New Viv Questions with Pics

Andry · #1 (**permalink**) 06-23-2010, 05:08 PM

This is my first viv with false bottom with a water feature. I will have a waterfall and a small pond. The pond and drain and pump are all on the right half of the tank. Wouldn't it be better to make it just half the tank water on bottom instead of letting the water flow throughout the whole entire bottom? I was thinking I can put a line of silicone down the bottom middle of the tank and then put great stuff on top of that like a barrier so that the water will stay on one side of the tank. The great stuff barrier would be under the egg crate. Would this work instead of getting a piece of plexi glass cut for separation? I see people put silicone directly to the tank before adding great stuff, I assume because the great stuff won't stick directly to the glass, am I right?

If I do separate the two with Great Stuff, does the land section just need the LECA under the egg crate and does the water section not need LECA, just water only?

Here are pictures of what I have so far:

The water fall is going to come out of the wood on the right side. A whole is already drilled in the wood through the bottom.

I had a hole made on the bottom of the tank and I have the drain pipe to put in that spot. This is to clean the water when it gets dirty.

Grimm · #2 (**permalink**) 06-23-2010, 05:15 PM

I dont have time to respond to the questions rite now...But I do have time for one thing....Can I has that piece of driftwood? Its awesome!

Andry · #3 (**permalink**) 06-23-2010, 05:50 PM

Thanks Grimm! I did find a great piece last week. I've soaked it in water and chlorox and baked it at 250. I don't know why I did what I did, just following what people say on these forums...hahaha, I feel like a total idiot. I should have taken a picture of it before I had to saw off the top tip about 3-4 inches of it. That tip was even longer and beautiful. But it didn't fit in my tank. It took me hours to sand it down to be smooth all over. That tip in the GS on the background is the tip I cut off the top of the driftwood.

Grimm · #4 (**permalink**) 06-23-2010, 07:27 PM

K now that I'm home here goes....

The more water you have in a viv, the easier it is to maintain. This is because less water changes are needed since there is just more volume to become "dirty". The water will take more time to become stained with substrate/wood tannins. More water is gooder! Therefore no need to section off the false bottom.

As for the false bottom leca question. I havent built one just yet, but I have my next falsebottom viv all planned out in my head so I can at least explain to you what I would do in your situation....1st, under your large flat eggcrate piece, you do not need any leca. I would have 2 pieces of eggcrate slopped down inside the top cutout, then add egdes around the perimeter of the large top piece. Then wrap the created eggcrate "box" in some sort of window screen or mesh. The screen will prevent your leca balls, and substrate from entering the water section and clogging your pump.

So now that you have created this "mesh covered box" you are left with about a 1" gap in between your eggcrate box and glass. Now all you have to do is add the leca balls up to the top of the eggcrate box, and then add substrate ontop of everything else. All the eggcrate will be hidden by the leca so it will give you a clean, tidy, and natural look.

Andry · #5 (**permalink**) 06-23-2010, 08:59 PM

Thanks for your reply Grimm, but I don't think I'm understanding. I know I put leca on top of the eggcrate and under the substrate, but do I put leca under the eggcrate as well? Where the water will be? Or leave that space open for just the water?

When you say box, I make the box going down, right? Like towards where the PVC is. Let me take a picture of what I'm doing...

k so the way I did on the side here is what you mean to do all around? Then put the mesh over this box, then the leca then the substrate, right?

Andry · #6 (**permalink**) 06-23-2010, 09:00 PM

Also, I was thinking of painting the glass black all the way around the bottom so that the eggcrate won't show.

Grimm · #7 (**permalink**) 06-23-2010, 10:51 PM

Yup you got the right idea

No balls under the crate, just around the edges that you are adding. Thats how I'm going to be doing mine at least lol...

Painting looks good also. im not a fan of leca balls as they are very unnatural looking. I might just use aquarium gravel/sand instead.

Actually with your design, it would be better to use gravel because it will allow you to form the slope in your water section. Take a look at Demonic's pumilio build thread and you will see what I mean. He used the same design and also used gravel for the water section.

dart345 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-27-2010, 11:57 AM

You know I was suppose to cut my egg crate a inch away from the glass in the front so the egg crate would not show... Well Unfortunately I did not , and well I think it is visible to a extent..

However I started thinking for those with a water feature, what if you purchased a aquatic plant that has a tendency to show new growth in the water, so that it can grow underneath the egg crate material, and thus naturally hiding the egg crate. I thought it be a natural way to go, plus beneficial to have the plant filter anything on the bottom. Seems a way to go if you have a separate area for the water pump

jpstod · #9 (**permalink**) 06-27-2010, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dart345

However I started thinking for those with a water feature, what if you purchased a aquatic plant that has a tendency to show new growth in the water, so that it can grow underneath the egg crate material, and thus naturally hiding the egg crate. I thought it be a natural way to go, plus beneficial to have the plant filter anything on the bottom. Seems a way to go if you have a separate area for the water pump

Not really understanding what you mean by this.

However I can tell you that even Water Plants need light to grow. So you can't but them underneath the egg crate covered by soil.

Eventually algae, moss and plants can cover the egg crate so it does not show or at least appear bright white.

dart345 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-27-2010, 01:05 PM

Well if my pics help show it the first one shows a depiction of how i wanted the plants set up with the water feature.

Second pic shows the orange box where leca balls be, then a mesh, then olive green box depicts where the soil will be.. this will level it out with the water feature to some extent. The water feature is on the right side, and will be housing some aquatic plants.

On the right side of the water feature, I did create enough space to add leca balls to help cover the false bottom, then I chose to go with the aquatic plants, I thought they could act like a filter and work there way on the bottom. I know this setup does not work for everyone, but it should work for what i have.

Being that its my first tank, I learn from my mistakes, and after having and maintaining a terrarium, I think my next build I can come up with a more economical way of building a terrarium with easy access, cosmetic looks, and use of limited space.

If you need more help trying to understand let me know, I had written a detailed explanation only to hit the wrong key and LOOSE all that was typed!