# Desert Vivariums Please...



## Phantasmagoria (May 27, 2013)

...I need ideas... 

So I love natural vivariums, but im finding it hard to decide on a natural vivarium for my beardies, there are many beautiful desert vivariums on google but they all have either cacti or aloe Type plants, plants don't do well in Beardie vivs thanks to them being omnivores :2wallbang:

And all the Beardie vivs I've seen dont fit my taste 

^ Im with perfectionist ^

I've been thinking of a 'dead' scene with large rock cliffs and dead plants (I have a lot of dead plants lying around :whistling2: I also like the cracked mud approach, I saw Hades Dragons' one and it was awesome :notworthy:

So I may steal that.. Anway, I digress (as always)
Can you show me pics of your natural desert vivs? It doesn't have to be for beardies I'm just looking for things to steal :devil:

Cheers, 
Alex


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

what about a rose of jericho


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## caen (May 11, 2013)

look at the picture posts:2thumb:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

One I'm currently working on...














































There's more links in my sig.


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## Phantasmagoria (May 27, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> what about a rose of jericho


Will beardies not eat em?


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## Phantasmagoria (May 27, 2013)

tomcannon said:


> One I'm currently working on...
> 
> image
> 
> ...


:gasp::gasp::gasp::gasp:

Although I'm not a fan of fake rock walls, this looks exceptional.. 
Don't you hate it when you don't like a genre of music and then a song comes in and blows that mindset away..? 

That just happened to me :whistling2: (with fake rock, not music)

I'm thinking of doing a clay background? Or something, maybe I'll just do a foam one and then Pva sand to it? I was then also thinking of hide ideas and since my beardies are German giants ill need a big hide, and I remember reading a thread the other day (the zoo one) and there was a cricket exhibit/Viv that had a sort of cave...see what im getting at? :devil:

Oh and Tom, how the F£&@ did u get the cracked mud effect? Is it in your thread?


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Phantasmagoria said:


> :gasp::gasp::gasp::gasp:
> 
> Although I'm not a fan of fake rock walls, this looks exceptional..
> Don't you hate it when you don't like a genre of music and then a song comes in and blows that mindset away..?
> ...


Cheers pal, I am rather happy with it. Unfortunately I have no space for it so it will be sold, when I finally finish it! 

I haven't worked with clay much but I do plan to incorporate it in my next build in my 6x2x2. Foam and then sand stuck on wont be strong enough, their claws will dig in and rip the foam to shreds, it needs to be rock solid so plenty of layers of grout/cement, then sand if you wanted. 

I like the idea of a visible hide/cave, just difficult if it ever comes to having to get in there to clean or remove something unless its somehow removable. 

The cracked mud effect is in the thread somewhere, not sure in how much detail. It was quite simple really. Firstly I painted a dark brown coat of grout, I then poured an extremely thick layer of sandstone grout over this, while it was drying I carved the cracks in it, the dark brown then shows through. It was more of an idea and I didn't think it would work and thought I'd be grouting over it but luckily it looks pretty decent. 

Hope all that helps, feel free to pick my brains any more if needed.


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## Phantasmagoria (May 27, 2013)

tomcannon said:


> Cheers pal, I am rather happy with it. Unfortunately I have no space for it so it will be sold, when I finally finish it!
> 
> I haven't worked with clay much but I do plan to incorporate it in my next build in my 6x2x2. Foam and then sand stuck on wont be strong enough, their claws will dig in and rip the foam to shreds, it needs to be rock solid so plenty of layers of grout/cement, then sand if you wanted.
> 
> ...


Sounds like I need to hit the research! :whistling2:
I would take it off your hands but I need two, one for each male.. :whistling2:

I will steal bits off yours and the other guy that featured your inspiration (saying copying sounded too harsh :3 (lewkini or sommit) :devil:
I may also add my own 'theme' of alien (I love those films), and yes, I have realised that it wouldn't be natural but I can make it look so (I'm quite the artist you know)

Thanks Tom, and don't worry, brain picking is another art of mine, the other being a perfectionist and digressing alot.. :whistling2:

Cheers :2thumb: 
Alex


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## paultys (Oct 27, 2013)

tomcannon said:


> One I'm currently working on...
> 
> image
> 
> ...


I know this is an old one, but how did you create the dried mud effect, it looks great.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

paultys said:


> I know this is an old one, but how did you create the dried mud effect, it looks great.


I just happened to stumble upon this post. I know this too is now old but I have liked it so you'll get a notification. I've explained how I did it a few posts up. There may be more detail in the thread I made for this build (seen here). 

Hope that helps. I wander if the OP ever made their background? I'll like a post of his too to get his attention!


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## paultys (Oct 27, 2013)

tomcannon said:


> I just happened to stumble upon this post. I know this too is now old but I have liked it so you'll get a notification. I've explained how I did it a few posts up. There may be more detail in the thread I made for this build (seen here).
> 
> Hope that helps. I wander if the OP ever made their background? I'll like a post of his too to get his attention!


Brilliant thankyou, so it was just thick grout that you carved. I had imagined some quick drying process caused the cracks to form naturally. Looks very good. Thankyou


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

paultys said:


> Brilliant thankyou, so it was just thick grout that you carved. I had imagined some quick drying process caused the cracks to form naturally. Looks very good. Thankyou


I tried to quick dry with a heat gun but it had limited effect so just got carving!


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

tomcannon said:


> One I'm currently working on...
> 
> image
> 
> ...


Another amazing viv Tom!

My desert viv isnt half as impressive but here ...








One of my main focuses in here is to have the sand be fully accessible as Bella loves to bury herself. Sometimes you can see where she is but others you need to poke about to feel her. lol.
The background was almost just a recoat of the original exo terra background she had because it was looking a bit sad, so is not very impressive


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

Just realised how old this thread was, lol. Nevermind


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Fizz said:


> Just realised how old this thread was, lol. Nevermind


I had rejuvenated it earlier to answer a question so all good! Your one looks good and much less of a headache!


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