"Terrarium" building for A.lugubris.

[grius]

Hello.

I reacently started to build a tank that I finished today, this is for 4st juveniles A.lugubris that Will arrive next thursday.
The only thing left is to build a mesh screen, attach false bottom for drainage which I shall do tomorrow, and then it is time for some furnishing. I will do it easy, with cork bark plates on backside and one side, some bark hidings plants and mosses, also small branches for them to climb on.

Inner dimension is 30x23cm(lxw) with outside hight 25cm. With false bottom in place and substrate the inner heigh will be around 15-17cm depending on substrate deept.

I am friend with a glazier and have his workshop avaible to work in, so this is my second glass setup I have built. Great to have so good tools to work with!

I tried a "new" idea this time. I cut out 20 pieces 4mm glass as I siliconed together so I got 8x10mm support part for false bottom to rest on.

Leaning bottom so water easily can drain through

Glued suports in the middle and around all sides, instead for pvc pipes as that make this plastic matt( http://www.jula.se/golvplattor-av-polypropen-1-m-11-pack-290110) so unstable, and this was actually easier in a way.

Hole that water shall drain trough, and an extra angled glass piece as a direction to the hole.

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Thats all for now,. More pictures will come tomorrow and after the weekend.

Regards.

 

[Argus654]

Not going to lie here, but I'm looking foward to see what's in the works for this tank. Good luck to you.

 

[grius]

Not going to lie here, but I'm looking foward to see what's in the works for this tank. Good luck to you.

I dont really anderstand what you mean with this post

False bottom finished.

 

[grius]

Yes now Im almost done. The tank is selfe is finished, I only have furnishing left.

Wood screen mesh.


I also cutt 3st extra glass pieces that i can move around to controll humidity, easy to just remove or change around as they have different width.

And a quick look at the bottom. I glued a piece to keep the false bottom down a little, and to cover the corner where the hole in is placed.

Regards.

 

[grius]

I'm sorry but I haven't been able to take any pictures yet on the finished tank, I hope to do that tomorrow And also on the salamanders If I can get some shots/video on them

They do really well however. Eating and growing very good. I now feed them crickets 7-10mm, housefly / maggots, from own breeding, and they have tasted some P.scaber aswell. I have tried small pieces of lobworm but they don't seem interested. So next is to try baby/small bate worms to see it that works instead.

 

[grius]

Well. this did not go as planed. I got one feeding with bad light tho, but you can see them a little i think. It's cloudy today and the light in the room was to dark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mN2otflWaY&feature=plcphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mN2otflWaY&feature=plcp

And bad pictures on the tank.

 

[grius]

 

[grius]

So here we go again. Started on a second setup some days ago( vivarium this time with gliding glass front. They have grown out of the first tank faster than exspected, now they get mostly more hight but also a little more bottom space and much more furnishing to climb on.

I shall take some pictures today for those who like construction threads. I'm not finished except with the glass base so to speak And yesterday i made a cool hide from a larger cork bark piece that shall be placed on the backwall with cork bark plates behind which i also will place on both sides.

Demension is 40x30x55cm lxwxh, with a inner hight of 40-43cm after false bottom and substrate. They only have 16cm for the moment which i see is not enough.

I chosed to make a " cork lid" if i some day need to take them out. like moving them to the final vivarium when they have out grown this one. Only have to fill the holes inside so they can't hide where i can't reach .

I will post more pictures later today.
Regards.

 

[Jennewt]

Hi Grius, this would be a good thread to add to the construction projects article:
Caudata Culture Articles - Vivarium Building Projects
However, I would like to have a nice photo of the whole "finished product", with the dirt and cork and everything.

Best of luck with your next building project!

 

[grius]

Hi Grius, this would be a good thread to add to the construction projects article:
Caudata Culture Articles - Vivarium Building Projects
However, I would like to have a nice photo of the whole "finished product", with the dirt and cork and everything.

Best of luck with your next building project!

Hi Jennewt. Absolutly, that's okey with me!

Have some new pictures from todays work.

Almost as with the first falsebottom, only difference is that i used same floor material as rest instead.

Did some carwing to be sure all water gets out, pehaps a little unecessary tho.

Glass frame to attach the net on/inside, and 3mm glass pieces in the same wide to press the insect net between. then cover the top with wood or black aluminium frame. There will also be 2,5mm left for small glass pieces, to controll temp etc as with the first tank.

Now i have to wait on cork bark plates before i can continue, and it will probably arrive in the beginning of next week.

 

[grius]

I am now finished with the hole wood landscape but was unfortunally not able to take any pictures during the hole work process. Anyways. All bark walls, foam/silicone/substrate parts are done, I even made some trees from foam(great stuff)/zoomed bark plates and powdered light coloured cork which turned out pretty cool. The only things left now is a mesh lid and then the final furnishing, but as I have no camera for the moment pictures have to wait, as usual nowdays.

I will explain more then Jennewt, i mean as you wanted this for the vivarium construction articles part.


Aneides will be moving in 2weeks from now perfectly to my own house move, and so that all foam and silicone get to harden enough.

Regards.

 

[arianja]

Looks awesome Girus! What do you use to keep water from leaking all over the place though (from the hole)?

 

[grius]

Thanks arianja.
IWell on my forst tank I attached small cut 2cm high glass pieces around the drainage hole, like a triangle to lead out the water right. I belive i will do the same here and hang a little bucket under on a hock.

 

[grius]

Time for pictures!

I made the background using great stuff/foam, plantation soil, cork bark and silicone. And as already mentioned, tree trunks are made of foam and cork bark plates which i removed the real cork from and broke in different sizes. And in the cracks i used crushed light cork to give it a more rotten look.

This was a bit of a project. I have 3 layers of glas on the top, 2 layer 6mm, and I used 3mm as en extra frame to attach the insect net as last step.

Got a little crack between the net and trees, so I siliconed 6mm glas pieces to cover that space. And on top 3mm glass instead to hold the net in place.

Here I used hot glue to attach moss to a mangrove rot. Same with the big moss pieces on the right cork wall.

My aneides will have several hides, both on walls as background, but also on the ground.

After a fast mist from aspray bottle.

As fast as the terrarium fisnihed and aneides in i will post more pictures

 

[Wildebeestking]

Wish I had access to such wonderful tools. I quite like this project. The cork bark looks incredibly realistic and pulls it together nicely. Can't wait to see some finished photos.

 

[Argus654]

Looking good man. I can't wait to see the finnished product.

 

[grius]

Thanks you guys!

Maybe I have a llittle to much moss in there, I can't decide how to do for the moment.

Well the camera is gone Again hehe. He was here some ours after I had taken these pictures, and I dont know when I can borrow it again.
Anyways. I am now finished and substrate is on place. So tomorrow i will move aneides to their new home and hope for the best. Have it on cooling test for the moment with an ice pack on the top, and also a fan obove the net which turned out to be a good choice as it lower temperature pretty good and keep the air circulated. Only the bench left now , project i will finish tomorrow.

Last pictures will come in a week or so.

 

[grius]

New update.

I removed the root as I got to much probleme taking care of the vivarium, and controll my Aneides. You can also see their feeding cup which works perfect, i see them eating fast after lights is shut.

I think from what i saw yesterday night that the largest is now around 11cm. They have apetite like tigers these little guys.

As cooling i have 2 ice packs on the top with foam boxes over. And also a 80x80mm fan on low breez. Substrate is a blend of plantation soil/play sand and coco bricks here and there. Depth is from 8-10cm most because to hold the substrate fresh then.

 

[grius]

Time for a quick update. Video filmed an our ago
Not so much more to tell. Temp is between 12-14 degrees in their attic for the moment. They are feeding on roaches, Porcellio scaber (woodlice) and crickets. Next is to try lobworms for them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnHKcXNi4dU&list=UUhG2PcZDBOXbjvVgePvehdQ&index=1&feature=plcp

 

[Wildebeestking]

Beautiful. It looks like you took a section of the forest and put it in your tank. Your salamanders look happy roaming around in it. If I was a salamander I would give anything to live there. Great job on it.