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FrogFevers 55g Display Tank Build...
The time has come... I've been gathering supplies and brainstorming the design for about 6 weeks now. I've ran out of space in my frog room so this one will be front and center in my living room. This is my umpteenth build and I'm going big this time.
I first picked up a 55g tank at Goodwill: $25!
My next step was to paint the wood grain frame to black.
Sanded it down, painted it, and finished with a few layers of clear coat.
Attachment 17886
Look at the mess of stuff. Unfortunately my new place does NOT have a garage!
Luckily my roommates are understanding. But they'll love it when its done.
(Still looking for a beautiful black stand).
Next step I went to ACE hardware to get glass cut to section off a quarter of the tank to allow for a water feature utilizing a real slate waterfall.
The two glass pieces cost me only $2! (They know me there now). One horizontal piece and one vertical piece to block water that may try to leak through the great stuff and into the substrate section.
I used Aquarium silicone which I ordered on Amazon: $12. The silicone spreading tools: $3 at Home Depot.
I water tested it today and its doing its job so far.
Attachment 17887
The next step is of course, the egg crate layout. I personally prefer to use this method for a false bottom to reduce the weight a bit and also so I don't have to use so much LECA balls.
Eggcrate at Home Depot: $11 for a huge sheet
Wire cutters: $5
Small zip ties: free (they were in with my girls medication in the mail?)
PVC pipes layed out
bottom base, hideout cave, water area slope, waterpump/waterfall tower
Malaysian driftwood: I won in a ZooMed contest!
water area view
I was initially going to just make a mound out of this, but as I was designing it I decided to make it more useful by making it a mound as well as a cave.
Here you can see how I put the powerhead pump tubing and electrical cord through the pvc pipe for easy removal if I have to get to it.
Sunterra powerhead: $13 on Amazon
1/2 in plastic tubing: $4 for numerous feet
black pvc: $2
These are the doors that open allowing me to access the pump should I need to do so.
This tower will hold the slate pieces that make up the waterfall. I will be using great stuff to hold them in, somehow. This is going to be an extremely hard task to make them all sit and stay set in place. Most likely the hardest and most tedious part of the whole build.
The black pvc piece on top is where the water will be draining into from the tube, spilling out each side, and I'll drill a couple holes in the center too.
Everyone please do subscribe to this as I have many more goodies yet to come. In tank circulation fans in custom housing, LEDs, rock ledges, glass canopy, glow in the dark mushrooms (thanks GRIMM), and some other ideas that I've personally never seen and am not even sure how I'm going to pull off yet!
Coming soon: the slate waterfall feature build...
I found these scrap slate pieces at a stone company for about .26 a pound (or some ridiculously low price) so this all cost me less than $3.
Here's me sanding them down so they don't cut my froggys!
Sandpaper: $3
I'll try to post more updated pictures tomorrow...
Questions and comments always appreciated.
