Mossy Vivarium

[MikeM670]

I have completed my new vivarium. I have tried to model this one along the lines of lots of moss. Here is a teaser image of the mossy vivarium. I will upload a complete build article when time permits.

[Ebony]

Very nice Mike. Im a huge moss fan myself. I will look forward to seeing the build article.

[Leefrogs]

Man, u worked fast. I'm not keepin up at all!!! Great job!!!!

[bshmerlie]

What kinds of moss do you have in there, what kind of lighting are you using and how wet are you going to be keeping it. Im doing a moss study here in the next few days so I'm looking to get as much info as possible from people that have kept it successfully.

[MikeM670]

What kinds of moss do you have in there, what kind of lighting are you using and how wet are you going to be keeping it. Im doing a moss study here in the next few days so I'm looking to get as much info as possible from people that have kept it successfully.

All the moss are from Josh Frogs from their moss offer you can find here on the website. I tried to design the background with two levels that are carved out and have a bit of a pool in them. The background is heavy silicone and peat moss. I put the moss in and around the pools on the background as I'm hoping to get a nice wet mossy ledges. I really don't know if it will work. I put all three type mosses at various locations in the hopes that one or more will take.

The water is pumped up to the top and spills down through each ledge so things should be very wet in some places and wet to moist in others. I was actually surprised how well the overall background was staying wet instead of just places where it flowed down. The only spot I see for a potential problem is on the right side where it flows into the one plant. I might need to move it and place some stones there. I did not get the water to flow into the corner pool but it's hard to get what you want sometimes. Water goes where it wants too!

The light I just took from my other build to take photo graphs. I'm still trying to decide what light and how bright it should be. Don showed me a 3 bulb unit like the 2 bulb unit I have. I might go with that option.

I still need to get some glass cut for the top to keep the humidity up. I plan on keeping a very high humidity in the tank. Don said when he went to I believe Black Jungle all the vivariums where very wet. I think I will try and follow that practice.

[bshmerlie]

I'm think I'm going to set up two tanks for the moss experiment. One with damp conditions and one with just light misting condtions. I also got the 3 mosses from Joshes so when I get back from a little trip this weekend I'll start my moss thread early next week. I'll do with different options to see which way grows the best...keep me posted how your different moss areas are growing as well. I'm going to be taking photos every week or so to see if I can see a difference over time.

[DonLisk]

Moss, moss everywhere, and not a drop to drink. hmmmmm Oh wait, that was water.

Nice work Mike. You Rock!

See what you started! All the vivs at Black Jungle were soaked and all the tanks were covered in moss. A lot of moss too. Substrates, glass, driftwood, it was all thriving with moss.

Did you check out their 24 inch hood? At 44 bucks I think I'll have to pick one up for the next build.

The pools should work well and look awesome. I wonder how long moss takes to spread. I'm sure it does not spread quickly but will look so cool when it does.

Again, that looks awesome.

[MikeM670]

Thanks Don,

I might add some more moss to the more vertical areas if I can find something to pin it up with. I forgot to look for some aluminum nails when I was at the hardware store getting stuff to build the screen inserts for the 55. Since I forgot to get enough corners for the other screen insert I'll be back there this weekend. I'm working shift tomorrow.

I am very pleased with how much water really has spread over the wall and dripping down. Just one place I might have to make a adjustment.

Haven't made a decision on the light yet. Stole the one from the other viv to take pictures with. I have some video that I will edit and put up on the tube when I get a chance.

I'm not sure how fast moss spreads but I' hoping it is fast and covers well.

One other thing. I'm not sure why the image looks so squashed. Kinda lost that vertical look to it.

[DonLisk]

Click on it and the image will view better.

I'm scratching my head here trying to think where I saw plastic staples in about the 1/2 or 5/8 inch size. If you get a curved needle you can sew it in with some thread like the needle they do stitches with.

What pump did you use in the viv?

[MikeM670]

Don,

I believe it was the Repti Flo 250 Terrarium Pump. I did not think about sewing the moss into the foam. That is a good idea. The thread would eventually dissolve and by then the moss should of taken hold.

[MikeM670]

Don,

What do you think of this light.

http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Saltwa...ref=pd_sbs_k_4

The bulbs are probably wrong but the two T5 bulbs would give great light and the fixture should fit the 18x18x24 size viv. I'm just not sure the spiral bulbs would give the light amount I'm looking for.

[DonLisk]

Don,

What do you think of this light.

http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Saltwa...ref=pd_sbs_k_4

The bulbs are probably wrong but the two T5 bulbs would give great light and the fixture should fit the 18x18x24 size viv. I'm just not sure the spiral bulbs would give the light amount I'm looking for.

The 12K bulb should be fine and the other is the one to replace. Total wattage would be 36 watts. Could do the trick. Have you found bulbs that will work with it? I don't see the length of bulbs.
The review says it has a good reflectors so thats a plus too.

[MikeM670]

The 12K bulb should be fine and the other is the one to replace. Total wattage would be 36 watts. Could do the trick. Have you found bulbs that will work with it? I don't see the length of bulbs.
The review says it has a good reflectors so thats a plus too.

I believe they have a freshwater plant bulb. That should do the trick. I'll do some more research and make a choice.

[MikeM670]

Mossy Vivarium Build

In the beginning there was the

18 x 18 x 24 Zoo Med Naturalistic Terrarium

Sorry for the background image. I was building this in my work space where my other hobby is located. I build scale models.

I wanted to have a vavarium that was mostly moss based. I would still need some plants to make it visually appealing as well as to provide shelter and security to the frogs. So with that in mind and the fact that I already had a large supply of moss purchased from Josh Frogs for use in my previous 55 Gallon build I set about creating the new vivarium.
The vivarium would utilize a raised false bottom using egg crate and the background would be made of Great Stuff Foam, GE Silicone II and peat moss. There would be several levels or ledges and places for some plants. The ground would slope up towards the back of the unit and a pond would be located in the front right side as you looked at it.
To begin I started construction of the false bottom using egg crate or window diffuser. This was cut to fit the inside dimensions of the unit.
The right rear and front corners were cut out to allow access for the water pump and the small pond location. Vertical sections were then added around all the edges to raise the egg crate up and provide the water reservoir. These parts were tied together with zip ties.



The corner tower that encloses the Repti Flow 250 pump and water line were installed through a hole cut in the egg crate. The tower will be cut down to fit inside the tank after it is foamed.



A support section was then installed in the center of the false bottom.



Once I was satisfied with the egg crate the unit was removed.

I wanted to provide clean looking sides since they could be visible to the viewer so I spread black silicone to the inside glass in the appropriate shape of the background sides.



Once the silicone was dry the false bottom was put back in place. A piece of landscaping fabric was cut to size and laid over the false bottom. This will help keep the substrate from falling through and under the egg crate where it could foul the water. The unit was placed on its back and I applied Great Stuff Foam to the back glass and up and around the pump tower.



The second application of Great Stuff Foam was added and the ledges are starting to appear.



I let the foam cure for several days while I was working and it really expanded out. Here the tank sits on its base and you get a good view of the background.



Now holes for where the few plants would go and the ledges with pools were cut out. The water line was cut back and a 90 degree elbow was inserted to redirect the water flow back onto the back wall.




Peat pots were installed and additional foam was reapplied to fix them in place. The water line was foamed in to cover it. The opening will be cut out once the foam cured.



Here is a view of the background as you look at it from the front.



Foam applied to around the pond and eventually I filled up the area adjacent to the glass. The foam around the pond was cut down to a better size after it had dried.

Application of the background material

The background would consist of peat moss applied to a thick layer of brown GE Silicone II. I worked in small areas at a time by first applying the silicone and smoothing it onto the foam and into any crevices using disposable gloves. I replaced my gloves and then handfuls of peat moss were dropped onto the wet silicone and pressed into place. This was a messy process and eventually I went through quit a few gloves. After working around as many areas as I could I let the silicone dry. After the silicone had dried I went back and brushed off the excess and prepared new areas to cover with silicone and moss. I had to repeat this several times to cover the background. Also I found several areas that needed a reapplication of silicone and peat to completely cover. As a side note here, I have used both the Gorilla Glue and Silicone as the bonding agent for two builds now. I feel the silicone gives a much better surface to apply the peat too. It looked and felt much thicker! Both serve their purpose and Gorilla Glue can certainly be used to spot fill a area with ease.



Completed background




I added some gravel to the front of the vertical egg crate to hide it from the viewer.

Substrate

Application of the substrate was pretty straight forward. I used coco fibers you can purchase in brick form. Just soak in water to loosen up the fibers.

Soil material

I am using ABG Mix, developed at the Atlantic Botanical Garden. Many people swear by this mixture for its qualities in holding moister, not breaking down fast and great plant growth. You can mix your own or purchase it pre bagged.

Time for Plants, Moss, Rocks and Leaves

The moss was a little dried out so the previous night I added some distilled water to each of the large gallon size bags to rehydrate the moss and make it more manageable to work with.



I added the plants into the peat pots and ground from a collection I had accumulated from my previous build. Once the plants were in I added three types of moss. First the ground was covered with large pieces then each ledge and pool area. I mixed the moss types up in the hopes that if one failed to grow or died out the other might take over.
Smooth River Rocks were added to the pool and ledge. I followed this up with several leaves over the rocks. I did not place them over the moss as I did not wish for the moss to die off.



The vivarium was all completed and with the help of my wife it was carried upstairs and placed in its spot of honor. I added treated tap water to the reservoir and plugged in the pump and watched the water flow into the pools and eventually down the background face. I made some adjustments to the rock placement by moving some and added a few more under where the water flowed off the wall face onto the ground in the hopes it would channel into the pool. After a day the water flow over the wall seemed to change by spreading our more evenly across the surface and almost all the peat was now wet. Even the peat above where the water flowed.



I will upload a video of the vivarium so you can really see how the water flows on the background soon.

[DonLisk]

Mike, that is so awesome. I can't wait to see pics after the moss has taken hold.
Amazing

[DonLisk]

I didn't realize how you hid the foams white color on the sides of the glass and how you hide the false bottom until after I reread this. I wish I did that on my recent build. Thats nice.

[MikeM670]

Don,

I can't take credit for that idea. I learned that on someone elses build.

[MikeM670]

Here is a short Youtube Video of the Vavarium.

YouTube - MossyVivarium.mp4

[DonLisk]

Wow, that is awesome Mike. Incredible job both with the viv and the video.

[daziladi]

Amazing build Mike.. thanks for the step by step and photos. When do the frogs move in?