Codas Upgrade!

[The Wild One]

We’ve been researching, planning, diagraming you name it, for this project. After some help from all of you awesome people, I have finally have been able to start the long journey to building a bioactive enclosure for Coda. So first all are the dimensions, It will be 40 inches long, 27 inches in width, and 83 inches in height. As for plants we have:
1)Raindrop Plant
2)Baby’s Tears
3)Fluffy Ruffles Boston Fern
4)Madagascar Jasmine
5)Monstera
6)Polka Dot Plant
7)Bromeliads
8)Wandering Jew
9)Sphagnum Moss
10)Golden Pothos
11)Yellow Dandelions
12)Money Tree
13)Schefflera
14)Spanish Moss
For the wood we wanted a rustic, country-ish theme to go with my room so well be using this for the frame and substrate bin:

For the backboard we’re going to use this thick of ply wood so it doesn’t end up warping.

We went window shopping for plants yesterday and wrote down all the prices to compare them. The coco fiber and activated charcoal came in today and the isopods and springtails are coming in later this week. Well be doing the build in parts over weekends and such but most of it will be over spring break. If you have any questions let me know because I know I’ll have some popping up throughout the time frame .

 

[janjan20]

One step closer! Can’t wait to see how it turns out

 

[Thehippie]

good luckkkkk!!!!

 

[The Wild One]

Here’s some of the branches we’ll be mounting along with some grape wood-

 

[cyberlocc]

Hope you don't plan on moving this thing .

It shouldn't warp if sealed well, 1/2" ply wood be fine.

 

[Decadancin]

Hope you don't plan on moving this thing .

It shouldn't warp if sealed well, 1/2" ply wood be fine.

I was thinking the same thing. Even 1/2 inch will have some weight to it.

 

[Decadancin]

Can’t wait to watch the progress! Have fun with it!!!

 

[Kino03]

Excited to see this all said and done

 

[The Wild One]

So the Dwarf purple isos and tempreate springs came in and are in there starter enclosure if I have some pupated supers, can I put one in there as well? Or would that be to much. They are in an old cricket keeper.

 

[The Wild One]

One week countdown!! Spring break is coming in a week so the final preparations are going on. I might add more hanging plants (not decided ATM) . Quick question, how do y’all get the isos and springs from their “starting setup” to the actual enclosure? I don’t want to accidentally kill 90% of them in the process.

 

[cyberlocc]

One week countdown!! Spring break is coming in a week so the final preparations are going on. I might add more hanging plants (not decided ATM) . Quick question, how do y’all get the isos and springs from their “starting setup” to the actual enclosure? I don’t want to accidentally kill 90% of them in the process.

Dump em? Just dump like half the dirt, and replace some non seeded dirt.

 

[The Wild One]

Any other plant suggestions?

 

[cyberlocc]

Any other plant suggestions?

Arcea Palm

If you want a quick to grow, fast to cover Vine.

Passiflora edulis, IE Passion Fruit Vine. Mine has grown almost 30 feet long in under a year (it was 9 inches when I got it), in the Viv. Makes Pothos look like a slow grower. This thing is a dang weed. The branches of mine, are starting to get quite thick (almost 1/2 in at the base). Very good vining plant.


The flowers it puts out (if you can get it to flower) are quite pretty as well.

 

[The Wild One]

What about plant lighting? I went through Decas thread and it’s kind of hard to decipher all the k’s and everything. What do y’all recommend for the cage? I need something that will reach the bottom.

 

[The Wild One]

I know I’m posting a lot lol but I just got the chance to go window shopping for some plants and cake up with these can y’all tell me if there safe? (The names are on the Tags)

 

[cyberlocc]

What about plant lighting? I went through Decas thread and it’s kind of hard to decipher all the k’s and everything. What do y’all recommend for the cage? I need something that will reach the bottom.

Want DIY? Or Prebuilt?

To reach the bottom at all well, I really can't think of anything better than a Cob + Reflectors. The HLG boards Dec is using are great at alot of things, traveling that deeply isn't one of them.

Depends where the plants will be, and what plants. However at the very least, for a start I would do 4x Jungle Dawn spots (or equivalent) I am not sure if that will even be enough. However that's the form factor we are after.

Cobs and Pins, with 80s or less would be better if you don't mind getting your hands dirty. I can show you a kit, that will sell you everything complete (still have to assemble) or we can part it out together.

If we are too part out. We need to make some choices.

Do you want High Lumens per Watt (more light less power)

Or

More natural lighting, (more like the sun, wattage be damned)


Do you want to Dim the lights on and off,

Or

Do you want to flip them on full blast, and off the same.

 

[The Wild One]

Want DIY? Or Prebuilt?

DIY, anything that costs less, I know that you get what you pay for but I’m trying to max out my Budget right now and 90% of it is the wood, plants and substrate.

Depends where the plants will be, and what plants. However at the very least, for a start I would do 4x Jungle Dawn spots (or equivalent) I am not sure if that will even be enough. However that's the form factor we are after.

There will be at least the 14 plants I listed above, I might add more so lest say 15-20ish.

Do you want High Lumens per Watt (more light less power)

Or

More natural lighting, (more like the sun, wattage be damned)


Do you want to Dim the lights on and off,

Or

Do you want to flip them on full blast, and off the same.

Natural lighting with dim on and off. I’d love to make it look as close to the real thing as possible. Thanks for answering my million questions. Your an amazing help.

 

[cyberlocc]

DIY, anything that costs less, I know that you get what you pay for but I’m trying to max out my Budget right now and 90% of it is the wood, plants and substrate.



There will be at least the 14 plants I listed above, I might add more so lest say 15-20ish.



Natural lighting with dim on and off. I’d love to make it look as close to the real thing as possible. Thanks for answering my million questions. Your an amazing help.

Give me a budget range, and we will see what we can work out from there. As your budget limited.

 

[The Wild One]

I’d say anything around or under 50$? I know that lighting can get pretty expensive...

 

[cyberlocc]

I’d say anything around or under 50$? I know that lighting can get pretty expensive...

Halogen Floods, or those LED bulbs at Walmart the "halogen flood replacements" Highest wattage you can find that are LED, get the ones with build in reflectors and those cheap ceramic light fixtures. Maybe mix of both.

Not sure how well its going to grow, but thats about the only option for 50 dollars.

Can use it till you have more money to upgrade though.

Id say 3- 4 of the LEDs, and 2 halogen floods, for a basking zone. 5 - 6 lights total, so you will need 5 - 6 of those fixtures, and a board to screw them too.