how i made my fake rock... loads of pics and instructions..

Well, I decided to try this out. This is what I created for my leos.


I didn't use any "foam in a can stuff" because a) I couldn't find any at Walmart, and my hubby didn't want me spending a bunch of money.

I origionally used resurfacing cement (wasn't sure it was a good idea to try and then later read about someone else using it) but I didn't like the color, not to mention it was a hassle to get to stick, so I ended up covering it with pre-mixed sanded grout. The result was a little bumpier then I would like, but not bad for a first try. I also made all the hide seperate so they could be moved but fit them so they look like one piece (the hide in the middle has two levels), except for the humid hide, for which I just used a cool-whip container, sanded it, then covered it. I sealed it with a spray sealent.

I plan on making one for my corn snake (modified to suit him though) and I'm going to try it with regular grout this time, not the pre-mixed so I can make a thin coat so it sticks better.

 

nice to see this thread's still goin..lol I like what you've done, Suzie

 

This is a fantastic thread...very educational. I'm almost done building my rock wall and I'm very excited by it...

I'll definitely post pictures when its done.

 

Would that rock wall sustain high humidity in a water dragon tank?

 

nah once it dries it hardens up..........doesnt get soft and smushy

 

How would you go about cleaning one of these fake rock walls? I'm in the process of building a 'rock city' for my 55 gal leo tank thanks to the great instructions in this thread!

I've got 5 hides and had to do the back wall in 3 pieces due to the 48" length of my tank. It would have been too awkward to try doing it all in once piece. The floors of the hides can all be cleaned by simply picking up the structure and then cleaning the tile, but what if I need to clean a poo off of one of the ledges or something? Can I just use my normal herp disinfectant or do I have to use a special grout cleaner or something?

I would assume that I could use my herp cleanser as long as everything is sealed properly... yes? I will post pics when I get it done. I'm adding the last layer of grout tomorrow so it should only be a few more days until I get it completed..

 

I finally got my fake rock community done. My leos seem to love it!
I posted pics in my gallery at http://kimhaas.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=37

 

That is unreal slysiz! Very cool! What size tank is that?

 

Thanks! It's a 55 gal tank. The measurements are 48"L x 16"w x 16.5" deep. I'm still working on a small wall to hide the humid hides for that "natural look". I've used 20 pounds of grout, 2 pints of sealer and 2 tubes of liquid nails.

Lessons learned the hard way:
1. If you make a large setup like this, make the hides separate from the walls to ease cleaning up poo inside the hides.
2. If you feed with crix, make the back low enough that the crix can't climb out and/or have a tight fitting tank cover
3. Make sure your leos are well fed the night before changing the setup - they are so busy exploring that they are not interested in food.

 

first and formost i have to give a very LARGE thank you to wlowell05 for starting this thread because i have been thinking about many different ways to make all my tanks look better by doing some kind of back wall/side. i stumbled upon this thread lastnight and it has helped me out so much. i will be doing a wall here soon for the custom enclosure i am building for my bd. it will end up being a monster cause the cage will be 5'l x 3't x 2'd!! i also have a 40 breeder, 55 gal long, 29 gal, 30 gal that i also want to do walls for. i will need my wifes help with it though cause she is the one with the artistic ability not me lol once i get them done i will post pics for everyone to see.

 

RE: how i made my fake rock... loads of pics and instruction

I was just wondering if you had any problems with the hides being too light, whether your geckos moved them around when rubbing against them?

 

RE: how i made my fake rock... loads of pics and instruction

Actually the sanded grout adds a lot of weight to the Styrofoam. The 3 sections of my setup probably weigh between 6 to 8 pounds each. I used two ten pound boxes of grout making them.

 

RE: how i made my fake rock... loads of pics and instruction

I haven't had any problems with my geckos moving the hides, but they are fairly heavy once the grout is on, too heavy for them to move.