# expandable foam in water dragon viv , paint ect..



## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

*expandable foam in water dragon viv , paint ect..* 
hello all,

i want to make a small pool in the bottom of my soon to be water dragon viv. but my ideas are not very good, im not sure how im going to do it, does any one have any ideas for making a small pool???
i was thinking of using expanding foam and then painting it, but is that safe?? and also how would i make a water proof base? but at the same time i want it to look like natrual rock, and if the pool is a thumbs up and all goes well i might try to make a background in the same way the the pool is made.


any help would be super.

thanks
chris.


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## htd100 (Feb 26, 2006)

You could use plant trays. www.garlandproducts.com has some 15cm deep trays. If you vivs glass then it would be easyer to divide the water part.
Im in the process of making a pond for my FWC and are going to use the tray for the base and around which im going to raise the sides with foam covered in grout, then sealed with polyuethane or expoxy resin. The two sealants most commonly sold are for sealing concete ponds and are blagdons sealant and G4 sealant. You can get quite a good selection of aquatic products from www.dartfrog.com , they sell epoxy resin and two part expanding foam. As for paints just make sure its water based and make sure its well sealed.

You should concider how you are going to clean it out above all else. I think a drain is proberly the best way but not always possable. I rember I used to have to syphon the water by mouth out of my CWD enclosure which was not fun. For that I used a pre moulded plastic pond and set into expanding foam.
hope this helps abit.


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## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

thanks for that, my viv is made from wood, and if expandable foam is ok then i will use that, its just the paint realy, but all should be ok lol

thanks for the help


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## htd100 (Feb 26, 2006)

yeah, i know what you mean, ive been scouting around for safe products and to to be honest i dont think ure going to to get a sound answer on these forums, unless theres any toxicologists.
All people can realy say is if they have had any problems using methods or not. As its for your CWD you have to concider there claws and the damage on the foam. Theres plenty of info on the web sugesting covered cured foam is safe. The reason why i mentioned the plant trays is because you will have to scrub the pond and its sooo much easyer to create a stong water proof container like that, say for example you have to move the viv and a crack appears and water gets inside the stucture. 
There have been some good ponds made on this section and worth cheaking out.


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## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

i could just use a very large water bowl, like te exo terra ones, as they look natrual, but the biggest i have found is not really that big. do you know of any large reptile water bowls or somthing simular and natrual looking?


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## htd100 (Feb 26, 2006)

What size were you thinking? i think most of the reptile bowls arnt realy big enough for an adult dragon, although could be wrong.


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## Rencey (Sep 5, 2008)

i cut a single peice of 100mm poly styrene to the size of the bottom of my viv then carved 3/4 of the way through it on one side in the shape of my pool then screened the whole thing with swimming pool tile grout painted it and gonna epoxy over it to be safe am very nearly finished my water dragons viv and will soon be posting the full step by step photo album it's go cave's hand made water fall everything done the same way as the pool.:2thumb:


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## Caz (May 24, 2007)

Spraydekor expanding foam is non toxic when dry and safe to put in tropical and marine fish tanks. Would be fine.


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## alphakenny1 (Sep 16, 2008)

cmullins said:


> i could just use a very large water bowl, like te exo terra ones, as they look natrual, but the biggest i have found is not really that big. do you know of any large reptile water bowls or somthing simular and natrual looking?


 
get a large contico box, or a cat litter tray


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