Tanks from the other side...

[rocksrgneiss]

Hi all,

I'm new to this site and wandering around... will probably be doing so for a while. Looks like a very complex hobby (planted tanks *under water*) and I would like to try it at some point, once I know enough.

So, I thought I'd post shots of some moist planted tanks for kicks.


This tank has gone through a lot of changes, mainly the constant addition of plants.





This one is more recent, but the upper area is a bit washed out due to lighting - looks much better in person..


Floor shot:



Anyway, this is a nice site and I'm looking forward to poking around a little more. Nice to see another green hobby.

Mike

[Phoenix-cry]

Looks amazing!!

[rocksrgneiss]

Thanks!

[MrJG]

Mike welcome to plantedtank!

Very nice the both of them. The first one looks like a small chunk taken from the floor of the rain forest. Anything lucky enough to be living in there? Can you give some specifics on enclosure size and equipment. I'd love to attempt something like this one day but you say the submersed planted tank seems complex... from this side *this* looks complex.

[rocksrgneiss]

Originally Posted by MrJG

Mike welcome to plantedtank!

Very nice the both of them. The first one looks like a small chunk taken from the floor of the rain forest. Anything lucky enough to be living in there? Can you give some specifics on enclosure size and equipment. I'd love to attempt something like this one day but you say the submersed planted tank seems complex... from this side *this* looks complex.

Thanks for the comments, Mr JG, and thanks for the welcome. I'm always hoping to capture a bit of rainforest in every tank, but it's hard to make a really natural setting with most readily available materials.

I do have some animals in these tanks. Both contain O. pumilio dart frogs (two different morphs/locatities) in the tanks. They are very interesting to keep and are somewhat arboreal, so they utilize much of the areas planted with epiphytes, like the bromeliads. These are unlike many other dart frogs, as the female remembers where she leaves each tadpole (usually in a plant with a leaf axil that can hold some water) and returns to it every few days to deposit a 'feeder' egg that is infertile and is the only food these tadpoles accept. This kind of reproductive behavior in dart frogs is called obligate egg feeding. Just a little trivia in case anyone ever asks..

These frogs are pretty small, about the size of a fingernail, so the tanks are modestly sized - the first tank is approximately a 20" cube and the second is 18w/18d/24"h. However, I'm learning that bigger is better when it comes to generating a naturalistic display. The kind of equipment I use in most tanks, in terms of electronics, is usually a freshwater compact florescent or standard flo, 6,500-6,700K is what most use, but I've used 10,000K in addition to 6,700K on the first tank and everything has grown all right. Sometimes a small sub pump is used for a water feature, but I don't make them often to avoid the loss of land area and the headache that making them tends to produce. One thing I like to use in any tank that has plants sensitive to air movement, like many orchids, etc, is a small computer fan for internal circulation - internal because, unless the tank is very large, even a small fan exchanging tank air for the outside air will greatly reduce the humidity that is so important to the frogs and some plants. As you can see, I haven't perfected a method for concealing the fans yet. In any case the internal air movement prevents a lot of molds and such from germinating on and rotting the moist plants.

It's true, things are more or less complicated depending on where you're coming from. I didn't hop right into terrariums, it took a while to figure some things out. I grow some plants that aren't for beginners, but most of what I grow are epiphytes, so they don't need a lot of ferts and C02 has never been something to worry about either, so I see water filled tanks as requiring a good deal of research.

Here are some frog shots:

In the first tank (O. pumilio 'Isla Bastimentos')




Here is one almost fully developed in a small bromeliad


Poor shot, but this a neonate with mom



These are in the second tank (O. pumilio 'Cayo De Agua'):


A male is calling in this shot


Two males calling


Female transporting a tad


Mike

[pandjpudge]

looks great,very natural, and love the frogs!

[SearunSimpson]

Beuatiful!
I have been wanting to set up a viv/terr/palu for quite some time, but I'm greatly intimidated.
Do you know of any frog species that are suitable for a beginner, such as myself, when and if the times comes for me to venture into the jungle?

[ClPat]

All I can say is WOW!!!!
You have amazing tanks, healthy plants, beautiful frogs that are BREEDING!!!
Most of the time I see the bumblebee and the blue darts, great to see these two, less common frogs. The second tank does pale in comparison to the first ATM, but with time one should rival the other. Great, really great. Thanks for making me suffer (sarcastic but friendly tone)

[hydrophyte]

nice! you have great plant selection. i have sen many dart frog vivs where the keepers were clearly spending more time regarding the frogs than the vegetation, and included just a few bromeliads and creeping fig and maybe some moss, but you have clearly spent some time and thought (and cash) accumulating some less common plants. you have a number of nice miniature orchids and also other things. the variety of plant life really enhances the texture of the whole thing.

have you ever made any trips down to Costa Rica or anyplace like that?

[legomaniac89]

Wow. Incredible. This reaaalllly makes me want to set up a frog vivarium

[paulrw]

wow i have been keeping herps all my life i just recently got into planted tanks. that is one of the coolest tanks of any style i have ever seen kudos and boo to you i think you have turned me on to a new addiction! awsome! i have tried this before with less humidity sensitive plants and fauna but always had problems with some sort of gnats have you experienced this if so what was your solution thanks

[MikeP_123]

Wow that looks stunning!!! Im so jealous! The only thing realy holding my back from starting one of these is... well... is there any way to control moisture droplets from forming on your tank with all the humidity? I would like it to always be a pleasent viewing experience =]

[MFish]

Originally Posted by MikeP_123

The only thing realy holding my back from starting one of these is... well... is there any way to control moisture droplets from forming on your tank with all the humidity? I would like it to always be a pleasent viewing experience =]

There's actually a few ways, manual such as a wipe down with a cloth, etc., but I use a magnetic aquarium cleaner, so I dont have to reach in and disturb my frogs every time I want someone to see them. That, or various types of ventilation. Specifically 'euro(pean) style' which basically is holes at the bottom of the tank, and at the top, that allow air flow across the front pane of glass to keep it fog-free.

[ghostsword]

Hi, you indeed have lovely tanks, it is pleasure to look at them. Maybe you should setup a webcam and charge people to see it..

Would you be able to send us a list of the plants used? I would like to try just the plants on a small tank.

Thanks,
Luis

[RipariumGuy]

Awsome! I know nothing about vivariums, so this is a stupid question, but how do you keep the tanks humid??? Good Job!