# 12x12x18 build



## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Starting a new 12x12x18 build. Don't have any pictures at the moment but I will update as I make it. I am drilling the glass today, it's my first time drilling glass so lets hope I don't mess up .


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## dgibbons1 (Jul 25, 2013)

Good luck! With drilling glass as everyone has always said just go slow and let gravity do the work


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Yep, it took forever but I got the hole drilled without breaking the tank.








I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do the background, but I'm thinking of doing it a bit like people do vertical 10 gallons, with the main viewing focus on the front rather than the sides. Feel free to make suggestions.

Thanks,
Jarod


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Got the bulkhead in today, I know they are made not to leak but I added some silicone just in case. Also got in a nice piece of wood and a tree fern panel for the bg.


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Disregard that last post, this one is the bulkhead set up correct.


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

I got some work done on the tank over the past few days, foamed in the drift wood, got the tree fern panel on, and got some silicone/ peat work done.

after peat/ silicone


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## pinkpony (Mar 22, 2013)

Looks good!! I was too afraid to make a background. Afraid I would mess it up lol I regret it now. 

I'll be lurking and waiting for updates


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## roktman (Apr 10, 2013)

Looks great so far!


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

pinkpony said:


> Looks good!! I was too afraid to make a background. Afraid I would mess it up lol I regret it now.
> 
> I'll be lurking and waiting for updates


Thanks! It's not too hard to make a background you just have to take your time and don't rush it.
I forgot to mention, in the last picture with the doors closed there is a small line of clear silicone I put in the crack to minimize ff escapes. If anyone has any plant suggestions for this then please let me know, I want to try to get one or two nice broms in there, but it is a small tank so I will have limited space.


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

roktman said:


> Looks great so far!


Thanks! Background is pretty much finished so time to start looking for plants .


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## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

If you stagger the broms in 3 dimensions you can get 2 small/medium brom and one small/mini brom in your tank. 
Some good small/medium broms would be:
Neo. 'Shamrock'
Neo. 'Aztec x Fireball'
Neo. 'Eliza'
Neo. Rubrifolia
Neo. olens 'Rubra' x pauciflora
Neo. 'Brandywine'
Neo. 'Spaced Out'
Neo. 'Zoe' and its sister 'Eoz'
Neo. 'Mo Peppa Please'
Just to name a few that I have used out of the 100's out there.

Some smaller ones that still hold water would include:
Neo. 'Dartanion'
Neo. 'Wild Tiger'
Neo. 'Janet Sue' (like this one a lot)
Neo. 'Purple Stoly' (very similar to ********)
Neo. 'Chiquita Linda'

I have included a picture to give you an idea. The reddish brom in the middle is Dartanion and is actually a lot smaller than the Shamrock in the background. Being several inches closer to the camera just makes it look bigger. The third brom is a Mo Peppa Please pup, that probably will have to be removed as it gets bigger, but it looks good for now and may stay small enough to stay there. It is also far enough in front of the Shamrock as not to be shaded out by being below the level of the Shamrock.


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## pinkpony (Mar 22, 2013)

As for plants don't ask me, I think pink lol I'm sure others can help ya better with plant ideas. I'll be watching tho


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Ok thanks for the suggestions, I think I'll make an order for some small broms, maybe a few vining peperomia clippings and possibly a begonia. Is there a way I can plant vining plants on the background without having them in pots, would the roots just take to the background instead of soil? Thanks again.


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## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

Pots in the background I generally a waste of time IMO.

Peperomias, most orchids, some gesneriads, some begonia and most vining type plants will do fine if you just wrap the roots or cut ends in a little wet sphagnum and wedge them into a crack, crease or hole in your cork/driftwood background. For most of the plants I grow, it actually works far better than pots in the background. You can also use a wire "staple" to hold the plants onto the background if they don't quite want to stay. (Which is why I prefer cork or tree fern for my backgrounds and save the driftwood for accent pieces)


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Thanks, ill have to give that a try for some of the plants.


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

So here is the background, it came out the way I was hoping so I don't really think ill make many changes (if any). I'm ordering plants today so ill update when I get them.


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

So here is just a quick little update, I added a few plant clippings and a brom I got at frog day. Yes I know that there is no leaf litter, I'm not done planting so I haven't seeded with springs/isopods and added leaf litter. Ill update when I get some more plants in there. I'm not sure I am going to keep all of the plants that are in there, but ill decide once more plants come in.

























-Jarod


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## IROCthisZ28 (Sep 2, 2013)

Was curious as to how you mounted your brom? I like how it is standing perfectly upright almost =) Also wouldn't it be GOOD to seed the tank with the ST now? Let the culture start going in the viv?


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Thanks, I drilled two holes (just big enough to fit metal floral wire) into the driftwood and wrapped the wire around the base of the brom and into the drift wood. My goal is to have the brom grow roots to anchor itself on the driftwood naturally. I haven't added springs mostly because my breeding culture hasn't produced enough for me to pull any yet haha.

-Jarod


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## IROCthisZ28 (Sep 2, 2013)

AHH okay, you did a great job on the wire haha I drilled holes into my driftwood piece and kinda worked my broms stem into the holes. (The brom I have {don't know the name} had a rather long stem. So I am hoping the roots will take. I drilled a bunch of holes in a way where the wood looks like the holes are natural and am hoping it takes. 
For the springs I right away put the culture into the tank, will probably have to get more to culture on the side. Personally I was paranoid of any mold growing that ISN'T controlled. Good luck man, I will keep following the build


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

I also put the stem into a hole I drilled into a piece of cork of another tank. You just have to make sure that there is drainage so the base won't rot. At first the roots didn't grow well, but I cut some of the old roots and there is a ton of new growth now. Hope this may have helped .


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

So here it is with some plants. I may move some things around a bit, but I'd like some constructive critism before I move too much. I think that one of the broms may be too high, but ill see how it does up there for now.


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## kenstyles (Sep 11, 2013)

what is the bulkhead coming into the tank via the hole you drilled going to be used for? what did you use to drill the hole?


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

I used a 1 1/8" diamond drill bit for drilling glass, if you search glass drilling on here you might find some good tutorials on how to do it. The bulkhead is used to drain water when it gets too high in the drainage layer, so it doesn't saturate the substrate.


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## ToeTapper (Apr 10, 2009)

Looks really good to me. Great job!


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

Thanks! Is there anything anyone thinks I should change or add to make it better (besides frogs )?


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## JMims (Jul 15, 2013)

But I will accept frog suggestions too


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