40 Gallon Tank Setup

[Ratmosphere]

I mean tape to secure the wood to the acrylic, I don't think you want to drill through the tape.

 

[Tynan918]

I'm sure tape wouldn't hurt, maybe a clamp to secure the acrylic to the wood. Another tip is to use dish soap and put some on the tip of the drill bit, this will help create smooth holes.

Yeah I've been watching a few videos. Some of them had the wood trick and one of them wasn't using wood or anything under the spot he was drilling and it was a very thin sheet of plexiglass... I figure it thinner sheet would be more brittle and prone to cracking and breaking than a thick sheet like mine.

Figured I could just lay it back in the enclosure on the support railing and drill down from there without much pressure and just let the drill do its job. It fit's pretty tight, which is why I have to use the suction cups to take it on and off.

I went with 2" gaps between the drill hole points...

 

[Ratmosphere]

I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. Good luck man!

 

[Tynan918]

Yeah I've been watching a few videos. Some of them had the wood trick and one of them wasn't using wood or anything under the spot he was drilling and it was a very thin sheet of plexiglass... I figure it thinner sheet would be more brittle and prone to cracking and breaking than a thick sheet like mine.View attachment 75983

Figured I could just lay it back in the enclosure on the support railing and drill down from there without much pressure and just let the drill do its job. It fit's pretty tight, which is why I have to use the suction cups to take it on and off.View attachment 75984

I went with 2" gaps between the drill hole points...View attachment 75985

Okay I did the drilling and finished without cracking or breaking the plexiglass...

With the Dremel, it was a piece of cake, cut through like a hot knife on the butter.

I started out a smaller size but I finished up with the biggest drill bit I had in the set which I think is 1/4" or 1.6mm.

Should I go bigger later on ?

 

[Tynan918]

Okay I did the drilling and finished without cracking or breaking the plexiglass...

With the Dremel, it was a piece of cake, cut through like a hot knife on the butter.

I started out a smaller size but I finished up with the biggest drill bit I had in the set which I think is 1/4" or 1.6mm.

Should I go bigger later on ?

Sorry I forgot to upload pics lol

 

[Ratmosphere]

Up to you, but I think you should be good for now. You could always make em bigger/add more in the future. Nice work!

 

[Tynan918]

Up to you, but I think you should be good for now. You could always make em bigger/add more in the future. Nice work!

Also got the substrate mixture all mixed up last night too...

40lbs of topsoil,
3 coconut fiber bricks,
Peat Moss,
Vermiculite, and
Sphagnum Moss all mixed in together.

Thought about adding the second 40lb bag of top soil to the mix, and doubling the peat moss and vermiculite, for a bigger quantity.

I also have non compressed sphagnum moss to dress the enclosure with.

That's a 40 gallon storage bin.

 

[Ratmosphere]

All coming together FAST.

Yo, about the cork bark piece that you posted on AB. I have a tip for ya.

Go to stores like Pet Supplies Plus if you have one near you, they will price match online. Pull up a Google search on your phone for a small one that are usually around $6. If you find a big one in store, they will price match it for the small one online since they do not check sizing. Big ones in store are like $25-30. All they check for is if it's "flat" or "round" to match the item to.

Little hack to save some bread.

 

[Tynan918]

Okay cool, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.

 

[Tynan918]

Also got the substrate mixture all mixed up last night too...

40lbs of topsoil,
3 coconut fiber bricks,
Peat Moss,
Vermiculite, and
Sphagnum Moss all mixed in together.

Thought about adding the second 40lb bag of top soil to the mix, and doubling the peat moss and vermiculite, for a bigger quantity.

I also have non compressed sphagnum moss to dress the enclosure with.
View attachment 75990View attachment 75991

That's a 40 gallon storage bin.

That 40 gallon storage bin is maybe filled up a little more of a quarter of the size it is...

I don't have any more cocoa fiber but can I go ahead and just add the rest of the stuff into the bin to make more of it ?

 

[Ratmosphere]

I don't see why not.

 

[Tynan918]

Also, if this stuff dries out in this storage bin prior to putting it in the enclosure, can't I just add water to it to keep it moist.

It's going to be sitting in the storage bin for about a week or so.

 

[Tynan918]

And with springtails, common size I see to buy is an 8 oz cup.

Don't these things breed and I can use the 8 oz for this 40 gallon enclosure and eventually they will commune and grow in numbers ?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Yes, a good site to get them is https://frogandfrond.com/

You get a really nice deal for what you pay. These guys use clay as the base as opposed to charcoal, and charcoal really isn't enough to start for a tank this big.

 

[Tynan918]

Yes, a good site to get them is https://frogandfrond.com/

You get a really nice deal for what you pay. These guys use clay as the base as opposed to charcoal, and charcoal really isn't enough to start for a tank this big.

Yeah that's what I got was the clay balls, they were supposed to arrive yesterday but never shipped out so it got delayed until tomorrow.

 

[Ratmosphere]

No, that's not what I was referring to.

Springtail cultures usually come in starter cultures with wet charcoal as the base. Sometimes, you only have a few in here. I do not think this would be a good start for your tank.

Springtail cultures from that site I linked use clay as the substrate, and their culture has thousands of springtails. This would be a better fit for you, and the price is very competitive to charcoal cultures.

 

[Tynan918]

No, that's not what I was referring to.

Springtail cultures usually come in starter cultures with wet charcoal as the base. Sometimes, you only have a few in here. I do not think this would be a good start for your tank.

Springtail cultures from that site I linked use clay as the substrate, and their culture has thousands of springtails. This would be a better fit for you, and the price is very competitive to charcoal cultures.

Ah, I see now what you were referring to. I'll give that website a look. Thank you for that information.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Also, if this stuff dries out in this storage bin prior to putting it in the enclosure, can't I just add water to it to keep it moist.

It's going to be sitting in the storage bin for about a week or so.

Yes, you could add water if it dries out. You could also use saran wrap over the bin with a few air holes to help retain moisture.

 

[Tynan918]

Ok the LECA balls came in today. Took the whole 12 lb bag of them to fill the 40 gallon tank 1-2".

I also have the fiberglass mesh screen separating the clay balls from the substrate...

 

[Ratmosphere]

Nice work homie. Step by step!