# My First Vivarium 18x18x18



## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Our supplier was back ordered of the ZooMed naturalistic terrariums. I have been slowly pulling things together in anticipation for its arrival. The tank should be here on Wednesday and I will have it foamed and set up by next weekend. Here is the list of supplies that I have ordered or will order.
Leaf litter
Vitamins
Substrate
Thermometer/Hygrometer
Tank
Egg Crate
Screen
Silicone
Foam
Mite Spray
Pump
Wood
Cork Flats
Net Pots
Led lights
Fan


All that is left to order is the fruit flies, isopods, springtails, and plants. Frogs to come shortly after. Please let me know if I am missing anything. I would like to order it now so it will be here when the tank arrives. Thanks I look forward to setting this up and posting some pictures!


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## lando (Sep 10, 2010)

Make sure you are able to culture your ff before getting any frogs. For some reason it took me 3 different attempts before I got it right.


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## tongo (Jul 29, 2007)

From local stores you can grab a pump mister and glass top. Also you can make your own vent if you decide to for the top of your tank.


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Hello everyone. I have made quite some progress on the tank and I would like your feedback. I have some leaf litter and plants obliviously that have yet to be put in the tank but here were my design/ideas. What plant should I put in the pot? I had to do some touch ups so there is some yellow foam that I have to fix, I also need to get contact paper to make it to where you cant see the pump area. The light is not permanent, I have a led arriving tomorrow.


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## Thickthighs (Jun 9, 2012)

The hardscape of the tank looks good. it should look nice when your all done planting it.


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## LexisaurusRex (Aug 8, 2013)

lando said:


> Make sure you are able to culture your ff before getting any frogs. For some reason it took me 3 different attempts before I got it right.


I had issues as well, mostly with my media molding within a couple days. All about finding the right recipe. 

Bean beetles are also great to culture for darts and supper easy! They just take longer to reproduce that FF. all you need are black eyed peas beetles and something to keep then in.


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Thank you! I will look into the bean beetles as another source of food. Im trying to think of the best place to culture the fruit flies in my house. The basement seems perfect, but in the winter it gets into the very low 60's.


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

I guess its about time for me to add some more pictures. Here are a few pics with plants and after painting the sides of the tank. More to come soon. Iphone quality pictures btw....


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## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

Whats that plant on the bottom in the middle picture?
Looks nice, I would add more/smaller leaf litter.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 2


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Fittonia argyroneura. A good plant for viv or paludarium.

What frogs for this viv?


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

I wanted to add some smaller leaf litter, but all that was availible at the time was magnolia leaves. This vivarium houses R. Amazonica, and I can post some more pictures within the next few days.


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## r.avalos (Apr 10, 2013)

What plant did you decide to place in the net pot? Can't see it in your photos. Like the large bromeliad.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I like amazonica. Wait for pics!


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Honestly I am not sure the name of it. I originally wanted to put something that vines back there. It reminds me of baby tears or jobe's tears. Let me snap a picture of it and the frogs for you guys.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

Do you have access to the pump without tearing apart the whole tank? It will break at some point and it's always better to plan than have to deal with a disaster. Also this is the reason that most first timers like waterfeatures, and most froggers never put one in after their first tank.


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Here are some pictures and one video, of not much really lol, and there is also a picture of a DIY fogger out of a walgreens humidifier.







IMG_1483_zps4ef7f8be.mp4 Video by triga22 | Photobucket

I also added that one orchid to the left branch.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

I like how you rigged that fogger. Why the bottle? Is that to increase the water capacity?


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Rusty, Yes I have access to the pump. I actually had to go in there once to fiddle with it. If you check the first photo you can kind of see how its in its own section. Honestly the waterfall is one of my favorite things about the setup, I would almost not make a vivarium without one.


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Rusty, The fogger is great! It requires a 20fl oz water bottle, and I haven't had to fill it in 2 weeks running it on full blast for 30min a day so that is nice. I tried a 16.9 but it doesn't fit right and some people said it wouldn't work for them, but a 20 would fix it. It was very easy to rig, I plumb fish tanks, but if anyone is interested I can give more info. Here is a link.
Walgreens Compact Personal Ultrasonic Humidifier | Walgreens


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Very nice frogs! Congrats


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Thank you. I am very excited. I heard one of the frogs calling for the first time this evening! I am assuming it was a male, but he called for 20min on and off. I was thinking I had 2m and 2f, but it may be 1m 3f. They need to get a little bigger, and not fatter lol, for me to tell.


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## grabberorangestang (Jul 26, 2013)

Okay so I built a canopy for the tank, I haven't trimmed it out yet, and I installed a 40mm fan in the back. Well I was hoping that it would create a venturi and suck air through the euro vent into the tank and up the vent in front of the viv, thus cooling and getting rid of condensation. Well it didn't work. Any ideas? The second picture is the inside of the canopy. 

I also added another plant and some live oak leaf litter.


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