15 Gallon ExoTerra Journal (Pics)

[angry-monkey]

Hey Sharkdude, welcome mate, any suggestions just shout! I like the exoterra background but I’ve seen vivs without and it looks just as good, personal preference really, I also wanted something on at least one side for a sense of security for the frogs. Have to say though, I like the way it looks once it’s covered with coco fibre (but raw looking without?). What are ya gonna keep?

I filled the false bottom today and tested the pump, its nice if not a bit loud! Siphoning to AGES, need a bigger siphon! Tell me what ya think folks!

[captaincarot]

THIS IS YOUR FAULT MONKEY.
i had to go out and buy another viv, got an exo terra 24x18x24 to re house some of my tree frogs in so i will set up a construction journal when i have got the design correct. your's is coming along nicely.

[angry-monkey]

Ha, sorry Carot! Well im sure theres worse things you could be doin!? Lookin forward to seeing you journal! Any suggestions on mine so far?

I collected some moss today from a hedge today, i thought it looked really nice compared to the spagnum i could buy in the garden centre, so i said i'd mount it onto some rock, on cocofibre, on spagnum and on wood and just see if it takes hold to any of them. I doubt it'll be able to handle the heat or light levels in the viv (being from ireland) but feck it, we'll give it a try, it was FREE! It should be ok for the frogs right? Its from an area where theres no pesticides?

[Waterkeeper]

If a pump is rattling loud on the bottom of the tank, put a piece of felt under it. I silicon a piece to the bottom of all of my sump pumps to keep them from rattling on the bottom tank. If it shuts up my 2400gph then it should help with this little rattler...
cool setup, keep us posted.

[Green Ghost]

Looks great so far. Keep on posting pics!

[captaincarot]

if you're in ireland then the moss will grow on very well out side, either that or fill a bowl with compost thoroughly soak it and then stick it on your window sill and keep it nice and wet.
my friend put some manchester moss in a fire bellied toad viv and it took really well.

[angry-monkey]

Thanks for all the advice guys (and girls to be politically correct just in case)!

Cheers Waterkeeper, i popped some rubber hose under the pump and its running like a dream! Thanks for the tip!

Green Ghost, thanks, im trying to get it built asap but ya know yourself, every day i have a new idea and growing the pesticides out of the plants is PAINFULLY slow! I'll keep'em coming (driving up to a plant nursery tomorrow to get pothos and some ferns and ill pop up that when i have then re-potted )

Cheers Carot, put them up on the window sill when i got back from work and drown them!! Cheers for the advice, i hope they can handle the heat!?

[angry-monkey]

Hey, sorry about the slow progress! I bought some Pothos, English ivy and two small pink polka-dot plants (bit girly but its some colour right?!) in the plant nursery last week. I’d been in looking for Pothos before but they had none so this time he remembered me as ‘the FROG guy’ and had one put away for me, nice guy! It was labelled as 26 euros (around 41 dollars, Ireland is ridiculously expensive now!!!) but he said since id been in before, and they didn’t have it, he’d give me it for €6 ($10)!!!! First thing I thought was wow, that’s a MASSIVE loss for him but when I got it home and went to re-pot it the roots were 98% rotten , but for 6 quid, I’m not complaining! I chopped all the rotten stuff away so fingers crossed it’ll live, I hear Pothos would survive ANYTHING so I’m confident.

So I washed and re-potted everything in coco-fibre and I’ve been watering and spraying the leaves all week. The plant guy said November was the last time pesticides were used on the plants and that standard water was all they’d used since so I’d say give it another week and wash them off again and plant up the viv? What do you think folks?