Foam?

[Dwhiteman11]

What type of foam could I use to spray into a terrarium for landscaping?

[eufa1313]

I've read somewhere that Great suff works well, but I also heard its a pain in the @$$ to deal with...
I'm thinking about compleatly re-doing my entire tank to add in a BG, its so plain..
I'm sure others will wave better ideas on what to use..

[bshmerlie]

I used great stuff for my back ground in my latest enclosure and I didn't think it was that difficult to work with. Just take your time, use gloves, do it in thin layers and build it up over several days so it has time to dry. It is very easy to carve with a knife or a razor blade into anything you want. You can embed rocks or sticks into it. Again just take your time and if you don't like what you've done its not hard to trim it down and start over. Then smear silicone over it and pack on coco fibre or some other substate that you like the look of. Then use a small vaccum and suck off the excess.

[Dwhiteman11]

Thanks for the feedback. Where can I get great stuff at?

[bshmerlie]

Any home improvement store...even Walmart carries it. I did the background of a medium exoterra with 2 cans.

[John]

Expanding polyurethane foam. Don't get the fire blocking kind. Great stuff have several types - the window and door stuff expands the least. There are also pond versions - Tetra has one that is black (nice) and you can get this at some hardware shops.

[eufa1313]

Great idea, i might just have to try this.. heres a few listed online
Waterfall Foam Sealant

[Dwhiteman11]

Thank you for looking it up. You have been really helpful.

[CrazyAirborne]

Great Stuff is sticky! gloves are a must! also, for me at least, whenever I have some GS left over in a can, by the time i come back to it, there never enuf pressure to use the rest of the can, so its better to use it up quickly rather then letting it sit a week and then coming back to it, ive wasted at least 2 cans having them lose pressure. its frustrating!

[eufa1313]

Yeah, id have to wear gloves, I do tattoos so, fortunantly I have surplus of them lol

What is the best frame to use?
I have metal mesh I can bend & cut into pretty much any direction, will that work?

[CrazyAirborne]

well if youre talking about a background, I never used any sort of frame, most people just spray the GS right onto the glass, and it bonds real well. Be careful using any sort of metal that could get too moist and rust. If you need landscaping tiers or whatever, under the foam, most people go the egg crate route, the same stuff u make the false bottom out of. you can make all sort of shapes and supports with that stuff.

[eufa1313]

Alrighty then lol

I plan on doing this, but I plan on incorperating a small but very functional water feature.. that would be sweet!
I'm not really 100% on how I'm doing that, but determination & a few tips from y'all would go nicely.
=)

[Dwhiteman11]

Zoo Med has a waterfall kit to make a waterfall out of a background. Exo Terra has a reptile waterfall that's probably gonna be the easiest thing to set up. The Exo Terra also filters the water. I've got the Exo Terra in a 20 gallon tank for my firebellys.

[Tropicok]

At this time I have stopped using any kind of foam or cork background. I just plant taller tropicals in the back and smaller plants or substrate-covering moss on the bottom. I place a really nice piece of wood and the larger river pebbles on the substrate and I'm done. It's just easier for me.

[eufa1313]

So, out of the 2, exo terra/zoomed, which one works the best??
I was kinda of wanting to make my own with GS. but idk how I'm going to incorperate the filter/pump I have into it so i can remove it and clean it out,
I have this, from my old aquarium setup
Penn Plax 300 Cascade Internal Filters: Compare Prices, View Price History and Read Reviews at NexTag

Its small enough to stash it somewhere, & it has the dual filtration/ carbon & chemical (sponge)

[bshmerlie]

I would just use the filter/pump you have as long as it is strong enough to pump the water to the top of the water fall. I use an external canister filter with a GS background and the return water comes back in at the top of my waterfall. I did not embed anything to do with the filter in the GS, not even the tubes as some people do, just incase I wanted to change something later. If you don't want to see tubes or anything you can hide them behind plants or cover them with silicone and then dirt or moss and make them look like a vine. Just some suggestions.

[eufa1313]

Wow, yer a genious, I had a thought,
Take the tube, put on latex gloves
Take eco-earth (ground co-co fiber) lay it out on a flat surface, put aqaurium sealant (silicone) in your hand, run the tubbing through that hand, getting the silicone over the part of the tubbing that needs coverd, roll the tubing in the co-co fiber, hang it to let dry
Boom! Instant vines

Great idea man!

[bshmerlie]

Then if you really want to dress up the tube after the coating process dries take a very skinny vine and wrap it around the tube and it will look just like any other vine. Glue on little pieces of sheet moss to add color and there you have it. Instant camo.