[Sammie]

Wanted to show you guys what I'm working on.
Last week I got myself a new tank (18x18x24"), unfortunately it leaked so I haven't been able to start with the fun stuff until yesterday.

The design is based on this tank, but better


Not too much to show right now, but this i what I've got so far.
On the right where there's tree fern missing I'm going to put a quarter of a tree fern trunk, you know, like a 8" thick pizza slice
But my order got screwed up so I'll have to wait till next week to finish it.

Hope you like it, I know I do.

 

[Sammie]

Thanks
The one on the background is filled with great stuff as it would be near impossible to get frogs out if needed to, but the other one is hollow to provide additional hiding places.

I noticed that my link doesn't seem to work properly, so I just want to clarify that I'm linking to my own build. Without knowing that my "but better" comment seems a bit smug

 

[Sammie]

I loved your previous tank and this one is shaping up to be just as good as well... Just to let you know, I'm totally chomping your idea. I've got a few cork tubes lying around and I'm gonna throw them into a tank similarly placed.

Well, I would assume some royalty checks are in place then

Hopefully I'll get the last piece of tree fern tomorrow so I can finally finish the hard scape and then I can plant it on friday night.

Everything else are pretty much done, I've fly proofed the front went with some fine screen, cut and siliconed glass to the top, added leca around the false bottom and boiled leaf litter.

 

[Sammie]

Not very much to update on, but I finally got the last piece of tree fern today.
It only took the better part of a month to sort that out, lets just say that I'm less than pleased with that vendors customer service

The trunk was a lot smaller than anticipated, but I think it still works. Luckily I had some tree fern panels to fill out the space.



Just a few more days now, and then I can plant this thing. I can barely wait!

 

[Sammie]

So I finally started to plant the tank. I still haven't planted the terrestrials or put in substrate, I'll have to give that some more thought.

Right now it looks a little bit messy, but I think it will "settle" in a week or two when the plants are rooted.

 

[Sammie]

Nice plants! They should look very cool when established.

Any thoughts on inhabitants?

Thanks!
Not completely sure, when I started the tank I had D. leucomelas in mind, but now I'm starting to think R. imitator or variabilis.

Decisions decisions....

 

[Sammie]

Yea me too. It's something like a ton (give or take) of Microgramma rhizomes in there, when they starts to shoot leaves It's going to be pretty green on the top tube.
Hopefully it will look as awesome as I picture it in my head.

 

[Sammie]

Adiantum sp. (Looks like raddianum but not sure.)
Humata heterophylla
Microgramma lycopodioides
Microgramma nitida
Microgramma vacciniifolia
Pyrrosia piloselloides

For now

 

[Sammie]

Adiantum sp. (Looks like raddianum but not sure.)
Humata heterophylla
Microgramma lycopodioides
Microgramma nitida
Microgramma vacciniifolia
Pyrrosia piloselloides

For now

I missed one, Lecanopteris carnosa.

 

[Sammie]

Two questions:
1. How is the upper tube attached to the tree fern? I want to do something similar in my next build
2. Is anything securing the plants to the cork other than their roots?

It's not. It's glued (with silicone) directly to the glass and then I put the tree fern panels around it.

I use both zip-ties and toothpicks, when the plants are rooted I usually remove the zip-ties.

 

[Sammie]

Very nice build! I love the look of the tank. Like someone else already said, this tank is going to look great when it is established. Nice job!

Thanks

The plants and moss have been filling in nicely. I'll post some pictures in a few days. I'm just waiting for a plant or two to arrive.

 

[Sammie]

It still has some growing in to do before its frog ready, but it's starting to look pretty neat

 

[Sammie]

Man, I love this viv.

I would really like to build something like this at some point.

I have a few questions if you don't mind.

I saw your fern list. Do you have a list of the rest of the plants and vines?

How often are you misting this to keep the plant and moss growth going so well?

What's the lighting?

Ha, sorry for the inquisition. This just really struck me as quite beautiful. I kind of appreciate the fact that it doesn't look like a brom bomb went off like a lot of tanks. I like those too but this has a very clean, natural look.

I totally forgot about your questions, sorry man!
I will make a list first thing tomorrow, right now I can barely keep my eyes open.
I hand mist the right side of upper cork tube about once a day since the fan dries it out some. The rest I mist every three days or so. I could probably get away with less though.

Right now I have 55w (1x25w and 1x30w) worth of cfl's, only cause that's what I had on hand. This makes the tank a few degrees too hot though so I plan on changing them. I got "a big bag" of LED's today which I might use...I just have to figure out what is what

Thank you, I like that too
I mean, I like bromeliads as much as the next guy but I think this layout looks better without.

 

[Sammie]

I gotz Berries! (Anthurium scandens)

I was a little tempted to try one...are they poisonous?

Dinema polybulbon

I like these, in the morning they smell like vanilla and honey...a nice change from stinky @#% bulbos.


Crappy pic, but I got baby Anthuriums sprouting everywhere, Anthurium gracile and A. obtusum.


This NOID (probably hybrid) Begonia is finally starting to look good again. I've almost killed it three times...

Begonia thelmae

I was very surprised to find this flower the other day. I threw a 1" piece of half dead stem in the tank like a month ago and hadn't noticed it coming back.

No full tank shots though, I caught a really bad cold a couple of weeks back and sorta neglected it so some of the moss on the cork tubes died on me.
It seems like it's coming back pretty quick though.

 

[Sammie]

Plant list, as promised.

Anthurium gracile (Seedlings, will be moved eventually)
Anthurium obtusum (Same as above)
Anthurium scandens
Barbosella cucullata
Begonia sp. NOID
Begonia thelmae
Biophytum sensitivum
Bulbophyllum aureum
Bulbophyllum cernuum
Bulbophyllum comberi
Bulbophyllum miniatum
Bulbophyllum purpurascens
Bulbophyllum sp. NOID
Cissus amazonica
Dinema polybulbon
Ficus sp. "Borneo"
Ficus villosa
Hydnophytum formicarium (Seedlings, will be moved)
Lecanopteris carnosa
Marcgravia sintenisii (Will be moved)
Marcgravia umbellata
Masdevallia minuta
Microgramma lycopodioides
Microgramma nitida
Microgramma vacciniifolia
Peperomia prostrata
Peperomia sp. "Peru"
Pilea involucrata
Pilea nummulariifolia
Pyrrosia piloselloides
Syngonium wendlandii

And two NOID ferns.

I think that's all of them

 

[Sammie]

These two I buy most from:

Araflora; exotic flora & plant supplies
Startseite Bens Jungle Onlineshop

And then there's
Home | terra-jungle.de
www.wistuba.com - the carnivorous plant shop
OrkideImperiet.dk
https://shop.orchideen-lucke.de/
Orchids-shop.eu - Your online shop for orchids
Dusk Tropic

I also trade plants with other hobbyist from time to time, and on occasion I find cool stuff in the "local" garden centers

 

[Sammie]

I tried one, didn't swallow it though...just in case

It didn't taste very much, a little sweet. But I really liked the texture of it, kinda like gooseberry.

 

[Sammie]

I just noticed that this seems to be a larger/upgraded version of your previous 12x18 hygrolon/cork build. I really like the style, I can easily see why you wanted to try a similar but larger version . Keep up the solid work sammie! I hope it all grows back nicely now that you are hopefully rid of your illness. Keep updating us!!

Well thank you, I'm all better now
No worries, I'll update soon enough. Yesterday I put the top with the cfl's on spacers (for the heat) and added two LED spotlights to speed things up.
It's very bright right now

I tried one, didn't swallow it though...just in case

It didn't taste very much, a little sweet. But I really liked the texture of it, kinda like gooseberry.

When I tried the berry the taste was very familiar, so I squished and licked another one today and it came to me! They taste just like white grapes, just less.

But while they don't taste poisonous I wouldn't recommend anyone to eat them...

Edit: If you don't hear from me in 24 hours, assume the worst.

 

[Sammie]

Not much of an update, but I added a Tillandsia filifolia to the tank last week. It looks pretty nice up there

When I first got it I couldn't stop brushing it against my face, it's soo soft

And as a "bonus" you'll get a sneak peak of my next project. It's about 7' tall and a little over 30" wide. And no worries, it's not as crooked as it looks in the picture, I don't know what happened.

 

[Sammie]

very nice cork build. the plants grew in perfect!!!
ill definitely keep looking back to this for your next build

Thank you
My new build will get it's own thread when I have more to show.
Hopefully I'll have time to cut the glass today.