# New HUGE viv build project thread...



## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

OK so I decided I'm not paying the crazy shop prices for a big Viv, and after the succes of my first viv, I'm going to try something outrageously big...

Wood was sought from Savoy Timber in preston, very cool guys who will cut to whatever you want. I opted for Melamine coated MDF for the moisture resistant properties as my water Dragon is at 75% humidity, and want to install a decent sized waterfall in there too.

Wood came to £48 in total, including batons and back board etc

Delivery was £10

First I sealed all the edges with pure aquarium silicone sealant










Then I could start with the outer initial build..thins screws with a large diameter thread were used to aid purchase in the mdf























































I sealed all the joining edges again with sealant










I want to build something like you see in zoos and Reptile shops so a fish tank was bought from someone selling up a fish breeding farm.



















The view from on top where the false floor willl be.. this will be substrate and plants..










The fish tank will be raised a little and 2 cupboard doors in the bottom for storage of the air pumps, external filter and food etc.

This took 2 hours in total, so more work will be done tomorrow... keep watching for updates..!


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## xxpaintxx (Mar 16, 2009)

oooo i dun a similar thing where i made my big viv,
then jigsawed a hole out of it and dropped a plastic preformed pond into it and built a wall around it all to support and lift it. my CWD f***ing love it!


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## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

awesome build well done, i've asked for this to be moved to the right section, i hope you don't mind. really looks like it's gunna be great.


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## Ferret1959 (Jul 16, 2008)

Looks great but are you selling it?

And is it a lizard?:whistling2:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Selling? no way, my CWD is going in there with his new asian dial-a-brides when they arrive in the next 3 weeks.

I'll be selling my old one when this ones complete though, pic can be found below.

Loks a lot better than that at the moment but will be pretty much empty as all of the decor will be transferred over.


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## Adam W (Apr 21, 2008)

_Jay_ said:


> Selling? no way


Fine then, you could just give it to me for free :whistling2::lol2:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

The old one is perfect for one CWD but as I'm getting a trio, I need something substantial, the new ones 7ft x 4ft x 2ft

this is the old one (well 6 months old) 










The current occupant... 





































Sorry, he's shedding at the mo, in stages like he always does.. little fatty. lol


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

Awesome...Im also half way through building a nice big viv...7 high 6 long 3 wide 

Also using melamine coated mdf 

All my work is going in to fake rock-ing the whole entire thing 

Hope all goes well with the 2 new females  

Il keep my eyes on this topic 

Dave


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## atum (Jun 1, 2009)

lovely water dragon


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## daniel2639 (May 24, 2009)

wow niiice  here is my viv L 8ft H 4ft W 3.5ft in the middle of decorating it thogh !! so bear with me lol oooh thats the 4 ft viv on top


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Nice one Jay! And Murphy is gorgeous! :flrt:


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## Captainmatt29 (Feb 28, 2009)

Very nice CWD mate, i had 3 and they were fabulous they had an entire 3 door converted wardrobe to live in 

Will venture into my own vivs when i get the funds sorted out too.


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## Dracyia (Jul 7, 2008)

WOW. One of you lot need to help me build a bigger viv for my tegu. And I'm only planning on a 6x4x3!!!


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

theres so many people making giant sized water dragon enclosures at the moment, its awesome. theres too many being kept in 4' x 3' x 2' enclosures and it cant be enjoyable, my 10 week olds are in a 4' x 3' x 1.5' and they use every inch of it, and you can tell they want it to be bigger. cant wait to get them in the 7' x 5' x 3'. i just need to pull my finger out and make time for some more progress :whistling2:

your water dragon looks amazing as well.



DaveAnscombe said:


> Awesome...Im also half way through building a nice big viv...7 high 6 long 3 wide


youve downscaled, it was 7' x 6' x 5' before, i was really looking forward to seeing what a near-room-sized water dragon viv would look like!! i very nearly started over with mine to go deeper, its too big to fit through a door anyway so i figured it couldnt hurt to go 4 or 5 feet deep. but the wood was already cut and the fibreglass base has too much time invested in it. so im gonna have to put a bigger enclosure on hold until a couple of years time or something.


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

Jim2109 said:


> theres so many people making giant sized water dragon enclosures at the moment, its awesome. theres too many being kept in 4' x 3' x 2' enclosures and it cant be enjoyable, my 10 week olds are in a 4' x 3' x 1.5' and they use every inch of it, and you can tell they want it to be bigger. cant wait to get them in the 7' x 5' x 3'. i just need to pull my finger out and make time for some more progress :whistling2:
> 
> your water dragon looks amazing as well.
> 
> ...


Yeah i know im pretty gutted i cant make it 5 deep  .Reason being is a friend of mine can no longer care for his adult green iguana...So im Also taking him on ...And im not a fan of the viv he is kept in at the mo.....but it will have to do for a few months untill i start his viv...Being kept in a 4 feet high 5 long 3 wide viv and he is a good 4 feet in length..So for me to be able to use up the space in my room the Cwd viv now has to be 7x6x3...The future iguana viv i have in mind should be 7x7x5...Dont you worry..will be one of the smartest set ups know to man kind


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## scalez (Apr 24, 2009)

sorry to jump ontop of someone elses thread.
but would a 7x4x3 be okay for one or two chinese waterdragons?


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

Yeah 7x4x3 Is fine


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## scalez (Apr 24, 2009)

DaveAnscombe said:


> Yeah 7x4x3 Is fine


thanks for replying xD

awesome, i'm gonna convert the cupboard next to my bedroom into a vivarium then.


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

Sweet deals.. have fun


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Cheers for the nice comments, I spend a lot of time with him, he's so relaxed it's unreal. Just desperately want him to have some company of his own kind, Imagine if you were the only human among 10 Elephants, and none of them speak english, or climb trees, that'd be rubbish! :lol2:


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## Anolefan (Jun 2, 2009)

Can't wait to see this finished, should be an absolutely stunning viv with an absolutely stunning CWD.


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## stacy (May 9, 2009)

how big is this huge viv then


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

well comparing it to others over the last 2 days, not that big! 

It's 7ft x 4ft x 2ft deep.. should house a trio ok though.

I'm struggling on just how I'm going to make the fish tank fit flush to the front without looking naff, I'm thinking on 2 opening doors either side of the tank, then the false floor on top.

Then I have the issue of cleaning the tank as it'd be set inside..hmm :whistling2:


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

properly sort it out with a filtration setup and you wont need to clean it, the water and the tank will clean itself. using a glass tank though means youll probably need to pull water up from above


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

ok I bought today....

A filter set-up..










An air pump set-up










Some ornaments...










Some plants...










And a low-flow water pump for the waterfall into the fish tank..











The water pump is from a little waterfall from B+Q, £4.99

This is the tank sorted, now it's just getting onto the physical layout of the viv, have to find some sort of safe shaping stuff to create the background and waterfall, anyone any ideas?


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## Ben-f (Mar 7, 2009)

use expanding foam its amazing stuff!


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

is it safe for reptiles?


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## Ben-f (Mar 7, 2009)

Yeah as long as its left to fully cure and coated with something afterwards to stop any bits getting eaten


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## ashrob1993 (Feb 17, 2009)

yeah you cover it with something like tile grout =]


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Looks good Jay, if you've not got the glass yet try Red Rose behind The Mill on Aqueduct St.. pretty cheap


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Great will try expanding foam then..


Meko, he shut down months ago mate. He just makes mirrors from home now.. shame cos he was a really nice bloke.


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

Get rid of the fish tank....ive a better idea for you 

Its simple and effective 

Get a flat board of polystirein...cut it to a natural pond shape...then with other bits of polystirein build up rockshapes on the outside to build a wall around it to the depth you want..tile grout it 4 times paint then varnish....will look like a natural pool then my friend....In the bottom of polystirein place a small hole Add a tap underneath


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## JotnJosie (Apr 16, 2009)

looking good


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Nice thought mate, and cheers for the input but it'd take a lot of looking after with regards to cleaning it out and changing the water etc, which is one of the tasks I want to get away from..

after doing some thorough research on what was safe for inside a viv, I bought today...

Some polyurethane varnish...












Some polyurethane squirty foam (safe ONLY when dry)...










Some conservatory roof plastic for the false floor










some waterproof grout to cover the foam with...










and some bloody expensive brushes.. Bloody B+Q.!


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## ooMISSPERFECToo (Jun 17, 2007)

thats gonna look smart when its finished... i keep saying im gonna do a new viv and layout for my beardies, but never get round to it


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

_Jay_ said:


> and some bloody expensive brushes.. Bloody B+Q.!


they do packs of 5 for either £2 or £3


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## retri (Mar 5, 2008)

_Jay_ said:


> and some bloody expensive brushes.. Bloody B+Q.!


you might want a couple more packs, I went through a pack when sealing my 6x3x3 with yatch varnish, although I didnt wash em after using em, so probably why i went through a pack so easily...... just ignor me lol, and wash your brushes after use


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

you do realise with my method u have a tap underneath for easy draining.and then all you have to do is wipe in inside job done .

But You way is just as effective 

each to their own 

Looking forward to the finished product!


Dave


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

retri said:


> you might want a couple more packs, I went through a pack when sealing my 6x3x3 with yatch varnish, although I didnt wash em after using em, so probably why i went through a pack so easily...... just ignor me lol, and wash your brushes after use


 
or stick them in a sandwich bag and pop them in the fridge


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

I got the internal filters because I have a 4 foot coldwater fish tank with internal Fluval 4 system and is completely maintenence free.

I do believe I'll have to clean it once a week though as the poos from the CWD's are going to be floating in the tank (I reckon).

But thats a lot better than changing the water once a day!


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## Reptiman89 (Oct 31, 2008)

Looks good im sure your cwd will love it when it's done :2thumb:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Cheers!!

Finished for tonight, will post the pics tomorrow of the work done today.

bed time. (snore) :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

ok piccy time...


Set the Batons in place to support the false floor..




















Build the support for the fish tank and surrounding false floor uprights...










Cut the polycarbonate roof sheeting to shape to surround the tank (false floor) this also keeps heat and moisture to a maximum, it's treated with UV coating.










and test fitted the tank (the overlap is to stop all the substrate falling in the tank...


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## reptismail (Nov 15, 2008)

thats fantasitic , very insipirng lol im going to do a miliar thing for my burm maybe .


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Thanks, it just takes a lot of time, mainly trying to decide what to do next!

Tonights progress... Sealed the false floor in, set more sturdy surrounds to support the tank, and test fit the high waterfalls, but may change that.










The front support for the 2 opening doors still to attach, and holes to be created for the water pump.
The fish tank is going to be set in permenant ( I was going to make it removable to clean but would not be watertight at the bottom, and the mealworms are a nightmare for finding little gaps... lol


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Just to add, the roof cladding is super super strong, that stuff is amazingly light and strong, perfect for the job, but not cheap at £7 each.

The only thing I'm a little concerned about is that the dragons won't have a huge amount of water to stretch their legs in and swim for a while... but we'll see how they do, it can be changed after.. does anyone know if they can go underwater? mine always keeps his head above water in the bath.??


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

ok I need styrofoam next, where can I find that?


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

_Jay_ said:


> Just to add, the roof cladding is super super strong, that stuff is amazingly light and strong, perfect for the job, but not cheap at £7 each.
> 
> The only thing I'm a little concerned about is that the dragons won't have a huge amount of water to stretch their legs in and swim for a while... but we'll see how they do, it can be changed after.. does anyone know if they can go underwater? mine always keeps his head above water in the bath.??


they can submerge for ages, like 30 mins plus!! mine often go in the water and just lay on the bottom for ages then come back up.sometimes they keep their heads above water, but they dont need to. just depends what kind of mood they are in i guess.

it makes them really easy to deal with during shed, because they seem to know what is required to take care of it, and mine have been bathing a lot more when they are shedding than they normally do. easier than with desert dwellers and moist hides, etc lol


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Wow, 30 mins! thats unreal!

Would love to see that, defense skill I suppose..


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Well, today started like this..



















The Mrs went out into town to spend money on shoes( her 23rd pair) So proceeded to make myself a brew and cut out some peices of polystyrene to adhere to the rear wall and create the waterfall with...





























Cut some holes for the ventilation..










Then I could get on with shaping the wall to look like rock, slate, Anything really, just depends on how I paint it suppose.. the grinding pad for the drill was perfect!










Just wanted to check that the Grout stuck to what I did, so did a test peice of the top, all was welll so I did the rest, here it is after the first coat of grout.. (and added some more poly bits)










Then covered it all...


















I actually really enjoyed getting messy and making the round rocks with sandpaper, although the Mrs got back and shouted at me... lots!

Now I have to spend my Sunday hovering the whole house of what can only be described as snow!

I also test fit the hose from the little water pump for the waterfall, it doesnt meet the bottom of the tank but sits just shy of the top so all good.


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## Brittanicus (May 8, 2009)

This viv is going to be fabulous!
You had me in hysterics with the little bits about your wife.:rotfl:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

lol, she 'understands' that I have to do whats necessary to get it done but shakes her head at me constantly...

She even demoted the Morios to the garage last week when she found one speeding accross the bedroom floor.. (Oops) how the hell did that get out??

Need to find paint today after the car boot, 

anyone got any good ideas on paint?


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## Grond (Jun 17, 2008)

Looks good! I'm interested in how it will all work with the waterfall/fishtank, so please keep posting the pics!


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## ooMISSPERFECToo (Jun 17, 2007)

im sorry but i may have to steal your pebble idea!!! im still in planning stages at the moment but i think ive gone way over what im capable of lol! yours is looking really good though


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

im using acrylic paint mostly, maybe some spray cans for certain parts. acrylic is dirt cheap though, and can be watered down so that it goes even further. i got mine from a shop called "The Range", its like an arts and crafts version of B&Q i guess, there may or may not be one local to you. their acrylic paints are something like £1 for a medium sized bottle

youll need to seal it though, it doesnt take too kindly to water. so that will mean either yacht varnish or epoxy resin to seal it. which is going to make it slightly shiny, im still trying to devise a way to stop the shiny finish, when i do il be sure to share because it kinda ruins things when youve got reflective rocks lol


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## ooMISSPERFECToo (Jun 17, 2007)

could adding a bit of sand to the varnish help with the shine?


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## CTI_Perrin (Mar 17, 2008)

The build looks awesome so far mate! keep up the great work and keep posting!


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

ok cool will go to the art+craft shop after. I take it they're like kiddies paints? 

You can steal my pebble idea, you'll need 


The varnish issue is solved (hopefully) with the satin finish in the Ronseal polyurethane varnish, he did say it will be a flat finish.

With regards to the waterfall, I plan to set it to run down a plinth or tube, back into the water, but what I don't want is splash, getting the glass mucky..I may set another litle ramp for it just to run off...


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

Jim2109 said:


> im using acrylic paint mostly, maybe some spray cans for certain parts. acrylic is dirt cheap though, and can be watered down so that it goes even further. i got mine from a shop called "The Range", its like an arts and crafts version of B&Q i guess, there may or may not be one local to you. their acrylic paints are something like £1 for a medium sized bottle
> 
> youll need to seal it though, it doesnt take too kindly to water. so that will mean either yacht varnish or epoxy resin to seal it. which is going to make it slightly shiny, im still trying to devise a way to stop the shiny finish, when i do il be sure to share because it kinda ruins things when youve got reflective rocks lol


 
Lightly sand the rock down....this takes the shiny finish away


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

DaveAnscombe said:


> Lightly sand the rock down....this takes the shiny finish away


exactly what im planning on trying  easier said than done though when youve got very textured rock, with some parts that you cant even get a finger into, getting abrasives in there will be fun lol. another thought ive got is sand blasting it at a distance. too close and it will just strip it, but from a distance it might just take away the shine.

putting sand in the varnish would work on sandy coloured rocks, but not on greys like mine.

and the satin varnish doesnt dry matt, it dries with a slight shine to it. less shiny than gloss, but shiny all the same. i already tried that:lol2: and yes, the paints i used are just standard poster paints, the stuff that kids use to make a mess.


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## Paulusworm (Jan 26, 2009)

Jim2109 said:


> putting sand in the varnish would work on sandy coloured rocks, but not on greys like mine.


What about the sand that you get for Chinchillas to bath in? That's grey. Might work. It says that it's Sepiolite on the bag I'm holding. Clay based apparently.


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

i found a verry useful tool to sand down the high shine in nooks and crannies.....its like a sponge coverd in fine grade sandpaper this works wonders


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## ooMISSPERFECToo (Jun 17, 2007)

ive decided i love berrys in leyland... nearly everything you need for building a fake rock background... but uber cheap!!!


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Damn, didn't think about going there!, cheers.

Where abouts are you in Preston?


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## ooMISSPERFECToo (Jun 17, 2007)

in leyland... just a few mins walk from berrys lol! everywhere i looked, the polystyrene i wanted was about £3 just for a sheet... there i think its 77p. the only thing they dont do is coloured paints... unless you want your fake rock in magnolia or white lol


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

I'll cross the shiny bridge when I come to it, lol

Here's the latest over the past 2 days, I made the first purchase of a range of colours of Grey (black and white) for Rock, and green for the moss effect... Then beige for effect on lightening, I also bought Brown for some unknown reason...










So I mixed a mass of base grey for the whole background, and let it dry..Then mixed a darker grey to try to give it depth in the crevices...
The first turned out okay but had to create a deepr grey almost black to give it real depth..
The lightening of the front was the most effective bit (with beige) applied with a sponge, it gave a sort of sun/worn effect....

The green I used to add a bit of water stained area to the parts I planned to look like they have had water in before, and the bit that will have water in when the waterfall is on..

here are the pics anyway, it still needs a bit of TLC and touching up..


















































































Although not completely dry, and some of the pics aren't great, you get the gist, I'm just trying to Imagine plants stuck to the back wall and substrate in the bottom.. : victory:


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Now i know what's going on!!!

:lol2:

Effing awesome, btw... what varnish isn't toxic that you can buy from B&Q?


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

with the painting i personally painted the whole thing black first in every little gap so it was all covered. i then used progressively darker greys in layers using dry brushing, of sorts. i got to highlights and it was too light. so i went back to darker colours and actually found that you can get some awesome effects by painting light, dark, light, dark. it doesnt have to be in order. the last coat obviously needs to be highlights, but you have to apply light colours sparingly or i found it can look odd.

youve got the same black and white paint as i got, with the same idea as well lol. i also bought some green for mossy effect. i havent got that far yet though. ive got some more painting to do before its ready to be seen by anyone else.


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

I tried to get a better picture of it from a different angle..plus this is why I'm posting the pics now as I'm a viv-painting virgin and need some advise along the way..










I still can't figure out which way I'm going to get the water that runs off the waterfall back into the tank... Here's a few with some plants to bring it to life a little..


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Freakinfreak said:


> btw... what varnish isn't toxic that you can buy from B&Q?


I'm sincerely hoping the Ronseal Polyurethane I bought is good for the job, otherwise I'm not going to find it funny... :lol2:


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## shezell (Jun 17, 2009)

I love your ideas. It is very inspiring! I think you are doing a marvelous job so far. I only ever made 1 viv for my Iguana, and it was very plain inside, sort of looked like an old brown wardrobe on its side lol, absolutely nothing like this. 
Keep up the good work and keep posting pics

:2thumb:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

I can't think of anything else to put on the background now so am going to go ahead and seal it with varnish... 

Unless anyone's got any ideas on further bits I need??: victory:


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

Add a few more poly platforms...utilize all the space you can 

Your dragon will enjoy it more 

Dave


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

I was thinking of that but then I'm placing lots more branches than ever before, I have lots of those large exo-terra vines, don't want it to be restricted by feeding tables.

I could always add more later if there's not enough ledges.


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## kingy2184 (May 27, 2009)

just starting a new rock build for my bitey leo, not gonna put any pics on yet though cos i will probs change it half way through


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Hiya Ste, make sure you use the finest sandpaper you got, is so much easier with fine stuff.

I finished the background now, just waiting for the varnish to set.

If anyone else is planning on doing this method, I would make it very clear that when it comes to varnishing it, it becomes very much darker than what it looks like with just the paint, I'm so glad I decided to make it so much lighter in the end, as it would have been black now..

Here's the pics as the viv stands stands..





































Starting to come together now, so still to do are;

- ensure waterfall works ok when dry
- ensure seal around edge of false floor
- clean fish tank and mature
- buy tropical plants
- set up air flow channels for air circulation
- get glass made for sliding doors
- get wood for bottom cupboard doors

- Buy a female CWD (in time, in time)

Just another point to add, before the varnish was totally dry (tacky), I went over it with a dry brush to take the shine off it, it actually worked really well. although the pics look very shiny with the flash on the camera.


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## ooMISSPERFECToo (Jun 17, 2007)

that, is amazing and puts mine to shame lol! i think it looks better now its a bit darker after the varnish though


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Thanks hon, I think it looks 20 times better darker, the beige colour has come right out too..

You'll have to pop round to see it in the flesh, it's so hard to catch how good it looks with a camera.. Can't wait till it dries.

Can I ask if anyones got any driftwood or branches they don't want/for sale??
I'm not paying shop prices for them, and I don't have a big enough freezer to go get some random logs from the woods. :2thumb:


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## ooMISSPERFECToo (Jun 17, 2007)

have you tried in the classifieds? might be some bits and pieces on there. i cant think of anywhere round here that does things like that on the cheap though


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

_Jay_ said:


> Thanks hon, I think it looks 20 times better darker, the beige colour has come right out too..
> 
> You'll have to pop round to see it in the flesh, it's so hard to catch how good it looks with a camera.. Can't wait till it dries.
> 
> ...


Depending on where you are mate ive got some logs various stashed in my room if you want? Bleach cleaned with boiling water?


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Todays progress...

Made the front cover for the tank...




























Now filled the tank and set it to mature and sealed the flase floor in with sealant, will post pics tomorrow when I can light the tank up :2thumb:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

and another one of Murphy..


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

starting to take shape now, and looking good!! i was desperate to have a clear front on mine so i could see into the water, but its tough to pull off without having a full tank in there, and mine isnt shaped conveniently for a glass tank lol. so im probably going to have to settle for not having the window. its going to be so cool to see Murphy swimming around though. hes an awesome looking dragon. im now going to have a think and see if i cant still get a window into mine.... :lol:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

I think the easiest option is to have a 4ft tank in the bottom and build a rim around the top to place the false floor into, I very nearly sacked the whole window idea to get a 4ft tank yesterday but stuck with it.
It's not hard to do as long as you have a jigsaw Jim, I put the tank in then figured out how to make the wood frame to git it, that's why theres no doors yet, I'll have to measure the size of the 2 holes after I made the frame.When the doors are on the front it'll look a lot better.

Get some piccies up mate.. wanna see it. :whistling2:


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## kingy2184 (May 27, 2009)

did you test that pump yet? i am gonna stick a little waterfall in mine i think, nearly got the fake rock finished:2thumb:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

yeah mate, not strong enough, the water goes 1/3 of the way up the pipe but no further, tried allsorts but to no avail.. need a stronger pump.:censor:

If you want that pump back mate, just let me know and I'll drop it round


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

the problem i have is that my pool and river arent "tank shaped". so i cant use a glass tank in there, i have to put the window into the wall that is the side of the pool (e.g. the part holding water). which creates difficulties with sealing it. i know how id have to do it, but it requires a tool i dont have access to and i got bored waiting for other people to come through for me.


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Ah ok, I got ya, Custom job. you could front it with glass??

get some pics up and we'll be able to get a solution..?


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## kingy2184 (May 27, 2009)

i wouldnt have thought it would cause too many problems sealing it, but without seeing it i cant picture the size. shoud just be a case of cutting a hole and replacing with glass siliconed in. but if its gonna be a big viewing glass you might have to start thinking about water pressure pushing it out depending on the size: victory:


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

ive already got a solution. i want to use a router to cut a recess on the inside around the hole, then silicone perspex into the hole. its do-able, i dont own a router hence the problem. there are still complications with sealing the wood though.

i made some good progress today though on my build and ive found an easier way to do it, so it might happen yet


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## shezell (Jun 17, 2009)

Hey just a thought, are u going to do anything for the surround of the tank?.... What I mean is, when the water is in it it will be clear so u will be able to see the wood of the back wall, just thinking u can buy that vinyl stuff with an underwater theme to tye in with ur viv. You have spent so much time and effort in the top bit, might as well jazz up the tank too. 

x x


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## Dynamos Dragons (May 23, 2009)

Well i must say what a spectacular looking dragon mate and a truly awesome looking viv, i can not wait to see it finished. Im actually excited for you and the dragon :lol2: how sad is that hahahaha


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## Charlottie (Oct 4, 2008)

Wow the viv looks great
Congrats!!


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Nice one Jay! Looking good buddy! :notworthy:


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## Captainmatt29 (Feb 28, 2009)

Looks like it's coming on, its amazing how you get so far through and think it looks crappy or lose the will to carry on lol but then suddenly you get back in there and when you get it finished you are proud of it.


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## crazyg (Feb 3, 2008)

why aint i creative like that


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Well I have saved the best for last.. I got him a dial-a-wife direct from Asia (ok not Asia, midlands)

Been working like a dog on it for the past few days, all I need to do now is place the glass on the front to keep the buggers in!!

Murphy has gone mental at the new female (yet to be named), desperately trying to give her one (spose it's been 3 years since he's had it, and thats enough for anyone!), and chasing her around, she's running for dear life bless her, but they were kissing tonight and seemed to have calmed down.

Here's the pics you all been waiting for.. I went and bought some tank backing, looks loads better...























































And a VIDEO!!


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

oh I made the ladders out of stripped Bamboo and string too, I like it as it looks so natural but keeps falling over!


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## Chriseybear (Jun 6, 2008)

Amazing.
One of the best vivs ive seen!


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## kingy2184 (May 27, 2009)

lookin good, the glass in the front should be fun:lol2:


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## scalez (Apr 24, 2009)

That's bloody fantastic, seriously the coolest vivarium i've seen in a long time.
the only thing i would suggest is more logs and stuff for the dragons to climb on.


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## Charlottie (Oct 4, 2008)

Great work
It looks brilliant!

how did the introduction go?


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## Jim2109 (Mar 30, 2009)

looks good! as said though, needs loads more branches in there. maybe a tree as well?


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## reptismail (Nov 15, 2008)

must be on of the best , i love it!!


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Wow, cheers for the cool comments, I only made this thread for reference if people wanted to do it themselves but the praise is so appreciated! thank you.

There's more logs/branches to come, but at least it's operational now, the glass is going to be difficult (and expensive), but once done, I can stand back and know exactly how it was made, and with my own bear hands!

The introduction went really well, he puffed his throat up straight away and started bobbing his head, she hasn't reacted yet but new home and viv, she's bound to be startled at the mo..

Just for the record, and if your trying to price it up, the whole thing has cost £170 to build from start to finish(if you include the branches and logs)

the wood being the most at approx £80 for all the bits
the tank £15
branches, vines etc £35
pump £10
hoses £5
exp foam £12 (x3)
silicone £4
paint etc £12

:2thumb:

Still got the glass though, and the 2 doors on the front, will be more pictures of the finished project on Saturday afternoon.


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## gizmossister (May 13, 2009)

looks very cool will keep watching, love to see the completely finished product


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## kingy2184 (May 27, 2009)

you are gonna have to get some bigger doors to fit your head through too, dont forget to add that to the cost!!:lol2:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

> you are gonna have to get some bigger doors to fit your head through too, dont forget to add that to the cost!!:lol2:


 

what a nerd.... :whistling2:


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## kingy2184 (May 27, 2009)

you love it. mine is finished now but it looks poo. need a bigger viv cos i made the fake rock too big and it just looks silly. :blush:


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## Pyro (Dec 18, 2008)

I hate to be the one to give criticism but I think you could easily get another 2 or 3 horizontal (or slightly diagonal) branches in there which the dragon would make good use of. It just seems to me you have a lot of the space wasted...

Maybe I am wrong but it looks that way to me. I intend to get a CWD soon and have a viv similar in size to this but without the pool section below it, but will be adding a lot of decor branches


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

don't be afraid to give criticism dude, I'm all up for it, but did state above that I need and will be getting more branches in it, just havent had chance to get them yet, they are damn expensive in the shop, I'll finds some somewhere..:2thumb:


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## reptismail (Nov 15, 2008)

i cant wait for it when its completely finished ( and i thought it was awsome now) bet they enjoy it. you would pay that much just for the viv from a viv , maker lol. i like tha hollow log on the right of the pic thats awsome.

All the best

ismail


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## Pyro (Dec 18, 2008)

_Jay_ said:


> don't be afraid to give criticism dude, I'm all up for it, but did state above that I need and will be getting more branches in it, just havent had chance to get them yet, they are damn expensive in the shop, I'll finds some somewhere..:2thumb:


 
That's alright then. I couldn't be arsed to read 12 pages of replies to be honest, I just looked through at the pics progress :bash::whistling2:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

thats what I normally do too.. :whistling2:


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## ginge :) (Jul 7, 2008)

that is brilliant,

nice one mate


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## ninnipoo (Dec 7, 2008)

Cool beans! Gonna put anyhing else in the tank (water)?


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

there's water in there? ?


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## Lew (May 31, 2009)

no as in are you going to put anything pet wise in the tank


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

ah, sorry... nope just goldfish to help with their diet variation of omega 3. 

I'll get slated for saying that, but I do love fish and keep a 4ft tank but these ones are cheap small goldfish just for dragon food...


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Sorry It's taken so long but here are the final pictures of the Viv..


More logs to go in yet but only when theyve thawed and are bug-free! Well worth doing it yourself if you have the time and don't mind making a mess!!





















































Sorry no fish left in the tank, My male is very greedy... although he won't eat battered cod from the chippy! Strange....


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## philo (Jul 7, 2009)

the only thing i can say is WOW :gasp:


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## dazza1 (Jul 10, 2009)

*Thanks:*

Thanks Jay! what a great thread, have been riveted to this, one especially as i am still in the planning phase of my first ever viv! just pushes me more to get my plans into action,. thnx again great viv!.:2thumb:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Thanks for the nice comments! : victory:

It's well worth doing yourself, god knows how much money I saved doing it myself and over time.

Also my original 4 foot CWD Viv is now for sale on page 1.


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## DaveyB (Sep 22, 2008)

I saw some guy make branches from plumbing pipes and covered them with paper mache and painted them brown. Looked pretty good to be fair and they were custom to fit his viv. You spend something like a tenner in the shop and get some poncey bit of stick.

Nice viv though


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## ianb (Dec 1, 2007)

:notworthy::notworthy:your good:notworthy::notworthy:


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## Smaug85 (Nov 27, 2008)

That is by far one of the most awesome vivs I've seen! Really good idea with the fish tank for them to swim around in 
You need to get a video of one of em having a dip...perhaps get some goldfish for them to eat?


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## Geckogirl_88 (Apr 24, 2009)

Not only do i want to build my own viv, but for some reason i feel the need to buy a CWD lol.
Never knew they could be so cute.
Awesome viv!
xx


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

lol, they've eaten all the goldfish already! gonna get expensive me thinks!

Aparantly as long as you freeze normal dead branches from the woods it's fine to put them in!

I'll get a vid up of them in the water, soon as they start moving around, don't know whether it's the new scenery but they are constantly hiding at the moment? just sat in one place all the time, and she never comes out at all, always in the hollow piece of bark... ?


Also got loads and loads of them tiny little white bugs round the top of the tank!! how do I get rid of em!! pi55ing me off!


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

VIDEO!!!!!!!!! with more bark and branches too..


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## willie60 (Aug 11, 2009)

I have just read and followed your whole thread from start to finnish and i must say what a set up it is you must be proud as punch each time you sit and look at it. Well done


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## dusty cricket (May 5, 2009)

that looks great, you can sit back and really appreciate that you've spent so much time making it look good.


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## DaveAnscombe (Apr 20, 2009)

I love it 

10/10


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## deaxone (Feb 25, 2008)

very nice m8,i did something a while back a bit smaller but similar,
the waterfall cycles fromm the top to the bottom zig zagging down into a removable custom shallow tank,
i dont use the waterfall anymore,i needed the viv for crestys,but seeing yours makes me want to sort mine out,just havnt got the bloody time,
heres the only pics i could find of it


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

That looks awesome mate, I'm thinking I should have built mine out more so that they had something to perch on but hindsights a wonderful thing eh..

I'm struggling with the waterfalll TBH, I can't find anything to get it flowing back into the water properly.. :whistling2:


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## deaxone (Feb 25, 2008)

yeah its tricky i had to "dry run" the waterfall a few times,i would say mabe modify the bottom slightly so the water flows straight into the tank,rubber pond liner is useful,ive done a few dart frog tanks and although the varnished look is eaier to clean i think i prefer the eco earth meathod with water,it blends better with bark and any bits stuck in the foam,plus you dont spend ages blending paints to get a rock effect,seeing your one has realy re sparked my interest,i love brainstorming them out,ive got a few mad ideas for a massive hexagonal tank with a "mountain" in the middle with bosai trees and flowwing streams,probly for dart frogs,but i havent got the space for a centrepeice like that,it would be great to have a tank that you can view from all angles tho,maybe when i win the lotto aye


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## brettervivariums (May 9, 2009)

wow that setup is so awesome i have been brought a water dragon for christmas has worm's atm so as soon as i get that sorted i am going to have a crack at this 1 thing though is how did you create the effect at the back like where did you no to cut chunks out as that looks so real and how was grouting was that hard work also where did you get the polystyrene from ? sorry for the essay lol


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Cheers for the nice comment..


I actually went to the lakes and had a good luck at the waterfall rock in it's natural form, I knew I wanted a waterfall background where the water had eroded the cracks, and basically just did my worst with a drill and metal scrubber on the end...

I didn't know how it'd turn out until after I painted it, was just lucky that it looked so good, it needed touching up with different colours after it'd dried, and be careful, it looks sooo different when that acrylic paint does dry!

The best way I found was to add greys, browns and reds until I was happy... BEFORE varnishing!

Good luck with getting him well, and if you need any photos or advise on your build, just send me a message!


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## mr stroudy (Mar 11, 2008)

that looks really good jay well done :2thumb:


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## fuzzzzbuzzzz (Apr 11, 2010)

Thats awesome.


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## Camuk (Mar 4, 2008)

Blond question, can you use normal household paint or is it best to use poster paint as you are more likely to be able to seal it?


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

You could use normal paint I suppose but I wouldn't recommend it, poster paint is safe as it contains non toxic ingredients. Household paint has toxins that if weren't totally covered by the varnish may leak or harm your pet.

It may also react with varnish, don't really know but as it's cheap as chips, just go with what we knows safe.


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## thetomahawkkid58 (Jan 7, 2009)

awesome job jay :no1: well worth the effort :2thumb:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Cheers, keep being asked to build one for people, I'm all up for it but how the hell would you get it into the house? lol.


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## Tomis0077 (Dec 12, 2009)

Hey, Jay

Great Viv, I'm making a 7ftx4ftx2ft viv myself, but im using Marine plywood. I cant find any styrofoam sheets anywhere to create a fake rocky wall, my plan is to create the bumpy effect with expanting foam then grout it after an hope that works :whistling2:

What doors have you gone for? sliding or open? what glass would be good enough for a tall viv plus water dragons? I,m thinking 4mm toughen glass

:no1:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Nice one mate...

I havent used any doors! they have the whole room to themselves..I would think 4mm toughened would be ok, but only toughened as they can tail whip and may smash normal cheap glass...

and make sure you dont put the glass too low, remember about nose rub if they can see out.. : victory:


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## hawkins75 (Oct 22, 2009)

AWWW BLOODY SOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEE:2thumb:


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Was just wondering how many people I've inspired to make their own vivs this big, and please if any, get some pics up.


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## JamesLovelady (May 30, 2011)

_Jay_ said:


> Was just wondering how many people I've inspired to make their own vivs this big, and please if any, get some pics up.


Wellll... you personally didn't inspire me but I just seen this thread (as you bumped it) and though I'd share an exo terra mod I made which is similar to your "fish tank" Idea except i actually created a water area using perspex and aquarium sealant... and ran piping for a super rain system and filter, it's only about 5L worth of water space but can be replicated on a much bigger scale if wanted...

The water is filtered and heated so it could in theory house a few tetras even with small cubic capacity... i've just not put fish in it personally:




























After these steps i proceeded to use aquarium sealant to stick pebbles to the acylic then filled the rest of the non-water space with a drainage layer and substrate for live plants, the drainage layer is due to watering the plants and the rain system,

Here's a link to some pics of the finished project inhabited and a small video of the rain system all in use:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...43-show-me-your-viv-setups-3.html#post8573569


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## NicolasB (Jul 11, 2009)

*Top stuff!*

Mate, well done that really is a cracking viv! busy redoing a 6x3.5x2 for my 2 AWD's (2nd one now!) and hope it comes out as good...

One thing, and by no means a criticism of the viv, i read somewhere that you are feeding them with Gold Fish in the water? Apparently there is an enzyme in Gold Fish which is not too good for them. one or two once in a while probably not a problem, but Guppy's and a few others are apparently a lot healthier for them. Just thought I'd share that with you. dont doubt your love and dedication to your reps tho, nobody puts in that kind of effort just so it looks good! I would suggest having a chat with RThomson on here, very clued up, think it was him that mentioned the fish thing to me...

Once again, well done mate, will share some pics with you once i have finally moved house and finished my setup...

Nic


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

I fed them goldfish twice when I first built it, never since. It was a very expensive option.. which I wont be tempting again mate, but thanks for the info I didnt know that...

James, thats a cool idea :2thumb: but how you gonna filter it?


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## MartinMc (May 19, 2011)

Im in the middle of a 6x6x3 with a 5x2x3 underneath for Iguana and Beardie. Kinda on a go slow at the moment. Waiting on bits and trying to find the balls to attack the poly for the fake rock. Just goin for a background in the beardies viv with real sandstone for the climbing and stuff. Not looking that impressive atm



















Its made out of parts of an old conservatory!!


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Dude that's an ECO VIV! thats gotta be a first! lmao, awesome.... : victory:


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

that is amazing! very inspiring! can we see some up tp date photos of the viv and the cwd? did you get your trio?
:2thumb:
here my viv for the 7 week old cwd im getting in 2 weeks, any advice and tips would be welcome

for baby cwd do they need hotter temps than adults? ive got 25c basking spot and 29c ambient, how does that sound?

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/habitat-pictures/724321-new-cwd-viv-0-a.html

theres some good ones on here to :mf_dribble:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/723328-cwd-owners.html


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## G3ck0 (Jun 20, 2011)

why doors? wood is cheap enough:hmm:


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