# Desert Theme Hognose Viv Build



## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Well its been a while.. 

My hoggies are so big now i thought it would be a good idea to make them a viv big enough to entertain the pair of them (who both LOVE to climb...) 

So, desert theme viv:

First i made the viv itself out of MDF and painted it black, then used two thicknesses of polystyrene and silicone adhesive to make this:




































Then coated the whole thing in one layer of grout...:






































Two layers:





























Three layers:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Four layers:






































Then painted it quite dark using acrylic paint, left this to dry then covered the whole lot in yacht varnish and sand:




















One more layer of varnish and sand:





























Then stuck on some air plants. The whole thing is heated with a reptile radiator and lit with 5% UV. And here is Torment exploring her new house:















































:2thumb:


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## BumNum (Dec 13, 2009)

coool. you are very artistic


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## quizicalkat (Jul 7, 2007)

looking great there - will be very interested to see how the air plants work out


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## MrKev83 (Dec 21, 2009)

Bet that's a bitch to clean

Any risk of fumes after long periods of heat? I'm intrigued cos I want a display piece viv when my royals bigger


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## corpselight (Jan 10, 2008)

that's nothing short of amazing!:2thumb:


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## Nicki_ (Jan 11, 2011)

Amazing! How long did it take?


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## jin1978 (May 8, 2010)

amazing, nice work


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## R1Dan (Nov 8, 2009)

Nice, did you say it was for 2?


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

MrKev83 said:


> Bet that's a bitch to clean
> 
> Any risk of fumes after long periods of heat? I'm intrigued cos I want a display piece viv when my royals bigger


Ive made loads of these, suprisingly its very easy to clean - the yacht varnish is waterproof remember. 

Its important to leave the heat on full for about a week to make sure the fumes are gone. 



Nicki_ said:


> Amazing! How long did it take?


Thanks! About a week, spending around 1 hour a day on it give or take. 



R1Dan said:


> Nice, did you say it was for 2?


Yes indeedie. Letting the female settle in first then introducing the male later. Dont want to stress her too much in one go : victory:


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## Alfonzo (Mar 7, 2008)

:notworthy: what are the dimensions? I'm considering Hoggies as a future addition and was going to house them in rubs...this, however, puts that idea to shame!


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## R1Dan (Nov 8, 2009)

chondro13 said:


> Yes indeedie. Letting the female settle in first then introducing the male later. Dont want to stress her too much in one go : victory:


Ah cool, it does look pucka


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## Khonsu (May 20, 2009)

Hats off to you, very tasty indeed :notworthy:


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## sender (Jan 19, 2009)

Yet again another stunning build from you helen:2thumb:

this reminds me i have five vivs to do:bash:
one spare
two beardies
royals 
and geckos
hmmm, im gona be busy!:lol2:
and as normal your build give me more ideas


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## Fill (Nov 24, 2007)

That is AWESOME! (Think this may be my first ever post in snakes section too  )


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

:lol2: thanks all




Alfonzo said:


> :notworthy: what are the dimensions? I'm considering Hoggies as a future addition and was going to house them in rubs...this, however, puts that idea to shame!


It is 72cm long, 46cm high and deep, but including the extra shelves it has the floorspace of about a 4ft viv lol. 

x



sender said:


> Yet again another stunning build from you helen:2thumb:
> 
> this reminds me i have five vivs to do:bash:
> one spare
> ...


:lol2: good luck m'dear


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

i like that a LOT! very very good work...i will have to have a try at doing something like this one day, must be incredibly satisfying being able to look at the finished product and think "i did that"...especialy when you see the occupants enjoying it so much too :2thumb:


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## Patmufc (Dec 10, 2008)

Brilliant setup, stunning hoggie as well : victory:


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## Zimey (Sep 28, 2008)

Very nice Helen, cant wait to see your final Retic viv setup :whistling2:


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## Willswife (Jan 10, 2011)

Amazing. A real working waterfall would look cool.


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## Roseanna (Apr 26, 2010)

o my lord that is amazing! i'm never attempting a viv background again,mine turned out crap :bash:


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## bladeblaster (Sep 30, 2008)

you're awsome, but you still scare me :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Ian.g said:


> i like that a LOT! very very good work...i will have to have a try at doing something like this one day, must be incredibly satisfying being able to look at the finished product and think "i did that"...especialy when you see the occupants enjoying it so much too :2thumb:


Thanks hun :blush:



Zimey said:


> Very nice Helen, cant wait to see your final Retic viv setup :whistling2:


Patience is a virtue  so long as my boy stays on his current growth path ive got until about summer before ill start making his adult viv  



Willswife said:


> Amazing. A real working waterfall would look cool.


Ive done that for frog vivariums and a water dragon vivarium, but for hognose snakes the humidity is unnecessary and would cause all sorts of issues (skin problems, RIs etc) 



bladeblaster said:


> you're awsome, but you still scare me :Na_Na_Na_Na:


Im just misunderstood  *cuddle*


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## alcamee (Feb 15, 2009)

That looks fantastic, well done. What lighting are you using in there? I'm guessing a tube, maybe?:no1:


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## sender (Jan 19, 2009)

chondro13 said:


> :lol2: good luck m'dear


thanks gona need it, dont know if i should start of the geckos or the royals first:devil:

have some mental ideas for the spare viv but need afew more bits of kit before i cant start on it!
and NO ideas at all on the royals viv:blush:
the gecko viv i way to many ideas running around and a large amoutn fo fake plants to get to get it right

and the beardies well i want to let them get out of thier terrible teens first cause they still think anything that isnt dirt and logs is edible:lol2:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

alcamee said:


> That looks fantastic, well done. What lighting are you using in there? I'm guessing a tube, maybe?:no1:


Yep your right, its a zoomed 5%UV tube  



sender said:


> thanks gona need it, dont know if i should start of the geckos or the royals first:devil:
> 
> have some mental ideas for the spare viv but need afew more bits of kit before i cant start on it!
> and NO ideas at all on the royals viv:blush:
> ...


lol! Dragons are sods...

seen as you have ideas for the gecko viv start that one first :2thumb:


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## sender (Jan 19, 2009)

chondro13 said:


> Yep your right, its a zoomed 5%UV tube
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
just found out the info i need to start the big 4x3x2 viv and my ideas for that have been bousing around in my head for the past three weeks and always at 2am:bash:

dowside is getting to the back of the viv but wheres the fun in everything being easy:2thumb:
will take pics record progress and post up : victory:

one beardie cant not have any plastic plants or decorations in his viv or he WILL eat it even a bug tub is fair game, the other as long as the plant is out of reach he'll give up and not try, anything in mouth reach again will be eaten (human hair, painted nails and necklaces included)


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Looks fantastic hunny!! Any chance you can also put this on the habitat section! I love a good background build! :notworthy:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

Becky Wheeler said:


> Looks fantastic hunny!! Any chance you can also put this on the habitat section! I love a good background build! :notworthy:


Cheers hun, feel free to move it to the habitat section if you feel it is more appropriate there : victory: no point in repeating myself :lol2:


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## MPA (May 8, 2010)

wow! is there no end to your talents?!! where were you and marcus last sunday??? was a great night.

http://www.hognosesnakes.co.uk/ check out this site helen.


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

MPA said:


> wow! is there no end to your talents?!! where were you and marcus last sunday??? was a great night.
> 
> hognosesnakes check out this site helen.


I know MASSIVE fail i completely forgot about the date! i saw the 'post meeting' thread and was like :censor:

Next time - remind me the day before - its all down to you!! lol x


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## MPA (May 8, 2010)

beleive me, im not the best when it comes to remembering things myself lmao!! i turned up half cut and left pretty drunk. nearly had my face bitten by one of christians little stunners. was a good night. make sure your both at the next one:2thumb:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

MPA said:


> beleive me, im not the best when it comes to remembering things myself lmao!! i turned up half cut and left pretty drunk. nearly had my face bitten by one of christians little stunners. was a good night. make sure your both at the next one:2thumb:



...:shock: i missed you getting bitten in the face.... so... angry... at... self...


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## lordaethis (Jul 22, 2009)

I know this is an old topic but i used to make scenary like this for warhammer and warhammer 40k and you have just inspired me to make something like this for my hognoses and my snakes


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## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Looking good, nice work : victory:

Jay


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