29 Gallon PDF Build!

Ellylove · #1 01-16-2011, 02:40 AM

After lots of research, I've started my build. So far, I have the 29 gallon tank, background done (it's almost dry! Yay!), all my plants are here and ready, substrate is assembled, and lighting has been decided.

Lighting:
I'll be using this light
(PLEASE tell me if that seems like a bad idea!)

Substrate:
I'm mixing cocofiber (coir), peat moss, charcoal, orchid bark, and Black Gold's Natural & Organic Potting Soil (screened earthworm castings, Canadian Sphagnum peat moss and perlite. I'll be baking or microwaving this before adding it to the mix so nothing unwanted grows).

This mix will sit atop 2.5-3" of LECA divided by fiberglass screen

Plants:
Climbing Ficus

Unknown Vine

Verigated heart fern

Lemon Button Fern

Palm

Pink Polka Dot Plant

Wandering Jew & Random Vine

Pilea 'red stem tears' & Macodes petola (Both from Josh's Frogs)

Cryptanthus 'Corrine"

Cryptanthus 'Pink Starlight'

Cryptanthus 'Ruby'

Cryptanthus 'Nova Star'

Neoregelia 'Olens'

Neoregelia 'Pheasant'

Phalaenopsis Orchids

My friend is getting me some riccia as ground cover and I also have some dried live oak leaves for the areas without moss.

Background:
I decided to use the Titebond method after reading Grim's posts on it. I am SOOOO glad I did! I LOVE how it turned out! The more it dries, the more natural it looks. I put it on about 1/4" thick max in some places so it is taking a few days to dry, but the cracks look so nice!

I started with a HUGE sheet of styrofoam insulation which I cut to the demnsion of the back wall of the tank. I wanted to be able to remove the background if at some later date I want to change it, and I didn't want to have to deal with curing a million layers of Great Stuff and spreading black silicon all over the place. I "carved" the foam piece with a styrofoam file to make it rougher so the GS and Titebond/peat could stick to it. I did use a little GS to attach grape vine pieces and add some depth. I will be using silicon to attach the background in key places and covering the exposed pink styrofoam with black aquarium background on the outside of the tank. After the carving, GS, and curing, I added a mix of Titebond III wood glue and peatmoss. The Titebond mix went on fast and looks great IMHO. I think the vines will really be able to grab onto it. The 3 largest pieces of grapevine will be homes for the 3 orchids.

After some shaving:

After some shaping:

What a mess! (Good thing my husband was in the field that day...)

Tomorrow I'll be siliconing the background inside the tank and making my glass lid (I used to do stained glass so $10 frame from Big Lots + silicon= cheap lid). I won't be able to get the light till Tuesday since Monday is a holiday, but I'll get the substrate and plants in the tank before then (assuming the titebond is 100% dry and the silicone is cured)

Ma77hew7 · #2 01-16-2011, 03:09 AM

Ellylove,
Looking promising, I do have plant questions though. With all those great plant selections, where are you going to put them all? Based on what I can see, it looks like a lot are all going to be terrestrially planted,(w/ exception to those beautiful Neoregelias). I did not see any places build into the background to hold potted plants. I know that some could, and will go right in epiphytically... I just thought the background could get some more love

I'm into ridiculous backgrounds, but less can be more too. Thanks!

Ellylove · #3 01-16-2011, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ma77hew7

Ellylove,
Looking promising, I do have plant questions though. With all those great plant selections, where are you going to put them all? Based on what I can see, it looks like a lot are all going to be terrestrially planted,(w/ exception to those beautiful Neoregelias). I did not see any places build into the background to hold potted plants. I know that some could, and will go right in epiphytically... I just thought the background could get some more love

I'm into ridiculous backgrounds, but less can be more too. Thanks!

The Cryptanthus will all be planted at the base of a large grapevine piece I have. The heart fern will be in one corner right against the background and the lemon button fern will be against the grapewood and background. The neoregelias will be attached to the grapewood piece and the orchids will all be on the background. I'm going to try to get some of the vines to hang and grow down from the "bumps" on the background and the extra grapevie pieces. I opted not to include potted plant spaces in the background because I was worried about drainage. Here's my layout thus far: (keep in mind I'm no longer including the middle brom as it's leaves are turning brown and the flower is getting pollen all over the place. The palm will be taking it's place. Also, I layed that out before I got the Cryptanthus and Neogelias) I really want to give the vines room on the BG to fill it in.

Ellylove · #4 01-16-2011, 03:24 AM

Oh, and the Jewel Orchid will be front and center, assuming it bounces back from shipping. It came to me in that condition... I hope it makes it.

Ma77hew7 · #5 01-16-2011, 03:48 AM

Ok, not to be a pain in the neck... But, grape wood is cool for desert, not tropical... Not the best wet climate wood, it will rot/mold on you especially in a Dart habitats requirements. I'm glad to have helped you catch this early... I think everyone hates being the bearer of bad news around here

I hope you have not fallen in love w/ the shape of the grape wood. On a positive note, Black Jungle is having a sale on a lot of the wet habitat wood. I'm hoping to have the funds to buy some ghost wood for my current undertaking to be posted

It's bad apples as far as wood goes imho...

Ellylove · #6 01-16-2011, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ma77hew7

Ok, not to be a pain in the neck... But, grape wood is cool for desert, not tropical... Not the best wet climate wood, it will rot/mold on you especially in a Dart habitats requirements. I'm glad to have helped you catch this early... I think everyone hates being the bearer of bad news around here

I hope you have not fallen in love w/ the shape of the grape wood. On a positive note, Black Jungle is having a sale on a lot of the wet habitat wood. I'm hoping to have the funds to buy some ghost wood for my current undertaking to be posted

It's bad apples as far as wood goes imho...

I've had 2 pieces of grape wood in my dart tank for about 9 months. It did mold, but it was short and went away in about a month. I boiled and baked the pieces I put in the background and the large piece has yet to be boiled and bake. Hopefully this will inhibit fungal growth, but in case it does mold, I have springtails I'll be seeding into the tank (I've heard they LOVE mold) and even if they don't eat it all, the mold doesn't hurt the frogs and will go away in a few months. I'm not really worried about it. Thanks for the heads up though.

Ma77hew7 · #7 01-16-2011, 04:04 AM

Ok, I hope it works out for you. I know its universally frowned upon by most,(in wet habitat viv's), and yet others say its rap is worse than it should be... I expect lots of updates down the road,(so you can change my mind on this one, maybe)

All that aside, I'm excited to see the planting stage! Thanks for the explanation/ visualization of the plant set up, it helped.

Ellylove · #8 01-16-2011, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ma77hew7

Ok, I hope it works out for you. I know its universally frowned upon by most,(in wet habitat viv's), and yet others say its rap is worse than it should be... I expect lots of updates down the road,(so you can change my mind on this one, maybe)

All that aside, I'm excited to see the planting stage! Thanks for the explanation/ visualization of the plant set up, it helped.

I will definitely be doing updates! I've been pretty good about taking pics at every stage (FINALLY! Those poor people that had to jump around during my saltwater tank builds).

I'm so excited to see it all come together! Those Cryptanthus and Neogelias are from someone on ebay (thanks bromman1960!!!) and they are even better than expected! ($15 and free shipping for all of them. That guy is awesome!)

I'm planning on using dry ice to CO2 gas the tank once everything is planted to kill any critters that shouldn't be in there and give the plants lots of fresh air. After that come the springtails and then the frogs.

Do you still think it looks too crowded? Now I'm worried about that.....

Ma77hew7 · #9 01-16-2011, 04:32 AM

Haha, Have you seen my viv's

I love crowded! My initial plant questions were all revolving around, what I was thinking was an empty background... Now that I get it... I'm excited to see it planted, from your explanation & what I can see it looks to be awesome, imho!

Ellylove · #10 01-16-2011, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ma77hew7

Haha, Have you seen my viv's

I love crowded! My initial plant questions were all revolving around, what I was thinking was an empty background... Now that I get it... I'm excited to see it planted, from your explanation & what I can see it looks to be awesome, imho!

I sure hope so! It's turning out even better than expected.