Madagascar Mantella Paludarium

[deranged chipmunk]

glad to hear you saved one of your little guys. That gorilla glue method sucks. Gorilla glue is nasty and messy. I ;hate working with it, bjt it is a necessary evil sometimes. You are going to be surprised at just how simple the titebond method is.
And lime i told my bed bully, no worries about anyone stalking me, i'm uglier than a horny wildebeast on LSD.....lol

[NatureLady]

HAHAHAHAHAHA! I only stalk by reading posts. I am not a mega poster here. I like to read and dream of the things I could do.

I seriously can stop thinking how a horny wildebeast on LSD would look....this thought will keep me giggling all day. BUT, I am on my last day of 6 at work before 6 days off, so I NEED A GIGGLELY THOUGHT TO GET ME BY!

[deranged chipmunk]

Well, i am glad i could put a smile on your face. I know how the 6 day stretch is. I work 6/week. But i never get 6 days off.....lol

[IrishRonin]

I like your "vines", great idea. I also feel the 6 day stretch but like you I never get 6 off, it's probably for the best all my animals mightily die knowing my luck. Funny enough my mom asked me to help with the cooking for turkey day, I think guys are just better cooks. Keep up the good work and keep us posted

[NatureLady]

I like your "vines", great idea. I also feel the 6 day stretch but like you I never get 6 off, it's probably for the best all my animals mightily die knowing my luck. Funny enough my mom asked me to help with the cooking for turkey day, I think guys are just better cooks. Keep up the good work and keep us posted

I get off for 6 days but I live 3 minutes from work and will be going back to receive a FedEx shipment tomorrow and to feed all of the animals there at least every other day. I work all summer, no vacations, every major awesome holiday...I am working looking out the big windows at all of the families having a blast on the lake...me just working. It evens out, kinda.

[deranged chipmunk]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages!! gather 'round, the chipmunk is here to show you the "titebond method". no, it isn't a new form of birth control. remember abstinence is best, that what the bed bully tells me every night!!LOL no, this here is the awesome way to cover up all that nasty looking yellow great stuff. now, i have told you that this is easy, and it is, follow along as i titebond half my tank.

step one, purchase some titebond III wood glue. you can get it at home depot or lowes. it goes for about $6 for a 16 oz bottle. Lowes has it for $26/gallon. i have never seen the gallon jug at H.D. this is what you are buying


and YES it MUST be that exact brand. titebond I and II are NOT waterproof. next, get yourself a container, deli cups work nice and are cheap and disposable


add some glue


add some substrate. in this case, i am going with sphagnum peat moss because i am going for that dark, mysterious look of the dark continent


mix and add more glue if necessary. when you are finished, it should look something like this. like runny, nasty oatmeal


next step, paint it on. i like to use acid (flux) brushes. you can get them in the plumbing section of most hardware store as well as harbor freight tools, if you have one nearby. btw, harbor freight is an awesome place to get nitrile gloves. they have good quality ones and they are less expensive than most other places. i used to get my gloves for tattooing there.

here is the tank after painting on the titebond:



now, i just need to sit back and let it dry for about a week. yes a week. but, here's the kicker. there is no stinky smell from titebond. if you get it on your hands, it is easy to get off and here is the best part, all the bare spots you see, will be covered up by a second coat. yes, you can do this as many times as you like, unlike silicone, which is one and done. oh and another thing, i put nice, moist peat moss in the mix. no need to let it dry out like you need to do with coco fiber and silicone.

hope that explains it well enough. yes, it takes longer, but i truly believe it is worth it in the end.

[NatureLady]

like runny, nasty oatmeal

Gross, just gross, but good visual!

i used to get my gloves for tattooing there.

You do tat's and make amazing tanks....hmmmm...lol

[deranged chipmunk]

I don't anymore. A couple decades of wrenching has taken it's toll on my hands. Haven't been able to hold the gun for long for a few years now.

[deranged chipmunk]

i was covering more of the tank tonight and i realized i forgot to mention a couple things about titebond. even though i showed it being done in it's display position, you should have whatever surface you are covering horizontal. then let that dry for a day, turn the tank and so on. then repeat the process as necessary. also, work in small batches. the glue will start to thicken as you work, if it does, just add some more glue to thin it out. i know this is a no-brainer, but i guarantee that if i didn't mention it, someone will eventually ask why i didn't warn about that. and wait until you see the second coat, i have a couple tricks up my sleeve for that

[UncleChester]

...step one, purchase some titebond III wood glue. you can get it at home depot or lowes. it goes for about $6 for a 16 oz bottle. Lowes has it for $26/gallon. i have never seen the gallon jug at H.D. this is what you are buying

Boo to you and your American prices! Cheapest I've seen a gallon in Canada is $40, and I'd have to order 3 to get free shipping. I haven't seen it at any of the big chain hardware stores up here. Lee Valley has the 16 oz bottle for $11.50. Boo.

Great build so far, and good job documenting things! I'm sure I'll be referring people to this for a Titebond III How-To (and other things). I've tried it in a small demo tank and I think it's a fantastic way to go.

[deranged chipmunk]

Thanks for the kind words Brian and i understand your frustration. A buddy of mine, who i bounce ideas off of, lives on a remote peninsula of alaska and can barely get some of the supplies we use, let alone at the prices we get. So i do understand. My next 2 builds however, are gonna be done with drylok and foam and the other will be a clay background. They won't be until after the new year though. At the very least, the clay one might appeal to those who cannot get to the other materials. I mean, everybody has access to kitty litter, right? Lol

And i agree, the titebond method kicks silicone's butt! No mess, no nasty fumes, and clean up with soap and water. You really cannot beat it. I was shocked to find very few people on the forum knew about it. If only i could take credit for the innovation, i would really look like a genius....lol

[Wy Renegade]

Nice job! Love the detail you put into this thread. Even though I don't do frogs (yet), I had to tag in to give you cuddos.

Got any good sources for epiphytic orchids and/or jewel orchids?

I may have a source or two to help you out on this one. I'll try and remember to look at home this evening.

Oh, and while you are right that i may have forgotten subconsciously, except i was planning a trip there this weekend to pick up some worm casting and bat guano for a carnivorous plant terrarium i am building.

I hope we get to see this one on the other site as well?

Thanks for the kind words Brian and i understand your frustration. A buddy of mine, who i bounce ideas off of, lives on a remote peninsula of alaska and can barely get some of the supplies we use, let alone at the prices we get. So i do understand. My next 2 builds however, are gonna be done with drylok and foam and the other will be a clay background. They won't be until after the new year though. At the very least, the clay one might appeal to those who cannot get to the other materials. I mean, everybody has access to kitty litter, right? Lol

And i agree, the titebond method kicks silicone's butt! No mess, no nasty fumes, and clean up with soap and water. You really cannot beat it. I was shocked to find very few people on the forum knew about it. If only i could take credit for the innovation, i would really look like a genius....lol

Looking forward to seeing these as well.