# my ecoactive tank build (lots of pics)



## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

this is a step by step guide for how i built my tank! id love some feedback and its not finished there is still months of growing in to go!


got a basic exo terra 60x45x45:









inserted the perpex divider for water and substrate:









check water tightness and put coco pannles on the walls:









add hydroponics substrate, weed blocker layer and mix of eco earth, orchid bark, leaf liffter :









added silica sand and moss balls to the water, the water has pump and oxygenator and heater and leds.
added the basic critters to the tank and some base moss cultures to start to grow:









more plants, testing supports and fogger unit for the GTP going in in future!:









using my female young boa to check the strength of the perches because they are removeable!:










and i will keep you updated with how it goes! got more plants and bits on order!
thanks for looking!


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

Hi, looks like a good start :2thumb: Be aware though that silicone doesn't make a particularly good bond with perspex, it may be worth your while replacing with a sheet of glass. May be fine but i've repeatedly found that sooner or later the silicone seperates from the plastic, and water leaks through, the breach gets bigger and bigger, and then you have a lake where you didn't want one!

Aside from this, all looking ace!

Dave


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## Lermy (Sep 13, 2010)

loving this, one thing i would be wary of is the fogger as they get quite hot and if its staying in the water it may be wise covering it with something so whatever you put in the viv doesnt come into contact with it and ends up with burns


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## PhillyDee (May 17, 2010)

Cool! Where are the coco panels from, and what's behind them?


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

The Perspex was something I didn't realise about! I will keep a close eye on that cheers for the advice! And as for the fogged the most on top is cool and the unit itself of 5cm unde water with only a few shrimp and s ails and things in the water!


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

PhillyDee said:


> Cool! Where are the coco panels from, and what's behind them?


I got the panels from dartfrog! And there are siliconed to the glass with wires running behind and in little groves in the coco!


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

JPalmer said:


> The Perspex was something I didn't realise about! I will keep a close eye on that cheers for the advice! And as for the fogged the most on top is cool and the unit itself of 5cm unde water with only a few shrimp and s ails and things in the water!


You may be ok with it, it looks thick enough that it shouldn't flex too much and its supported on both sides so the pressure may not have too much of an effect. I guess i'd still recommend swapping it now before its owner goes in, just because I know from far too much personal experience what an arse ache it is to find a home for a critter for a couple of days while I rip everything out because a perspex joint has gone  (My chameleon spent a few days visiting my Giant day gecko for this very reason, then a few weeks later my Day Gecko visited my chameleon lol, that'll teach me to do 2 vivs in quick succession without checking my materials!!)

The fogger should be ok, in my experience they only heat the water when they're too close to the surface for the heat to dissipate, or when the membrane is old.

Dave


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

It may not look it but it's 10mm Perspex and no flex atall but I shall defonatly have a glass peice cut soon to sort it but I do have spare tanks set up as quarenteen tanks will there own full stat set up just incase a tank design goes wrong!


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

JPalmer said:


> It may not look it but it's 10mm Perspex and no flex atall but I shall defonatly have a glass peice cut soon to sort it but I do have spare tanks set up as quarenteen tanks will there own full stat set up just incase a tank design goes wrong!



Good idea :2thumb: I try that, but then i just end up with another full time inhabitant in them!!


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

my_shed said:


> Good idea :2thumb: I try that, but then i just end up with another full time inhabitant in them!!


Me and the misses are in the prosess of buying our first house! And we have planned reptiles into it! We already have our 2 beautiful boa for future pair and the GTP is a long term build! So till we get settled no more reptiles! Tho the. I shud have a few spare tanks for full time residents so a reason to get more quarenteen tanks just in case  

And the vicious but Brilliant cycle continues....


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

You see how I wound up with 20 odd diff animals then lol


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

my_shed said:


> You see how I wound up with 20 odd diff animals then lol


I see, understand and can't wait!  21 now got a good few years with reptiles yet


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

*tank update!*

got a few new plants over the weekend so many i had to set up a whole new planted tank, not so much for an animal but just for the plants to have a incubation tank before the main tank! looks sick in the room! here is a few pics! 


the tank as it is now!  :









the new planted tank just for plants atm! :





















as the room looks  :










hope you like!


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## caddie (Dec 11, 2011)

Nice Viv I am going to do summit similar for my cresties, and maybe my royal.

In the text you say you have an airpump. Is it covered by the cocoa pannel on the right? Would this not get too hot? Also what filter are you using for hte water?


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

caddie said:


> Nice Viv I am going to do summit similar for my cresties, and maybe my royal.
> 
> In the text you say you have an airpump. Is it covered by the cocoa pannel on the right? Would this not get too hot? Also what filter are you using for hte water?


 Well mine is only 12.8l of water so I'm useing a pump/filter/oxagenator from a nano tropical fish tank I had spare and I connected a little air pump to the tube so it is a clear PVC tube (food grade) running under the soil and up though cable routeing holes! In heign sight any future tanks with a higher than 10l colas it's inside a viv I'm going to be putting in a floor drain, im doing this little one with a syphon pump and it's well annoying! Lol but in planning lots of future planted tanks I think I'm gonna plant up two 6ft L x 3ft d x 4ft h. For our 2 boas when we move into the new house! Even if it's just grass and a few basic strong plants it would look good


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

JPalmer said:


> Well mine is only 12.8l of water so I'm useing a pump/filter/oxagenator from a nano tropical fish tank I had spare and I connected a little air pump to the tube so it is a clear PVC tube (food grade) running under the soil and up though cable routeing holes! In heign sight any future tanks with a higher than 10l colas it's inside a viv I'm going to be putting in a floor drain, im doing this little one with a syphon pump and it's well annoying! Lol but in planning lots of future planted tanks I think I'm gonna plant up two 6ft L x 3ft d x 4ft h. For our 2 boas when we move into the new house! Even if it's just grass and a few basic strong plants it would look good


Just so you know you can drill exo terra vivs, it isn't toughened glass, so any diamond glass drilling bit can be used, just keep water running over it while you drill.

Dave


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## JPalmer (Jul 7, 2012)

my_shed said:


> Just so you know you can drill exo terra vivs, it isn't toughened glass, so any diamond glass drilling bit can be used, just keep water running over it while you drill.
> 
> Dave


Yer I did know but I figured it would be worth it for the body of water I was having! Lol tbh I might keep the exo terra just as plants? And build another bigger one  hehe there so addictive!


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