# Waxy Monkey Frog - Gran Chaco Natural Build



## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Introduction*

There's nothing new about all natural builds however, my build is being based upon the formidable 'Gran Chaco'. This Region covers over 250,000 square miles and spans across Eastern Bolivia, North West Paraguay whilst stretching deep into the San Migual lowlands of Northern Argentina. It is formidably hot, arid and very unforgiving. Daytimes temperatures can exceed well over 33c and see little or no rain fall for many weeks.
With that said, there is a large amphibian that thrives within this landscape.... Phyllomedusa Sauvagii, commonly known as the True Waxy Monkey Frog.

Being an avid keeper and breeder of the highly sought after P.Sauvagii, I thought I would set myself a challenge over the summer months to try and build an all natural setup for one of my large adult trios (1.2.0). I got bored of the same old setup and fixtures so I started to do some online research and found absolutely zero results when it came to creating an 'All Natural Build' for the P.Sauvagii. The same old story was being told over and over again. Stock images were of very low value and the online video channels offered little help.

*The Journey Began*

With a bit of spare time, cash and of course a passion to learn my journey started way back in June this summer. I start things off by dusting off one of my old Terrariums (Exo Terra 60 x 45 x 60) that use to house a Jacksons Chameleon, granted the mesh top was a bit battered (slightly rusted with the odd hole) but nevertheless, I'm not one to leave things standing so the marigolds came out and I gave the enclosure a thorough cleaning.
I removed the screen top, glass doors and top panelling which enabled me to clean out all of the dust and general wear from the tight sealed edges. I used a repti-safe cleaner and basically brought the terrarium back to life within a few hours of hard graft.

*DIY Road Trip*

With the enclosure ready, I went out and got myself a few materials to make this build possible.


Caulking Gun
x3 Cartridges of HA6 Marine Silicone (Brown)
x3 Cans of Expandable Filler (Polly Foam)
A small reel of Garden Wire
= £22.00










*Sticky Fingers!*

Now the warmer days where vastly approaching, I moved the terrarium outside to our patio area to begin the backbone layout that was trying to re-create. I made a few caulk outlines of how I wanted the landscape to sit. Granted I scrubbed the outlines out a few times but finally got there in the end. So with the surgical gloves on, Polly Foam at the ready I went to work on creating the overall skeleton frame and boy oh boy did I under estimated how far the stuff actually expanded under an early June summers day.

More to follow...


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

I had quite a lot of Liana Vine left over from some of my other tanks of which I embedded in a corkscrew manner that made the mid to higher ground intertwine around each other. This was done whilst the foam was still wet. I had to take into account that the P.Sauvagii are quite heavy animals that spend most of the day just perched under a hot basking area. So forming the jungle canopy played a key role as to where I took the project next.

A few days past under the warm sun and the Polly Foam was finally ready to start 'shaping'. I basically took a Stanley knife to the parts that I felt made the terrarium over-crowed. 60 x 45 x 60 is more than ample for the trio however and due to the over-expanding foam, I had to trim back quite a bit of the lumps and bumps. This was made ever the more challenging by the crisscrossing Liana Vines.

*First Look*

Once complete, the gloves went back on and I coated the entire skeleton with the HA6 Marine Silicone that I purchased earlier.

Front Viewing Point (aka The Gran Choca Basin)










Left Wing (aka Choca Slide)










Right Wing (aka Roof Top Heights)










Floor Plan (aka Arid Basin)










More to follow...


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## Punchfish (Jun 13, 2008)

looks like a pretty cool start


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## wayne the pain (Dec 28, 2007)

Looking good :2thumb:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*The Wash Out Summer*

Due to the adverse weather conditions that we had over the months to follow, I basically had to down my tools as my work area become unusable. The dry, sunny and warm patio area looked more like swamp and the winds battered everything in its path.

I did however manage to pick up from where I left off in late August so I started to plan the lavish fauna. Going back to one of my original concern, how can tropical plants survive under such arid and hot temperatures, Baring in mind that daytime highs would reach 33c with the humidity never exceeding 40%! This was new ground for me so I spoke with a few horticultural experts of which advised me to go for some live Cryptanthus (Earth Star) and Succulents. These plants can tolerate such extremes however I was not satisfied with having a few small plants scattered around. I wanted lush, green foliage to really bring the terrarium into its own. So my next phase was a bit of a gamble really.

I'm a big fan of many Broms and jungle climbers and after doing more research on the net, the Gran Chaco was not so brown and dormant as I first anticipated. For those of you who watched David Attenborough's - 'Life In Cold Blood, there is a particular scene whereby David explains how the Waxy Monkey Frog performs the 'Waxing' of which protects them from drying out and fungal infections.

Resource: Youtube

Looking at the jungle canopy, its lush, green and very vibrant. Waxy Monkeys themselves are a nice lime green so this must speak true in the wild due to evolution and camouflage. So the next stage involved flashing the cash once again for once of the project biggest gambles!

*Green Fingers*

Being an avid keeper of many frog species, I know how a vast array of plant species. Going back to the Broms, there is a particular variant that I wanted to introduce into the build. The 'Fireball' - genus Neoregelia comprises of stunning plants from the Bromeliad family of plants native to Eastern Brazil. So I purchased some adult plants of which are large, vibrant in colouration and very robust.


x2 Adult Neoregelia Fireball with offsets
= £12.00




























I also acquired many other common jungle creepers and some of the foliage that I had already cultivated myself.

= £0.00





























Things were starting to look promising but at this point I had no idea if these plants were going to survive still. After all, the majority here only flourish within high levels of humidity with not so overwhelming temperatures.

More to follow...


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Hehe, this thread is like those magazines you used to get every week, with a bit of plastic in each; eventually you can build your own dinosaur- except in my case, I usually never got to the end of the series! :lol2:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Odds and Sods*

Now the plants and other foliage had started to compile in the corner I went out and got a few more bits and pieces to make everything come together. These included the substrate material, some fine natural jungle vine, a small Green Creeping Fig (Ficus Pumila) and a big ball of Pillow Moss (Leucobryum Sp).


x4 Coco Fibre Blocks
x3 Natural Jungle Vines
x1 Green Creeping Fig
x1 Pillow Moss Ball
= £18.00




























When everything was merged together, it started to look very busy and green - perfect!




























*Back to the Basin*

With the plants fresh on my brain, I went back to the terrarium build and finely sand blasted the skeleton structure (with the glass covered of course). I then added some bottled spring water which saturated the entire build, swiftly followed by another mild sand blast. Then I upped the temperature and put the enclosure under a 150w bulb to get the Chaco cracked effected that the basin endures.

Perfecto, stage one was complete... the Polly Foam, Silicone and Fibre background layer has be successfully set. Had a great moist under layer with a rock hard outer crust.










More to follow...


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*The Backdrop*

With the stage set and arid terrain taking shape, I placed some emphasis on the trying to bring as much colour to the build... plus I wanted to hide all of the nasty Polly Foam that spread around the back and side of the terrarium. I tried a few rocky and jungle aquarium background cut-offs from a few sources but finally settled on a nice vibrant blue. The ones you see as a backdrop behind most marine tanks in the local aquatics. This would' set the colours off nicely and give off a clear sky feel to the build (high up in the canopy top).

I also purchased a 2m roll of black to tidy up the side ledges and Foam overlaps.


2m x 24" roll of Blue Sticky Back Plastic
2m x 24" roll of Black Sticky Back Plastic
= £12.00



















When the background finally arrived, I did a dummy run to see how the clear sky blue looked as the staple backdrop. I wanted to see how the Broms and other plants felt against such a clear colour.



















Hmmm a bit artificial but nevertheless, I pondered onto the technical sides of the build with a question mark still looming?... 

More to follow...


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Holy crap, that IS blue. 
Where did you get your bits from for the build, mainly the pillow moss. I want to try using some "shop bought" stuff instead of pilfering it from the woods......
Looking really good though, I think there's a few of us eager for you to get the photos of the finished product on here though :2thumb:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Ron Magpie said:


> Hehe, this thread is like those magazines you used to get every week, with a bit of plastic in each; eventually you can build your own dinosaur- except in my case, I usually never got to the end of the series! :lol2:


Ron, your telling me you never completed the T-Rex build by Romfords Publications back in 1992! 




ronnyjodes said:


> Holy crap, that IS blue.
> Where did you get your bits from for the build, mainly the pillow moss. I want to try using some "shop bought" stuff instead of pilfering it from the woods......
> Looking really good though, I think there's a few of us eager for you to get the photos of the finished product on here though :2thumb:


RonnyJ, the Pillow Moss was from a local Hydropics near to me. Quite cheap and you get a fairly generous amount of the stuff per bag... 

Good things come to those who wait :whistling2:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Ron, your telling me you never completed the T-Rex build by Romfords Publications back in 1992!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Still got some of the 'bones' hanging around somewhere! :lol2:

I'll have to check out my local (to work) 'ponics shop, where I get my leca- never noticed them selling *moss* though...:whistling2:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Eagle Eyed*

With the two large females looking on, they seem to have be getting quite excited at the prospect of moving home and took a vast interest in all of the new ***flora that kept making a brief appearance.










Even some of the babies looked on in amazement, hoping one day they too could move into their very own Gran Chaco.










*Racking*

I keep all of the animals in solid wooden racking units made from planed pine timber as this seems to be the best route to stand the weight of the tiers. I am also able to drill pilot holes to keep the wires and mister pipes hidden. 

This is the alcove where the new rack would reside.










Taking into account the size of the enclosure, I would have to reinforce the new rack with an added middle brace to take the weight. So my next job was to create another skyscraper with all of the fittings. 

More to follow...


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Just a pedantic niggle, mate, but the _frogs_ are the fauna; the plants are flora. : victory:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Ron Magpie said:


> Just a pedantic niggle, mate, but the _frogs_ are the fauna; the plants are flora. : victory:


:flrt:


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

ronnyjodes said:


> Holy crap, that IS blue.
> Where did you get your bits from for the build, mainly the pillow moss. I want to try using some "shop bought" stuff instead of pilfering it from the woods......
> Looking really good though, I think there's a few of us eager for you to get the photos of the finished product on here though :2thumb:


I got mine from eBay, a massive bag!


Look at this on eBay:

LIVE TERRARIUM PLANT – Leucobryum sp. (Pillow Moss) - 1 litre bag

http://bit.ly/SSRGz0


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

fatlad69 said:


> I got mine from eBay, a massive bag!
> 
> 
> Look at this on eBay:
> ...


Bugger, I just recieved an order of plants from Terra World. Oh well, could be an excuse to buy more broms...........
Thanks for the link dude :2thumb:


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

ronnyjodes said:


> Bugger, I just recieved an order of plants from Terra World. Oh well, could be an excuse to buy more broms...........
> Thanks for the link dude :2thumb:


Your welcome. I got some plants as well, great quality. As I bought a few they only charged what it cost to ship them as one parcel and refunded the difference.

I can't wait for the next instalment of this build. I keep checking to see if the next stage has been added. Looking great so far!


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

fatlad69 said:


> Your welcome. I got some plants as well, great quality. As I bought a few they only charged what it cost to ship them as one parcel and refunded the difference.


Likewise, everything was packed really well in one box which I wasn't really expecting and I got a couple of quid refunded for postage. Tbh, and I may get shot for this but I prefer them to Just Airplants. Ok, Gill may offer some great advice and whatnot but you can't argue with Terra Worlds service and prices.

On topic I keep eagerly awaiting the next instalment too, it's great when a thread like this captures the imagination of the forum. Great stuff so far :2thumb:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*The New Rack*

Eager to get things moving once again I jumped straight onto the new rack that would house the new Gran Chaco build. The weather outside had once again turned so it made sense to get the alcove sorted. So off I went, loaded the car up with planed pine timber and fixings - taking into account the weight of the new terrarium so I upped the measurements of the wood and opted for 3" solid square strips.

I also made a few other purchases so I would have everything on hand once the time came to plug everything together. These included a twin Exo Terra Starter Unit, two 24" 2.0 UV tubes, matching reflectors with clips and a custom double 24" Moon Glow LED Strip from Reptiles Ink with dimmer and voltage unit. 


Exo Terra Starter Unit
x2 2.0 UVB Tubes
x2 Reflectors + Clips
Custom Double 24" Moon Glow LED Strip with Dimmer
= £78.00



















I also decided to tidy up the frame with some matt black wooden panels to keep a vast amount of light encased towards to upper levels. This is true for all of the racking levels, not just the upper Gran Chaco build.










*Night Vision*

Playing around with the dimmer to find the right gradient was great! Reptile Ink did a sterling job on the custom Moon Glow strips and were very easy to wire, setup and channel into place. 










Having the side panels also allowed me to wire up the socket breakers against the panelling and out of harm's way. With so many wires and much more to come, I had to ensure that each socket feed to its own power source as the last thing I wanted to happen was a complete blowout! 

I also wanted access to the dimmer just in case the frogs did not settle. 









*
Background Test*

Being a slight perfectionist, I was still not happy with the Sky Blue background that I had originally thought would make a great backdrop. So under the new terrarium build houses a twin pair of natural tanks. This was my opportunity to see in real-time how the blue actually faired against green FLORA and to be honest, I think it works well. 

So my original concern of the high contrasting was soon flushed down the pan.




























With the racking now built, wiring and power units in place it was time to see how the new build sits into place.

More to follow...


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

This like a 'who dun it' I just want to see the last page. Don't keep us in suspense for to long.:lol2:

Adam


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> This like a 'who dun it' I just want to see the last page. Don't keep us in suspense for to long.:lol2:
> 
> Adam


Haha Adam, every story has a beginning, a middle and an end.... so much more yet to come but the end result is an absolute belter!!


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Well, I'm hooked! How is the racking for access to the tanks? I can see you're mostly using Exos, but even they sometimes need side, back or top access.

Oh, and Ronny, expect to be struck by lightning at any stage for your heresy!! :gasp:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Ron Magpie said:


> Well, I'm hooked! How is the racking for access to the tanks? I can see you're mostly using Exos, but even they sometimes need side, back or top access.
> 
> Oh, and Ronny, expect to be struck by lightning at any stage for your heresy!! :gasp:


Ron, access is OK to be honest. I've made the racking in such a way that the pieces fit together nicely. For example, the Exo Hoods are positioned towards the front of the tanks, just in front of the UV and Moon Strips. This way I can just lift the hoods out and access to screens tops when needed.

The shelf units are not screwed in and can be easily lifted out if anything goes wrong in or behind the enclosures. These are rested on thick horizontal wooden struts.

Everything was measured very accurately and fits nice and snug in this 3 tier tower block.


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

When are we getting the next instalment?


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Hopefully tomorrow Adam when I get my external hard drive back from the mrs :devil: All the pics are on there and shes had it @ work for the past few days booo!


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Hopefully tomorrow Adam when I get my external hard drive back from the mrs :devil: All the pics are on there and shes had it @ work for the past few days booo!


Women!!!!:lol2:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> Women!!!!:lol2:


What would we do without them eh?

I've been rest assured that the hard drive will be back this evening so the next instalments will be along after the footie :2thumb:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Perfect Fit*

Boy oh boy was I glad that I used much stronger timber. The weight of the new build far exceeded my earlier expectations. Not only was the glass terrarium weighty, the whole skeleton and intertwined vines had made the enclosure almost double its weight. I was praying for it not to drop for the first few minutes. However and with it now in place, the fit was inch perfect and sat nicely between the overlapping struts with precision - happy days!



















*Full Moon*

Having it in place also gave me the chance to see how the build looked under Moon Glow and it did not disappoint. Roof Top Heights and the Chaco Slide catch the light very well whilst the Arid Basin remains dark and gloomy.










You can see the contrast between night and day here:










*More Niggles*

With it now in full view, the sides desperately needed tidied up. You can see how the skeleton frame was now created, with the Polly Foam inner gently coated with the HA6 Silicone outer layer. Followed by a double coat of Coco Fibre and Sand Blasting route. I was safe in the knowledge that the weight of the frogs could not pull this down at least.










With the Sticky Back Plastic ready, it was time to start cleaning up the exterior and test out the black and blue panels... not something I was looking forward too due to the bubbling but I found a good little technique.

More to follow...


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Where did you get the vines from? Looking good


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> Where did you get the vines from? Looking good


Its called Liana Vine mate, got a whole load of it from a reptile shop near me as I loved the way it looked. Plus its quite bulky of which my phibs love! Not the cheapest thing but worth every penny in my eyes.

Heres a twin pair ready for my next RETF Natural Build.


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

I normally get mine from Dartfrog but I have not seen any as nice as that.


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

I was gonna say dartfrog does them but when I pick my wood, I like to see it in the flesh first to I can filter through the bad and get the unqiue stuff.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Its called Liana Vine mate, got a whole load of it from a reptile shop near me as I loved the way it looked. Plus its quite bulky of which my phibs love! Not the cheapest thing but worth every penny in my eyes.
> 
> Heres a twin pair ready for my next RETF Natural Build.
> 
> image


How does it stand up to humidity- I mean, I know this set-up will have relatively low H, but in general?


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Ron Magpie said:


> How does it stand up to humidity- I mean, I know this set-up will have relatively low H, but in general?


I used liana in an auratus set up. The 'exposed' bits were fine but the cut end I buried in the soil to secure it rotted within about 5-6 months.


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Ron Magpie said:


> How does it stand up to humidity- I mean, I know this set-up will have relatively low H, but in general?


It's perfect Ron, you'll start to see how I control the humidity and flora with my moist pocket cups.



bothrops said:


> I used liana in an auratus set up. The 'exposed' bits were fine but the cut end I buried in the soil to secure it rotted within about 5-6 months.


Surely there is a quick fix - If one plans to use this Vine in such a moist habitat simply coat the end of the Liana that will be exposed to moisture and buried in soil with silicone :2thumb:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Background Wrap*

What a job! As expected the Sticky Back Plastic was a complete ball ache. Not only was it super strong (very sticky!), the height and width of the terrarium made the job a very lengthy process. I did manage to find a way around it though... I heated the plastic with a hair dryer prior to applying. I went from top left to bottom right in a straight line pulling a ruler down as I went. The end result was a fully wrapped background with matching sides and no more messy Polly Foam in sight!




























I then took the opportunity to see how the contrast looked with the mesh top and front panel doors back on:










*Back to the Blue Print*

Being halfway through the build and with most of the bigger parts done it was now time to start planning and mapping out the flora. Some questions I kept asking myself... 


Where was I going to place the jungle foliage and how was I going to retain moisture without pushing up the humidity?
How was I going to anchor and position the Broms to take the frogs weight yet keep them out of the hotspot?
With so many questions looming in the back of my mind so it was now time to start getting creative!

More to follow...


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Surely there is a quick fix - If one plans to use this Vine in such a moist habitat simply coat the end of the Liana that will be exposed to moisture and buried in soil with silicone :2thumb:


Oh, absolutely:2thumb: At the time I had only placed them in there for effect, they were not permanent features or anything like that, so I wasn't worried at all about them rotting (more springtail/woodlouse food!). I was merely sharing what happened as an FYI kinda thing! :2thumb:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

bothrops said:


> Oh, absolutely:2thumb: At the time I had only placed them in there for effect, they were not permanent features or anything like that, so I wasn't worried at all about them rotting (more springtail/woodlouse food!). I was merely sharing what happened as an FYI kinda thing! :2thumb:


I know mate, thanks for the heads up - appriciate it :no1:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Sticky-backed plastic, huh? I'm going to start calling you Valerie Singleton! :lol2:

One of the reasons I use 'found' wood in most of my vivs is that it really doesn't matter if it rots- in fact, it can add to the effect.


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Ron Magpie said:


> Sticky-backed plastic, huh? I'm going to start calling you Valerie Singleton! :lol2:


LOL Ron! fanx :whip:


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> The end result was a fully wrapped background with matching sides and no more messy Polly Foam in sight!


Did you use black plastic on the sides to hide the foam and then cut it so it matched the shape of the foam on the sides?


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Yes mate, because one of the sides will be on show I needed a way to tidy things up so it is really for my own vanity and cosmetic reasons. I have since found that is does retain the heat quite well. The plastic wrap is always nice and warm, even when the light go out so will be a regular feature now on all of my builds.


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## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

Sound. I've got a couple of builds where I can see the expanding foam so I'd thought about doing that myself. Is it a pain in the arse to cut to shape? Did you stick it on then shape it?


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

ronnyjodes said:


> Sound. I've got a couple of builds where I can see the expanding foam so I'd thought about doing that myself. Is it a pain in the arse to cut to shape? Did you stick it on then shape it?


Yes mate, its a right head banger :bash:

Cut the plastic to shape (roughly) and lay it on a smooth flat surface first, the get your mrs hair dryer and give the sheet a good 3 min blast so it hot to touch (this makes it easy to iron out the bubbles. Then work from one corner to the next running a ruler or bank card down as you got. Once in place, get a sharp Stanley knife and trim back the edges. What I did was fit it in place, the got a small desk lamp and placed it in the tank co I could see the Polly Foam outline, I then trimmed back the plastic to meet the contour of the ledges and side panels. It just tidies things up and makes the exterior look nice and neat.


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## Muggs (Feb 9, 2011)

ronnyjodes said:


> Sound. I've got a couple of builds where I can see the expanding foam so I'd thought about doing that myself. Is it a pain in the arse to cut to shape? Did you stick it on then shape it?


I used good old masking tape and black spray paint :blush:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Muggs said:


> I used good old masking tape and black spray paint :blush:


What if you want to re use the tank?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I generally use coloured card on the outside.


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## wayne the pain (Dec 28, 2007)

Looking really good :notworthy:


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

I use black silicone before the spray foam then trim to the foam contours. Gives a nice black gloss finish from the outside.


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

Tried that but the foam expanded on one of my earlier attemps for a mini tank. I'm so trigger happy when it comes to the Polly Foaming


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Tried that but the foam expanded on one of my earlier attemps for a mini tank. I'm so trigger happy when it comes to the Polly Foaming


I just made sure I allowed an extra few inches past where I wanted the foam and removed the excess with a razor blade. It gives a really nice effect, stole the idea from a black jungle build.

Any way where is the next instalment?


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> I just made sure I allowed an extra few inches past where I wanted the foam and removed the excess with a razor blade. It gives a really nice effect, stole the idea from a black jungle build.
> 
> Any way where is the next instalment?


Sounds good mate! Going to put loads on the weekend as I have some free time : victory:


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Sounds good mate! Going to put loads on the weekend as I have some free time : victory:


Can't wait. Making a start on my viv this weekend so hopefully I will get inspiration from yours.

Adam


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> Can't wait. Making a start on my viv this weekend so hopefully I will get inspiration from yours.
> 
> Adam


What you putting in it Adam? thx btw :no1:


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Sounds good mate! Going to put loads on the weekend as I have some free time : victory:


I have three Patricia tincs in a 45x45x60 exo but want to give them a little more space so I am converting a 60x45x60 exo for them. I have got the egg crate and foam already but need to wait for pay day to get the rest. I have made a waterfall separately so if it doesn't work properly I can remove it.









Just need to add a drain to the bottom and cover it with epoxy and Ecco earth.


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> I have three Patricia tincs in a 45x45x60 exo but want to give them a little more space so I am converting a 60x45x60 exo for them. I have got the egg crate and foam already but need to wait for pay day to get the rest. I have made a waterfall separately so if it doesn't work properly I can remove it.
> image
> 
> Just need to add a drain to the bottom and cover it with epoxy and Ecco earth.


Niceone mate! I can see where the water will run down the mopani wood. You putting the build on the forums mate?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

fatlad69 said:


> I have three Patricia tincs in a 45x45x60 exo but want to give them a little more space so I am converting a 60x45x60 exo for them. I have got the egg crate and foam already but need to wait for pay day to get the rest. I have made a waterfall separately so if it doesn't work properly I can remove it.
> image
> 
> Just need to add a drain to the bottom and cover it with epoxy and Ecco earth.


That's certainly creative- share the method?


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Yes, I will put the build up when finished. Might do it in instalments just top keep you guessing ( cant think where i would get that idea?)For the waterfall I just used a couple of pieces of the wood and stuck them together with expanding foam. The piece where the water runs just needed a bit of carving with a chisel. The water collecting area is just a plastic saucer from a plant pot covered with expanding foam. I have adapted a drain from Dartfrog to go in the bottom so the water will flow out into the false bottom. This should give me 2-3cms of water for the frogs to sit in. The last waterfall I made just soaked the substrate so hopefully this will solve the problem.


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> Might do it in instalments just top keep you guessing ( cant think where i would get that idea?)


I dont know what you mean :lol2:
I use those saucers all the time mate, cheap and easy to clean + plus like you have done mate, you can play around with them. Looks good Adam :2thumb:


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> I dont know what you mean :lol2:
> I use those saucers all the time mate, cheap and easy to clean + plus like you have done mate, you can play around with them. Looks good Adam :2thumb:


Cheers. Yes I think I cost me a £1 and at least if it doesn't work it wont ruin the viv and I will have a natural looking water bowl.:lol2:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Vine Time*

Next up was to focus my attention on creating a network of crisscrossing vines to aid the frogs around the enclosure. The vines would also add more stability to the Liana and make everything intertwine nicely. So out came my Maplin Wonder tool. It's basically a Dremel rip-off and priced up as a tenner, you can't go wrong really.










I basically cut the vines to manageable lengths and drilled small pilot holes in and around the skeleton ledges and background frame. I then corkscrewed the vines and made a network of additional branches and shoots.




























Here is a vine going into one of the pilot holes










With everything coming together very nicely now it was time to get my green fingers back out!

More to follow...


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Plantation *

With my green finger back out, I started to separate one of the larger Fireballs. I basically removed some of the pups from the adult ready for planting.










I then went round the tank with my Maplin wonder tool and made a series or crevices with one of the grinding bits. These made small managable cups where I then add some sphagnum moss shoots to hold some of the moisture. Inside the cups I then drilled some small drainage pin holes to get rid of any standing water then could jeopardise and rot the Broms once in place. 

With all of the cups ready, I then started to set the Broms in place, working vertical with the strongest, larger Fireballs nested towards the top layer. 










I then scattered the smaller pups in and around the basin level... keeping them as far away from the top as possible.



















With all of the Broms now in place, the build was starting to look active and not so dull. The blue background was making the lime green Fireballs really lush and I was starting to envisage the final look.










*Test Drive Charlie*

I thought it would only be fair if I let my little Charlie loose for a while as he had been watching the build take effect from day one. Being a lonely Chameleon and stuck to the corner of my monitor... poor little Charlie doesn't get to move much so I let the little guy out to test drive the build so far.

As you can see, Charlie was giving the build a big thumbs up!!!




























Now armed with Charlie's full approval, it was time to more onto the larger climbers and more foliage delights.

More to follow...


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Looking good, where did you get the vines?


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> Looking good, where did you get the vines?


Fanx Adam. Got the vines from a local Garden Centre mate, the ones in the Reptile shops where too bulky so I managed to source them from a Wicker Basket. I just un-wrapped the basket and was left with loads of natural vine wood. With the small diameter, I could easily twine them around the tank. A method I would highly recommend for all Arboreal Animals, especially Tree Frogs! I will be using these all the time now as plants will creep up them and flourish.


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Fanx Adam. Got the vines from a local Garden Centre mate, the ones in the Reptile shops where too bulky so I managed to source them from a Wicker Basket. I just un-wrapped the basket and was left with loads of natural vine wood. With the small diameter, I could easily twine them around the tank. A method I would highly recommend for all Arboreal Animals, especially Tree Frogs! I will be using these all the time now as plants will creep up them and flourish.


Great idea I am definitely going to give that a try.


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Plantation Under Layer*

The Broms where sitting happy above ground level so now I started to introduce some of the base under layer foliage and larger climbers. I separated one of the Butterfly Palms and Pothos and replanted these in their own independent planters (just in case I had to remove these for a good soaking every now and again). After all, the arid basin needed to be practically bone dry. With these set into place, the greenery was really starting to take effect. Albeit is was early days, I knew if I kept on top of things, the Broms, Palms and hardy Pothos could indeed take root and start to establish in the build.




























*Climate Control*

Once again it was time to flash more cash so I went out and purchased a new shiny thermostat, reflector lamp and a spot bulb (for once I had ran my stock dry):


Microclimate B1ME - Day Night Dimmer
Exo Terra Medium Reflector Lamp
Pro Rep 60w Red Spot Bulb
= £74.98

This was going to be my main heat source, day and night and it works a treat. Quite costly but worth every penny. The Microclimate allows me to control the cool off period (day and night) with ease, followed by a boost in temperature to get them ready for the new breeding season.



















The time had now come to rig this lot together to the main tower block and begin to work on the entire climate control.

More to follow...


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

*Periodic Testing*

With the terrarium now in place, I scattered a series of digital thermometers and hydrometers around the build creating a overall map of the climate. I wanted to gather a picture of how things stood for a while with yet to pump the tank with some solid heat. I also wanted the flora to settle and to naturally dry out the base coco fibre layer. 

Things stood like this for around two weeks. I did water the plants throughout this time to try and make things stable... and to my relief, the plants where doing suppressing well. I noticed in a change in formation in the plantation layer and things were still green!!!





































With the humidity slowly dropping and the plants still blooming, it was time to light things up and ignite the flame! The lamp and thermostat was ready but was the build up to the job?...

More to follow...


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Coming along...


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Next instalment please!:2thumb:


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> Next instalment please!:2thumb:


Gone a bit pear shaped mate! Mrs has managed to wipe clean the HD :bash: :gasp: :bash:


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## wayne the pain (Dec 28, 2007)

Oops :gasp:


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Gone a bit pear shaped mate! Mrs has managed to wipe clean the HD :bash: :gasp: :bash:


Dam! Looks like you will have to go straight to the last page, the finished viv!


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## Terrarium Supplies (May 12, 2012)

fatlad69 said:


> Dam! Looks like you will have to go straight to the last page, the finished viv!


Not just yet as Mikes come to the rescue with some data recovery software - frogman955 all the way!!! :no1:


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