[katanafreak]

Hello All!

I have been lurking on here for a LONG time reading and studying and gather as much information as possible, I am also a Junior in college studying Zoology with a emphasis in Herpetology. I am building a vivarium as a hobby tank/research tank. I feel that it is time to start a tank build given my new knowledge of herps. I looked around for tanks and had a huge acrylic tank given to me, but it needed a lot of help and wasn't exactly the size I wanted, so I decided to make my own tank and stand. I started today with the stand. Here are a just a couple pics of what I have in mind...

Here is the framing of the stand.



Here is the finished project. Sorry I didn't think to start taking pics for a build thread until afterwards. What my goal is, is to have the stand connect with the room divider in the pic and the custom made tank, which is going to be 48"x24"x48", is going to go up almost to the ceiling. I will make a canopy for the tank to extend it the rest of the way to the ceiling so that the entire area is the tank. It is going to be a peninsula style tank so that it can be viewed all around.



I go and pick the acrylic up tomorrow after class, so I will update again tomorrow when I get back. I will take a lot more pics of the tank build as well. Any thoughts or ideas on the tank or any ideas on ways to make the tank viewer friendly as well as research friendly?

 

[Encyclia]

So, it's going to be visible from all sides? That may mean that you would be better off decorating it somehow using free-standing hardscape. If you adhere to one side, it will be pretty ugly on that side. On the other hand, you don't have much front to back depth, and you have a LOT of height. Lighting it will be challenging, regardless. If you do it right, though, a tank with that footprint will look amazing.

What do you mean by "research"? If you let people know what project you are planning, it might help people make suggestions on design.

Mark

 

[Damon Ryan]

I would do a peninsula build with the background facing the left side.


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[katanafreak]

So no acrylic today,... the order was mixed up and they wont have my acrylic in until tomorrow but cant get it cut until Monday. No biggie, gives me the weekend to think over my layout some more.

As for the background, its going to go on the far left side of the tank. The "back" of the tank. Its going to be on the smaller piece of acrylic by the wall of the room, although, the thought of a free standing piece is intriguing!

As for research, I am just going to study the frogs and collect the data of dart frogs in captivity, based on wild dart frogs. I am looking for subtle variations of their wild counterparts and any abnormalities that they pick up. Also ill be testing their genetic code after a time period for mutations and any such changes that the frogs will gain or lose from being in captivity. Not the most exciting stuff, but it will do for my research project for my senior year.

 

[katanafreak]

Plastic just came in today. Cuts are very smooth, barely any saw marks at all on the edges. Prep time will be next to nothing. Got the plastics at Team Plastics in the Cleveland, Ohio area, if anyone is around the area give them a call. Best price on 1/2" thick sheets I could find anywhere, and trust me I spent 3 solid days making phone calls and checking prices on the internet.

Now the fun begins...