# What Can I Do To Give My Terrariums a More Naturalistic Look?



## BobGrill (Aug 24, 2013)

Mine are just so plain and boring. I prefer not to use live plants because they usually end up dying rather quickly, and the crickets hide in them which gets very annoying. Basically I just have pieces of cork bark flats leaned against one corner of the tank for the arboreals, a thin layer of cocoa fiber, and a water dish. For terrestrials it's basically the same only I use more bedding, and I'll usually use half a log or a cork bark round instead. Any ideas? Doesn't have to be anything really intricate, just something I can add to make the terrarium more attractive. Thanks.


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## Spepper (Aug 24, 2013)

What about fake plants?


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## BobGrill (Aug 24, 2013)

Spepper said:


> What about fake plants?


The prey items can still hide in those.


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## Kazaam (Aug 24, 2013)

Dried moss should work.


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## freedumbdclxvi (Aug 24, 2013)

Pretty much anything you add is gonna give feeders a place to hide.  You either bite the bullet and put something in, like fake plants,  or you just stick with the plain enclosure.  I have both types,  as well as live plants.  Feeders hiding just makes it a bit more realistic in my opinion.


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## BobGrill (Aug 24, 2013)

freedumbdclxvi said:


> Pretty much anything you add is gonna give feeders a place to hide.  You either bite the bullet and put something in, like fake plants,  or you just stick with the plain enclosure.  I have both types,  as well as live plants.  Feeders hiding just makes it a bit more realistic in my opinion.


I suppose. It's just a bit worrisome come molting time.


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## jthorntonwillis (Aug 24, 2013)

There are a number of sites that offer very realistic desert type plants ,IE succulents,cacti,etc. Those should suffice for your terrestials,even if they are not strictly full desert types. For arboreals,I just use a plastic plant to give them another web attachment point.


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## freedumbdclxvi (Aug 24, 2013)

BobGrill said:


> I suppose. It's just a bit worrisome come molting time.


How so?  If the spider doesn't eat it, take it out the next day.  With or without plants.


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## xTimx (Aug 24, 2013)

dude its simple.  go to a dollar store,  break out the glue gun.  get creative.   i usually sit there and experiment with different landscapes, like rocks and corkbark and even driftwood (make sure its clean though).   i usually sit there for at least an hr, cutting up branches and such.   
the fake plants arent worrie-some at all, infact its kinda helpful in someways cuz the T gets to choose where it wants to molt and it'll have that support structure to hold the webbing onto.   trust me. the more natural the environment, the happier your T will be!  

NOW GO ON!!  hahaha

EDIT: I JUST posted pics of my newest enclosure for my Pokie Rufi, in the enclosure pics section.  all the plants are fake and all i used was hot glue to glue the corkbark to the sides of the enclosure.  she loves it in there  
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/sho...ium-Pictures&p=2201028&viewfull=1#post2201028

EDIT EDIT: heres more of my enclosures man lol 
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/sho...ium-Pictures&p=2129142&viewfull=1#post2129142

and theres the next post right after that for my P. Antinous but it ended being an enclosure for my Xenesthis Sp. Blue

Reactions: Like 1


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## BobGrill (Aug 24, 2013)

I'm probably a bit paranoid here, but having the cricket or whatever hide out in the plant and then decide to come out when the tarantula is molting and take a bite out of it is what worries me. I'd rather not have a tarantula that costed me quite a bit of dollars getting owned by a 10 cent cricket.


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## Spidergrrl (Aug 24, 2013)

You could put in little plastic Army men. Armed with bazookas etc., it could be a re-enactment of a Monster movie al a _Tarantula_ with Leo G. Carroll. Add a little toy Jeep and you could have a whole movie scene. If I remember correctly, it seems like in the TKB there is a picture of an enclosure with either Alien or Predator in it. 

Cheers,

Spidergrrl. (Note, I just use fake plants, etc.)


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## BobGrill (Aug 24, 2013)

Spidergrrl said:


> You could put in little plastic Army men. Armed with bazookas etc., it could be a re-enactment of a Monster movie al a _Tarantula_ with Leo G. Carroll. Add a little toy Jeep and you could have a whole movie scene. If I remember correctly, it seems like in the TKB there is a picture of an enclosure with either Alien or Predator in it.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Spidergrrl. (Note, I just use fake plants, etc.)


No thanks I'm looking for something naturalistic, not something out of a giant monster flick. I guess I'll just have to stick with fake plants and maybe I'll throw in some terrarium moss.


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## Dark Nexus (Aug 24, 2013)

Mines more desert theme. Kinda real looking.


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## JZC (Aug 24, 2013)

Maybe a real/fake skull or animal bone? sterilized, of course.


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## Plissken (Sep 1, 2013)

Use a backdrop made of pink insulation foam, silicone, and coco fiber.  There are tutorials if you are unsure.  

Also maybe try converting to a front opening enclosure?

That's what I have and I am 100% happy


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## BobGrill (Sep 2, 2013)

Plissken said:


> Use a backdrop made of pink insulation foam, silicone, and coco fiber.  There are tutorials if you are unsure.
> 
> Also maybe try converting to a front opening enclosure?
> 
> That's what I have and I am 100% happy


I have front opening enclosures for the arboreals, but thanks I'll look up how to make that background.


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## xTimx (Sep 2, 2013)

what i do for my backgrounds, is use Great stuff spray foam.   

but you kinda gotta be careful with it.  

to get a proper bond to the glass, put a coat of silicone on the glass and spread it evenly.  then you go out and buy some Great Stuff spray foam.   either the "gaps and cracks"  or the "big gap filler"  the BG filler expands way bigger than the gaps and cracks does so thats why you have to be careful of the expansion due to if it puts pressure on the sides of the glass, it'll bust and crack the glass.    
always put the spray foam on in small layers too. that way it'll dry evenly. other wise if you layer it on too thick, you're still gonna have an uncured center.  
then there's two ways of applying you're substrate to the backwall.   either applying an aquarium grade silicone.  OR you can go out and get some waterproof wood glue like Titebond 3 or Gorilla glue.     TB3 is the most common way to apply to the background.     if you're gonna be using silicone,  grab a pair of gloves and work the silicone around onto the background. but you have to work fast cuz the silicone will skin over.   dont forget to apply a liberal amount, if you have some places that is thinner than others. the silicone is not going to grab onto the substrate when you press it down.   
the woodglue option,  you can apply it to the background with a paintbrush or your hands or you can actually mix the woodglue and substrate in a cup to get an "Oatmeal" consistency and then just applying it to the background and spreading it evenly.   in either case you have to push the substrate into the background to make sure it grabs hold.  

both applications of the silicone or the woodglue, you have to let it cure before knocking the substrate off the background or using a vacuum cleaner to suck it up.     not gonna lie....you're gonna have some bald spots so just use some woodglue to adhere some new substrate to the background.  

if the enclosure you're making needs a higher humidity, i would use peat moss substrate instead of the coco fiber.    the peat moss holds moisture way better than coco fiber.  plus its alot darker in color.  

if you have any other Qs.  lemme know. 

cheers

Tim


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## BobGrill (Sep 2, 2013)

xTimx said:


> what i do for my backgrounds, is use Great stuff spray foam.
> 
> but you kinda gotta be careful with it.
> 
> ...


Thanks I'll have to try this soon.


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