18x18x24 AGTF Build Journal

[DigitalPunk]

Josh, Email Neherp and let me know what you found in the culture. Send the picture along with it. They have a guarantee now other insect present in the culture and will send you out a new one. I would still do as Bill suggested to save as many springs from this culture as you can thought.

I love how this is turning out! I agree with the concerns about the duct tape. Hope we are wrong though.

[jarteta97]

Thanks, I'll e-mail NEherp tonight. I've already transferred many springs into a new culture, and am still keeping the other one running, just in case I need to transfer a few dozen or so more.

I'm a little concerned about the duct tape now too, and am regretting the decision of using it now . My finger's are crossed that it doesn't leak any chemicals, because I'm too far along in the build to reverse that. I certainly won't be using it in the future, and just hope my mistakes don't affect my frogs. Hopefully I've learned from this.

I finished all three sides of the tank with great stuff, and am currently waiting for the silicone under the coco fiber to cure on the back wall. I'm probably going to have to touch some spots up with titebond, lol. I also purchased some drylok paint for the foam around the base of the ghostwood, as that will be mostly underwater. I'm still debating on whether I want a grey colored stone look, or more of a brown river stone look to match the background. I also decided to mount the miniature african violet in a pot in the background, and am replacing it's spot on the ground area with a pilea cadierei that I found at Home Depot.

I can't wait to finish with the coco fiber and drylok, because I really want to get those plants in, I'm super excited

[Lija]

Josh, i really love the tank so far.... But!..... It is better to fix what is in question now then later.....
Duck tape does nasty things in high humidity environments. For one it will come out. Rather sooner then later. Vivariums with running water are unpredictable and anything can and will happen. If at least a little piece get stuck to a frog or chemicals are gonna get into water.... You will regret you didnt fix at a stage you are now.

Fix it, you can silicone that piece in.

[DigitalPunk]

Mike and Jessica at NeHerp are great people! Makes me smile each time I hear someone say they bought from them

In looking at the pictures you posted it looks possible to use a razor knife to slice around the area that was duct taped and remove it and replaces it with a different solution.

I can tell you from personal experience. It is always better to pump the brakes and correct a potential concern before you have the whole tank done, planted, filled with water, and frogs in. To only realize you should of fixed the issue before you got to this point. I have been there before as has anyone who has undertaken a technical Paludarium build.

[jarteta97]

Ok, I'll take your advice. I think that I will be able to get the duct tape out. What I was mainly looking for was a corner that I could fit my airline tubing and electrical cords through. First thing tomorrow morning, I'll work on it and try to get the duct tape out. Thanks for the tips guys (and girls)

[DigitalPunk]

Josh,

You can still do the corner piece. When you take it out and remove the duct tape from the egg crate and then spray foam the egg crate in place. You can also put a piece of cardboard down the backside to keep any foam for leaking through as it cures (if you think you can easily remove the cardboard once the foam cures. Another option would be to replace the angled eggcrate with a piece of PVC pipe. Fish your lines through it then spray foam it in place

The only issue I foresee with either of these approaches is if you need to remove one of the devices due to a failure you would be hard pressed to feed the power cord back through it.... though as I am typing you could (in the event of a failure) tie a piece of string to the power cord as you pulled it out of the tube and then tie the new devices power cord to the string and pull it back up through the tube

[jarteta97]

Lol, I had already planned on using the string idea. I have a really thin piece of PVC that I will stick through. I'll tie a string to the end, and tie the other end of the string to the powercord for my aquatic heater. I am currently working on removing the duct tape right now