Vivarium Photo Album (Post your best pics here)

[Zurp]

I realize that the vivarium section isn't as large as the aquarium section, but we still exist. So, here is where we can take credit for all of our efforts, good or bad. Please, post only the pictures that you feel best represent your tank/tanks.

Feel free to mention things like:

• cost
• Creatures Within
• Your Location
• Structure Contents
• Expended Efforts
• Etc...

Mine will be posted as soon as I recharge my camera. :arrow:

[Zurp]

The first three images are my old 20Gal. Long tank. All the plants are local, but the bedding is coconut shalk fiber, "Bed-A-Beast". Sam, the Grey tiger salamander, loves to sit all day on one of his two stones. I think that the fiber annoys him, as he only sleeps on it at night. After adding more creatures and reading/seeing others great tanks, I upgraded his living quarters. I refer to these as "HIS" because he was the reason I started all of this.

The last two images are of Sam in his temporary setup. As you can see, his new 55 Gal. tank has a little more leg room! No more fighting over space with the three fire-belly toads, the fire-belly newt, or the giant African millipede! The plants from his old tank almost seem as if they are not even there. When the snow melts, I am going out for more plants to fill the baron spaces. His old tank is being turned into a greenhouse so that I can grow plants without fear of them being uprooted.

[Dee]

Looks good hon. He looks very happy!

8)

[Zurp]

Thanks for stopping by Dee, post your pics. By the way, sphagnum moss stinks bad when you first add water! Below are photos of the old 20Gal. Long, converted into the greenhouse with a 33Watt Plant Growing light and a 15W full spectrum. It cost me $55 for the lights. Just plug it in and turn it on... I like stuff like that, (Disposable).

[Mori]

that looks very nice! if my fish ever die, i think that seems like a better use of their space....

where's that millipede? i had one for a few years. he only ate kiwis and tomatoes and left little millipede stains on my hands that lasted for days.

[Zurp]

Many, the millipede, will be shown in another post. I just redecorated and gave my tank a "Moss Milk-Shake" shower. I want a nice green carpet for these guys. The tank is rather dark which makes my fire-belly toads darken also. They seem to change shades like anoles do. When I put them in the green-house tank, they changed back to a nice bright green.

I sprayed the moss milkshake all over the tank. The new setup looks 200% better and less open. However, now the pond rim can be seen again. I think I am going to remove it and cover it with caulk and sand. I just want to hide that nasty, "Tupperware Blue", color! The large log that hid the back edge was dipping slightly into the water. After two hours, almost all the water was wicked out and leeched into the surrounding soil.

It should only take about a week to get the moss growing. I will repost at that time. Until then, post your photos... I don't want this to be all about me, but I don't mind.

I might make a separate post showing the results of the "Moss Milk-Shake" as it progresses into an elaborate green shag carpet, or just turns into a white fuzzy stink tank! I am about 90% sure that this will work, there were enough spore stalks in the ones I collected. Let's just hope that the snow didn't kill the spores!

[Zurp]

Moss takes forever to grow... Going on two weeks, since spraying. I water daily, and allow a dry-out time of 8 hours. I am seeing growth in the clumps and cracks, but this may take quite a while...

Arg, I am almost ready to redesign the tank... I may just wait until spring. Photos will not show much, so I am not going to take them. I might have been better off just using collected moss. There is still hope!

[patm]

Here's my 20 gal high vivarium (sorry, but I wasn't sure how to shrink and format it, so it takes up a lot of room)

[patm]

Here are my specs;

20 gal high
false bottom
3 layer substrate: dried clay pellets-spaghum moss-soil/bark mix (all from T & C Terrariums)
Cork bark as the background

Plants include:
anubius (not sure what var.)
creeping fig
Anthurium scandens
Tillandsia ionantha (var. ionantha)
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
and some common fern from home depot

lighting is 65 watts of power compacts

There isn't really a waterfall, rather a water wall on the right side of the tank powered my a microjet pump under the false bottom

Humidity stays upwards of 75-80% and heat is provided by a submersible aquarium heater under the false bottom

The tank was originally set up for poison dart frogs about two years ago, but due to the lack of free time I have to culture their masses of fruitflies, flour beetles, and springtails, that plan was thrown out. Since 2 months or so ago, the temporary residents have been 4 green anoles.

PS, if anyone could help me out by telling me how to format my pics, I've got plenty to share

~Pat

[Momotaro]

http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4119

That should help!

Mike

[Zurp]

I love the tank, could you post a larger image?

I really want to know what that plant in the center is, that looks like a pine needle bundle... Reminds me of a, "Fraggle Rock", plant.

Thanks admin!

[KyleT]

I went ahead and updated the picture for you patm.

Kyle

[patm]

Thanks a bunch Mike, that was extremely helpful. I downloaded the program so I'll hopefully have some more pics up tommorrow.
Also, thanks Kyle, that looks a whole lot better than what I posted.

Zurp, the plant in the middle there is the Tillandsia ionantha (var. ionantha). It's an air plant from blackjungle.com. They're really simple to care for and pretty cheap to buy. I'm going to be setting up another vivarium with a 20 gal long and I hope to use a few different variations of them on the background.

Thanks again

~Pat

[patm]

Here's a pic of the left side

[patm]

Here's one of the anoles