# New Vivarium with construction pics, Imitators



## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

Decided it was time to try some R. Imitator as a first thumb.

30 gallon tall, started with a false bottom and some styrofoam and GS structuring. Next time I will go with a deeper tank, as the dimensions of this are pretty much three ten gallons stacked on top of eachother.

















Added some "vines/branches" made out of heated and bent pvc









Top view (also shows how shallow it is) 









Covered everything with a mixture of clay (special kitty cat litter) and peat moss. Pressed some java moss into the clay









I don't have pictures of original planting, but this is it after about a month. Some of the plants were added about a week ago. I can give a plant list if you would like.


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## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

Frogs are hard to photograph through glass, and I couldn't really get many good pictures of the frogs, managed to get some from the top with the lid open.


























I got three froglets, and the pictures are one of each. I hate how the camera can't capture all of the color accurately, like in the first one the yellow morphs to a green on the back half of the frog but it just shows solid yellow.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Wow! Very nice!


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## Morgan Freeman (Feb 26, 2009)

Clay branches! Why didn't I think of that!?


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

nice construction Caden! did you mix anything in the clay?


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Tank looks great.... good job with the vines/branches. Nice layout


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## BlueRidge (Jun 12, 2010)

Wow, this turned out great! What plant is this? I want some.


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## rollinkansas (Jun 9, 2008)

JaredJ said:


> Wow, this turned out great! What plant is this? I want some.


looks like pleurothallis grobyi


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## BlueRidge (Jun 12, 2010)

Where is everyone buying these cool orchids from? I've been on a few sites but can't find these.


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## rollinkansas (Jun 9, 2008)

JaredJ said:


> Where is everyone buying these cool orchids from? I've been on a few sites but can't find these.


Andy's Orchids - Orchid Species - Orchids - Species Specialist - Orchids on a stick
J&L Orchids ~ Home Page

between those two sites you should be set on mini orchids for a while.


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## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

Yep, its a P. Grobyi

I don't think you can kill it.

I have treated it like crap and I don't think it ever lost a leaf. Never had it flower though.

Look for local shows and groups somehow. I'm not exactly sure how I found the one I got this at. They have nice stuff and you can see it all in person. I think I typed "orchid show wisconsin" into google.


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

Wow! Nice tank man. I didn't realize it was so elaborate when you were talking about it.


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## BlueRidge (Jun 12, 2010)

rollinkansas said:


> Andy's Orchids - Orchid Species - Orchids - Species Specialist - Orchids on a stick
> J&L Orchids ~ Home Page
> 
> between those two sites you should be set on mini orchids for a while.


Sweet, thanks.


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## tommy2 (Feb 13, 2007)

Nice job on the tank! Looks great.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Andys and J and L will keep you set on mini orchids forever. Some of us on here also put up viv suitable orchids for sale/trade occasionally as well.


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## botanyboy03 (Apr 18, 2009)

Awesome. Clay branches, what a neat concept!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## chinoanoah (Mar 9, 2009)

You applied your clay straight to the PVC?


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## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

*Update*

2 years later

Since this tank is probably going soon I decided to finally take some more pictures. They really didn't come out well (the lighting in the pictures looks completely different than it is in real life, its really more like the original posts) but whatever. The clay was almost too successful, java moss and plants covered it so much that the frogs have too much trouble climbing on it. Instead they stay on the edges and the glass. 

It was actually kind of interesting how the cycling worked, I decided not to really take any plants out (that died) or add too many. The dead plants and leaves actually added a certain rugged "depth" to the tank before they rotted away, one of the broms that died on the branch over a year ago is still there too. 


























































































Wierd moss that came up. There is java on the wall behind it for comparison. I think it might be from the peat moss in the clay

















































I don't know how I'm going to catch the imitators to get them out...


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## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

The clay was mixed with a bunch of dry peat moss, and yes it was just applied directly to the pvc.

In the 2 years it has been up only a few tiny pieces have fallen, none off of the "branches".


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

It's very natural! Really very nice, no doubt about it. Compliments. How's the grobyi? Plant in the top right corner is Microsorum?


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## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks! The grobyi is still where it was planted initially, its just really hard to see as its surrounded/covered by peperomia! Because of this its about the same size as it was when I planted it. It's healthy, but small.

It was very interesting how some plants died off in certain areas but then their extensions stayed alive in other areas, basically just shifting where the plant is. A liverwort that was originally down on a "root" died but grew back (presumably from spores on frog feet) up next to the microsorum. The initially planted bromeliads rotted after a few months but their pups rooted into the background and stayed alive, essentially just shifting them to the left.

Yep, that plant is microsorum thailandicum. Its my favorite vivarium plant, super easy to grow (as long as its moist/wet), good looking, and "usuable" by the frogs. They climb all over it, using the fronds as bridges to the glass, and hide inside the mass of fronds.


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## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

I took some pictures of the frogs, sadly I have to take all of them through wet glass as to open the tank I have to move the light, scaring the frogs.


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## Caden (Jan 9, 2010)

They are plotting something... I really wanted one to start calling.


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