First Construction - Start to Finish

[Nath5]

Originally Posted by beckdg

i believe many of the answers you seek might be in here... my method of building fake / faux rocks

Hey beckdg,

This is the thread that inspired my tank, but as far as I can tell he only mentioned that he used non-toxic acrylic paints. I would love to get a brand name as I am very nervous about choosing the wrong kind and injuring the frogs.

Sorry if I missed the answer somewhere in that thread.

Thanks,
Nathan

[RudeReefer]

Hey guys! I'm the one your talking about in the thread.. I used Liquitex acrylics..You can airbrush them, or use brushes.. Sponges were my fave ... My frogs are still alive and healthy to this day. I notice that your starting date for the project is almost exactly one year later then mine to the day! Cool.. Anyway, looks good.. I've also used the same acrylics on leather jackets and they have been water proof ever since..

[Nath5]

RudeReeder thanks for your quick response. I looked up the brand you mentioned above and had a few more questions, hope you don't mind.

1. Is this the product: Amazon.com: Liquitex Basics Value Series Acrylic Color Sets set of 36: Arts, Crafts & Sewing

2. There appears to be two different types Basics Acrylic and Basics Matt. Which did you go with. http://www.liquitex.com/basicsvaluecolor/

3. How much paint did you need to cover everything? I think I will being using the sponge technique as it seems like it gave you a really nice natural look.

4. Does this paint need to be sealed in anyway?

Thank You,
Nathan

[Nath5]

I have read in many threads about different types of moss (java, riccia, Christmas) that people are using for their tanks. Does anyone have specific varieties that have thrived in a tank with dart frogs? If so please post with the following info:

1. The name (both scientific and common if you have them)
2. A link to where they can be purchased
3. How much it spreads
4. What kind of tank is it
5. If you have pictures that would be awesome.

I know this has been discussed elsewhere but I would like for this thread to contain everything a person needs to know about making one of these tanks in one location so please don't hesitate to post.

Thanks,
Nathan

[RudeReefer]

I used the small jars you see in the photo on this page...
http://www.liquitex.com/ProfessionalColor/
I only used a total of like four colors.. Black, white, and a couple browns and a green.. Thet are listed in my thread for sure. And with the sponge you can blend nicely and cover a lot more then a brush, faster.. Water it down though, or you will have a look thats too painted, too solid or bright.. You'll see.. Just a little water...
Those bottles were at Joanne Fabrics back then...

[Nath5]

Originally Posted by RudeReefer

I used the small jars you see in the photo on this page...
http://www.liquitex.com/ProfessionalColor/
I only used a total of like four colors.. Black, white, and a couple browns and a green.. Thet are listed in my thread for sure. And with the sponge you can blend nicely and cover a lot more then a brush, faster.. Water it down though, or you will have a look thats too painted, too solid or bright.. You'll see.. Just a little water...
Those bottles were at Joanne Fabrics back then...

Thanks,

I will take a look at a few craft stores today or tomorrow and see if I can find the paint.

More questions for you

1. How easy is it for you to completely disassemble the tank.
2. What kind of cleaning does the tank require.

Thanks for being so helpful,
Nathan

[RudeReefer]

It's pretty much fused in there by Habacrete.. I can flush out the water by pumping it out into a bucket.. Have a small aquarium pump running down that overflow area, and keep adding new water as it pumps out.. Sediment will creep down there, but you can easily tip the tank and siphon it out too with a hose... Make a little. Filter bag for you pump to keep it clean too.. Dial your pump down.. If your waterfall splashes a lot, your gonna soak the forest floor way too much,. It was a problem in the beginning.

[Nath5]

Originally Posted by RudeReefer

It's pretty much fused in there by Habacrete.. I can flush out the water by pumping it out into a bucket.. Have a small aquarium pump running down that overflow area, and keep adding new water as it pumps out.. Sediment will creep down there, but you can easily tip the tank and siphon it out too with a hose... Make a little. Filter bag for you pump to keep it clean too.. Dial your pump down.. If your waterfall splashes a lot, your gonna soak the forest floor way too much,. It was a problem in the beginning.

Yea I am a bit worried about the waterfall, I tried to give it a gentle slope outward and am not looking for a huge amount of water going down it but I do hope it doesn't splash to much. I am going to attempt to keep everything modular so that it can be broken down if need be. After looking some more at your wall I think I need to add a few more hiding holes for the frogs as they really seem to enjoy them. Not sure how well i will be able to cut through the concrete but I think I am going to give it a shot.

Thanks,
Nathan

[Nath5]

Its been a few days, had a busy weekend but some progress has been made. I have continued to patch up some of the areas where the concrete was too thin on the back wall as well as adding the nylon screen to the false bottom and concreting the stream bed.

Things to Keep in Mind:
1. I used zip ties to attach the nylon screen to the false bottom, try to make the slits in the screen as small as possible to prevent substrate from falling through into the water supply.

2. Concrete does not stick to Great Stuff very well, so either use an exacto knife to cut the top layer of Great Stuff away or use sand paper to ruff it up some.

3. You will need to use a large amount of concrete to cover all the great stuff, and it will take at least 2-3 layers so don't worry if there are some gaps after the first coat.

Here are some pictures:

Nylon Screen Added and GS Shaped:


Close Up of Nylon Screen:


The Back Side of the False Bottom:


Creek After One Coat:


Creek After Two Coats, Needs Some Smoothing Out:


May start painting soon, I was able to get all the paint supplies I need but I have a few questions first which will be in the next post.

Thanks,
Nathan

[RudeReefer]

I cut away the front of the egg crate by the glass and fused it to the glass so you can see in the stream..but left small areas that the water could seep into the false bottom and not flood the river over... you might be able to see this in my pix ..
Looking great!!!!