# The BIG Build, Exo Terra 90x45x90



## Dark Valentino

Well, where to start.. I see a lot of brilliant vivarium builds on here mainly for dart frogs an such which gave me the inspiration to create my very own build but for my Whites Tree Frogs.
At the moment they are in a Exo Terra 45x45x60 i have 3 adults in there and although the gallonage is correct i just find it far too small for these guys, i come into my room on a night and have 3 sets of big beautiful eyes staring at me from the front of the tank wanting to come out for a jump around..
So i decided a BIG project was in order, i searched high and low for the largest Exo Terra (90x45x90) obviously buying this tank new would cost a small fortune but patience and lots of computer time later i finally succeeded in finding one at a GREAT price.



I wanted to create my own background using the silicone and expanding foam method and also wanted it completely live planted, I know whites aren't ideal in live planted vivs with there tendency to wreck anything in sight, but there already in a semi planted viv, and most of the plants are doing great even with regular belly bashing's.
So i made a purchase of silicone and expanding foam from dartfrog.com (cost more than the bloody tank) and got to work, siliconed the whole back of the viv and parts of the sides.
Waited for it to dry then started figuring out placement of the background pieces (cork bark, bog wood, drift wood, plant pots, vines) after hours of playing around with positioning i finally came up with the perfect places for them all.



The next day was the fun part, EXPANDING FOAM.. didn't realise it expanded so much even though it's clearly in the name duh!
3 cans later and i had barely even done a quarter of the background!!
ah well i started carving away at it and shaping it up which was pretty darn fun.



So i did a bit shopping around and found screwfix does expanding foam at a fraction of the price i paid to begin with, so i went and picked me some up today, foamed this afternoon and im absolutely itching to start carving it but its not quite dry enough yet.

That's pretty much as far as i have got so far..
Oh as for the plants, i am lucky enough to work for my dad who's in the wholesale plants and flowers business so i can get just about anything at wholesale prices, i shall be putting in my order tomorrow, not 100% sure what to get yet though, i have an idea but i will be doing some good old research tonight into what's going to suit best.

Anyhoo just thought you RFUK folk would like to check out my big build journey and i shall make sure to update as i progress..


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## si-man

Subbed. Looking forward to this one


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## Ron Magpie

Me too- I think this is going to be spectacular :2thumb:


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## Wolfenrook

You are absolutely correct that a 45x45x60cm viv isn't big enough for 3 adult Whites! Back when my 3 were in that size of viv they became seriously lethargic, lazy even, a clear sign with Whites that they need more space. Moved them to an 80cm x 50cm x 60cm and they're one of the most active frogs you could hope for!

Good luck with your build, and well done on making the right decision. : victory:

Ade


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## GECKO MICK

Cannot wait to see how this comes on.:2thumb:


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## Gaz_dbd

Looking forward to seeing the progression with this one!! I'm sure you'll have a lot a fun doing so too!!

Keep it up!


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## JPalmer

Looking good so far! I'm sure your whites will love it!


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## Terrarium Supplies

Always great to see a new build on the phib scene and already this is looking great. Having a nice big viv always helps as you can really get the scope on things. I too have whites in semi-natural setups. You're right, they are very cumbersome and heavy frogs, almost clumsy at times. Practically throwing themselves at food items, smearing substrate and general crap around the side and front of vivs. It's great however to see someone who is willing to spend their hard earned cash, time and commitment with whites are they are so often over shadowed by other arboreal frogs.

Foam, this stuff does not have to be premium stuff. Most will do the job at hand especially when crafting such a large viv. I'm lucky as we have a vast amount of the cheap pound shops here so can pick cans up for 99p. Maybe you can drop lucky in your area also...?

Plants, I use two as these (up to now are whites proof): Philodendron scandens and Epipremnum aureum. They get bashed around a lot, in fact most nights, the scenery changes lol!! 

Anyways, good luck with your build, you have three very lucky frogs!


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## Ron Magpie

Terrarium Supplies said:


> Always great to see a new build on the phib scene and already this is looking great. Having a nice big viv always helps as you can really get the scope on things. I too have whites in semi-natural setups. You're right, they are very cumbersome and heavy frogs, almost clumsy at times. Practically throwing themselves at food items, smearing substrate and general crap around the side and front of vivs. It's great however to see someone who is willing to spend their hard earned cash, time and commitment with whites are they are so often over shadowed by other arboreal frogs.
> 
> Foam, this stuff does not have to be premium stuff. Most will do the job at hand especially when crafting such a large viv. I'm lucky as we have a vast amount of the cheap pound shops here so can pick cans up for 99p. Maybe you can drop lucky in your area also...?
> 
> *Plants, I use two as these (up to now are whites proof): Philodendron scandens and Epipremnum aureum. They get bashed around a lot, in fact most nights, the scenery changes lol!! *
> 
> Anyways, good luck with your build, you have three very lucky frogs!


In a tank that size, it might even be worth considering a potted monstera, as well. It will eventually out-grow the space, but if it's potted it's easy enough to hoik out, and in the meantime it will look amazing! :2thumb:


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## Dark Valentino

Cheers for the kind comments guys..
Terrarium Supplies & Ron Magpie thanks for the tips, Devils ivy is already on my list :2thumb: although this potted monstera isn't.. I have checked it out and i am loving it, i will be also adding that to the list its just what i was looking for.

Ok so as i said i foamed the rest of the back with this second batch of foam, i must admit it was naff compared to the dartfrog stuff, took a lot longer to fully dry then when i started carving it down it resembled Swiss cheese haha.. Tiny setback so i had to fill some of the bigger craters with foam again, no biggie! I guess you get what you pay for!!


Carving took a looooong time but i loved every second of it...

So onto the next stage covering this mahoosive back wall, i used a mixture of coco fibre and tree fern fibre attached with silicone.
This part i did not enjoy, with there being so much to cover i had to do it in sections and its so very messy, arghh!





About half is now done, and i am also done aha.. i will be completing the other half tomorrow night..


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## Cornish-J

looks really good - just a quick question...

as the bottom of all the plant pots are covered in the foam, how does the water drain from the plant pots to stop rotting?


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## Dark Valentino

Cheers Cornish-j..
Good question, well with this being a whites setup they don't like the humidity or tank too wet and the plants i am getting don't need to be overly watered, so my thoughts were i would let evaporation work its magic, the heat in the tank and the light system will speed that up. Also the plant pots i have in there have a decent depth on them so i will be adding hydro balls to the bottom of the pots for any excess water.
I am also in two minds about putting a couple small holes under the pots (won't be seen) for if the plants do need to drain out any excess water..


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## Gaz_dbd

Fair play it is looking pretty awesome so far!

Keep up the good work! Sticking eco earth and that to foam is a very long, messy and annoying process!!


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## Cornish-J

so even once the foam is set and you've applied silicone etc you can still pierce/puncture a few holes through it?

I'm quite interested as i plan to do something similar myself but i will need to ensure the plants arent sitting in a puddle 24/7.


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## Gaz_dbd

I think it should be possible to when foaming stick straws through the plant pot holes (this can also be done after as well) Then while also using lecca in the pots it allows for more drainage to prevent water logging in the pots themselves


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## Dark Valentino

Thanks Gaz dbd..
Indeed it is aha, i sure ain't looking forward to covering the other half tonight as the first half took long enough..
materials (foam, silicone) for this size viv seems to be my major stumbling block i keep underestimating how much is needed, but with this being my first build im still very new to the whole aspect.
Cornish J, what you can do is use air pipes (aquarium ones) attach them to the bottom of the pots and trail them to the bottom of the background before foaming, but in my case i just didn't think it would be needed.


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## Cornish-J

yea thanks gaz, also the airpipe is a good idea!

pretty dam awesome for a first attempt!


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## Dark Valentino

Background is done!! well apart from a few touch ups i need to do..
but i sure am glad to get the messy part out the way.

oh an i added some moss to the dry part to see how it looked, i think i shall scatter some more around the joint once the rest is dry..


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## Heart4Darts

Can i ask where you got that piece of moss from? i'm looking for some small bits like that.


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## Dark Valentino

No it's a secret :Na_Na_Na_Na:


aha of course you can, i got it from my local rep shop it comes in a large bag, kind of like a turf roll and you can just cut to size.
it's this stuff
Reptiland Terrarium Moss 200g | eBay
: victory:


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## Ron Magpie

So it comes as a dried sheet/roll?


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## mattbeighton

Looking fantastic so far. Keep going!


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## Chris Newman

A question that I have been meaning to ask for quite a while is why is the glass covered with black silicone? I don’t quite understand this as in my experience the expanding foam will adhere to the glass, or at least has so far, so I am just curious!


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## Ron Magpie

Chris Newman said:


> A question that I have been meaning to ask for quite a while is why is the glass covered with black silicone? I don’t quite understand this as in my experience the expanding foam will adhere to the glass, or at least has so far, so I am just curious!


Silicon is supposed to make it stick better- in the same way people use PVA.


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## Chris Newman

OK, thanks for that, has anyone actually had any problems with the foam coming apart from the glass…..?


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## Ron Magpie

Chris Newman said:


> OK, thanks for that, has anyone actually had any problems with the foam coming apart from the glass…..?


It's been mentioned a few times- it can tend to flake or peel off- apparently.

I say 'apparently' because I don't use 'custom' backgrounds at all- for a lot of reasons. :lol2:


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## Dark Valentino

Ron, Yeah its that dry dormant moss that you simply soak in water to bring back to life, used the stuff a few times and I quite enjoy it, yeah basically like a big sheet of dry moss rolled up in a bag.

Cheers mattbeighton.

Chris newman, well from what ive read it does help it stick better as Ron says, but my main reasoning was to completly black out the back of the viv an sides where the foam is as it gives it a real smart finish, I couldn't imagine anything worse now after doing all that work being able to see tacky looking green and white expanding foam aha..


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## RhacodactyBoy

I find it has two good purposes putting silicon on the glass first.

1. Its aesthetically pleasing from the outside, instead of seeing expanding foam.
2. its a better surface for the expanding foam to stick to.


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## Chris Newman

Thanks for the input regards to reason why black silicon is applied to the glass. In respect of aesthetic, which I fully understand by the way, there is in fact a much, much simpler way to do this. I use the privacy film used to tint car windows; you can buy this very cheaply and it comes not only in tints but also complete black film. When applied to the outside of the glass it will do exactly the same job but is much easier to apply and cheaper, and in my view is much more ecstatically pleasing as you can trim it to the exact curves of the background. I have done a number of backgrounds using foam but as they are not in damp environments I have never had a problem with the foam coming adrift, in fact the reveres is true if I have ever tried to remove the foam it has been an absolute bugger.


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## Chris Newman

Apologies for hijacking the thread, its just a question I have been meaning to ask for a while.


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## Ron Magpie

Chris Newman said:


> Apologies for hijacking the thread, its just a question I have been meaning to ask for a while.


You are a terrible hijackIer, and I can blame it all on you. I don't use in-built backgrounds for two reasons: One: one day I will want to use this tank for another purpose; cleaning all that stuff out will be a pain. Two: I'm a a big fan of K.I.S.S.- Keep It Simple, Stupid- the more complicated you make it, the harder it is to maintain it. Having said that, the OP has clearly thought this through in terms of temps, humidity and so on- so I'm looking forward to seeing what they create.


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## Liam Yule

Looking interesting mate! will look good when you have it planted etc


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## Dark Valentino

Chris Newman, I would hardly call it a hijack :whistling2: more someone expressing their opinion of different useage of materials to construct a background : victory: aha
I just simply used what I knew would do the job, was safe and waterproof.. paying a few extra quid here an there is no biggie, as this is my first build so I am still very new to the whole concept, if the pros are doing it this way, then that's enough for me..
But saying that well done for finding an alternative that works for you :2thumb:


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## Dark Valentino

Cheers liam yule, I can't wait to get it planted tbh, and bring this whole thing to life!


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## Dark Valentino

*Fianlly an update!*

Ok so i have quite a lot to update..
Soo.. ordering my plants, the one supplier i wanted to use turned out to be away (argh) didn't want to use any of the others as they wont really supply one of this an two of the other (don't really fancy getting a trolley full of exotic/house plants haha) 
So i will just have to wait, the guy will be back this week sometime so should be able to get them by the weekend possibly. 
Anyhoo in the mean time i had a slight change of plan (well i had the time now, so why not)
I decided i wanted to create like a miniature water area to one side of the viv, i find that my whites love a good soak often!
In the water area my thoughts are to add water plants and a couple water snails and shrimp to clean up algae as well as a filter cleaning the water.
So i sectioned part off using a piece of plastic cut to size and siliconed it up good and proper to stop any leaks.
I then added cork bark to the top of the plastic, then the filter was added, i made a slight cut up the back wall to place the wire in, then i covered it back up again.



It was then the time to start adding gravel to the water area along with some slate to provide easy access out of the water.



My next step was to just throw everything in and make it awesome for my whites!!













That's as far as i have got for now, there's still a fair bit to add/complete!
But i shall get there in the end. besides i am only 9 days into the project so far: victory:


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## Meefloaf

this is awesome


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## Dark Valentino

Cheers Meefloaf!

small update, today i pretty much finished off the water area in the viv, added 3 water plants, 2 zebra snails and 2 red nano shrimp.


One of the first inhabitant's of the viv


I also changed around the placement a tad in the viv to create more ground space, forgot that a monstera was going in the left front corner :gasp:



I forgot to mention in my previous post what i had put into the viv, there is a huuge piece of bog wood, a large trunk of twisted drift wood and some contorted lianas vine. The floor is a mixture of coco fibre, tree fern , moss and oak leafs. Also there is a few pieces of bark with moss growing on them placed around the floor.





Few more bits to add..
Just need them plants to get this finished already! :devil:


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## ronnyjodes

Looking good! Just be ready to shift a lot of soil and crap out of that water area- my whites are mucky buggers and generally have filled the massive water bowl they have in their tank within about 30 seconds of me cleaning it.


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## samurai

It looks great, with the water section did you use a really thick piece of plastic to section it off or is it the silicone you can see from the side?


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## Dark Valentino

Cheers guys!
Ronnyjodes, haha I couldn't agree more, I replace my whites water bowl on a night an by the following morning they seem to have completly replaced the water with soil..
It nearly made me not follow through with the whole idea of the side pool, my idea though is to put more cruched up oak leaf as a top layer on the ground to hopefully combat that problem, they dont stick as easy as coco and would be easier to clean out of the water.. fingers crossed ay!

Samurai, I used a thin peice of plastic with curved edges but blacked out the front section of glass with silicone so you couldnt see the divide : victory:

Who's betting they completly destroy the viv after a week of being in it.. hahah!


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## Dark Valentino

My three Sleeping Beauty's taking a nap in a brom..
Unbeknownst to them a new kingdom is being constructed for them to reign in peace forever after..


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## Dark Valentino

*We have life!*

Ok so since the weekend i have being misting the viv regularly, got a few types of moss in there an some of it is that dormant moss so i wanted to bring it out of dormancy.
Last night i went to mist an saw these little sprouts of green scattered across the floor, it kind of looks like cress :whistling2:
I got some pictures although there not the best, does anyone know what they could be?

The central green sprout in the picture's..


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## plasma234

I can't help you identify your plant, but I can tell you my settling viv is carpeted with them, even one or two growing off the glass.


I love this build btw, been following from the start :2thumb:


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## Dark Valentino

Thanks Callum : victory:
Ah that's cool so I could be expecting more of these cress like sprouts of green, Awesome!
(I figure for now I will refer to them as cress, aha)


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## Dark Valentino

Well it took longer than expected but i have now just about finished the viv, the plants are in!
Got a nice mixture of plants, only thing is some came a lot smaller than expected, was hoping for more grown on plants, the smaller they are the more delicate and easily squash-able they shall be... ah well!
Hopefully the smaller plants will grow quickly and the the whites will politely avoid sitting on them :whip:

















Some of the pictures are after a misting of the viv.
The plants i used are, Philodendron Scandens, Cryptanthus, Ficus Pumila, Asplenium Antiquum, Fittonia Verschaffeltii, various bromeliads and a Monstera.
So yeah i think its just about finished and ready for the Whites to go in, few more things to add first.
I hope you guys have enjoyed my build, although i am already thinking about my next build, My red eyed tree frogs are needing an upgrade soon as they are growing fast so i already have many plans for there upgraded viv : victory:


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## soundstounite

The "cress" is some for of Dicotolydenous(spelling) seedling,which is hugely vague:lol2: but that means you can rule out ferns grasses and moss:2thumb:

Oh cool build ,goodonya:2thumb:

Stu


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## Cornish-J

you keeping frogs or slugs?!


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## Dark Valentino

ah right cheers Stu, i was starting to think it was just some type of weed.




Cornish-J said:


> you keeping frogs or slugs?!


hmmm... i am pretty sure they are frogs, although big fat slugs could be another name for them :lol2:


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## Cornish-J

lol just going by all the wholes in the leaves, looks like somethings been munching on them!


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## Dark Valentino

Haha, oh yeah that's a swiss cheese plant (Monstera) pretty interesting plant, as it grows and the leafs get bigger holes start to form on the leaf, which then grow out and split the leaf..
I love it!!


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## Cornish-J

ahh ... phew


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## Dark Valentino

*Success*

First night in their new home and the mischievous Whites bounced around all night an croaked to the early hours!

Blue admiring the scenery 



Eyebrows found a new hideout to peek out from




Mission Complete!
(Just want my darn plants to grow in)


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## EvilM1k

Looks really good, well done!


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## strabo

impressed and a bit jealous, have finished the viv I was building for some WTF`S, then the frogs where sold out from under me :devil:


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## fatlad69

Cracking viv!!! :no1:

Adam


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## Meefloaf

i love sumba vines, they are so pretty


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## Dark Valentino

Cheers guys :blush:
Does make some excellent night time viewing :2thumb:



strabo said:


> impressed and a bit jealous, have finished the viv I was building for some WTF`S, then the frogs where sold out from under me :devil:


Ah really, that's just unlucky man, have you had any luck finding any more?



Meefloaf said:


> i love sumba vines, they are so pretty


Indeed they are, I came across it a few months back and had to have it, a 9 foot piece for £15.. Bargain!


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## Meefloaf

That's some bargain fella!


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## strabo

Ah really, that's just unlucky man, have you had any luck finding any more?

nope am still looking


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## Dark Valentino

Depends what age and size your after i suppose, adults are normally not as easy to come by as the babies.. Best of luck finding some anyway :2thumb:


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## Ron Magpie

Looks as if you did use Monstera?


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## Dark Valentino

Ron Magpie said:


> Looks as if you did use Monstera?


I sure did :notworthy: Big thank you for telling me about that little gem... or should i say big gem.
Definitely my favourite plant in there by far!

At the moment a large new folded up leaf is slowly unravelling itself day by day, a few more days and i'm guessing it will be completely open, looks awesome!


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## Ron Magpie

It looks dramatic and is tough as well- deffo selling points while it's relatively small.


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## Dark Valentino

My female who is huuge and the biggest of the three enjoys jumping on the leafs and they just flex, then flex back. Completely Whites proof for sure!

I hope it stays small forever :whip: aha


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## scottishsany

*pics*

very nice but more pics we need more pics.. A great job you have done there well done sandy


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## Dark Valentino

scottishsany said:


> very nice but more pics we need more pics.. A great job you have done there well done sandy


Thanks that's very much appreciated.
I shall get some more pictures up soon of the growth and few changes that have being made :2thumb:


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## Dark Valentino

*Update!*

Well it's being about a month fully setup now and the tank is doing well, and of course the whites love it compared to there old tank!

I have made a few changes, added some more bits mainly changing a few plants around and adding a few more.
Most of the plants have being doing really well and growing nicely, swapped a couple out to use in another tank as i discovered that they would not grow out of control like i first presumed.

So here is the tank as it stands today..
Still want to add a few more bits but going to wait on more growth of the plants.







Eyebrows kicking off when i wanted to take pictures (cuddled up to his lady friend Missy)



:2thumb:


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## Ron Magpie

That looks great!


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## frogfreak

Sure does! Some happy frogs right there


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## Dark Valentino

Cheers Ron and Glenn :2thumb:


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## Muz333

I'm glad I decided to pop my head into this neck of the forums. What a lovely build thread and I'll take on a few ideas for when I eventually try my own first build for a crested gecko.


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## Luke

A lady at work gave me a cutting of a huge plant shes got. She says its a cheese plant but looks a hell of a lot similar to that monsterra, does anyone know if theres a difference because if not its going in with my whites??


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## Luke

Sorry guys just google searched and not read it properly, they are the same thing cheese plant is a common name for monsterra delicosa, so its going in :whistling2:


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## Ron Magpie

Luke said:


> A lady at work gave me a cutting of a huge plant shes got. She says its a cheese plant but looks a hell of a lot similar to that monsterra, does anyone know if theres a difference because if not its going in with my whites??





Luke said:


> Sorry guys just google searched and not read it properly, they are the same thing cheese plant is a common name for monsterra delicosa, so its going in :whistling2:


Exactly the same thing- but while it is young, it makes a fab and dramatic viv plant. I would suggest keeping it in a concealed pot, against the time that it out-grows the space, though.


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## Dark Valentino

Thought I would update this thread with how the viv looks today, changed a fair bit since I started it.
Mainly plant choices for a more full looking viv...





My favourite Little guy who goes by the name of blue!


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## Meefloaf

LOVE it


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## Bradleyneild98

Hi mate sorry for posting here but need advice I'm doing the same thing in same tank for a Chinese water dragon I'm having it aquatic at the bottom and I was hoping to put some big logs and branches directly into the spray foam from side to side as I'm doing back and sides fully, do you think the spray foam will support the weight of a few logs and such or will it fall off??

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## Dark Valentino

Bradleyneild98 said:


> Hi mate sorry for posting here but need advice I'm doing the same thing in same tank for a Chinese water dragon I'm having it aquatic at the bottom and I was hoping to put some big logs and branches directly into the spray foam from side to side as I'm doing back and sides fully, do you think the spray foam will support the weight of a few logs and such or will it fall off??
> 
> Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


Hi,

Sounds interesting, the expanding foam will hold a good amount of weight, I've used bog wood in expanding foam before which is real heavy and it held perfectly, just make sure the foam supports it well (use/cover plenty) :2thumb:


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## Meefloaf

I've recently started using egg crate on the sides. 1cm deep stuff. This could easily be used to cable tie wood to etc and then foam around. Also gives the foam alot more to grip to and no peel off as egg crate is silicone to side


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