yet another chipmunk build

[deranged chipmunk]

ok, so i need to build a "proper" home for my Elwood, my RETF. i have this 29g bow front lying around and decided it would be a cool little paludarium. i've been kicking around ideas in my head and have been throwing parts into this tank. still don't have a real clear idea of how i want to put this sucker together, so i thought i would pop up a pic and bounce some ideas around. this is the preliminary hardscape, as we would say in the planted tank world.
a few specs, filtration will be handled by a fluval nano submersible filter. a reptiflo 250 pump will control the water feature, and humidity will be controlled by an ultrasonic fogger and a pc fan or two. here's what i have so far:

i know, right now, it sucks...lol i am not using that styrofoam on the right. that's just a pseudo mock up. the water feature on the right will be made from layered pieces of italian slate. and since i destroyed that beautiful log to fit in this tank, it stays.....lol
i am welcoming all comments and suggestions. mostly suggestions.

[Heatheranne]

Great start! Any visuals coming to you yet?

[deranged chipmunk]

A few. Mostly flora. I see a couple broms and i am definitely seeing a highlands nepenthes pitcher plant up high and to the right. I need to get with my plant lesbians (the girls who own the plant shop i frequent and yes, i call them that every time i walk in. They think i'm insane) to see if they can source me one. I know it will be a bit more expensive, but ordering such a plant online in winter is risky. Better it die on them than me....lol
oh, and i can see vines going back and forth in the upper hemisphere. Now i need to research whether or not i can use the pitcher plant. I think i am going to have the left side wrap around to the front some as well.

[Heatheranne]

I've seen the highlands nep plants at my local greenery. They are pretty neat. You always come up with neat ideas.

[deranged chipmunk]

If you think that's a neat idea, wait till i do my mantella tank. I'm researching flora from madagascar as we speak. I like to keep multiple projects going, in case i get stuck, like i am on this one.
What do you think about using banana leaves somewhere in this tank? Or at least, maybe carving replicas?

[Heatheranne]

That would look pretty cool!

[Heatheranne]

I have been debating on whether to make my darts' viv first or start the large red eye viv. I'm thinking darts next.

[deranged chipmunk]

funny you should mention that. i put this on the back burner to start my 40B mantella paludarium. i'm just going to start it from here. do you think it would be a good idea to do it more as a tutorial then a journal?

[deranged chipmunk]

oh, and go for the darts. you need something different besides Red-Eyed Leaf Frog's, pacmans and bull frogs....LOL

[Heatheranne]

Lol! Bully would have croaked a loud one at that, haha!

Either way would be nice. I enjoy following your threads.

[NatureLady]

Excellent so far! You seriously make it look so easy! I have 3 tanks I am trying to decide who I am welcoming into my home next (bullfrog, african clawed frog, or fire bellies). Something with water is obviously in my future and I have a 55 that needs to find a place into my new house before I start the build. Can't wait to see where this goes.

[deranged chipmunk]

This one is on hold for a bit. Check out my mantella tank build. If you have a standard 55 and you are going with water, all you really need to decide is how lush you want the tank to be. Fire bellies would allow for really nice, lush, tropical growth. You could have asomewhat decent planted tank with acf's. I'm not sure how destructive they are to to plants and the bull frog, well, they are just plain cool!! Just remember, don't back down from the challenge of building a more elaborate tank. They really aren't that hard. And there's always help in the forums