# Step by step Dart frog tank



## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

This how to is how I did my tank and is not meant in any way to be a definitive way to do things research is always the best way to learn how to do something

Materials Used
Great Stuff expanding foam ( I used the red can for windows and doors it has minimal expansion allowing more control of how thick u want it )
eco-earth reptile bedding
ge windows and doors 100% silicone brown for the back ground and black for the front of the tank and the river feature
eggcrate light diffusers
driftwood if desired
rocks if desired
planters for the background if desired ( i used dollar store Tupperware containers very small ones)
latex gloves (trust me dont skip on these you are going to get messy hands thorugh out this

*Step 1*

First things first do a lot of research and find a tank u like the look of or many tanks that u like the look of and imagine that inside the tank of your choice I did a 55 gallon tank and for the look i wanted that was the bare minimum i needed the length to get the river feature I wanted

Once u have a plan in mind the next step is to purchase eggcrate. Eggcrate is simply light diffuser that is used in industrial flourescent fixtures this is readily available at most hardware stores and home depot and rona. the eggcrate's purpose is to serve as a false bottom to allow drainage for plants as well as space for pumps and heaters. In order to raise the eggcrate to your desired water level you must cut some abs/pvc risers to the desired height of the water my choice was 3 inches any higher than 3 inches and i felt that the height of the water would have made the land sit too high in the tank.

If you are going to have a pond area in your tank begin cutting the eggcrate to the desired shape my weapon of choice for cutting eggcrate is simply wire cutters I have used eggcrate for many projects and this seems to be the easiest fastest way for me. There does not seem to be any right or wrong way in laying out the eggcrate and u will find depending on the shape you have chosen u will have many pieces i loosely attached zip ties to hold the pieces together. Once u ahve your shape and are happy with it its time to remove all that eggcrate and risers from the tank.










The purpose of removing everything is to make it all one piece the purpose for this is that when we apply the background in a later step in order to lay the tank on its back the false bottom must be solid or else it will fall apart on you. I drilled 2 holes in each of the risers in order to securely attach them to the bottom of the structure its a bit tricky but was worth it as they all would have fallen otherwise.










Now some may notice that my structure has a large box on the side the purpose for this is that I did not want any sort of pumps or heaters showing in the water section by creating this false wall it easily allows me to hide pumps and gain easy access to them for maintenance purposes without disturbing the tank whatsoever.
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Note:* Prior to moving the structure I used window marker to mark its line and while the structure was out i blacked out the front glass with black silicone so that the underside of the false bottom is not viewable this is optional

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Step 2*

Now its time for screening there are many options to screen this structure I used fiberglass window screen some people use landscape fabric any screen that will hold the dirt from falling through the eggcrate is suitable when cutting the screen to fit your structure leave yourself overlap it is much easier to remove excess than to add it back

At this point we have our structure and now put it back into the tank now at some point during the build process u may have gotten larger holes in the structure or may have parts that stick up a bit no worries it will all be fixed here one of the important things to keep in mind is nature is random if while u build your structure your lines are to clean u may find that it look unnatural later in the process

once the structure is back into the tank lay the tank on its back and lay in the screen now the screen is going to want to keep falling over i used long push pins through the screen to help hold it up which is very important as u don't want it falling into the expanding foam as you work I left a bit of lap onto the back glass as it wont matter anyways the foam shall cover it

Okay boys and girls foaming time theres not much to explain here cover the entire back side with foam leave gaps here and there and don't follow a pattern do it very randomly some straight runs some side to side if u don't want the foam showing thru the sides of the tank i suggest not running the foam near the edge start a good 2 inches away from the side or else when it expands it will stick to both the sides and back ( I have this mistake on the edge i didn't want anything showing on but its not that bad)










If you are doing 2 sides like i did or building in an access box do not I repeat do not try to get the foam to adhere to vertical walls it might stick but as it expands it will fall down and make a mess u are better off doing the flat sections and then flipping the tank so that u can do the other portions

Okay thats enough typing for now further steps shall follow perhaps later tonight perhaps tomorrow but I promise they will come I am one tube of silicone short of finishing mine completely so chances are I will be finishing the tank before i finish this post


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## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

I know a couple of guys asked for this how to but unfortunately completion is going to have to wait I will come back to finish it but a dear friend of mine passed away today at the young age of 30 and my mind cannot wrap around this at all it was all i could do to finish the tank today and that was only because i was on my way back from getting the plants when i got the news.

The tank is completed for now until more funds come in to get the frogs but I am finding some soothing just staring into this tank for now and its something i really need at this time

please check it out and comment
http://piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=149614


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Sorry for your loss. Sometimes it helps to have something calming in our lives to ground us again.


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

thanks for posting, this is pin worthy. again sorry about your friend


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## Blacksheep (Dec 11, 2003)

Nothing - I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. Know we are thinking of you. If you need anything, please to not hesitate to contact one of us!

The tank looks great! I look forward to seeing what it looks like when you are done. Then they will have to clean it up and put it in the DIY section!

Take your time. Keep us posted on how you are doing.


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