# Ribbon Snake Viv Build



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Right, 

I've been bought a Ribbon Snake for Christmas, so another viv build is called for :2thumb:

Now those that have followed my other viv builds will notice that this build is in the "habitat" section, and not the "Planted viv" section. The reasons for this are because this is a small viv (45x45x45 Exo) and I'm going to be heating and lighting it with a 160watt Mega Ray M.V.B. So put the small size, and dry warm conditions together, and this makes keeping plants alive hard. Also I wanted to see if I could make a nice looking viv with fake plants.

Another deviation from the norm for me is this is going to be a "grouted" build, this will be the first time I've used grout, so this will be new territory for me... Wish me luck : victory:

So, Say hello to Sir Lancelot;











He's just had his first Pinky :flrt:

Right, lets get on. 

The first job was to find a tree to hang over the pond I am going to make, so here we have our Root....er Tree;











Next, cut out the shape of the pond using my old favourate, King Span;



















Then put the two together and see how it looks;




























Right, that's all for now, as Inception is on, and I think it will take all my powers of obsivation to follow!!

Jay


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## nogatsira (Jul 9, 2009)

looks like an awesome start


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

nogatsira said:


> looks like an awesome start


Cheers mate,

Next job was to mix up the grout with water and P.V.A, I am using P.V.A as I don't trust the grout not to crack, as it's so watered down, and I'm hopeing the P.V.A will help to hold it together. I am also using "floor tile" grout, as I would hope its stronger than "wall tile" grout.

So here it is, floor grout, (grey) and P.V.A. From good old B&Q;










Mix it in a tub with P.V.A and some water, (water it down enogh so you can paint it on);



















But befor I painted this in to the Kingspan, I started to make my tree look...Well, more tree like.

So I got some fake Ivy from the local garden center, and with some cotton, tied it to the branches;










As you can see, the General had to look it over too;










And then one final check to make sure it fits into the kingspan...Rock;










And then on with the grout;










This is after one coat, I put another two coats on, and then put the tree back in to tighten up the gaps where it fits into the rock. I was going to make it perminent, but then thought it would be better if I can take the tree out to make access to the viv easier.

So here it is in the rock with clingfilm around the bottom to protect it from the grout;










I left the tree in for about 5 hours, and then took it out (just to make sure I could), I left the clingfilm in place over night, the next morning the grout was still wet, I think it will take about a week to set fully : victory:, I should also point out that the grout I used here is not watered down, though there is some P.V.A in it.

So while this is drying, I will make a start on the back wall...

Jay


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Awesome  Looks like you're busy in my absence! hehee


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Saedcantas said:


> Awesome  Looks like you're busy in my absence! hehee


Lol, of course honey bee, see you soon :flrt:

Jay


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## s6t6nic6l (May 15, 2010)

have you dry brushed the rock or has it turned out looking like that anyway?


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

s6t6nic6l said:


> have you dry brushed the rock or has it turned out looking like that anyway?


Not yet, though It has turned out more textured than I thought it would, the effect came about as the last coat was very runny, (the grout in the small round pot in the pic) and seemed to bring more of the P.V.A out, and there for made the last coat lighter than the first two.

I have bought some paints to highlight, but not sure if I'm going to use them yet, I will try them out on a test piece first : victory:

Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

So now all I have to do is make the background....right?....Wrong! It was at this point when I was trying the background in for size, that I realized I'd made a small boo boo... I will come back to that in a bit : victory:

So first off, the background, 4" thick slab of Kingspan;










I made this about 15mm smaller than the back wall of the viv, you will see why later. So I placed this in the viv, and then marked out the bits I wanted to hack out to, A, make room for the tree, and B, give more ground space for the snake;










Now at this point you can see that the pond wall is tight up against the glass on the left, this is good, but as the backing is forcing the tree out of position as I haven't cut it back yet, I didn't notice untill the tree could finially sit in it's correct position, that the branches of the tree touched the glass on the left befor the tree was sitting in the rock properly, and when it was, this forced the rock about 30mm away from the glass...Doh!










This happend because I did all the work cutting out the foam to take the tree outside the viv, and I must have cut it in a way to make the tree lean over to the left more than I antisipated, and I then grouted the foam without checking it first. Lesson of the day, check, check, and double check : victory:

So my options are, cut the branches back, make another pond wall, or fill in the gap. I chose to fill in the gap, so;



















Cover this in grout, place against the glass, and put a bead of silicone around it;



















Fill in with silicone;










Do the same at the other end, and put a line of silicone around the edge of the pond;










When this is dry, apply lashings of silicone to the rock, and stick in place;



















Place the tree back in, and cross your fingers...



















And it fits!!!!!


Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Ok, so that's the pond in place;










Next job, line the bottom with grout, the idea of this so you can't see through the glass floor, and to also create a slope to the front, this will make it easier to syphon the water out for water changes;



















Right, remember the background I was suppoesd to be doing....? Well here it is...I'm afraid I got a bit carried away with the carving befor I remembered to take some pics, but you know how it's done by now...Right?










So here it is, nearly carved out. If you remember, I mentioned about making sure you cut the backing a bit smaller than the size of the viv...Yes? 

Well the reason for this is because I wanted to make some cracks. The problem with trying to "carve" cracks into the background is, you just end up filling them up with grout or paint, or you can't get the paint or grout down into the crack. 

So carve out your background, then cut it into sections, then grout and paint seperateley, this will allow you to create 4" deep cracks that are only a couple of mil wide, so when this is done it will be a little bit bigger than when I started, this is why you have to make it a little smaller at the start : victory:, Well this is the background fully carved out, I have already started grouting the back of it;











Well, that's it for now...


Jay


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

Thats looking really good cant wait to see the finished article!


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

So I coated the foam with two layers of grout, and then steped back to check it out...

Outside the vi;











Inside the viv;











I was hoping it would look ok without paint, but to be honest, it doesn't, it looks like cement!!

So out with the paints;










And a fun new years eve spent painting!!!

So this is what we are after, turning a lump of cement into...Well...Something rock like!











....

Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Right, painting done, well nearly, there will be some touching up to be done later : victory:

So here we go, base coat, grey paint;










Next black;










I put this on a bit too heavy for my liking, you will see in the next pic that it is less pronounced, as I went over it with the first highlighting coat, to make it less bold. I would suggest you only want to put enough on so it can only just be seen : victory:

So, first highlight coat;










And then the final coat;










Ok, we will continue later : victory:

Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

So let's get this bad boy into the viv, first off I put it in, then traced a thin bead of silicone along the edge, when this dried I filled in the rest;










I then cut away the excess silicone from the glass around the pond;










By the way, the grout on the floor here still hasn't dried!!!

Oh well, next, put the backing back in, and then with a felt tip pen, trace around all the edges, then take back out again. Put a thin line of grout along the line;










This is to make sure that the snake can't get down a crack, and then get behind the backing. This may be a little over kill, as I made sure the cracks were very thin, plus I put the sticks like sh*t very close to the edge of each peace, and even then, the backing will be very close to the back glass. I think I'm a little paranoid after my experience with my Hogie :gasp:.

So as I've already said, put plenty of Sticks like... on the back of each piece, then place in the viv, don't press down until all the bits are in place, when you are happy, press down!!

So here it is, in place;











At this point I should point out a little detail I put in, I placed a couple of net curtain hooks at the top of the rock, these will be used to hold up the vines;











Next job, fill in the gaps down the sides with grout;










When this drys, paint as befor, this is the background in and finished;



















The next job will be to put in the decor : victory:

Jay


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## stern69 (Feb 12, 2009)

Chop chop i wanna see this done! Looking awesome so far! I'm not familiar with this particular breed of snake - will this viv be big enough for life or will it need upsizing at a later date?


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

stern69 said:


> Chop chop i wanna see this done! Looking awesome so far! I'm not familiar with this particular breed of snake - will this viv be big enough for life or will it need upsizing at a later date?


Getting there, getting there : victory:

Will have to see how big he gets, I am told he is a male, so should only get to around 24". So it might do him for life.

Ok, substrate, Orchid Bark;











Spagnum Moss:










Coconut hide;










Vines;










Tree;










And finally, moss;




























Say hello to Sir Lancelot:



















I'm not going to put water in the pond just yet, I will give it another week to make sure it's fully set : victory:

I am also still waiting for the Mega Ray to turn up, so more pics to come.

Hope you like, feel free to ask questions.

Jay


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## [email protected] (Sep 6, 2009)

yet another AMAZING viv build Mr Pendragon


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## Caramelsnake (Jun 6, 2010)

Lovely build and lovely snake! Saw the ribbon snakes at the garden centre a few weeks ago and they were gorgeous but boy did they look like they could move fast if they wanted to!


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> yet another AMAZING viv build Mr Pendragon


Cheers Billy : victory:



Caramelsnake said:


> Lovely build and lovely snake! Saw the ribbon snakes at the garden centre a few weeks ago and they were gorgeous but boy did they look like they could move fast if they wanted to!


Thanks, and yup, he is quick, don't put him down...any where, except in a well sealed box : victory:

Good to see another bean on here, there's not that many of us.

Jay


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## Carlos (Jul 28, 2009)

awesum setup matey!!!


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Carlos said:


> awesum setup matey!!!


 
Cheers : victory:

He slept in his hut last night, here he is now peeking out of his pad :flrt:




















Jay


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## [email protected] (Sep 6, 2009)

where do you get the kingspan foam from?


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> where do you get the kingspan foam from?


Hi mate,

You get it from a builders merchants, but it's about £30 for a four by eight foot sheet, However, I get off cuts from my stepdads building jobs : victory:

If I had to buy it, I would try the spaceboard from B&Q, it's £18 for 4x 24"x48" sheets (50mm thick)

I will prob use this when I build my 5' Beardie viv, (viv on order) whatch this space for the best Beardie viv build in the world...Ever...Maybe....:whistling2:

Jay


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## [email protected] (Sep 6, 2009)

cheers  wish i could get scraps like that  but cant wait for this beardie build


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## Trissai (Apr 25, 2010)

Legen...



wait for it.....











Dary!!
Legendary!


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> cheers  wish i could get scraps like that  but cant wait for this beardie build





Trissai said:


> Legen...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


:lol2: Cheers peeps, Just got the price for the viv, £290 :gasp:, well that's my Birthday and Christmas sorted for this year!!

Jay


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

looks the nuts as usual... but £290 for a 5ft viv???


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Meko said:


> looks the nuts as usual... but £290 for a 5ft viv???


It's got this special glass panel instead of the bottom ledge like on normal melamine vivs and it's £40 for the shipping over from the UK apparently.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

if he can make backgrounds he can build a viv!!


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

Meko said:


> if he can make backgrounds he can build a viv!!


Well this is kindof what I'm thinking, but frankly I don't know if we actually have a space large enough in the flat to do it!!! Seems like all these vivs have boxed us in :hmm:


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Meko said:


> looks the nuts as usual... but £290 for a 5ft viv???





Saedcantas said:


> It's got this special glass panel instead of the bottom ledge like on normal melamine vivs and it's £40 for the shipping over from the UK apparently.





Meko said:


> if he can make backgrounds he can build a viv!!





Saedcantas said:


> Well this is kindof what I'm thinking, but frankly I don't know if we actually have a space large enough in the flat to do it!!! Seems like all these vivs have boxed us in :hmm:


Er, carry on you two...

Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Ok, today is the day!!!

Water in;



















Looks good...Yes...Well it did, untill I noticed the water level dropping :lol2:

If you look at the top pic you can see a big crack in the grout, I didn't think it would be a problem as a; the crack probably wouldn't be be that deep. And b; the silicone I used to stick the rock in would hold back any water.

Well it would seem that that isn't the case! Pulling the viv out, and looking up from underneath would suggest that what is going on is the bond between the silicone and the glass is sound, but the bond between the silicone and grout is crap!!

So what I am going to have to do is fill in the crack with grout, and try again.

See you next week :lol2:

Jay


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## Caramelsnake (Jun 6, 2010)

What a pain in the bum! :gasp:

Good luck with round 2 of grouting, looks good otherwise!


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## haunted-havoc (Aug 6, 2009)

if its leaking. maybe try draining it out and drying it out. add a lil grout to cover the crack. then apply g4 on the bits that will be permanently submerged.

dont know how well it will work, but it seems like a pretty standard way of doing it according to other posts


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

haunted-havoc said:


> if its leaking. maybe try draining it out and drying it out. add a lil grout to cover the crack. then apply g4 on the bits that will be permanently submerged.
> 
> dont know how well it will work, but it seems like a pretty standard way of doing it according to other posts


Hi mate, 

I drained it out again straight away, it was a very slow leak, probably would have taken all day to drain out, but there was no point in leaving it, as it has to be fixed.

I have filled the crack with grout, and was thinking about painting PVA on it, though I don't know what it would like like when dry. 

What is G4, I've never heard of it?

Cheers Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Caramelsnake said:


> What a pain in the bum! :gasp:
> 
> Good luck with round 2 of grouting, looks good otherwise!


Cheers mate,

Round 2 is in process : victory:

Jay


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## Lermy (Sep 13, 2010)

nice build you got there, and g4 is pond sealer (paint)


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Lermy said:


> nice build you got there, and g4 is pond sealer (paint)


Right, off to B&Q : victory:

Jay


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## GeckoD (May 30, 2010)

G4is pond sealer, available in a few colors and sized tins its like varnish...strong waterproof and non toxic.


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Right pond, round two!!!

So I filled the cracks with more Grout, and then put two coats of PVA on it;











When It's dry it looks a little shiny, but as it's going to be full of water, you wont notice...Right?










So in goes the water, and you can't see the shine : victory: 



















That's because it's turned White!!

I mean, what the :censor:!!!!

Oh Resin and sand, why did I forsake you for Grout :crazy:

Well the good news is it is now water tight, I left the water in all night, and the level stayed the same : victory:

So out comes the water....Again!! and I repainted the pond, I am now waiting for it to dry, then I will fill it again tomorrow morning!

So tune in for round three : victory:

Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Round three!!

I repainted the pond;










This morning I filled the pond.... Again... With water, and so far so good, it has not turned white again : victory:

The next couple of pics, I took about an hour ago when I got home, and these show the reason why I hate bland sterile vivs, racks, or even worse, RUBs. I know there are a hundred and one reasons for using RUBs, racks, and sterile vivs, but I still can't stand them.

So this is what I came home to, he was hanging about by his pond, waiting for a fish to swim by?





















And then he went for a climb in his Tree;











Jay

Had to edit this pic in, he is now sitting on his basking ledge!!!!! 










I just love it when a plan comes together!

Jay


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## JustJack (Apr 19, 2010)

Aww hes so cute and teeny! How big is he?? Lovely viv to!


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Trootle said:


> Aww hes so cute and teeny! How big is he?? Lovely viv to!


Not sure, I would say about 18 to 20 inches, but as thin as a pencil, I think he is great, full of character, every time you look in the viv he is in a different place : victory:

Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

I got the Mega Ray from Kimbos last week, 160watt M.V.B, but when I fitted it and checked the uvb output, it was showing much higher uv levels than the same bulb I have fitted to my Emerald Swift viv, even though they are the same bulb! This is why you need a uvb meter when you start using M.V.Bs or M.Hs, though you should have one anyway to check output and distances for tubes and compacts too : victory:. So I swapped them over and put the new bulb over the Sceloporus viv, and the older one (Dec 10) over the Ribbon snake viv;










It looked great for a week, but then popped Fri. Night!!! I'm begining to think this viv is jinxed :devil:

I also made another hide for him for the cool side of the viv, well I say I made it, it is actually an Exo terra small hide that I grouted, and then painted to match the rest of the fake rock.










Well that's it Done. Hope you like, and it gives you some ideas : victory:

Jay

Sorry, couldn't resist one last pic of Sir Lancelot;










Jay


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## LostCornSnake (Feb 4, 2010)

Looks great bud he is lucky.

Question though. How come you traced silicone along the edges of the back wall when putting it in? And what you use for sticking it onto the back of the viv?

I'm thinking of doing this with my JCP.


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

LostCornSnake said:


> Looks great bud he is lucky.
> 
> Question though. How come you traced silicone along the edges of the back wall when putting it in? And what you use for sticking it onto the back of the viv?
> 
> I'm thinking of doing this with my JCP.


Hi mate,

I put silicone where the background will go to hide all the glue, and make the viv look neater. You can just smear loads of silicone in the area you want to hide, then put the background in, then use a stanley blade to cut away the silicone that is surplus to requirments, but I find this a teadious task, so I just trace the outline of the backbround in silicone, take it back out, and fill in the rest. When you put the background back in for the final time you will have a perfect outline of silicone, no scraping needed : victory:

I use "sticks like sh*t" to hold things together.

Jay


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Just a quick update, the pond still leaked very slowly, so in the end I lined it with Epoxy Resin, it has now been water tight since Feb. : victory:

Jay


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## Thrasops (Apr 15, 2008)

Another very nice build, your threads never fail to inspire!

Regards,
Francis


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