Hi all,
New here.. I'm building a new enclosure for my Caiman. Its 16ft. wide by 6ft. deep by 4ft. tall. The enclosure is made from cider blocks as a frame to build on. If you can picture a box the size of the dimensions I mentioned above only with a 10 ft. wall running the entire width of the back portion of the box.
So if you look at the side it looks like this |
4ft. high Front -> |_| <- 10 ft. tall wall
^
6 ft. deep (depth)
Also if your looking to the front side of the tank there is another 10ft. wall on the left side. If you can picture that.
I was hoping some people here could offer opinions and pictures of there set ups and how you think I should go about doing mine.
So far I have this disigned to work like a pool.. ( w/o chems though).
A pool skimmer is used and skim the top and a pool jet on one side to circulate the water toward it. There is a bottom drain/sucker for filtration and to not allow the water to sit stagnate.
Pumps will be housed within the enclosure with a small door to switch things around. Valves for filtration or to drain the pond for cleaning.
Would like one light to light the pool at night till about 11pm. And two to shine up at the 2 water falls coming off the 10 ft. wall (one on eathier side).
Few questions, 1.) was to see everyones set-ups for their croc's and opinions on what to have/use.
2.) What type of heating should I use?
This is a lot of water and it gets very cold here in MD. Sometimes down to -5 degrees. I relize that that is COLD!!! But just ideas on how to keep the water warm 78-85*?
3.) Air circulation and heating during winter?
4.) I want it to be made out of a concrete like material. (Gunite is the only thing I can think of that is used for this type of application but is there anything else?) Because this stuff is $$$!...
5.) Filtration? What do you reccomend. Also I would like to incorperate a very large UV filter... to not have all that alge junk in there.
O any for got to tell everyone. My caiman is about 5 ft. long now and pretty damn heavy at that.
Shes great but to all the people trying to buy them... It is a lot harder then you think. And a hell of a lot more $$$ then you'd think. I have had mine since I was in 8th grade (what the hell was my mom thinking!). Now at 3rd year in college. And although they are cute when there 10in. long. THEY GROW FAST and get very snappy and borderline mean. Mines sent a few friends to the hospital... Dumb guys at partys getting into the tank when I was'nt there. And they paid the price. But then again I had trianed my to reconize colors (or so I think) diff. color gloves mean diff. things. Cleaning, feeding, handeling etc. And as of now she eats off a fork
But I would like to complete this tank so I can put some big fish in there for her.
Alex