Custom Vivarium Build Log

[clownonfire]

Jason, what a great process so far. And nice looking place!

MikeM670 and DonLisk I think you will both enjoy this.

eric

[Kisa]

Wow that is a great viv build. Looks amazing and completely professional. Great work.

Can you explain more fully about the magnets to hold the door? Is this just temporary or do you plan on using magnets long term, and how does it work? This is so interesting. I will probably be modifying a 10 and 30 gallon tank later on and the door seems like the hardest part.

[VicSkimmr]

Thanks!

I'll try to take a better picture of the magnets and how they work tonight. They basically hold the door in place. The magnets aren't so strong that they'll break the glass, but they're strong enough to hold it in place through both pieces of glass and they let go easily if you go to take the door off.

I was originally planning on going through Protean terrariums but I decided that I didn't like a couple of things about the sliding door design. 1: I don't like the plastic border around the doors that are needed to make it frog proof, 2: I don't like that you can only have access to half of the viv at a time, and 3: I don't like that you have to make such a ruckus to open the viv, which disturbs the frogs.

I wanted something that was as seamless as possible. I can't take credit for the design though, Tropical Ecos use magnets for their doors as well, but they don't ship so they weren't an option for me.

[VicSkimmr]

So here it is in its final resting place

Living Room / Kitchen by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Background in place. It's ecoweb, which turns out to be a giant brillo pad

Background in place by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Here's how I plumbed the misting system

Pump and Reservoir by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Which fits nicely into this basket

The reservoir hidden in its basket by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Which then fits into the bookshelf. The light fits on top of all the plumbing up top, but it looks like this underneath

Closeup of the hidden misting set up by jasonwithers, on Flickr

I slightly modified the light fixture (it's an exo terra 18" fixture) so the tubing could run under it

Light modification by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Wood secured

Securing wood by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Substrate in place (ABG Mix)

Substrate Added by jasonwithers, on Flickr

[VicSkimmr]

Annndddddd plants. This is where it currently sits

Initial planting

Initial Planting by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Initial Planting by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Initial Planting by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Water area substrate and plants. This is actually going to be a dry river bed that I'll flood periodically to coincide with the rainy (breeding) season. At least that's the plan

Water Area Planted by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Water Area Planted by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Water area planted by jasonwithers, on Flickr

It has since been covered mostly in leaf litter. I've got ferns coming in soon so I'll update at that point

A couple of closeups of bromeliads

Bromeliad Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Bromeliad Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr

[Grrrit]

wow! im digging that for sure, amazing. what kindof pump do you use for that mist system? and what kind of frog do you plan to keep?

[MikeM670]

Jason,

First off let me say congratulations on building a very clean modern looking vivarium. I like how you were able to take the exo terra light and hid the misting nozzles and tubing under it. Nice touch hiding the water reservoir in the basket. Never would of thought of that.

The thicker glass you recommend would be much better as far as a safety factor. I have found 1/32 to be a bit fragile and could easily crack.

Have you fired up the misting system? Have you had any issues with the front glass fogging? On my 55 gallon I still get some fogging immediately after misting the tank which can last for hours. The top is the only place for ventilation in my case and I built some custom screen covers to handle that. Did you give any thought to putting in a lower level air vent to allow air to flow up the front glass and out the top? If so any thoughts on how you would build this?

Building a vivarium like this really lends itself to custom designs to fit specific locations!

[VicSkimmr]

wow! im digging that for sure, amazing. what kindof pump do you use for that mist system? and what kind of frog do you plan to keep?

Thanks! The misting kit is a 6 year old mistking set up, so the pump is whatever came with his systems back in the day. It's loud as hell.

This tank will initially house a group of R. imitator intermedius so I can keep an eye on them while I set up the big tank. After they've been moved to the big tank I'm not sure, but maybe a pair of R. vanzolinii or a group of R. benedicta.

Jason,

First off let me say congratulations on building a very clean modern looking vivarium. I like how you were able to take the exo terra light and hid the misting nozzles and tubing under it. Nice touch hiding the water reservoir in the basket. Never would of thought of that.

The thicker glass you recommend would be much better as far as a safety factor. I have found 1/32 to be a bit fragile and could easily crack.

Have you fired up the misting system? Have you had any issues with the front glass fogging? On my 55 gallon I still get some fogging immediately after misting the tank which can last for hours. The top is the only place for ventilation in my case and I built some custom screen covers to handle that. Did you give any thought to putting in a lower level air vent to allow air to flow up the front glass and out the top? If so any thoughts on how you would build this?

Building a vivarium like this really lends itself to custom designs to fit specific locations!

The glass is pretty thin, but I'm not overly concerned about it cracking. Barring someone slamming into it or something getting thrown at it I'm confident that it won't crack, and structurally it is very sturdy, even with it being compromised somewhat in the front and top

I don't get any fog on the front after misting, and so far I have it set to mist for 1 minute every day and twice on Saturday and Sunday. It does fog a bit near the soil but that's usually gone in half an hour.

I had considered building a euro vent type setup into it but I ditched the idea since I knew I wouldn't do it in the large tank (paludarium). I felt like the euro vent would take away from the seamless look of the tank. If I hadn't done the dry river bed / water section I probably would have done a euro vent.

[Adam R]

Annndddddd plants. This is where it currently sits

A couple of closeups of bromeliads

Bromeliad Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Bromeliad Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr

where did you get your broms? ive been looking everywhere for ones similar to these with no avail??

[DiggenEm]

Any updates?