for burls once the roads re-open!

I dried the burls in my greenhouse for several weeks and then CO2-bombed the stumps for 18 hours in the sealed terrarium - the intent being to kill any termites that might have been left in the stumps. Otherwise, I did not do any special sanitization.


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## Nepenthe (Mar 3, 2017)

I've been trying to find nice chunks of wood for an age, I never even thought about collecting it. Shame about the bridge though, that was going to be my route from LA to Monterey in a week and a half. Your tank looks gorgeous!


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## T1NY (Nov 4, 2015)

kimcmich said:


> @T1NY,
> 
> Big Sur is located more than "a little north" of Santa Monica - it's about 2-3 hours north of LA. Much closer to you are the mountains in Orange and Riverside counties - and the best burls actually grow there. I would have come to Southern California to collect if it wasn't such a looong drive from Berkeley.
> 
> ...


AWEOME thank you so much...i always bought my wood and those things are pricey never thought of grabbing them from national forests! but keep us updated on the tank it looks lovely!


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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

That orchid shower was amazing... can't wait to see how this one turns out! I'll be keeping a very anxious eye out for this one.


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

Nice display piece. Although, overall it sorta looks like a pile of sticks was just dumped in the tank. I'm sure it will look more organized once planted and the furniture will provide a lot of growing surface. The pile could be problematic if you ever need to get the frogs out.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

I've been cleaning-up and resting-up before I start planting since that will be a days' long process. In the meantime I took a few close of the burls and trunks. I should put plant to viv by this weekend


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## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

T1NY said:


> AWEOME thank you so much...i always bought my wood and those things are pricey never thought of grabbing them from national forests! but keep us updated on the tank it looks lovely!


You should be careful collecting manzanita in California. I am pretty sure its illegal to collect anything in the state or national parks without a permit. 

In addition, it is not legal to cut a living manzanita bush/tree even on private property. However, it is not illegal to have manzanita branches in your possession. So, make sure the manzanita you collect is already dead (not just dormant) and don't collect it on national or state park property.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Phender,

Luckily for manzanita, it would be prohibitively hard to extract a non-dead burl from the ground. The wood is extremely hard and the substrate usually rocky - even tractor-ploughed firelines often struggle to clear burls.

Dead & downed manzanita is not illegal to collect provided you have a permit - and it falls under the same rules as firewood collecting (in areas of dispersed camping where this is allowed) or other natural material permits (collecting pine cones, fir branches etc). In any case, there will certainly be limits to what is allowed and these will vary with district.

I mentioned fuel-clearing specifically because firewood collection is often permitted in these areas. Usually this will be cut wood (not burls) - but it is often easily accessible near roads. Calling the local forest district is the best way to know when and where you can find it.

My burls, not coincidentally, came from a roadcut along private land where burls are eroding from a dying stand at the top of the roadcut cliff. The torrential rains this winter brought down alot of burls (much more than past winters - I've been watching this site for years) and, indeed, closed that entire area a fews days after my most recent visit.

Live Manzanita is a beautiful red/orange color - but this color will not persist in a moist terrarium. Luckily, long dead and weathered manzanita is actually more attractive, IMHO, because the contorted grain of the wood is more apparent.

Anyone collecting *any natural material* in California should assume the activity is regulated (almost all are) and seek proper permission when doing so.


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## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

@kimcmich,

I didn't mean to imply that you had done anything illegal. In your first post you implied, at least to me, that you knew what you were doing. However, posts by others made it sound like they thought they could just drive up to one of our National Forests and collect all the dead manzanita they wanted.
As you explained in your post, collecting manzanita, even dead wood, requires a permit in most areas. I wasn't sure if others reading this thread understood that.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Phender,

Thanks for your initial post about permits - I had indeed not noted that aspect of collecting on public lands when I mentioned where to look. Apart from avoiding fines and hassle, though, contacting the Natl forest can be useful in finding-out about special opportunities too. I got some amazing manzanita stumps from a road-side clearing site in the Natl forest years ago and I would never have found them myself if a ranger hand't told me while I was getting a permit.


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

It's also not illegal to cut some manzanita one ones own property unless the property is in the coastal zone.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

I started the planting. I have my previous vivarium full of plants and I picked up some new stuff at the orchid show.

Although the viv is first a showcase for plants, I do intend to add frogs eventually. To that end, I've made Bromeliads a larger part of this viv than if I were growing it for plants only.

I decided to start planting at the top so I'd have a sense of where shadows will fall from the upper-story plants. Here are the results so far...


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

looking dang nice thus far...

cheers


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## Y0urbestfriend (Jan 31, 2014)

Looks really cool, interested to see how it will turn out


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

The planting is done. Going into it, I felt like I might not be able to fit all my old plants and all the new things I had assembled for the new viv. When all was said and done, however, I had plenty of room and could have fit more in if I'd needed to. It can be nice to have a few open spaces for the next orchid or weird epiphyte acquisition, though...

Most of the plants are attached by stretchy clear beading cord (for making necklaces). It seems to be a plastic/silicone/vinyl material with a perfect amount of stretch. I wound it between branches on the "back" of boughs and used a few strategically placed stainless steel staples on the boughs without any usable branches. The cord holds in-place some sphagnum. Larger plants are also held with cord but smaller plants may just be tucked and pinned with a toothpick or shishkabob skewer.

This viv has been my main time-suck for the last 2 months and I'm delighted to finally be done with planting it. Unfortunately, my task for next weekend is to disassemble the previous viv - both the old and the new viv were built inside the room they occupy and are too large to remove without disassembly. And disassembling the old viv is going to be an adventure of its own...


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## AOA (Jan 19, 2017)

wow, your plants are amazing.....looks like some rare ones in there thats for sure! Cheers mate

JD


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## dmartin72 (Oct 27, 2004)

Really amazing! It's nice to see some plant diversity and orchids. Refresh my memory, are you putting frogs in it? If so what and how many? I don't envy taking down the old tank though.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@dmartin,

Frogs are in the plan eventually. I'll be waiting a few months for the plants to establish. I'll then need to screen-in the top of the viv.

I am provisionally looking at R. imitator - 'Tarrapoto' specifically. But it will be a while before I actually make that decision and introduce frogs.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*Free Manzanita!*

Greeting all,

I have some manzanita branches and small burls left over from this build. These are too large to ship but if any Bay Area residents want to drop by, they're yours!


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## doclizard (May 6, 2012)

Great work, that's a great burl and amazing collection of plants!


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## Merkwood (Feb 24, 2015)

Cant wait to see what it looks like in a few months, Awesome job!


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## roundfrog (Jan 27, 2016)

I'm scrounging for ideas for the bowfront planting, and had a few questions about this build. What is the secret to such lush and complete mountings with multiple plants like you have here? It just looks so natural and complete already. Is it just a ton of plants? Also, do you think this FEED ME! MSU Orchid Fertilizer - RO/Rain/Tap Water - 16 oz (Pint) would be a suitable fertilizer for the trichosalpinx chamaelenpanthes?

-roundfrog


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@RF,

Having alot of plants certainly helps things look full - but you can get a similar effect without needing to splurge quite as much as I did on my setup.

Here are a few general tips - and these are good for all kinds of garden and planting setups (I use them in my front yard too).

Many times when people are planting a blank slate, they try to maximize the spread of the plants they have. That often means spacing the things out since I new viv is otherwise empty.

In nature, however, plants rarely grow so spaced-apart. Particularly in the kinds of habitats like rocky slopes and tree branches which lend themselves well to imitation in the terrarium, one plant is often the anchor for others. A large Tillandsia or Bromeliad, for instance, will grow and create additional habitat for smaller orchids, ferns and vining or pendant-growing plants.

I try to imitate this in my 'scaping. A few larger plants, near their mature size (so they won't overgrow their neighbors) can act as "landmarks." For a viv, I would suggest a mature-sized, but small-growing, Tillandsia or Bromeliad. Pick spots for these larger plants in areas where plants tend to grow naturally - in the clefts of branches, tucked beside a rock, emerging from a knot in a trunk.

From there, start thinking like Mother Nature: Tucking other plants of gradually smaller sizes into the well-lit pockets and gaps created by the larger anchor plants. A cutting of a vining/creeping fern, a clump of selaginella, or a mini-orchid are some of my favorites. You'll find as you plant that each smaller plant creates new spots to tuck-in a smaller-still plant near it.

Now, obviously this clustering strategy means you need to plant well-behaved plants that won't smother their neighbors in short-order. In addition to Broms and Tillandsias, I suggest rhizomatous ferns with 1" or smaller leaves, small orchids, trailing African violets, Sinningias, small club mosses, mosses and liverworts.

Clustering also means you will have empty spaces between clusters... but so does Nature... and those empty spaces provide basking spots for critters and more places to add new plants eventually!

As for fertilizer, any orchid compatible fertilizer will work - the one you suggested should be fine. I fertilize my viv one every week or two with a half-strength solution of the suggested fertilizer mix dispensed from a pump sprayer. When I had a smaller viv, I used a plastic squeeze bottle to apply the fertilizer. All the plants - orchids, broms, ferns and mosses will appreciate light feeding.


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## Auri (Jan 7, 2016)

Love this build! Some day I'd love to build something so ambitiously large, but not until I'm sure I won't be moving in the next decade or so.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

So, it's been over three weeks since I planted. In the meantime, a few more mini bromeliads and jewel orchids arrived and have been planted. I took some new images with a real camera (rather than my phone).

I'm still observing and tweaking the watering schedule - I'm aiming for conditions in which the lowest plants don't always have standing water on their fronds, but the mid-canopy is still moist enough for epiphytic mosses to be mostly hydated. At this point, I'm reducing daytime duration but increasing frequency of misting, while increasing nighttime duration but decreasing frequency of misting.


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## rjs5134 (Feb 1, 2017)

OMG!!! I love the "lush-ness" of your tank. There are some really interesting looking plants in there. Could you tell me what the following are:

2nd pic, the light green grassy looking plant in the middle?
4th pic, the red tillandsia looking plant on the right side?

Love it!!!


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@rjs

The light green plant is actually an orchid, Phymatidium tillandsioides.

The red bromeliad is an awesome cloud-forest species, Racinea crispa. It's one of my favorite viv plants. It has pupped well for me - so well that I ran out of space in the upper canopy and placed this one on a stump further down. The redness and crinkliness of the fronds are enhanced by bright lighting.


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## rjs5134 (Feb 1, 2017)

I'll take a pup or 2... let me know when you need to move some.

Thanks for the info. Good luck.


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## doclizard (May 6, 2012)

Man, this is one of the coolest projects I've seen...very well done!


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## zZephyr (Mar 6, 2017)

that looks pretty incredible, I'm really jealous of that display


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## Serafim (Mar 29, 2017)

I wish I had the time and creativity to do a set up like this. It looks awesome


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*~7 months in*

Greetings,

So it's been about 7 months since I planted. During that time, I've added a good many new plants and done a little bit of re-scaping of some of the mossy floor to hold leaf litter and compost (in anticipation of frogs).

Overall, the tank has faired well. A few of my favorite bromeliads have bloomed and pupped, other have bloomed but show no signs of pupping.

The tank can hit ~83F on the warmest days - but always cools to 70F or cooler at night. The lights, being metal halides, contribute to the heat when they come in around 2pm. This means that some of my orchids struggle during the hottest weeks of summer - but I'm hoping they'll come back with the cooler temps of fall and winter. So far I haven't seen an LED light that could replace the halides for a viv as tall as mine (suggestions welcome!).

I've been especially pleased with the morphs of Elaphoglossum peltatum. I have a bit of an obsession with this taxon and there are a seemingly endless variety of leaf shapes.

I collected some Gonocormus minutus in Hawaii (it covers the trunks of tress on the wet sides of the islands) and it has done beautifully in the tank. Is is slow to spread into bare areas but the small pieces I planted have become thick with 5mm fronds.


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

That's about the most impressive setup I've ever seen.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Kimcmich, that's looking beautiful! You and I should talk sometime and see what we can do to expand each other's plant collection. I have sooo many different miniature orchids, all of which were chosen for viv use, most rated to at least 85 degrees.

Over my 18" x 18" x 36" viv, I had trouble finding proper lighting, too. I tried a pair of Evo Green Element, 10 x 3w 6500K, leds. I was sadly dissapointed with their punching power.
I went with 6, Utilitech, par38, 18w (120 equivalent), 5000K led spot/flood light. It is intense at the top, and gets down to the bottom well, if you plan it well. By that I simply mean high light lovers, like Dendrobiums, up higher, and low light plants, like many pleurothallis, down low. My terrestrials are doing much better since upgrading the light, and I'm about to start filling in the lowest sections with orchids.
It's working well for me. I was afraid they wouldn't be white enough for me, but it's pretty decent. Honestly, I wouldn't mind a little more crispness to the spectrum, but it's not like a piss-yellow, old school, Iwasaki halide. Metal halide was not an option for me. By the way, that was not a dig at your halide spectrum. I just figured if you knew halides, you'd likely know that Iwasaki bulb.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*Happy Birthday*

So the big viv recently passed the 1 year mark. Here are my reflections on the last year and what's happened to viv in that time:

Being 5 feet tall, and thus with lights that sit 6 feet above the substrate, my lights continue to be metal halides. I have 3 150W pendant fixtures from an old reef setup that cost me $90 for the lot of them. The produce more heat than I would prefer during the peak of summer - but they also warm the tank nicely in winter. I continue to look for an LED replacement that would offer some energy savings - but light intensity for plant growth at all levels of the viv is my top priority. I haven't been able to find a replacement LED configuration with sufficient intensity to light 6 vertical feet that uses less than 450W or less.

The viv is both very tall and open-topped. Well, the top is screened but it uses a fabric-like stainless steel screen that is 88% transparent to light and barely impedes air movement. With 2 small PC fans in a random cycle, this means the viv has significant airflow. I run 15 total misting heads attached to 2 different pumps just often enough to maintain 60%+ humidity with 5-minute rainstorms every 3.5 days.

In stages over the last 6 months, I have expanded the floorspace given over to leaf litter. I even converted a gloomy under-ledge area to a leaf litter pile for the extra shy frogs. Quercus chrysolepis is a nearly spineless native California live oak with very tiny leaves (at least from the trees near me) that are a great base litter.

I've doubled the number of, and tripled the area given over to, Bromeliads in the tank. As with the increase in the leaf litter, the Broms are entirely for the benefit of the frogs. Well, I suppose I like them too since the metal halides bring out very intense coloration in the foliage.

I did a little supplemental viv construction and added a new branch and a couple of branch extensions to accommodate some new plants from the recent orchid show. The new additions have worked out nicely. Paired with a few refinements to the misting schedule I made a couple of months ago, I am seeing even better plant growth than when I first planted the viv. The ready supply of frog-produced "fertilizer" may be partly responsible, too...


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

...and a few more new pics


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## reptileink76 (Feb 7, 2018)

This build is insane! Gorgeous addition to anyone's home!! 

Am I missing the frog pictures?


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## jarteta97 (Jun 13, 2014)

Absolutely gorgeous. I remember your old tank as well, and this one is even more fantastic. You must have very ready access to a great variety of broms and orchids, because your tank is absolutely decked out.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@jarteta97,

There are a couple of orchids shows each year here in the SF Bay area where several nurserymen from Ecuador & Peru bring an amazing selection of plants from South American cloud and rain forests. I spend more than I should everytime I go. Don't tell the frogs this but the viv is primarily for the plants 

-|<ipp


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## jarteta97 (Jun 13, 2014)

I didn't realize these orchid shows had specimens actually brought from their areas of origin. I just figured that U.S. growers would bring their own plants that they grew in their own greenhouses. That's got to be amazing. There's one really nice orchid greenhouse in Raleigh and I have to control myself and not just rush in there and buy a dozen. And don't worry, I won't tell the frogs


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@jarteta,

One of my favorite suppliers is Ecuagenera and they were vending in Asheville 2 weeks ago. They will ship to you from shows here in the states and they'll be back for shows up and down the east coast through the end of the summer.


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## reptileink76 (Feb 7, 2018)

This tank is stunning! 

Great job! 

Although, the "dead" in me hates to see all those cool wood pieces covered up....lol


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## harrisbt (Feb 19, 2013)

WOW

Let us know when you're selling plant packages, okay? This tank is spectacular, and though it's mainly for the plants, I can't wait to see what the frogs do in it.

What's the orange-blooming orchid from the 10-14-2017 post? Roundish flowers.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@harrisbt,

The orange orchid is Lepanthes telipogoniflora (I got it from Ecuagenera). This one likes it fairly cool with constant high humidity. I'ts definitely in one of the wetter spots.

If you like miniferns I have some cuttings left from my most recent clean-out. PM me for more details.


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## a-ha (Jun 20, 2012)

Hey kimcmich,

That tank looks absolutely amazing! I was wondering where you get all the plants from? I noticed you're located in Berkeley which is fairly close to me, so if there's any local growers or anything that you buy from I'd be interested in knowing where! 

Lol I wish I had the money for a viv that size, mine are all 2 feet or less in any dimension. Also how do you keep your viv heated (other than the metal halides) if any other heating is even needed? I only ask cause I know Berkeley isn't the warmest of areas especially during winter.

Thanks, Cameron


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@a-ha,

There are a few local sources for some of my plants. Hanging Gardens in Pacifica is the best one that is truly local to the Bay Area and I've gotten a few items from Asuka Orchids in San Bruno. Both of these growers favor predominantly cooler-loving species so not everything they have will work in a warm tropical viv.

The majority of my plants come from foreign nurseries that attend the Pacific Orchid Expo every Feb in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco: Ecuagenera, Mundiflora and Equaflor-A. These vendors will also ship to you from other shows they attend in the US - but you get the "freshest" plants when you can pick them up in-person at a local show (they attend others in SoCal).

As for heat: My tanks are unheated besides the metal halides that warm them up during the day. Winter in Berkeley is mild by most standards and our house usually doesn't get below 60 degrees overnight.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*Yuletide '18 Update*

Greetings,

It's been a while since my last update. The vivarium and its inhabitants continue to prosper. I now have 2 juvenile frogs that emerged from their bromeliad nurseries in September - roughly 9 months after their parents reached adulthood.

On a daily basis, the only thing I add to the tank is add fruit flies. I do plant trimming and moss cleanup (carpet moss control) once a week.

Reflections from the last 2 years:


*Setup, setup, setup*: I spent 5 months building the viv and, prior to this viv, had already setup a r/o system + reservoir, pumps and drainage system in the basement for a previous viv. I use some very nice, cheap timers from Amazon for controlling my mistking systems - they are more flexible that any of the timer units mistking offers. My lights, 3x 150W metal halides, are run by simpler appliance timers since they don't need to cycle like the pumps. Although the setup was alot of work, it means I spend most of my time simply enjoying the tank rather than misting, siphoning or addressing damage from forgetting to do either of those things.
*I love mail-order fruitflies!* I get four fruit fly cultures delivered every 5-6 weeks (from Josh's frogs). It costs ~$42 for shipping to the west coast. I could culture my own flies more cheaply, but then I would need to manage supplies and be attentive to fly genetics and mite problems. Instead, I just need to remember to order flies less than once a month.

I'll add more reflections in the next post. I'm dividing them so I can attach more images


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings again,

Continuing my reflections on the last 2 years of the viv:


*Fresh leaf-litter is critical to springtails*: I thought I was having a competition/over-predation problem in my leaf litter as I saw the population of springtails dwindle over time. I have now observed that good springtail populations require fresh leaflitter. Once litter is dark brown (for me ~4 weeks old) it seems to lack something the springs need. I see my springtails populations rebound in the weeks following application of fresh litter. In my case, the dominant springtail is silver/blue. I speculate that fresh, wet leaves either directly, or via fungi, provide springtails with some secret sauce that older leaves do not.
*Be careful with water + CO2 bombs*: I have used CO2 bombs in the past to eradicate slugs from a previous viv. It worked - but not all the plants reacted well. Suprisingly, bromeliads showed more susceptibility to damage than other plants - even filmy ferns and delicate orchids. I realize now that the water that collects in broms can become highly acidic in a C02-flooded environment and may damage even the tough leaves of broms.

I'll add a list of good plants in the next post so I can attach even more image...


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings again,

Continuing my reflections on the last 2 years of the viv, here are some good plants:


*Trichosalpinx chamaelepanthes* - a diminutive, easy-to-grow, vining orchid that adds the perfect trailing form to a tropical viv. It comes in white, yellow and red-flowered forms. 
*Racinaea crispa* - this is my favorite brom and I have about 10 of them in my viv. It requires high humidity and very bright light to look its best. Green and red forms are available but the red form is quite green when given insufficient lighting. They pup reliably and will cluster over time.
*Pleurothallis cyprepedioides* - Pleuros are a go-to genus for vivarium orchids and this plant is especially delightful. It blooms nearly continuously for me on long, re-blooming stems. A few forms are available - one with paler, more globular flowers and a darker, more slipper-shaped form. It handles constant moisture and warm temps well compared to other Plueros.
*Huperzia sp clubmosses*: These medium-sized epiphytes prefer warmth, good light and moisture. They have amazing forms from square herringbone branches, to green fuzzy caterpillars to flattened stems covered in round scales. An example of a plant family that evolved leaves independently of all other plants!
*Elaphoglossum peltatum*: This is my favorite fern - a wonderful, creeping, polymorphic taxon with delightful variation in leaf morphology. I have more than 5 forms - all grow very well in dartfrog viv conditions. The all require warmth and humidity. There is nothing prettier than a slender stem of E. peltatum creeping across driftwood, rock or moss.

Happy Holidays!


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## Sleeping Frog (Mar 30, 2015)

This tank is a plant nerd's heaven! I love love love the great diversity of mini orchids, colourful broms, ferns and everything. Pleuro cypripedioides and Bulbophyllum moniliforme are some of my favorite mini orchids too.

What frogs are currently living in the tank?

My only wish would be to see higher resolution pictures to show of all the detail - this viv deserves it.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

TWW,

I have R. imitator Varadero in the viv. They have a wonderful call and I see them out and about everyday.

I'll upload some higher res images to my website and add a link here.


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## tylototriton (Oct 10, 2008)

What an awesome looking tank!
Do you still fertilize with the frogs in there?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*Hi-res images!*

@tylo - I do still fertilize about once a month. I fertilize less than I used to now that the frogs are pooping everywhere...

And here are some hi-res versions of the images I posted earlier:


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## Esmi (Oct 28, 2017)

looking great.

Which species are your red neoregalias?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Esmi,

The clustering neos wih chains of pups on the left and right sides of the viv are all 'Fireball'. They are directly under and quite close to the lights which really intensifies their color. There are a couple of fireball pups lower in the tank and all of them are very green - it really wants the brightest light you can provide.

The solitary red Neo in the back of the tank is 'Angelita'.

I've gotten great color from those 2 broms and another hybrid called Savoy Truffle (very dark brown/purple). I grow an unnamed variant of Billbergia buchholtzii that has great white barkings and a tall/skinny form that is distinctive for a a tank brom. 

You can see all of the broms I mentioned above in the 3rd of the hi-res images I posted most recently.


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## Sleeping Frog (Mar 30, 2015)

Thanks for the high res pictures. My next request would be to see a list of all the plant species growing in the tank.  Also, which orchid is that in the in last picture, below P. cypripedioides? The one with the small rounded leaves.


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## Esmi (Oct 28, 2017)

many thanks for your reply!

How do you fertilize each month and with what?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@TWW,

The tiny-leave orchid is Pleurothallis microphylla. I got mine from Andy's Orchids. It is shy to bloom for me, but I love the tiny foliage by itself.

@esmi,

I use an r/o-balanced balance orchid fertilizer at 1/2 strength. I water an hour before the longest misting cycle of the of the week. I target the bases of orchids and avoid spraying frogs when I see them.


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## Esmi (Oct 28, 2017)

so you are only fertilizing the orchids?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@esmi,

All the plants appreciate feeding. I hit the moss, liverwort and ferns with fertilizer, too.

I avoid hittings broms, except at their roots, since the water they collect in their leaves is usually already eutrophic because of the frog/tadpole poop.


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## Esmi (Oct 28, 2017)

can you recommend a specific brand of the r/o-balanced fertilizer?


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## NickMan (Apr 1, 2007)

Wow, wonderful work!

I am looking to build my own viv in the near future and have been looking for the ideal door hinge and some construction ideas.

Do you happen to remember where you got your hinges from and what brand/model they are? 
How "bug proof" are your doors? 
And lastly, do you happen to have any pictures of the construction process?

Any helpful tips or tricks you could pass along would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

-Nick


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Nick,

I used stainless steel side-pivot hinges I got here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4pc...131.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dxoYr8d

These are sturdy enough to support each of my 5ftx2.5ft glass doors.

My doors are very bug-proof. I feed 100+ flies a day and never see escapees. You can create very good door seals with some creative silicone application.

I did a poor job photo-documenting the build but I'm happy to answer your questions - I certainly learned alot building this viv and its similarly-large predecessor.


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## AuroraK (Mar 29, 2017)

This looks amazing! If I ever get agreement from my husband (constant negotiations) for more frogs, I’m going to copy this.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Aurora,

If you're close to Berkeley you should come by sometime. You can get a better look at the viv and I can send you home with some cuttings. 

Also, FYI to you and all Bay Area vivophiles: The Pacific Orchid Expo will be happening at the end of February and several nurseries that vend there offer a tantalizing selection of rainforest plants from Ecuador and Peru. Most of the plants in my viv come from the POE.


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## Neopixal (Oct 1, 2015)

Nice choice of mini orchids!


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*Blooms and sori*

Greetings,

Some fun orchids and a fern sorus.


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## DPfarr (Nov 24, 2017)

Do you have any success with Trisetella species in your tank?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@DPfarr,

I do have Trisetella - I grow 3-4 species. I have to site them carefully as they prefer to dry some between watering and my viv is wetter than they'd prefer overall. They also prefer "intermediate" temps which means they are not especially happy during the warmer months when nights don't drop below 65.

They bloom freely for me (except for the bashful T. hoeijeri) and persist, but they increase in size very slowly if at all. They are not as vigorous as some of my Pleurothallids but their flowers are too wonderful not to keep trying them. I have a couple of 18" long, flower-tipped stems from T. reginae right now but they are very hard to photograph.


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## ds51 (Oct 13, 2017)

wow what a grate build you have done 
just hope mine will look as good or even half as good I be happy
well done matey I must crack on with getting my setup going 
or you can fly to the uk and do mine for me ha ha he he


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## Tanks (Jan 14, 2019)

Definitely my favorite tank!!! Incredible <3


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## DPfarr (Nov 24, 2017)

I ask because I would love to put my hoeijeri in as a specimen. I’ll experiment with scobina first maybe.


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## Mmkco (Dec 3, 2018)

Just stumbled on this thread! Just WOW! this is the most beautiful project. Just insanely nice work! Thank you for sharing the photos and knowledge. I am almost to the planting stage of my very first tank and I am very inspired!


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## Greasy (Sep 1, 2011)

Nice set up you got going, looks like I'm going to have to go to that expo end of the month!

Btw how is that Dossinia marmorata doing for you?

And do you know the name and where i could pick up this flat compact brom?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Greasy,

The red neo is 'Angelita'. D. mamorata has perisisted in my viv and grown for a couple of years but it has stopped growing in the last few months. My viv is a bit wetter than is ideal for jewel orchids so I have to position them carefully.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Cool plants in there!


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## Llama (Dec 18, 2011)

I just got here from the frog classifieds posting and wow im glad I did. This terrarium is stunning! You have so many sweet little plant rarities in this thing and the hardscape alone is awe inspiring. I especially love the racinaea crispa. I've looked sporadically for one in the past but after seeing them in this build I think I need one. I have a question about the care though, I've read that they need to be kept drier than other bromeliads and that they are easily susceptible to rot, have you found this to be true in your experience? Or do you find them to be no different than your average neoregelia/aechemea?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Llama,

I am surprised to hear people have suggested Racinea crispa likes it dry. It is a cloud forest species so it expects moist/wet conditions. Most of mine have water in their leaf bases constantly. I my experience you get leaf tip browning if the plants don't receive regular misting throughout the day.

One thing Racinea seems to want is good air flow and bright light. My happiest plants are right in the bright spots of my light fixtures. As a cloud forest plant they likely prefer cooler conditions but mine tolerate daytime temps during the summer in the mid 80s just fine.


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## Llama (Dec 18, 2011)

@Kinstrome 
Awesome, that's reassuring. In that case I just need to find one haha. If you don't mind my asking, where did you find yours?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Llama,

I'm kimcmich (*Ki*pp *McMich*ael) rather than kinstrome.

I got my first Racinea from a bromeliad nursery called birdrocktropicals.com - very nice plants and good prices. The plants I got originally pup pretty reliably so I still have descendants of those first ones. 

South American plant nurseries that visit the US for orchid shows are another great source for Racinea sp. Equaflor-A usually has it available. Ecuagenera is another possible source. Both the nurseries will ship plants to you from their shows in the US. Both are also great sources for orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns that are very appropriate to frog vivs.


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## Llama (Dec 18, 2011)

My bad Kipp, I had been talking to Kinstrome earlier and just mixed the two names up in my head. The nicknames get a little tiresome, i made this account when i first got dart frogs way back in middle school and now I'm stuck with the name "llama" lol. I've bought orchids from Ecuagenera before. I'll have to ask if they have any crispa too. Thanks for the tip👍


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*The Viv at 2.5 Years*

So here's another update of the viv at the 2.5 year mark:

The frogs (R. imitator 'Varadero') have been prolific. I recently re-homed 5 juveniles and still have a few more running around. I'm pretty excited about one of the babies that morphed a few weeks ago. It has a black dot only over one eye on an otherwise solid orange head - we'll see if this pattern persists and it might be a holdback.

The plants continue to grow-in. At this point, much less wood is exposed than when I started the tank and it might be time to pull off some epiphytic carpet to show off some of the wood again.


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## Kinstrome (Oct 6, 2017)

I was going to ask, "what is that veiny translucent plant to the middle-left of the first photo?" before I realized, "I need to ask what every single plant is, they are beautiful."


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Kinstrome,

The plant in the first image is a Trichomanes fern (no species ID but perhaps T. reptans). There is a Hymenophyllum sp fern in the image also. Both are filmy ferns.

Image 2 is a fruitfly garden with Asplenium and Lemmaphyllum ferns.

Image 3 is an orchid - Lepanthes calodicyton with a vine of Trichosalpinx chamaelepanthes tumbling over.

Image 4 is a collection of small ferns and a purple form of Malaxis commelinafolia, an orchid.

Image 5 is Bulbophylum moniliforme.

Image 6 is an orchid, Angraecum distichum


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## orchidsnfrogs (Oct 19, 2019)

kimcmich said:


> Kinstrome,
> 
> The plant in the first image is a Trichomanes fern (no species ID but perhaps T. reptans). There is a Hymenophyllum sp fern in the image also. Both are filmy ferns.
> 
> ...


Can you tell me more about the micro conditions for the distichum? I just had a seedling poop out on me and die but the rest of it’s Madagascar friends are doing great in a new viv. Trying to set up for Mantellas. Also I love love this thread.

Do the frogs do ok with nighttime temps down to 60? I live in Portland just north of you but basically the same climate and with the misting it seems temps go down that low at night and up to 75 on summer days. Most folks have said the dendrobates need low to mid 70s so I’m a little cautious and looking for another option (I have 2 recently planted vivs, one with Madagascan orchids, another I’ll probably put some masdevallia in there).


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@orchidsnfrogs,

The Angraecum is in the upper part of the viv so it gets very bright light and experiences drier conditions than the Pluerothallids lower down. It grows out of a mass of moss, ferns and bromeliad roots that stays consistently moist but, because of it's vertical orientation, does not stay soggy. You can tell by the fleshy, near succulent nature of the leaves that the plant expects drier conditions - and I bet it would prefer things even drier than I keep it but it seems happy enough. Those images of flowers were the first time it had bloomed for me in the 2 years I've had it.

As for temps: My Ranitomeya seem to survive just fine with nighttime temps that are consistently in the lower 60s during the winter with a dip below 60 on rare occasions. I also see temps as high as the mid 80s when the lights are on during warm summer afternoons (which are not a daily occurrence in Berkeley but they happen often enough).


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## orchidsnfrogs (Oct 19, 2019)

kimcmich said:


> @orchidsnfrogs,
> 
> The Angraecum is in the upper part of the viv so it gets very bright light and experiences drier conditions than the Pluerothallids lower down. It grows out of a mass of moss, ferns and bromeliad roots that stays consistently moist but, because of it's vertical orientation, does not stay soggy. You can tell by the fleshy, near succulent nature of the leaves that the plant expects drier conditions - and I bet it would prefer things even drier than I keep it but it seems happy enough. Those images of flowers were the first time it had bloomed for me in the 2 years I've had it.
> 
> As for temps: My Ranitomeya seem to survive just fine with nighttime temps that are consistently in the lower 60s during the winter with a dip below 60 on rare occasions. I also see temps as high as the mid 80s when the lights are on during warm summer afternoons (which are not a daily occurrence in Berkeley but they happen often enough).


Thank you!


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

*3 years already?!*

Greetings,

It's been 3 years since I planted the big viv. I was already thinking it was time for an update and then one of my orchids surprised me with a mass bloom. I've seen 5-10 blooms on it before but it exploded with 25 flowers on Thursday. This Diplocaulobium tentaculatum 'Little Urchin' has enormous flowers that last a _single day_. Since I've been working from home the last week, I didn't miss the peak of the bloom like I often do. In addition to this show-stopper, I also included a few other images from around the viv...


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## Organics (Jan 17, 2020)

Any chance for a full tank shot?


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## Nonsequiteur (Jan 14, 2019)

Absolutely gorgeous, your viv is incredible. 

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## stevenacres (Jan 20, 2020)

LOVE THIS. Just went back through all the original photos, it's come a long way. Really love the epiphytes you have growing throughout--the peltatums are wonderful!


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