# Spare 45x45x60 Exo Terra collecting dust



## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Well I was going to go all out on this vivarium, inbuilt air circulation, misting system etc, but because I don't have much time or money and im sick of staring at an empty glass box i'll just set it up with the stuff I have available and save money for something fancy later. 

So far the false floor has been made with space left for a pool like my other vivarium. This was my first attempt at a foam/coco fiber background as I wanted something different from the Epiweb walls in my other setup. I haven't added any branches or features to it yet as I want the driftwood piece to be the stand out feature so im gunna keep the background subtle. Possibly just a few climbers.

Just need to get a glass top cut and make a vent. Buy some small broms for the driftwood piece. Find some rocks I like to help structure the pool. Get some fluval stratum or some black gravel to hide the false floor and fill the pool. Buy a new light unit for my other tank as im gunna steal it's LED's for this setup as it's deeper. Then everything else I have already, substrate, leaf litter, plants, springtails, iso's, etc. So here it is so far


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## demon3000 (Nov 23, 2013)

Any updates? :whistling2::whistling2:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Sorry things have been going slowly, a lot has been going on lately, especially with family.

I cut a clear perspex top until I get a glass top and front vent strip made.

Im hopefully scaping my aunties new aquarium within the next week or two so once im able to take the fluval stratum from her old tank I can use it to fill the perimeter of the false floor and to scape the pool area as I already have the rocks picked out.

Once that's in I can start mounting some plants to the background and the driftwood piece, get the substrate on, plant into that. I'd ideally want around half a dozen Neoregelia Lilliputiana creeping up one side but lack of money and suppliers means i'll probably just end taking a few brom pups from my other vivarium for this build. Sucks knowing what plants you'd want in there but not being able to get your hands on them for whatever reason lol.


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## dragora (May 12, 2008)

what have you used for the false floor?


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

It's plastic egg crate, just look it up on ebay. Cable ties to keep it together. And wrapped in black weed barrier, the stuff you get in garden centres. Much better than leca/hydroton in my opinion. Gives you a much larger area for drainage water.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Made a bit of progress on this build. 

The perimeter of the false floor and pool are have been filled with Fluval Stratum. 

Mounted some Sphagnum Moss, Peperomia Rotundfolia and Peperomia Pereskiifolia to the background which will hopefully get good coverage. 

Removed Nephrolepis Marisa from my other tank and stuffed it into the driftwood piece along with Sphagnum Moss. Im prepared for die off but hopefully should take hold and fill the body of the driftwood.

Was going to use broms from my other tank for this build but when I removed the Nephrolepis I decided to just order some new broms for this tank so the other one doesn't look as empty.











Hopefully will have both my tanks sorted by next week :2thumb:


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## demon3000 (Nov 23, 2013)

looks beautiful......so jealous....:flrt:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Will look better once the broms go in lol. Now I need to tidy up the mess I made in the other tank before they arrive haha :whistling2:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Well here is how the viv is now looking. The broms are in, the leaf litter is in. Tried to keep it simple and let the plants do their job and grow in to fill any gaps or empty space. 








Plant list:
x5 Neoregelia Fireball
X3 Neoregelia Fireball pups around the base for the time being
x2 Cryptathus Bivittatus pups between the rocks
Peperomia Pereskiifolia lower half of the background
Peperomia Rotundifolia higher half of the background
Sagittaria Subulata in the pool (just to see if it will spread ok)

The aim of this build was to put together a simple set up with what I had lying around. The only spendings have been the viv itself, the driftwood piece, and the bromeliads. The only other thing left to buy for this will be a glass top to replace the perspex top.


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## demon3000 (Nov 23, 2013)

Show off.....you are making my viv look c&@p.....looks great :flrt:


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## demon3000 (Nov 23, 2013)

Daft question....why put on glass top instead or original mesh? Thanks


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Hahaha thanks man. 

Glass tops keep up the humidity better than mesh tops, but you're still best off making a 2"(depending on viv size) fruit fly proof vent across the front to allow some passive ventilation(on Exo Terra vivs) and help keep the front glass clear but still keep humidity up.
For this build I had some perspex lying around so cut it the full size needed so that the humidity would be max and help give the plants the best start possible(producing aerial roots etc), but perspex will warp under heat and humidity and ultimately the viv will lose heat and humidity(and frogs if there are any in!)
Just updated my other thread btw bud :2thumb:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Just a few updated pics of this tank. 

The top broms are coloring up nicely and all sending out pups. Added one more brom to the front. Removed the crypts from the rocks and planted some young Chamaedorea Elegans. Will try get some better pics when I can.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Just a few more quick pics.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Took a quick birds eye view pic


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

The first Neoregelia flower in this tank :2thumb:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Added some moss around the base of the driftwood and around the pool area. Quite happy with how it looks. Also added a small fern to the base of the driftwood 

Seeing plenty of new growth from the Peperomia Pereskiifolia so that should hopefully bush out and fill in the lower half of the background.

The Nethrolepis Marisa is sending out new growth so hopefully by summer if will have erupted from every gap in the driftwood.

And when I thought all the broms at the top were just sending out one pup it turns out they're all shooting out a second!


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## luke1983 (Aug 25, 2008)

This is aright beaut mate, well done!

Im looking at doing a full planted set up for a Japalura Splendida in the none too distant future and I'm very interested in your pond area. It looks very natural.

Does it just get full from the water draining out of the misting system or is it on a seperate pump/circulation?

How did you get it to look so natural, is it just well placed rocks and moss over the weed material?


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

luke1983 said:


> This is aright beaut mate, well done!
> 
> Im looking at doing a full planted set up for a Japalura Splendida in the none too distant future and I'm very interested in your pond area. It looks very natural.
> 
> ...


Thanks man 

If you look at the start of this thread you can see the layout of my false floor and the space I left for the pool area. I then built it up using rocks and Fluval Stratum. The pool is just there for me to judge the water level in the false floor to know whether I need to drain any out. 

I'll be doing a little rearranging in this tank in the near future, I want to remove the 3 lower broms and replace them with some smaller ones; lilliputianas if I can get any, and maybe some ficus pumila or some marcgravia climbing the driftwood to contrast against the light green of the nethrolepis marisa. Btw this tank is just hand misted once a day, 2 on really hot days 

Steven.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

This looks really nice! :no1:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> This looks really nice! :no1:


Thanks, hopefully looks even better when it matures


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## PMA (Jul 10, 2012)

Just sat on the train drooling over this thread haha, looks so amazing, great work sir. I'm hoping to do a live planted exo in the near future, it would be my first so these threads are like gold dust to me


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

PMA said:


> Just sat on the train drooling over this thread haha, looks so amazing, great work sir. I'm hoping to do a live planted exo in the near future, it would be my first so these threads are like gold dust to me


Hahaha thanks  

All I can say is research, research and research! And a good tip would be to set up a practice vivarium before you decide to do something a bit showy so you can learn how certain plants will grow. Can only imagine how hard it would be to plant your showpiece, put in frogs then a few month down the line realise things aren't growing how you imagined and have to rescape the whole thing.

I've just got myself a 60x45x90cm (LxWxH) for my next project, will start a new thread for it when I get some equipment in and off to a start :2thumb:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Just a few updated pics. It's becoming brom city in here atm haha.


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## demon3000 (Nov 23, 2013)

Sorry but I hate u..:lol2:

It looks stunning well done.....:flrt::flrt::notworthy:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

demon3000 said:


> Sorry but I hate u..:lol2:
> 
> It looks stunning well done.....:flrt::flrt::notworthy:


Hahaha thanks man, just need to get some frogs in there! :2thumb:


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## PMA (Jul 10, 2012)

Stunning. What lights and canopies are those man?


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

PMA said:


> Stunning. What lights and canopies are those man?


They're Beamswork Plant LEDs, got these a while ago, can't fault them at all


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Spent the last few nights knocking up a 30x30x45cm Exo Terra as a present for my girlfriend. Turned out ok since it was made with whatever was as hand.

Background is a cork round torn to pieces, expanding foam and silicone coated with coco fiber, peat and sphagnum moss. Egg crate false floor. ABG style substrate covered with leaf litter. The plants were just what I had lying around.

Gunna order a Jungle Dawn LED for the canopy and get some smaller bromeliads and better plants and let her play god with it


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Couple of updated pics of my girlfriends little Exo I made for her.
A baby Crestie called Bernie now calls this home till he outgrows it and I have to set up a new tank for her :whistling2:


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## PMA (Jul 10, 2012)

That's real nice man, something really cool about the little exos


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

PMA said:


> That's real nice man, something really cool about the little exos


Thanks man. Yeah there's defo something cool about the small ones, but much harder to create and plant something that will work in stuff this small compared to big vivs haha.


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## PMA (Jul 10, 2012)

Sooo... quick question - you've used eggcrate to make your false bottom, how does this allow enough substrate on top for ground planting? Is it possible to create a small dipped area (like your 'pool') without the use of eggcrate, using a standard layered substrate system?


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

PMA said:


> Sooo... quick question - you've used eggcrate to make your false bottom, how does this allow enough substrate on top for ground planting? Is it possible to create a small dipped area (like your 'pool') without the use of eggcrate, using a standard layered substrate system?


The front panel of Exo Terras are 5" high (except the nano and small I think) which means I usually make a false floor with a height of 2-2.5" then can have a similar depth of substrate. Then you can always build up the height of the substrate towards the back of the vivarium. I've had no problem planting in my substrates, even at the front where it will be lowest.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

So here is a little update of my vivarium. Added a few things like Pilea Glauca to the floor and Ficus Pumila to the driftwood, and removed all broms from the bottom to keep this looking top heavy like a tree. Need to remove a few of the pups and put them in the greenhouse soon though. Also added some duckweed to the pool from my aquarium, thought it added a little extra colour to the tank : victory:


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## PMA (Jul 10, 2012)

Looks so good mate, great job.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Thanks man.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

A sneaky peek at how my 60x45x90 Exo Terra is coming along :whistling2:




Will try get some better pics on the girlfriends phone as mine is pants.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

A few more shots.


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## demon3000 (Nov 23, 2013)

Hurry up with this set up....really want to see it finished....:flrt::flrt::flrt:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

demon3000 said:


> Hurry up with this set up....really want to see it finished....:flrt::flrt::flrt:


Hahaha thanks :welcome:

Shouldn't be long before it's up and running. Just need to get the glass top cut really then can start planting. Got most of my plants sitting ready in my greenhouse haha :whistling2:

Don't know if anyone noticed in these pics that the piece of wood that comes out of the background on the bottom left is where a waterfall will fall into the pool on the left hand side. Didn't want it to fall too far as i'll never sleep with it going in the bedroom, or i'll wet the bed haha :blush:

Also the 2 vents in the left side is for the in air circuation system I made :2thumb:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

I've created a thread in the amphibian section for this new build if anyone wants to follow its progress. It's titled "My Tall Tale" since it is the Exo Terra 60x45x90 tall tank :whistling2:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Well it's been a while, haven't had much time or money for the hobby but today i've gotten my first frogs. Someone local had some young netted leucs going for a good price so decided to snap them up. There are 4 in total, 3 went straight into hiding but this bold little fella has been hunting nonstop. Can't wait till the others follow suit 







Will try and get some better pics in the days to come


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## PMA (Jul 10, 2012)

Amazing! I love leucs


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

PMA said:


> Amazing! I love leucs


Thanks man. Same, can't wait to see them become the characters everyone says they are :2thumb:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Just before lights out one becomes a daredevil


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

A couple more shots of the bold little bugger I have nicknamed "the Predator" as he's always hunting :welcome:


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## demon3000 (Nov 23, 2013)

Show off.....stunning keep posts coming. Looks great :flrt:


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Thanks man. Hopefully get back to work on my big project next month if i can, dying to get to work on it but lack of funds and time atm.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Neglected my threads lately, laptop is on it's last legs and have no idea how to upload things from phone to here lol. 

Not much has changed in here. The frogs have settled in well. Hopefully it won't be long till I hear some calling =)

Here's a few terrible pics =)


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Well this thread has been neglected for quite a while hasn't it. Not much has changed lookswise, could do with a trim in certain places and a few climbers added in other areas. But the main change is the inhabitants, i've finally moved my leucs over to my 3ft tall exo. Pics of them enjoying their new home can be seen in its thread "My Tall Tale" over in the amphibian section.

This vivarium is now home to a trio of phyllobates aurotaenia as of yesterday, and seem to feel comfortable enough to be out and about and also start calling after about an hour or two. If only I was able to get decent close up shots as in the flesh these are stunning little frogs.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

Well this little fella will not stop calling haha. Got some lungs on him, definitely louder than my leucs call.
This is his kind of broken call, not his usual constant trill, having a problem uploading that video to photobucket.


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