125g Viv Build

11720 Views 51 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Venomos, Aug 1, 2013

gootswa

Discussion Starter · Jul 10, 2011

I just finished renovating my 125 gallon fish tank the other day. I am awaiting my supplies to come in the mail, then construction can begin.

I have a 40 gallon viv, but I did the false bottom poorly and the whole tank is just starting to go bad, so I am going to transfer everything from that one into the new 125. I also don't really care for the eye sore in the middle of the tank... the black bar. Almost forgot to mention that the frogs are 2 cobalt tinctorius, but I will buy two more once moved into the big tank.

It will be water feature heavy, not too deep but just taking up a decent amount of space. I have some great ideas brewing up in the old cranium just itching to be put to work on the tank, but I can't really explain that well w/o visuals.
For now I will just post some pics of the supplies that I have, I will also go into more detail about thing in later posts.
This all driftwood that I got from in the fish tank, I am very pleased with the options at hand with these, quite a bit to work with. I have more logs and whatnot inside the 40 as well, so I have a whole lot to work with.

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gootswa

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jul 10, 2011

For the soil mix I want to use...
-Coco Fiber Bedding
-Fir and Sphagnum Peat Moss
-Ground English Walnut Shells
-Forest Bark (Exo Terra)
-Beaked Moss
-Charcoal (Josh's Frogs Mix)

I need to work on the proportions or each, but I was wondering if there is anything that I should add, omit, etc.
Suggestions and help wanted!

ExoticPocket

· #3 · Jul 11, 2011

I'm kinda confused... Is the tank in the second picture the 125 or the 40 gallon? And the tank looks awesome right now and this is gonna be a cool build! On the substrate matter, I think that you would want an ample amount of charcoal because that would be the bottom layer, then the bark would be a little less. I've never heard of people using walnut shells so it could have an effect but idk. Never heard of beaked moss so can't help you there. Peat moss is acidic (i think) so you might not want a lot of that and for the coco fiber, you might want a big layer for plant growth for planting and stuff. Hope this helps

Gumby

· #4 · Jul 11, 2011

Looks like the second photo with the black bar is the 40 gal. My guess is that it is 2 20 gals stacked ontop of each other. Can't wait to see the 125 gal!

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 11, 2011

Correct, the second one is the 40 and I did stack two tanks. The way the false bottom is set up, makes all the roots saturated in water, so it was merely poor judgment on my part. I don't want to ruin it, but a decent amount of the plants are starting to suffer because of that. Plus I spent a lot of money on the plants, so I don't want them just to die.
I am ordering everything tonight and going to Homedepot tomorrow to get egg crate and what not. Final construction will be done either on Thursday or Friday. I will just tweak it from there on out.
I also need help on a ventilation system, that is not something that I have ever done before and I am basically clueless on the matter.

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 11, 2011

The plants that I already have are...
-Azolla caroliniana
-Live tropical moss (not sure what it actually is)
-Oak leaf creeping fig
-Sunshine crytanthus
-Bromeliad (not sure the type)
-Lecanopteris sinuosa,
-Black mystic cryptanthus
-Selaginella erythropus
-Possum tail fern
-Vanilla orchid
-Little darling begonia
-Bivittatus ruby cryptanthus
-Peperomia campylotropa
-hatiora alicornioides
-florida beuty
-asparagus fern
-croton
-corkscrew croton
-anubis nana
-unknown selaginella
-baby tears
-Fittonia
-java moss
-hair grass
-unkown mosses

Alot of these I have multiple plants of, didn't feel like looking to see which though. Here are plants that I just ordered...
-Pilea involucrata "Moon Valley"
-Neoregelia
-Orthophytum saxicola
-Masdevallia hybrids
-Pilea 'Red Stem Tears'

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coraltastic

· #7 · Jul 11, 2011

the 40 looks great but i see what u mean about the divider in the middle. cant wait to see the 125 up and going keep the pics coming.

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 11, 2011

Sure thing, I still have two fish left. I am waiting to receive shipping supplies for them. Once they are gone the tank will be started asap! Until I am gathering all the supplies needed, so that I can get it done relatively quickly.

Judy S

· #9 · Jul 11, 2011

No...no...no...do NOT use any black walnut anywhere you want plants or living critters. They put out a poison that kills most everything that grows in their root zone...and can kill animals that eat the bark in a sufficient quantity...go on any of the good garden sites in case you have reservations about my statement--. It says something when you have to have a "list" of things that will grow under the trees! And horse people, like myself, have to make sure that any bedding we use, i.e., sawdust or shavings do not have Black walnut in them...same with mulch in gardens...

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Judy S

· #10 · Jul 11, 2011

oops...saw the word English on a re-read...don't know about that but would really have to check it out first....sorry, panic set in when I first read it.

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 11, 2011

No I never said anywhere that they were ground black walnuts. Idk if these are the same thing, but these are what I ordered. I they can't be used it's not a big deal.

R-Zilla Ground English Walnut Shells | Substrate | PetSolutions

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 11, 2011

Not a big deal, I can understand why you would get so concerned at first.

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jul 11, 2011

English walnut shell mulch? - Soil Forum - GardenWeb

This mentions that the toxins are still given off, but in small amounts. Probably not a good idea regardless though. Thank you for that, I would have had no idea.
Although if there is anyone who has used these with success, please let me know.

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jul 11, 2011

Although this is looked down upon, I went in my backyard and got a nice cutting of some Hendra Helix (English Ivy). I have tried it before and it worked alright but the shortly afterward died, so I figure I will give it a second shot. I have gotten things from outside and have had zero negative effects. I get alot of my driftwood from outside, I scrub them and boil beforehand.

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 12, 2011

Just got everything for the false bottom. I am going to make a stencil of the tank with cardboard so that I can prefab it before putting it in the actual tank.

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gootswa

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 12, 2011

I costructed it all with zip ties. Then covered it in weed blocker. The logs will probably be rearranged a little differently than this in the tank, but it's a start.

While at Homedepot I also grabbed a few plants. I got two cryptanthus of some sort and some verigated ficus pumila, but I grabbed this one because it also had some ordinary ficus pumila in it.

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ExoticPocket

· #17 · Jul 13, 2011

This is gonna be a cool build! But wait!... Theres some fragile cardboard!!! :O You better be careful with it!

haha. I might have missed it but what frogs are you planning on getting?

gootswa

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jul 13, 2011

I already have two 5 month old D. Tinctorius Cobalt. So I plan to only get two more and then just let them breed from there on out. I did want to get Azureus or Terribilis, but from what I have read I believe that I would be better off getting more Cobalts.

ExoticPocket

· #19 · Jul 13, 2011

You shoulg get a colony of 8 Iquitos or fantastica... That would be cool!!!

Reactions: 1

jausi

· #20 · Jul 13, 2011

Nice size of tank, Im daying to see more updates

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