Tiger salamander vivarium building.

[grius]

Woo hoo! More pics!

That's awesome looking! What color LED's did you use? The first pic looks like white but the second looks like blue. It can sometimes be hard to tell in pics.

If you need them dimmer you could hook up a dimmer switch.

I kind of want to do a night light but I don't agree with such bright blue lights being natural as some other people claim but that's just my opinion. I have been thinking about just dimming white LED's or even a white cold cathode light. I have seen the cold cathode dimmed down on other forums and it looks amazing!

I hope to see a new video soon!

It says white on the package but i can see some blue in it. So more white then blue.

They dont seem to work good on dimmer:/ i tried when i had all three connectet, but one lamp got much more bright light then the other and all started to flicker, so i dont know if it is a good idea

And i agree with you, i dont see moon light like entire blue. I think that exo terras moon light has the best light off all pruducts you can buy(purple/blue light) Im planing to paint a green/blue/white light. Se how that look.

I shall upload more videos=)

 

[grius]

I gave it a new try with dimmer, and now when i only have two lamps connected it works perfect! so no need for paintning, i already have moon light here.

 

[Dreamtheory]

Tiger salamander vivarium building

1) Plywood (form plywood in this case)
2) Casco SuperSet glue and screws to make it extra stabile.
3) Glass silicone both black an transparent.
4) Plastic balcony floor and insect net to make the false bottom. But i supose you can get your hands on egg crates?
5) White insulation foam plates (dont know what you call them)
6) Standard cement that i mixed with fine sand and water.
7) Tapecrete (cement bound that also is great for paintning) You can also put some in your cement/sand and water blend to make it extra strong.
8) Paint pigment powder in difirent colours, that you blend with Tapecreter and water to paint with.
9) A hole bunch of brushes, mixed sizes.
10) Epotex aquarium vanish if you using wood as terrarium material.
11) Cosos/moss/leaf mix on black silicone/foam.
12) T5 fluorescent lamp holder and 1st 6500k(daylight)
13) LED as moon light.
14) Plastic tubes fro drainage.
15) Rainsysteme, most for the plants but also becase they seems to like rain time to time. And it looks nice
16) Glass and E-slide strip.

That is what i can come up with, hope it helps.

Thank you very much!! This will be very helpful. This weekend i´ll be starting my Salamander habitat project while my girlfriend is away all day, so I should be able to make some good progress

I definitely have more studying to do on this before i start my project though.

I have a question, to make the terrain livable did you put silicone all over the Styrofoam that you carved out, and then put dirt into the silicone before it dried?

 

[JWERNER]

I gave it a new try with dimmer, and now when i only have two lamps connected it works perfect! so no need for paintning, i already have moon light here.

Awesome!

I was going to say I think you need to splice a resistor or something in but that works out better IMO.


I like the spot effect cause if you go into the woods at night the canopy blocks most of the moonlight but then you have some opens spaces where the light shines down in a concentrated area. Just looks more natural, you know?

If you ever do consider painting the lenses may I make a suggestion?

Stained glass spray paint works well but I don't think they make black so you would have to deal with blue or something like that.

However, they make that spray paint for tinted tail lights for cars in black. A very light coat of that just enough to smoke the lens would work. An even cheaper route would be to remove the lens and dye it in a dye called RIT dye. Not sure if they have that over seas but you should find something similar. It is for clothing but works great on acrylic also.

 

[grius]

Re: Tiger salamander vivarium building

Thank you very much!! This will be very helpful. This weekend i´ll be starting my Salamander habitat project while my girlfriend is away all day, so I should be able to make some good progress

I definitely have more studying to do on this before i start my project though.

I have a question, to make the terrain livable did you put silicone all over the Styrofoam that you carved out, and then put dirt into the silicone before it dried?

What species are you building to?

Exactly, first put silicone on small part at the time and press substrate all over it. I went back some times under a 15minute period to press a litle extra here and there to make sure it got in place..

Good luck whit you coming projects!

 

[grius]

I like the spot effect cause if you go into the woods at night the canopy blocks most of the moonlight but then you have some opens spaces where the light shines down in a concentrated area. Just looks more natural, you know?

If you ever do consider painting the lenses may I make a suggestion?

Stained glass spray paint works well but I don't think they make black so you would have to deal with blue or something like that.

However, they make that spray paint for tinted tail lights for cars in black. A very light coat of that just enough to smoke the lens would work. An even cheaper route would be to remove the lens and dye it in a dye called RIT dye. Not sure if they have that over seas but you should find something similar. It is for clothing but works great on acrylic also.

That was pretty much my intention with an open area of brighter moonlight that also shines on trees from abowe, which look like an open forest part. So i´m very satisfied with that

I´m always open for suggestions. But i don´t think i will paint my LED because when dimmred i got a nice result:happy: But! if i decide to paint i go for acrylic as it is easy to find in a small store here in town, and it is cheap. Thanks for the tip.

 

[JWERNER]

Cool. I had a feeling you would like the dimmer. I cant wait to see the misting system up and running.

I wouldn't think acrylic paints would be transparent enough to allow some light to pass.
But, I guess a light coat of say Grey would work out?

 

[Dreamtheory]

Re: Tiger salamander vivarium building

What species are you building to?

Exactly, first put silicone on small part at the time and press substrate all over it. I went back some times under a 15minute period to press a litle extra here and there to make sure it got in place..

Good luck whit you coming projects!

Spotted Salamanders, have 1 right now, but going to buy a 2nd as soon as a store gets one in...

Plus, i found a website that you can buy salamanders and newts from last night, and they ship them to you. Is that safe?

Yeah, I was assuming you were apply the substrate to the silicone but wanted to make sure, I wasn't 100% sure, but thanks for letting me know =)

 

[JWERNER]

Re: Tiger salamander vivarium building

Spotted Salamanders, have 1 right now, but going to buy a 2nd as soon as a store gets one in...

Plus, i found a website that you can buy salamanders and newts from last night, and they ship them to you. Is that safe?

There is a classifieds section here with some trustworthy members selling some animals.

I would do some googling for what ever online shops you are looking at to see if anyone on other forums has any opinions on them. If you search around you could find quite a few places online and as long as you do the research on the place your getting them from and use your own better judgment you should be fine.

Exactly, first put silicone on small part at the time and press substrate all over it. I went back some times under a 15minute period to press a litle extra here and there to make sure it got in place..

Also make sure you tap off the excess before you decide to let it cure or you can run into problems with it not curing and adhering properly.

 

[grius]

Cool. I had a feeling you would like the dimmer. I cant wait to see the misting system up and running.

I wouldn't think acrylic paints would be transparent enough to allow some light to pass.
But, I guess a light coat of say Grey would work out?

Hm it seem like dimmer dont work om this LED modell:/ I have talked to friends who can this stuff. So i will go for acrylic paint.

Rainsysteme is upp! but i have not try it yet thoug, just want the silicone too dry two more days. And you, i did a awesome clumbsy misstake when i was working with the rain systeme. I had put the other fluorescent lamp with holder beside me on the roof, and then i accidenly had it down on the floor hehe (both holders must be used for this light adapter to work, but i just want one fluorescent inside). So i have order a new one before i can start furnishing.But i think it will arrive latest tuesda, no probleme for me.

No no it work good:happy: have tried it before as mentioned with LED(those on battery) Perfect moon.

 

[grius]

Re: Tiger salamander vivarium building

Spotted Salamanders, have 1 right now, but going to buy a 2nd as soon as a store gets one in...

Plus, i found a website that you can buy salamanders and newts from last night, and they ship them to you. Is that safe?

Yeah, I was assuming you were apply the substrate to the silicone but wanted to make sure, I wasn't 100% sure, but thanks for letting me know =)

Thats a nice salamander species
Do you mean? Amphibian Pricelist

Ask on if you have questions

 

[grius]

Cant belive it, my vivarium is finished! toked me 3months hehe.

But i still havent got the T5 fluorescent, hope it arrives tomorrow so i can put the tigers in their new home

But i got a picture on my moonlight. Thoug wrong colour on this picture, it is more green in real life and not as bright.

More photos will come!

 

[Dreamtheory]

Cant belive it, my vivarium is finished! toked me 3months hehe.

But i still havent got the T5 fluorescent, hope it arrives tomorrow so i can put the tigers in their new home

But i got a picture on my moonlight. Thoug wrong colour on this picture, it is more green in real life and not as bright.

More photos will come!

you should take a few more pic's, I cant really tell whats in the picture. its to dark

 

[grius]

you should take a few more pic's, I cant really tell whats in the picture. its to dark

That was the hole point with this picture. I wanted to show you how it looks with moonlight on, and it is even darker in real lifte then what the picture show : )

As soon as i get my T5 fluorescent i shall take more photos, but on daylight.

 

[grius]

I can see one thing that ruin the tanks hole "natural" look, and that is the background and side walls( like some off you have point out) But im satesfied

Some more trees should have been nice thoug.

Before i put the tigers in i must make som hides, i need their cork bark plates first.

So, here you have a video instead off bad pictures. The misting systeme will be on 2times during 24 ours, day and night short periods. And the fogger time to time.

Sorry for the bad videos.

YouTube - Tiger salamander terrarium construction, finished!

I have not fix the lid yet, but this method works for the moment hehe. Also T-coupling for those pipes.

YouTube - Tiger terrarium construction(pond)

Hope you like it.

 

[JWERNER]

I think its awesome! The LEd's work but you just have to know the proper wiring. I cant comment on that cause I dont know what LED's you have. I just took apart a LED light for a walk way leading to our house. Its one of those solar power type that turn off when its dark out. It runs on chargable batteries also. I took a round tupper ware container I got from odering take out Chinese food and attached it to the inside. It has a little sensor on it that tells when the lights are out and tells the LED's to turn on. Kind of cool IMO.

Maybe you could add some Epiweb to the background and grow some type of Ivy up it. Epiweb is way cool and you should look into it.

 

[grius]

A better video were you can se some hides i made. They are now in their new home and it seem to workd great for the moment..It is so cool to studdy them in the moonlight!

YouTube - Tiger salamander terrarium.

Thats all from this building.

 

[Dreamtheory]

wow grius!

Absolutely Amazing.

You sir need your own website with all your work on it! You are very realistic and creative!

Thumbs up for you man!

 

[grius]

wow grius!

Absolutely Amazing.

You sir need your own website with all your work on it! You are very realistic and creative!

Thumbs up for you man!

Thank you Dreantheory! The are doing great, and the smaller are wery active. It came out 15min before the light turned off this night and are know out investigate the surroundings, climbing and have taken a dip. And they tooked their each own cave and have used same since first night. There they lying almost hole days and looking out.

 

[eljorgo]

What can I say... The most awesome construction head in the hole forum. And kind too.... To be sharing so many stuff. Why don't you get more reputation... People a should be less envy and start giving something for the info they take from you...
Also, don't take this personal Tomas, but I guess the tank deserved a little better inhabitants than those

cheers,