Member's Choice Build

[deranged chipmunk]

i made a little progress on this build this evening. first, i finally found the pump i wanted to use, of course it was in a bin at the bottom of a stack labeled "Christmas Decorations". no clue how it ended up there, but ok. LOL once i filled the tank with water, i figured out where i wanted the water to exit the tubing and then drained and dried the tank. i placed it on it's side and started adding more rocks to it. after i got those siliconed in, i foamed the areas between the rocks and that is were we stand now. it looks something like this:


sorry for the poor pics, but it was tough getting pics upside down. when i can stand the tank upright in a day or two, i'll take better pics.

[deranged chipmunk]

progress and flowering pics! got the foam carved to where i like it and even started painting. with the progress i am making, i may be able to put a few plant into this tank by the end of the weekend.

tonight's progress:





and flowering pics:
my Begonia 'Tarapoto' is flowering, tough to get a good pic of it because it is so tiny, and so close to the lid that it gets washed out by the lights:


and my Sinningia Muscicola is flowering as well. i just got this on sunday and the only growth i had on it was the dead stems you see, those flowers popped up today and it looks like a few more are on their way. great little plant!


bonus frog shot:

[DigitalPunk]

Tank is looking good Bill! The flowers you shared from the Steam Punk tank are awesome!

[deranged chipmunk]

Thanks Paul! Those flowering plants are actually for this tank, just storing them in the steam punk tank because they need the humidity.

[DigitalPunk]

Ahh Nice, Spring is nearly here! Can't wait for the nurseries to stock up so I can get a wider variety of plants for the tanks going.

[deranged chipmunk]

I've been to my locals and nobody has anything. Not even lowes or Home Depot. It's freaking sad this year.

[DigitalPunk]

Yeah same thing here (though Home Depot has some stuff out right now). All the Nurseries here say they won't be stocked up till lat April/ Early May

[deranged chipmunk]

I wanted to mention something about the rock I am using in this build. It is SHARP!! I lost a lot of red juice from my hands so far during this build. I would NOT recommend this rock for a frog tank. I knew this going in since I didn't have any plans for animals in the tank.

[deranged chipmunk]

A quickie update on this tank. Background is complete and should be dry by the time I get home tonight, so I will take some pics. Placed a plant order last night with rob's violet barn. Ordered a pair of miniature violets, a pair of Sinningias, another gesneriad and a pair of epiphytic ferns. I hope to have the tank running with water tonight and if all goes well, I may even put some plants in. If I can figure out the rest of the hardscape that is.

I'm having what I call "tank style suicidal thoughts". I'm thinking about entering this paludarium in the 2015 AGA Competition. It all depends on how it looks once I get it planted.

[deranged chipmunk]

Update......background is done. Water testing complete. Carved a few holes in the rocks to plant into. I will work on the hardscape over the course of the next few days. The background came out exactly like I pictured it in my head :




I have been super productive the past couple days. I not only finished the background on this tank, but I also broke out my 125 stand from storage, disassembled it, transported it in two trips, reassembled it, and started setting up tanks. I made a quickie grow out tank out of my 60g tank and when I am sure temps and humidity are stable, this will be the imitators qt tank. Largest thumbnail qt tank ever!! Lol

[DigitalPunk]

Wow that turned out great bill!

[Heatheranne]

Looking great!!!!

[deranged chipmunk]

Little update. This is a first run possible hardscape. It may and probably will change. I have been consulting with a friend who is an expert on this style, awaiting his feed back, but I really would like everyone else's as well.

[DigitalPunk]

What are you planning on doing with the hardscape bill? Attaching plants and moss to it? running water down it? I like the wood for sure and like the background to foreground orientation of the hardscape for sure!

[deranged chipmunk]

I carved out some holes in the rocks for miniature plants to grow from. I collected moss last weekend to grow on the background. Also ordered 2 epiphytic, climbing ferns to take over the background. The aquatic section will be a sand substrate for contrast, with Christmas moss growing on any hardscape that is submerged. The aquatic section will be planted with cryptocoryne species, anubias species and layered with Indian almond leaves. The back corner is a water feature and will have plants/ moss growing along it.

[DigitalPunk]

Surprised you aren't going to use some moss mix from Folius on this build I bet it would do great on the rock back ground. The design you have in mind sounds like it is going to be very cool to look at and watch grown in for sure!

[deranged chipmunk]

I had considered dev's moss mix for this one, but there's a moss that grows locally that I wanted for this tank. It's more like a rose moss and will contrast nicely with the rest of everything going in the tank. And going with the pseudo moss/ferns/violets theme, I am picking up some nice java moss this weekend from a planted tank friend. I also have an epiphytic microsorum species that I am growing out in the steam punk tank for this build. I'm hoping to begin planting this weekend.

Oh, did I mention the red tiger lotus I have been keeping alive for this tank as well??

[tinkgirl77]

Bill, this is awesome. I loooovve it all! Nothing like a chipmunk build to get you inspired. I have a question for ya since I'm coming in late. I really like the rocks, if properly sterilized in boiling water, could they be frog safe?

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[deranged chipmunk]

Lisa, first off, thank you!! There's no bigger compliment to receive than to have someone tell you your work is inspiring

I am going to say no on the feather rock because it is ridiculously sharp. Every time I work in this tank, I walk away with bloody hands, I don't even want to imagine what it would do to a frog's sensitive skin. If you really want black, light rock, I would find a place that sells the large red lava rock, paint it with krylon fusion black spray paint and then clear coat it with fusion clear. Same effect, but much safer.

[tinkgirl77]

Thanks bill, that's kinda what I thought but it was hard to tell from pics how shall it is. To achieve similar look for water feature, you think drlok?

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