Not loud at all, however, I recommend ventilation... Your frogs will benefit from good ventilation.Originally Posted by AReaHerps
Re: 40G Build Diary f/ Poison Dart Frogs
So just look for oak trees that have some fallen leaves and bake the leaves??? That's it? Same with magnolia leaves? Come on?!?Not sure if there is one on this forum.
No secrets to the process
I place DRY leaves on a 3 inch deep aluminum pan and pop it into the oven at 325° for 10 minutes. I don't wash my leaves, not necessary and a very cumbersome process.
Re: 40G Build Diary f/ Poison Dart Frogs
A good friend of mine is a glass contractor. My plan was to have a fan in one of the top corners and a couple of vent openings (with insect netting) at both ends of the aquarium and maybe even on the back. I also do not want to open it up too much otherwise it's too hard to keep the humidity.
Last edited by AReaHerps; July 13th, 2012 at 05:41 PM.
That's pretty much all there is to it
So I'm trying to figure out what kind of false bottom I'm going to incorporate. So if I go with eggcrate then I don't need hydroton right. So my question is how in the heck should I hide the ugly eggcrate or the hydroton if I end up using that. Any ideas?
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Re: 40G Build Diary f/ Poison Dart Frogs
with eggcrate you build it so its short on the sides and front so that you can fill between the eggcrate with gravel or w/e you chose. You need to cover the eggcrate in window screen or some kind of substrate barrier so stuff don't go through it and get under it. I fill in around with gravel up to the top of the eggcrate, then use window screen as a barrier, then put on my substrates. only place you can see the eggcrate is from behind the tank. I do it like that so if i did want to see under it i can.
pictures are better than words
I prefer egg crate... It allows more water build up in the false bottom... Hydroton is heavy and has a lot of surface area (meaning you will have to drain it very often).
To hide the egg crate, I build an egg crate box that is 1/2 inch off each side and the front of the tank; I then pack black pea-size gravel around the base of the box to hide it... I think this looks nice... You can also use black contact paper on the outside of the tank to hide it... Make sure you cover the egg crate with fiberglass window screen (I don't like weed block as it tends to retain water and doesn't drain nearly as well as window screen... I always put a 1 inch layer of damp sphagnum moss over the egg crate then add 2-3 inches of ABG as substrate, then 2-4 inches of leaf litter over the ABG.
Of course! Thanks so much guys for the suggestion. I'll have to do that. At least the gravel looks natural as though it belongs there.
So I know you guys said that water features are a pain in the rear but I've always wanted one. I decided to go with a self contained corner waterfall. I hope you guys don't roll your eyes too much at me for this. I'll be adding some rocks to the pool area to ensure anything can find its way out. I made it in a way so that I can easily remove the pump for maintenance. I made a lid for the top to reduce the chances of anything accidentally getting in the pump area. The background pieces will be 3" higher. I know it looks weird just resting at the bottom. I'll be adding a few more polystyrene rocks to the background and building some overhangs and caves. Please share your thoughts.
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Oh another question... Where can I get ABG? Can I make it myself? Only place I've seen it is Josh's Frogs.
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I always get my ABG from Josh's.
The corner waterfalls are pretty good... It's when you have a hidden pump and/or stream that can be a pain.
The pump will be hidden. Lol. I THINK I did a good enough job of designing the corner for easy placement and maintenance. Only time will tell. I did make it though so I can completely take it out I'll just have to fill that void with another background. What do you think?
Check out the little plant I found. Is this frog safe?
BTW.. I really appreciate all the feedback you guys are giving. Thanks
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First layer of grout is on. Now to wait for it to cure. Urghhh. Is the curing time as is mentioned on the bag? Howong do you guys think it can go until I can get another coat on?
Getting to the inside of the pump area is a bit of pain but when this grout layer dries, it should make it easier to move it around without it wanting to come apart. Getting a solid silicone bead in there is going to be hard. I should have put down a bead while putting it together. Dumb mistake!
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A quick pic of my son helping with the grout. Only need 1 more layer then a few gaps to fill and then we move on to paint.
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What's the minimum number of grout layers you guys would use on styro?
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A couple new additions! They'll be in quarantine in small individual cages for quite a while but aren't they cute! I'm so excited! My first darts!
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Re: 40G Build Diary f/ Poison Dart Frogs
Wow, such vibrant colours! As for the grout, im not too sure. Ive never made a background but im hoping to do it sometime in the future.
Those are some beautiful darts you got there! Well done! Cant wait to see it done
Thanks so much! I'm really bummed but they didn't have any more Leucs but I nabbed their last 2! I'm excited to see it done too. Whatever I do though, I'm not going to rush it.Wow, such vibrant colours! As for the grout, im not too sure. Ive never made a background but im hoping to do it sometime in the future.
Those are some beautiful darts you got there! Well done! Cant wait to see it done
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Re: 40G Build Diary f/ Poison Dart Frogs
Yes, the worst thing you can do is rush. Just take it slow and make sure everything is dry and aired out and you won't regret it!
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