Joined
·
206 Posts
Hey everyone. After making my first vivarium I realized I wasn't quite happy with it and wanted to start over. So I'm planning to get a 36x18x24 exo-terra, and I want to try the buttress root look for this one. I think I'm not going to include a water feature on this one. I like the look of them, but I decided they take up too much floor space for terrestrial frogs. So I'll post my plans for this new build, and I'm hoping you guys will chime in with suggestions!
I really want to keep this vivarium simple and elegant. I think I want one big tree right in the center and I might do no background. Maybe I'll make some vines to trail down the tree trunk. If I do include a background, I'll just use ecoweb and grow one or two varieties of creeping plants (I'm thinking creeping fig and oak leaf creeping fig, along with riccia maybe). I'm leaning towards no background right now though, for a cleaner look. Around the base of the tree, I'll plant a few similar varieties of ferns, selaginella, and some creeping ground cover plants. I want to include a few orchids, but I'm unsure about how/where to plant them right now.
Inside the tree trunk I'll have a PVC pipe with a computer fan in it to circulate air inside the tank. I'm thinking of having one intake at the base of the tree and one or two outflows at the top of the tree, pointed towards the front glass to help keep it clear. I'll have a false bottom with egg crate, and the substrate will be ABG mix with leaf litter on top. I'll have a mist-king misting system too.
I also want to drill a hole and install a bulkhead somewhere at the bottom for water drainage. I suppose I could attempt this myself, but maybe to be on the safe side (since I'm afraid of messing up) I'll call around to see where I can have this done.
Here's a sketch of my plan for the buttress tree placement and an idea of the air vent locations.
And here's the beginning of the buttress roots. I have a lot of carving to do...
I really want to keep this vivarium simple and elegant. I think I want one big tree right in the center and I might do no background. Maybe I'll make some vines to trail down the tree trunk. If I do include a background, I'll just use ecoweb and grow one or two varieties of creeping plants (I'm thinking creeping fig and oak leaf creeping fig, along with riccia maybe). I'm leaning towards no background right now though, for a cleaner look. Around the base of the tree, I'll plant a few similar varieties of ferns, selaginella, and some creeping ground cover plants. I want to include a few orchids, but I'm unsure about how/where to plant them right now.
Inside the tree trunk I'll have a PVC pipe with a computer fan in it to circulate air inside the tank. I'm thinking of having one intake at the base of the tree and one or two outflows at the top of the tree, pointed towards the front glass to help keep it clear. I'll have a false bottom with egg crate, and the substrate will be ABG mix with leaf litter on top. I'll have a mist-king misting system too.
I also want to drill a hole and install a bulkhead somewhere at the bottom for water drainage. I suppose I could attempt this myself, but maybe to be on the safe side (since I'm afraid of messing up) I'll call around to see where I can have this done.
Here's a sketch of my plan for the buttress tree placement and an idea of the air vent locations.

And here's the beginning of the buttress roots. I have a lot of carving to do...
