[Encyclia]

Ah, right. Sorry, I misread it. You were clear I always put silicone all the way around my false bottoms so that none of the substrate can get down to the drainage layer. It works well for me. Keep up the good work!

Mark

 

[Robru]

Ah, right. Sorry, I misread it. You were clear I always put silicone all the way around my false bottoms so that none of the substrate can get down to the drainage layer. It works well for me. Keep up the good work!

Thank for your anwser. Do you also put sealant between the edge at the front of the window of the false bottom?
Doesn't the sealant on the windscreen look ugly over time due to, for example, algae or discoloration of the sealant? Or do I think too difficult ...

 

[Encyclia]

You are correct. If you are sloppy, it can look pretty bad at the front. This doesn't matter to me, though, because I paint the front of all of my display tanks with black craft paint. Problem solved It is much more important to me that the tank function correctly (making sure the layers stay separate is part of this functioning) than it is to have it look perfect. Other folk may have different priorities, though.

Mark

 

[Robru]

You are correct. If you are sloppy, it can look pretty bad at the front. This doesn't matter to me, though, because I paint the front of all of my display tanks with black craft paint. Problem solved It is much more important to me that the tank function correctly (making sure the layers stay separate is part of this functioning) than it is to have it look perfect. Other folk may have different priorities, though.

Mark

Your solution of making an extra edge black appeals to me. Thank you for this advice

I also do not have to look at the layer of substrate in particular.
I am currently researching which components I am going to add to the substrate mix. I already own perlite, Fernwood tree fiber substrate, fine charcoal, fine 2-8mm and coarse 12-10mm orchid bark and spaghnum moss.

 

[Encyclia]

Sounds like you are close to having the ingredients to make ABG (Atlanta Botanical Garden) mix. Here is an interesting thread about ABG mix. I have used it before and it was great.

Mark

 

[Robru]

Sounds like you are close to having the ingredients to make ABG (Atlanta Botanical Garden) mix. Here is an interesting thread about ABG mix. I have used it before and it was great.

Mark

That's a very interesting topic Mark. I now know what I still miss; peat moss. And because I'm going to inoculate the substrate with springtails and isopods, add some fine leaf litter to the substrate. I think I'm pretty much in the right direction this way.

 

[Encyclia]

Peat moss is very easy and cheap to come by here. I assume it would be the same for you. It's usually the tree fern fiber that's hard to get and you already have it

Mark

 

[Robru]

Peat moss is very easy and cheap to come by here. I assume it would be the same for you. It's usually the tree fern fiber that's hard to get and you already have it

Mark

Yes, Peat moss is also easy to get here. Looking for a tree fern fiber point of sale here was more difficult than obtaining it. I found an orchid grower in Belgium who does business with Fernwood NZ.

Acadian Supply, Inc. is the importer of Fernwood in de U.S.

Acadian Supply, Inc.
Savannah, GA
770-271-0859
[email protected]
acadiansupply.com/products/tree-fern/

 

[Encyclia]

Nice, Robru. That stuff looks pretty flexible. Is it soft? The old kind of tree fern fibers was very rigid and served to aerate and resist compression in ABG. If this is a soft material, I might increase the amount of charcoal you add to the mixture to compensate. This is just a guess, though. I don't think anyone knows how the new kind of tree fern will behave over long periods of time.

Mark

 

[Robru]

Nice, Robru. That stuff looks pretty flexible. Is it soft? The old kind of tree fern fibers was very rigid and served to aerate and resist compression in ABG. If this is a soft material, I might increase the amount of charcoal you add to the mixture to compensate. This is just a guess, though. I don't think anyone knows how the new kind of tree fern will behave over long periods of time.

Mark

My order will arrive next week, so I can tell you more about it. But based on the photo material that I have seen, it will certainly not be stiff.

Fernwood Soft Tropical Terrarium Substrate is made from the fibrous stem of the kuripaka, a native New Zealand tree fern.

Our product is unique in that:

It has the ability to hold moisture without becoming waterlogged.

• It is slow to compost.
• It’s smell and texture encourage natural burrowing.
• It absorbs waste and diminishes odours.
  Suitable for Salamanders, Frogs and burrowing / digging reptiles and others.

All Fernwood Products are manufactured from New Zealand Tree Fern which is sustainably harvested from privately owned forests.

 

[Robru]

Today I made a first design for the hood for the three LED fixtures, fans and ventilation slots. I use petrol mesh to seal the ventilation slots.

 

[Robru]

Nice, Robru. That stuff looks pretty flexible. Is it soft?

Today I received the tree fern fiber from Fernwood. It is indeed soft in texture. I am also going to add the other components for AGB, otherwise it will be a costly story to divide it purely 2 inches over the bottom.

 

[Robru]

There are already three layers of primer all around the hood. I am now waiting for the order of 8 mm cast acrylic sheets (tension-free) so that I can first continue with the inside. The plexiglass becomes the lid in the hood where, among other things, the 4 sprinklers for the sprinkler installation will be mounted. The outside of the hood is the last turn.

 

[Harpspiel]

Be careful with that sprinkler system, I’m not sure if that coppery color is just a finish on top of say stainless steel. But if it has any copper in it, I know that minuscule amounts of leached copper will kill cherry shrimp, not sure about frogs, but it will definitely also kill moss.

 

[Robru]

Be careful with that sprinkler system, I’m not sure if that coppery color is just a finish on top of say stainless steel. But if it has any copper in it, I know that minuscule amounts of leached copper will kill cherry shrimp, not sure about frogs, but it will definitely also kill moss.

Thank you for warning. I will check with the supplier, but rather I think it is because of the photo quality that it appears that copper is used in the parts. Hopefully below a better picture of the nozzle.

Nozzle, 6 mm. connection, fully adjustable nozzle, with spray angle of 80 degrees, all plastic, very easy to clean. including glass feedthrough.

 

[Harpspiel]

I see now, it's black plastic with an odd sheen. That should work fine.

 

[Robru]

I see now, it's black plastic with an odd sheen. That should work fine.

Thank you

 

[Robru]

Today I prepared the 8 mm plexiglass with the first 2 fans, holes for the nozzles and the 2 smaller plexiglass parts for when I want to quickly put something in the tank. All parts can be removed easily and quickly if I need more space to work.

This weekend I will finish the hood further, mount supports for the plexiglass and lighting and another 4 fans that will be mounted under the plexiglass for the internal air circulation.

 

[Robru]

The basis is there in my opinion. The plants have now been in it for a week. Because I like to see the plants grow, I chose baby plants. And after planting I removed all the wood, which I later place again when the plants are bigger. The lighting is now set to 80% to let the plants start equally well. Later I place marcgrave, broms and orchids.

The humidity is between 80 and 90% during the day, 100% at night. Temperature is now between 71 - 77 F. I expect as the microclimate develops better the temperature will rise.

The leaf litters are still minimal to prevent me from covering the small plants, when the plants are a bit larger I have a better overview.

Plants added:

• Peperomia Hope
• Peperomia caperata ‘Red Luna’
• Stromanthe sanguinea
• Calathea Medallion
• Calathea lancifolia ‘Insigne’
• Philodendron Scandens
• Philodendron Birkin
• Fittonia verschaffeltii
• Pilea involucrata ‘Moon Valley’
• Begonia Rex Boweri
• Begonia Maculata ‘Wightii’
• Aglanonema 'Pink Princess'
• Macodes Petola Jewel Orchid

 

[Robru]

Added:

• Alocasia 'Silver Dragon'
• Alocasia 'Blue Velvet'
• Peperomia Pepperspot
• Asparagus Setaceus Plumoses
• Ficus quercifolia
• Marcgravia sintenisii
• Marcgravia 'Peru'
• Solanum sp. 'Ecuador'