Hexagon Vivarium Journal/ Advice?

[Badger]

Hello, I am soon to be starting my first serious vivarium build. Low budget though . Oh well, I'll make it work. I have a 35 gallon hex tank that be used, my materials list is as follows:

Great Stuff big gap filler
GE silicone II in Black
Eco Earth (2 Bricks)
Gravel/ or false bottom, have yet to decide.
Calathea "Medallion" from Black Jungle (Calathea 'Medallion")
Creeping Fig form Black Jungle (Creeping Fig - Ficus pumila)
Numerous fake plants I had lying around (Fern, Another Calathea and some random leafy plant)


Inhabitants: 2 baby whites tree frogs, 1 Northern Leopard frog, and 1 Wood Frog.

I will be posting pictures and updating this thread after every day I do something, Any advice/feedback/ help is greatly appreciated!

[Badger]

Alright, Finally Got the first layer of the first wall of great stuff down. I took the pictures right after it was applied so it hasn't expanded yet. Sorry for the bad quality, forgot to turn flash off so the great stuff is like its a white blob. D:< I built the great stuff up where I'm gonna carve ledges/ caves and such.

Pictures: How's it look so far? Any opinions/questions/comments/advice is hugely appreciated!

[eloyhouse]

hello, Ive just saw your post, well the overall idea is very good, just wondering how are you doing with your project??
maybe you can post some pictures of the vivarium so we can give you some advice on what you allready have.
one sugestion don`t mix species you can transmit dissease and parasites and the frogs can get very streesed
hope it helps regards

[Badger]

I am waiting overnight for the GS to fully cure, I poked some holes to help it cure faster. About the mixing species thing: I think I may just put the white's in after all, I already have the tank for the terrestrial frogs done, so they can stay in there. tomorrow I will be carving, adding more great stuff to the other 2 walls, and possibly buying the eco-earth. I think. This is fun

The pictures are displaying correctly right? they're attached to the second post.

[eloyhouse]

good idea on separating the frogs, and yes the pictures are displaying correctly, I can suggest you to add a lot of plants with big leaves and branches so your Litoreas will have a lot of hiding places and feel more secure.

keep updating regards

[Badger]

Will do, and will do, I posted a wanted ad for plant clippings in the classifieds, I'm oon a low budget and only have $20 for plants, so anything that you may have extra of would be hugely appreciated! thanks for the comments, I'll update tomorrow.

[bobert]

were do you get the spray stuff lol

[Badger]

My wonderful local Home Depot.

[Badger]

Update: I have just finished carving the first wall, what do ya guys think?


I was about to start the 2nd wall (right one) and the can wouldn't dispense any foam. yay....off to home depot!

[Badger]

Just finished spraying the second wall... Pics!

[DonLisk]

Badger, nice so far. My biggest suggestion is to have a false bottom of either eggcrate or hydroballs.... stone will work also. Cover that with some screen material and then the substrate above that. Have an area where you can access the false bottom too. This will be for sliding in a hose for drainage since the water will eventually build up and need draining.

As for plants, your Whites are aggressive eaters and heavy frogs once grown so stuff like Bromeliads and Snake plants are the way to go.
I also use leaf liter on top of my substrate since its easy to remove and clean and helps keep the dirt/substrate off the frogs.

I like the holes your adding in your background, will allow you to slide a bromeliad right in and the Brom will eventually attach itself there.

[Badger]

Thanks! Will do on the false bottom. how much do hydroballs go far/ where would one get them? I picked up the silicone and eco earth today as well. I will me using sphagnum moss on top of the eco earth, would that work as good as leaf litter? Thanks again for the comment.

[Badger]

Just checked the foam as I was walking out the door, and I will be doing some serious trimming tonight...I think I will be carving the path for a future waterfall in this side.

[DonLisk]

I would start with 2 bags of hydroballs to see how deep you are in them. I believe you want to have about 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch deep layer of them. My RETF viv has bout 3 inches and I never have to drain that viv.

It is a lot of fun designing a viv when you take your time :-)

[Badger]

alright. can I get them from petco or a local petstore or would I have to run to a hydroponics place?

[Badger]

So, I just carved out some spots for caves made of 2" pvc that I had a couple extra pipes of. I siliconed in the first to see how it would come out. The foam expanded HUGE, so I had to spend ~1 hour trimming. What do you guys think?

I ripped the pump out of my mom's water fountain, and it had a light attached...I might be able to stick it up out of the "ground". Or I'll cut it and cover the wires. Not sure yet, but WOOHOOO, I have waterfall! I am going to make a false bottom, with the pump under it. Then I will make a great stuff pond on top of the eggcrate, with a small drainage hole so it keeps a set amount of water in it, and the rest keeps getyting recycled into the bottom. I'm gonna run 1 inch PVC up the back and that will contain the electric wires so I have remove them as necessary (Conduit). I am going to carve a stream and put in rocks and all that stuff. I'll have a rubber tube running from the pump up the back and exiting into the stream that empties into the pond. Good plan? I think it will work great, I have it all envisioned now. Let's hope I don't screw it up.

EDIT: Sorry about the low quality of the close ups. the clear looking thing is the lighting fixture thing. it is fully enclosed.

[Badger]

Got the tubing for the waterfall today, along with the 1 inch PVC. Great stuffed the pvc in, and frogot about the tubing...oh well. I'll have to carve a channel out tomorrow and great stuff around the tubing. Will post Pictures tomorrow, forgot camera at mom's. questions/comments/concerns?

[DonLisk]

Looking nice. The hydroballs can be obtained from a local pet store usually.
You making me want to start another viv :-)

[Badger]

Do a haxagon! All of yours come out great, I'm hoping mine will at least be in the same league lol

[DonLisk]

:-) Yours is going to look amazing. Taking you time and planning it out is the tough part.