75 gallon Australia Paludarium/Vivarium

[daybr4ke]

Thanks for the advice on the plant spacing and the foam on the sides. I think I'm going to put a background on one side, maybe with a ledge, possibly a planted ledge.
Also, I checked around and the following plants have conflicting origins from different websites:
Codiaeum Variegatum, Chlorophytum Laxum. Some sites dont mention Australia.
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/http:/...01574#overview
This one is for normal spider plant rather than bichetii grass. Spider plants seem to be naturalized in australia anyway. Wikipedia says Bichetii grass is from Australia in addition to other locations. I found bichetii grass online, but I don't wanna buy it if its not native to Australia.
The codiaeum is similarly listed as from Australia in Wikipedia, but not some other resources.

[daybr4ke]

Alright, another update!! Today I went out and bought plants and did research on native origins. First off, new plants, pics, and where I got them!

That's all the plants. From left to right: Spider Plant, Weeping Fig(OSH), Gold Dust Croton(IKEA), Bird's Nest Fern/Asplenium Nidus(OSH), Neon Pothos(OSH).
OSH had some really nice stuff. I really liked both the dark and white splash weeping figs, but I went with dark green.


There's a close-up on the Croton(Codiaeum). I think its a very pretty plant. I finished research on Bichetii Grass and Codaenium, and found not only were they in Australia but they were both from Queensland. All the plants I plan to put in are from Queensland, except the Gem fern which is a hybrid anyway. Technically I seem to have designed a Queensland Vivarium. I also found another plant candidate, also native to Queensland. Hoya Australis. I can substitute Hoya Carnosa if need be. I might not bother with the orchid. I have to see about floor space and plant space etc. I'm going to ask Larry Wardog for advice on that, I think. I need to figure out how many plants I'm using. I don't have the tank yet, so I can't just place them inside and see how they look space-wise yet. Right now I have 5 plants bought with at least one more I plan to get.
I'll post with anything new.

[daybr4ke]

I picked up the frogs and the tank. Unfortunately the tank suffered a major crack while being moved into the car, pictures to follow(also a probable separate thread about repairing, replacing or substituting the glass.). It is a very nice tank, however, and after some work I think it is going look very cool. I also have Cebu Blue pothos ordered.
I'm most interested on the pink rock orchid, but if It's hard to find I'll just use a common phalaenopsis since they are found in australia as well.
I need to pick up peat moss, expanding foam, some branches and cork flats, some false bottom materials and do some work on the tank for step 1.
This is what I have been using to check Wikipedia on plant range:
http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/ur...names:532931-1
http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/ur...:names:85073-3
http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/ta...:names:98382-1
The above link should link to some of my possible plants. The site is pretty useful for checking plant origins.

[daybr4ke]

Alright, UPDATE!! Epipremnum Pinnatum, "Cebu Blue" Pothos has arrived! I am so excited!!

It's a pretty nice looking plant. Looks healthy! I patched the cracks and put a layer of silicone down to help seal the tank's drainage layer area, after cleaning it with vinegar and rinsing it. Next is putting in backing. I'm starting on that tomorrow. Photos of it coming soon!
The other day I bought all the materials I need except springtails and some wood, which I need to order, and bichetii grass, my last plant, coming via Amazon at the moment. It should be here next weekend. I also need to construct the false bottom. There's still a lot of work, but it's getting there!

[daybr4ke]

Just finished spraying the last of the foam. It just has to cure, the drainage layer is 80% done, so soon I'll be on to soil mixing and planting. Before talking about that, Pictures!

The backing almost done. I wanted to have a branch submerged in the foam, but it came out fine. I did accidentally block the embedded pots drainage so I'll have to fix that...also featured a giant accidental foam thing that sprouted overnight.

The last plant, chlorophytum laxum. At the moment I've decided the orchid is unnecessary, so it's dropped unless I have too much open floor space in the tank. Another pic below.


I have my ingredients for my vivarium soil mix, and after some research realized I overused topsoil in my last build, and should have ground down the orch is bark. This build has minimized the topsoil's role. Here's a list, I have everything but the tree fern fiber which I understand is a very important part of the mix. It looks like I'm going with the following mix:
2 parts Coco fiber
2 parts peat moss
2 parts ground orchids bark(3 to compensate for lack of tree fern?)
1 part aquarium charcoal(do I need to smash it more than the little pebbles it comes in? Directions say to smash standard bbq briquettes with a hammer on Dendroboard, but aquarium charcoal is already pretty small.)
1 part long fiber sphagnum moss
1 part organic topsoil
Please critique and advise! Thanks!

[elly]

Oh no, the crack. I really dread having to move my own vivarium eventually.

It's probably smart to leave extra plants out right now. Pothos is really a space hog if you don't keep pruning.

[daybr4ke]

Yeah, this thing is super heavy now...thick glass, wood frame on top and bottom, and now it has the foam backing. My bichetii grass is having a tough time. Now I wish I'd done the order 2 get one free deal lol
But right now the most interesting thing isn't the plants or tank.

Its the frog.

I was really surprised to find that both the frogs were Blue-Eyes.