[cbrousseau]

Hello everyone, I’m currently in the process of setting up a new Vivarium for 4 D. Auratus Rio Cascajal. This is my first background on a tank but my second dart frog tank. In high school I had a tinctorius tank that was strictly terrestrial based.
Originally I was planning on setting up a front opening enclosure. After getting a quote back from the glass company (550$ for glass for a 24x18x24) I decided to convert a 29gal pleco grow out tank off my fish rack into a terrarium.

Got it all cleaned up and started laying foam.

The foam was fun to lay but had some issues here and there. The sides actually pulled away from the glass and had huge air pockets.

So I had to redo the sides of the tank luckily I got extra foam.

At this point I carved the foam with a wire drill bit unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of the process sense it was at night on my patio but got good coverage and was happy with the results sooooo moving on.

A little messy setting the wood in but I got it set in there and and I’m happy with the lay out. My goal is to make an open floor area for plants. I’m using aquarium sponge sheets as a a drainage layer. The strip there in the middle is to hold my ABG substrate in the rear of the tank. Just something I’m trying. If I don’t like it I’ll rip it out and use a traditional false bottom.

This is how it sits this morning. The foam needs to get carved around the wood which I’ll do tonight along with painting the back ground. I’ll be using the drylok method for painting.

Also got some plants in the mail yesterday from Alex at frogdaddy.net probably a little early to be bringing plants in but I’m confident I can keep them going while the build is still going. Got the plants to fill out a box my tadpoles came in. I’m happy with everything I received just wish the plants were labeled when they came in. I have another order of plants coming in probably Saturday. I’ll update with the panting and such tonight this is where I’m at currently!


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[minorhero]

Nicely done so far! Those plants look like they are pretty decent and packed well. I am wishing I ordered from there instead of random ebay person now ;P

Are you going to use a drain for this tank or siphon? Have you figured out your lid yet?

 

[cbrousseau]

Most definitely happy with the plants! I work with plants for a living and I’m a stickler when it comes to my labeling so it’s probably more of a me problem lol.
As far as drainage goes I’m planning on just manually draining the tank. I was planning on drilling the tank for drainage but in a few years my girlfriend and I are planning on building or buying a house and part of that deal is I get a fish/frog room so the tank may get swapped for a front opening enclosed and this one become an aquarium again.
As for lid for the tank, I have the typical old time black plastic lid with a hinged front lid and such. I plan on running that until the frogs are in there and then probably either building something out of Acrylic or I think I could make one of the glass aquarium lids work with some modification. Basically just trying to get it set up and see how the humidity looks because I might have to run a computer fan on it to get some air flow in there.


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[fishingguy12345]

Nice start. What I would do, is drill for drainage anyways. You can always plug the drain and turn it back into an aquarium.

You might just find you want it as a plant growing tank in the future. I have a 48x18x18" plant tank and am setting up an 24x12x18" plant only tank this week for my overflowing plants lol.

 

[cbrousseau]

Nice start. What I would do, is drill for drainage anyways. You can always plug the drain and turn it back into an aquarium.

You might just find you want it as a plant growing tank in the future. I have a 48x18x18" plant tank and am setting up an 24x12x18" plant only tank this week for my overflowing plants lol.

Ideally where would you drill the tank? Through the bottom or though the rear panel?
I feel like the plants are really going to become a problem. We already have a copious amount of house plants around the house and I could totally see myself setting up a tank just for plants. I’ve thought about if for just aquarium plants before I just don’t have the space unfortunately. It’ll definitely be a thing in the future.


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[fishingguy12345]

Ideally where would you drill the tank? Through the bottom or though the rear panel?
I feel like the plants are really going to become a problem. We already have a copious amount of house plants around the house and I could totally see myself setting up a tank just for plants. I’ve thought about if for just aquarium plants before I just don’t have the space unfortunately. It’ll definitely be a thing in the future.


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I drill the back / rear panel, about 1" up from the bottom of the glass.

You will probably find that some of your house plants will work in dart frog vivariums

 

[cbrousseau]

Got the background dryloked tonight. Next time definitely doing my first coat before I set the wood.


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As far as glass quotes go...you gotta shop around. I recieved quotes for glass for an 18 cube that ranged between 80 dollars and 270 dollars.

 

[gonzalez]

As far as glass quotes go...you gotta shop around. I recieved quotes for glass for an 18 cube that ranged between 80 dollars and 270 dollars.

Absolutely this. In building a 24x18x24 I had to get quotes from about seven stores before I got a reasonable offer of $160. Many were $300+


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[cbrousseau]

Absolutely this. In building a 24x18x24 I had to get quotes from about seven stores before I got a reasonable offer of $160. Many were $300+


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If I would have gotten a 160$ quote I would have a new tank right now. I couldn’t believe the price of cut glass for that price I’ll wait until I have the space to cut my own.


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[cbrousseau]

Just an update!
Got the tank planted yesterday! All the plants I got in last week made it through the week and are settling into the tank nicely. A couple of the plants I’m not so sure if I like but I’m sure things will be moved around.
Next up is to get some pea gravel for the front edge. Planing on just laying some java moss on that to give it some color.
Also can’t wait to find some leaf litter because every place I’ve seen is sold out


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[minorhero]

Looking good!

Also can’t wait to find some leaf litter because every place I’ve seen is sold out

You don't need to buy leaf litter if you don't want to. A walk through the woods with a plastic bag will get you 100% natural free range leaf litter. Just boil it for 10 minutes or so and then dry it out. Tada free leaf litter.

 

[cbrousseau]

Figured I should update this thread. Here’s where the tank stands today. I’ve added a few cuts here and there and a couple more bromeliads sense the first planting.

I’m planning on changing the tank around a bit and thinning out the right side of the tank. Currently there are a couple pumilio juveniles in here while their permanent enclosure is being finished up.


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[Jennifer]

That’s looking good!! Any idea what caused the foam to develop air pockets and pull away from the glass? I just don’t want to make that mistake when I build.

 

[cbrousseau]

Yeah, mostly impatience I’d say. I don’t think I waited long enough to rotate the tank to spray the other sides. I also had pushed on the foam while it was curing to try and flatten it or make it stick better. All it ended up doing was pulling away from the glass as it finished up curing and not flatting haha.
I have a 20 gal vertical tank I’m working on currently and I let the foam fully cure and didn’t mess with it and it turned out completely fine. If you use drylock on the background I will say that it seems like it wants to shrink the foam as it sets up and that can pull make cracks or pull the foam off the glass a bit.
I always put a very generous amount of silicone around the edges of the foam to prevent water from getting behind the background and to also ensure the the background is adhered to the glass and won’t pull away!
Best advice I can give is to take your time and don’t rush when you do the foam.
Just a couple tips from a noobie


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[sparrow]

Wow it looks so vibrant! How much pebbles/stone did you use? Is it only pebbles? (as opposed to other substrate)

 

[cbrousseau]

There is only about an inch of pea gravel in the front of the tank. I used 1” aquarium sponge as a bottom layer (I wouldn’t really call it a drainage layer but that’s in place of a drainage layer), then I used a 2” thick strip of sponge to act as a substitute barrier behind that is 2-3” of ABG substrate and leaf litter which the plants are in. Basically just have the gravel there to hide the sponge and I wanted something different then leaf litter there in the front.
Just something a little different I wanted to try. So far it’s seemed to work for me.


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