# Recent Tank Photos



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Took some pics of a terrarium and an aquarium this morning, plus some inhabitants. The development of the terrarium is in this thread: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/members-frogs-vivariums/40898-reviv-vivarium-photos.html Some plants have been moved around because they were too large for the tank. Oh, and a mounted piece of driftwood with bromeliads attached in the back fell a few months ago, so I left it on the ground level, looks alright and certainly shows more of the BG now.






























This mushroom lasted for about a month and now there's another growing above it, pretty neat.



















The new one, been growing for about a week now:










This aquarium has been set up for a few months. It's a lot more work than a terrarium; some of the stem plants need to be trimmed at least once a week! Blew my mind at first. 

Started off with cuttings:









A week later:









Another week later (already trimmed some plants at this point):









And today, I have removed some plants and gotten used to weekly maintenance:



















Some inhabitants:

Amano shrimp:









Red Cherry Shrimp:









Assassin Snail:





















Mike


----------



## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Beautiful tanks!


----------



## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Very nice. Love the, "Fallen tree in the rainforest" you got going on in the viv.


----------



## Mworks (Mar 23, 2008)

That plant community is just way too diverse - reduce it and guess where you can send the cuttings?

Looking good Mike

Regards
Marcus


----------



## R1ch13 (Apr 16, 2008)

Loving the Terrarium mate, looks brilliant.

The Aquarium is nice also.

Is this your first planted tank?

If so, it looks be going really well thus far, got some amazing growth.

Judging by the Nutrafin c02 ladder, I assume your using DIY c02?

If so makesure you keep on top of mix changes, because algae loves unstable c02 

I learned that 

Cheers,

Richie


----------



## ghettopieninja (Jul 29, 2008)

Your tanks are always great. I like the evolution of this one. An epiphyte laden branch that has fallen to the ground is something I've wanted to emulate for a wile. Many species, such as pumilio will utilize these sites. I really like your plant selection, especially the ginger, is it a Monocostus or Costus? a full plant list would be great!


----------



## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Great looking tanks!! Are your RCS reproducing well for you? Would you consider selling me some? Oh, and what is that plant in the middle... the tall one with the starry looking leaves?


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks guys! Fortunately the plants have been cooperative enough to give the tank its current look. The frogs really seem to like it too; the male calls a lot now and I found three developing eggs a couple weeks ago.




R1ch13 said:


> Loving the Terrarium mate, looks brilliant.
> 
> The Aquarium is nice also.
> 
> ...


Yes, it's my first aquatic planted tank and the CO2 is DIY. I got the setup, minus the flora and fauna, from a local hobbyist. There have been two algal blooms; one covered plants lower in the tank and eventually burned itself out and was consumed by shrimp, and the other is recent and just forms spots on the glass - it's tough to scrape, but that seems to manage it. Funny enough, I've never changed out the yeast and sugar mix, so the CO2 has been really variable... I think the plants are doing well, so I may just remove it when it no longer produces bubbles.




ghettopieninja said:


> Your tanks are always great. I like the evolution of this one. An epiphyte laden branch that has fallen to the ground is something I've wanted to emulate for a wile. Many species, such as pumilio will utilize these sites. I really like your plant selection, especially the ginger, is it a Monocostus or Costus? a full plant list would be great!


The ginger is Monocostus, good eye. It's an nice and easy grower, but seems to take a while and doesn't like a lot of direct misting. Hoping it blooms one day. I'll work on a plant list soon.




eos said:


> Great looking tanks!! Are your RCS reproducing well for you? Would you consider selling me some? Oh, and what is that plant in the middle... the tall one with the starry looking leaves?


The RCS have produced some, I think there are over 50 now. I could probably send a few, but they would be adolescent for the most part. I can talk to a local and see if he could spare some. The tall plant in the middle is Micranthemum (Hemianthus) micranthemoides, it's sometimes called baby's tears, though I'm not sure why. It's easy and a fast grower - I could send some any time really - it grows several inches per week.  I literally throw a handful away weekly. 



Mike


----------



## Morgan Freeman (Feb 26, 2009)

Both very nice!

Just setting up my own "amazon" themed planted aquarium, won't be going down the co2 route yet though. Nothing beats a nice shoal of tetras!


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks, Morgan. I'd like to make an Amazonian biotope one day also. Maybe with a larger tank.


Today I took some shots of my oldest tank, recording its latest phase. I haven't moved much around in this tank for nearly a year, aside from adding a couple things and removing a bromeliad. I think a few plants are unhappy with the misting settings, so I unplugged the tubing that feeds this tank last week.





















Mike


----------



## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

GREAT VIVS, great plant selection


----------



## Jeff R (Jul 1, 2005)

Mike,
What's the plant in the bottom right of the photo? Dark leaves with the white flower?
Thanks,
Jeff


roxrgneiss said:


>


----------



## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Lookin good mike


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks for the kind words ya'll. 




Jeff R said:


> Mike,
> What's the plant in the bottom right of the photo? Dark leaves with the white flower?
> Thanks,
> Jeff


Hey Jeff, it's a Nautilocalyx pemphidius. Blooms almost weekly at that size and makes offsets occasionally too. One of the more suitable and less leggy Gesneriads I've tried. 












Mike


----------



## mcadoo (Oct 16, 2006)

Mike, 

The tanks look great! I'm a big fan of the Amano tanks.


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

A _tiny_ success to report, I found two neonates in the tank last night. I'm not sure if Escudo young are generally this size, but these little ones are super small. One is pretty skinny, but the baby in the photo below looks alright. Not sure how long ago they metamorphosed, but I'm guessing no more than two weeks. Just hoping I can keep the springtail cultures going strong enough to meet the new demand. Funny enough, after I found the first one, I started looking around and the female lead me right to the second froglet.  










And a picture of mom:










Mike


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

And while I'm about it, a quick update of the frog-less tank:












Mike


----------



## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Mike your tanks are amazing!

BTW let me know when you could spare a piece of that Nautilocalyx. And if ya dont already have N. lynchii I could prolly spare a piece shortly.

Also is that Selaginella Ecuador or a very rust colored uncinata?


Todd


----------



## MD_Frogger (Sep 9, 2008)

That's just awesome man!


----------



## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Mom is gorgeous! Love the tank


----------



## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Maaaaan...... Why are your vivs so barren??


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks fellas! 




Dartfrogfreak said:


> Mike your tanks are amazing!
> 
> BTW let me know when you could spare a piece of that Nautilocalyx. And if ya dont already have N. lynchii I could prolly spare a piece shortly.
> 
> ...


I don't have any pemphidius to spare at the moment, but I'll let you know when I have some offsets potted. The Selaginella is sp. 'Bronze' (purportedly from Ecuador); seems to do well as long as it's moist.



Frogtofall said:


> Maaaaan...... Why are your vivs so barren??


lol I just can't get the hang of under-planting a tank. I've seen it done and it looks so easy, but I've tried and tried to no avail. There are so many cool plants out there and so little space... that and some of my favs are really just weeds. If I recall correctly, your 75gal was looking pretty full in the last update. Perhaps you suffer from a similar affliction? 


Mike


----------



## Tuckinrim8 (Jul 26, 2007)

Stunning.. I love the plant selection and placement. Well done!


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

> Also is that Selaginella Ecuador or a very rust colored uncinata?


That Selaginella has no real legitimate name. It was originally collected by the ABG and has resided in their collection for quite some time. The only info that they had was that it was probably collected in Ecuador. In the early 2000s; Ron G gave some to Black Jungle who sold it for a few years especially at the early IAD shows. Now it seems to pop up every so often in peoples tanks, all from that original collection. I've since sent it to just about everyone for verification and nobody seems to have a real species ID.

It goes by either Selaginella is sp. 'Bronze', S. sp. 'Ecuador', or S. sp. 'Ecuador Bronze'. As far as cultivation, it prefers very bright light and lots of water, like a drip wall or waterfall. There supposably is an all-green version, but the Bronze can also be bright green in shade.


----------



## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Ok....now some "hard" questions....

1. Would you recommend a front opening viv for "show tank" planted vivs, over a top opening tank and exactly why?.....

2. How much pruning, cutting and general maintenance do you do and how is it best performed?

3. Any fertilizer needed?

4. Without getting into a 20 page bulb / lighting discussion....please list a good photoperiod - time was and seasonal ect.


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

JoshH said:


> I've since sent it to just about everyone for verification and nobody seems to have a real species ID.


Yep, and I sent some to Charles Alford a while back, so unless we find a botanist with Selaginellaceae as a focus of study, we may not ever have a species name. 



Philsuma said:


> Ok....now some "hard" questions....
> 
> 1. Would you recommend a front opening viv for "show tank" planted vivs, over a top opening tank and exactly why?.....
> 
> ...



1. Yes, they allow much better access for whatever access needs you might have, such as feeding, planting, unplanting, pruning, watering, siphoning out water, etc. However, the best reason of all is that the front opening access allows you to see your tank with zero visual barriers and you don't have to whipe the front free of condensation just to have a look. Even better are the photos you can take without any glass in the way.

2. Some plants, like slow growing self-heading aroids and bromeliads don't need any trimming, of course, but it all really depends on how you view the growth of various plants in the tank and how fast each grows. I consider anything except slower-growing gesneriads and ferns that grow quickly a nuisance and typically won't use them, especially on the ground level - these are trailing/leggy plants, like fittonias and pileas. The only way to keep these plants where you plant them is to cut them back once they reach 6-8" or so and replant them - that's fine for people who like messing around with plants, but for all others, this means the plants will meander from their original location, and that's fine if you don't care. 

Finding some good slow growing Aroids and other tropical foliage that won't vine is tricky. Vines, no matter how big the tank may be, will almost asuredly need trimming at some point, so the slower they grow, the less work you have - I like trimming them back shortly before they hit the top of the tank and replanting them at the ground level to begin the climb again; works for most vines, but not all react the same. It really just takes looking around a lot at what other people are working with to see what what's out there that looks like it will stay in one spot, and among them, what you like. Personally, I'd suggest checking out the plant list at Cloud Jungle Epiphytes -- Harry's got photos of things you never knew existed, though some may not be easy to acquire, some will turn out to be common enough to local yourself. Once you find a few genus you like, search for venders. Sometimes the plant's size or nature isn't well-suited to terrarium growing, but this kind of searching can lead to some amazing finds!

Overall, I just trim when something is migrating too far, high, or any other direction I am not in favor of (since I am the royal magistrate after all ), but selecting plants that don't wonder or grow exceptionally quickly is a nice goal if you want a vista to remain relatively similar to the way it first appeared initially.

3. I think a very little, dilute organic fert is a good idea for epiphytes, like Anthurium and Orchids, but weakly and only once every two or four weeks. I use fish tank water here and there without any noticable negative effects. I just recently used Super Thrive for the first time, so I have high hopes for that - another monthly sort of treatment, to be used in addition to ferts. Will post any results worth posting...

4. Lighting is a tough one. It's really all about finding plants that like to be under the given light source and just how close/far from it. Let me just say that growing most orchids and anthuriums along side one another, the same distance from the lighting, is tricky! Even a 2' high tank can be limiting. A large enough and well put together tank can have high light plants a few inches to one foot under, say PC lighting, while some more shady growers can be planted on the ground level or even in partial shade of bromeliads, but only the shadiest of growers will appreciate any real shade. Even in the shade of a forest, the light is still as bright - and more ubiquitous - as strong lighting, unless you're getting close to the bulb. For example, Schismattoglottis sp. (the one sold by BJ) does well in good lighting, but seems to do just as well in very low light too. This is something you just have to play around with, but getting a light intensity meter is not a bad idea to see what plants do well in what ranges, otherwise you're always going to be eyeballing it. I try to keep the ground level at around 1,000 footcandles, which is reasonable for most terrarium plants, and only on the bright side of things for just a few plants I grow.

5. Once you have the slow growing plants you like, know their lighting preference, and have your ferts taken care of, ...pray they like the moisture levels and temperature of the spot you've chosen!  I learned that the misting system is not appreciated the same by all plants, so one cycle per day is all I'm allowed.  Oh, and my photoperiod is typically 12 or 14 hours.


None of this ^ should be considered hard and fast, but more like suggestions based on how and what I like to grow. 


Mike


----------



## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Either way I think your tank looks absolutely fantastic. Its actually gonna be some inspiration in my next 18 cube ZooMed!

Josh Im hoping the pieces of that Selaginella you sent me take off this time. It probably the most important plant in my collection in my opinion.
I really wish I could track down the green form.

Mike, I asked about it because Ive actually seen uncinata get similar coloration. during cooler periods if mem serves me correctly.

Anymore masterpieces Mike?


Todd


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Took a couple photos today and was lucky enough to get a calling shot. Also got close-ups of the zoo med BG.

































Dartfrogfreak said:


> Either way I think your tank looks absolutely fantastic. Its actually gonna be some inspiration in my next 18 cube ZooMed!
> 
> Josh Im hoping the pieces of that Selaginella you sent me take off this time. It probably the most important plant in my collection in my opinion.
> I really wish I could track down the green form.
> ...


Thanks, Todd.  I thought Transylvaria was pretty cool too. I've seen uncinata look rust colored in photos and a little white, almost like it's been bleached. I don't have anymore masterpieces of my own, but I've made several tanks for others - one I have never posted pictures of before, but will post a journal and updated shots after my next visit. Four out of my six tanks are full of potted & mounted plants. One is destined to be a terrarium in the near future, so hopefully I'll get to play around with a fresh canvas soon.


Mike


----------



## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Awesome! Is that ficus 'panama' crawling on the cork in the second pic?


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

fleshfrombone said:


> Awesome! Is that ficus 'panama' crawling on the cork in the second pic?


Thanks, there actually isn't any Ficus in that tank. The vines on the BG are two species of Rhaphidophora, a Monstera, and a Marcgravia. They tend to grow a lot slower than Ficus. It's taken about two years for the vines (mostly several cuttings of the solid green Rhaph sp at first) to cover the BG that much, so trimming is only occasional - some of the older leaves must be close 1.5 years old, so some are yellowing. The best part is that the Rhaphs are super easy to grow. 


Mike


----------



## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Ah! Marcgravia. Ok cool. I'll have to pick a specimen up, thanks for the clarification.


----------



## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

How about some updates!



Todd


----------



## Dart66 (Aug 24, 2011)

nice escudo mine are a lil more blue


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Bit of lag between updates... it's been a busy year! I haven't had much time for hobbies, but the tanks and frogs are still growing without my typical beneficence.

This tank doesn't have any frogs, but hopefully it will at some point. I think this tank has been set up for around 1.5 years












This one has been growing in and evolving (with my guidance) for about four years and contains my only frogs; a pair of Escudo de Veraguas and their offspring. 



















Several plants need serious trimming, so I'll be posting some in the classifieds soon.

Photos of two nearly adult-size young (should have used flash!).




















Mike


----------



## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Very nice!


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks, Riko.


I did a little trimming over the past week and decided to get photos of the tanks afterward.











The female is sitting on a vine near the top.










Mike


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

Also got not great, but better photos of the two offspring. There are one or two more younger froglets hopping around, so I might want to trade or sell these to a local soon.


----------



## alivetheycried (Feb 22, 2012)

looks great, i want to make a viv just lie kthis


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

alivetheycried said:


> looks great, i want to make a viv just lie kthis


Thanks, glad you like them. Those two tank interiors weren't difficult to put together, just false bottom or drainage layer, cork or silicone w/ ABG mix backgrounds, cork tubes and malaysian driftwood, then ABG mix for substrate. The only complicated thing is collecting the plants, which occurred over a few years, and then deciding where to place them. Good luck and have fun. 


Mike


----------

