Chuck's vivariums 'n stuff

[Chuck Lawson]

Rather than start another build thread or two, I figured it was probably time to just start one thread for all my builds from here out.

My current project is a rack build -- I've got the two 18 x 24 Exos on the top shelf built, and a 40G "horiz" conversion on the bottom for a plant grow out. I'm waiting to hear back from a local viv builder on a couple of euro vivs for the middle shelf -- if that doesn't work out, it'll probably end up having either two Exo 18" cubes or one 18" cube and one 18h x 24w Exo, if I can track one down for a reasonable price.

Here are a handful of pics from the build -

Whole Rack

Top Shelf

Top Left

Top Right

Bottom Shelf

[Philsuma]

I'm not seeing the piccys...

[Chuck Lawson]

Sorry - was being lazy and trying to avoid resizing them and uploading them all as attachments. Fixed now.

Full sized pics here for anyone who wants to see them.

[Philsuma]

got em now..thanks. Cool stuff and very good looking tanks, Chuck. Is that a bunch of broms growing right outa the substrate in that bottom 40 gallon ?

[Chuck Lawson]

got em now..thanks. Cool stuff and very good looking tanks, Chuck. Is that a bunch of broms growing right outa the substrate in that bottom 40 gallon ?

Yeah, those are a bunch of NOID Vriesea pups; there wasn't any stolon to them to speak of, so I've just got them stuck right in the substrate. It's a very fast draining substrate (2 parts turface, 1 part ABG), so I'm hoping they'll do okay there and put out enough roots to mount them somewhere.

The Sterlite on the middle shelf is full of Neo "fireball" and some variegated Neo I haven't identified; I just stuck the stolons in some medium orchid bark over a hydroton false bottom, and they seem to be doing okay with that so far. Just keeping them going for the next build.

[Eric Walker]

Love the use of the 40breeder converted. I have two myself I made and keep thinking I need a few more.

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Looking good Chuck. I've gotta agree with everyone else, that 40 breeder is pretty sweet!!.

[Chuck Lawson]

Thanks! It was the right thing at the right time -- I had a spare 40 breeder laying around, I needed a place to grow viv cuttings, and I'm too old and thick in the middle to chase frogs in a tank six inches off the ground, so this seemed like the right solution

It's actually fairly nifty as a horizontal; since it's animal free, I can just leave the doors open a bit for ventilation; otherwise I'd have had to figure out an approach to vent it that didn't involve cutting the doors shorter, which would have made it harder to work in.

[fishguyturnedfrog]

Well, I have a new idea for my 40 gallon I have sitting looks great!

[fieldsmith]

Lookin good Chuck! Can't wait to see how the rack develops.

[RanaVenenosa]

Chuck
Those fireball are as good as Pothos! The handle any light or humidity and grow fairly quick.

[Chuck Lawson]

The fireballs are a treat; I got 29 pups off of three mother plants. When I picked them up, they were as green as could be, but they're already starting to redden up nicely. I think the variegated ones are Neo. "Zoe" (Ghostviv's ID, and it looks correct), and they're starting to redden (or purple, anyway) up also.

On the down side, for some reason, ferns I've got doing well in my other vivs aren't doing well in these yet; not sure what's going on there; may just be bad placement.

Chuck
I think ferns are tough - they seem to do well in some spots w good drainage.

[frogfreak]

They look great, Chuck!

What frogs do you have planned for them?

[Chuck Lawson]

<shakes magic 8 ball> "Reply hazy, try again later" </magic 8 ball>

Just kidding... Strangely enough, it is a little hard to say though -- my interests are pretty much entirely pums and thumbs, and I've got a couple of deals tentatively in place (some waiting on the temperature in TX to come off the boil so frogs can be shipped in without having to be placed in cryogenic suspension, others waiting for froglets to mature enough for a best-guess attempt at sexing), but I hate to count my froglets before they hatch -- at least publicly.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get stuff built, planted and started growing-in, so that when things do come together, I'm as ready to go as possible.

[Dart Frogs Etcetera]

Looking good Chuck! I am Happy that conversion kit worked out for you.

[Chuck Lawson]

Thanks Sam

[Ghostvivs]

Sneak peak ...

[Dart Frogs Etcetera]

Oo oo, I want some!:grin:

Sam Cavoulas

[IDPM]

Assembly line time. Looking good!! What are the dimensions?

[Chuck Lawson]

...and that's what's going on the next three shelves - euro vivs from Ghostvivs (does that make them EuroGhost Vivs?)

Sneak peak ...