My first 18x18x18 planted vivarium

[dmallia]

So 4 weeks ago I started my first planted tank, after a lot of research.

First of all I began by modifying the lid of the exo terra tank. I cut 2 pieces of glass and 1 a little bit shorter so I can have a little bit of ventilation. Than after cleaning the tank, I inserted the zoomed cork background(since it is my first build I wanted to keep it simple) and began by making a layer approx to 2 in. of clay balls, cut and places 2 pieces of weed blocker. Than I mixed the substrate. I mixed 2 parts each of plantation soil, tree fern and orchid bark, and 1 part of long fibre sphagnum moss. The moor wood branch was added and than approximately 2" of substrate was added. The same day I cut some cutting from my fittonia and placed them in a pot in some compost. After a week I removed the fittonia cuttings from the pot, washed them with some hot water to remove all the compost, and placed them in the vivarium. In the first 4 days they seemed not happy since all the leaves where pointing downwards, but now they seem ok. I also mixed 1 of my 5 springtail cultures with the substrate. Yesterday the leaf litter arrived. Now I would like to add another plant or 2 maybe more(a bromeliad for sure to hang on the log). But I don't know what to add. I also would like to have some nice greeny moss. What plants and moss do you suggest? Also I am planning to house my first dart frogs. Would it be good for some species?(still undecided for the species) I'm open to all of your suggestions.

[Mentat]

Hello Dmallia! In the future, don't wash plant roots in hot water, cold will do fine. For a beginner, Imitator Darts are a good choice. If you visit Josh Frogs website there is lots of good info in there to help choose and keep several dart species. Good luck !

[BigDutch]

I dont know if posting a link to a facebook page is allowed, if not I'm sorry in advance, but this page --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/504991396277295/ "The planted frog tank" has a lot of nice pictures on it with lots of names of different plants that you could use

[dbizal]

Random, but I noticed you order your plants etc from the same place I do ^_^

I also noticed you use the same Thermometer/hydro combo, are you having any issues with readings? Mine reads the temp fine but the humidity in my Viv seems to have dropped from 90% to 70% without any known reason :s

Look forward to seeing how this grows though!

[dmallia]

Hello Dmallia! In the future, don't wash plant roots in hot water, cold will do fine. For a beginner, Imitator Darts are a good choice. If you visit Josh Frogs website there is lots of good info in there to help choose and keep several dart species. Good luck !

Ohh thanks for the suggestion. I will not use hot water next time. I really love the imitators or the e. antohnyi but since it will be my first dart frogs I'm little afraid from very small dart frogs. I was thinking about the bumble bees, azures, auratus, phyllobates terribilis or somethin similar. Also because of my current viv size for the auratus and the terribilis I think it's small.

Random, but I noticed you order your plants etc from the same place I do ^_^

I also noticed you use the same Thermometer/hydro combo, are you having any issues with readings? Mine reads the temp fine but the humidity in my Viv seems to have dropped from 90% to 70% without any known reason :s

Look forward to seeing how this grows though!

Till now I do not have any errors in reading humidity. Since my combo meter is 2 years old, I bought a hydrometer just to confirm it's reading good. It only varies a maximum of 2% because the combo meter is place 3 cm from the top of the heated soil while the humidity probe is places in the middle of the viv.

[dmallia]

So finally I got 2 guzmania and a begonia. I was planning to attach the guzmania's to the background or one of them with the log. How do you suggest to attach them?

[BigDutch]

You could use real small tie-rips, or hot glue from a gluegun, just add it to the base of the plant where the roots start and you're set.

[dmallia]

Plants were planted this morning



and the moss arrived this afternoon hopefully I will plant it tomorrow.



It's not completely how I wanted it to be but it's going to stay like that for now. I will begin building my 60x45x60 viv that hopefully will be finished by end of summer and hope it will be more nice than this one.