my weekend warrior project, 125G paludarium

[Heatheranne]

That's really beautiful! I love it!

[Heatheranne]

Not yet. I put it aside to get some things ready for the Hamburg show. Hopefully I'll be starting again soon. I need to make a dart tank too now .

[IrishRonin]

This came out really great, Im a huge paludarium fan keep up the good work!

[deranged chipmunk]

This came out really great, Im a huge paludarium fan keep up the good work!

Thanks! I am definitely a huge fan of paludariums as well. I'm thinking i have to build a few more now......lol

[deranged chipmunk]

And tonight we come to 100% completion. My fish and shrimp are being hand delivered after work tonight!!!!

[deranged chipmunk]

Not yet. I put it aside to get some things ready for the Hamburg show. Hopefully I'll be starting again soon. I need to make a dart tank too now .

I know how that goes. Darts are in my future as well. The bed bully is buying me an 18" cube exo-terra for xmas. I have plans for that being a mantella viv. But i have a vision in my head for a permanent home for my retf's that i need to knock out first.

[FriedrichsFrogs]

I know how that goes. Darts are in my future as well. The bed bully is buying me an 18" cube exo-terra for xmas. I have plans for that being a mantella viv. But i have a vision in my head for a permanent home for my retf's that i need to knock out first.

lol already hav christmas plans? + theyr more tanks?? id say something about how it should be a secret but with all your projects im sure u would have seen it coming

[deranged chipmunk]

Well, i'm considering whether to do a build journal on my next project. A retf tank. Maybe i'll keep that one secret. i also have an fbt tank.in the design stage. Then on to darts

[FriedrichsFrogs]

i meant ur wife should have kept ur xmas present a secret but hey a build journal still sounds like a good idea. I just used the foam on the tank u gave me yestrday, its on to the silicone now, but 1st i have to find that moss i was gona cover it with. hey hav u prepared for sandy? i got enough beer for a week, il be fine

[Heatheranne]

Ooh! Can't wait to see .

[deranged chipmunk]

Yeah.....neither can i.....lol i got a text yesterday around 4 that he was stopping by. I haven't been able to contact him since....lol we fish folk are real flakes.....lol oh well, at least i know my plecos will arrive next week. That breeder is more reliable....lol

[Heatheranne]

Oh my, that must have been a long wait. You share about the same amount of luck as I do, ha ha .

[flynmnky]

Have you field collected any branches/wood? I live in a hardwood forest. What are the rules for that?

[deranged chipmunk]

Have you field collected any branches/wood? I live in a hardwood forest. What are the rules for that?

i have field collected wood. i don't believe that there are any "rules" so to speak. basically, dead, dry hardwood. no evergreens, and no soft woods. my mantella tank has some locally collected oak. i have used the same pieces in planted tanks for a few years now. yup, you read that right, the same pieces of wood submerged for a few years and no rot. gotta love oak!! LOL oh, and stay away from grape wood vines, they will most definitely rot in a high humidity viv.

[flynmnky]

How dry? Should I age the wood before adding, or is it good to go straight outta the woods?

[deranged chipmunk]

if it's dead wood, then you are kinda good to go right out of the woods. i usually give it a nice, strong bleach bath once or twice outside to kill any hitchhikers that you don't want in the house. then i would boil or bake it. i learned a long time ago that the CDC requires a minimum of 20 minutes in boiling water to sterilize anything, so i go with that as a start. don't forget to remove any bark. and get a TON of scented candles, unless you like the smell of oak tea or roasted oak....lol for baking, i bake @ 350 for 1/2 an hour. if you live near a lake, they are great places to find some nice, driftwood.

[deranged chipmunk]

oh, almost forgot to answer your question, no green wood. nothing fresh. i believe that if you were to use something that was still alive on the inside, that the piece of wood rotting would be the least of your issues. i would worry about mold and bad fungii get in that way.

[flynmnky]

I live near a river with amazing driftwood. Not only that, but I have even collecting good pieces for years. Great to think I could use them!

[deranged chipmunk]

you sound like a planted tank guy, like me......lol

[flynmnky]

Girl, but yes... ALMOST more excited about the plants than the frogs.... Almost...