pogismom
Hatchling Member
Rocky's tropical neighbor Petrie, my new crested gecko, has gotten a vivarium make over! It is a LIVE vivarium and very exciting to make. So different from setting up a dessert tank for my beardie Rocky!
After setting up my live viv the first time, I deconstructed it all and redid it all over again. It was okay the first time but after talking with Mike at NEHERP I realized I made a few mistakes that in the long run would cause issues down the road. Since it was still fairly new it was best to break it down and rebuild it. Mike at NEHERP was the best Viv Construction teacher a newbie could have!!!! He really helped me put it together with the right things.
Plus the products NEHERP carries for vivs is pretty outstanding. I would also rank Pangea, Josh's Frogs, and LLL Reptile as good sources for viv products and info.... but Mike and the folks at NEHERP just offer that extra insight, experience, and details that are incredibly helpful.
So my little 12x12x18 looks like a slice out of a forest right now! Here is the finished product and a tour of my set up....
https://www.dropbox.com/s/klj40xfvt4xqhl7/New Viv.jpg sorry it uploaded sideways!
Before starting the live viv I had no house plants. Now I have 4!!!! Leftovers from the viv: Two ficus, 1 coffee, and now one sansevieria. They all might come in handy one day should I decide to build another viv!
I followed NEHERPS online Viv Construction 101 instructions and processed the plants prior to planting.
Let me take you on a tour of my layout….
Substrate:
• Hydroballs (from LLL Reptile)
• Mesh (from LLL Reptile)
• 2 gallons of ABG built up so the back is higher than the front. (from Pangea & NEHERP)
• Micro fauna (isopods & springtails from bugsincyberspace and NEHERP)
• Oak leaf litter (from NEHERP
Hardscape:
• Cork tile backdrop (LLL Reptile)
• Magnatural Mushroom ledge glues on with E6000 (Repticom Vendor & LLL Reptile)
• Cork branch across (Petco)
• Cork tube under the branch for a humid hide (Petco)
• Magnetic Feeding ledge (Pangea)
• Some rocks and large Bark for added ground cover and texture (Petco)
Floral Arrangement from back to front all from NEHERP:
• I put some of the Golden Pothos along the back against the cork tile. I have not attached them yet. I also added them to the bottom of the cork branch so they can fill in the space under the feeding ledge and eventually grow up the branch.
• In the back corner I put the Mahogany fern and trimmed it back a little.
• On top of the mushroom ledge I added some sphagnum moss and the NEHERP moss all along the back edge and sideI
• I also placed a couple of tillandsia in the corners and crevices on the ledge. I did not attach them in case I want to move them.
• I also placed the NEHERP moss in the cork tube and places that had crevices on the cork tube and branch.
• I put some tillandsia on the cork branch too
• The Sansevieria is up front since the ledge prevented me placing any height in the back. I did trim the tops at an angle.
• The itty bitty fern is nicely tucked at the front near the bottom of the cork branch.
Lighting is the Jungle LED from NEHERP with the Zoo Med Hood.
Watered it all until the level was no higher than about ¼ inch or first row of hydroballs.
I feel really good about how it all came out. Took me several placements before settling on this.
Now the hard part…waiting for 4 weeks for it to cycle so I can put Petrie in his new home sweet home!!!!
After setting up my live viv the first time, I deconstructed it all and redid it all over again. It was okay the first time but after talking with Mike at NEHERP I realized I made a few mistakes that in the long run would cause issues down the road. Since it was still fairly new it was best to break it down and rebuild it. Mike at NEHERP was the best Viv Construction teacher a newbie could have!!!! He really helped me put it together with the right things.
Plus the products NEHERP carries for vivs is pretty outstanding. I would also rank Pangea, Josh's Frogs, and LLL Reptile as good sources for viv products and info.... but Mike and the folks at NEHERP just offer that extra insight, experience, and details that are incredibly helpful.
So my little 12x12x18 looks like a slice out of a forest right now! Here is the finished product and a tour of my set up....
https://www.dropbox.com/s/klj40xfvt4xqhl7/New Viv.jpg sorry it uploaded sideways!
Before starting the live viv I had no house plants. Now I have 4!!!! Leftovers from the viv: Two ficus, 1 coffee, and now one sansevieria. They all might come in handy one day should I decide to build another viv!
I followed NEHERPS online Viv Construction 101 instructions and processed the plants prior to planting.
Let me take you on a tour of my layout….
Substrate:
• Hydroballs (from LLL Reptile)
• Mesh (from LLL Reptile)
• 2 gallons of ABG built up so the back is higher than the front. (from Pangea & NEHERP)
• Micro fauna (isopods & springtails from bugsincyberspace and NEHERP)
• Oak leaf litter (from NEHERP
Hardscape:
• Cork tile backdrop (LLL Reptile)
• Magnatural Mushroom ledge glues on with E6000 (Repticom Vendor & LLL Reptile)
• Cork branch across (Petco)
• Cork tube under the branch for a humid hide (Petco)
• Magnetic Feeding ledge (Pangea)
• Some rocks and large Bark for added ground cover and texture (Petco)
Floral Arrangement from back to front all from NEHERP:
• I put some of the Golden Pothos along the back against the cork tile. I have not attached them yet. I also added them to the bottom of the cork branch so they can fill in the space under the feeding ledge and eventually grow up the branch.
• In the back corner I put the Mahogany fern and trimmed it back a little.
• On top of the mushroom ledge I added some sphagnum moss and the NEHERP moss all along the back edge and sideI
• I also placed a couple of tillandsia in the corners and crevices on the ledge. I did not attach them in case I want to move them.
• I also placed the NEHERP moss in the cork tube and places that had crevices on the cork tube and branch.
• I put some tillandsia on the cork branch too
• The Sansevieria is up front since the ledge prevented me placing any height in the back. I did trim the tops at an angle.
• The itty bitty fern is nicely tucked at the front near the bottom of the cork branch.
Lighting is the Jungle LED from NEHERP with the Zoo Med Hood.
Watered it all until the level was no higher than about ¼ inch or first row of hydroballs.
I feel really good about how it all came out. Took me several placements before settling on this.
Now the hard part…waiting for 4 weeks for it to cycle so I can put Petrie in his new home sweet home!!!!