Fake rock wall in a weekend. (Pic heavy)

[matt1084]

Well I thought i'd knock up a fake wall for my keelbacks new enclosure.
Its a 4 foot fishtank so I wanted to have it filled halfway and have a few ledges and areas for it to bask.
I used the following
Wall = styrofoam boxes (FREE)
Glue = Liquid nails fast set ($6.95)
Paint = Pondtite sandstone colour ($22.95) and a bit of craft paint for final detail.

I began by attaching the styrofoam boxes at the right length to fit in the tank, once they were fixed at the right length i could work on the shelves and ledges.

I then cut out some ledge shaped pieces and stuck them together to be added later.

Once the ledges were in the rough shape i used a BBQ lighter to seal it and make it look like rocks, then attach them to the back wall section.

once I was satisfied with the overall shape and look of it i once again sealed it with a flame and started to paint it with the Pondtite sealant twice, which is for fishponds so it should be safe with snakes.

It took a while to dry but once it was dry for the second time i added a bit of colour with acrylic paints above the water line to make it look sandstonieish.

No all i need to do is silicone it in place and let it cure for a week, ill finish this project next weekend. ill have to post some pics with the driftwood plants and keelback in there.

Hope people like it and im keen for any suggestions that could make it better.
Matthew

 

[abnrmal91]

Awesome good work

 

[babba007]

Wow thats awesome. I might have to try that myself next weekend

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Very nice

 

[RamsMice]

Very nice can't wait too see more

 

[Pinoy]

Nice and easy!
Good job

Just wondering, did you use the flame to make the surface uneven, or was it dug out then flamed?

 

[matt1084]

both, if they were dug out first then flamed, i kinda ran out of gas so i used a candle and matches as well.

 

[grizz]

I really like this one, second nicest on the forum to date in my opinion!

 

[Dan40D]

Nice, that looks awsome, going to book mark this for when i do my enclosure backgrounds, show us the setup once it is finished as well.

Love the PJ's as well :lol:

 

[matt1084]

thats a big call, i was impressed in what can be done in a few hours over a weekend and improved the look of the tank 100x. I still have a few final touches to add and a bit of paint to make it look a little more realish. Im glad you liked it.

Love the PJ's as well /QUOTE]
I like to call them lounge pants.

 

[dossy]

nice to see a reall man paint his toe nails haha

thats a very nice rock and i find using the candle better then a gas tourch because its a slower melt.

keep us updated

 

[pythonmum]

Great stuff. Thanks for showing the stages in the construction. It will be excellent to see it in place in the tank with the final landscaping.

 

[user 16446]

Nice work, looking forward to the finished product.

Anybody wanting some pondtite, try Bunnings. My local store at Thornleigh (NSW) is clearing it to make room for 'more profitable items to them' and it has been marked down. I bought two 1 litre tubs of clear pondtite for $10 each, and they have a sale on the rest of the Bondall range too apparently. I don't know though if it's all Bunnings or just local.

Also the clear one is not for flexible use, unlike the coloured versions.

 

[matt1084]

hahaha, didnt notice my toes look painted, must be the lighting?

 

[bucket]

everyone has master the art of backgrounds now is my time haha any tips for a 4x4x2 enclosure

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Measure twice, measure again, be patient and let it dry

 

[bucket]

i can get foam from work but i've heard of guys being throwing out of home cause of the mess haha

 

[matt1084]

i must have the best wife ever, i did mine in the lounge room. Got to love a dyson!
For a 4x2x2 id do a lot mor larger ledges and overhangs. if its not going under water, once painted with pondtite throw sand at it on the lawn not lounge room. this gives it an awesome texture.

 

[reptileKev81]

Nice thread! I plan on converting my 3x2x2 fish tank for my beardie when she gets a little bit bigger.
I plan on doing the whole sand dusting thing to give my beardie some grip and traction. What kind of sand are you using? Also, where did u get it from and for how much.

Looking forward to see your follow up pics.

Cheers
Kev

 

[NotoriouS]

That looks great!! Will definitely be trying something similar in the near future! Thanks for putting this up!