# A/CWD Viv build, another fake rock background



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok, so I have decided to buld myself a vivarium out of and old pine wardrobe/chest of drawers for either an Australian or Chinese Water Dragon depending on whats available on completion.

Most parts have been ordered to transform the wardrobe into a viv and today I started on the fake wall/water pool.

Here are a few pics of the work I got done today, I'm awaiting a pump and fogger to create a water fall at the left side of the pool hense why that area is less built up. Sorry about quality, phone pics.

I will be continuing to add to this thread as work continues, just thought I'd see what everyone thinks so far.

Many Thanks, Tom.


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## Carlos (Jul 28, 2009)

looking a reali good start that matey...


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

good luck mate, looks good so far. just make sure the cupboard is safe as pine can be toxic to reps... not always, but its worth checking out...:2thumb:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

NicolasB said:


> good luck mate, looks good so far. just make sure the cupboard is safe as pine can be toxic to reps... not always, but its worth checking out...:2thumb:


I am going to be sanding it all down and re-varnishing before putting the fake rock in to ensure it can take the humidity and wet conditions, so that should be fine, no?!

Aslong as its sealed with a few layers the type of wood underneath shouldnt be an issue should it?

Cheers, again.


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

tomcannon said:


> I am going to be sanding it all down and re-varnishing before putting the fake rock in to ensure it can take the humidity and wet conditions, so that should be fine, no?!
> 
> Aslong as its sealed with a few layers the type of wood underneath shouldnt be an issue should it?
> 
> Cheers, again.


you quite right mate, it shouldnt make a difference, but for example pine and cedar shavings are a big no no for reps due the toxicity levels, but im sure once you have given it a good few coats it should be sound mate...

All the best and post pics when its done! :2thumb:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Unfortunately the pump did not come today and as i cannot find the external measurements anywhere online i cant start on the left hand side waterfall/draining plug/fogger area except for making sure the pond floor is flat in that area. I therefore decided to start on the grouting to give me an indication of what it was going to look like with some colour, although im not going for a final red colour it was just so I could see where I had grouted.

I also installed it in the viv just to check measurements were all good so far, which they were however ive decided there is far too much wood on show at the top and will be extending the fake wall also the viv will have a top and bottom lip for the sliders and just to hide ugly bits!

That's all for now folks, hopefully pump will arrive tomorrow and I can get on with that side and filling gaps with expanding foam then a few more layers of grout!

Tom.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Right then, so i spent the last 5 hours ish out in the baking sun and the outcome was more than a rather red back! :devil:

I started by cutting the hole for the drain, which fits nice and snug so thats all good and sectioned off the two areas, 1 for the pump (yellow) and the second for the two foggers (blue). I then built up the supporting wall for the base of the waterfall.

Top view










And again










I then built up the waterfall base which will fit snugly on to the supports and makes it easy to remove and access the pump/foggers/drain etc.

Below is a pic of said waterfall base, showing the underneath so you can see how its built up and all the piping for the wiring and the water pipe.










Finally, the last two pics are of the waterfall base upon its support and how it will kind of look.



















Just need to add some fake rock bits to it so it doesnt look so man made and actually like a waterfall.

Here is also a video of it fitting together (if the link works).




Thanks, Tom.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Done a fair bit more the last two days. Below are some pics after adding the left wall and building it up a little and also after applying expanding foam to fill in the gaps.




























Since these pictures I have shaved down the expanding foam and given it all its second layer of grout, thicker this time, but havent got pictures of this yet as I wanted to get inside to watch England lose! HAHA

Cheers all, Tom.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Pictures of how it all is now, expanding foam shaved and it's second layer of grout, coming along nicely I think, smoothed off the right pond area as it would have been far too difficult to seal properly before with all the gaps and crevisses (excuse spelling on that one!). 

Hope you all like, any suggestions anyone?
































































Cheers, Tom.


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Looking good, will you be able to fill it outside the viv to check it for leaks? This could save you alot of messing about later on if you suddenly find a pool of water on your carpet..Lol 

Jay


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Pendragon said:


> Looking good, will you be able to fill it outside the viv to check it for leaks? This could save you alot of messing about later on if you suddenly find a pool of water on your carpet..Lol
> 
> Jay


Haha, that would be annoying, it will be tested for leaks outside the viv yes, luckily it just slots in. I'm thinking of giving it a quick test after the grouting just to make sure im happy with the waterfall and all. I dont want to go through the effort of epoxy'ing and the days of waiting to find out the waterfall doesnt even work!

Tom.


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

looks like alot of hard work has gone into this, well done.....it looks great: victory:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

ch4dg said:


> looks like alot of hard work has gone into this, well done.....it looks great: victory:


Cheers pal, much appreciated, it has been hard work but it will so be worth it. I couldnt leave this post without praising yourself on the stuff you've done, top notch work! I especially liked the JP logo.

Tom.


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

tomcannon said:


> Haha, that would be annoying, it will be tested for leaks outside the viv yes, luckily it just slots in. I'm thinking of giving it a quick test after the grouting just to make sure im happy with the waterfall and all. I dont want to go through the effort of epoxy'ing and the days of waiting to find out the waterfall doesnt even work!
> 
> Tom.


Just to let you know that the grout will take over a week to dry, so don't fill it with water too soon : victory:

Jay


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

tomcannon said:


> Cheers pal, much appreciated, it has been hard work but it will so be worth it. I couldnt leave this post without praising yourself on the stuff you've done, top notch work! I especially liked the JP logo.
> 
> Tom.


cheers: victory:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Pendragon said:


> Just to let you know that the grout will take over a week to dry, so don't fill it with water too soon : victory:
> 
> Jay


Cheers for that, I had a look today and it was certainly still wet to say the least in areas! I will be leaving it for at least a week anyway as I will be too busy unfortunately.

Tom.


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## Iguanaquinn (Nov 13, 2010)

Getting on this thread... I like the waterfalls....


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## iDomino (Apr 23, 2011)

i plan on doing something similar one my wd is big enough to take its devider out of the viv


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## xxx-dztini-xxx (May 12, 2009)

its loooking gooood! looking forward to seeing this progress!!

im getting a chinese water dragon soon too :2thumb:


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## dinostore (Feb 23, 2011)

awesome


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok, so I havent updated for a fair while, I unfortunately busted my ankle a few weeks back so I've been in plaster and work has been slow. I've managed a small update, another two layers of grout, the second with sand and small stones incorporated to give a rougher surface and a better textured look.

So the pics... You can see how the sand makes the surface look more realistic and how it looks even better once I sanded it down as you can see later on in the pics.













































































































And finally, the rather dodgily shaped pond rock!



















So thats it so far...

Tomorrow I'm hoping for a test run, just to check for any major leaks (I know it wont be waterproof) and to check if the waterfall works and also to mark the water line for painting. I shall try and get a video of this if I get around to it. Then were almost there, a few layers of paint and some dry brushing and then finally the sealing with G4.

I do have a question which hopefully someone can answer for me, I understand that usually a vent is required lower down in the viv aswell as the top to aid in circulation, is that so important for water dragons as they like the humidity? I have two large vents for the top, just wasnt sure whether that would suffice or if i should install a thin slit vent at the bottom below where the glass runner will be. Hope that makes sense? All info is appreciated guys.

Tom.


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

its looking ace: victory:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

*Video*

I managed to get a quick video of the test water run today, I did talk a little explaining the plans but im an idiot and covered the mic with my finger half way through so you cant hear me! Anyway, all was successful, I need to do a few small mods:

1.Mount the misters a little higher as their submerged too deep.

2.Expand the waterfall lip out in a few areas as the water doesnt 'fall' off the lip quite as I want it too.

You can see that there is a slight leak where the plug is placed but this was expected, I only sealed the plug in yesterday with NON-waterproof sealant and one layer of grout so I'm not at all suprised it leaked. I was expecting more leaks to be fair but I only left the water in for 5 mins as I figured this would be long enough to detect if there were major leaks, anything else would be sorted once sealed with G4 anyway.

Please let me know what you think, I relish constructive critisism!



Tom


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## Skorge (Apr 22, 2011)

Looks lovely mate, I am currently building a large waterfall and I really can't wait to get that finished. I think I will crack on with it now as you have inspired me lol

Dan


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Skorge said:


> Looks lovely mate, I am currently building a large waterfall and I really can't wait to get that finished. I think I will crack on with it now as you have inspired me lol
> 
> Dan


Haha, cheers pal, I am really happy with it overall, i expected more leakage so that was brilliant, once i emptied it I lifted the whole thing up expecting at least a small puddle but it was bone dry under there so just a little leak by the plug in all. Filling it up and seeing the result has given me a new lease of life to get it done, It looks so good, much better in person too, doesnt look deep there at all but the waters about 2 inches deep, maybe more below the waterfall.

Tom.


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## erosa713 (Apr 30, 2011)

im also in the middle of making a water fall for my cwd's , and tips or things to watchout for ?

btw the set-up is looking good , real realistic


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

erosa713 said:


> im also in the middle of making a water fall for my cwd's , and tips or things to watchout for ?
> 
> btw the set-up is looking good , real realistic


Uuum not really, touch wood all has gone as planned so far. I guess I would say be patient, I've given my grout at least 3 days to dry between each coat, sometimes up to a week, and it has had 4 coats, it may not be necessary but it has certainly worked for me. Also one niggle I found is if your planning on making a removable part (like my waterfall piece) be aware that adding grout will reduce the gap between fitments and the piece may not fit as well or as neatly after a few coats.

A place where I got a lot of inspiration and tips was lizard-landscapes.com. His waterfalls are ace. Have a look there.

Thanks for all the comments so far guys! : victory:

Tom.


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## erosa713 (Apr 30, 2011)

thanks ima check them out , right now i got the basic structure and 3 layers of grout , im worried about sealing it ? ch4dg told me to get some g4 pond sealer to seal it so thats is my next move for now , i plan on having 1 main waterfall and the i want to add a circulation pump to have a second waterfall a lil higher then the first one , but im having a problem at the testing stage of the circulation pump lol the prob is the water doesnt seem to be flowing up the tube fast enough :censor: lol ima pick up a bigger tube but im not sure if that would work lol 
heres a pic the second waterfall is about 16 inches high


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

erosa713 said:


> thanks ima check them out , right now i got the basic structure and 3 layers of grout , im worried about sealing it ? ch4dg told me to get some g4 pond sealer to seal it so thats is my next move for now , i plan on having 1 main waterfall and the i want to add a circulation pump to have a second waterfall a lil higher then the first one , but im having a problem at the testing stage of the circulation pump lol the prob is the water doesnt seem to be flowing up the tube fast enough :censor: lol ima pick up a bigger tube but im not sure if that would work lol
> heres a pic the second waterfall is about 16 inches high
> image


Bigger tube? As in thicker? That would decrease pressure and therefore also speed, you want a thinner tube to increase the pressure, either that or a more powerful pump. 

Tom


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## erosa713 (Apr 30, 2011)

thats what i thought to thats y i bought the small tube but i guess ima have to buy a new pump :bash: i was just playing with it and if i curl up the tube a lil it seems to flow ok but not how i want it lol , i guess ima have to figure something out since theres no turning back now lol 
thanks


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

What pump are you using at the moment?

Tom.


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## erosa713 (Apr 30, 2011)

for the bottompart ima use a fishtank filter , and i picked up a repti flo 200 circulation pump , but i think ima have to take it back and get a bigger one , any ideas?


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

erosa713 said:


> for the bottompart ima use a fishtank filter , and i picked up a repti flo 200 circulation pump , but i think ima have to take it back and get a bigger one , any ideas?


Ye, I'd say so. The pump I'm using is either a 250 or 300 and that's fine although doesn't have to move as high as yours. I do have a spare used 500 around if your interested? I'd have to give it a quick test but I'm sure it's working fine, it's a nice small one too. I could even test it with a certain length tube to make sure it'll work for you. Just let me know if your interested and I'll dig it out. 

Tom.


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## erosa713 (Apr 30, 2011)

that would be great , but im from new york , how would we do this ?


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

erosa713 said:


> that would be great , but im from new york , how would we do this ?


Aaah, well in that case it would be pointless unfortunately unless you want to pay about 3 times the amount its worth in postage! Either that or you can pay for me to fly over and i'll drop it off to you personally! :whistling2:

Shame, its no use to me! 

Tom.


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## erosa713 (Apr 30, 2011)

:rotfl:Aaah, well in that case it would be pointless unfortunately unless you want to pay about 3 times the amount its worth in postage! Either that or you can pay for me to fly over and i'll drop it off to you personally! :whistling2:

Shame, its no use to me! 

Tom.


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

looks great....one step closer :2thumb:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

ch4dg said:


> looks great....one step closer :2thumb:


Cheers mate, how's T-Rex going? Still waiting patiently for that vid!

Tom.


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

tomcannon said:


> Cheers mate, how's T-Rex going? Still waiting patiently for that vid!
> 
> Tom.


ok..slow, but i've been to ill to do anything with it,

but its all been sealed and i've tested the water waterpool and no leaks so far the waters been in there just over 24hrs.

but i dont know where my pump is (i think i stuck it in a bag with all the tubing and stuff and the gf threw it out by mistake:devil


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

ch4dg said:


> ok..slow, but i've been to ill to do anything with it,
> 
> but its all been sealed and i've tested the water waterpool and no leaks so far the waters been in there just over 24hrs.
> 
> but i dont know where my pump is (i think i stuck it in a bag with all the tubing and stuff and the gf threw it out by mistake:devil


Ah man gutted about the pump, typical! Hope you start feeling better soon. Like I was saying to erosa, I have a pump lying around somewhere If you want it?

Tom.


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

tomcannon said:


> Ah man gutted about the pump, typical! Hope you start feeling better soon. Like I was saying to erosa, I have a pump lying around somewhere If you want it?
> 
> Tom.


cheers, i'm on the mend now so hopefully i will get it sorted asap

yeah i saw the post but didnt wanna ask if erosa's having it but how powerful is it?
i need it to go bout 20 to 30 inches high either vertically or curled


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

ch4dg said:


> cheers, i'm on the mend now so hopefully i will get it sorted asap
> 
> yeah i saw the post but didnt wanna ask if erosa's having it but how powerful is it?
> i need it to go bout 20 to 30 inches high either vertically or curled


I'm pretty sure it's a 500 but I would have to check, unfortunately it's at my parents so I'll have a look when I'm there in a few days. Ive got some spare hosing which fits perfectly to these pumps so I'll have a go at pumping what 30 inches up and I'll let you know too. If alls good then im sure we can come to an arrangement!

Tom


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

tomcannon said:


> I'm pretty sure it's a 500 but I would have to check, unfortunately it's at my parents so I'll have a look when I'm there in a few days. Ive got some spare hosing which fits perfectly to these pumps so I'll have a go at pumping what 30 inches up and I'll let you know too. If alls good then im sure we can come to an arrangement!
> 
> Tom


yeah thats cool, i'm in no rush at the mo.

but i have an outlet at 10(inches) and one at 24 gostraight up but if it works better i have plenty of room to curl the tubing

but if it works that'll be great: victory:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

ch4dg said:


> but i have an outlet at 10(inches) and one at 24 gostraight up but if it works better i have plenty of room to curl the tubing


Sorry, I dont get what you mean by this bit?! Do you just want me to test if it will pump 30 inches up, that way it will definetly do anything less anyway?

Tom.


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

tomcannon said:


> Sorry, I dont get what you mean by this bit?! Do you just want me to test if it will pump 30 inches up, that way it will definetly do anything less anyway?
> 
> Tom.


sorry, on my first set up... it had a 'T' shape connection so it split into two different directions going to two different waterfalls....dont know if that made anymore sense but...

yeah that'll be great it only has to pump up to 24inches as thats the highest it needs to go


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

ch4dg said:


> sorry, on my first set up... it had a 'T' shape connection so it split into two different directions going to two different waterfalls....dont know if that made anymore sense but...
> 
> yeah that'll be great it only has to pump up to 24inches as thats the highest it needs to go


Ahh I get you now. Cool, I'll have a look and test to 25 inches and get back to you.

Tom.


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