I Need to TEAR DOWN the Junglearium! 

RIP Junglearium. Junglearium 2.0 will be insane!!!

A phrase I use all the time is "The first one is always the worst one." The more jungleariums you make, the better they will become. Looking forward to the new one. I will miss this one. It was so beautiful.

As a construction worker i' d recommend you to make a sealed environment for your next jungle. It s just an exemple but you could build a Plexiglas enclosure and then build in it with construction material which are cheaper. There is no drywall, paint or water resistant concrete that will last forever when constantly exposed to humidity or other atmospheric agents. In case you d like to brain storm a solution feel free to write back, i ll be glad to help. Ps: in case you 'd like to save space for the hallway you could plan to cut diagonally the side of the new Junglearium. I hope i made myself easy to understand 😂 my english is rusty.

I hope you turn the current junglearium area into a desertarium, with appropriate cacti, succulents, horned lizards, collared lizards, a tortoise or two and your bearded dragon could move into there. Maybe even a couple quail?? Can't wait to see your new junglearium.... hope you use glass or plexiglass walls and ceiling, seems the safest way to make water tight. (you may be able to get cheap glass panels out of reclaimed sliding glass door and windows if you have a company that deals in those things). The ceiling would likely have to be plexiglas for the weight factor.

Hey Petko, if you want some help/info on how to waterproof a big enclosure, feel free to contact me! I have built a room sized enclosure with a 1000L pond, so I might be able to help with what materials to use for that. Sad to hear your current junglearium has to be redone, it looked great! Good luck with the new build!

The frogs should have their own territory, look to feed in multiple spots more often. Also pinhead crickets are great addition. Add a sliced banana to feed spots and flies will stay close and not leave the area.

I do tile showers for a living. Would be much better to line the walls with a waterproof membrane like Schluder. It's not that hard to apply, then use a roll on waterproofing over that. Do it right, and you only need to worry about drain leaking.

Petco. Get professional help with the next one. It’s different levels to doing hydro insulation. You are not certified to be doing hydro insulating.

5:40 as owner of 2 aquariums (240 and 450 lt),, and father of 2 children (7yo and 1yo) i really understand your feeling and how frustrating is to never have time to take care of your "pets" as you would like. But still "you are gretefull for that time with your kids". Keep up the good work, greetings from Italy

The new Junglearium will be where Felix's old enlcosure used to be right? Maybe when you build the new one, you can incorparate a nice memorial feature (a small monument, or a specific unique plant) in the place we used to enjoy watching Felix :)

Konnichiwa Petko-san 🕷️🇯🇵 “I have been a spider enthusiast for 63 years now. I used to have a warehouse full of my personal collection of tanks totaling more arachnids than I could count with a staff and full time live food culturing facikity in Tokyo.” Mr. Kentaro-san, a 92 year-old Japanese man says: “I am getting old now and you are one of the final RU-vidrs I will watch before old age gets to me and I pass on from this mortal world to the afterlife. I hope this comment is never forgotten even when I am gone, when only my history remains and my flesh has gone back into the dust it was created out of. Thank you for all the good memories you have provided to my family watching your content over the years” Kiki - Translator and typist for Kentaro-san (92 year old Japanese man) (he is to old to type and doesn’t speak good English) I and other translators translate the content of each video to Mr. Kentaro-san on a regular basis. He pays us well and we have a stunning view overlooking Odaiba and Rainbow Bridge at our workspace (Mr Kentaro-sans home in the Tokyo Bay Waterfront District)

Hi, we might be able to help. we built systems normally for commercial agriculture projects but also for display aquariums. We could build you a completely sealed polypropylene chamber .

Sucks Petko. Hope you can repair it and make a better version in the future. To be honest, I hate this hydro isolation system. A company I worked for built fountain water features and put this stuff around the inside. They were always leaking. When I worked for another company, we did all our water features with EPDM rubber liner, and it was always better. Re; Co-hab of frogs - this is why you shouldn't mix dart frog species 101. I hope people will take this as a lesson in the future. Its not the first situation I read about P. Vittatus being aggressive feeders.

Aww you're a stay at home dad? That's awesome!! Great job.

Oof sorry to hear about the junglearium but you’re doing the right thing. Mold is no joke; your health, your family’s, and your pets. Good looking out for them all! I’m stoked to watch the new build and see what you create.

I seriously doubt letting those water leaks and mould buildup stay there for a few months is a good idea, should tear it down

How is this possible? Asking some jackass making minimum wage at a hardware store instead of following tried and tested, highly successful and well documented methods, is completely baffling to me. My dad built me a 250 gallon plywood tank in my bedroom, 25 years ago, and its still fine.

This better be clickbait 😢 Edit: I was wrong 😭 (5 secs into the vid)

Cover everything in fibreglass guaranteed waterproof, no more leaks and probably way cheaper then what you been using.

Talk to antscanada he can give you some advice

I was really rooting for you but yeah waterproofing is pain, one thing I would suggest don't have any drywall wood or any of those cheap construction materials usea brick and mortar for the structure, then cover it with tile like in a bathroom and on top of that some kind of epoxy paint like the ones that use two components used to repair cast iron bathtubs, also control where water will pool, slope it to a drainage point that is accessible from the bottom so if you do have a problem it will be there. What really worries me is the plant roots I have no idea how aggressive they can be, you should really look into it. Also a word of advice unless it's some kind of synthetic epoxy or plastic any kind of concrete mix, grout, even tile through the seams will eventually let water pass through, I don't care how impermeable it says it's on the box do not trust it, it's funny because one would think swimming pools are waterproof but they are actually very water resistant and will eventually need to be maintained. Plastic and fiberglass are the only ones I know that are truly waterproof but they have their own problems.

Would love the idea of turning a whole room into a junglearium ( i want to do something similar with a greenhouse.) but not to house something big like crocodile, but rather a ton of small things.

Have you considered some sort of tree monitor instead of a caiman? Wouldn’t need as much room or maintenance as a caiman and can still be quite beautiful and entertaining.

RIP Junglarium. At least it’s not a total loss. You learned where your mistakes occurred and know (for the most part) how to fix it. I just hope you can salvage it and no more animals become casualties. I’d make a small scale to map out what you can do and see if you can get it to work. Especially if you’re doing something you never done before. I’d talk to AntsCanada for some ideas and suggestion to make it even better than before. Because so far, he has a successful vivarium that’s massive. 2 heads are better than 1. Also, people in the comments that actually know what they’re doing. Me? I can barely put a box together.

Also fighting a mold outbreak in my property right now... Afaik if the mold is visible like this on the wall it is not too late nor bad, because the mold really is mostly on the surface. But you should not give it much more time to grow into the wall, because you wont get it out there anymore. You can just cover it with special paint and hope it kinda will die on its own if cut off from moisture.

Hello Petko, sad for the junglearium :/ You should contact AntsCanada, I'm following his serie on a similar junglearium, even a bit larger I think !

I am not trying to be mean & say I told you so. But I did try to tell you Particle Board can not handle Water at all. If you want to rebuild it use Concrete, Tile & Grout. Put in a Drain you can Open & Close easily somewhere on the Bottom Side to make Cleaning & Maintaining it easier. Some Ventilation would also help. Also Seal the Concrete & Tile before use. A Hepa Filter in the Dark Den would help keep Mold down as well. Good Luck in the Future.

You can get idea from Pantdora by Ants Canada so your jungelarium can sustain.

The other sides of the drywall are likely even more moldy… You might have started a black mold colony. Better consider that before you put more humidity in there.

I admire your optimism, especially with how hard you worked on getting the first junglearium built and all the animals and plants thriving. I was worried that the video would be sad when I saw the title, and while it isn't a great outcome, it is good to know that you were preparing yourself for it to happen, and it isn't all of a sudden going to fall apart. I can't wait to see you build the new junglearium :)

Hate to see 1.0 be torn down, but 2.0 will be better! 🔥

So happy you changed your mind about the caiman. I wouldn't enjoy seeing such a cool creature kept in a basement :( Good luck with the second try of the junglearium though :)

Unfortunate, hope that the other side of the drywall does not have bigger mold that we cannot see.. you should check it out..

Aww... RIP! But it's for the best if you're having so much issues with it! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NEW ONE! :D

Ask Ants Canada for some help I have seen he has made some Jungleariums.

you could put some acrilic panels or other material against the wall and ceiling, seal them with some good silicone or other method

With a project of this size, I would see if a plastic company that makes hard pond liners can make you a custom plastic liner that will contain water, they might even be able to make a custom shell top that snaps in, has holes to add fans/vents. Im sure it would be expensive but a project of this magnitude, it my be worth it. Water is very difficult to contain, especially when its in the air.

I'm from Spain, sorry Croatia for the euro

It's unfortunate that you have to re-do the whole Junglearium :( but better do it early and prevent larger damages to the house, I'm sure the new version will flourish even more!

OH man....Petko....I hate to say it but....I work in construction and i totally called that this would happen. your in the basement, and you literally encased a jungle inside a brick box....the mold, the leaks, and even the roots from the plants digging into the walls were all just a bad combination. you need to make it out of glass, you need a proper big sump underneath and you need like an actual ventilation fan that blows the air outside your house....:S

ohhh Petko this is sad news but a suggestion for you 'Ants Canada' has made some beautiful terrariums inside his home he actually just finished his 2nd one on the 2nd floor and connected it to the one on his first floor incredible maybe check it out. Sad and sorry to see the junglearium go I know how invested you are into it as are we....

at least you've still got your hair, oh wait...

Black mold is dangerous especially to have a child crawling on the floor upstirs so you're doing the right thing

I am not sure if someone already posted this, but since you started the build, my concerns for the animals was feeding. You need much more "prey density" for such a volume. In real jungle, on such a volume, there would be much more small insects that predators can feed on. That is why we don't put spiders in huge enclosures. If you put spider into 1m x 1m enclosure and then feed it one roach how would that go? Those might not meet for long time potentially and then the animal is starving. In my opinion, the enclosure of this size needs a lot of fruit flies, crickets or roaches etc. Much more than you put in. Of course, that is rather hard to contain inside then. Geckos are up and have better oversight. Also fruit flies tend to climb up. Frogs on the bottom have less time to grab them.

at least you've still got your hair ...almost.

Yeah leakage and mold are something thats hard to avoid with a project like this... You never stop learning and eventually youll get it right 🙌

For the floor and tiers of the new setup, don't make it level. Plan where your water feature will be and make a gentle slope towards it [with a stop rail if you need it to prevent substrate slide, with a drainage layer. If you plan on 0.5m/1.5' rises in your terraces for instance, make the actual concrete stop 6"/15cm lower and build a "blind enclosure" on top. as others have suggested, use plexiglass or other water resistant material for the front, silicone and seal it with the hydro-insulation as normal, but then lay down a thick visqueen layer, siliconed into place. again the bricks should have a gentle slope both forward and towards the water feature. on top of the visqueen, put a thin drainage layer of balls or gravel, then nylon mesh [like you do enclosures] and fill the rest with your soil substrate. this way even the terraces have a planter box. if you want to be super-fancy with it and create a nutrient hotspot [where the runoff of one layer fertilizes the one below] you can run a zig-zag pattern. EX: with your current setup, the top step would slope forward and right, running off onto the back-right section of the middle step [ next to or behind the waterfall], washing any excess nutrients there. the 2nd step would slope forward and left draining to behind the tree stump. the base layer can then slope back and right, draining to the base of the waterfall. The visqueen layer, sealed with silicone [even covered in the hydro-insulation near the seams if you are paranoid] plus the drainage balls and mesh should prevent roots from damaging the insulation. Just avoid seams in corners and aim the seams downhill, like tiles on a roof [which is essentially what you are doing with the slopes]. The Substrate layer will still be level, just deeper in a couple places. It will create slightly wetter substrate where the water drains and more nutrient-rich substrate where it is shallow. Like the deltas of a slow moving underground river. Visqueen is a heavy-duty plastic used by painters to collect spills and protect floors and carpets, it comes in 1m/3' or wider rolls. We use it in music production for messy bands to protect the stage. Whenever Insane Clown Possee would play, we would put down a layer of visqueen, a layer of cheap scrap carpet, and more visqueen before we brought in the equipment. At their height, ICP would spray 2 palettes of Diet Faygo Root Beer a show. Each Pallet is 144x 2-liter bottles. That's 576 liters or 152 gallons of Root Beer sprayed everywhere. OUR gear and stage [protected with a 1-2 mil thick condom] was fine. Another thing to consider, if it is feasible would be a way to make the Junglearium self-feeding [similar to Ants Canada's Pantdora project]. Find an insect that the frogs and geckos will eat and put them in first allowing them to get a breeding population. Maybe even the fruit flies in a starter breeding cup that they can climb out when population hits a critical mass. give it a partial cover that the frogs and geckos can't get into, like a wide hole ventilation cover. you could get extra fancy and hide a door [with a rock] on one of the drainage terraces I mentioned for you to add more food for the flies until they are populous enough for you to feed them in the open. Do the geckos and frogs eat isopods and springtails? You could make a starter bucket right now from Junglarium soil samples [with at least a mating pair of each type of isopod you own] to let them breed unmolested. Maybe some form of small cricket could be your feeders.

OH MY!! SO MUCH WORK!!! I LOVE YOUR PLANTS.AND CRITTERS! I live in Ontario.Canada. if I lived closer I'd love to be able to help you build your New Project!!! This Jungletarium is sooo BEAUTIFUL and the Plants are Thriving!❤🌿 Your New one will be BEAUTIFUL TOO! ❤ I Love you and your lil Critters and your Channel! Everything will Work out for You!¡! ❤🌿🐾🕸🕷🕸🐸 🇨🇦

Hi! I've red a lot of posts which aren't showing good solutions. If you want to keep the enclosure sealed permanently, it won't be cheap. You need a "root proof" sealing system, like a sealing system for roofs that will get plants on top for example. Those systems will have a fleece embedded in the liquid sealant. It's for a general fortification and to overcome cracks in the corners. Sooner or later you will always run into problems if you try to cut corners. Forget all the plexiglass bullshit or trying to seal something permanently by using silicone in the corners. Or a hard sealant. It will get cracks. Silicone works in fishtanks because fishtanks don't move. When you build something with a connection to several surfaces or with a construction with wood under the surface (just an example), the different materials will move. It is not unusual that houses "move" too, esp. the rooftop. (Sorry for english, it is not my native language)

Building a new massive tank to transplant the existing plants from the Junglearium seems kind of irresponsible due to the worsening water damage. Who knows how long it's going to take to build it, and if it's even going to be viable the second time? Get the plants out, pot them up and store them in a collapsible greenhouse for ease of care for the time being. You also don't know where else water has leaked out yet, so who knows what kind of work needs to be done after the tank is emptied out. Worst case scenario would be having to do extensive rebuilding of the wall behind the Junglearium, which would be an absolute pain in the ass with that many animals in that basement. I would strongly advise you to rethink the current plan until you have a clear picture of the water damage.

I'm looking forward to the next phase of your journey! So glad that you're taking us along with you!

Coming to this video after that Croatia vs Italy match, seeing Petko in a Croatia shirt 😭

Ah no that’s a shame but I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with next. Also sorry about the euros, that last minute Italy goal was brutal.

i actualy commentet back then already that you had to overhaul it. consider to get a messurement on how deep water got into the walls. you might have to dry the walls out first.

You should use pond shield. I built several huge plywood aquariums with it. It goes on like paint and it super water proof.

Use fiberglass next time. Its what they use when making plywood aquariums.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but pond shield or epoxy (in combination with fiberglass fabric for the corners) will be 100% water proof when correctly used. A lot of youtubers even use it when building wooden aquariums. For example King DIY.

The frogs are approaching probably cause they are starving, look at em almost jumping at you

Awwww no such a same! Loved this! we lost kevin today to!

This is why you shouldn't be cohabbing animals you're not educated enough on especially cohabbing dart frogs

Make the junglarium great again!! This time bigger 🤘🤘🤘 we must keep the record for largest on YT! 🤘💪

My new big paludarium will be covered in pvc like they use on green roofs or swimming pools. Big projects like the junglearium are always difficult, because we have not much to compare to. Everytime you make a new version you will do it better. I'm already looking forward for the next build!

Great video Marko! It is horrible to work with, but fiberglass (cloth and resin) if done correctly, will eliminate all your leak issues and past for ever...

i would probably look into some design software(examples Include Fusion 360, or free cad, or Libre Cad)

Sad news. I supported this project because I also want to do something similar myself. maybe I'll start with something smaller by redoing my wardrobe.

Some ppl say I stick up for you because I worship you or something lmao, I'm 49 years old and have been doing reptiles and inverts and fish over 30 years. We are all just humans, we have disagreements and also great times and learn from eachother no matter our levels. I stick up for you because your a cool cat who's honest and real. Very sorry this happened, plenty of crappy moves in my days too. but you learn and move on, most important is the animals safety, so be good, love the animals and good luck on next build.

OH NO! i havn't even watched yet, i just read the title and am like oh what???!!!???!!. I hated that you are not getting the views for this even though the volume was bigger than AntsCanada latest build. You deserve so much more views for being the first to have the biggest but i guess that is just the nature of RU-vid unfortunately man. Oh no mould is not a good sign so yeah before it continues to spread i think you are making the correct choice before it gets worse and if it becomes black mould that is dangerous! I can't wait until you redo it all and see what you make with all the new knowledge you have, i think it will be even more fantastic than before. Shame it had to happen this way but yeah once your daughter is at day care you would be needing things to do so a cool new project will be fun i am sure both for us to follow and for you to make like i say with your new knowledge, good luck with it all 🙏

@The_Dark_Den My man put some smaller insects to that junglenarium 2.0 if you create bioactive enclosure with proper species of isopods and springtails. Your enclosure will not only be cleander and less moldy, yound of those insects are perfect size for your frogs.

I would still separate the frogs, at least until they regain their strength. The new junglearium sounds AWESOME!

RIP Junglearium. RIP Croatia. Not the greatest start to the week my man :( Hope it all works out with the new Junglearium though

Well, faaaak. I'm sorry, Petko. It was a beautiful set up, but I very much admire your willingness to start over! The first one was practice!

That's annoying, but I'm sure you can do it! Also, "morning" and "mourning" are pronounced exacting the same. Morning with no U is the time of day, mourning with the U means grieving, like mourning someone who died. Apparently they're called mourning geckos because they're mourning the loss of the males. Somehow I doubt they are ;D

There are a ton of folks on youtube that build these kinds of enclosures with great results. Personally i'd reach out to AntsCanada he's soo knowledgable and recently has built a second huge enclosure. Either way I think he could be a good resource for you. GL though brother, Ive wanted to build something similar, I just don't have the space atm. Dont give up though its worth the hard work.

Epoxi, computer fans, drainage layer you can inspect. What is the plans for the place you have there now? A big communal🎉

Arrgh, mold is a #itch ! Getting rid of that stuff is super hard. Since you started that project, I was afraid this kind of issue would arise, especially in a basement. Ever watched AntsCanada? That guy does crazy things with terrarium.

Safest would be to put glass everywhere, but this would be pretty expensive... You can use liquid rubber to coat the entire inside once you emptied your paludarium. This should easily make it really air proof, gas proof and water proof. Once that is done you can use expansion foam and aquarium glue and throw a lot of cocopeat on it. Then U can put plants anywhere you want and make them flourish. Heating doesnt need to be crazy expensive, but the trade off for that is a lot of time. I heared my 550L aquarium with a 18W heater inside of my external pump. This would take my roughly 7-10 days to raise the entire water 1C° during winter and half thet time during summer... Either that or a small solar panel outside with a large insulated water tower or something like that. Goodluck!

Think of this ‘fail’ as a ‘First Attempt at Learning’! In a few years you will look back and be amazed how improved the new one will be!

Think of this ‘fail’ as a ‘First Attempt at Learning’! In a few years you will look back and be amazed how improved the new one will be!

So sorry Petko. The learning curve sucks! You’re a hard worker and a smart guy. You will fix it!❤

My man, I can just imagine how frustrating it is for you to take such a decision but I'm glad you already plan to rebuild it in the future (never give up). And it will be very easy this time, by judging how fast croatians work at 1:58 😅 keep up the good work, Petko, you're the man.

Mini greenhouse for your plants.you can reuse your rocks.youve already got your creatures.its best to dismantel as the mold is bad.2.0 will be better.

Good Luck on the New Junglearium build, If anyone is up for the task it would be you. Can't wait for the start, and to follow along.

I'm sorry u have them problems, but you should know that that mold is REALLY BAD FOR YOUR LUNGS, u need to get that out of there as soon as possible, if you don't you might end up with asthma, and your daughter as well and wife, but she's gone much more of the time, so please, get that mold out of there before September for your daughter's health, and yourself. The flies u can put in the refrigerator for a few minutes to get cold, then they won't fly away when u feel the frogs and lizards, I really enjoy your videos, please stay safe

What about using tjhe sammem stuff they use for in-ground pools or in door pools???🤔🤔🤗

Sucks man lot of hard work lost man but like dude said the next one will be better and u don't need a caiman bro let antscanada do that shit lol would be cool but not that cool canada got a pool outside for when it gets bigger and he lives in a hot area so it can live outside once it gets bigger bro good luck with the new adventure homie

Would you consider selling your new glass terrariums disembled? Like a DIY kit. I live in Sweden and if I were to order a glass terrarium, I dont think there would be much left of it when it arrives, lol 😆 Or maybe you only sell glass terrariums in a physical store/reptile shows?

Petko, i find it easier to use coffee filters (undyed, dual layer, about 4-5 sets stuffed in downward in the jar) as the medium for the fruit flies to breed instead of that wire like straw stuff. It's much easier to manage than the straw mess.

A big big glass enclouser, like the same size would be great. And maybe dont make this Problems..

a week of bad news .... first kevin the king cobra died and now the junglearium is molding petkos house away :o

There's a positive here! You can dig around and find the isopods 😅 I have been wondering how they have been doing! It's been a while since you saw the trilobyte beetles? Maybe you get lucky and discover them? 😮

I will look forward to your new Junglearium build. There is a special paint which is used to coat sand and cement rendered ponds. It is waterproof and outstanding. Maybe enquire to a firm that builds Koi ponds. I believe that would be a good way to go. It is a shame that your first attempt has given you these damp problems which in turn, turn into mould which is not good for your health. Thank you for your channel which I enjoy very much.

Where will you host all the inhabitants of the junglearium? Do you think you will be able to give them a proper enclosure while you build the new one? Good luck man!

Been following along for a while can’t wait for more videos. I watch your channel religiously. My goal. One day is to have something like what you have love to see it. We will keep watching from Texas.

as a suggestion, Maybe set up the new jungelarium to be a back drop for your videos/streams (rather than just in the background) .

you should make junglearium 2.0 be that whole room or at least the walls

Better luck with the next junglearium :). Here's an idea: why not keep the hardscape and lighting in the "old" one and make it a desertarium? That would be so awesome

I have enjoyed the Junglearium over the 2 1/2 years but I have no doubt the 2nd one will be just as satisfying to see mature! I seriously miss Felix though, a chameleon would be a beautiful addition! (Unless they eat frogs)

Talk to tanner Serpa of serpadesign to get some technical advice on both, the construction of your new Junglearium and the remedy of your old one. If it was me without expert help, I would, after applying the new hydrophobic coatings, also make acrylic ( or similar plastic enclosure material) panels screw them to the faces of the enclosure, silicon seal all seems and screw spots as if I was building a fish tank. I enjoy your podcast and am very sorry your junglearium has ran into trouble. Good luck brother 🙏 💪

Hey at least you've got another project for content. and it doesn't involve a freaking crocodile...they need a much bigger enclosure than your basement can offer anyway. But can't you just break down and rebuild it in it's current spot? starting from scratch seems like a bit of a waste. (of space if anything)

Kinda bummed it's getting dismantled so soon!! Only 6 months! As you said, there's no option and the next one will be better! It's been a great journey none the less. Onto the next chapter!!