in the process...

[jocyburns]

of making an 80 g glass viv , w/ latcrete , silicone , cork , tree fern panels , and t.f. panels w/ epi. orchids and epi. ferns started. false bottom , in corner dicuising pump tubes and wires to be accesable w/ live cork panel. in the middle , i made a sea glass mosaic w/ latcrete. in the back i'm just gonna make a rainwall and mabey a slow water fall down a peice of ghost wood. i am looking for some good advice on substrate. i have a couple bricks of corse coir , sphagnum , magnolia leaves. i'm gonna pick up ph tester this week. i'm hesitant to use fertiliser. though i was at a plant dealer convention , and found a completly organic fertiliser, and i'm tempted to try just a tiny little bit , before i put any animals in it. i want to let the viv run it's course a while , before i add the darts. i'm also looking for very high humidity and heat friendly moss, i may have to go strate to the source , and look for a dealer , unless anyone knows an easier way. i must say i don't like fake wood, unless they use several colors and textures. and correct lighting , i can spot fake sculpted wood amile away, and it (to me ) takes the nature out of it , unless your really talented. i just can't find the right material to use for sculpting.any suggestionsappriciatedjocyburns

[Tindomul1of9]

Hi,

what kind of dendros are you looking to get?
Magnolias and oak leaves are accepted and favored as substrates. They provide lots of humidity, and places for food items to culture themselves like sprintails. They also let the frogs come out and play more often because they feel safer knowing they can dive into the substrate at a moments notice.

Also, I really like your idea on backgrounds and waterfalls. I hope to see your finished product soon.
Tropical moss is sold in many places, but temprate moss also does well in high temps. They just need lots of light.

[lostriver]

You can use Java moss, but it is a bit scraggly and grows longer than the tropical mosses on a substrate floor. It needs a lot of trimming. On the high side, if you don't like it, it rips off easily. I like it best when it climbs water falls and drip walls, where it does a great job of filtering the water. I generally have a heck of a time growing the tropical pillow or sheet mosses-- probably not enough light and ventilation for them. Once in awhile they will take hold in one particular area, but in general, mine never really thrive all over, least of all where I really want them to grow. Then on occasion some kind of short moss will show up "spontaneously," and thrive on a substrate. I have one of these now that cropped up in a nursery/quarantine tank for froglets that has a shallow base of wet cocoanut fiber. I have no idea what it is, but will try to transplant it to one of the more permanent tanks and see what happens from there.

[Landon]

sounds promising jocy, definatly share pics. you should be able to find ghost wood at vivarium concepts or at black jungle. ive gotten satisfactory pieces/boxes from both locations, but have had better luck with exquisit pieces from the former.

for substrate, i like to use a mix that goes like this:
4 parts peat
4 parts organic top soil (trying a couple batches wiht organic compost here)
1 part leaf litter (magnolia or oak)
1 part sand or flourite
this is usually covered by a combination of leaf litter and moss.

if you have some water sensitive plants you could always place orchid bark around their base for even better drainage.


as far as a definaite substrate choice it should vary based on the plants you are using. some of my tanks are run with only flourite with a layer of leaf litter over.