My vivarium - Pics inside

[Tindomul]

Nah you guys, what you do is a learned art. I gotta sit down with someone who can build it like you, and do it with them. I planned mine for three years, it doesnt look that good.
Though its true, I dont have a misting system, but I do have a humidifier. Maybe I need to learn more on what kind of plants are out there.

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[waretrop]

I say mine has been running for 12 years but actually I took it apart about 3 months ago and started over. I just decided it was time. I have already had so much overgrowth that I have had to cut back my plants 2 times. They are allot of fun. Barb Yahoo IM waretrop

[Tindomul]

Wow, 12 years huh. I often wonder what it would be like to accelerate time in my tank (make it self sustainable so it would never be lacking in anything) and see what it would look like if I let 100 years go by.
LOL
My oldest viv is only 4 years

[waretrop]

After it was set up for all those years I would have thought it would have be pretty yukky down deep in there but as I disassembled it and took each ayer off it smelled just so good and fresh as outside. The roots were beautiful and full. I was happy with how that went all those years. Barb

[Marty]

Funny you talk about the smell...I was taking out azureus eggs from my tank today and I was too enjoying the smell .... it smelled fresh and organic and in fact, the smell triggered some Amazon memories.... It really smelled like the rainforest, no joke !!!

Originally Posted by waretrop

After it was set up for all those years I would have thought it would have be pretty yukky down deep in there but as I disassembled it and took each ayer off it smelled just so good and fresh as outside. The roots were beautiful and full. I was happy with how that went all those years. Barb

[waretrop]

Marty, I use my nose allot. To me a healthy fish tank or viv or terrarium should smell earthy fresh like just after a rain. If it smells swampy or fowl it's most likely due to lack of aeration in the soil or poor drainage.

Sometimes, I just scoop up a little soil just to make sure things are working well. Barb

[Tindomul]

Thats so cool, good earthy smells huh.
Well when i open my viv i smell humidity, not bad though, more like fresh humidity. I know what it smells like when its stagnant. I wonder what my vivs will look like in 12 years.

Just to show how much i didnt know about this just a few years back, when I first built my ten gallon viv in 2001, i actually put the soil at the bottom, and then topped it off with aquarium gravel. I figured it would be neater that way. I didnt realize how swampy it would turnout after a short while. Fourtunatly i used syngonium as the plant and you know it grows in water as well as it does when properly potted on a window sill.

[waretrop]

Cesar, syngonium, arrow head, I once grew that in water only. I haven't grow that at all for 35 years. Good flow is the key to being balanced.That allows air to flow and we all know air is the basis of life. Otherwise we have lots of anaerobic activity. I know allot of people that put gravel on top of the soil.

What you had when you first started started was, no water or air flow. Not a good thing for a balanced world. You get swamp in those situations. Good for you to realize that. Barb

[Tindomul]

Im glad i realized it too. I am now able to grow all sorts of plants, some which I have been succesful at, and some with which I have not yet been tested. :?

[Frogletier]

Hi Marty,

That is a nice looking vivarium.

Can you post some more picture of it?

Cheers

Xavier