# My new leo viv



## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Hey guys,

i've finally succumbed to the idea of making my own viv after seeing all your great ideas....and have stolen all extra space round my friends house. So got to try finish it soon :whip:

So i started first building the viv. And with a little help got some nice oak really cheap. Its a 4ft viv 1220x550x500. Please excuse the pictures, their a bit lame! And not quite sure why the first 3 dont come up.

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These used to be T&G oak floorboards, 20mm thick. They had a stain of some sort which i thought looked quite good when given a little sand. Recycle recycle:lol2:

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By this point i had drilled out the air vents and also added the glass runners. The wood got 3 coats of yacht varnish before i put 20mm poly sheets on the back and sides. I stuck them there with a glue gun. Yes a most glorious tool when you use it and leave it standing the right way up:bash:, i left it upside down and spent half an hour digging it out of the trigger.

View attachment 9062


I opted to stick my rocks with cocktail sticks...their defo so much quicker than the glue gun. I work on building sites and managed to get jabblight insulation (think thats how you spell it) for me mountain. The centre piece in the pic looks quite big but also has two hides in the base.









This is the centre piece taken out and with its first coat of grout. Its a bad pic but its actually in 2 pieces, the left hand piece is upside down with the hides visible and grouted. once in the viv one hide is on the cool side and the other on the hot.









Yeah this took me some time, getting grout onto every nook and cranny with brush and fingers. I made the first coat quite thin followed later by 2 thicker coats.























After 3 coats this is what it looks like dry. Im just trying to decide on whether or not to sand the rocks with PVA or Wet System epoxy resin, any ideas? Id prefere to use PVA but wasn't sure how it would last with the little gecks hopefully climbing on them. Actually, im still not sure what sand im going to use either. The light ive got in the at the moment is a 2.0 full spectrum repti tube. Hopefully going to be useful when it comes to putting in the grasses. (thanks jabba).















Ive tried to make the viv as user friendly as i can. I've got the heat mat lead running through a straw to the back so it can be removed and replaced and above that is the hole for the thermostat sensor, its just some 15mm flex plumbing i stole from the plumber at work. There is a second one on the cool side aswell. They all think im mad when i show them what i've done with their materials:crazy:

Thats it for now, Im trying to source some carex weeping bronze sedge and air plants for the rock face, its just time to do it. And also trying to design a moist hide thats going to be covered in substrate, so it looks like a burrow but can somehow be opened to clean and moisten moss and vermiculite. Toying with a few ideas you guys have given me:2thumb:


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## Mirf (May 22, 2008)

Looking really good: victory:

As for sand it depends what colour you're after. Argos' play sand is a very pale @[email protected] colour, focus' on the other hand is quite red.

As for applying it I tend to stick with good old varnish. Sveral coats worth and it sets hard as a rock.


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Mirf said:


> Looking really good: victory:
> 
> As for sand it depends what colour you're after. Argos' play sand is a very pale @[email protected] colour, focus' on the other hand is quite red.
> 
> As for applying it I tend to stick with good old varnish. Sveral coats worth and it sets hard as a rock.


cheers pal, its only after the 3rd coat of grout that i thought it might actually work :lol2:
I did consider varnish but was unsure as i know some matt finishes still have a slight sheen. But will have a look at the sand, maybe even a mixture of the 2?:hmm:


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## Mirf (May 22, 2008)

Bry said:


> cheers pal, its only after the 3rd coat of grout that i thought it might actually work :lol2:
> I did consider varnish but was unsure as i know some matt finishes still have a slight sheen. But will have a look at the sand, maybe even a mixture of the 2?:hmm:


They do indeed, but as long as you don't varnish over the last layer of sand you don't get that problem. It will still dry hard enough to be easily cleaned, but without the sheen.

Mixing different sands is a good idea. It gives a bit of contrast: victory:


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## Alchemy Inc. (Mar 16, 2010)

I'm quite a big fan of this build, but then I am a little biased in my opinion... Looking pretty awesome Bry, can't wait to move it in :2thumb:

Luv ya!


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## Geckofish (Mar 23, 2010)

So Bry,

are there any updates:whistling2:, looking great so far:2thumb:.

Jim


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Geckofish said:


> So Bry,
> 
> are there any updates:whistling2:, looking great so far:2thumb:.
> 
> Jim


Ha ha, alright geckofish,

yes indeed, will try get the photo's loaded up soon!


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Ok, cool...progression.

After waiting 3 weeks instead on 1 i managed to get hold of my glass for the viv...and it fit:2thumb: I've got 4mm glass, toughened and had the edges polished. It cost a little more but think it was worth it. I've got a friend who sanded down his own....sod that!

So what i wanted to do was to build a moist hide that was under the substrate and with an opening that resembles a burrow. I had loads of grout and foam left and made use of it!

First i stuck two 50mm sheets of foam together with cocktail sticks and then used a drill and hole saw to drill out a tunnel. I drilled right down the middle of the two sheets and out through one side, so if you took them apart you would have 2 halves of a hole. After, i scraped down all the excess foam leaving just the tunnel.: victory:


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

After separating the two halves i grouted the inside of the moulds (hole), 3 coats in total.


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Please excuse the pictures...me and technology aint a match made in heaven, lol. After the 3rd coat of grout had dried i then scraped down as much of the remaining foam till i was left with just two grouted halves. I stuck em together, grouted the outside and voila, something that looks really suspicious .
:whistling2: would have more pics but having trouble loading photos


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Now i did think about using a marg tub as the moist hide as it would help to increase and hold the moisture well. However i was not too sure how to connect the tunnel to it. I opted to make the moist hide out foam and grout aswell. its water proof and providing i moisten the vermiculite or moss every couple days it should be alright.

As a lid i will be using rose slate and this will be the primary rock in the viv. I think this would be the best solution as the tunnel will be submersed in the substrate.


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## xautomaticflowersx (Sep 7, 2009)

Looking great so far! Keep up the good work. : victory:


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

xautomaticflowersx said:


> Looking great so far! Keep up the good work. : victory:


Thanks, getting there at snails pace. I had no idea how addictive reptile keeping could become.:lol2:


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

*A little further on.*

I've got the rocks sanded, and also the entrance to the burrow. Originally i wanted to use PVA to stick the sand but went with varnish in the end. Suggested by Mirf :notworthy:, im sure it will give a more durable finish...the only prob is the smell, man that stuffs strong.

Does anyone know roughly how long it will take to clear?

The substrate is in and looks great. Being a fan of Lucky reptile i used their desert bedding. Its quite dark when it first comes out the packet but is gradually getting lighter as it dries out....im just hoping the humidity drops a little as its 75% at the mo. Here's a pic of the moist hide buried in. 















The grass you can see is a Carex frosted curls sadge. They grow to around 40cm high with a 65cm spread which is quite large for the tank, but i dont think they will get that big. Its not an ideal plant but what i had at my disposal at the time. I've split a couple of the clumps to fit them in better...kinda hacked at the root system a bit so hope they make it.


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## beardie&crestielover (Feb 20, 2010)

Bry said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> i've finally succumbed to the idea of making my own viv after seeing all your great ideas....and have stolen all extra space round my friends house. So got to try finish it soon :whip:
> 
> ...


looking goood


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## cacoonkitty (Aug 10, 2008)

has grouting it made the viv reeeeealy heavy?? i did want to do this but was concerned it would be too heavy..it would be for a 5 foot viv after all....how big is the one you have??? look fantastick by the way..ho do you intend to clean the moist hide and has it got a roof??? like a fake rock above it or something?? great idea..im jelouse..even tho i dont have cresties..it would be great for nephrurus too( nob tails)


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Hey mate,

Looking good, let us know how that Carex does : victory:

Jay

P.S. this should be in the "planted" section.


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

beardie&crestielover said:


> looking goood


Thanks!



cacoonkitty said:


> has grouting it made the viv reeeeealy heavy?? i did want to do this but was concerned it would be too heavy..it would be for a 5 foot viv after all....how big is the one you have??? look fantastick by the way..ho do you intend to clean the moist hide and has it got a roof??? like a fake rock above it or something?? great idea..im jelouse..even tho i dont have cresties..it would be great for nephrurus too( nob tails)


Hey, surprisingly its not that heavy. The heaviest thing is prob the substate. I've got about around 11 ltr of desert bedding there. And prob around 7.5 kg of grout. Are you custom making the viv? Id imagine it would weigh more if you built it with something like MDF. Sounds great, id love a 5ft viv but would prob have to live in there myself as i dont have much room :lol2: The viv is 4ft/2ft/2.5ft. Tried to make it quite deep.

I will be able to spot clean the viv by taking off the rose slate roof and will just have to bite my lip and dig it up for a full clean once in a while. There are pics of the rock lid up the page. : victory:





Pendragon said:


> Hey mate,
> 
> Looking good, let us know how that Carex does : victory:
> 
> ...


Hi jay, well im sure you will be seeing some similarities between my tank and yours :lol2:. And i've just got my 3 blue nightlight LED's. 

Have you ever tried a ceramic heater in a dome hood? Sorry cant remember what you have heatwise in your tanks. I've just set up my heating and managed to burn out an exo ceramic bulb in one day....bit pricy. Its an exo terra 100watt ceramic bulb, in a lucky reptile thermo socket + reflector, running through a lucky reptile thermo control 11. Any advice would be superb. 

And will put a little write up in the planted section, :2thumb: how are your carex doing now?


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

And just a couple pics to show roughly what the finished product looks like...i cant wait to put the geckos in, lol and pray they actually climb over the rocks.

You will see that there is an infa red bulb in there at the mo, its only till i sort out a new ceramic heater. Im also in the process of making some brackets for me new nightlights, but will go into lighting and heating in my next post :whistling2:


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Bry said:


> Hi jay, well im sure you will be seeing some similarities between my tank and yours :lol2:. And i've just got my 3 blue nightlight LED's.
> 
> Have you ever tried a ceramic heater in a dome hood? Sorry cant remember what you have heatwise in your tanks. I've just set up my heating and managed to burn out an exo ceramic bulb in one day....bit pricy. Its an exo terra 100watt ceramic bulb, in a lucky reptile thermo socket + reflector, running through a lucky reptile thermo control 11. Any advice would be superb.
> 
> And will put a little write up in the planted section, :2thumb: how are your carex doing now?


Similarities...No...Didn't notice a thing...:whistling2:

Looks real nice, I just wish I had the space to fit a viv of that size. 

I'm not a real fan of ceramics, I like to try and recreate the real world, so I prefer my heat and light to be the same source, though with planted vivs I am now appreciating the need for a more gental heat, (mats, cables) as they tend not to burn the plants, (especially in tropical vivs). So I can't help you with your ceramic problem I'm afraid.

My Carex is doing fine, the oldest grass has been in my Beardie viv for over 18 months now, but I have gone for the more hardy type, I have started to post bi monthly updates of my vivs so people can see what works and what doesn't. (though not of my beardie viv) The next updates will be in May : victory:. But I am interested in seeing how your Carex does.

Keep the updates coming : victory:

Good luck

Jay


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## Mirf (May 22, 2008)

It looks fantastic Bry!

I love your design for the moist hide, that's given me an idea for my Uro viv.:flrt:


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Mirf said:


> It looks fantastic Bry!
> 
> I love your design for the moist hide, that's given me an idea for my Uro viv.:flrt:


Cheers Mirf, lol making the tunnel was prob the only original idea i had. Have fun with it!


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Mirf said:


> It looks fantastic Bry!
> 
> I love your design for the moist hide, that's given me an idea for my Uro viv.:flrt:


I thought you liked "my" idea for a hide, are you two timing me :devil:

:lol2:

Jay


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## Bry (Jan 21, 2010)

Pendragon said:


> I thought you liked "my" idea for a hide, are you two timing me :devil:
> 
> :lol2:
> 
> Jay


:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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