Supplies I have, and what I still need to get started

[tmkuroda]

This is what I have right now:

2 tanks one 15g for a vert and one 29g for a horizontal
5 cans of GS Window and door....had to take back the gaps and cracks cause it was the wrong stuff
4 tubes of 100% Silicone no bioseal
egg crate
weed block
pcv pipe
plexi glass
coco fiber
6 broms
fiscus pumilla
some little palm tree thingy

What I need or think I need:

Can't find the little clay balls so I am thinking about black fish tank gravel... will it do as well?
2 all glass tops for the tanks
wood of some type
moss
ecco terra viv.
and some other type of stuff for the ground besides coco fiber....right?
The first one I am making will not have a water feature. Just a small shallow pond that I will have to suck up every now and then with a turkey baster. It is going to be a QT for the new frogs but still be a viv. The second will house 2 Bronze Auratus. I think for me I am going to buy the ecco terra 18 by 18 by 24. For the other two (not the 15) I am going to have water features so I am going to use the pumps from my old 40L saltwater tanks.
Where is the cheapest umm I mean best place to buy the wood pieces and java moss?

[Frogtofall]

As far as the LECA that you can't find, I found a great alternative. If you go to Home Depot and go to their garden section, they sell "Pea Gravel". Its in a yellow bag and the gravel isn't aquarium pea gravel, but garden style pea gravel, so its bigger. The best part, its $3.50 for a BIG bag. I think the bag may weigh 30lbs or more. Works really well for me.

As for the wood, there is a web site called, kickassdriftwood.com or something like that. They have good pieces for great prices. I've never bought from them, but I would if I needed to.

As for the Java Moss, there are TONS of places you can get it online if you google it. eBay and aquarium supply sites will have it. But the easiest way would be to just go to your local non chain petstore and order some if they don't have it. I just found the gold mine here locally today actually. Picked up a NICE helping of it for $4. Enough to plant a couple of vivs with.

You might also look at Riccia as a ground cover if the ground is gonna be pretty wet. As long as you keep the Riccia moist, it'll grow.

[tmkuroda]

Well looks like I need to take back a $13 bag of aquarium gravel ha ha... Since I am not having a water feature I bought some large grape vine wood. I hope it works for the time being. If it doesn't I can tear it down later... after all, this is just my starter/QT viv and I have found out I have way too many can's of great stuff for the 3 tanks I am doing But I need to have a tank ready in 2 weeks. For the other tanks I will buy some driftwood pieces and do them slowly. I have found out that I have a ton of tanks just sitting around ...I still have a 5 gal, 20 gal and a 55 gal I have found so far in the storage area of the basement and I haven't even looked in the shed yet

I am now waiting for the GS to cure. I did the GS last night at around 8pm so I will wait till Thursday to put the coco bedding stuff on it and give it a longer cure time. I am going to put the plexi glass piece in the bottom today. Should I start trying to water proof the black plastic frame today as well?

[tmkuroda]

oh and another thing.. how do you get the Broms to attach to the wood?

[Cindy Dicken]

Sounds like you are off to a good start.

Keep in mind that some pea gravel has will have limestone in it, and will throw the PH to the high side. You can check the gravel by taking a half gallon of tap water and measuring the PH of it with a test kit, this will be your base reading, make a note of the PH value. Then in that same water add a hand full of your pea gravel, let it set overnight. Then measure the PH of the water that the gravel has soaked in. Noting any deviation from the base reading.

Grapewood is not really suitable for the high humidity of the dart frog vivariums, it will mold. If you don't mind the mold use it, mold will not harm the frogs.

You can attach the bromeliads to the wood by drilling a small hole in the wood and tying it with monofilament (fishing line).

Keep us posted on your progress.

[tmkuroda]

Bought the ALL Glass lid for the door but two problems...
It is a sliver to large
and I have NO IDEA how to attach it as a door! The step by step instuctions was never very clear about it.

[Cindy Dicken]

Tina,
are you trying to use the All Glass lid for a front opening tank?

[tmkuroda]

I had read that you used it for a door but I am not seeing it! So what is the best wat to make a door for a 15g vert? HELP HA HA

[Frogtofall]

For temporary situations, I just bust out the duct tape. Hahaha. But all my doors are getting piano hinges. Thats pretty much it. Silicone it to the glass door, then silicone the other part to the frame of the tank. Glue a little wooden knob on the other side of the door for a handle and you're done. The knobs are like $.60 at Lowes and the piano hinges are from like $5-$10 depending on brand, size and where you get them from. I know Ace Hardware carries them.

[tmkuroda]

well I am going to have to use a little scotch tape for the side of the doors on the Exo Terra cause one side is not as tight as I would like and it is one of the new ones that has the beveled glass. I am VERY happy with the size it is the 18x18x24 and looks huge! I ordered two of the 501 turtle filters for it and the 29g I am doing at the same time in 2 weeks. I figure I will just cut some extra pieces of pcv pipe in half and silicone it to the back and run the hose through it and cover it with GS with no one the wiser for ease of replacing the hose in the future. Make sense????