Building a cool vivarium - advice please

Thanks guys!

Yes, those EpiWeb panels were pretty large... set me back about $140 a piece...! I got 4 huge panels of 200x100cm large each (the largest ones they offer). I then cut those down to two side panels of 60x154 cm and then one panel at 100x154 cm and one at 69x154 cm for the back wall. The remnants of these larger panels I plan to cut into much smaller pieces and mount the orchids on those. That way I can take them out to photograph, divide etc. I was debating weather to mount directly on the walls, but decided against it...

 

I really like the EpiWeb, especially when the tropical moss grows really nice and thick. Then I figure the mounts will blend in just fine since they will be moss covered too eventually. I actually haven't quite solved that part of how to attach them yet... I need to go to the hardware for some other stuff and I was thinking of looking for a stainless wire of some sort perhaps (to make sticks out of), or maybe just get some long thin stainless steel nails or something... Easiest would be to just stick some sort of projectile in at an angle, and through both layers. The material is quite tough so it has to be thin or sharp but strong.

I also want to find some nice tags so I can label the plants in there without ugly white plastic sticks or straps... some nice copper "keyrings" or something that I can just stamp a number on that corresponds to my log... or something... I have to do some searching.

 

Thanks a lot! Very nice to hear!

Pook, those copper tags would be really nice, thanks for the link. After a quick look I cannot find any Swedish websites that has them, but this one from the UK will at least ship here... I only wish they were a little smaller, perhaps half as big. I wonder if I can't just buy a precut roll of copper banding, or a sheet of copper from some metalworker and cut my own strips and punch holes? Hmmm... I have to look into that too.

PS! Alexis, copper mounts in the shadehouse sound very nice!

 

Good idea Harry, thanks!! I will ask around.

 

Alright… time for a progress report on the vivarium project. I installed a floor from modular plastic flooring tiles, raising pots off the ground and allowing for better drainage once the drain is installed. I also installed the cool air intake, i.e. a fairly simple bathroom fan (reasonably quiet at 33 dB) in the old outside vent (a square hole in the wall) and ran some plastic flex tubing over to the viv. In order to have something to mount the lights to, and to hide some of the equipment, dear husband helped me build a simple light weight wood frame for the top. Some rubber weatherstripping around the top frame help to hold the new top glass in place, but also to creates a weather seal. In preparation for the rain system installation and ventilation fans we put in two L shaped aluminum bars running the whole length of the front of the viv. One at the very top and one below the sliding doors. I got some black long nails that are easy to attach and pull back out again, and you can barely see them once pushed in. I also played around a bit placing the EpiWeb branches. I will probably move them around a few more times before settling on the look, but it's a start.

So, lights, ventilation, fog and rain system next..... You can see a lot more photos from the build on my blog.

 

Next installment.... four Dulux 80W lights installed, vivaria rain system, fans and a drain!! More info and photos on my blog. This build is very near completion now, very exciting!!