D. Cit 24x18x24 Vivarium

[DigitalPunk]

Hey nothing fancy or flashy going on here. I am pouring all my extra money into getting the frog room setup a bit better, adding shelves, setting up for future tadpoles, and plants.

However my Cits are currently slumming it in an 18x18x24 I had setup for them as a temp home so I could repurpose the 40b tank for the Red Eye tree frogs. I decided it was time to throw something together as a permanent home for the Cits.

This will be done using the 24x18x24 the reds were previously housed in. I tore it down to the glass bottom and cleaned it. The cork panels were left in but scrubbed with boiling water and then rinsed several times with dechlorinated tap water. I love the look the cork adds, it doesn't take up much space in the tank, and provides added security by covering all sides.

I did not take pictures initially because it is stuff we have all seen. if you are curious how I did the False Bottom you can look at the pictures for the 40b ( the end of the post ). I did drill the tank for drainage and let me tell you my heart was racing. I would have been crushed if I cracked it, but luckily I did not lol.

After the False Bottom was in place I filled it with 5 gallons of water and then let the excess drain off through the drainage. This lets me set the water to the Max Height prior to adding in the soil. I like the water to stay as full as possible to help with the Micro Fauna Population.

I then filled the tank with some NeHerp Vivarium Mix and started placing wood. I will only share the wood in the final positions to avoid having to post the 40 pictures I took.

I wanted to add some depth to the tank so I started adding different wood to the tank looking for ways to get some height without making it to hard for the cits to get around. This first piece of wood is the old waterfall from the Vents Paludarium.



Same piece from a different angle.




I settled on this piece to add a 3rd level. I used this one because of the various textures. I liked the way it contrasts with the other piece.



Same wood different angle.




I have one Coco hut not currently in use (I have 2 others in the Cits temp tank that will get moved into this tank). I used Petri dishes to layout where I may put the other huts.




Keeping true to the - No money spent - policy on this tank I took clippings from my other tanks and a few items from my grow out tank. This is a preliminary planting as I gather the plants I want to try and use here. I also measured and cut a piece of scrap Hygrolon to fill the old Magnatural ledge void. I will either put some Moss mix on it or pin some sheet moss to it. I am leaning towards the moss mix to add some more texture.





That is all for now. I will try to wrap this tank up tomorrow, but I have a long "Honey Do" list I need to work on as well

Paul

[deranged chipmunk]

Looking good Paul!!!!


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

[jarteta97]

Love it, even a rush job looks awesome!

[DigitalPunk]

I wrapped the tank up today. I will add a picture when I get home from work or tomorrow. My Honey do list morphed over the weekend into a giant project that crushed my soul lol. All I did was smear Moss mix all over the Hygrolon and in random spots on the cork wall, Added leaf liter, and a ridiculous amount of Springtails and a few more Isopods.

[Strider18]

Any updates on this tank?

[DigitalPunk]

LoL Yeah I have totally dropped the ball on updating this thread. I will take an update pick tomorrow and try to get it up on the site before work. It isn't flashy or complicated. Just a straight forward tank and the Cits are loving it. They are always out and about.

[DigitalPunk]

Tiny update. I will get a full tank shot tomorrow if I can remember.

First Here is the tank the day they moved in.



Here is one from 10/5 of them wrapping up decimating some fruit flies



And just for fun here is a comparison picture of one of the Cits. Left pic taken on 6/26 (1 month old) and Right Pic on 10/5. Love how the legs have colored up since we first got them till now. They are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch bigger than they were we we bought them and they are nice and chubby now .




I will get more pictures. Still holding my breath on the moss mix I put up but so far it is showing no signs of life.

[LisaGarcia]

Paul, They look extremely happy! I love the "clean" look of the tank!

[jarteta97]

I've heard that moss mix put on hygrolon takes forever to grow, but the tank still looks great!

[DigitalPunk]

I am not a patient person. Forever sounds awful lol. I will give it a few months and if there is still no life I will most likely never use it again. I am ok with waiting for things to grow in but there is a limit to my patience for sure lol.

[deranged chipmunk]

When I was growing it in a sealed container, it took 6 weeks before I saw life from the moss mix.


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

[jarteta97]

I've seen cases where it took 3+ months. Not to scare you or anything Paul

[DigitalPunk]

Update photo time ----


First pictures of the new growth in the tank --




I kill begonias every time I try to grow them. I had one last surviving clipping that I planted in this tank. It rooted and now has new growth! I am so excited lol!!!



Moss Mix growing on the cork panel



I can never remember what this plant is called, but I LOVE it. Bill sent it to me several months ago and it has lots of new growth after its short life in this tank!



More moss mix growing on the cork panel.





And an updated full tank shot. I think it is growing in nicely. The Cits love it and that is ultimately what matters most to me.



Thanks for looking

Paul

[LisaGarcia]

Beautiful!

[Lija]

Very nice!

[LilyPad]

It looks fantastic, Paul! I love the moss mix. Good job with the begonia!

[Strider18]

Looking good! Glad they are happy in there

0.1.0 Psuedacris regilla

[jarteta97]

Yay, the moss mix is growing quickly! It's looking very nice Paul

[Vivariums In The Mist]

Did you use Folius Moss Mix or make your own? Love the monkey pods btw, my favorite viv accent.

[DigitalPunk]

Couple new shots of the Cits. They are doing great! Other than eating me out of house and home lol. They seem to consume 2 Hydie cultures every week lol.