Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's a shot I took today. As you can see, I've added a few more fireballs and added the rocks at the bottom. The tank still has a way to go before being finalized and hopefully what little creeping fig I have in there will soon cover the bare spots in the background. I'm thinking of heading back to Lowes and picking up a hanging basket of this stuff as my wife would love to have the extras around (her favorite plant). Also, the ground level of this tank will be more filled in with plants, moss and rocks as time goes on. I've decided not to use a water feature in this tank but will be doing a much larger variation of this technique which will boast a nice water feature.

-Bill J.
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Was to eager to post and forgot to tag the image along before hitting send....goofy me!

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I was checking your pics last night and found that, I meant to send ya a e-mail but forgot. Looks good, you usings moss, fernbark over the rocks? I might have to try that one...
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

yeah, long fiber sphagnum moss and fir bark over the gravel is usually what I do. Both are relatively cheap and can be purchased at most home/garden stores that deal with orchids ands tropicals.

-Bill J
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Well I went shopping and got this:
2 bags of fir bark
1 bag of charcoal
1 bad of peat moss

I already have eco earth and some long fiber sphagnum. I was unable to find milled.

Here is what I was thinking for a mix:
2 parts fir bark
1 part cahrcoal
1 part eco
1 part peat moss

Any ideas? I could not find milled shagnum, or any shagnum that was not way over priced. The local store had green moss.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

Milled sphagnum is just sphagnum run through a food processor, so it is finely chopped. Don't use a blender as you will end up with a liquified sphagnum =D. I made that mistake once.
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-_^

Peat moss is also made of shagnum, so this is the mix I came up with:
2 parts firn bark
1 part peat moss
2 parts eco earth
3/4 part charcoal
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

Personally, I find the use of charcoal pointless. It does help aerate the soil but if you mix in some gravel instead of charcoal, you'll get the same effect for less money. Long fiber sphagnum moss is great and any exposed areas will come back to life in good light...at least in my experience. I'm thinking of ordering some low growing selleginella to the floor of this viv as ground cover instead of using moss. With any luck, it'll grow up the background a little to add more effect. I'm also going to get some Oxalis 'silver and gold' as well as an Epidenrum ellipticum orchid from AndysOrchids.com (unless you guys know someone in the frog hobby that is propogatng this species). Once this vivarium is complete, I'll be doing a 50 gallon using the same methods that I did in this 20 gallon high vertical convert.

-Bill J.
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I had some selleginella but it never spread and died off. Might have to try some more. So far I have just a few plants, but plan to add more. Hoping the java moss will spread, after it is added. I will take a pic or 2 later. The way I see it if this idea sucks I will just redo it.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators