my RETF viv Build... my 3rd viv Build!!!

[roxxygroup1]

As many of you all know from my other thread I am starting a RETF viv build!!!

This thread will be my Build Log for this new viv...
Last night I bought the tank and a crap load of supplies...

- 18x18x24 Exo Terra Tank
-60 gph foutain pump - to run the waterfall
-external canister filter - obviously to filter the water and maybe another small water feature
- pure coco fiber substrate - for the backround
- Great Stuff - backround
- drift wood - for pond area, waterfall, and a peice for the back wall
- airline tubeing to run an air stone in the pond
- pots - for planters in the gs backround
- Branches - 3 of them to go across the viv in diff ways to give my RETFs that tree look and the look i am going for here

- more stuff to come later after i get further along on this build!!

[IMG]<a href="http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g256/yoshem/?action=view&current=vivbuild1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g256/yoshem/vivbuild1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

when i got home i did the first layer of black silicone for the backround!!!
ill post pics of this later when i get a chance

[roxxygroup1]

ok so the first pic didnt work ill just upload it...

[boabab95]

Can't wait!!!

[Grimm]

Cool beans!

So are those pots made from clay? You need to be able to poke drainage holes in the bottom, or your pots/substrate will become water logged.
And make sure to boil that mopani several times. I only boiled my piece once in a big pot of water, and it is still leaching tannins like mad.
And when you are attaching the ecoearth to the silicone, make sure to bake it completely bone dry, or it wont stick at all. Do it either in the sun for several days, or oven at around 225-250

[roxxygroup1]

thanks grimm... didn't even thing about drying out the eco earth thank you... and yea the pots are a light type of clay and they have holes in them.. my plan was to attach little peices of air tube to the hole and make it so it sticks out of the gs for drainage and after the backround is good and dry ill trim the air hose even with the backround.. my only other thing I'm trying to decide is if I should seal off the water area from the rock drainage layer under the land area or just let the water go in the rock under the land area.... my only thought is if I seal off the pond then how would I get any water that drains into the drainage rock under the land out of there??? What are your guys thoughts??

[Grimm]

If you take a look at my very 1st build, I do a seperate water/land feature exactly how you just said.

Good thinking for the drainage tube out each pot. It may be difficult to have the pots angled at the right angle as you use the GS, since they will be heavy. Try and make few GS blobs on the side 1st, then use them as supports for the pots/driftwood as you add the fresh GS.

The drainage rock area has to have its own hose out the top of the tank, or out the side of the glass. I ran mine up one of the back corners, then out one of the power cord holes in the exo-terra top. Just use something on the end of the hose that will prevent it from sucking up a rock and clogging it...Like some window screen.

The biggest advantage of having a seperate land/water feature, is that no tannins will leach from the soil into it. I always get questions how I keep my water feature so clear, and thats how. Just make sure your barrier wont let water into the substrate side. test test test.

[roxxygroup1]

Thanks good idea... so I'm guessing you just suck the water out threw that tube?

[roxxygroup1]

Oh where would I find your first build??? I'm still trying to figure this site out lol

[beckdg]

if you dry your eco-earth out in the sun... put a window screen over it. you don't have to make one. just pop one out of a window to keep your coco from blowing everywhere... then rinse it and put it back. once or twice a day it's best to turn the coco so it dries faster. otherwise you can just dry it in the oven at 170*F or better.

his first build should be in the viv-construction section. grimms builds have all been stickies so far, i think. basically you can search grimm for a name and sticky and you should find them all.

should be a good start with those products...

[roxxygroup1]

ok so i did good amount of work on my viv build over the weekend (well what i could get done in between all my promotion / promotions manager work i had to do for the night club i work for) I was able to get the fiirst and second layer of black silicone done, then build and mount the water feature & pump, attach all hose ect that had to go behind the gs, and then do the gs..... i will go more in depth about the water feature.... i used some unique peices of drift wood i found.. i have a peice that sits higher on the wall and the water is pumped to that where it falls from that onto another peice and then runs into the pond... i attached that peice to another peice to make the side of the pond... i also attached "3M scruber pad" to the sides and around the area where the pump is to keep the rock and all out of the pump are but letting water in (see pics)
!!!