How To Make A Hide

[Jimbobulan]

hi all i used expanda foam for a fake rock background in a frog tank. I used black silicone on the side walls of the tank to hide the messy looking foam, then sprayed the stuff all over the back in the way i wanted it (it was more of spray and hope). Then i used a terracotta coloured silicone on the wall with red desert sand on top for texture and stuff. Also i put a thick hose on the wall before i sprayed so i could run a smaller hose from the filter pump to run down the wall.


The first pic is the black silicone then just shots of the wall

[saximus]

That looks fantastic Jim. When I started this thread I never expected to get so many incredible looking ideas

[Jimbobulan]

i got the idea from a website someone posted on here that showed how to make backgrounds in a similar way but instead of using red silicone and sand they used black silicone and coco fibre (that stuff you can get in brick form). it also showed how to put little planters in it and used drift wood for an awesome look i'll try to find it for you guys

Found this, its not the one i was looking for but its cool.
http://www.vivariumforum.com/Dart-Fr...nstruction-Log
And this one has heaps
Vivarium

[J-A-X]

just in case anyone has missed it I have a poll going DIY Zone on the forum, good idea or not ? to try and convince Admin that we need a DIY zone on the forum for exactly this type of thread, there are so many creative people out there and so many others looking for ideas that we need to have it all in one place,
Seeing some of the frog tanks it almost makes me want to get into frogs....

[gillsy]

caution do not use any spray paint on stiro foam because it turns into something like acid that melts and burns it away

You can get foam primer, that allows you to spray paint on foam. I use it for my RC Planes all the time.

[Absolutely_Mad]

this one was done with grout then painted dark brown, I let it dry then used a dry sponge with orange, white and red lightly, i will coat it in aquadhere, should i give the aquadhere the recommended drying and curing time or longer because my ackies will be in contact with it? - thanks

[J-A-X]

I hope you have done quite a few coats with the grout, its not a strong material, concrete or render is the prefered option for claws. but it looks great though. just make sure it wont get wet, the PVA will soften when wet,

[Absolutely_Mad]

hopefully it will hold up im using the strongest aquadhere available, the bottle says waterproof but I doubts it is fully waterproof should be fine in a drier tank. but ill go over parts of it with more grout and see how it goes

[J-A-X]

make sure you post pics when its in the tank....

[abnrmal91]

I was at bunnings today and they have a cardboard dome which is used as a liner for hanging plant baskets. I think it would make a good mold for a large hide.

[KaotikJezta]

I was at bunnings today and they have a cardboard dome which is used as a liner for hanging plant baskets. I think it would make a good mold for a large hide.

I was looking at the cocopeat ones the other day thinking the same thing, they are only $2 in golo

I thought of another cool idea, get old bike helmets from op shops and rip out the Styrofoam innards.

[diamond 007]

Great set up and hides......

[dangles]

just a question, do you use sand and cement mix or just cement? about to start some of my own

[pseudechis4740]

Go down to a discount store and look through their melamine bowls and vases. They come in a variety of sizes suitable for anything from neonates through to adult BHPs. Then get a hole saw and cut a hole in what would be the base (soon to become the top) of the required size. The material is impervious to moisture, so it will last forever and is easy to clean. You can choose to decorate the exterior in any way you please or just leave it standard which is how I choose to leave them for cleaning purposes,

[Miss-Mac]

Hey guys. The creative cage in my head was left unlocked and I have now made a hock hide out of clay and I was wondering if a clay hide would be fine to acutally use after it had dried. (Planing on getting a Bearded in the near months or so) Just thought I would see what people thought. The photo dosen't do it justice xD It is quite big and I made it so s/hes able to bask and laze around on top.