Started a new 20gal vert..

[garweft]

Stopped by my local Pet Supplies Plus to get a few crickets. The lines were a little long so I decided to take a quick look around and saw they had their 20H's on sale. So it looks like I just started a new 20 gallon vert...lol

I went looking for some driftwood in the river and found a few nice pieces. I was going to use a cool burnt out looking stump I found, but it took up too much room so I set it aside for another day. Instead I decided on this driftwood root mass that looks really cool....even if it was attached to about 10' worth of tree....and I didn't bring a saw.....lucky I had the Jeep.

So now I got it home, cut down to size, and foamed in to place. I was debating on placement for a little while (roots up or down / leaned against the back or the corner). I settled with the roots in the air since it will be for thumbs, and when placed flat against the back it was kind of boring looking. I think this placement gives the terrarium more depth without loosing much ground area for leaf litter. Now I just have to wait a week for the foam to cure completely before I move on to the silicone/coco phase....I hate waiting but it gives me time to do some plant planning. Well here it is so far......

[NickBoudin]

Sweet looking piece! Do you plan on keeping it in place with the foam insulation or are you just leaning it there for now?

[garweft]

It is foamed into place on the back side.

[Geckoguy]

I like the wood that should turn out sweet.

[frogparty]

I am always on the lookout for sweet pieces like that when I am fishing on the river

[milleryan46]

Looks great so far man! What did you use to cover the gap? Like how did you bind it together> It looks like black string???

-Ryan

[boogsawaste]

^^^ Are you talking about connecting the egg crate together? If so it looks like zip ties.

[garweft]

Yeah their zip ties. I use them to hold the screen in place on the eggcrate, and to secure up any edges like on the little pool.

I really didn't want to add the little pool at the front, but needed a place to drain water off. I would rather have a drain hole in the front but this is the first one that I planned on using glass for the bottom dam and didn't feel like spending the money on a drill bit, etc.

[Julio]

very nice piece of wood, that will make a sweet center piece!

[garweft]

A little update.....

I waited a week before finishing the background and I'm glad I did. Like always the background shrunk after the 3rd to 4th day and if I would have done the silicone and coco it would have pulled away from the sides as well. Instead I know get a chance to fill in the gap with a thick bead of silicone while doing the rest of the background.

After cutting in a few planting areas, I siliconed the background and then put a nice layer of dry fir bark down followed by a thick layer of dry coco fiber. I also cleaned up the edges a little and added the floor dam which has been blacked out to cover up the false bottom.

I also picked up a few broms and a Calathea micans 'Silver Stripe' at the Cleveland reptile show last week. I don't have them planted yet since I'm waiting on my hinge to get here for my door. Once that's on I'll get it planted up, and get some springs in there. I'm still not sure if I want to move my Intermedius into here, or pick up my first pums? I'll let it grow in for a couple months first either way. Maybe if my Intermedius start to breed in there current 10 vert I'll leave them in there, and if they don't I'll move them.

Here are a few picks as well. Two pictures of the terrarium with the background done (one flash, one terrarium light). There is a pic of the group of broms. I don't have any idea on the broms so please don't ask, lol. I really like the long leaved one that I have in the last picture in the terrarium. The others are all small varieties some with a good sized pup already going. I didn't get a picture of the Calathea, but will make sure to get one later.