# Beardie Viv Build and Background



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

Well guys. i finally managed to take some pics as the viv is as the moment. still t a quite a bit to do yet so will keep you all posted. but heres some pics so far!


----------



## bumbleyjoe (Feb 5, 2010)

looking good so far!


----------



## chantelle (Apr 8, 2010)

lookin good so far :2thumb:
cant wait to see it when its finished


----------



## wayne the pain (Dec 28, 2007)

That looks great :2thumb:


----------



## bry rose (Apr 3, 2010)

looking great so far mate :2thumb:


----------



## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Looking good hun!! You gonna put a sky in there?? Something like this?? It will make your background really stand out especially if your going for a rocky theme.


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

yeh i got a desert background on its way to stick behind the false one. and i was thinkin about painting the top blue for sky etc


----------



## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

thething84 said:


> yeh i got a desert background on its way to stick behind the false one. and i was thinkin about painting the top blue for sky etc



Yeah with those desert backgrounds hunny make sure you varnish over it cos I use to have those backgrounds in my viv and the UV destroyed them! They started to bleach out the colour. Just slap a few coats of varnish over it and hopefully it will last ages!.


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

ah ok. cheers for that. although hopefully shouldn't be to bad a i plan on puttin the uvb strip just above the shelf..


----------



## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

thething84 said:


> ah ok. cheers for that. although hopefully shouldn't be to bad a i plan on puttin the uvb strip just above the shelf..


Hey hun,

I had my 10% uv strip on the roof of the viv and it still damaged the paper backgrounds because they are simply made out of paper and don't have any special printed ink. My hubby said there is a UV protector rattle can spray that you can buy from like halfords or the net.

Just don't want your lovely viv to get spoiled in a few months after all the hard work you've put into it :blush:


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

cheers. cool. i will look into it!


----------



## faceplant (May 24, 2010)

if thats your hotspot on the left, stick a piece of slate on it.


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

faceplant said:


> if thats your hotspot on the left, stick a piece of slate on it.


ok. i should have plenty somewhere when i used to have in in an aquarium


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

any ideasas to what the best thing to stick the background to the inside of my viv is. I am gonna stick it to all three sides. should i use pva the varnish over it or what?


----------



## bry rose (Apr 3, 2010)

i fixed mine in using silicone. it's held it well enough plus it won't damage the inside of the viv if you ever decide to re-modle :2thumb:


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

sorry didnt phrase that vey well.that is how i am gnna fix my fake rock backgrond in. i meant ow to fix the printed desert background into the viv


----------



## faceplant (May 24, 2010)

sticky velcro. Silicon is actually pretty pants as a glue, I fed cable down behind it the other night, and it all came away.


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

thething84 said:


> sorry didnt phrase that vey well.that is how i am gnna fix my fake rock backgrond in. i meant ow to fix the printed desert background into the viv


I would paint pva on the viv and paper, that should hold it, try it on a small off cut first...Just to be sure : victory:

Jay


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

kool. thats what i was thinking. gonna pva the hole viv anyways then varnish to help waterproof it all. 

well i have finished all the polystyrene carving and shaping which i sure will please the missus as she can now put her rug back down. LOL.

heres a photo of the finished polystyrene. only think i have gotta to is put the holes for the vent through on the bottom RHS. drilled the through the wood. just gotta put them though the poly.


----------



## melmodz (Feb 20, 2010)

Thats looking brill! Giving me ideas for when I get a beardie in a few years  I'll keep checking until the finished product to see how its going on. Good luck with it x


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Hey mate,

I take it the uv is going on the ceiling, and the ledge on the right is the uv basking ledge? If so it's a bit low, is it too late to put another ledge to the left of it inline with the top of your fake rock?

Just a thought : victory:

Jay


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

no the uv will be placed just above the top of the poly. i am gonna make up some wooden braked which will be screwed to the back of the viv. which will hold the uv tube.


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Nice one : victory:

Jay


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

lol. should be within 4-6 inches on that ledge with reflector. 

i have cut a bit of slate for the basking spot. wot sorta wattage bulb do you think this 4 ft viv would require and how far away from the basking spot do you guys reckon to get the right basking temp


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

I use 60watt par 80s in the winter, and 40watts in the summer, these give me the temps I want with out getting so hot that the stat kicks in : victory:

9 1/2" from under the spot to the top of his rock.










Jay


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

kool. will try that when i get it close to being done, and got me glass.

ok so whats the best way of attaching the glass runners. they are the bog standard plastic ones. got no channel to attach over the wood. so is just gluing them gonna be enough??

also starting to wonder weather making my fake rock etc in one big lump was such a good idea. although i guess its not gonna be taken in and out all that much. also wondering weather i can grout it in the viv but think it would be better to do it out. just the tops of some of the backround needs sticking back to the viv as the have curled in slightly.


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

so a quick update. have just purchased me uvb strip, starter and refelctor. so that should be here start of next week. once i got that i can sort out where i am gonna mount the bulb and put the brackets up. then i can seal the inside and mount the background etc.


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

ok another quick update, and also after a little advice. 

i got me uvb tube and starter and reflector and drilled for its mounting. won't put it in till i got the printer background on etc etc. 

where would be the best place to locate my thermometer probes and also my stat probe. as this determines where i mount the thermometer lcd displays. As these are flush mounted ones and will be in the front of the viv. But depending on where to put the probe depends whether i mount the in the top strip or bottom strip. 

Thanks Guys!!


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

The stat probe want's to be in the cool side of the viv, the probe wants to be about an inch off the ground. you can see my probe in the pic I posted.

If you are having two thermometers, then one under the basking spot if you can, and one in the cool end, both about an inch off the floor. If you are only having one, then I would put it in the cool end.

Jay


----------



## faceplant (May 24, 2010)

temp sensors about 3" of the floor (depending on animal). nowhere near edges or floor, the viv wood and substrate will act as a heat sync and you will get inacurate temps.

I find I get a 2F difference every 6" or so vertically. But this will depend on your venilation.

I bought a fake cacti and zip tied the sensors to it, they hang off about an inch, an ran the cable under sand, up behind background and out. Its dead centre aswell, as I get a 8F increase towards the hot end and 8F drop towards the cold end. (4' viv)


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

Pendragon said:


> The stat probe want's to be in the cool side of the viv, the probe wants to be about an inch off the ground. you can see my probe in the pic I posted.
> 
> If you are having two thermometers, then one under the basking spot if you can, and one in the cool end, both about an inch off the floor. If you are only having one, then I would put it in the cool end.
> 
> Jay


i am having two thermometers one for either end. So for the hot end one. You mean put it beneith the ledge i have created for my basking spot about and inch or so off the floor? and the same for the cold end. Or put the hot end one below the slate i am using for basking spot. ???


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

thething84 said:


> i am having two thermometers one for either end. So for the hot end one. You mean put it beneith the ledge i have created for my basking spot about and inch or so off the floor? and the same for the cold end. Or put the hot end one below the slate i am using for basking spot. ???


You want to put it as close to where your chap is going to bask as possible, so if the ledge is say 4" off the floor, then place the probe 1" above this so you can get an accurate reading of your basking temps, but if you can't put the probe right on the basking spot, then put it close by, check the temp reading, and compare that to the actual basking temp.

I.e, if you put the probe temporarily in the basking spot, and get a temp of 115f, see what the temp is in the spot you want to place the probe, if the temp is say 95f then you know that the temp in the basking spot is 115F even though the thermometer is showing 95f.

Hope this makes sense : victory:

Jay


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

yeh makes perfect sense. I will try and show in my pic above where i plan to mount the thermometer probes so you can just confirm is these are best location. or if your handy with it you welcome to edit my pic for where you think i should put them? would be greatly helpful. 

also my UV tube runs almost parallel with the highest point of the polystyrene background at the back. about 6 inches from left hand ledge using a refelector aswell!


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

well todays progress: holes ffor the flush mounted thermometers are made and first layer of grout is applied to the polystyrene. although i think i will add a little paint in future to the grout mix, makes it alot easier to know where you been and covered


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

well i made some more pregress this weekend although not sure if i like it or not. 

i finally got round to painting the background. although when i mised it the colour looked great in comparison to the rock on the printed background. one it was sprayed on and brushed into all the areas ect. it dried alot redder than i wanted. although not sure wot it will loook like when in the viv.

also i dry brushed it with brown which has killed the redness as little and broken it up. will try and get pics later when i get home.


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

also want some advice on what airplants to put in with it. anyone got anything which looks like is belongs there so to speak.

thanks 
James


----------



## justairplants (Mar 2, 2010)

thething84 said:


> also want some advice on what airplants to put in with it. anyone got anything which looks like is belongs there so to speak.
> 
> thanks
> James


Hi James,
Check out this article that I posted:-

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/just-air-plants/478519-tillandsia-vivarium-habitat.html

If you want specific advice on whether a species is suitable or not please drop me a PM and I'll be happy to help you out.

Gill


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

ok so as i said i would finally found where the OH put my camera and took some pics of the painted background. still need to varnish it. and it doesn't look as red once it is in the viv. SO anyways here you go


----------



## Sold81 (Dec 2, 2007)

Well done mate looks fantastic :no1:

Will try and get one started tomorow


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

just to say it doesn't look as red as it does in this pic. although it is very red. just gotta varnish it all. then over the outside of thie viv and get the glass


----------



## Sold81 (Dec 2, 2007)

thething84 said:


> just to say it doesn't look as red as it does in this pic. although it is very red. just gotta varnish it all. then over the outside of thie viv and get the glass



How about throwing some play sand on it during the varnish stage to break up the red?

by doing this you could possibly create a similar colour to the lower parts of the mounds on your backround pic.

Just a thought


----------



## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

Sold81 said:


> How about throwing some play sand on it during the varnish stage to break up the red?
> 
> by doing this you could possibly create a similar colour to the lower parts of the mounds on your backround pic.
> 
> Just a thought


thats an idea. i got some play sand anyways. will look into that tonight if i get a chance.


----------

