Madagascar Mantella Paludarium

[Bolisnide]

ok, so circumstances beyond my control (prefer not to discuss, don't ask) , have forced my hand and i had to cut quarantine down and add the new mantellas to their home. i gave them a day (they went in yesterday) to acclimate before i assaulted them with the cam phone...LOL here are pics as of a few. ago. oh, i might add, i added a few plants as well. a pair of drosera spatula were added to keep extra fruit flies, mites, and gnats in control, i added a pilea glouca, a nephrolepis cordifolia 'duffi", a ficus pumila var. quercifolia, cissus amazonica, an aroid vine and rhaphidaphora pachyphylla. but let's face it, nobody cares about the plants i added, you guys just want to see the frogs, am i right??LOL here ya go:

Bill.... beautiful! Too bad you're not SouthWest, I would hire you to build my viv! (though it is a itty bitty size, comparatively).
Bravo, Bill!

[DiggenEm]

Looking real good!!! I see the new residents are enjoying their home. do you have in fauna in the water feature?

[deranged chipmunk]

Thanks Bol. If i had a nickle for every time i've heard something like thag....lol

Digg, thanks bud, i am currently breeding yellow neocaridina and crs shrimp for the water section. I'm not sure which i want to put in there yet.

[kmichael55]

How many coats of Titebond III do you usually need to do to fully cover the G.S.? I'm only one coat in and feeling skeptical of my methods... maybe I needed more substrate to glue ratio...

[deranged chipmunk]

I do no less than 2, sometimes 3. And i always sprinkle loose stuff onto it after i apply my last coat.

[deranged chipmunk]

time for an update.......first off, i can't seem to find 2 of my frogs. if i had an escape, i may just give this hobby up!! GRRRRR!!! anyway, i added a few things. ok, a lot of things. first off, i removed the hoya from the top left and replaced it with a nice healthy selaginella sp. i also added 4 ferns, you guys can figure out where they are, and i added some moss to the upper areas of the tank. i am FINALLY pleased at the direction it is going, since i can see my vines are all starting to take off. i also noticed that my lagenandra thwaitessi that i planted on day one and a rosette, is finally starting to shoot a leaf. thatt's the cool things about lagenandra and cryptocoryne species. they may loose all their leaves, but 99% of the time, they grow back. it may take weeks or months, but with patience and leaving them alone, they normally return. here's the new pics


this should be the final update on this tank. i am finally finished adding flora. now it has eternity to grow thanks for sticking along with me on this journey folks, it has been a blast for me!!

[Heatheranne]

Looks great! It's been fun following along.

So...now won't you be bored with the tank all done?

I'm betting your babies are just hiding in one of the nooks and crannies. I'm thinking they'll come out for dinner time?

[deranged chipmunk]

Oh i am sure they are just hiding. There are so many plants in there that they have plenty of hiding spots....lol bored? No way, i'm starting work on the 125 this week

[NatureLady]

Nice plant additions! So have you found your frogs yet?

[NatureLady]

*Sorry my browser didn't refresh with the new comment*

[Bdimas]

It looks amazing Bill. I may have to make Giants game in Philly and see this tank in person

Its scary when you can't find your frogs for a few days. One of the draw backs on having a large tank.

[deranged chipmunk]

Thanks guys. Amanda, can you believe i am up to 8 ferns in there now? Lol
Bryan, anytime man, after the giants smack the phils around, you're more than welcome to see my home away from the rainforest

[helm96]

That is one sweet little paradise for your cool little frogs. I thought I was done building for a while but now the itch is there. I may have to go look at aquariums tonight. Thanks Bill!

[deranged chipmunk]

That is one sweet little paradise for your cool little frogs. I thought I was done building for a while but now the itch is there. I may have to go look at aquariums tonight. Thanks Bill!

yeah, .my tanks have a tendency to do that to people. "i swear honey, i am done building tanks. ooohh, look at Bill's. didn't we have a spare 20 gallon somewhere??" LOL and thank you for the kind words

[Heatheranne]

yeah, .my tanks have a tendency to do that to people. "i swear honey, i am done building tanks. ooohh, look at Bill's. didn't we have a spare 20 gallon somewhere??" LOL and thank you for the kind words

Lol!!!! I have to say you do make viv building even more fun.

[deranged chipmunk]

It should be fun Heather. We sometimes take the hobby too seriously, what with all the poor, sick froggies we help ojt with, so some levity is needed sometimes remember, hobbies are supposed to be fun.

[Heatheranne]

Very true. I love helping. But my favorite thing about the forum is seeing the beautiful vivariums and photos of the frogs, and the good stories . I actually do enjoy educating people, but it's more fulfilling when we teach ahead of time, so-to-speak vs. when it's too late and we're at the sick phase. It's definitely easier to prevent than to heal our little fellas.

I am really enjoying learning about the plants. Plants are the new part for me. I appreciate your and everyone's help . I wish more plants were labeled. Though I think I'm getting the hang of it. Your posts have helped considerably. So, thank you! Your builds are fantastic!

[deranged chipmunk]

you are most certainly welcome. you made me blush a bit there, that doesn't happen too often....LOL

btw, i lost my receipt from the post office, did you receive the care package i sent?

[Heatheranne]

you are most certainly welcome. you made me blush a bit there, that doesn't happen too often....LOL

btw, i lost my receipt from the post office, did you receive the care package i sent?

Haha! That may have been my intention (blushing) all along . Lol! Just teasing .

Great timing! I received the package Wednesday. They all arrived safely and nice and green . Thank you so much!!! That just makes me want to work even faster on my viv!

[deranged chipmunk]

I am glad they got to you in good condition. I hope you can use them all. The one bag was full of aquatics and marginals, so there better be a water feature in your plans.....lol