Full Tank Shots of my Dart Vivs

[RikoAustria]

Hey All... here are some full tank shots of my dart tanks.
I'll get some detailed shots some other time.

They're all 20 Longs (Except the Man Creek tank)



Azureus




Leucomelas



Auratus



Cobalts



Man Creek

[peeka]

oh my gosh! They are gorgeous they are like works of art!

[Jeff Kennedy]

REALLY nice job Riko!!!

[RikoAustria]

Thank you both for the kind words. They keep me pretty busy on a daily basis.

[John]

I need to hire you to make me a nice display tank for my terribilis!

[RikoAustria]

I need to hire you to make me a nice display tank for my terribilis!

If we were closer to each other, I'd definitely do it!

[daggekko]

wow...those tanks are awesome. how'd you go about your backgrounds? a couple looked like some sort of fibre background panels, others didnt..

[RikoAustria]

wow...those tanks are awesome. how'd you go about your backgrounds? a couple looked like some sort of fibre background panels, others didnt..

Thanks... the leucs, azureus and auratus tanks have tree fern panel backgrounds.... the cobalt tank is a combination of a piece of cork bark and great stuff spray foam and coco fiber combo, same goes for the man creek tank

[daggekko]

in your opinion which is better? tree fern panel or the gs/mix?

[RikoAustria]

There's really no "better" of the two. I like tree fern panels because they're easy. However, I like to have the freedom of creating depth and shaping my BG as well, so the GS method works well for that.

[DonLisk]

Hi Riko,

I'm starting to plan a Viv for some Bumblebee Darts and would love to have you give a basic run through on putting together the Colbat setup you have created. They are all spectacular and would love to give them a home like that.
Substrates, layers and plants would really help in my planning.

[John]

Riko, I am sure I've asked you before, but what are your lids?

[firebellied zach]

Awesome!! It's amazing how you get such a great work of art with a little bit of patience. Must have taken a while to set them up.

[RikoAustria]

Hi Riko,

I'm starting to plan a Viv for some Bumblebee Darts and would love to have you give a basic run through on putting together the Colbat setup you have created. They are all spectacular and would love to give them a home like that.
Substrates, layers and plants would really help in my planning.

I do my setup pretty old school(ish). I start off with some LECA, or hydroton balls, as my drainage layer, then put mesh weedblock on top, then the substrate, which is a variation of ABG mix, and add a layer of leaf litter. As far as plants, I'm partial to ferns and alocasia, so I tend to use them more than any other plants. I also have some creeping fig and a couple of small bromeliads on the background. If you have any specific questions and need me to get into detail on something, don't desitate to ask.

Riko, I am sure I've asked you before, but what are your lids?

John, most of my lids are custom cut glass with a DIY vent (Totally Terrariums!) and some are 'ghetto-rigged' screen tops covered with plastic.... They were supposed to be temporary, but they've been 'temporary' for several months now. lol

Awesome!! It's amazing how you get such a great work of art with a little bit of patience. Must have taken a while to set them up.

Thanks.... Some took longer than others, building is the fun part. Not to mention I get really OCD when it comes to arranging and rearranging plants, etc.