Progress of my Vivarium project!

[TipStylez]

From a dirty abused cracked 20gal, to a half water, half land Vivarium im making for my girlfriend.

This is the 5th day of work on the project. Sorry if i didnt keep you guys updated in the begining but the site was down when i started.

Its a styrofoam background design i made to work like a Vivarium design.

Being filtered by a Wardley - The Sandman (MS) Filter

Whats left to do:
-Will be painting the styrofoam with Quickrete Cement somtime this weekend.
-Sillicone some plastic plants and real rocks to the bottom and land area (going for the low mainance design)
-Fill with water, add some salt and run the filter without Sand, or filter sponge for about 1month to cycle and wait for the pH rise cause by the cement buffering the water to settle.
-Add guppies and ottos, and a firebelly newt? not really shure what to add for the land/water critter yet. Any ideas?

Thanks
-Q

P.S. this is where i got my instructions form to make the styrofoam background.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background3.php

 

[Lobo.]

id say go for a frog... but considering the setup and the idea of low maintenence that might not be a good idea...
a newt or firebellied toad might be neet, or you could adapt the tank for an archerfish and keep insects on the land side
(just kidding, as i think they require more water and are a lil sensitive, correct me if im wrong, my source is about 50 years old (book))

if you want to gross her out, then get a terantula for the land side and add a spot for it to make a burrow! terantulas are relitively low maintenance and would do great with a constant supply of water (depending on the species) they only need crickets or other insects once a week at most from what i hear! :joke:

 

[Emg]

OOOOO...Tip, I'm interested in seeing how your's goes. I just got a viverium tank today from a lady I know. I'm not sure how large the tank is as far as gallons...it's sitting in the back seat of my car right now and I haven't yet measured the dimensions. I'm thinking that it's at least a 20 or 30 gallon size, not sure though. I can't use it for an aquarium, it's not made for that, but I was thinking of a viverium for some dart frogs. I've got all sorts of ideas about how to do the water part...lol...thanks for posting that link on the background...I have lots of styrofoam in the basement...hhmmmmmm.......

Now...if I could just find a place to put this tank in my house, I'll be all set !!

I also picked up an antique 4 gallon by the looks of it...and a couple of 2 1/2 tanks. All of them plus a pump for the waterfall in my viverium ....20$

 

[TipStylez]

Yeah i was thinking to adding a waterfall, got the powerhead and the rubber hoses and everything. But i decided it would be too much and just made a lil river stream from my filter outlet.

I was thinking of adding one more land platform...dont you think the single one looks a lil lonely?

Any ideas on what i should do/add?
---
And i am hopeing alge will grow on the cement, since thats what been happening to alot of ppl with these kinda backgrounds. So the dry area will look nice and grey rock, where the water part will look greenish =]

Thanks
-Q

 

[TipStylez]

id say go for a frog... but considering the setup and the idea of low maintenence that might not be a good idea...
a newt or firebellied toad might be neet, or you could adapt the tank for an archerfish and keep insects on the land side
(just kidding, as i think they require more water and are a lil sensitive, correct me if im wrong, my source is about 50 years old (book))

if you want to gross her out, then get a terantula for the land side and add a spot for it to make a burrow! terantulas are relitively low maintenance and would do great with a constant supply of water (depending on the species) they only need crickets or other insects once a week at most from what i hear! :joke:

Haha, im not a spiderman myself...the lil things give me the shivers thinking there everywhere... :idea2:

I want a green tree frog tho, i use to have one when i was little and i would feed him bugs i catch outside. So fun watching him use his long tounge to catch em. But theres no where i know of to get one...

 

[Emg]

Tips, I've been blessed to have a supplier of dart frogs only about an hours drive from me. With gas prices as they are lately, I don't run up there too often, but it's nice to know they're there. It's where I picked up the 3 darts I have now.

You do have to be careful with darts and water though, they can drown if they fall in and can't get out.

I guess newts would be the best choice if you can get some. I would also add a larger land area on the other side I think....and along the back...so that the water area is in the foreground, with land sort of semicircled around it....does that make sense ??

 

[TipStylez]

yeah i know what your talking about...humm i might look into it. The fish wont need a large open water top anyways...

BTW, Anyone here have DUCKWEED?! i need some =]

 

[TipStylez]

I took up the tip EMG game me, and did a quick 2nd landpice. And decided to build a cave in it =]

Heres the steps if anyone that wants to build one.

Ima sillicone it all togeather then recarve the top so it looks more natrual and smooth.

 

[Lobo.]

ive got plenty of duckweed, but shipping from nashville to seattle might be iffy...if you want to risk it and see if any would survive, il try to send you some, but its hard to believe that there is not any duckweed in your area, for most lfs its considered a pest (as unless you have an angel, it will take over the top of the tank)

if you want me to send you any just pm me your address...

 

[TipStylez]

Someone on the fourms sent me duckweed b4 wraped in soaked newspaper and they survived. But they all got sucked up by my 2 filters when i put them in my 30gal.

Since there wont be much surface water movent in my vivarium i hope they dont get pushed down and end getting sucked up. So il see what happens, you got PM

Thanks alot!
-Q