36x24x48 Protean Construction

[ndame88]

While the enclosure is being constructed, I decided to start the background, the design idea is from Josh's 29 gal build. Used a "hot knife" to cut the styro, much easier then using a utility knife, the wood is just a form to make sure I am staying within the dimensions of the enclosure. The large PVC is for the intake for the filter, the smaller PVC is for the return which will become the waterfall. Very time consuming to cut each piece, if it turns out like Joshs, I think it will be worth it. Spent 5 hours today on it, still need to cut the remaining pieces, then glue them together.

This is going to be a long slow build, I have no plans to add plants and frogs until August when our house is done being constructed.

[J Teezy]

before you go any further, are you going to be able to get it inside the enclosure. Since my tank is an aquarium and the background had to enter through the top i couldn't make the background cover the whole back of the tank, i had to make it a little shorter because i had to put the background in at an angle because of the lip on the top of the tank

[ndame88]

Josh,
If my measurements are correct yes, the background will be 36 inches, which leave 11 1/2 inches for the false bottom, the door is 36 inches, may have to tilt it a little, more concerned about staying within the dimensions side to side. If this does not work out, I plan to use the same design idea, but use GS and just carve it all with the hot knife, that thing works great for shaping and cutting without making a big mess.

[J Teezy]

yes thats what i'm referring to is the side to side. Since you made the background to not only cover the back but to wrap around to the sides, i'm worried it's not going to fit how you want since you don't have the tank there with you to test fit. The one thing i recommend when building a background outside of a tank is to have the tank on hand to make sure the background is going to fit / that you can get it into the tank. With having sides to your background like that you will almost have to be able to put it straight in, to put it in at an angle you would have to have the background a little shorter because the sides of the background make it an akward structure I may not be making sense here to you but you'll understand what I mean when you have the tank there and go to test fit the background. If you don't have the tank available to you at the moment i would suggest that you DO NOT start the covering of the background with grout or w/e you plan to use until you test fit it in the tank. And remember if you are using grout, that your background is going to grow a bit, so if you background fits snug without grout on it, then it won't fit once you grout it, paint it, seal it, etc. I hate to say it but i think you are really going to have an issue fitting a background with sides on it into the tank if you don't actually have the tank there with you while you are constructing the background

I had originally planned to make my background like yours with sides as well but there was really no way to make it outside of the tank with sides on it and then get it back inside the tank with the plastic lip on the top of the tank. Only way i could have done it was to make the background in two pieces or i could have removed the top plastic framing. I just decided on doing the one side and making the background about an inch shorter in length so that i could get it into the tank

[ndame88]

Thanks Josh for the help, I took your advice and stopped until I get the enclosure.

[ndame88]

Jason from Protean made a special trip out of his way to deliver my enclosure, great guy, great service. Next is to see if the background will fit I didnt have time tonight, I think Josh was right, the black edging for the sliding doors will make me come up about a 1/4 inch short of being able to fit it in. May have to scratch my original design and up with a new idea, what that is, I am not sure, maybe cut the sides off and piece it together.

[J Teezy]

take a belt sander and sand down the sides some on each side to see if you can make it fit or you can just cut off one side

I'm really liking these tanks. THinking about purchasing one. Couple questions, do the doors slide all the way open or just over to a side? Basically what i'm asking is if you can open the front all the way up like an exo terra tank, because I too would be making a background and trying to determine how easy it is to get through the front. Also, is there any ventilation at the top of the tank or is the lid completely glass? Also, what is used for the eurovent? mesh, metal, etc? and is it FF proof?

[ndame88]

Finished cutting all the foam, GS on the net cups

Here is a pic of my 9 year old helping me put on the mortar

About a 1/3 of the first coat of mortar on, what a pain, made the mix pretty watery still hard to get it in all of the cracks. Ended up cutting it in 2 pieces so that it will fit in the enclosure. Slow going, should have the first coat done tomorrow.

[J Teezy]

looks good what did you use to glue the layers together

[ndame88]

GE Silicone, unsanded grout

[ndame88]

Here is an update on my background, the entire process has taught me a lot. I did 3 layers of mortar and then purchased clear Pond Armor $90, I applied the Pond Armor to about half the background and it turned it almost black in color and VERY shinny, I hated the look, so added 2 more layers of mortar, used some acrylic paint to add some highlights, purchased DryLok Natural to waterproof the mortar, going to apply it today.

[ndame88]

Next is to figure out how to transition to the water area since this is a Palu build, from the bottom of the background to the bottom of the tank leaves me 12 inches to play with, looking at have a water height of 9 inches. I purchased this piece of driftwood off of Ebay.



The driftwood is H17X L25X W21, its free standing, will have to trim the bottom branches so that the main horizontal bean is just in the water, this will create a land area to attach epiphytes and grow some moss, still not convinced this is the way to go without having a true land area.

[J Teezy]

too late now but let me recommend some products for the future. For sealer you can use stuff called Shields All. It leaves a sort of shine look as well but what it looks like is if the background was wet, and since vivs are usually humid places and if you are misting its going to be wet any way, and with your plants covering the majority of the background anyway its not really noticeable. I usually also seal with silicone just because i like to be safer than sorry. The way you can combat the shine is by sprinkling sand on the shields all and/or silicone, which breaks up the shine and adds some texture.

Some other products are from hotwirefoamfactory.com. These people specialize in styrofoam crafts. They have a product called foam coat which i plan to use in the future. They have an exterior version that dries more textured like rock and they also have stuff called grit to add to the foam coat for rockey finish. The guy at this site Lizard care, and fake rock wall landscapes does alot of foam work for animal enclosures and he trust tried the foam coat products and said he likes it more than grout which is what i used after watching his videos on his previous projects.

I'll be giving the foam coat a whirl next build as grout can be a pain at times with flaking or cracking and can be kind of fragile until you get it all sealed and what not.

[ndame88]

Thanks Josh, DryLok ended up leaving a wet look, but nothing like the Pond Armor, I am going to check out the other products you mentioned for future use.

[ndame88]

So I just realized that the piece of driftwood I got off Ebay is Red Cedar cut over 50 years ago, from doing research Red Cedar is a no no. So now back to square one on figuring out a transistion to the water with easy exits for frogs falling in the water.

Any ideas? I was thinking something like this

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/mem...aludarium.html

[ndame88]

Added a piece of driftwood, used some acrylic paint to add highlights, 1/4 tubing covered in eco earth to look like vines come out under the driftwood, tubing will drip water.

[ndame88]

Been planted for a month now, plants still need to fill in.

[ndame88]

15 January update, some growth

[ndame88]

Update from this morning, added some cork to the sides near the front, moss is finally starting to take off, added a few Masdevillias, not sure how they will do where they are located. Peperomia and Ciscuss are taking off as well.

[deranged chipmunk]

looks awesome Jeff! nice job!!