# Amazonian Milk Frog Viv (Pic Heavy)



## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Hi all,

just thought I would show you some pics of the milk frog viv I am setting up. It isn't finished yet, more plants and vines etc to come so watch for updates!

I started out with a 45 x 45 x 60 (h) exo terra and ditched the back ground.
Then I cut and siliconed in some coir fibre panels.









As you can see all of those old molecular cell biology degree textbooks are coming in handy again(!) to keep that back panel flat.
Then I siliconed in two paranut shells. Any visible silicone had eco earth stuck to it. I intend to grow plants that trail on top of the nut shells to form hidey holes for my milks.









The silicone was then left to cure and after it was on with the substrate.
10L hydroleca (clay pebbles) first









Next up a layer of hydrofleece to separate the drainage layer from the earth layer.









Then on with the earth layers. I used eco earth (komodo terrain small block), orchid bark and a layer of dendrosoil (5L) – sold by dartfrog – it is a living compost with custodian insects in it. 









Then in with a few plants, - little bromeliad, epiphytic miniature fern and the ubiquitous pothos. This is going to get quite big so I am pretty much giving it the whole right hand wall to itself.









Next big wood and another plant which is a epiphytic bromeliad. The wood has a quite large hole in it next to the bromeliad which will be great if my milk frogs turn out to be a pair.
Viv so far from the top









The lighting I have on is an osram dulux F 36 w full spectrum and a exoterra repti glo 5% UV plus there is a heatmat underneath to help stabilise the humidity. 








Now I am waiting for the rest of my plants and band liana to arrive so I can get the rest of the planting in before my frogs. I’ve got to install my superfog system but I haven’t bought the timer yet so that will be a few days away. I have a fortnight before the frogs go in to help everything settle down and then I can also tweak the heating etc as required. Watch this space.
Plants: 
Pothos: _Scindapsus pictus_
Epiphytic miniature fern: _Nephrolepsis marisa_
Small bromeliads: _Cryptanthus sp _
Epiphytic bromeliad (in wood): _Neoregelia schultesiana ‘fireball’_
Snake skin plant: _Fittonia argyroneura ‘white_’ (not yet in)
Pillow moss : _Dicranum sp_ (put in after photo was taken)

More plants coming soon!


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Awesome, awesome, awesome.


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## jaykickboxer (Feb 11, 2008)

Looks realy good mate,


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Wow! I really like that. Great job.
Love the pods. Are they for nesting?


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Fill it with plants. Plants, plants and more plants.


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Hey all thanks for the comments.

Ipreferaflan - the pods are primarily for hides but if they get used for egg depositing places later all that is equally awesome. The twisty bit of wood at the front has a large hole in it next to the bromeliad so hopefully that will be a good lay site too. 

Morgan - more plants to come.  Just that my order got split into two boxes and the rest are AWOL.  

I have some band liana vines coming with big cups in them (for want of a better word) which will make great little planters so going to put some of those in for climbing and foliage. I might use some fake *shudder* plants until that lot (and the coming plants) grow in a bit. My milkies (yes it was one but now there are two  ) coming are small at the moment and living happily in a 30 cube. It is an option to set up the 30 cube I have spare for them until they grow up a bit but I think I would rather they had the room for now. I'll keep an eye on the food. I intend to put a tall tub in the middle with dusted crickets in that the frogs can get into but the crickets can't get out of just to make sure they can get to their food and it there aren't crickets running amok everywhere so the frogs can get to them.

So still in progress. 13 days until the frogs arrive 

Oh anyone know a good way of tying epiphytic bromeliads to coco panels?


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## Jazzy B Bunny (Jun 21, 2007)

looking good


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

looks great to me.. good job:2thumb:


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Absolutely no idea why I just did this.....


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Morgan Freeman said:


> Absolutely no idea why I just did this.....
> 
> image


Laughed out loud.


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Nix said:


> Oh anyone know a good way of tying epiphytic bromeliads to coco panels?



Push the stolon in unless it's a potted/rooted plant. If it is, cut a slit in the panel (not too big) and fill it with a suitable substrate and push the brom in. Some people choose to add moss to keep the roots mosit (not wet) but I never really bother.


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## wayne the pain (Dec 28, 2007)

Looks great, bet you cant wait to get them in there :2thumb:


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## DeadLee (Apr 7, 2010)

Morgan Freeman said:


> Absolutely no idea why I just did this.....
> 
> image


That made me laugh!!


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Morgan Freeman said:


> Absolutely no idea why I just did this.....
> 
> image


Made me laugh too, thanks for the advice on the epiphytes. Thinking I might just graft them to some wood so I can move them later if I want.


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

wayne the pain said:


> Looks great, bet you cant wait to get them in there :2thumb:


Nope I really can't! 8 days and counting!


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Latest pics, now just waiting for my liana to arrive so I can plant in those little broms in pots.

The pothos has really taken off, it is attaching itself to the coco panel already. The little thing at the top back is an inch plant so named cause these can grow up to an inch per day!!!! Hoping that will cover my back ground nicely. 

The little green bromeliads are actually red leaved varieties and they have started to take on a little pink tinge around the centre so hopefully it won't be too long before I get some colour in there!

Also superfog systems are amazing and the Dulux F 36W lighting that I bought is super bright. I also have a exo terra 5% UV in the hood at the back.


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## Christie&Spence (Feb 27, 2010)

Loooks great :2thumb:


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Thanks,

can't wait for it to grow in


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Just to dig this thread out here is what the viv looks like now. It was recently pruned back as the pothos on the right hand side was trying to take over the entire viv, it covered the right wall and came halfway into the viv.

Sorry the plants are looking ravaged, I had run out of crix and all I could get were locusts which decided to destroy the viv. Sigh.


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