18x18x24 planted viv w/ DIY backround crestie build

fallenangelfyre · #1 03-11-2011, 02:44 PM

hey guys, time for a new build!
last one was a custom dry desert build for a leopard gecko. this one is going to be a tropical planted viv for either just one male crestie, or maybe a pair of female cresties.
after surfing CL for months looking for a deal on a terrarium or appropriate aquarium i said screw it & just bought everything new at the evil empire of petsmart. so after dropping about $200 at petsmart, wally world, & lowes here's what i came home with:
- 18x18x24 zoo med terrarium (wanted the exo terra b/c they seem a little higher quality, but with a price difference of $100, went w/ the zoo med)
- 18" exo terra compact light topper.
- 2 6500K CFL's
- brick of coco husk
- can of greatstuff big gap (prolly going to need more)
- 2 tubes of GE silicon II (brown)
- 1 large chunk of craft styrofoam (prolly going to need more)
- 10lb. bag of dark color non-sanded grout
- 3 foam paintbrushes

so my vision is to do a hybrid DIY backround of both the styrofoam/grout stonework & GS/silicon/coco fiber BG. leca balls, mesh barrier, & organic mix of some sort covered with leaf litter for substrate. planted with live plants. not sure yet on the species as i've not yet done a planted viv, and need hardy plants that can withstand the trample of the geckos. advice on plants would be appreciated.
also not sure about watering. looking for advice on this. just daily misting? (i know i should do this anyway for the geckos sake) some sort of drip wall maybe? or i was thinking of rigging up one of those home humidifiers like i've seen done on here a few times.
one more thing i need advice on is where to get wood for viv (website) & what type is best suited to withstand the damp atmosphere? the evil empire's selection of vivarium wood was horrendously ugly pieces for way too much moola.
anyway, let me know what you guys think. i'll start working on the BG as soon as i have wood- can't wait!

fallenangelfyre · #2 03-11-2011, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fallenangelfyre

one more thing i need advice on is where to get wood for viv (website) & what type is best suited to withstand the damp atmosphere? the evil empire's selection of vivarium wood was horrendously ugly pieces for way too much moola.

so, after looking at this site: natural branches, i'm liking the cholla, the ghostwood, and the grapewood. anybody know how well these hold up to wet environs?

also, check these out; barkwire, bamboo

beckdg · #3 03-11-2011, 09:26 PM

i'd skip the grapewood and the bamboo. maybe the barkwire too. idk, i'd probably get it to check it out without expectations if i had enough curiosity and a few extra bucks.

i'd suggest you plan on how you'll remove water from the drainage layer. a pvc pipe through your b/g is an easy way to stick a hose down through or you can drill a hole and/or do a standpipe.

watering shouldn't have to be too often. just enough to keep a decent r/h and/or keep the plants happy. fog or mist would be great.

good places to buy... please add to it! ... there's also our site sponsors ... excellent sponsors with excellent products

there's answers to just about anything in here, lol... how it's done... favorite links thread

fallenangelfyre · #4 03-11-2011, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beckdg

i'd skip the grapewood and the bamboo. maybe the barkwire too. idk, i'd probably get it to check it out without expectations if i had enough curiosity and a few extra bucks.

yeah, i'm really just curious about the barkwire. and it's fairly cheap. so . . by process of elimination you're suggesting that cholla & ghostwood hold up well in wet environs? what about bamboo? i had thought it held up well to anything? and it would go well with a rainforest decor IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beckdg

i'd suggest you plan on how you'll remove water from the drainage layer. a pvc pipe through your b/g is an easy way to stick a hose down through or you can drill a hole and/or do a standpipe.

good call. hadn't even thought of it. doh

beckdg · #5 03-12-2011, 12:04 AM

bamboo get slimy, moldy and covered in black fungus pretty easy... and it's tough to get plants to grow on to cut back on that.

cholla, i would assume wouldn't do to bad since folks use it for hermit crabs commonly. it might be tough to find longer pieces, though.

ghostwood should be fine.

fallenangelfyre · #6 03-12-2011, 12:14 AM

thanks beck. as always, i bow to your knowledge & experience. you are the

beckdg · #7 03-12-2011, 12:31 AM

i try to help when i can. thank you.

Josh1129 · #8 03-12-2011, 02:32 AM

Mopani wood would look good too, and it is really hardy in even the most humid environment (in my experiences anyways).

fallenangelfyre · #9 03-12-2011, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh1129

Mopani wood would look good too, and it is really hardy in even the most humid environment (in my experiences anyways).

thx!

Quote:

Originally Posted by beckdg

i'd suggest you plan on how you'll remove water from the drainage layer. a pvc pipe through your b/g is an easy way to stick a hose down through or you can drill a hole and/or do a standpipe.

couple more questions on this front, beck. what is a standpipe? how often does this need to be done? i mean, is it worth it to order a fairly expensive diamond bit & risk cracking the glass so that i have an easy balljoint drain? or just siphon through a hose gaining access through a piece of pvc in the BG? but if i'm going to be doing this a couple times a month, i guess i would prolly rather do the drilling with a balljoint.
i just ordered a kaz coolmist humidifier, so i'm going to have the fog thing going on (on a timer prolly 2-3 times a day for a minute or two), plus daily mistings, just to give you an idea of the amount of moisture that will be going into the viv on a daily basis. thx-

beckdg · #10 03-12-2011, 10:32 AM

if you look into stockman or durso standpipes you can find explanations and diagrams beyond what i could write up for you right now. what i really meant was something integrated that could easily drain the tank down to a specific level and/or keep it there. i guess i worded that a little off. been a little off kilter lately, excuse that.

you could do similar to what grius did here... Vivarium for A.mavortium.

you could put a bulkhead in with a strainer and some filter material in somewhere accessible.

there's options. easiest to install would be just the straight pvc pipe in the b/g. easiest to use would probably be the hardest to install... although grius' drain pipes don't look too difficult.

drilling a tank is definitely worth it. if for nothing else but the experience. there's a video on how to do it and a link to a discussion on tempered glass in that favorite links thread. you'll want to be sure not to drill any tempered glass, go slow, hold it still and use absolutely no pressure. let the drill do it's job. other than that, it's pretty easy... just make sure to catch the falling pieces with something soft and you'll be good.

i assume you'll adjust how you want that thing watered as time goes on, so i'm not too worried about that.

sooo... imo... yes... drill... balljoint... fantastic idea... but where to drill might be something to consider. dunno if those things have any tempering on the bottom.

you won't know how easy you got it if you prepare right... especially in the drainage department.