The lonely forest build

[NathanWillaim]

Welp, here we go.
I started off building this tank with the mindset of a quick build, and a tryout of a few ideas I had always wanted to try out. but as we all know, these tanks tend to consume us, and there's rarely a build we just kind of slap together.
I'm nearing the end of the build as I write this so I will get everyone up to speed and then continue on as I go.

so here we go.
I started out with a 10 gallon aquarium I picked up at a PetCo for around $14.00.

I then began the process of putting silicone around the back sides for a clean finish once the expansion foam was applied.

I picked out a nice piece of driftwood that would fit my needs and not overcrowd the tank since it was so small, but give it a nice accent at the same time.
Also it had some holes in the center and at the bottom end i could use for planting some orchids.

Then the fun began...Foam...lots of foam...
I roughed in a false bottom piece to get a guide line of how far to go with the expanding foam so i wouldn't have to cut out as much.

but the foam didn't seem to care for my plans...
so much foam...

 

[NathanWillaim]

I made up a mix of peat moss and coco fibers to texture the background.

and then began to clean up the silicone edges,splatter, and any run away expanding foam.
I also made a small acrylic plate to sit up under bottom of the foam to keep and critters from trying to burrow up into the foam after the substrate is put in.

I then made the poor choice of thinking my moss that I ordered would take much longer to arrive then what it actually did...so I decided to attach some since i wasn't going to hurt anything or get in the way, and i didn't want it to dry out or sit in a dark usps box and die.

My glass pieces came the following day and i began to set up a small 4-1/2 tall piece to keep the substrate from falling out when i opened up the door for feeding or cleaning the tank.
I also picked up a zoomed misting system...which in my opinion is horrible in every way shape and form. ( leaky misting heads at the joints, terrible heavy spray pattern, and other quarks i won't get into.)

cleaned up my silicone mess and began to add my false bottom, and my substrates.
the false bottom was just egg grate set up everyone has seen and covered in weed barrier.
i then put some ecoballs at the bottom and a mix of a fine cocofiber, peat moss, and small pieces of bark.
then topped it off with some dried oak leafs.

i couldnt take the mansoon mister system anymore and switched over to a mist king set up

But since i was mid build i had to make up a strange contraption to keep glass from entering the tank as i drilled the hole for the misting heads.

I then had an original plan to hinge the front glass with some plastic hinges...but that ended up being a no go in every way, and a slider style glass was out of the question since the tank is only about 12-1/2 inches wide.
so through many trial and error i finally came up with a super effective solution...

I'm not serious, but this is how it sat for about a week as i tried and tried different ways to make a hinged system to the glass but with every single one failing.

i even tried small magnets to get the glass to stay in place.

I also had an idea for a fan sitting in the tank, but i didn't want an exposed fan just hanging there or something i could only point to one piece of glass and have the rest fog up after misting.
So cruising around ebay i came across this...
it's for an outflow to an aquarium filtration system.

I also happened to have some large bulkheads laying around as well... soo wahhlahhh.
after some modifications to both i now have a directional air flow system.
I will have to cut more holes in the glass to have a fan pull in air from the tank and send it through a hose or pvc tubing and push it out the head but it should work nicely.

Mounted!
I also found a way to mount my front glass door.
When small magnets dont work.
Buy bigger magnets!
3/4" x 1/4" magnets.
I attached these to the inside of the aquarium and to the outside.
I also needed a handle, so i had some guitar tuner knobs laying around and mounted them over the outside magnets to pull the glass off.
They work awesome.
each magnet is rated for 17.5 lbs so the glass is def. not going anywhere.

And youre all caught up for the moment.

Im currently waiting on more parts before i start my LED lighting system, canopy, cooling system set up, and a custom made viv controller

let me know your thoughts!
will be updating again soon!

 

[NathanWillaim]

reserved for continuation

 

[viper69]

It looks very cool. I like it a lot, I appreciate the posts. You'll be happy w/MistKing.

Why did you use silicone between the glass and the GS foam?

I'll be curious to see how you do the LED lights and wire them etc.

You MAY try this in the future if you build more, but you'll need Aqueon tanks. OR, buy your own 3D printer. It's a clever idea that's for sure.

http://shop.frogcube.com/

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Great work! And high five for being an old school (cigarettes) smoker as well, there's too few of us in those insane "health" & electronic cigs era

 

[NathanWillaim]

It looks very cool. I like it a lot, I appreciate the posts. You'll be happy w/MistKing.

Why did you use silicone between the glass and the GS foam?

I'll be curious to see how you do the LED lights and wire them etc.

You MAY try this in the future if you build more, but you'll need Aqueon tanks. OR, buy your own 3D printer. It's a clever idea that's for sure.

http://shop.frogcube.com/

Thanks, one it cleans up the view from the side, you don't get the nasty yellow expanding foam showing. secondly. i've never had foam release from silicone before. It creates and good hold and bond, foam to glass on the other hand... I have had release and come off. Glass is pretty slick and doesn't let the foam grab a good hold.

The Led's will be a 12" makers led heat diffuser. Running around 40 3v leds. couple dimmed blues for a low moonlight effect, and the rest will be a mixture of reds for the plants and cool and bright white leds.

I've also seen those 3d printed fronts. but i like a fully sealed tank, they are much easier to control heat and humidity in. Plus i think it makes the tank look less clean then just a full sheet of glass. in every photo i have the glass on you can't even tell its there.

 

[NathanWillaim]

Great work! And high five for being an old school (cigarettes) smoker as well, there's too few of us in those insane "health" & electronic cigs era

Thank you.
Smoke em' if you got em.

 

[NathanWillaim]

Drillin holes drilling holes drilling holes.

So my first attempt to use my modified aquarium outflow wasn't working out so well. still isn't but i set up a temporary solution till then.

this was my first temporary fix as i couldn't find a way to make what i wanted to work.
it was a push and pull set up to circulate the air. one fan on each side. one pulls in and one pulls out.
the only trouble with this even though it works quite well... it's big and bulky, and the 90 degree elbows will end up obstructing to much light. also it will make my canopy i build to be very tall, and id have to drill another large hole in the glass for an exhaust to cool the tank and to give it fresh air...im done drilling holes...and i think my neighbors hope i am too.

i ended up finding a way to make my outflow work as i wanted it too with what i had thankfully. but it doesn't solve my problem of all the bulk.
so my next idea will be to make a plexi glass tunnel of sorts instead of using large bulky pvc piping.
This should kill two birds with one stone as the lights will be able to shine through it and it will be low profile if i modify the bulkhead a little more.
but for now this will work to get the tank up and going some more.

ignore the eggcrate on top. just did it to hold up the lights so i could see while i did some testing to make sure everything was circulating enough.

and it works great sadly! to bad ill have to redo it within the next week or so.
siliconed it down a tad to keep air from escaping out the edges and siliconed in the fan.

modified pc fan

don't exactly love it, but it will get me by for the moment.

that's if for the day. i have a video of the circulation set up working that i will post once i figure out how to.

 

[NathanWillaim]

fan was a bit noisy because it wasn't secured in.
Silent as can be now.

 

[viper69]

Running around 40 3v leds. couple dimmed blues for a low moonlight effect

What critter/s are you dropping in there? Also, what's the vendor on the blue LEDs. Are you putting the blue LEDS on a dimmer yourself, or are they pre-fabbed that way?

 

[NathanWillaim]

What critter/s are you dropping in there? Also, what's the vendor on the blue LEDs. Are you putting the blue LEDS on a dimmer yourself, or are they pre-fabbed that way?

This tank will be for juvenile emperor scorps till they get big enough for a larger enclosure.

You can get them anywhere. LEDGROUPBUY.com is one I know off the top of my head.
They are just a 1up 3v led. Easy to wire and set up.
When i put them to the driver ill just adjust how much power goes to them so they are not super bright.
Scorps tend to be less active if the moonlights are too bright.

 

[viper69]

This tank will be for juvenile emperor scorps till they get big enough for a larger enclosure.

You can get them anywhere. LEDGROUPBUY.com is one I know off the top of my head.
They are just a 1up 3v led. Easy to wire and set up.
When i put them to the driver ill just adjust how much power goes to them so they are not super bright.
Scorps tend to be less active if the moonlights are too bright.

Thanks for the vendor.

Wow, I didn't know that about scorps. I never owned any, pretty clueless on their husbandry.

 

[Tenevanica]

What kind of expanding foam did you use? Are there any kinds that are unsafe for animals?

 

[viper69]

What kind of expanding foam did you use? Are there any kinds that are unsafe for animals?

People typically use Great Stuff Foam, it takes very little to expand. Most people suggest you shoot out some first to get an idea of just how much it can expand. I'm told most people underestimate the expansion.

 

[Tenevanica]

People typically use Great Stuff Foam, it takes very little to expand. Most people suggest you shoot out some first to get an idea of just how much it can expand. I'm told most people underestimate the expansion.

I was wondering about Great Stuff actually. It's the only foam I have on hand. Just wondering if it was safe. Thanks!

 

[viper69]

I was wondering about Great Stuff actually. It's the only foam I have on hand. Just wondering if it was safe. Thanks!

No problem. Have you tried it out for a vivarium yet? If you haven't, here's your chance

 

[NathanWillaim]

I was wondering about Great Stuff actually. It's the only foam I have on hand. Just wondering if it was safe. Thanks!

there are a few brands you can use, but majority of people use great stuff. There are a few on ebay that are a black color that can be better if your substrate falls off after a while and it wont show yellow.

 

[NathanWillaim]

So I picked up an Asian forest scorpion yesterday to put into the tank...and today she's having babies

 

[NathanWillaim]

First little guy that fell off. Have 3 more.

 

[darkness975]

@viper69 @NathanWillaim That seems like an awfully tall tank for a scorpion that could climb up to the top and fall all the way down though. I would not house a terrestrial Tarantula or terrestrial Scorpion in there due to that risk.

Some of my scorpions are terrestrial species and they are definitely not the most adept vertical climbers. Also, how much substrate is in there? Heterometrus species require several inches of the appropriate substrate within which to construct a burrow.