# MY turn to build a back drop



## grayzone

K so after looking at all the amazing enclosures you all have i figured its time i try FOR MYSELF.. i want an enclosure with a little more than the corkbark SHEETING as the back drop for my next t because all yours make me jealous. Here is my shot with a 12x12x12 exo.  Note this thing was ugly as HELL before i started shaping it up with a drill and dremel.   ALSO the star/flower shape indents were from 2 liter bottles filled with water i strategically placed in the wet foam over nite. i placed them in the foam to get the areas around them to bubble up and create a jutted out rockery outcropping look. G.S. foam wont stick to plastic.  i did all the foaming INDOORS last nite , as this stuff really leaves no fumes (at least none that i noticed too horribly. 
1.) after i did a bit of shaping up outside with basic power tools.. this stuff goes everywhere 
	

		
			
		

		
	

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2.) a lil more light shaping indoors with a small serated knife 
	

		
			
		

		
	

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3.) final shaping (i think..idk yet)
	

		
			
		

		
	

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## grayzone

ive since filled the missing hole in the foam in with more and smoothed it out. i plan on caulking with brown silicone and substrating tomorrow.


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## grayzone

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 in this photo the ledge with the RED is where i plan on putting a small water dish... where the BLUE is there will be a flower or floral arrangement on the wall and the ledge up top in green is where i plan on draping some fake pothos or somethin.... nothin is set in stone YET. well see what i can find at the dollar store.   Also, the lid to this enclosure is broken . i have cut the one piece lid out of 1/8" acrylic and am drilling this pattern 
	

		
			
		

		
	

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 centered in the lid. i may shrink it down some , as these cages already have decent ventilation. I will post more pics when im done, and with all your help ill make my final adjusments

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## catfishrod69

Looking good bro. Keep it up. I dont have time to start one of these projects. I have enough that i need to get done, so i enjoy looking at everyones awesome designs.

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## grayzone

believe it or not.. it probably took me longer to type all that and post the photos.. Plus, i had to open up MS paint to mark the ledges colors... dont get my computer illiterate arse started with THAT lol... id say all that took about 1hr.  substrate and deco will talk about 20 min.. the lid will take like 20 min... not too long imo. i got A.D.D like a mo fo so i can do that while im watchin a show on tv.

---------- Post added 04-15-2012 at 05:50 PM ----------

but thanks for the compliment john. ill post pics of the finished project later


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## SamuraiSid

Its looking good. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Dont know if this is an issue with your custom lid, but it looks like the foam is above the lip the lid will lay on.


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## catfishrod69

Yeah i have thought about trying something like this sometime. I actually am thinking about making water bowls. Im super picky when it comes to enclosures and water dishes. And i cant seem to find any i like. So thought about making some out of foam and grout. But would need something to coat it in to make it hold water. Probably epoxy or something. I can get 5 pounds of 2 part epoxy putty for like $30, so that might work good. It dries like steel, but is light. And then if it wont hold water, i can take regular epoxy resin, and coat it with that. Good luck.


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## grayzone

SamuraiSid said:


> Its looking good. I look forward to seeing the finished product.
> 
> Dont know if this is an issue with your custom lid, but it looks like the foam is above the lip the lid will lay on.


 i actually shaved the tabs the OG top clicked into down so theyre flush with the top lip. I plan on using a very thin bead of acrylic solvent around the whole edge of the top and gluing down the acrylic as the very top piece .. hope that makes sense. 



catfishrod69 said:


> Yeah i have thought about trying something like this sometime. I actually am thinking about making water bowls. Im super picky when it comes to enclosures and water dishes. And i cant seem to find any i like. So thought about making some out of foam and grout. But would need something to coat it in to make it hold water. Probably epoxy or something. I can get 5 pounds of 2 part epoxy putty for like $30, so that might work good. It dries like steel, but is light. And then if it wont hold water, i can take regular epoxy resin, and coat it with that. Good luck.


 maybe an ashtray or dish of sorts encased in foam? anything would work. if you use a plastic dish, when the foam sets you can remove the dish BEFORE applying your application of choice. when its finished you can probably remove the dish from the foam/grouted base as needed too. That would make cleaning the dish a bit easier.


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## catfishrod69

Yeah i have thought about that. But im not sure if i would like that (too picky), i like the plastic rock looking ones best made by zoo med. Bad part is i can only find them online now, and they are expensive. I supose ill figure it out.





grayzone said:


> maybe an ashtray or dish of sorts encased in foam? anything would work. if you use a plastic dish, when the foam sets you can remove the dish BEFORE applying your application of choice. when its finished you can probably remove the dish from the foam/grouted base as needed too. That would make cleaning the dish a bit easier.


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## grayzone

too bad youre probably far from me.. i have 2 of these... one brown one gray.. id give ya one or both.. i dont use em 
	

		
			
		

		
	

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## catfishrod69

Awesome. I do use those, but there is a plastic kind that look like those too. Thinking now that zoo med doesnt make them. Cant remember the name. But for some reason i prefer the plastic more. If i were to get some of the epoxy putty, i could make those. But it would get expensive quickly.


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## grayzone

on a side note.. would a light brown desert sand be a bad idea to introduce into the backdrop? I would kind of like to use an adhesive or clear silicone then apply the sand on all the shallow/less pronounced areas THEN do the jutted out areas in substrate with moss here and there... Will my t (whatever i put in here) like the feel of it on its feet, or will it shy away.. im thinkin an arboreal sp. by the way


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## catfishrod69

I think the sand wouldnt hurt at all. Would look cool, and i doubt the tarantula would mind. I wouldnt go overboard with it, but small spots here and there would be fine.

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## Hobo

I thought of doing that myself, and in fact an looking at using fine black-ish sand for something I'm working on. I might just use grout, but I don't know.
I wouldn't think it would bother the spider that much, though.

Nice job by the way, looks great.

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## grayzone

catfishrod69 said:


> I think the sand wouldnt hurt at all. Would look cool, and i doubt the tarantula would mind. I wouldnt go overboard with it, but small spots here an
> d there would be fine.


 thanks john. 



Hobo said:


> I thought of doing that myself, and in fact an looking at using fine black-ish sand for something I'm working on. I might just use grout, but I don't know.
> I wouldn't think it would bother the spider that much, though.
> 
> Nice job by the way, looks great.


 thanks jason. I actually am at a stand still at this point. I keep changin my mind on what i wanna do, as it would be a real pain to gut this tank out and start over. I OG wanted to sand the low points and sub the high, i just dont wand a dookie brown enclosure. I want COLOR.. I want NATURAL.. i may get some gray sand or grout and do all the HIGH POINTS in that so they look like stone, and stick with subtrate and moss (sporadically with the moss) in between so it looks like its growing out of a rock wall. that should look nice. add a few fake plants and flowers  and a spider and ta-daah .


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## Thistles

catfishrod69 said:


> Yeah i have thought about trying something like this sometime. I actually am thinking about making water bowls. Im super picky when it comes to enclosures and water dishes. And i cant seem to find any i like. So thought about making some out of foam and grout. But would need something to coat it in to make it hold water. Probably epoxy or something. I can get 5 pounds of 2 part epoxy putty for like $30, so that might work good. It dries like steel, but is light. And then if it wont hold water, i can take regular epoxy resin, and coat it with that. Good luck.


I'm picky about dishes, too. What I like to do is take Brazil nut seed pots and coat their insides with clear silicone. They are totally natural and look perfect nestled in leaf litter, and the silicone ensures that they hold water. I might have to try making my own from epoxy sometime if it works out for you. Let us know if you do try it!

And Grayzone, the tank looks great so far, especially for a first build! Keep going and keep posting!


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## Porp

Looking good!


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## grayzone

Thistles said:


> And Grayzone, the tank looks great so far, especially for a first build! Keep going and keep posting!





Porp said:


> Looking good!


  Thanks A lot guys. I think ive cleared the hurdle and came up with a plan. I will keep you all updated throughout the week.


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## catfishrod69

That sounds pretty cool. I have some terra cotta pot bottom parts, and they are lined with silicone. Works good. I like those, but some of them dont need silicone, cause they have a shiny waterprook finish. But i cant find them anywhere. I might have to give the epoxy a try sometime. You can find it on ebay. Its called magic sculpt, or other names. I seen 15 pounds for about $150. But you can get any size really. 





Thistles said:


> I'm picky about dishes, too. What I like to do is take Brazil nut seed pots and coat their insides with clear silicone. They are totally natural and look perfect nestled in leaf litter, and the silicone ensures that they hold water. I might have to try making my own from epoxy sometime if it works out for you. Let us know if you do try it!


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## Storm76

I like it thus far, curious what your finished tank will look like then...keep us posten, Steven.


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## grayzone

thanks bro.. i should be getting some more stuff this week to finish it off. Im still undecided as to whats gonna go in this so i plan on taking my time. This is the first time ive attempted this, so i want it to look GOOD. there is alot of cool looking backdrops out there, but i dont like how plain silicone and substrate take away A LOT of the contours of the foam. Ive done ADDITIONAL CARVING to the point where i like it, and think it will look really good if i practice patience and stick to the plan in my head. I PROMISE ill post some pics soon

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## ijmccollum

Hey! It's the 20th already, where's those pics...I wanna steal ideas!


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## grayzone

lol... aah the suspense. NOT till its done. Sorry. i promise to take and post some. Ive honestly been procrastinating. All ive done in addition is the lid, which i cant do anything with till the tank is done. I would like to incorporate like an LED taplight onto the lid as well so i can get better lighting with photos


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## ijmccollum

WoW, LED TapLights, guess I will have to wait...

Speaking of procrastination...it is now officially the weekend...and it's been a long week.  I am going to go sit in the sun with a Mike's lemonaid and well, just sit.

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## grayzone

the led taplights are just a thought. id like SOMETHIN i can add to the TOP of the lid that will shine down in.


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## SamuraiSid

ijmccollum said:


> Hey! It's the 20th already, where's those pics...I wanna steal ideas!


I second this! 


Are you still thinking about going the cement route? Ive got a bag of Quikcrete cement and some wood glue at home, but I cant start my project until I find a guinea pig


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## Shay

finished pics?


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## SamuraiSid

Maybe the more we harass him, the faster he'll work 

Dammit, Grayzone. if I cant vicariously live through your builds Ill have to actually start my own!!! j/k


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## catfishrod69

Im a procrastinator too. 

Top ten reasons i procrastinate. 
1.




grayzone said:


> lol... aah the suspense. NOT till its done. Sorry. i promise to take and post some. Ive honestly been procrastinating. All ive done in addition is the lid, which i cant do anything with till the tank is done. I would like to incorporate like an LED taplight onto the lid as well so i can get better lighting with photos


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## grayzone

u caught me... lol. I promise i will finish up this week and get the end reuslts on here this coming week. a lot if it comes to fundage... everything i plan on usin is cheap enough, just tough to get ahead on bills when im buyin ts and decorating spider tanks lol. Ive BEEN saving for an expo thats coming up on the 28th so id like to get this tank done in case i pick up a nice juvie or somethin. IDK


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## SamuraiSid

Bills before T's? You have your priorities mixed up, good sir!

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## ijmccollum

bump-de-bump...how's that viv coming?


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## grayzone

K... so thought id let you all know, that in my time away from this thread i decided to modify it a bit.. I accidentally carved TOO MUCH away (didnt know when to stop)  and had to add more... i finally mixed up a nice sanded grout (color is natural stone gray) and applied the first coat. Ive knocked off the high spots already (thanks to rapid drying from my heat lamp and desktop fan hanging into the enclosure)  and will shortly be adding the 2nd coat...  here are some pics so far  
	

		
			
		

		
	

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## grayzone

im hoping the end result will look as awesome as it does in my head. I ALREADY have big plans for my next setup incorporating some pvc piping. i want a u shape  where the base/waterdish area is ENCASED in the foam so the t has a tunnel/hide to crawl in.. hindsight is 20/20

---------- Post added 05-05-2012 at 08:43 PM ----------

BTW.. i still have a 2nd coat to do THEN some knock off... after the rockery is all complete i will THEN silicone and substrate the rock wall... some sphag moss and some plants will make this look pretty sharp... now.. i need some opinions... should i stick to silk/fake plants or should i use soil instead of coco and try my hand at a true VIV?? ive seen some cool lookin bromeliads and succulents id like to test out.


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## grayzone

k so im having SOME problems gettin the grout to stick to the foam in some SMALL parts. any tips anybody? its on good in areas, but i keep gettin these spots that chip away.. should i scar up the foam in those areas maybe?


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## ijmccollum

Can't help you with the grout Q as I have yet to try my hand at this sort of adventure.  As for plants, live is my preference, though I have to admit all my T's have fake right now.  My reptiles and frogs have live. As my guys/gals get bigger and need rehousing, I hope to incorporate live for them as well.  

Keep working on that viv, and keep us posted.


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## grayzone

grout is messy stuff lol.. i will admit, by the pics posted SO FAR it looks sloppy.. i assure you tho that with a lil time and work it will look a lot better lol. i had no other ideas how to apply the grout so it took a LOT of the hands on approach:biggrin:  i scarred up the areas that were givin me trouble and applied more. MAY do one final touch up and set the fan back in with the heat light baking it all. i plan on gettin the sub on by tonight. Dollar store (for fake plants) and Home Depot/Sears (for LED taplight) here i come

---------- Post added 05-06-2012 at 11:31 AM ----------

the color of the "rock" is darkening up a bit with each coat, and i really like the sandy look/feel to it. there will be plenty of textures for the t to explore when im done. Now i have the task of figuring out which t i want to place in here.. Anybody have suggestions as to what should go in here?


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## ijmccollum

Yes, there in lies the rub.....which T?


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## grayzone

k so here is the major backdrop at completion... now all is left is some touch up then decorating to do   
	

		
			
		

		
	

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  after some SLIGHT touch up it will look better


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## grayzone

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  now i will fill any missing spots in, and add the terrarium moss on the rockery. few fake plants and vines and ill be set


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## grayzone

k so i have ONE LAST question... i have plenty of clear plexi 1/8" thick.. and i also have 1/8" BLACK PVC sheets.. it feels like plexi, but slightly more springy? i kind of like the look of the black.. has anybody ever used this, and will it warp as bad as the acrylic? (another big reason i dont want plexi as the lid)


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## grayzone

gettin there guys.. pretty stoked with how its turnin out... not too shabby for a 1st time attempt 
	

		
			
		

		
	

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## Porp

Lookin good!

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## grayzone

thanks porp. means alot to hear compliments from others. im proud of myself for a good lookin 1st attempt

---------- Post added 05-07-2012 at 08:28 AM ----------

with some finishing touches, the lid, and ONE T OR ANOTHER in there it will be complete, and on to the next. May temporarily rehouse all my larger ts one by one and hook em up


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## SamuraiSid

grayzone said:


> [/COLOR]BTW.. i still have a 2nd coat to do THEN some knock off... after the rockery is all complete i will THEN silicone and substrate the rock wall... some sphag moss and some plants will make this look pretty sharp... now.. i need some opinions... should i stick to silk/fake plants or should i use soil instead of coco and try my hand at a true VIV?? ive seen some cool lookin bromeliads and succulents id like to test out.


Your going to silicone and sub the grout??? Just incertain places or over the whole thing? sorry, its early and Im confused, haha.

I totally think you should go with real plants, maybe even just start with pothos and see how it goes.


You know this means some people :sarcasm: on this forum are gonna harass you for a grout tutorial when your finished.


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## grayzone

lid is cut and drilled ( a freakin TON of holes.. think i got a hand cramp lol, out of practice i guess)  i went with the black hard pvc sheeting , as the clear plexi scratches and warps.. Ill try THIS out... here it is 
	

		
			
		

		
	

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  i will add the LED tap light in the center then glue it on once i have all the deco in... id HATE to shoot myself in the foot by puttin the lid on too soon.


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## grayzone

nah.. i just gotta do any minute touch ups on the grouted "rocks" where silicon got smudged by accident. i will look it over FINELY and do any last minute touchups on either part that i see... brown silicon and brown sub is GENIUS to whoever started that trend.   No real tutorial needed when it comes to grout. i just used sanded grout mix and added water. mixed with my wand (for drywall/muddin work) in a bucket till peanut butter consistency then started finger painting lol... it washes off bare hands with ease (unless you let it set up for a while.. a nail brush cleans out all the cracks and crevices for you ladies who are interested:biggrin:


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## SamuraiSid

Its looking good, Grayzone.

Another question for you: Looks like you painted the grout brown, then grey again??? Just regular 100% acrylic paint?

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## AmysAnimals

I can't wait until I have an enclosure big enough to make a GOOD backdrop.  I've made one for a small enclosure but it is far from good.  lol  I also need to get some things to help me create it.  =P

People don't realize but tarantula/invert keepers are actually really creative!  =D

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## grayzone

Thanks guys.. diggin the compliments. Makes me wanna start another PRONTO



SamuraiSid said:


> Its looking good, Grayzone.
> 
> Another question for you: Looks like you painted the grout brown, then grey again??? Just regular 100% acrylic paint?


 Uh.. no paint.. if youre referring to the upper right hand rock that brown on it is just excess caulking. Thats where the touchup grouting will come into play... Also, MAY just leave it. I plan on hanging some artificial (hell , maybe real) vine/pothos from a little ledge in the top of the rock. There is a groove specifically carved out and is a flat area but it doesnt show up in the pic. the vines will block any accidental caulking



AmysAnimals said:


> I can't wait until I have an enclosure big enough to make a GOOD backdrop.  I've made one for a small enclosure but it is far from good.  lol  I also need to get some things to help me create it.  =P
> 
> People don't realize but tarantula/invert keepers are actually really creative!  =D


 best of luck with your future projects amy.  Yes, alot of hobbiests (of invert/fish/reptile etc) are VERY creative.. all about knowing the specie your building the stuff for and exploiting the ts characteristics. A tiny bit of creativity can go a LONG way if you hatch a good plan.

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## Tonys spiders

Looks awesome!! Thats one of the best first attempts ive ever seen!!
Tony

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## SamuraiSid

I think any kind of greenery from the top will look great! This makes me want to finish my own display, haha. not gonna happen :sarcasm:

Looking forward to more pics.


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## grayzone

Tonys spiders said:


> Looks awesome!! Thats one of the best first attempts ive ever seen!!
> Tony


thanks a lot tony. this tank took a lil procrastination, but mostly because i was lazy. honestly, the most time consuming part was drilling out all the uniformed holes for the lid... the rest was done outside 5 minutes at a time while smoking and such.  Still have NO CLUE what im gonna put in here, but guess thats alright for now.

---------- Post added 05-08-2012 at 07:47 AM ----------

anybody remember LIGHT BRIGHTS? thats what the lid picture reminds me of


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## grayzone

K so tomorrow i will be having some free time and will be picking up the stuff for all the finishing touches.. I have also noticed all the smells of the silicon, the grout, the acrylic adhesives etc have been gone for the last 2 days (been keepin it outside with the doors open) so by sat or sunday it SHOULD be move in ready... Unfortunately, im still not sure of what is goin in it at the moment so im a bit puzzled. time will tell, and i will likely base it off the color of the fake flora i snag at the dollar store tomorrow.  By the time this is done, im SURE it will be safe for the t of choice


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## ijmccollum

da-bump....okay dude, where's the finished product?  Sheesh, it's been 3 days since you've had a chance to get to the dollar store!:tongue:


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## SamuraiSid

7 days now

Another question. How long did you let the grout dry between coats?


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## grayzone

yea.. sorry guys. Still havent done anything new to it.. i have actually just left the project as is for now till i fig out whats goin in it. I need a new large female arboreal of some kind. 
Anyways, to answer your ? Sid, i just laid the exo on its back with a fan pointing down through the doors and let it sit for like 6hrs at a time. It started really dark, then id usually wait till all the grouted areas were light in color then i applied the next coat. There is a total of 2 SOLID coats on it, with minor touch up here and there.. I will probably do one last coat in there on some spots and call the grouting done. 
 this tank is in no way needing to be done anytime soon, so im just sorta messing around with it here and there. Some t will be lucky in the future... I plan on instantly starting a new enclosure soon as this one is done. i got a few ideas, as stated earlier in this thread


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## wesker12

I think I know what's going to be living there 
One of the reasons I'm trading her to you is cause she's going to get a awesome enclosure 
Right now the poor thing has a slab of corkbark in a giant jar lol


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## grayzone

YEPP.. a giant ornata WILL look sexy in it .. ESPECIALLY when shes clutching an eggsack..  i wonder if this is too tight of quarters for a breeding pair? time will tell.. I gotta find a Large cork tube and some last minute stuff to finish this tank up soon... Next wednesday will be here faster than i can imagine


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## grayzone

Well, i guess i learned my lesson.. I procrastinated on this enclosure TOO LONG. I got a 6.5" female ornata yesterday and had nothin big enough to temporarily hold her, so had to toss her in. 
She is really quick to make a dash for freedom (VERY DIFFERENT than my regalis female) and she slapped at me twice during rehousing... She has since calmed down alot. Shes quite the looker too.
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As a side question, would this tank be suitable as a breeding tank?  I have a PU male ornata too (in the jar on the right on top of the enclosure) that im gonna let cohab this tank with my female once he matures. Do you think its too small?

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## grayzone

im still gonna add the fake plants soon.. 
I also am undecided if i should put a cork slab or tube in there..  probably a slab just to make them look different from both my regalis enclosures (they have TUBES)


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## wesker12

grayzone said:


> im still gonna add the fake plants soon..
> I also am undecided if i should put a cork slab or tube in there..  probably a slab just to make them look different from both my regalis enclosures (they have TUBES)


Slab but try make it horizontally to utilize the maximum space of the exo (like put the slab at an angle so its still going up).
my ornatas looking good 
Oops I mean yours! 

Slab makes it easier to pull the sac without getting tagged as well.


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## grayzone

my thoughts exactly   i assure you i that pokie will NEVER tag me... im a ninja


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## wesker12

grayzone said:


> my thoughts exactly   i assure you i that pokie will NEVER tag me... im a ninja


Hahaha I believe you! That male needs to molt asap lol


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## RyTheTGuy

Looks great, and would add some cork bark. My next backdrop is going to be like this. My first one is all eco earth. I want it more realistic like this one. P. cambridgei just needs to get a little bigger =)


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## grayzone

you should... theyre real easy to do.. fun too. I HAVE noticed some grout cracking in some spots though.. i hope it doesnt chip off.. I didnt use a sealer of any kind. Too scared of adding chemically products in cages intended for these babies. I highly recommend using a wire wheel brush in your dremmel or drill to scratch up the surface wherever grout will go, it seems to have stuck a LOT BETTER in places that i did it. 
I will definitely be doing it EVERYWHERE on my next one. 
Best of luck with yours too ... ill be waiting to see your enclosure creation in this subforum


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## wesker12

grayzone said:


> you should... theyre real easy to do.. fun too. I HAVE noticed some grout cracking in some spots though.. i hope it doesnt chip off.. I didnt use a sealer of any kind. Too scared of adding chemically products in cages intended for these babies. I highly recommend using a wire wheel brush in your dremmel or drill to scratch up the surface wherever grout will go, it seems to have stuck a LOT BETTER in places that i did it.
> I will definitely be doing it EVERYWHERE on my next one.
> Best of luck with yours too ... ill be waiting to see your enclosure creation in this subforum


Pictures! Of the led lights and hopefully some corkbark and stuff! So far its beautiful


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## grayzone

it WAS.. she is in heavy premolt and has webbed herself in... i got a cork tube in with her now but she completely ignored it (so did my regalis.. pics of her too)  the pink thing in between their enclosures is a heating donut.. place it in the microwave and voila heat for hrs... i got them both high heat, high humidity to force a molt.. i expect them both to molt in the next few weeks hopefully
guess where she is
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secluded regalis in another tank on the OTHER side of the heating donut.. pretty good way to heat 2 tanks at the same time
	

		
			
		

		
	

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## grayzone

the regalis has a tube like web curtain that burrows like 4" down into moss and sub.. she is nice and secluded. My male regalis finally matured, and i got a MM ornata on the way, so i NEED both these girls to molt (hence the real high heat and humidity)


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## Storm76

grayzone said:


> gettin there guys.. pretty stoked with how its turnin out... not too shabby for a 1st time attempt
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 103128


Really like what you did with that backdrop, buddy. It looks fantastic to me - and I've got "two left hands" as we say here (meaning I'm bad with building stuff, lol).

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## grayzone

thanks Jan.. compliments mean a lot.. 2 left hands or not, its actually not that hard. Materials are cheap and easy to carve and if you screw up, you can always add more foam, or carve more away. Cant go wrong IMO .
I got my next two enclosures planned out kinda ALREADY and will be posting pcs


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## Storm76

grayzone said:


> thanks Jan.. compliments mean a lot.. 2 left hands or not, its actually not that hard. Materials are cheap and easy to carve and if you screw up, you can always add more foam, or carve more away. Cant go wrong IMO .
> I got my next two enclosures planned out kinda ALREADY and will be posting pcs


Frankly? I wouldn't even know where to start looking for that foam stuff over here, plus I recon it's WAY more expensive where I live compared to the US.


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## grayzone

View attachment 105497

just an update.  

My girl molted and is 7 13/16" (every 16th counts:sarcasm in poeci stance. At damn near 8" this tank still is plenty big enough for her. All is well, and shes been living in it with no problems for a while. Looks like all the materials ive used cause no problems (as of yet)

The grout HAS worn thin in some spots, and has cracked in places (as mentioned previously) however its not TOO BAD. I will read a ton more enclosure threads and see if there is any recommended sealers and such for my next one. 

I will soon be swapping out the cork tube, and replacing it with a vertical corkbark slab then shark tanking a MMs deli into the enclosure. I plan on letting the two cohab, as long as i witness a good insertion or two FIRST, and as long as she isnt male aggressive. I dont know if this tank is a recommended size, but i dont want to rehouse her, and go through all sorts of stressors for BOTH ts before attempting to pair/breed. 

When my girl finally eats a couple good meals (will be attempting to feed after the weekend or mid next week) i will be starting a new thread in T. chat subforums and will provide the link here. 


I will be starting a NEW enclosure or two here soon enough, and have stole a couple ideas from here and other forums, but have put my own twists to them. Stay tuned lol


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## 8legs2fangs

good luck on the pairing!

Reactions: Like 1


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## grayzone

grayzone said:


> As a side question, would this tank be suitable as a breeding tank?  Do you think its too small?


answered my own question lol



grayzone said:


> When my girl finally eats a couple good meals (will be attempting to feed after the weekend or mid next week) i will be starting a new thread in T. chat subforums and will provide the link here.
> l


 As promised...   http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?234080-Ornata-Project


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## jarmst4

When I grout I always do 4 coats and get thicker as I go. I've never had a problem with it coming off. Then I will do a coat of drylok, a masonry waterproofer. Then I paint and when I'm done I use shields all as a clear coat. That stuff is awesome. 

http://www.hytechsales.com/prod50.html


Might be overkill but it holds forever. I've got tanks I made Years ago and still look good as new. I also got away from using the silicone with the Eco earth. Started using titebond lll wood glue. A million times better.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DeidraDisaster

A couple fo questions....what did you use to make this?  I am assuming you can find it at Home Depot or the like????  Also, are the chemicals harmful to the T's?  I suspect not other wise I am sure you wouldn't be using it but my logic tells me that something like that would have harmful chemicals.  I am interested in making my own enclosures once I add to my collection so I am just searching for advice.


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## grayzone

DeidraDisaster said:


> A couple fo questions....what did you use to make this?  I am assuming you can find it at Home Depot or the like????  Also, are the chemicals harmful to the T's?  I suspect not other wise I am sure you wouldn't be using it but my logic tells me that something like that would have harmful chemicals.  I am interested in making my own enclosures once I add to my collection so I am just searching for advice.


 everything ive used is listed in this thread. If you would like to know more, or anything in specific, shoot me a pm or feel free to post. This was the first attempt i ever tried, but ive snooped basically EVERY thread in this section (also on other forums and youtube) so i know of a few diff techniques 



jarmst4 said:


> When I grout I always do 4 coats and get thicker as I go. I've never had a problem with it coming off. Then I will do a coat of drylok, a masonry waterproofer. Then I paint and when I'm done I use shields all as a clear coat. That stuff is awesome.
> 
> http://www.hytechsales.com/prod50.html
> 
> 
> Might be overkill but it holds forever. I've got tanks I made Years ago and still look good as new. I also got away from using the silicone with the Eco earth. Started using titebond lll wood glue. A million times better.


yeah, my tank has like 2 SOLID coats of grout, and a light one if i remember right. Held up good so far, with minimal wear and tear. Next time i will surely do a 4th .. ill make them GOOD coats too.
Thanks for the tips on products too.. ive read a bit about drylock here, and in other forums and i may give it a shot one day


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## jarmst4

Ive stolen a lot of ideas from doing research on the dendroboards. Those dart frog guys can come up with some pretty cool stuff. You should check it out.

Reactions: Like 1


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## papilio

WOW!!  What a fantastic thread Steven!!   Thanks for all the effort you've put into it!


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## kev48584

I'm curious is this foam good to use in humid environments? i want to do this and add silicone on top and add coco fiber for it to look nice to a singapore blue tarantula environment and since these gives like it 75+ humidity

---------- Post added 09-10-2012 at 02:04 PM ----------

I'm curious if this will be okay with humid environments or not? i want to do this kind of project on my singapore blue tarantula enclosure. i was thinking of adding silicone and covering it up with coco fiber. what is this stuff called??? or where can i get this stuff at? home depot?? if you or anyone can reply that would be amazingg! thank you


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## grayzone

@kev

Yes, foam is good in humid environments. Great stuff foam is meant to be used in door and window gaps/cracks to stop water and such. It was created with the intent to fare well against elements.
My ornata is still living in this enclosure, and back in January she dropped a sack containing 179 eggs in it. This tank was pretty humid throughout the majority of that time. 


To anybody reading this, STAY TUNED. Keep in mind this was only my first attempt at building a custom enclosure (other than a few robc style lids) and i have a couple projects coming in the near future. 
I may be doing a giant 10 gal or 20gal long enclosure soon as well as a few 2.5 and 5gals.
I will be browsing this whole subforum for cool ideas, and looking elsewhere as well. Id really like some real slick setups for a few of my OW arboreals. Possibly some live plants too


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