In this thread I will be documenting my new build...
The tank is (w)100cm X (h)105cm X (d)50cm.....w39xh41xd20
It is accessible through the sides via 2 sliding doors....I used crystal glass except for the bottom and back I used regular glass since they are going to be covered anyway
The stand is made out of Malaysian wood....unfortunately the person who made it for me made it 90cm width instead of 100cm ...I decided to go ahead and use it any way
The light is going to be a double jungle hobbies led unit
Misting will be delivered by a mistking pump with 3 double misting nozzles
Background will be made of expanding foam and peat moss. It will have a water feature
I am calling it the escape because I live in the middle east where it is mostly desert and hot weather...
I have been working in the past a few nights on the background...plumping and land area...
The land area is made out of expanding foam also...I have used this method before...I tilted it to the right side so that it will not collect water and to give better view when I sit on my sofa
I attached a pipe to the wall to house wiring and water hose which will trickle from top right through a pump that will work as a filter too.
....
I have also started to make roots using clothes hangers and covering them with expanding foam and peat moss...before drying completely I will shape them with my hand and push the air out to make them thinner
Hello,
In my opinion the pump arranged like this will be a pain for a future substitution or for maintenance (I.e. if the black sponge you're using will clog due to dirt or other stuff).
Other than that, I think your roots will come up really nice, from what I see.
This is the largest I have ever done....my current one is 50g....I am planning on dismantling it once this completed and move the plants to the new one...
I made some roots with that method but I wasn't too happy with it. I think covered entirely in moss and peperomia prostrata or something it might have ended up good. I'm excited to see this build progress, looks really promising!
Made little twigs using thin wire covered with gorilla glue and peat moss...they did not look the greatest so I covered them again with silicone and peat moss..it looks better
Made little roots using thread covered with silicone and peat moss...they will be hung from the bigger roots
Background covered with silicone and peat moss....bigger roots already attached....
please don't mind the pictures...lighting is not the greatest...peat moss looks a lot darker...
Just a quick comment from a structural engineer... The base being too small is a major problem. The weight of the entire vivarium will translate to the bottom pane of glass, and put it into "bending." Glass in "bending" shatters very easily. And, in a horrible world, you could wake up one night to a crash in your living room.
I don't think this is an unsolvable problem though. I would have your cabinet making friend buy a sheet of the best 25 mm thick ply wood you can find and make a sleeve that you can lay underneath the vivarium. I would extend the edges past the vivarium 10 mm or so, so you have a little room to play with. He/she can probably edge it with hardwood so that it looks like it was always there. And, he/she can probably put some edging on its lower surface so that it locks in place.
I know this is a big exercise in the middle of a build, but I would seriously consider this, or you might not even get through the build before it breaks.
Hi Bill....
Thank you very much for an excellent observation....
I had a discussion on the subject with the person who built it when he brought in. He was not concerned much due to the fact that the tank extends only 2 inches from each side from the table....I had to agree since he is an engineering background and I come from the management world...
Do you still think it an issue knowing that it extends 2 inches only from each side?
Thanks again for brining up this structural point[emoji3]
I'll be honest, I flinched a little when I first looked at this thread and saw the base cabinet was smaller than the base of the tank. If the bottom glass was twice that thickness, I wouldn't worry about it. But, as it is, I wouldn't chance it. And even that small amount of water is pretty heavy.
Otherwise, that's a really nice tank and I like the background.
The ply is an easy fix. I ran a LFS for 6 years and saw many customer tanks not make it because of smaller stands. The sheets of ply are a cheap and effective fix that can usually be skinned to match
Vivs like exo terra have what's known as a floating base, the bottom pane is lifted and outside edges, where there is going to be a lot of weight, is supported. Your beautiful tank is quite at risk and even if it didn't come to worst, you're highly likely to also spring a leak with silicone failure due to uneven pressure and bending. That'd be a real pain. I'd really take Bill's advice seriously, it should be an easy fix right now, compared to adding water, plants etc...
I added the plywood to give support to the tank as per the recommendation of members of this forum
I moved plants from my old vivarium....moving the land area was pain in the a**...but job done...
I felt bad tearing down my old vivarium....it had been with me for the almost 7 years....I learned so much from this vivarium
Here is a picture
Picture of the new tank with plywood and plants....I still need to stain the wood
Was your old vivarium your first? It looks beautiful, so sad to tear it down. The new build looks good though, and I like the island. It would be cool to use the water area as a habitat for dart tadpoles. They could live in the water, and then morph out on to the island. You just have to add food, or make a frog tunnel to a different vivarium with microfauna and stuff.
Yes...it was my first vivarium it had changed so many times....I can't get frogs where I live....beside....I travel for extended periods and it is already hard enough caring for our cat while we are gone[emoji16]
Looking great! I'm so glad you added the plywood. I was going to say the same thing about the risk of breaking so it's a relief to see the bottom of the viv supported now.
Great looking Paludarium! I'm really glad the plywood sheet worked out! I would get some killi fish for the water... No frogs? There must be a way!! What country do you live in?
No frogs[emoji22]
I live in jeddah saudi....I have to order most of my material and it cost a fortune for shipping...I get my orchids and mosses during my visits to Malaysia
My African violet...which have grown out of a cutting decided to reward me and put out flowers....the jungle hobbies led is doing a great job
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