Dart Den

i went and got a 36 gallon bow front .i think it will be a good starter.im going to get a pair of blue azureus for it as soon as i have the tank and food source established.im hoping to get some input from everyone on my journey!as well as give others a few pics,and usefull info,just as i have found by looking at other peoples posts.

first i did a mock-up with the eggcrate for the false bottom,i decided to add a pvc pipe on the left side for a humidifier,i also made a open area across the top for any water tupe changes i might want to change,then i decided to make a void on the right side so i can change or service a pump or filter without disrupting the immediate tank.(fastened with zip ties)


next i put the ge black 100% silicone on the back and sides using a putty knife(i put it on thick!) 2 1\2 tubes....do this in well ventalated area


then i put some fiberglass screen over the false bottom to prevent anything falling through.fastend it with a needle and fishing line!



after this i prepared the the tank floor. i placed pvc pipe to help with the weight of anything i might put in the tank later(i also notched each one so water wouldnt get trapped in them). i went ahead and put a underwater heater in it and made sure i could change the temp easy through my access on the right side.


before i put the false bottom in i cut some silicone off the right side so i can veiw the pump,water level,and heater(so i can see completely under the false bottom)



then i set up the false bottom and put the rest in place(i siliconed around the bottom and the side and the back) i made it to where there is a half inch gap in between the false bottom and the front of the tank.so i can put rocks there to hide the false bottom(i wedged stuff in there to hold everything in place till the silicone dries) plus i threw the extra peices of eggcrate in the back for added support for the heavy rocks



i went down to the river a block away from my house and managed to find some decent rocks.....i then took them to work and sprayed them off(you can do this at a car wash to get all the nasty stuff off). then i boiled them till the water evaporated.then did it again!(took an hour roughly) my wife was not happy ! it stinks like a creek! then i took them to the sink and used bleach water to kill germs (10% bleach 90%water)



next i layed the tank on the back side (over a towel) i sprayed a can of great stuff foam spray on the back walls and covered everything thouroghly then placed the rocks where i wanted them9i will add another can tommorow after the first can cures)make sure to do this some where ventalated and easy to clean in case of a mess which is inevitable!

Very nice Aaron!!!

when i get this thing up and running how do i keep it from filling up with too much water? if i mist wont it just keep adding more and more water or will it dissipate since ill have plants

looks great - I think some water will evaporate and some will be used by plants (hopefully someone more knowledgable will answer in more detail though).

You'll either have to siphon the excess water out or drill the back of the tank for a bulkhead drain. I drilled mine and installed a bulkhead that drains when the water gets to a certain point. I just connected a tube from the drain to a container under the tank.
Scott

well i cut the silicone off the right side so i can see under the false bottom .i guess ill keep checking it and ill have a extra hose off the pump that i can open to drain some water ...


thank you for the help!

here is a pic of the back.i did it this way so i would be able to change out tubing ,heaters,filters ,or pumps,ext...

i got a bag of river rock from a local pet shop,and a few bags of accent stone from dollar tree.i filled it with gallon jugs of spring water.i am having trouble though with the waterfall .i have a single line comming from the pump and then a T fitting spliting it into two places for the waterfall,but it will only have water come from one or the other......any help?

updates.........

Very impressive....

here are more pics.......


mold came and went..............



i have white worms that must have came from a plant,i have astablished springtails.my bromes are getting yellow so i was thinking about maybe some kind of organic fertilizer(since i have no frogs yet)i have had ff cultures going since i planted the tank so i think i have that down :wink:


thanks for your comments.............................

I love your vivarium, I hope my turns out something like that. Hope to see more vivariums from you in the future.

Wow! this is just so well done! I love it!

thanks peeps................................

hey! a few pics for ya.........................


right away it seemed they were playing ..rock-paper-scissors!
to see who was going first

then one set off to explore!

the little fella went on an unescorted tour!



no one told me about all this toe tapping hock: [SIZE="4"]whoa![/SIZE]

a few more.........................


this was at 5:30am! guess they are early risers!


i turned on the light in the room and they looked like they were ready to eat!

that is one awsome set up!! congrats and those are some beautiful frogs you got there

**is a little jelous!** haha

Wow hock: that tank is amazing, nice job.