# General Topics > Vivarium, Terrarium & Enclosure Discussion >  Display Paludarium Build

## VicSkimmr

I've finally gotten started on it  :Big Grin: 

Original space


Glass. It's all 1/4" thick regular plate glass. The angle is deceiving, but the piece in the top left is 3' x 4'.


Holes drilled (whew)


More to come...

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## VicSkimmr

Partially constructed. I decided to stop at this point so I could install the wood once it comes in to make things easier to work with.


Mocking up the false bottom and supports
Supports and overflow (also background installed!)


False bottom in place


Playing with my most favoritist tech gadget ever for a frog tank  :Big Grin:

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## Don

Wow, I can not wait for more of this.  Awesome controler and what an amazing size viv!

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## Martin

Looks really nice so far! 
Is that a computerfan controler?

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## VicSkimmr

Yes it is, and thanks guys! The fan controller controls up to 5 fans independently. It also comes with temperature probes, but due to the location of where it's going to be mounted I won't be able to use them.

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## dtfleming

Wow! This is gonna be another awesome build. What do you plan on keeping in it?

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## VicSkimmr

> Wow! This is gonna be another awesome build. What do you plan on keeping in it?


Right now the plan is a group of Ranitomeya vanzolinii. Depending on how that goes (how much space they take up, how visible they are), I _might_ make it a multi-species exhibit and try some type of Amereega in with them. This tank is approximately 180 gallons, so I think with enough visual barriers and niches it could support 2 types of frogs, but only time will tell. The vanzos are going to be the primary inhabitant though.

Here's a couple of stand pictures. I'm currently painting it so more pics will follow



Fan controller in place

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## NRF

Following along as usual Jason. Loving it already.

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## Leefrogs

I got chicken skin. . . .

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## VicSkimmr

I didn't get a whole lot accomplished this weekend, but I did finish getting the major pieces of wood in and the stand painted

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## berksmike

Looking great - i shouldnt look at threads like this (gives me ideas lol)

I was thinking about a similar set up for some vietnamese mossy frogs.

Cant wait to see this as it progresses.

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## VicSkimmr

You should! I love those frogs  :Smile:

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## VicSkimmr

Up on the stand and all the glass in place

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## Grrrit

Super cool dude. I will be following this for sure!

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## FrogFever

Wow. I have no idea what kind of crazy amazing setup you've got going here.... and I'm very excited about that.  :Big Grin:

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## VicSkimmr

:Big Grin:  I should be plumbing the aquarium section and hopefully mounting the light this week.

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## bshmerlie

Where did you get your wood? I love it.

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## clownonfire

Jason,

Once again, green with envy. Lucky frogs. Lucky house. Looks stunning. 

Eric

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## VicSkimmr

It's maylasian driftwood, I got it from Poison Dart Frogs | Food Fruit Flies Supplies Vivarium Terrarium Moss Habitats | Wood Vine Cork Tubes | Consultation Sales by Vivarium Concepts

I shot them an email telling them what I was looking for and they totally exceeded my expectations  :Smile:  At first I placed a large order for some ghostwood through save-on-crafts.com, but what I got was, well, rather pathetic. So I sent it back and went with vivariumconcepts instead.

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## VicSkimmr

I got lots done this weekend.

Light mocked up


Plumbing finished and water tested




Test run for fog

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## Michael

> It's maylasian driftwood, I got it from Poison Dart Frogs | Food Fruit Flies Supplies Vivarium Terrarium Moss Habitats | Wood Vine Cork Tubes | Consultation Sales by Vivarium Concepts
> 
> I shot them an email telling them what I was looking for and they totally exceeded my expectations  At first I placed a large order for some ghostwood through save-on-crafts.com, but what I got was, well, rather pathetic. So I sent it back and went with vivariumconcepts instead.


I can second the great customer service from Vivarium Concepts when it came to the driftwood.  I sent a email with image of my setup to them and they sent me a email with images of wood to select from.  I selected the items I wanted from the images and received them shortly after wards.

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## VicSkimmr

Yeah, they definitely went above and beyond. Good prices too!

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## Kevin

I'm in awe right now. Amazing.

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## Brit

I can't believe it took me this long to see this thread. 

Amazing build. I wish I had the money to hire you so you could build the rest of my tanks.  :Frown: 

I am looking forward to seeing more. How's it going, by the way?

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## Treefrognewbie

this looks amazing already!!  :Big Grin:  :Big Applause:   :Big Grin:   :Big Applause:  :Big Grin:   :Big Applause:  :Big Grin:   :Big Applause:  :Big Grin:   :Big Applause:

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## Brian

I am officially mediocre.


Can't wait to see more.

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## VicSkimmr

It's moving along  :Smile:  Everything is up and running with water in the water area and some plants added. I'm still a couple of months out from getting frogs I think, but slow and steady does it.

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## Brit

Oh my gosh this is coming along beautifully! Like I said before...are you available to do comissions?  :Wink:

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## VicSkimmr

Definitely! I've been trying to get that type of thing going here locally but I haven't gotten any biters yet, just a lot of people interested.

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## Treefrognewbie

wow, looks awesome!!!!  :Big Grin: 
are you planning on putting anything in the water? Like a couple fish?

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## VicSkimmr

Yeah that's next on the list. It comes to about 50 gallons worth of water so I can have a decent community fish tank under there. I know for sure we'll have killifish, celestial pearl danios and cories in it. Other than that I'm not sure.

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## Treefrognewbie

do you know what species of killies? 
Bluefin Killies are pretty cool. 
Fancy guppies would look really nice and add some color.

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## Brian

Jason, what is that background material you're using?

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## rcteem

> Jason, what is that background material you're using?


Epiweb!!! Jason, looks great and as soon as the begonia grows in that viv I could use a clipping...mine back home dried up  :Frown: . Also we need to put some really nice broms in there...have some really, really nice ones if interested. Here is a picture of one I might sell ya  :Wink: .

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## VicSkimmr

I can give you more than a clipping of that begonia, it's growing like a weed. It definitely dries out quick I've noticed though, I almost lost it when I first planted it in the tank.

I would gladly take one of each of those! I'll shoot you an email  :Smile:

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## jnichols714

awesome Viv Jason.. wish you could provide a parts/ schematic of the build.

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## rcteem

Ill get back to the email when I return from the trip on the 11th!!! Im no longer though in NC...Im in DC




> I can give you more than a clipping of that begonia, it's growing like a weed. It definitely dries out quick I've noticed though, I almost lost it when I first planted it in the tank.
> 
> I would gladly take one of each of those! I'll shoot you an email

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## rcteem

How many and price were you looking to get...that yellow one is $25 alone...lol. Let me know how many vanzos I need to start setting aside for you too :P...I still say you should do standard lamasi instead...lol

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## VicSkimmr

> How many and price were you looking to get...that yellow one is $25 alone...lol. Let me know how many vanzos I need to start setting aside for you too :P...I still say you should do standard lamasi instead...lol


I don't mind spending more to get a couple of really fantastic broms, I'm probably only going to put 6 or 7 in the tank total  :Smile:  




> awesome Viv Jason.. wish you could provide a parts/ schematic of the build.


You mean like posting the sizes of each pane of glass? Or how it was put together? I could probably throw something together. I've got all the pieces I need to make a couple of 18x18x24s in my garage, if anyone ever decides they want me to build them one I'll take pictures as if it were a how-to.

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## rcteem

I want to buy that tank though...lol

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## VicSkimmr

This one isn't going anywhere lol. I had to construct it in the loft because it wouldn't fit up the stairs otherwise, or it would have been close enough that I was worried we'd break it.

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## rcteem

Jason, Take a look at these and let me know what you think...The prices range from $7-$35. Call me and let me know which one you like and I can ship Monday before I disappear for two weeks:

http://s755.photobucket.com/albums/xx197/rcteem/Broms/Growers Choice Broms/

Everyone else is free to take a look and buy them too but Jason gets first dibs.

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## VicSkimmr



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## Brit

> Definitely! I've been trying to get that type of thing going here locally but I haven't gotten any biters yet, just a lot of people interested.


Too bad you're so far away...maybe I'll hit you up. I have some money coming my way in the next couple months.  :Wink:

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## JSG

Jason, yet again you've built a winner! AWESOME mate!

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## BG

Thats a kewl setup Jason once the plants grow and frogs/fish go in, it all ready looking good i could imagine when its finished again another piece of art :Big Applause:

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## jnichols714

Hey Jason , yes of how it was put together. That would be awesome as a step by step..

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## VicSkimmr

Thanks guys  :Smile: 

Joe, it's the same basic design as this one how-to with a few minor alterations:
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/par...step-step.html

1. I don't use a euro vent in the front under the door (though you definitely could with this setup)
2. Instead of the sliding door with the plastic rail, I use magnets and an aluminum ledge. I build a 4 piece "frame" on the front (the size of each piece changes depending on what size tank I'm building), then cut and place the aluminum ledge on the bottom piece in between the left and right pieces. Then I silicone a magnet on the inside of the viv at the top, and silicone another magnet on the outside of the door so they line up. It should go magnet - glass - glass - magnet. 

I usually cut the doors so they overlap 1-2 inches on each side and 2-4 inches at the top. That might not make any sense, but it's the best I can do to explain it.


Chris, do you have any idea what brom this might be?  I picked it up the last time I was by your place and I've completely forgotten the name. I'm really hoping I can get it to color back up again

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## rcteem

> Thanks guys 
> 
> Joe, it's the same basic design as this one how-to with a few minor alterations:
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/par...step-step.html
> 
> 1. I don't use a euro vent in the front under the door (though you definitely could with this setup)
> 2. Instead of the sliding door with the plastic rail, I use magnets and an aluminum ledge. I build a 4 piece "frame" on the front (the size of each piece changes depending on what size tank I'm building), then cut and place the aluminum ledge on the bottom piece in between the left and right pieces. Then I silicone a magnet on the inside of the viv at the top, and silicone another magnet on the outside of the door so they line up. It should go magnet - glass - glass - magnet. 
> 
> I usually cut the doors so they overlap 1-2 inches on each side and 2-4 inches at the top. That might not make any sense, but it's the best I can do to explain it.
> ...


I want to say Neo. Close of Day...does that sound familiar?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## VicSkimmr

You told me what it was and then I immediately forgot

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## jnichols714

thanks Jason.. I will check it out.

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## VicSkimmr

So... my bromeliads came in, but I had no idea they'd be this large. So my red and yellow "accent colors" have now taken dominance over everything green. I'm going to have to work hard to balance all this color back out.


Neo. Strawberry Blush (this mofo is HUGE, easily 12" in diameter)


Neo. Walking Tall


Neo. Gold Fever (needs to unfold quite a bit)


Neo. Cocktail


Neo. Kawika x Hawaiin Rainforest


Neo. Pauciflora x Kautskyi


Neo. Shamrock

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## rcteem

Glad you liked your broms...cant wait to see them in a week when they open up fully.

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## Brian

Spectacular stuff as always.  Any ideas on what will go in there eventually?

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## Griffin

what did you use as background?

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## Gail

That is insanely awesome!!

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## VicSkimmr

> what did you use as background?


It's epiweb

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## robertsonx2

wow everything looks fantastic, im very impressed. i have a few questions if you don't mind  :Smile: .  you using the little 12v fan to just circulate the air? ive seen this wood before but not that clean and dark of a shade; you know what the do to get that finish? what did you use to adhere the wood to your background?..

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## VicSkimmr

Yeah, there are 4 PC fans circulating air inside the viv, they don't draw in any outside air so humidity isn't effected. 

The wood is just malaysian driftwood, I haven't treated it with anything. I attached it to the background by carving out holes in the epiweb, and filling them with great stuff expanding foam. Then I just pressed the wood into the holes and let it cure. I hope that helps!

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## BG

Jason your master piece is out of this world  as it grows it only gets better the colors are fine how many dart frogs can you put in there and what kind of frogs ?

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## VicSkimmr

Thanks! 

The frogs are still up in the air. My initial plan was to have a group  of R. vanzolinii, but reports of them being shy has kind of put me off  of choosing them for this tank. Now the frontrunners are either R.  ventrimaculatus "Blackwater" or R. imitator "Baja Huallaga," though I  also have soft spot for R. flavovittata and R. benedicta.  This is too  hard of a choice to make  :Frown: 

Does anyone know if Understory is working to bring any new frogs into  the hobby soon? I'd love to put a group of R. defleri in it

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## Voltage

Very nice tank Jason. Nice and simple. You will absolutely be able to find your frogs in there from the simplicity  :Smile:  I never knew Epi web looked like that. I always thought it looks like that weird packaging material stuff for computers  :Stick Out Tongue:  When are you getting frogs? If you already said I missed it  :Frown:

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## VicSkimmr

I'm probably about a month out from getting frogs. I need to make sure all the plants will do fine in their current positions first. The epiweb reminds me a lot of tree fern fiber. One moss starts growing on it you'd never know the difference.

I did some rearranging last night and I think I'm happy with placement. All but the Neo. Walking Tall should be getting plenty of light to keep their colors and the placements look more natural in relation to the wood, at least to me.


More plant shots






I'm loving this 50mm lens, BTW. It's my first fast lens and I'm totally in love.

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## nevertoomany

By far my favorite tank ever Jason! I am about to try to build a 60 gal tall tank similar to yours and I have a few questions of you dont mind...  1. Where did you get your Epiweb from? And how thick is that stuff? Everywhere I have looked is out of the country.   2. What are you doing for water filtration? Lastly, what type of moss are you planning on getting to grow up the background?

Looking forward to seeing more of this one!

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## VicSkimmr

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. Epiweb (ecoweb in the USA) can only be obtained from this vendor as far as I know
https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/c...exact_match=on

Also, some stuff has happened with this tank. 

1. The bottom pane of glass apparently cracked somewhere, which forced us to convert this to a standard vivarium as I could never trust it to hold water now even if I did find the crack.  :Frown: 

2. Some goodies arrived yesterday  :Smile: 
#1


#2


#3


I'll take some shots that are in better focus once they're all settled in and I can use the tripod  :Smile:

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## Badger

That sucks, It looked so great too. Awesome frogs though! Tank came out awesome!

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## VicSkimmr

Yeah but what can you do? That's what I get for attempting to build it myself. Now at least people will stop sending me hate mail (exaggeration) about the unnecessary risk I'm putting my frogs at by having deep water in the tank.

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## Badger

Haha. Either way it looks good, and took a lot of effort. What frogs/line did you decide on? (Not well versed in ID'ing darts yet)

Edit: Awesome house, and where did you get that red chair? It's awesome, I want one lol

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## VicSkimmr

I think we got it at Pier One, or maybe World Market. They're all over the place (Ikea too I think). They're called papasan chairs

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## Badger

Thanks!

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## VicSkimmr

And.... they're in. Sorry for the shallow depth of field, I was trying to take these pics handheld.

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## Brian

Sorry to hear about the leak, that's rather sad. It's a crack in the glass and not a hole somewhere in the silicone? 1/4" plate glass is pretty darn tough, it would be handy to know what went wrong.

Very pretty frogs by the way.

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## VicSkimmr

Yup, here's the pic I got of it


It's very bizarre. I would have expected a crack to span the entire pane of glass if it was caused by pressure. I was ecstatic to find out it wasn't my silicone job that caused it though.

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## 7urb0

did you have the tank laying bare against the stand?  its hard to tell from the pics.  usually with a rimless tank there should always be a cloth of some sort between the tank and stand.  the reason is that even a tiny grain of rock can crack a tank if the tank was on it.

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## VicSkimmr

Hmm, yeah I didn't have any foam under it. Man I bets that's exactly what caused it. That was an incredibly stupid mistake (since I should have known better).

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## Poly

Amazing build! I really need to get a 50mm lens, my 300mm just dosen't cut it for close up shots... well, actually it does, I just have to be 20+ feet away...  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Heather

What a beautiful build! It's gorgeous!  :Smile:  I enjoyed reading through this thread. Thanks!

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## Brian

> Hmm, yeah I didn't have any foam under it. Man I bets that's exactly what caused it. That was an incredibly stupid mistake (since I should have known better).


The usual assembly plan on a frameless tank has the bottom pane of glass raised up off the ground a few milimeters, this should protect from the small stuff you can't see. More of a gap might be needed as the tank gets bigger, especially with such a water load, glass does bend slightly little before is busts. 

Did you check if the glass was thick enough to hold that amount of water? Most of the online calculators seem to be based on Calculating Glass Thickness for Aquariums but this webpage has a different calculation for the base of the tank than the sides that is ignored in all the calculators I've seen. In their sample calculation (for a giant 3'x9' tank) their base had to be nearly 50% thicker than the side panels. They also mention some kind of "self-leveling filler" will help you get away with a thinner base.

Either way, major bummer :Frown: .




> Amazing build! I really need to get a 50mm lens, my 300mm just dosen't cut it for close up shots... well, actually it does, I just have to be 20+ feet away...


Nothing beats a macro lens and the know how to use it for close ups :Smile: . I don't think I'd like a 50mm for frog close-ups though, I use a 100mm and would often like to be furthur away. Just my preference though :Smile: .

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## Carlos

Congratulations on your gorgeous vivarium, just read your whole thread.  Was worried when saw the size of it and read was made of 1/4 in. plate... then the sad news on post 65 came.  Your choice of keeping it without water is probably the best since replacing that bottom plate is a major project with set-up done and frogs in.  Couple of things to think (if not done already) for future similar projects based on my aquarium experience:

- Use online calculator that considers tank length and width.  Also, treat paludarium as a rimless tank with water height as tank height.

- Use tempered glass for bottom plate (major aquarium manufacturers do for a reason).

- Use high-strenght SCS1200 silicone for construction (http://www.siliconeforbuilding.com/p...nstruction.pdf).  It's fish safe once cured; but not sure it's dart frog safe.  Maybe asking here or doing test in small enclosure before using in large project is best.

- Use foam board between tank and stand to absorb vibrations and irregularities.

Looking forward to see more pictures of this set-up, good luck with frogs and cheers!

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## 7urb0

> *The usual assembly plan on a frameless tank has the bottom pane of glass raised up off the ground a few milimeters*, this should protect from the small stuff you can't see. More of a gap might be needed as the tank gets bigger, especially with such a water load, glass does bend slightly little before is busts.


um im not sure where you get this from but the bottom piece should always lay flat on the stand and all side pieces should be built on top.

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## Brian

> um im not sure where you get this from but the bottom piece should always lay flat on the stand and all side pieces should be built on top.


It's called a "floating glass bottom" and protects against point forces from small debris especially in a frameless tank. It's how my commercial tanks are made as well (though the largest of these I have is 20 gallons). I understand the calculations in the link I gave above give the glass thickness for the bottom piece assuming it is not supported from below, as in the floating approach and/or with a frame. If you can ensure your stand is perfectly level and clean (or use some kind of filler), then I understand the capped approach works too.

I've never made anything this size or to hold this much water, so if you've got information on why the floating approach wouldn't work here with a strong enough bottom pane, I'd love to hear it. I'm sure I've read it's also used in bigger tanks than this, but I could be mistaken.

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## VicSkimmr

Live and learn I guess. I didn't figure there would be enough pressure from the water to warrant using thicker glass on the base, but if I ever build another large tank like this I'll definitely take it into consideration. I did use aquarium grade silicone, and thankfully that wasn't the cause of the leak. I do wish I could refill it as a paludarium, but I'm still pretty happy with how it looks now. All of the plants are now emergent instead and doing just fine. We also just had our carpet restretched so the tank is back where it was intended to be. I'll post a couple of pics tomorrow.

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## 7urb0

im not saying you are wrong.  just never saw it built that way before.  if anything i would put 4 thin strips of glass around the edge of the bottom piece. i think thats how glasscages.com build some of their rimless tanks.

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## Toby Bell

where could i get the eggcrate and how do you keep the substrate from falling in between the holes and from going into the water? thanks  :Smile:

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## Brian

> where could i get the eggcrate and how do you keep the substrate from falling in between the holes and from going into the water? thanks


Eggcrate is in the lighting section of hardware stores like Home depot Plaskolite | Egg Crate White Louver - 23.75 Inch x 47.75 Inch | Home Depot Canada

Fibreglass window screening can be layed down on top of the eggcrate to hold the substrate up and still let water through. You can also use landscaping fabric (I prefer this, I find it nicer to work with especially for curvy shapes).

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## VicSkimmr

Little late on the pics, but better late than never right? Finally got one of them to pose long enough to snap a few pictures  :Smile:  I don't know if this is a male or female, but it's the odd one out from the trio.

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## VicSkimmr



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## Kristen87

Wow this tank is amazing!! Sorry about your cracked panel mishap. Still looks incredible though  :Wink:  
I've just bought a 6 footer (picking it up this weekend... pretty excited!  :Big Grin: ) than I'm planning to turn into a paludarium with a false bottom so I can have some community fish in there too, so thanks for sharing your experience so I know to get myself some foam for under the tank!

Question for you, what aquatic plants did you have? It looks like java fern on the left? Did you pick plants that do okay without much light because of the distance they are from the top or did you get a stronger light or find another way to get the UV to them? (Or did you just chuck them in and hope for the best hehe). 

If my tank turns out just a fraction as nice as yours looks I'd be over the moon, did I mention it looks amazing?? :P

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## VicSkimmr

Thanks! The plants I used are a variety of common aquatic plants for terrariums. Some cryptos, anubias, mondo grass, java fern, etc. The idea (at least for my plan) is to starve the plants of a lot of light, which helps to inhibit algae growth. Do a google search for low-tech planted aquariums to learn more about it. All of my plants were growing fine with the given amount of light.

The nice thing is that they'll also grow out of water in a vivarium quite well  :Smile:  I didn't lose any plants in the conversion.

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## Kristen87

That's awesome that you could use all your aquatic plants still! I didn't know anubias grew out of water, might have to try that. I have java fern and anubias in a 3 foot high tank at the moment that are starting to die and I thought it was the distance from the light, but maybe they were just getting eaten by snails or something... Looks like I'll have to do some more research hehe.

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## VicSkimmr

I imagine there's a fine balance between just enough light and not enough to survive. I did have to move a few of my plants around as they were being blocked from the light by the ground area above it. My light is quite bright, so they may have been receiving more light in the water than you would first expect.

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## Kristen87

Oh ok thanks. Darn, I was excited that it looked like you had some plants thriving under the land area haha.

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## VicSkimmr

Wow I haven't updated this in a while.

The tank is still growing in nicely, but I'm considering tearing it down to put a freshwater planted tank in its place.

Then the next day I found a froglet


a couple days later


So now I'm not sure what to do, but I guess I have time to think on it since I won't be able to catch/move that guy for a while. I _could_ potentially catch the frogs, tear down the bottom portion of the tank and replace the botton pane with something a lot thicker. Then I could potentially turn it back into a paludarium. Or I might just move the frogs to the little tank downstairs and make a nice planted freshwater tank. I'm so torn  :Frown:

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## VicSkimmr

more random pics


didn't realize this one was so underexposed when i hosted it

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## bill

Funny, even being under exposed, it's much better pic than i could have ever taken.....lol and i only skimmed this post (spoiled from the completed posts on tpt..lol) but did i see an original rhd mini in that first pic?? They are such a blast to scoot around in  :Smile:

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## VicSkimmr

I did have a RHD mini  :Smile:  I ended up selling it to a friend because it spent all its time in the garage. It felt like a death trap during tourist season. It's the same reason why I haven't gotten into motorcycles despite loving them to death.

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## bill

Yup, they are great for guys like me (mechanic), i also work on a few rhd rolls and a couple morris minors. Greta little money makers from my standpoint. Lol i gave up on my motorcycles, i don't feel like putting my life in the hands of the maniacs out on the road anymore.....lol

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## Adam R

wow this thread is old. i got my tank concept from your prototype. you should check it out jason. http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...k-setup-2.html

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## doodle1800

Your thread makes a big jump from egg crates to soil or substrate on them. For a newbie, a few questions. Can you please go over briefly if possible on those steps inbetween?

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## Adam R

> Your thread makes a big jump from egg crates to soil or substrate on them. For a newbie, a few questions. Can you please go over briefly if possible on those steps inbetween?


here is his prototype for this tank, might be of some help

http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...build-log.html

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## VicSkimmr

Sorry I haven't been around for a while! Life is hectic.

I'm doing a 365 day photo project this year, so the frogs are getting a lot of attention  :Smile: 

February 5th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


February 12th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

My 40D kicked the bucket, so I used the opportunity to finally upgrade to a better body, a 6D  :Smile:  Now macro shots are a lot more challenging as the lens doesn't zoom as far as it used to

February 11th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

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## VicSkimmr

and my plan for this year is to revamp the lighting setup and do some spring cleaning. A lot of my large broms are dying from old age so it's time to replace them. This new lighting setup is a lot more dynamic. It's really stunning in person. This was taken with the halogen bulbs that came with the pendants but I've since switched them out for 15 watt LEDs (3x5 watt).


Testing out a new lighting idea by jasonwithers, on Flickr

I'm going to have to do an HDR of this to really get the full dynamic range. The lighting up top is a lot brighter than at the bottom so I can't get it all in one exposure.

I may add a second row of pendants, I just haven't decided yet.

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## amort90

it looks amazing jason,
 shame about the crack issue but none the less it has certainly come on well and i bet they love it in there!!!

youv got me thinking now  :Wink:

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## purpleturtle89

hello this is fantastic! can i ask when it had water in it, how do you make the floor? i seen the egg crate can the fish get underneath (if there was any untill the crack) and how do you stop the ground becoming waterlogged... third and final question could you keep darts in it? or would they eventually drown?

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## VicSkimmr

Let me see, I think I took a picture that would explain how I did the land section better...

ah yes, here it is


As you can kind of see, there were PVC supports that held the land portion above the water line, allowing fish to freely swim underneath it. The tank housed both frogs and fish and all were living happily until the crack. As with any water area, dart frogs are in danger of drowning, but they're much better swimmers than they're given credit for. As long as there are places for them to easily climb out I felt comfortable that they weren't in danger. 

I don't know that I've seen my imitators on the ground more than a handful of times since I got them.

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## purpleturtle89

Thanks yea I can see a lot better from that angle, and was the land section just the usual expanding foam, silicone trick?.. Thanks for the help, I have created my own viv but did it completely separate with PVC !

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## VicSkimmr

Yeah that's how I kept the dirt where it was supposed to be.

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## purpleturtle89

Last one, could you have not just got a piece of Perspex or glass to fit inside and siliconed it down over the top to solve the crack in your tank?

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## VicSkimmr

yeah that's exactly what I did, but apparently there is another crack as it still leaks if I use the misting system too much. After it cracked the first time I never could have trusted it again with water though. Maybe a couple of inches in the bottom, but not with 50 gallons of it again. That's a lot of pressure on the bottom pane.

Instead I've decided to do a freshwater aquarium separate from the frog tank  :Smile:

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## VicSkimmr

a rare glimpse of the male

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## VicSkimmr

andd.... the attention whore of the 2 lol

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## VicSkimmr

Did some heavy spring cleaning yesterday. I'm going to be using a lot of resurrection ferns to fill in the background this year since they're so easy and look so good. I might even delve into some orchids finally haha.

Only 3 bromeliads survived the purge.

March 11th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


March 10th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Some of the ferns I already have

March 12th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

The only orchid I have

March 13th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

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## DartEd

I have to tell you, Jason, that your viv is hands down the most amazing viv I've ever laid eyes on. You did an amazing job with it.  Sorry to see that it had a crack in it but you've made lemonade out of lemons. The frogs look fantastic also. Keep the updates coming. I look forward to seeing more.

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## VicSkimmr

Thank you! It's definitely improving over time, I'm actually not even fussed about losing the water portion anymore. It's hard to believe it's been up for almost 2 years already!

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## ChrisAZ

Awesome job! I'm working on a similar build and was wondering if you could tell me what sort of fan set up you have going on there as well as why the change in lighting?

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## VicSkimmr

The fans are a little hard to explain but I'll try. I found some absurdly cheap fans (they're quite large but since the tank is so big they don't look too out of place), I think I bought them from newegg.com. They were like $1.50 a piece.


Fan Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr


Fan Closeup by jasonwithers, on Flickr


I took one, gutted it and siliconed a piece of fiberglass net to any area that a frog could get into. Then I drilled a hole in one side that I could screw one of these metal tubes I found in Home Depot to (see second pic). I'm really sorry for not knowing the technical term of everything, I just bought a bunch of stuff and stared at it till I found a solution haha.


Anyway, then I took the gutted fan and siliconed it to a good one (and siliconed netting over the good one too to protect the frogs). I ran the wire from the good one through the hole I drilled (to go through the metal tube), which ran out a pre-drilled hole in the vivarium. Then I used some screws to help make supports since the fan had to leave space between it and the vivarium (so it could draw air in) and made a makeshift bulkhead out of pvc parts (again, see pic). 

Once I had the whole thing up there, I stopped up the metal tube with some paper towels to prevent any air from the outside from entering the system (since this is just meant to re-circulate air inside the viv, keeping the humidity intact) and connected the fan to my fan controller, which is totally unnecessary and is only there for bling purposes.

Testing out the fan controller by jasonwithers, on Flickr

That probably has everyone totally confused, but hopefully the pictures help.


For the lighting, I've wanted to try something like this for a long time. I hated how sterile and even my previous lighting was and wanted to create something more natural looking. This really does look like sunlight filtered through the canopy. In time, I want to design a system similar to what I'm using now that will randomly dim each light to create the effect of sunlight moving through the trees. I may even try to incorporate an arduino system that could simulate storms to complete the effect, but that's way way down the road.

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## purpleturtle89

> . I may even try to incorporate an arduino system that could simulate storms to complete the effect, but that's way way down the road.


now your talking, arduino and frogs!

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## VicSkimmr

it would be glorious

unos mas full tank shot

March 14th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

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## Heather

Your viv is beautiful! I really like the lighting effects.

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## Adam R

you create the most unique tanks jason. do you have any others in the works?

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## VicSkimmr

No, unfortunately this is the only one I'll have (we tore down the smaller tank). When I built this one, it was under the condition that it would be the only frog tank I would have to avoid them popping up all over the house haha. My wife knows me too well.

We're going to do a freshwater aquarium / riparium though, so that will be fun  :Smile:

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## VivariumFan

[QUOTE=VicSkimmr;69794]So... my bromeliads came in, but I had no idea they'd be this large. So my red and yellow "accent colors" have now taken dominance over everything green. I'm going to have to work hard to balance all this color back out.


Neo. Strawberry Blush (this mofo is HUGE, easily 12" in diameter)


Neo. Walking Tall


Neo. Gold Fever (needs to unfold quite a bit)


Neo. Cocktail


Neo. Kawika x Hawaiin Rainforest


Neo. Pauciflora x Kautskyi


Neo. Shamrock

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## VivariumFan

Wow those Bromelaids look brilliant!! I wish I could could find some like them in Canada and great tank!

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## VicSkimmr

Yeah they looked amazing when I first got them. Sadly I couldn't get them to keep their colors except for the Neo. walking tall, but I'm not really surprised.

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## Adam R

dani


> Yeah they looked amazing when I first got them. Sadly I couldn't get them to keep their colors except for the Neo. walking tall, but I'm not really surprised.


i have noticed some of mine have lost alot of color, why is this? can you only get there colors to manifest in natural light

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## VicSkimmr

Probably. I haven't seen anybody that could retain the colors on some of the nicer bromeliads.

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## VicSkimmr

testing out the fogger with the new lights

March 29th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

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## natureXpert

Wow, you got a very beautiful tank.

I have a question for you.  You put a fogger but you didn't seem to have water on the bottom of your tank.  How did you put your fogger and how does it work?

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## VicSkimmr

> Wow, you got a very beautiful tank.
> 
> I have a question for you.  You put a fogger but you didn't seem to have water on the bottom of your tank.  How did you put your fogger and how does it work?


Sorry, I'm way late on responding to this.

The fogger is an ultrasonic humidifer that I have plumbed through the rear of the tank. I don't have a picture of it but I keep meaning to take one showing everything under the tank (there's not much). I like this setup a lot better than the kind that need a water feature to work. 

In the mean time, I added a whole boatload of resurrection ferns to the tank to use as a background. They were still acclimating in this picture but you get the idea  :Smile: 

April 12th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


April 11th, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

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## Staffaz

_​Jason, so far that looks amazing ! I can't wait to see it finished. :-)_

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## natureXpert

> The fogger is an ultrasonic humidifer that I have plumbed through the rear of the tank. I don't have a picture of it but I keep meaning to take one showing everything under the tank (there's not much). I like this setup a lot better than the kind that need a water feature to work.


Ah I didn't know that there was also a fogger that didn't need water.  Mine needed water and after a year stopped working.  What is the name of your fogger's company?

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## VicSkimmr

"wal-greens" special haha.  It's just a general personal humidifier used for adding a bit of humidity to an extra dry room. They look similar to this:
 

I just removed the directional thing and rigged together some PVC pipe and some tubing and voila, instant fogger for about $30.

I've been using the same one since my first vivarium in 2006. Whenever it stops working I just scrub the parts with some distilled water and the brush it comes with to clean it. I also make sure to only used distilled water through it to avoid mineral deposits.

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## natureXpert

Very interesting Jason but I don't understand exactly how you fixed this fogger to your tank.  Is it possible to show us a picture of your installation?

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## VicSkimmr

Sure! I can't promise I'll remember right away but I'll definitely take one.

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## Meefloaf

this is seriously beautiful

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## VicSkimmr

Thanks!

Ok so I didn't get a chance to take a picture of how I have it plumbed on this tank, but here it was on my very first vivarium back in 2006


It's pretty straightforward. The hose I found in the pool section of Lowes and the rest of the PVC was in the plumbing section. I had to buy the bulkhead online, as always. For this tank I used a heavier duty rubber hose (also found in Lowes), but otherwise it's pretty much identical except that I put the bulkhead at the back of the tank to avoid potential leaks since this was originally a paludarium.

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## natureXpert

Thanks Jason for the picture.  Now I understand how you did it.

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## VicSkimmr

Couldn't really get a decent shot of this because he was hiding behind my background where it has separated from the glass at the top, but yay for transporting pic!

Transporting a tadpole! by jasonwithers, on Flickr

Found a fresh batch of eggs back there too!  :Smile: 

Eggs! by jasonwithers, on Flickr

and then I found out why I haven't been finding many froglets  :Frown: 

IMG_6315 by jasonwithers, on Flickr

So now I'm purging the tank of all snails

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## DartEd

Those damned slimies. Ugh. Tank looks magnificent though and congrats on the transporting.  :Smile:

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## Scottyhorse

Wow, I this is amazing!!!!!!  :Smile:

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## Benedicta

I know this is kinda late  :Big Grin: 
But what kinda light do you use ?
It spreads out very nicely

I was tryin to get something else besides T5 and tot of using LEDs...

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## Adam R

i also had a question jason. how do you keep your thumbnails fed in such a large tank? im worried over mine feeding(still in quarantine) in only a 55gallon..

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## purpleturtle89

That would be like saying how do they survive in the wild ? Just add food and if the tank starts to get over run with fruit flies back off just trail and error but as soon as you over feed you will be over run

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## Adam R

> That would be like saying how do they survive in the wild ? Just add food and if the tank starts to get over run with fruit flies back off just trail and error but as soon as you over feed you will be over run


ok i can understand that. my real concern is dusting. the dusting compound breaks down shortly after the flies are dusted. if the frogs arnt consuming the flies soon after, they may not be getting the proper nutrients

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## purpleturtle89

> ok i can understand that. my real concern is dusting. the dusting compound breaks down shortly after the flies are dusted. if the frogs arnt consuming the flies soon after, they may not be getting the proper nutrients


If you get the feeding right, and use a good quality supplement they will generally eat the bulk of the food straight away then anything else left are just scraps that they are just picking off between feeds! so hopefully if done right they will have got all the nutrients etc from the bulk of the flies they've eaten  :Smile:  hope this helps

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## Adam R

> If you get the feeding right, and use a good quality supplement they will generally eat the bulk of the food straight away then anything else left are just scraps that they are just picking off between feeds! so hopefully if done right they will have got all the nutrients etc from the bulk of the flies they've eaten  hope this helps


yes it does, thank you very much. sry jason for the threadjack

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## VicSkimmr

No problem at all! Sorry I didn't get back sooner, I've been super busy at work.

But yeah that's exactly right. They typically eat the flies up pretty quickly so hopefully they're getting enough nutrients.

Tank update:
Most of my resurrection ferns rotted away, which wasn't totally unexpected but still sucks. I need to get a better timer so I can cut back to less than 1 minute (my mistking one died out a while ago). Still, things are growing in pretty well 



September 30, 2013 by jasonwithers, on Flickr


New fern growth after the resurrection ferns melted. Not sure what kind of fern this is

New Fern Growth by jasonwithers, on Flickr


My Korean Rock Ferns and ET Ferns are still going strong though. You can see a Staghorn Fern I just put in as a test to see how it does in the background. I think it's a Staghorn at least, Home Depot is terrible with tags.

Fern by jasonwithers, on Flickr

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