# Lygodactylus Williamsi Live Planted Build With Foam Background



## WhiteTshirtRich (Feb 15, 2013)

Hi everyone,


A few months ago I started a fake background build for a Lygodactylus Williamsi, this was my first attempt at one of these and it’s now finished!


I’m going to go through everything step by step in a lot of detail – trying to answer all the questions I had a few months ago. So here’s goes from the start …




​ After rounding up a lot of what I needed. The first thing to do was the silicon background. This does two things, its gives a better base for the foam to stick to and it also creates a black background so when you look in from the outside you can’t see the foam. For this reason I got black silicon. It is also important that the silicon is aquarium safe. Here’s a link to the stuff I used. This job got really messy and I recommend wearing gloves and a mask due to the fumes of silicon. I ended up doing a few layers to ensure there were no holes. This, plus all the silicon for the rest of the project, needed 3 tubes of silicon.




​ Once this is dry, the expanding foam can be added (I got this from Wickes and only needed one can). I attached a branch at this stage and other decoration can be stuck to the wall as well. I created vines using pipe cleaners, silicon and soil. A plant pot can also be stuck into the foam at this point.





​ 
For the next stage it is important that the soil is completely dry to ensure it sticks properly, if it’s slightly wet it will come straight off. I learnt this lesson the hard way :whistling2:. I used plantation soil, this requires water to expand, it will then need to be left to dry for well over a week in a warm place. I only expanded it after I had done the foam so I had to wait ages before it was dry and ready to apply – I was impatient and can confirm that if you put in on wet it doesn’t stick!!! So it’s a good idea to expand the soil way before starting a project like this to allow it to dry properly. Once dry it can be added to the expanding foam via a layer of silicon. 


 ​ The background is now complete! YAY!


To create a live planted terrarium for Lygodactylus Williamsi I needed a drainage layer to prevent the plants being drowned. This can be done many ways. I used clay hydro balls due to their light weight but gravel would achieve the same effect. Some people add a siphon at the very start of the process in the silicon however I am planning on using a turkey blaster to remove excess water because it has to be done so infrequently.


On top on the drainage layer goes an impermeable layer like weed blocker. Soil then tops this layer. Everyone seems to have their own soil mixes, I used a mixture of roughly 2 parts plantation soil, 2 parts compost to 1 part orchid bark. It seems to be working well.


​ I’m no expert in different types of plants and ended up buying a variety pack of plants from Dart Frog. They sent me a climber, a bromeliad and a couple more. 










This looked quite bare so I added an Orchid and some _Ficus benjamina _to provide a bit more cover for the gecko.


And here are some pictures of the little guys.


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

Tank looks great, I really need to try and do a foam background one day

Also do you know the name of the big plant in the bottom left in the 6th pic?
I bought one for my GTP setup and have no clue what the name actually is:blush:


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## WhiteTshirtRich (Feb 15, 2013)

Thanks,

It's a Bear Paws Fern (_Phlebodium aureum) _mine hasn't really taken off yet but it should grow quite big


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Great start


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## Archibaldinho (Apr 23, 2013)

Little one still doing well, Rich?

Good setup and post :2thumb:


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## WhiteTshirtRich (Feb 15, 2013)

Thanks Colin,

Yeah doing really well. In the process of building the next tank, only done the silicon so far though


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## MrHobbsReptileMan (Dec 25, 2014)

Awesome, hopefully ill get around to doing this for my geckos and anoles


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## Grimble76 (Mar 11, 2015)

Had a good read through this as I'm hoping to start mine later on this coming week.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

The bromeliad should be mounted high up on the background as it is an epiphyte and needs hight light as it looks like neoregelia fireball. Also the phlebodium will also grow well epiphytically as its rhizomes will attach themselves to the background and frond will grow from them. Plus i'd get rid of the dracaena compacta, it will eventually outgrow the vivarium. Better kept as a house plant really.


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## WhiteTshirtRich (Feb 15, 2013)

Grimble76 - Good luck! I'm happy to answer any questions you might have 

Papa Mcknight - Thanks for your post, it's really useful and interesting. (**Disclaimer: I did say I knew nothing about plants  - but keen to learn!)

You're right, the Brom is a fireball. Is it now too late to move it higher as it's been in there for 4 months now and is just starting to show hints of red?

Yeah I realised the fern should have been planted higher, I wish I had put a plant pot high on the right hand side of the background.

At the moment the dracaena is just filling space and providing cover for the gecko. Is it best to remove it now? Or can I remove it when it becomes too big?

I will try and post some more pics this afternoon with the current plants etc. Any help is appreciated, especially as I'm building the second one at the moment.


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

It's never too late to reposition the brom. You can have one on deaths door, put it in the right conditions and within weeks you'll have two pups emerging. If you have a look at my thread, once they're up the top they'll be a completely different colour. I started with four fireballs at the top of my viv and now it's crowded haha.

Personally i'd remove it but if the gecko likes it I might keep it there for the time being


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## WhiteTshirtRich (Feb 15, 2013)

Cool, I will move it. Any tips attaching it to the background/branch?

Okay I may replace it with something.

Cheers


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## Papa Mcknight (Feb 3, 2014)

If the brom still has a hard bit of stolon at its base you can simply push it into your background, some people use toothpicks to keep it in place till it anchors itself to the background.


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