[Endagr8]

Hi guys! A while back I traded a friend 6 emperor scorpions for this sweeeeet tank. After a bunch of lurking I decided that it would make a good candidate for my first vivarium. I plan to make a great stuff background with embedded cork and driftwood, similar to the one in the BJ tutorial. And being the recalcitrant fool I am, I've already decided that it's going to have a water feature. I'm not too worried about providing ample floor space. Actually, I'm not even sure if it'll house frogs any time soon; I'm close to being broke after purchasing all of the necessary supplies, and soon I'm moving into an apartment that doesn't allow non-aquatic pets. Most of my research thus far has entailed plants and construction, but after I've completed the tank, I'd be interested in what PDF species and quantity you think might be suitable occupants, even if I won't be able to afford or keep them until May.

Stuff I plan to use:

Unaltered tank:

Silicone:

I'll be back in 24 hours.

 

[johnyrocks]

When apartments say fish only pets, they mean quiet, caged pets, i.e most herps, fish, insects.

 

[gootswa]

Gonna look nice, hope the build goes well for you. Honestly you are better off to let it grow in before you get darts anyways. I have never done that yet, but I would have liked too.
I also agree with johnyrocks, it would be allowed in an apartment for sure.

 

[Endagr8]

johnyrocks, that's what I would have thought too! But when I talked to the lady with the apartment company she was very particular. No animals unless they live completely underwater. And another odd rule is that fish must live in 20 gallon tanks or smaller. I had to argue with her for a bit to get her to allow even an aquatic frog! This is coming from the same "pet friendly" apartment complex that charges something ridiculous like a $200 deposit just to keep a dog or cat (that must weigh less than 80 lbs.). Oh well, I'll be smuggling in a few geckos and tarantulas anyways. And I'm going crazy with plants, since I can have as many of those as I like there.

gootswa, I think that's a really good idea. I'm trying to create an eye-catching tank in the short term, and I can always add some eye-catching inhabitants after the tank has established itself. And boy oh boy, I've got some java moss, Riccia fluitans, oak leaf creeping fig, Rhaphidophora sp., and P. rotundifolia that are gonna take some time to grow in.

 

[ConFuCiuZ]

Have Funn Building your tank and congrats

 

[johnyrocks]

johnyrocks, that's what I would have thought too! But when I talked to the lady with the apartment company she was very particular. No animals unless they live completely underwater. And another odd rule is that fish must live in 20 gallon tanks or smaller. I had to argue with her for a bit to get her to allow even an aquatic frog! This is coming from the same "pet friendly" apartment complex that charges something ridiculous like a $200 deposit just to keep a dog or cat (that must weigh less than 80 lbs.). Oh well, I'll be smuggling in a few geckos and tarantulas anyways. And I'm going crazy with plants, since I can have as many of those as I like there.

gootswa, I think that's a really good idea. I'm trying to create an eye-catching tank in the short term, and I can always add some eye-catching inhabitants after the tank has established itself. And boy oh boy, I've got some java moss, Riccia fluitans, oak leaf creeping fig, Rhaphidophora sp., and P. rotundifolia that are gonna take some time to grow in.

Wow lol, I'll be sure to send you some leg straps to smuggle some things in ;P ! ll jk. But that is one queer lady lol!

 

[mordoria]

Once your tank grows in, you wont even see the frogs. Good way to hide em!

 

[Dew]

I don't think the apartment manager will come in and check if you have tiny little frog. But that is very weird that she would be so strict on pets. I myself living in one, it says to pets, but my manger kindly let me set up frogs. I really can't wait until this is done. You should start a construction journal.

 

[Endagr8]

Tony says: "Great stuff: IT'S GRRRRREAT!"

I don't think the apartment manager will come in and check if you have tiny little frog. But that is very weird that she would be so strict on pets. I myself living in one, it says to pets, but my manger kindly let me set up frogs. I really can't wait until this is done. You should start a construction journal.

She was actually really nice, but it's her job to make sure we understand the company's policies, and my friends and I were especially curious about keeping pets. I'm not sure if they'll ever come in to check our apartment either. But until then, what they don't know won't hurt them.

Here's an update. After siliconing the back wall and portions of the sides, I decided to go ahead and silicone the water feature in, so I could position the stream bed as low as possible to minimize splash and increase its stability (since I'd like it to rest on top of the reservoir). Ironically, I found both driftwood-y pieces of the water feature in the river behind my house, so we'll have to see how they'll hold up in the long term. For the reservoir part, I accidentally cut off a bit too much of the wood with the chainsaw, so I built it up with water feature foam (the black kind) and then smeared it with silicone. Later, I'll probably smear silicone on the insides and embed it with aquarium gravel, just to conceal the inner silicone a bit. Other pieces I'm using include two medium pieces of mopani, and a bunch of cork bark. I tried to position the wood in ways to hold bromeliads and plants without the additional support of toothpicks, paperclips, etc.. I chose not to use the net pots I had purchased; I didn't want to sacrifice any more of the already too shallow 18" of depth than I had to. Anyhow, I played around with wood positions a bit and then GS'd it all in place. I did it all in one application, so hopefully it doesn't crack the tank or expand unevenly. I apologize for not having more pictures of the water feature. It didn't cross my mind to photograph it until it was already in the tank.

Messing around with wood position:

Taped stream bed to reservoir at desired angle and position:

Great Stuff:

More to come next week!

 

[moose35]

looks good man.

i'll be checking on your progress.



moose

 

[gootswa]

Aww yeah, I can already tell that's going to look so nice!

 

[Endagr8]

looks good man.

i'll be checking on your progress.



moose

Thanks moose! Hopefully I can get some good moss growth in mine like you've got going on in yours.

Aww yeah, I can already tell that's going to look so nice!

Thanks! I'm excited to see how it turns out!

 

[Endagr8]

Coco husk chunks/fiber added

Prospective plants:
Aechmea nudicaulis ‘Seidel’
Begonia foliosa
Ficus pumila var. quercifolia
Hydnophytum formicarium
Hydnophytum moseleyanum
Neoregelia ‘Scarlet Charlotte’
Neoregelia sp.
Pellonia pulchra
Peperomia ‘Cupid’
Peperomia ‘Little Red Tree’
Peperomia rotundifolia var. pilosior
Philodendron wendimbe
Pilea ‘Tiny Tears’
Rhaphidophora sp.
Rhipsalis sp.
Riccia fluitans
Selaginella uncinata
Taxiphyllum barbieri

Stay tuned!

 

[Endagr8]

FTS (I've always wanted to say that):

I think it'll look nice when it grows in a bit. I just hope I don't kill off too many of the plants.

 

[heatfreakk3]

Wow looks great. A lot better than my first viv! (Better than most my vivs now! lol)

 

[ConFuCiuZ]

Congrats!!!!!! Looks amazing. Good job. Cant wait to see the viv with the future inhabitants

 

[Hoodsquirrel]

Wow nice, that's looking really good.

 

[Endagr8]

Thanks for the compliments guys! What frogs do you think would do well in here?

 

[ConFuCiuZ]

Im thinking some morph of a tinc, Maybe azureus.

 

[heatfreakk3]

18x18x24 is a perfect size tank. You can put really any kind of dart frog in there you want. Tincs, leucs, auratus, thumbs, pumillio, any of them would work well in there (though not together of corse). I've always been a fan of tincs myself.