10G Brackish Crab Tank: Build Log with Pics.

[beefcakemighty]

no problem ran into it looking something up

[Pufferfan]

VIDEO YouTube - Vivarium crabitat.

[froggsong]

Holy Cow! That's awesome!!!!!! I absolutely LOVE it... Do you have any critters in there yet? I just can't get over how well that silicone looks. I may do something like that for my foam rocks, I don't want to do concrete type stuff. That just looks so real. This is one of my faves, for sure!

[froggsong]

And on another note, I think this should be a sticky, I haven't ever seen rocks done this way before, and the way Pufferfan hid the filter also makes it stand out from the pack. I think this is a very good build with really good ideas, and that is should stick around as long as possible...

[Pufferfan]

Thank you im very happy with how it turned out i will add some more pictures of the work if i have them.
No critters yet im waiting for water to cycle

Plans:
3 crabs [as a start] (fiddler or red claw)
2 Bumblebee gobies (any other small brackish fish?)

I will look for some java fern.

I want to go to a plant store and find a big fern to put above the filter.

Thanks for the sticky im glad people will enjoy it.

[beefcakemighty]

looks awesome man!

[Pufferfan]

well im afraid not

the moss is growing white mold... and it turned a pale yellow color.

I got it from petco its called frogmoss

I can think of something to replace it with.. any ideas?

In other news this is how i put together my filter and my water is now Cristal clear!!





I put in two layers of carbon pads, sorry didnt show them but you got the point. then i put one more layer of filtering foam



then about an inch deep of black gravel



and to top it all off!

[beefcakemighty]

i had the white mold problem too in my 50 gallon tank. it grows on the wood and then if theres anything else around it will started to spread....theres two things you cna do leave it and let it go way on it own like i did, but i had to wait like a month for it to go away, not a 2 weeks like most forums say... thank god theres nothing living in my 50 gallon other then some fish for now heh, im planning on cleaning really good a week before we get the croc skins for it at teh end of august...on the other hand you could always pull the wood out and let it soak in bleach for a day then soak it in water for like two day make sure to change the water every day, after that you can bake it for 20 mins or so and that should be the end of any mold growing heh...

[froggsong]

Baking should be enough to get rid of the mold. Also, some air circulation would help. Mold generally grows in a new vive anyway, but having the air circulating (even if it is just the air in the tank, rather than fresh air from outside) will generally get rid of the problem. If you don't want to install PC fans, you can just set a fan to blow into the tank for a few days, and it should help (that should be fine since there are no pets in there yet, plus you wont have to remove everything. It won't hurt to give it a try for a few days, and if that doesn't work try something else).

I did NOT know you had a PLANT planted in your filter! That is the coolest thing! And it makes SO much sense, the plant will aide in the filtration. I just have a sponge in the top of mine, growing a healthy crop of algae, since the water is under one of the heat lights. I LOVE the idea of using gravel and putting a plant in it. That is the best thing about your whole tank, lol... So many people can use that idea! There are so many great things about the way you did everything, but that's my favorite.

[strange_screams]

so why put egg crate in the bottom is your not gonna have a false bottom?