New Viv Questions with Pics

[Andry]

Thanks dart345. I will post questions, if I have any, tonight.

[Andry]

Okay, I have taken out the substrate and have cut the part where my new box will go a lot larger now. I plan to make it a shorter box that doesn't stand too tall. Why take up more space with just empty space is what I'm thinking. I will make a complete four sided box to fit in this space with a removable top. I first cleaned out the tank of all substrate (it had a lot) and now I'm letting it dry so that I can silicone the screw on the drain exit hole. Here are my pictures:


From the back of the tank, here is the hole:

[dart345]

Looking good, where is the pump going to pump the water too? Just curious, and as for the box itself, what will you be using to cover that actual box, and the top part?

I myself used 3 flagstones to cover the top part, they make a perftect fit into the background.

[Andry]

I was thinking of adding great stuff to all sides of the box, but I like the idea of the flagstones. I will see if I have some to fit perfectly on there.

The pump pumps the water through a pipe line that goes in through a piece of driftwood that I have. It will trickle down the wood and into the pond. If you have seen the video I posted it shows it on there. Otherwise, Here is a picture of the driftwood:

[Andry]

What I don't know how to do is the mesh for the pond area. What I did last time was cut the mesh around the pond area and cut a larger piece of mesh to go over the edges of the pond area and I glued it down using a glue gun. Would this be okay?

I plan on using great stuff to add a line of it all around the mesh around the sides so that the substrate won't fall through the sides to my bottom. I will also do this around the front of the pond area where the mesh meets the glass. I did this before and it seems to hold it in place well without any danger of the frogs getting trapped underneath the mesh somehow. I don't mind it being in view because I plan on painting the entire bottom section black all the way to where the substrate starts.

Any objections to this?

Oh and BTW, I have added aquarium sealer to the drain piece and waiting for it to dry now.

[Andry]

Here's the drain piece siliconed in this time and accessible in case anything else happens:

[dart345]

looks good I am sure you know this, but test it out with water before you place the pump and the box over the plug.... Hate to see you do all that work and then only to rip it out again.

[Andry]

Well this time it's accessible, in case I have the same problem over again. It's kind of hard to test without a cap to the tube that goes under the tank. I would need to screw in the valve which I will probably do before I add substrate and all. Right now I am working on the box.

[froggsong]

Make sure you let the silicone cure before putting water in the tank. Hopefully the DAP won't be a problem fr you. There have been alot of reports that it doesn't cure properly... That's why we always recommend the GE type I or II silicone. As long as you let it cure fully before adding water, it should be ok though.

The mesh for the pond doesn't HAVE to go all the way to the glass. If you have it go down so that there is enough of it to anchor it down with gravel, that will be enough. That way you can leave that part unpainted so you can see into the water from the outside.

For the pump box, I think your idea sounds good. Let me be sure I'm getting it right. The box will be a cube that fits into the open spot and is easily removable to maintain the pump, right? I think that's a great idea. That way you can put some filtering material inside the box to filter before it gets to the pump so the pump doesn't clog. It will be easy to change the media because the entire box comes out.

I'm going to read over everything again to be sure I didn't miss anything, but I'm going to go ahead and post this now. Sorry I'm late, the husband and I were taking a walk and I forgot my phone.

[dart345]

I understand,, hmm, perhaps a end cap that would fit that threading? I just really hate to see there be a leak, I had a problem installing 2 drains and when I filled it up with water half way it seemed great then when I filled it up to top where it needed to be, that was when I started to see a leak.

As for the fiberglass mesh, did you find it yet? Just in case you didnt, you can find it in the door section aisle where they sell replacement screens for the patio doors and what not. It has to be fiberglass mesh, I purchased a somewhat fine screen I think the finest one they had. I am almost positive they have different types of size mesh but I didn't really look, since what I need was right in front of me.