# need help finding a desert terrarium background



## halfwaynowhere (Nov 12, 2008)

I've got an odd sized 30-something gallon long tank to house my pair of mali uromastyx. I'd like to cover the back and sides with something, as the female gets nervous, and tries to dig through the glass. For aesthetics sake, I'd like to get something desert-looking. The pet stores around here only seem to carry aquatic backgrounds, which obviously I don't want. I need something I can buy by the foot, since I plan on covering three sides, and its an odd sized tank to begin with... Any ideas of where I can find something like this? I've been googling, with no luck...


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## Red Eyes (Nov 12, 2008)

There are the terrarium backgrounds, I used the desert one by Hagen on my snakes tanks and I think that it looked ok. Anyways I don't know if you have seen any of the new foam ones but they are expensive ... http://www.herpsupplies.com/subcategory.cfm?id=13&sub=67. Depending on how much work you would want to do, would this work? http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Furniture.html


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## halfwaynowhere (Nov 12, 2008)

I don't want to put anything inside of the tank, because I don't want them to have anything to climb on to get closer to the lights... With the temps as high as they need to be, that bulb is pretty hot. Also, the foam ones would need to be tiled, as this is a weird size tank, and I'm picky about seams... I'd print my own background, but I don't want it to look more uniform... 
I'm also hoping to find something more saharan looking than the hagen desert background... it just looks very arizona-ish... I might go with that one if I can't find anything else, though. Thanks for the suggestions!


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## Red Eyes (Nov 12, 2008)

The snake that I used the Hagen background is a Chihuahua Mountain Kingsnake so I thought it fit  What about using some of the desktop backgrounds of the Sahara Desert? http://www.fanimages.com/Nature/Desert/index.html


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## redsaw (Nov 13, 2008)

Try these, they may have what you want, or not http://www.herpsupplies.com/subcategory.cfm?id=13&sub=67
http://www.stormthecastle.com/terrarium/terrarium-backgrounds.htm


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## Taceas (Nov 14, 2008)

I just found one I like in an aquarium store, it was on the backside of a freshwater aquarium background. It's rocks and such, looks deserty to me. Just buy something that'll fit the height okay and then cut to size.


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## halfwaynowhere (Nov 29, 2008)

I got bored and decided to try making my own. Supposed to be writing a paper for one of my classes, so of course, I'll do anything to avoid that, lol... I think it turned out pretty decently, I used one of the pics from that link Red Eyes posted, with some creative photoshopping to get it to stretch to fit 9 sheets of paper... 





The seams aren't too noticable, which is nice, since that was a big concern of mine...


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## El Viejo (Nov 29, 2008)

You did an excellent job! The seams are hardly noticeable. Now get busy & write that paper!


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## Red Eyes (Nov 29, 2008)

That looks really good. So do you have three sides covered?


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## halfwaynowhere (Nov 29, 2008)

yep, covered three sides... I wanted to stop them from trying to dig through the glass, thinking they could get to the other side... Now they only have that problem with the front, but I would still like to be able to see in, so its not getting covered... My female was driving herself crazy with the digging, I think these guys were wild caught, and she doesn't seem to like being in captivity... hopefully this will help her feel more at home, or at least a little less stressed.


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## redsaw (Dec 1, 2008)

That background looks good. I was about to say try http://www.drsfostersmith.com/   for desert backgrounds


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## bhamgreg (Dec 2, 2008)

my beardies are goign bonkers with the glass as well. i'm gonna build soemthign with a painted plywood i think just to cover the sides.


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