24 x 18 x 24 Mantella build Journal

[DigitalPunk]

Hi All! Well the bug has been biting me to do a new tank so I decided I wanted to design a new home for my Mantella betsileo. They are currently in a 40b tank I setup for them, but I am not happy with the height restrictions that tank is causing. The 40b is 36 x 18 x 16 so this tank will be a tad bit smaller but will offer much more vertical options for the frogs. I initially planned to do this build in a 36 x 18 x 24 tank, but decided against it.... Largely due to the cost of the tank lol.

All the supplies have been ordered and are in various stages of packing, shipping, and delivery.

The initial plan is to have a false bottom that is 4.5 inches deep to allow for a lagoon to be setup in a section of the tank. I will begin the initial staging of the tank tomorrow and the flow of pictures and far to much detail will commence.

Here is the tank on the build table in the frog cave awaiting the transformation




Paul

[jarteta97]

Yaaaay! I can't wait to see its progress. I just put my AGTF tank together w/ custom background, and just have to load the pictures I took. Have fun with it (and take it slow)

[deranged chipmunk]

Nice!! You're gonna have to kick it up a notch on this build buddy. The last one was excellent, I expect better from this one!! Lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Strider18]

Yay another build! I will definetly be watching!

[DigitalPunk]

Oh I have big plans for this one. Now I just need to be able to put it together the way it looks in my brain lol.

[Strider18]

Pshh thats the easy part! (Though I haven't done it yet so I am probably wrong !) It looks like it will be fun!

[jarteta97]

Alright, uploading my build pics now!

[deranged chipmunk]

Looking good buddy!


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[jarteta97]

I like the fiberglass wrapping over the egg carton. I recently discovered that the substrate barrier from Josh's Frogs is really just weed block, after looking outside in the flower bed.

[DigitalPunk]

Jartet97,

Yeah I used the stuff from Josh's Frogs once, but I found that the water drained off the soil really really slowly with the weed block they sell. I ordered the stuff NEHERP sales as well and it is ZooMeds stuff and it was basically fiberglass screening cut to size. So I just went to the hardware store and bought a roll of fiberglass screening for like $5. It had a ton of the screen on the roll and has worked great so far!

[DigitalPunk]

Another small update.

I rigged this up last night to be a small sponge filter for this new tank.




Today I water tested the tank. I over filled the tank (filled it higher than the tank will be designed to hold, just in case). No leaks were found. I let the water sit in the tank for a couple hours. Mostly because I was lazy and didn't feel like siphoning nearly 10 gallons of water lol. The sponge filet pictured above is to tall for this tank, but I will use it somewhere else I am sure. I ordered a smaller sponge filter today. It will be here Tuesday.

I drained the tank. I decided last night I wanted to put live plants in the pond area. To avoid having to put soil across the whole bottom of the tank I decided to create a short wall that will be under water to help contain the soil and keep it in the pond area. I made the wall short because I want the shrimp and Picos to have access to the whole tank underneath and I am not worried about the frogs that will be in this tank. They have proven time and time again they are very good swimmers.

First I measured and cut the pieces for the wall. I realized I hadn't shown how I cut the egg crate so I took some demo pictures of the process this time using some scrap pieces.

First I measure to find out how big I want it to be. Then a move up to the next square and cut the vertical supports on the far end away from size I want it (cut it one square to big basically).



It will look like this once it is cut (This is a scrap piece and not the same piece as in the last picture). It will have the little legs sticking off down the length of the cut.



I then just break those off with my fingers. The break really easy and will snap off pretty cleanly (about as clean as if you took the time to snip them all off - I actually can get them closer to clean with my finer than I can with my cutters).



Moving on

I measured and cut the pieces for the underwater brim/wall. I measured them to be 2" tall so the water will be 2.5 inches above them.



Once I have them both cut and I am happy with how they are fitting together I secure them together with zip ties.



I then took it out and wrapped it in fiberglass screening. This was to help prevent the soil from falling through. To secure the screen I used a few zip ties. I cut the end of them to a point, this makes feeding them through the screen 1000% easier.



Here it is with both sides wrapped and zip tied.



And lastly here it is in place. I also set it up so it is underneath the top of the false bottom.



More updates to follow in the next few days.

[Happy Frog]

This is unrelated to your build but where are these pictures being taken. Whatever is making up that wall would make a great background. Are you in a basement?

[deranged chipmunk]

Haha! I got a few things for ya. I will send you a few small cutting of some epiphytic ferns. I can only spare a small cutting or two. I can hook you up with a small cutting of a mini aroid vine, and how about an African violet plantlet for the foreground? Maybe a nice wall climbing begonia? I may even have a small orchid for ya


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[DigitalPunk]

Bill that would be great! Not sure I have the wall space left for a climbing begonia, though that sounds awesome. I am starting to love Begonias more and more . The Fern clippings would be awesome if you can spare them, though I understand if you can't for sure. I don't think there is room for the African Violet. There is a vine (hard to see in the pic) in the front left coming up over the wood. Plan is for that vine and the Hypoestes phyllostachya to take over the fore ground. If you sent an Orchid that would make my year lol!

Whatever you are able to send will be greatly appreciated Bill, I am still in awe that you are so willing to share plants with me

[deranged chipmunk]

You guys are aware that we have a plant section that you can start and id thread in right? Just take a good pic of each plant in question and we'll identify them best we can


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[DigitalPunk]

Aquatic soil came in today! I also got the sponge filter in and the tank top back from the glass shop.

First the modified Exo Terra Top. I removed the screening form it at home and then dropped it off with them to have glass cut and siliconed in. They did the work for $18 and change.





I was also able to put in the aquatic soil, heater, and sponge filter today. I am testing out using a sponge filter over the previous filters to avoid having something sticking up out of the water. I have tried the submersible filters before (i have one running now) but I just don't like them to much.



I covered the water in Live oak leaves. They will finish sinking in the next 24 hours. Water spans the entire underside of the tank and is 4.5" deep with 2" of soil in this one corner for planting.

Leaf litter has been added to the tank everywhere but the back right corner. I will put some there once the new plant arrives and is planted. The lid is on and the tank is starting to build up heat and humidity.

[deranged chipmunk]

Nice!! What kind of sub are you using for the aquatic portion?


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[DigitalPunk]

Eco-Complete - I have never used it before, but have read a lot of good things about it.

[deranged chipmunk]

It's not bad. Not my fav. I hate planting stem plants in it. It's so light it darn near floats lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[DigitalPunk]

Yeah I hope it works out. Time will tell lol. I may end up draining the water a bit and adding some sand of something over the top of it, but will try it out naked for a while.