The 700 gal indoor sunken garden project

[medicineman]

Note that the top part looks a bit washed out due to sunlight and camera setting. In real it looks more like the lower part. I'm agree with darker colour with more strong highlights. Dont want any part to look cement. Seeing with the cascade on is also a good idea since the nearby area will definately change colour to a certain degree due to dampness.

Not to worry though, the paintjob is not finished yet in any case.

I'm a bit annoyed (but that that worried) about the stained viewing windows though. They try to convince me about how they can clean it spotless after the job is done. Not my business... I'd just ask for new windows if they mess up, leaving stain or scratched the glass in the process!

And so we have to wait quite a long time for the next level...

[fresh_lynny]

MM looking fantastic! I can't wait to see the terrestrials tucked away on that wall....wow!

[Martin]

update;update;update;update;update;update;update;s pam;spam;spam

[medicineman]

I can understand the eagerness to see some update

As you may already know that the job progressed very slowly since it is a syncronized job to the house under construction. Each must be matched with the house progress in order to prevent damage to each other (ie : dust and mortar from stair work will stain the pond below).

List of jobs done :
1. Re-colouring (not final yet). The top part is likely done, but lower part will suffer from house work and will need another retouch.
2. Perfecting some details on pond and cliff, smoothing up and extra texturing
3. Finishing the filter chamber (and testing will be next). I still need to cover up the filter later on with something.
4. Setting the waterworks on waterfall to make the cascade falls as planned. The valves worked as planned that I can control how much water is falling. I would not want too much water and end up having a noisy fall inside the house (and to also think of that excessive surface agitation it created).
5. Some cleaning job (they actually cleaned my tainted glass good enough ). Murky water...
6. Frame for the skylight (no glass roof yet, coming soon from workshop).

Yesterday I came over by request to inspect how the water flows from the pond, then to the filter and returned via the falls and through two underwater jet holes. Everything seems to work perfectly with constant water level before and after the pump runs (important when power is out, no water is wasted just because the pump is off). The 100W pump seems to be too weak for the job though it has the power of H max, but I'd say it lacks the needed GPH. Whenever I turned the valve to the underwater jet open, the flow to the falls would decrease significantly to a point when there is hardly any falling water.
If bigger pump, special 150-250W pond pumps does not resolve the problem well enough, perhaps I will be adding a powerhead or two in the pond just to improve circulation.

No pics.... what a great dissapointment
I have not been ready during inspections. Perhaps I must plan a special visit with a camera on hands.

There are still a lot of work do be done, far away from being planted (which is also good, all that cement mix takes like forever to properly cure and pH lowered to neutral). From automatic watering system (nozzles or misters) to hole covers, from lighting to wiring. Not to mention all the aquascaping stuff involved. I think it is the right time for me to shop for a 400W MH pendant and a couple of 70W ones to even out/visual effect.

[medicineman]

Some pics at last...

The skylight roof frame is set. It is made of strong aluminium alloy pieces, might not look like it but is rated to withstand a man cleaning on it (important for ease and safety of maintenance).



Now waiting for the laminated (double bonded) 10mm glass pieces in production. The glass pieces are also film protected to hold them in place in case of being broken.

This is going to be a nice addition, not only as a free light source but light up the house as well during the day. Even though with no garden inside, a house will feel better with one of these installed.

[medicineman]

Now the re-coloured cliff.

With darker base and more highlights it looks a bit more earthy. The team did painting technique what they call as "washing" (as the name suggest it involves splashing, washing and brushing pigment).



And here is a close up pic of the surface texture and colour



I like it better now.

[ianmoede]

I'm so jealous. On so many levels.

[medicineman]

This is the filter intake. As the work progress, we decided to give it more camuflage so that it would not look obvious.
You can see from the side that the nook is actually a hole, here clearly seen because water level is currently under.



Once water level reaches target height, it will overflow to the filter chambers.

And here you can see once again the filter box.



Note that now you can no longer see any overflow route since it is already built within. The chambers are closed with a thin plywood for house constuction (stairs for exact). I plan to cover up the chambers later on but with something freely breatheable, wrought iron grill for example. Such grill bars would cover up the ugly view of a filter and would be a great surface to place some pots of house plants (then you have the filter box "dissapear").

[fresh_lynny]

I can see some Antheriums on there....
MM, you are kicking butt. I can't wait to see it take on some terrestrial foliage. The skylight is perfect, and the new color re-work on the rock gives it much more depth.

[Binarywhisper]

good to see the developments. Your doing a great job of working out the kinks for me

[medicineman]

@fresh_newby,
atheriums would be nice... if the light level over there is enough to support them. The skylight even though big is quite high above, sunlight has no strong access to some spots (and MH lights will play their role).

@Binarywhisper,
Glad that the project gives you a better vision.

More close ups
Here you can see the textures and colouring highlights better.

[dufus]

i think archer fish, mudskippers, stingrays, and knife fish would be awesome, but 2 things wrong , 1- the archer and mudskipper are brackish, 2, tops tops tops!!!

I think tropicals would be cool in here, instead of g/f or arowana's. They would be cool, but you can go to that zoo to see them.

I would have made glass go all the way up and make it escape proof, and put lizards, frogs, and newts in it, with compatible fish and plants, that would be sweet.

Lookin forward to seeeing finished product.

[medicineman]

I would have made glass go all the way up and make it escape proof, and put lizards, frogs, and newts in it, with compatible fish and plants, that would be sweet.

Heheh.. that is exactly what most people from vivarium forum would like to see/would have done. It would be kinda too big for that though (at least by my opinion).

Another pic showing pot holes and nooks.


The top part will likely enough to support higher light plants, while the lower part is still in doubt.
There are spots where water flows trough with depth around 1inch or so. Those spots would be great for anubias and such amphibian plants.

[natx]

So for planting, are you going to add soil into each of those nooks and crannies for the plants to root in? Have you put much thought into the terrestrial plant species yet?

[GreenerSideofLIfe]

This project is simply STUNNING!!

Its getting better every time I see photos of it. I cant WAIT to see this evolve!