First Post! Just Completed Viv, PDFs on the way...

[cunomor]

Hi,
This is my first post, but I found this site weeks ago and have been reading like mad to learn as much as possible before my first PDFs arrive next week. I keep bettas, sand boas, a rosy boa, and I have had leo geckos in the past. So this is slightly new territory - probably a new addiction.

I've had loads of friendly help from a couple of forum members, and the how-to posts are excellent. So, here is my first shot at a viv. I tried to document the progress with pics, which I'll include.

First, I went with the exo-terra 18x18x24 (about 33 gal) which I got for way cheaper than local retail on Ebay. I had a zoomed waterfall which I decided to use, though I will probably make one next time and save a few bucks. I started to use great stuff, but switched to pond foam, which was a time-saver but really expensive locally. $17 a can, and I needed two. I used hydroton for the substrate, which I also found on Ebay. The nearest seller is an hour away and it was cheaper to eat the shipping cost. The soil is organic potting mix and Eco Earth. The plants are a combo of things recommended on this forum, the Sihler's book, and whatever said "medium light, high water, and tropical" on the sticker. We'll see how that goes.
I bought a fogger before I read all the warnings. I almost scrapped it, but I think I have a good, safe way to use it.
Step 1. I used the foam back that came with the terrarium, cut out a space and fit the waterfall in. I put a box that was about 4" high in the bottom, covered with a trash bag, and then started building the rocks with great stuff.
[attachment=5:1zvlwqra]vivarium3.jpg[/attachment:1zvlwqra]

Step 2. I switched to pond foam, but it's probably good that I started with great stuff. It won't be seen and it's way cheaper. I looked at it like "filler". The bottle is just pushing the waterfall into place. Note: the trash bag didn't let the bottom breath well and when I pulled it out some big globs of foam fell down. I almost greaked out and then decided it didn't really matter. If anything now there's a support column holding everything still.
[attachment=4:1zvlwqra]vivarium4.jpg[/attachment:1zvlwqra]

Step 3. This is where I had to make decisions about where to place stuff in the wall. I stole some cups and tupperware from my wife (she was surprisingly cool about it) and weighted them down a little with some small river rocks to keep them still while the foam expanded. The jar at the top is a plastic peanut butter jar that now holds the fogger. I'm covering it with plastic mesh which is siliconed into place so no frogs can get into it.
[attachment=3:1zvlwqra]vivarium5.jpg[/attachment:1zvlwqra]

Step 4/5. I let it set for a few hours, then leaned it back on a rolled towel on a low box so that I could finish the back without all the foam sliding downward. After that was done I added a screen mesh (almost forgot this step!) and then eco earth and soil. Then I started adding plants. I probably should have waited a bit for this, but I'm not the most patient human and I wasn't totally sure what I would do next.
[attachment=2:1zvlwqra]vivarium6.jpg[/attachment:1zvlwqra]

Top view of first test with fogger. You can see I added some river stones to the waterfall basin so it's shallow enough. I also started carving away some of the foam to make ledges and things. I ended cutting away a lot of foam with a little paring knife and a serrated steak knife. Did I mention my wife is cool?
[attachment=1:1zvlwqra]vivarium7.jpg[/attachment:1zvlwqra]

Step 6. Added some frog moss and more plants. I almost stopped here, but really wanted some earth on the background. So I did some more carving and then got out the brown silicone.
[attachment=0:1zvlwqra]viv9.jpg[/attachment:1zvlwqra]

[cunomor]

I was warned not to added damp eco earth to the silicone and figured that would take about 6 months to dry, so I (again, cool wife) took a pyrex pan and let it sit in the oven on low for a bit and it dried out like a champ. Note: this was messy and got dirt in places I didn't want. I should have done this sooner, but it wasn't that bad. I vacuumed most of the excess dirt out w/ little trouble.
[attachment=3:67ptzckh]viv11.jpg[/attachment:67ptzckh]

[attachment=2:67ptzckh]viv14.jpg[/attachment:67ptzckh]

You can see wisps of fog cacading down the side from the top left. Cypress wasn't as easy to find as I had hoped, so there's only a single little piece in this one, but next time I'd add more.
[attachment=1:67ptzckh]viv15.jpg[/attachment:67ptzckh]
[attachment=0:67ptzckh]viv16.jpg[/attachment:67ptzckh]

Feedback welcome. Hopefully the darts will like it. This was a first effort and I learned as much doing it as I did reading up beforehand. I'm already thinking about the next one....

-Derek

[MonarchzMan]

Looks pretty good Personally, I'm a fan of the background being completely covered in coco fiber, but yours doesn't look too bad how you have it. Kinda gives it a rocky look to it.

As for the fogger, is it the one for vivs? I can't remember if its T-Rex or what, but the little one for vivariums, I'm told, break down pretty easily. It's because of that, I got one for people (like what you can get at Walgreens or Rite-Aid) that holds half a gallon, and just plumbed it to the vivarium. It works pretty well

I'd definitely consider leaf litter in the bottom. It'll allow you to get a good microfauna culture going and would allow the frogs hiding spots and foraging spots. Good luck!

[cunomor]

Yep, it's a hagen (exo-terra), but I have found that ther are made for other purposes and they are sold way cheaper, like $10-12. The big Wal-greens cold humidifiers work great, but I'm guessing you have to rig it from outside the tank, yeah?

I think for this tank I'm cool with the rock look, plus at $17 a can I think the black foam deserves the attention but the next one I do (already thinking about the next one) will probably be totally covered in coco.

Should I pull some moss and add leaf litter, or lay it over it?
Thanks,
-d

[MonarchzMan]

Yea, I had to rig my humidifier from the outside. Just plumb a tube to the screen top and it fills pretty nicely.

As for the moss, you could do a couple of things. You could move the moss or you could put leaf litter on one side of the ground. Personally, I'd suggest perhaps putting some moss just below where the fog comes out for your humidifier. Moss will need somewhat constant moisture to do really well so that might be a good spot where it can take off. You wouldn't need to have it all there, but a little chunk would do pretty well, I think. The fog will naturally go to the bottom, so the rest will likely do well, but I imagine it'll also do well in that spot.

[tkromer]

I normally prefer the completely covered backgrounds too, but I really like this one. It has kind of a creepy look to it that really works for it. Very nice what do you plan on putting in it?

[cunomor]

Thanks, Tommy.
I was originally going to put leucs in it, but what I have coming are citronellas. I understand they aren't big climbers, but I'm told that they will utilize vertical space if it's easy enough to get to. We'll see. If they don't I will look at moving them to a different set up.
-d

[divingne1]

I think your viv looks awesome. I actually have coco fiber on my background but the frogs feet get caught in it and they seem to get aggrevated trying to move around in it.

As for the frogs utilizing the upper part of the tank, one of my azureus hangs out on the perches that I put all over the back wall. Her favorite spot is behind the leaves of the creeping fig that I planted in the perches. She (I think it is a girl) likes to get as high as she can. She has been in this tank since saturday and I watched her go right to her little path that she has memorized to get up there. so your frogs may utilize all parts of your tank more than you think.

Candy

[tkromer]

My tinctorius will go three or four days without climbing, then spend the better part of the day up high. I think it's kind of random, but they're not "climbers" like a thumbnail might be...

[cunomor]

Hi Candy,

Thanks. I hope mine will use the whole space too.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I'll post an update once they arrive.

-d