Arboreal Vivarium

[J Morningstar]

I've been working with ceramics for about 30 years and yea the glazes can be interesting depending on temp distance from the flame or elements and good stuff like that. I mustt weigh a substantial amount? I liked the glaze on the first log attempt, excited to see what effect the layering has. Great job on the details, the mushrooms are def. my favorite.

 

[rodillablanco]

It's back, and it didn't crack!

Sorry about the long wait everyone, I was prepping for vacation- which means cramming an extra week of work in before hand. So while it's been out of the kiln for almost two weeks, I've literally had no time for fun stuff like enclosures and posts. But I have been getting some stuff done.
First: It didn't crack on the 2nd glaze fire, but the glaze sloughed and I got some nice dripping:


The bad news is, look at the vines in the pre-2nd glaze application shot- they're tan: not so on the fired piece. You really get into goofy territory when you start sacking glazes- metals and mineral compounds can sure act funny when super- heated. The good news is: the vines are more distinct now, and not necessarily the same color as the background (which is now kinda psychedelic!)
I've grown to like it- even though it wasn't strictly they way I was envisioning it.
So I mounted it to the tank in preparation for the next stage:


I made this mount, because as J.Morningstar posited: it's kind of heavy (2 lbs). I used a line of silicone around the top and exterior side to help hold it in- I'll have to cut it out if I want to move it. But that is possible.


So next is the planting phase. or in this case: the cultivation phase. I've been reading papers on moss and lichen propagation for a while now. I'm pretty convinced that the open ceramic is the perfect substrate on which to grow lichen.
So I've been collecting mosses and lichens on my field days at work and acclimating them to artificial light.



So this weekend, I'm going to make a lichen smoothie and spread it on. I'll then keep the whole tank in the moss chamber and try to propagate them. I'll use a method I've seen mentioned for both moss and lichen propagation. In fact I had first planned on growing moss on the Background, but research said lichen. And I found these great colonies at about 10,000' elev. growing right on the pebbles on the ground. Lichen is extremely sensitive to poor air quality- so in the month I've had it inside I've been waiting to see how my air stacks up. Seems to be fine.
It has grown: I had to carefully pry it off the moss it was sitting on- It was adhering. The moss is growing too, so I plan to use it on the ground with the little fern in the center. This is about full size for this fern type. All the foliage is native, so it should grow here.
Here's a sheet of lichen:


I'm going to put in this link about lichen propagation for those who are interested. I hope the link isn't a problem.
http://lichenlovers.org/lichen_growth_formula.phtml
I'll post again with lichen sludge shots & a report.

 

[MarkmD]

That is cool, you have done a really neet job with the backdrop I wouldnt mind doing something like that for my Avic.

 

[SamuraiSid]

I think the vines look great, and are vry pronounced.

Look forward tro more pics

 

[rodillablanco]

I tried the lichen application. So here's pics and details.
I used the formula from the website I linked in my last post. It's called Magnificent Lichen Growth formula. I modified it because I didn't think I needed as much, and I had a bunch of loose Lichen- I wanted to use most of it.
While I was making it, my teenaged Daughter asked me: "What are you doing?". I said: "Propagating Lichens." She asked: "Why do you want to grow werewolves?" I think that's a different formula.
Here's mine:

Mix the following together and bring to a boil stirring frequently:

1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1/28teaspoon gelatin
1/2 tablespoon green algae powder (Spirulina or chlorella may be obtained from the vitamin department at some grocery stores. Pet stores may carry fish food that is mostly algae.)
~1/32 teaspoon water soluble fertilizer with micronutrients (bloom boosting formula preferred, such as 15-30-15 or similar, NOT acid loving formula.)

Remove from heat as soon as boiling commences, and cool to room temperature.
Immediately prior to application, add:

2 teaspoons of lichen flakes collected from common lichens.
1 teaspoons of healthy soil .

Here's the stuff, post boiling and with Lichen bits (TM)


I actually used a fork to smooth it around after pouring on the open areas of the ceramic background. I misted the ceramic for most of the day before putting this stuff on, to make the surface good and moist (it soaks right in) The tank is laid on it's side, and will be for several weeks until I see Lichen Growth. Or else I see no growth and rancid rot, I have a good feeling about it, but it's still an experiment.


This image was taken 2 hours after I applied the gunk. It kind of dried on and definitely darkened. It was hard to see when it was a wet white puddle of goop. I put it in my moss/lichen grow chamber and have a humidity/temp gauge in it. I'll be watching.. and reporting.
This could be awesome if it works.

 

[J Morningstar]

I wish you the very best and will be checking ourt your site for lichens!!!!

 

[rodillablanco]

The Lichen lives!
I was working on the moss chamber ( temporary home for the vivarium ) and I'm pretty sure I can declare the first part of the Lichen formula works: they're still alive! Here's a shot of the moss chamber (90Gal tank):


Here's a close-up of the Lichen on the ceramic background. The lichen is standing up. I'm not prone to want to tug on it yet. But there's no mold and the little bits seem to be holding on. Humidity is really only about 50-60% most of the time. This pic is just after a spritzing.


I'm growing several types of moss now. This is a new one I just scored from around a mountain lake at about 8500' above sea level:

It's very"stalky" like little pine trees standing up.

Finally. a shot of another experiment with Lichen and moss just placed on a twig and held in it's own little mini-terrarium. Just to see if the stuff re-attaches well without glues- milk/yogurt, or I've even seen people suggesting using elmers glue. I've read more than a few posts that say: "live moss", but I'm pretty sure are dead, craft store type moss.


I really think that if moss can be grown reliably it could supply a healthy humidity buffer for tree spiders like many use it for frogs. Although I've seen several nicely mossed frog tanks where the moss didn't really grow- it was just replaced occasionally. I'd like to keep it sustainably.
Of course, large spiders can wreak some havoc on their surroundings. So my second hope is that Lichens, glued to rock as they are, will survive being walked ( and Cricket danced) on.

 

[skullking]

It looks amazing so far! I eagerly await to see the finshed project!

 

[XLRX8]

Really interesting build your doing there rodillablanco! I have been planning on using live moss myself in some tanks, so the info you posted here is of particular interest to me. Great to see some high quality creativity going on! Please do post the end result!

 

[longviewsteven]

Wow, that looks like a hobby within a hobby, very nice.

 

[rodillablanco]

Well, a bunch has happened in the last month or so. I got a Gooty sling, so now I have a year and a half to finish the growth in the vivarium. Which may be about right to try and get everything working well.
Here it is:


I'm not sure if the Lichen is going to make it. It's not so much the blending it into paste as it seems to be the humidity. It has grown, but then it stalled, and a lot fell off the ceramic face, it's more greenish in color and flaccid in texture than the donor tissue. I think it might turn out to be a: "choose moss or choose lichens" dilemma.
The moss is doing well and i found a good reference book to share. It's from the British Bryological Society and it's a free pdf. Moss Grower's Handbook
My mosses were hanging on, but not really growing. Now they seem to be doing better, after much study.
So here's what I'm doing now. It seems the mosses I have don't like to touch soil, they seem to be okay with pure peat, but nothing with nutrients. Nothing in which competing things can grow in.


I then used native peat ( dead moss matter crushed and re-hydrated) And then mushed down the the moss. Apparently it like getting walked on. Moss doesn't have roots so it need to be right in contact with whatever it's on. My first moss that "grew" grew on to a rock. Moss likes to be rained on too, so it has to be top watered, it's really useless to hope that it will draw water from a soil. They have Rhyzoids that are more like microscopic straws. Moss can't transport water, so I water it directly with an awesome spray bottle I found:




You pump it up and it pressure sprays from a mist to a blast. It's good for filling water dishes too. I got it at a Pot grow store ( I live in Colorado, so there's a lot of them)

So Finally, the little sling herself. And quite a little pig "she" is, she's been eating about 1 prey item a day (crickets, dubias) and is quite fat.

 

[SirCupaTea]

I am blown away! This is going to look amazing!

 

[Petross]

You have talent.

 

[DaveSB]

Reading this has really inspired me to do better with my Vivariums. A brilliant thread! Can't wait to see the final final product!