New Vivarium 90% done

Southernfryedyankee · #1 08-21-2011, 10:04 AM

This is my first vivararium so please go easy on me, I built this for my children (maybe a lil bit for myself also) I am planning on housing tree frogs in it. I also plan on adding a nice taller branchy piece of driftwood in this tank. I think the Mopani wood REALLY makes planted tanks and vivariums pop due to its very earthy browns and tans. The 1 piece of wood in the tank is Mopani a very dense wood found in africa from the Mopane tree. My substrate is a 50/50 mix of jungle floor substrate and ground coconut husk soil. All the plants in my tank are live and I hope everything I put into this tank thrives. I am also considering taking a stab at a DIY 3d background but I am not 100% sure yet. I look forward to any RESPECTFUL critiques both good and not so good, I also look forward to any advice on decoration to add to the tank to make it more eye appealing and habitable.

evilhorde · #2 08-21-2011, 10:43 AM

I like it.
I have only put together one vivarium myself so I am no expert but there are a couple of things I might do differently if it were my own Vivarium.
1. I think that some taller plants would would look better. In particular on the right and left corners and not in the back. It would make the illusion that you are looking into some hidden place behind a couple of gate like borders, where-as a larger plant in the back with smaller ones up front tends to look more like a common display. Either way, I feel that it needs more use of the upper areas of the space that the tank provides.
2. I just don't like seeing electrical cords. i don't know what you can do about it. Maybe run them tightly down the back corner and cover them with a small piece of something painted the same color as the wall? I realize I am nitpicking now, but whenever I see a cord it just ruins a bit of the magic for me.
3. I don't think I would make a 3d background for this tank. I like seeing through the tank. Conventional wisdom says to put the tank in a place with the large curved face facing the audience and the rest into a corner. If you leave conventional thinking behind and the other sides open glass, there is no reason that those sides couldn't also be viewing angles. Just thinking out loud is all.

All in all a very nice and tidy looking tank, much better looking than my own.
Lurking no longer.

Southernfryedyankee · #3 08-21-2011, 10:57 AM

Oh believe me I hate the cord also, I could have swore I had a longer extension cord but I do not. I am planning on adding viney plants. I chose younger plants as I did not want the new soil which has not gotten root logged yet to have to struggle to keep the larger plants up, this will also give us the chance to allow the current foliage to grow and we can trim and prune when necessary. I plan on adding another piece of driftwood that is much taller to really bring the height of the canopy up more. I am goingto look for some seeds to basically start filling in all the nead space thats in there. If you have more info please keep it comin. YOOOO that tank you did is crazy, I like it. You put alot of time into it.

Southernfryedyankee · #4 08-21-2011, 06:33 PM

So I re-tweaked my vivarium. I hit up home depot and petsmart and snagged a couple of awesome deals on plants and driftwood. This is what I came up with. Please give me your honest feedback.

Mink · #5 08-21-2011, 07:30 PM

Something should go behind the tank to black out the wall or make a back ground. As it is now the log on the right side looks like it is floating. When frogs are put in it, you'll also have the same effect lessening the slice of nature most people look for when making a viv.

Southernfryedyankee · #6 08-21-2011, 08:57 PM

I plan on doing something with the glass behind, I am not sure what yet. Probably black. As far as the floating wood I had 4 other people in this house so I was kinda outnumbered. Hey if it floats its magical, and this is my magical jungle HAHAHA. Any ideas on what I can use for simulated moonlight? I might try to get some aquarium moonlight LED's and see what I can come up with.

Mink · #7 08-21-2011, 09:15 PM

Led systems are great.
But you can also use electronic dimmer switches (led systems use these) on other lights. Just got to make sure that the light won't burn out from the constant up and down of powersupply