Tiger salamander vivarium building.

[grius]

Hello.

I started to build this vivariyum over a month ago and are about to get finished. Still much work left, but soon. After a very exspensive vivarium misstake a while ago i really want to get this tank done

Inside dimension: 120x70x55cm lxwxh. For water/drainage i have a small leaning on the bottom so water can drain down to a bucket under the vivarium through some holes. And this is what i need sealing for, to make plyfan waterprof. On top i have some kind of balcony plastic floor, as i will cover with insects net later for substrate/drainage.

Started on the landscape.

I have saw out 5st holes so water can drain down in a bucket from the substrate/rain. I also put two layers off Epotex Aquarium sealing on the bottom, 15cm upp on all sides and the hole backside.

Here you can see oak leaf, cypress mulch, peat, cocos fiber and moss. I will blend peat/moss/cocos and leaf as substrate, on top of that a blend with leaves/cypress to get that forest look i whant.

Cocos/moss and leaf blend on a thick layer black silicone. I also build a cave with same substrate and a cork lid, but both the cave and the flowerpot on the right will be covered in substrate.

Drainage so the plants cant get it to wet.

I had some probleme to chose light but decided to use 1st T5 39w 6500k(daylight) Much of the plant will give shade and not to much light for the tigers. I want to se them out during the days too

Stones are painted with tapecrete/colour pigment powder/water and some cement in the blend. So now i have 4-5more days before i can wash the stones of and then silicone the landscape in the vivarium.

In some days im off to a advertising agencyto to get a picture enlarge as a wall chart. So i hope it turns out good.

Regards.

 

[Mark]

It looks like a really great project and I can't wait to see the finished product. The stones are very realistic. What are you using as drainage tiles?

 

[grius]

It looks like a really great project and I can't wait to see the finished product. The stones are very realistic. What are you using as drainage tiles?

Hi Mark, and thanks.

Yes i think i did really good with these stones. Im not sure i understand what you mean with drain tiles. I shall put a layer off cocos chips under the other substrat to seperate, but perhaps that is not the best idea? Its hard when you have salamanders that dig, thoug mine are most hiding under cork, not so much in the substrate.

I want to be sure water dont stay in the bottom so i saw many holes. The only thing i need now is 2st T-connection for those tubes.

Perfect

I also had to place some pvc pipes under false bottom thanks to the labyrinth pattern under the balcont floor were water could have stayed.

This may not look that good But it works to cool down the tank, T5 fluorescent lamp give some heat. I made it with 50mm cellplastic, but will cover all sides and the roof in same material as the vivarium so it looks better.

For the moment im working on a small pond that i belive can both look good and be useful for one of my tigers who like to take a bath time to time. Osmos water is good in the pond right?

Regards.

 

[JWERNER]

What I think he is talking about is the sound dampening tiles ( at least thats what they look like to me ) in the third pic.

Also, why not just mod the light fixture to fit a fan? I could see that cooler working though if you were to paint it black with Krylon Fusion or something that wont eat away at styro foam. That way it dont look so much like a white foam cooler on top. But, it would be great to add some cold packs to if you have to during a hot spell.

I would even experiment with Dry Lock and then find some kind of finsish that matches that nice Chery.

 

[Mark]

Attached are the tiles I was asking about.

I wouldn't use RO water. Dechlorinated tap water is much better.

 

[grius]

What I think he is talking about is the sound dampening tiles ( at least thats what they look like to me ) in the third pic.

Also, why not just mod the light fixture to fit a fan? I could see that cooler working though if you were to paint it black with Krylon Fusion or something that wont eat away at styro foam. That way it dont look so much like a white foam cooler on top. But, it would be great to add some cold packs to if you have to during a hot spell.

I would even experiment with Dry Lock and then find some kind of finsish that matches that nice Chery.

JWERNER"

I will cover the hole cooling box in the same material as the terrarium, i wrote that in the post before yours. If that is what you mean. I dont understand everything in english hehe,

"Also, why not just mod the light fixture to fit a fan"

Can you please explain what you mean.

Yes the box is messured for a hammar plastic box 34x25x16cm lxwxh to fitt. I allready have a box in 2cm cellplasic/foam that i have had a 32x25x27cm frozen box in during the warmest days this summer. 31degress as most in my home and i got 21-22degree a hole day in a 80x50x40cm Samla box with the fan on step 3 of 7


I belive that was your questions?

Mark"

It is a plastic floor for balcony. So osmos is best for rainsysteme then i supose. Sould i have some form of circulation pump in the pond so water not get stationary and collect bacterium easy? Thoug it will be easy to empty and clean with outflow and tube straight through false bottom.

Regards.

 

[JWERNER]

JWERNER"

"Also, why not just mod the light fixture to fit a fan"

Can you please explain what you mean.

You can use the light you have, just make a canopy to attach it to and add the fans like this.

DIY Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting

I think that would be the best idea to keep the lights cool. That way you can have everything match in finish.

 

[grius]

You can use the light you have, just make a canopy to attach it to and add the fans like this.

DIY Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting

I think that would be the best idea to keep the lights cool. That way you can have everything match in finish.

http://www.pwss.nu/image.php?productid=6319

I have this one and only using one fluorescent lamp, so we are not talking about that much extra heat. And I keep the ballast outside the vivarium.


I have thought about something like this. I can skip the wood box and build a small in glass instead so furnishing and the wall poster dont get covered, but it is not necessary i belive.

Thanks for your ideas.

 

[KennyDB]

Great project! Damn those rocks look good!
I'm really curious how this thing will look like in the future.
Thumbs up!

 

[JWERNER]

Ahh, those kits are even easier to work with yet. You can also get kits to suspend those like a pendant or make your own also. That would help with heat as well as subdue the light to a bit more natural look.

But, Im confused. Why the cooler thing with the fans if the light does not make it that warm anyway?

 

[grius]

Great project! Damn those rocks look good!
I'm really curious how this thing will look like in the future.
Thumbs up!

Tank you Kenny! I think plants and everything are in place to the end off the month. Not at all easy to find ferns and forest looking plants in sweden, wy is everything so hard here hehe.

There is a reptile expo 28 agusti, so i hope to find some plats that day.

 

[grius]

Ahh, those kits are even easier to work with yet. You can also get kits to suspend those like a pendant or make your own also. That would help with heat as well as subdue the light to a bit more natural look.

But, Im confused. Why the cooler thing with the fans if the light does not make it that warm anyway?

They absolutly are.

"You can also get kits to suspend those like a pendant or make your own also."

Do you have a link on these kits? You are talking in riddles man=) for me anyway.

If i have say 23degree in my house I Belive the tank will rise to at last 25 degress without some form off cooling, but that remains to be seen.When the warm weather is gone i can turn it off until next spring/summer.

 

[Mac Myers]

Very Impressive. Very nice. :happy:

 

[grius]

Very Impressive. Very nice. :happy:

Glad you like it

 

[grius]

I have spend about 120euro on silicone so far and will need 2st more tubes.

Update.

Now i have carved two extra pot holes and cover the inside with silicon, i am addictiveNo i thought it might be a good ide if i have to take them out some day and not happen to skratch up foam inside. There are also insect net fixed for drainage.

Pond im working on, nothing special but it will look better then a water bowl, and i can easily empty it.

This litle plastic thing will aggregate dirt/subsrate that tigers might bring into the water.. I left some space for a cork/lid..

Regards.

 

[JWERNER]

They absolutly are.

"You can also get kits to suspend those like a pendant or make your own also."

Do you have a link on these kits? You are talking in riddles man=) for me anyway.

If i have say 23degree in my house I Belive the tank will rise to at last 25 degress without some form off cooling, but that remains to be seen.When the warm weather is gone i can turn it off until next spring/summer.

I think this may be the proper kit but I would look into it more. Some can be universal.

It hangs from the ceiling.

Aquatic Life Suspension Hardware for T5 Linkable Light Fixtures - Lighting - T-5 Fixtures at BigalsOnline

I still think making a canopy to match the terrarium and adding fans to it is the best way to do it though.

 

[grius]

I think this may be the proper kit but I would look into it more. Some can be universal.

It hangs from the ceiling.

Aquatic Life Suspension Hardware for T5 Linkable Light Fixtures - Lighting - T-5 Fixtures at BigalsOnline

I still think making a canopy to match the terrarium and adding fans to it is the best way to do it though.

You dont think that only a fan in front of fluorescent will be enough? I cant build a light box without to cover the wall chart, i have to little height back there.

 

[JWERNER]

Well, I dont know but if it was me I would just move the wall chart

 

[grius]

I Need this wall chart I have not got it printed yet but i hope it will turn out something like this.

 

[NewtZoo]

I get so inspired every time I see your work. What is the secret to making those rocks look so textured?