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GO BIG OR DON'T GO AT ALL just kidding
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GO BIG OR DON'T GO AT ALL just kidding
#1
I have been doing my research for about 3 months now and I am getting ready to start. I have 120 gallon acrilic tank that I will be using. I will be using two canaster filters one to supply the watter feature and the other to do a drip wall. I will use cork bark on most of the wall with some help from great stuff to hold branches and a little sculpting. I was wondering about misting. If I do need misting I will run a set up 5 gal bucked set-up ext. I would like a good amount of plants. Is all this to much water the drip wall, water fall, and misting? P.S. the tank does have two holes for under gravel filters wich I will use and three holes for filters one the drip wall two the watter fall and the thrird misting lines "if needed". do not want over saturate the plants and frogs.
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#2
You stole my name, kind of. It all depends on the way you set up the drip wall. But I would still add at least one misting head to get the humidity to spike. Plus it will fill up the broms if you are planning on planting any.
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#3
Sorry about the name but that is really me "I AM THE VOODOO MAN". Thank you vary much. I think I will go with 2 misting heads one in each of the two front top corners. Will that be good to water the tank? I also am not planing to a false bottom because of the under gravel filters but I will use the florescent crate lighting stuff just to help hold the terra lite. I will use terra lite and gravel. I do not like to see the clay balls on the glass so gravel there. The plastic mesh and then orchid bark. Is orchid bark the best stuff?
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#4
Hows things coming along with the tank?
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#5
Slow I enjoy taking my time still working on the plumbing and lighting want to get that going first any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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#6
120 gallons might take a while to mist, but I think that time is well spent. You can save a few bucks and just get a pump preasure sprayer from home depot or similar store. Mist systems are expensive I think because of the strong pump needed to run a mist nozzle. Plus with a drip wall that will bring the humidity up a lot.
How are the undergravel filters gonna work? I only see how they would work in an aquarium, but in a vivarium, Im not sure.
What lighting are you considering? I suggest compact fluorescent lighting. The only downside is heat, some need to raise CF lights off the tank a couple inches to keep the heet down.
Well hope I helped some. nite nite time.

-Frank
[Image: Frank4.jpg] [Image: frank1.jpg]
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#7
I want to run a 2 head mist system 5 gallon bucket with R.O water and a heater. Do you think that will be enough? There will be a water fall emptying into a small pond. There will be one filter under the gravel. Filter gravel and tera lite then the screen and ???? orchid bark???. there are two holes on the bottom of the tank. The under gravel filter goes there and feeds the canaster filter,"I will be using one now because of the high gph out put. One canaster filter will feed the wall and water fall." the canaster sits inside of the cabinet and pumps up the water. The water will then go into a T splitter and feed the wall and the Great Falls of Truth. What do you think of the name? just kicking it around. I was also thinking of using regular fluorescent lighting. I got a 4 light ballast from work all complete except for the lights. Can't beat the price free. I have a local hydroponics store "got to love those hippy growers :wink: " and they told me that would be fine the only problem I will have is my plants might be slow growers. Not a problem for me less pruning. I am building a canopy of the top of the tank and the lights will go in there. How is this sounding to you people out there? Please keep asking questions and making suggestions YOu are helping me tons. :twisted:
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#8
Sounds good. Your humidity should be fine with a waterfall and 2 nozzles.
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#9

We went BIG!
We just finished this tank for the Hockaday School in Dallas.
It measures 72"L x 34"W x54"H.

[Image: DSCN3185_edited.jpg]

Cindy Dicken
Vivarium Concepts
www.vivariumconcepts.com
www.rainforesthabitats.com
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#10
Very very nice. I especially like the background, what is it made from? What is going into the tank?

Luke
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#11
Hi Luke.
Glad you like the tank.

We threw a little bit of everything at this background, corkbark, CocoS panels, and of course, spray foam covered with ground coco fiber with cypress embedded.

We will be putting leucomelas, and ventrimaculatus in this tank.

Cindy Dicken
Vivarium Concepts
www.vivariumconcepts.com
www.rainforesthabitats.com
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#12
O.K it has been a while but I have been working on my viv. I take an artist approach to making my viv. I did serve in the military in Panama and I fell in love with this one spot that is my inspiration for my viv. I plumb the tank like I planed it worked out GREAT. I used a zoo med 501 turtle filter. My tank was a fresh water tank and had two holes drilled in the bottom. I patched one hole and used the other for the water to the filter and split the water tube going out of the filter into two tubes one to the waterfall and the other to my drip system which is a manifold and eight drip tubes. I then spent a week or two placing the drift wood once I was happy I used great stuff to hold it in place. Forgot I did spend two weeks finding the right wood. I then placed cork bark in spaces and foamed the back to make it stay in place. When that was dry I foamed the rest of the back ground and tried to form the foam into the bark and wood the drip system was in place before I started foaming. I am now cutting places out for large plants. The next step is silicone and coco bedding mixed with moss on the foam. I want to try a 90% to 10% mix of coco to moss. I like the coco on the foam but I think it would look more natural to break it up with a little moss and then let it grow as it will. Any more help or suggestions of the next step or steps would be greatly appreciated. Forgot do not have a digital camera will post pic when I get them developed
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#13
Voodoo,
after you get your background the way you want it, all of your water lines laid out the way you want , then you start working on the flase bottom, if you are going to have one, if not add you drainage layer and start building it up from there.

Cindy Dicken
Vivarium Concepts
www.vivariumconcepts.com
www.rainforesthaitats.com
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#14
any secrets on the coco bedding covering the foam? How about the 90% coco and 10% moss or close to that has any one done that? I will not use a false bottom but I will use the clay balls and the light grade to help hold the shape of land together. Any help would be great. I will start the bottom soon maybe next weekend.
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#15

I would be inclined to use tree fern fiber mixed with coco, instead of moss. Tree fern fiber will green up USUALLY quicker than moss, depending on wht type of moss you are using. Also depending on what type of moss you are using it may or may not green up and grow, or it may start to break down.


Cindy Dicken
Vivarium Concepts
www.vivariumconcepts.com
www.rainforesthabitats.com
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#16
I'm not familiar with tree fern fiber. I do want the moss to grow. Where is a good place to read up on moss and tree fern fiber? I do like to read and do my research but have not had much luck on this subject. I have looked at The Black Jungle but not much moss and not much info. Any help would be great. I do really like your large viv. The water feature is great and I love the bark and mixed back ground/wall.
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#17
Well I changed the little filter to a large one a Rena Xp2. The back wall is watered great and water fall was tuff but got is going beautiful. All plants are doing great orchids, bromes, ferns, aqueducts and moss. They need filling in but with time the will take care of that. I put an exhaust fan on one of the top lids to help cool the tank. " It gets hot here in So Cal." My humidity stays at 80-90% the heat stays at 80 I have an in line heater for the water. It goes from the water leavening the canister filter through the heater to the water distribution thing for the drip wall and the falls back into the canister filter viva under gravel filter. Every thing has been vary healthy. I put tetras in the water and they have been vary healthy. So a couple more week of letting this settle and frogs. I still want to do a misting system before the frogs go in. That should be easy I have found it should only cost about 50 or $60. I still want some mini bromes where can I find the best prices? Don't yell at me Cindy haha.
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#18
Pictures...pictures, we want pictures!
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#19
I know I NEED A digital camera. I am working on it, but I have this expensive hobby I just keep buying plants, pumps, lights, fans, frogs. I think I need a support group Dart Frogs Anonymous
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#20
OK the ever popular question HOW MUCH LIGHTS?????? All my plants are doing OK not great I know I am lacking lighting I have two 40 watt fluorescents in there now full spectrum from the local hydroponics place. I am going to put a 125 full spectrum florescent light in there in addition. Now those hippies are telling me for a 150 gallon tank i.e. 60"long 18"wide 20"tall I should be looking at 400 watts of lighting!! That just seems like way to much. I think are use to growing something a little different if you know what I'm saying. I do want my plants to fill in the tank and look good but I do not want my frogs to wear SPF50 and ray-bans. I would love a little help. Pictures will be soon.
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