Pics: latest pacific rainforest vivarium

bewilderbeast

bewilderbeast

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
190
Reaction score
10
Points
0
Location
Northern California
Country
United States
New viv... the center of the mossy area is hollow with an entrance to the "burrow" under the upper roots. When the tank is cycled a little more I'll add some more plants and eventually, salamanders.

aprox. dimensions, 14X14X18. Lost a bit vertical space because of the 2 inches the false bottom system takes up.


hope y'all enjoy the pics... you seemed to like my last couple.
 

Attachments

  • vivariumnew.jpg
    vivariumnew.jpg
    249 KB · Views: 32,727
  • vivariumnew2.jpg
    vivariumnew2.jpg
    186.9 KB · Views: 33,820
I love the look of this, how do you get your moss so lush and green? Do you have success with keeping it green? Mine just dies!
 
half of the moss in the tank is your standard vivarium variety... the rest is actually a type of fluffy liverwart, I believe. on top of the layer of gravel at the bottom, I use New Zealand sphagnum because it retains moisture and resists rot in wet environments unlike the "normal" green sphagnum which mildews faster than you can count to 5. I think keeping the moss green has to do with the right amount of light and water. other than that I'd say the moss in the pictures is particuarly green because of the UV light I was using when I shot the photos.
 
Thanks for that, like I said I have had no succes with moss so far, but mine is just brought in from the local woods kind of moss, I can't seem to get the conditions right for it. I think I'll have to look out for some 'bought' moss from viv stockists and stop being such a cheapskate!
 
yes, I got lucky and found large flats of moss "buy one get one free" at a recent herp-expo. so I got more moss than I can use for 9 bucks. The liverwart I collected myself...

if you do buy moss in the plastic tub, make sure that it isn't moldy. some retailers spray their moss while it is stuck in the little plastic tubs and without proper ventilation it starts to mildew... if you can't see mold, use your nose, if it smells dank don't buy it (moss should have a green/earthy smell, not dank or musty). it should be dry when you buy it.

also, I employ a false bottom which means that water is always present to be drawn up into plants, moss, etc.. this allows a constant source of moisture but also provides adequate drainage so that nothing get waterlogged.
 
That looks really great; I sure wish I was that talented.
 
don't get me wrong, this is actually the culmination of two other failed vivarium projects... trial and error and a lot of frustration... mostly you have to keep fiddling with it until you get something that works.
 
Wow, I'm am very jealous of people such as yourself that can construct and landscape such beautiful setups for your animals.
 
bewilderbeast said:
you have to keep fiddling with it until you get something that works.
Click to expand...

Haha, obviously you found one that did just that! I'm working on my own tank right now, mostly aquatic with medium river pebbles in as substrate, with big slate construction. Heck ive even got some granite in their, i hope its granite, or if it is i hope granite is safe..aww shucks either way it looks great, and so does your tank. I picked up some moss of my own because i was strolling through this huge pine tree reserve and got this huge piece of moss that was attached to fallen pine leaves so i didnt even rip it!
 
Looks really good. I haven't had any luck finding any good quality moss at the local pet stores. Most of what I have I've picked up on hikes around the cliffs at Lake Erie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    sera: @Clareclare, +2
    Back
    Top