55 gallon Vivarium Build

[AquaAurora]

[8-23-18]
[THE WOOD IS HERE!]

gah I had a big long rambling post I started this morning then walked away from, and I lost it apparently =.=

So wood came today YAY. Been messing with it for 1-2 hours already?
Get to manhandle it into place for scaping, will probably spend all weekend doing that.
Of corse the largest/heaviest piece is the most stubborn about staying the place where I want it UGH.
I'm tempted to use great-stuff to force it in place (foam around it and hold it there until hardened) but I really don't like doing something so permanent... or deal with the post foam hardening work to hide the foam look.

Also had some babbling on plant stock ideas but will type that out again another time.. back to work trying to get that [censor] big piece into place again.


[WHAT FROGS TO GET FOR 55G?]

I'll post a thread with this question/info in the beginners form too tomorrow. Looked at josh'sfrogs dart info but want users input that own dart species

Tank dimensions: 48" long, 14-15" high (still have to add abg), 12" wide
Humidity: 70+ (probably higher like 80-90)
Temp: high 60sF to mid 70sF
Tank Placement: just outside home office moderate to high foot traffic area
Water Feature: currently none but can add stream/pond
Frog size wanted: ideally UNDER 2" to reduce damage to plants.
Frog temperament wanted: adults get along in group
Frog Noise level: well this is not in the bedroom so as long as they aren't as loud as birds I don't care, but I'd prefer medium to quiet calls-this is low on priority list.

Tank will have emersed aquatic plants so a lot of humidity. I a lot driftwood in there but its more for us (humans) to enjoy than the frogs to jump on-I'll have vertical tanks (20g long and maybe 20g high vertical conversions) later so don't mind the frogs not jumping on the wood.. even if it spans most of/the whole tank. Anyways I want something to utilize the 4 foot length that will get along well in a group as adults. I don't plan to breed for sales/increased #s (won't collect and grow out tadpoles-they're on their own).

[POTENTIAL DRIFTWOOD LAYOUT]
Shown in order of preference.. may try more options tomorrow



zip ties are temp so I can back up from tank and view.. also the large rock won't be part of the final display (i hope)-wood slips on trash bag i used to keep from ripping the weed guard stuff.

[AquaAurora]

[8-24-18]
[55g Build-Battling the Driftwood]
So messed with some more layouts.. nothing's really catching me as "That's the one!" yet. # 7 and 8 are yesterdays, rest from today. Rock and zip ties are not gong to be a part of final layout

[Hoppy 79]

No4 is the best IMHO

[AquaAurora]

[55g More Waiting]

So hygrolon should be here today but I found a better piece of driftwood than my current middle piece so now i have to wait on that to get here >.>''
Its from the same seller as the pieces in the 55 now, bugger didn't put it up with last batch of wood for sale or I'd have gotten it before.
Of cores the more I mess with it, the large piece orientation I like most is the most unstable so I have to wedge a rock under it.. we'll see how the layout changes once I get the new wood in.


[6g bowfront]
kinda hard to notice much growth this early on but the hydro japan (clover in middle) is definitely growing. Micro sword in back is transitioning with new growth. Dwarf hair grass in front I think is doing well but hard to tell?


You can see some otehr plants outside the tank. Lucky bamboo in front (sticking out of a half full 10g tank with a betta), and pothos behind. Pothos in just in a shallow bowl (need to get a larger one). I have golden, neon, n'joy, and (very small) marble queen. I may offer clippings from the gold and neon since they're growing so well and crawled about 4" from the bowl.


There's also an orchid plant on the right out of view. I got it at Lowes near dead-stem rotted, leaves were so rubbery/flexible you'd think it was a fake plant. Its lived for 2 years but no new flower stem and I can't keep more than 4 leaves. Its just on a window sill and in a home probably too cold/dry for its needs.

No4 is the best IMHO

Thank you for the input.

[AquaAurora]

[Unrealted MTS issues]
UUUUUUGH my MTS hit hard again >.<

What is MTS you ask?
Multi
Tank
Syndrom

Its a common disease contracted by many aquarium keepers where 1 tank turns into 3.. turns into many more. I stopped counting when i hit 23 tanks with fish and live plants >.>'

I'm sure its spread into this hobby as well but I don't know if it goes by another name for vivarium/terrarium/paludarium people?

ANYWAYS Got spam from drfostersmith site to get $30 off a $100 order. WEll one of teh dos is ready to move into new size meds and would be just $6 short of the discount.

SO i went into teh 'clearance' section for 'fish' (because they suck and don't have a reptile/amphibian section) and found an 11g frame-less. glass aquarium for $49.99 (clearance price) other tanks on 'clearance' were $80+ and less than 1/3 the volume!

Although I've been trying to cut back on my tanks and have several dry collecting dust I couldn't help but think. Hey I can get this and with the $30 discount I'm really only paying $20 for an 11g frame-less glass tank!

I mulled it over for several hours and decided I'd upgrade my 12" cube to this 15"x15"x17.5" tank

So I get order together and go to check out and notice.. $30 is not being deducted... turns out its a $30 gift card for a future order if you spend over $100 now. It doesn't give you info on when the gift card expires, or limitations like "must spend $__ to use this gift card" so I said [censor it] and canceled the order.


But with all that rambling done. If anyone is into aquariums its $49.99 for an 11g volume this does not have the black trim you see on standard 10,20,40g tanks at pet stores. Maybe grab 2 (for price of 1 at original price) and get the $30 gift card for yourself?
https://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...m?pcatid=36527


This is not a promotion, or a review. Just pointing it out like when people post "hey petco has the $1 per a gallon sale".
Its honestly a "get it all sold out of stock and out of my head now please!" kinda post >.>

[AquaAurora]

[55g stuff Photo spam]

Lack of updates from busyness. But lots of stuff came int/was bought so moving forward over the weekend.
Wood finally came, battled it for a few days, like this lay out the best-currently in zip ties to keep it in place until properly secured




Got some thick acrylic sheets for lids-hopefully wont bow out-tried much thinner sheets on aquariums and they failed


Dowel for connecting the wood-instead of using metal screws or glue. Will drill back side and use to keep pieces in place


Had to order black silicone online because store only had the kind with "mold resistance"-which is not safe for fauna, going to use to stick up the hygrolon, speaking off here's a quick photo of the material-feels very soft and heavy-hopefully works out well.





Some other stuff from local store...Had to buy chain in a package because [censor] at home depot apparently like to be as [censor] as lowes now and not help.. have to have employee cut chain. Asked for help then stood around over 8 minutes. Other employees and the original one we asked passed, were asked, no help.... not happy.. Got hooks, also silicone for plastics (in acrylic section)


I'd also gotten 1 knob for the lids.. forgot to grab the otehr because some pushy woman came over trying to get us to sign up for a free kitchen remodel estimate.. made it clear no interest but forgot about second knob by the time she'd left >.<

Thought I still had these from when I have a 6g pond pot set up but apparently sold them so had to re-order-got 2. They're very low, the heater will need the water level higher than these pumps..




and some quick carppy shots of plants I'm slowly converting to ermsed for the 55g, anubias, fissidens, swords,

[AquaAurora]

[6g bow front]
These are from last week but too busy to get a shot today to show prgoress-6g bowfront is taking off, dwarf hair grass is rooting deep and sending runners, hydro japan is also spreading nicely

My orchid I'd mentioned some posts ago. Thinking of offering it as a $1 add on when I sell plants (pothos and rabbit foot fern). I don't give it the most ideal conditions so it lives but doesn't thrive. No disease.. just too cold/dry where I have it. Not sure if its too big for anyone to be interested in? No clue bloom color-bought it as a half dead plant at Lowes a few years ago.


Have to cut and add egg crate for small water feature, put in hygrolon, then gravel (water area) and abg mix for the 55g. Hopefully will do that all next week-been busy the past few weeks with art commissions.