# 4 foot high crestie viv build !! :D



## spikemu

ok today i started my crestie viv that i am also doin as a part of a college assignment but mainly cause i REALLY want a crested gecko : )

I got this Viv months ago through sending off for a vivarium cabinet and getting this : ) ( im not complaining lol ) 









so first due to the viv being a normal 4 foot long viv i had to take the doors and whole front of it off and turn it on its side. 









i then cut the front bits of wood to size ready for the runners ( even tho im putting them on after ive done the background) 









then out comes polystyrene and cut it to make the basic shape of the background  









then onto the food ledge. when i find the dish im putting the cgd in it shal be indented into the rock but i wanted to have a ledge so it can be central and the crestie can find it easier then goin all the way to the floor lol.









another plan was to make a plant hang down from the top right corner as a natural hide for the gecko. so originally i was gunna make a lil makeshift hanging basket but i got creative and made another ledge where the plant pot can sit in it so you can only see plant comeing out  


















(plant coming at later stage lol )

i then started pulling pieces of the offcuts and sticking them on with toothpicks to be the rocks. and this is kinda how it developed lol



























i then sanded it down and took it out of the viv so i can add a few more toothpicks along the back to support the background.



















and thats as far as i got today lol 

Planfor tomorrow: 
find a suitable food dish 
make indent on food ledge for dish
begin the grout : )

update coming soonish  

thank you


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## xsmithx2

nice. love to see the finished piece :no1:


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## phil2oo4

Aye looks good so far.

Looking forward to seeing it when its finished.


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## stephenie191

Congrats on what you've done so far. . .


look forward to seeing the end result :no1:


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## Meko

looks good.... sanding down the polystyrene... why didn't i think of that :bash:

i don't envy you with up to 60ft of grouting (5 coats)


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## spikemu

Meko said:


> looks good.... sanding down the polystyrene... why didn't i think of that :bash:
> 
> i don't envy you with up to 60ft of grouting (5 coats)



WOOOOOO i didnt think of it like tht  lol 

tht could be a few weeks worth with bad weather like im expectin  

darn it lol


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## frogs_an_lizards_an_Ad

looking awesome cant wait to se it finished either im just finishing one for my beardies a four foot two two with shelf an laying burrow an the grouting was a nightmare,worth it tho third layer is on an it looks cool really rock face like =]

have fun ad.


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## thetomahawkkid58

another great rock build, well done.: victory:


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## Tommy123

That's amazing, can't wait to see the finished piece!


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## Freaky Rubber

That looks amazing already would love to see it finished and I envy your patience I would end up going mad and kicking it to pieces i thinks lol


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## Tommy123

Any updates?


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## lewi

Do you not have to put holes where ventilation would be in the polystyrene?, i have just started making a background for my leo and put them in, ill be gutted if i didnt have to coz i think the spoiled it.


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## spikemu

*Update*

Well this is gunna be the worst update ever because since then i have sanded all the detail into it and half grouted it (asin half of it grouted & half not ) 

more to happen tomoz  
i shall post a pic of it all sanded and afew close ups soon (need to get them off camera and on photobuket :/


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## ashbosh

this when its finished should be awarded viv of the year, its going to be super impressive! hats off to you.


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## joeyboy

......I wouldn't want to be you having to grout all that. That's going to cost a fair few £ in grout I'd imagine.:lol2:


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## spikemu

LOL cheers ash bosh  
lets see how it goes first lol i lack the amazing talent of most of the viv buildy ppl  




lewi said:


> Do you not have to put holes where ventilation would be in the polystyrene?, i have just started making a background for my leo and put them in, ill be gutted if i didnt have to coz i think the spoiled it.


yea i do good point  i didnt think of tht bit lol plan for tomorrow  ( ive worked it so i only need two ( one each side bottom front corner ) cause the others are goin above the fake rock background  ( i purposely made the background stop about 10 cm away from the top  

and heres what i dun yesterday  

first i wanted to put the CGD dish in the feeding platform to stop it getting knocked off and going everywhere  so heres pics from tht lol



















and then i generally sanded more detail into the background to give it more of a rocky look : )










i even sanded down the edges so i didnt have horrible square poly edges : )

before : 










after : 




















and heres some of my grouting that isnt such a good pic lol 
(this is where quality decreases as i had super thick grout from tubs )


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## Tommy123

So very jealous!! It's absolutely amazing! You will have one lucky crestie!


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## clidbury

Looks awesome so far!

I'm currently in the sanding process of my build!

Just a tip about the grout. Try watering it down a bit, easier to apply and gets in all those tough to reach spots.


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## spikemu

clidbury said:


> Just a tip about the grout. Try watering it down a bit, easier to apply and gets in all those tough to reach spots.


lol i wish u said tht before i started  
grouting is sooooo hard lol 
but due to it being adhesive and grout and in a tub i cant water it down 
suks 


AND THANK YOU ABOUT THE POSITIVE COMMENTS


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## james131

hi mate that looks fantastic so far.

why can you not water it down? if its in a tub cant you find something stiff to stir it with? if the adhesive is just pva then that will water down.


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## spikemu

i dunno my step dads a decorater and sed it myt make the adhesive go weird and wreck it so considering the price of it i didnt wanna risk it lol

has anyone watered down adhesive grout from a tub ????? lol

and thanks again everyone XD


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## Caraneb

Great job on the viv so far. I used tubs of grout too and watered it down a little, I just scooped some out into a tupperware tub and done it bit by bit as if you add to much water it does wreck the grout. but once you work out what percentage water you need life gets so much easier !!

looking forward to seeing it finished !


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## clidbury

That's also what I done.

Took a bit of grout out, bit by bit as I needed it. Put it in a tub and watered that down. 

Water in grout will ruin it if left for a while. Which is why I didn't do the whole tub at once.

Once the layers go on, the thicker the grout needs to be. And it will be easier to apply once a coupe of layers are on. 

I just finished coating one half of mine with full thickness grout, and boy did my wrist hurt from using that paintbrush!


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## spikemu

clidbury said:


> I just finished coating one half of mine with full thickness grout, and boy did my wrist hurt from using that paintbrush!


i found tht usin a cloth wrapped around ur fingers works much easier  
u can get around everything alot easier  
i may make the cloth wet wen i use it then insted of wettin down the grout i guess it will do the same


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## Tommy123

How is the door gonna open? Cause I might kinda copy you!! lol Really cant see how the door is going to work?:hmm:


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## spikemu

Tommy123 said:


> How is the door gonna open? Cause I might kinda copy you!! lol Really cant see how the door is going to work?:hmm:


its gunna run on an intrigate system of pullies and magic  :lol2:

ok maybe not  im gunna have long thin sliding doors  i worked it out and even tho it sounds like its gunna be thing the space would be about the same as the 18 " cube exo terra door with


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## Lovely-Amy

Ahhhh this is immence  
looks amazing dude.
xx


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## x_Living_Dead_Girl_x

Wow I'm so envious... I don't think I could ever be creative enough to make something that great!

Can't wait to see the finished product - will be keeping my eye on this thread


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## spikemu

Thank you everyone  
i am just about to finish the 1st layer of grout 
pics will be up when ive finished the layer


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## mhbird

Looking forward to seeing this finished!

Here's my cresties little world...

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizards/256174-planted-crestie-enclosure-update.html


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## spikemu

mhbird said:


> Looking forward to seeing this finished!
> 
> Here's my cresties little world...
> 
> http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizards/256174-planted-crestie-enclosure-update.html



yea i watched yours while you were building it  
im a VERY big fan of it  lol

i wanted to get a water fall like thing in mine but i dont think ill have enough room after the live plants go in so im gunna get a fogger and put it in tht cave thing you can buy  (not sure wat its called tho)


thank you


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## Jonny_N

That looks mint


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## judy

anymore pics?


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## kentish

looks great so far! very ambitious...

you do realise you are never going to see your crestie again, dont you?!?!


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## leo19

very impressive:notworthy: where did you get all the polystyrene form???


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## spikemu

judy said:


> anymore pics?


yes lol 

i finally finished a whole layer of grout  
but had to split background in 2 so heres the pics  

heres the main bit :









Rightside :









and a close up on abit of it  dunno y lol














kentish said:


> looks great so far! very ambitious...
> 
> you do realise you are never going to see your crestie again, dont you?!?!


i will see him (hopefully) lol  
i am planning on getting a plant that isnt too leafy and has a trunk with leaves at the top  with a dangling plant in tht top corner in the plant pot  nd to see him at night im having two strips of blue LEDS one above the door inside and one below the doors inside 



leo19 said:


> very impressive:notworthy: where did you get all the polystyrene form???


thank you 

Ebay  lol £11 for 10 sheets  


thank you everyone 

im starting next coat tomoz hopefully


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## judy

i want one !


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## boabloketony

Wow it looks absolutely amazing, keep going, it'll be worth it once finished !!! can't wait for more pics :mf_dribble:


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## jamesthornton

spikemu said:


> i will see him (hopefully) lol


Mine is in a 3x2x2 and I barely see him anymore. Good luck to you


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## spikemu

jamesthornton said:


> Mine is in a 3x2x2 and I barely see him anymore. Good luck to you


but do u have Loads of leaves etc ????
plus once the substrate is in it will be 3 x 2 x 2 aswell  lol


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## jamesthornton

spikemu said:


> but do u have Loads of leaves etc ????
> plus once the substrate is in it will be 3 x 2 x 2 aswell  lol


Has a big peice of driftwood, like 3 plants and loads of small branches of hazel. Also some bamboo at back.


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## gilbery007

Loving this thread been following it recently awaiting some new pics. I did something similar recently for my beardie, my first time and made the mistake of covering the floor space with the fake rock. Becomes a real pain at cleaning time so stopped using it as a viv and now it just sits there, ne 1 have ne ideas?


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## spikemu

ryt ive ran into problems. 

my background wont stick back together ????? ?how can i make it stick ??? 

the sides wont even sit flush together ??? 

i tryed a bit of super glue and had no succsess and the grout drys WAY! too slowly :S 

i dunno wat to use ??? ?

would no more nails work ????


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## andy123

you could try silicon :whistling2: or hard as nails stuff


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## scottyboy

you could try spraying the super glue with activator it dries within seconds and is super tough


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## sparkle

spikemu said:


> ryt ive ran into problems.
> 
> my background wont stick back together ????? ?how can i make it stick ???
> 
> the sides wont even sit flush together ???
> 
> i tryed a bit of super glue and had no succsess and the grout drys WAY! too slowly :S
> 
> i dunno wat to use ??? ?
> 
> would no more nails work ????


do NOT use no more nails...

very toxic..

buy aquarium sealant from your local aquarium store.. it comes in a tube with a nozzle and u buy an applicator gun from wickes or b and q

its safe and non toxic and waterproof..

apply to both sides wait till tacky then puch together, you will probably need someone to help you..

good luck with it


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## ady365d

cant you put the background in , in the two halfs?? it will make it easyer to get out for cleaning and stuff?? when i done mine i mounted it on a piece of marine ply wood maybe you could do that??


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## clidbury

I personally wouldn't use no more nails as it is toxic like Sparkle said.

But I have a question. If the polystyrene is being glued together with no more nails, there will be none of the adhesive showing. Then if the polystyrene is covered with 4 layers of grout, then PVA, sand, and then PVA again.

What are the chances of the no more nails actually being a threat?

I'm not saying use it because of this. I'm just curious.


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## spikemu

thanks for the replies everyone  

it was sorted with puttinjg it back in the viv and then grouting it together in their  

is filler ok to use ???? i have a huge gap between the top ledge and back bit can i use a bit of filler for it ??? or should i use something else???


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## spikemu

ryt after a whole week of grouting ( near enough) i think im finally finished  

heres sum pics  (otherwise this would be usless lol)


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## kentish

that is SOOO impressive!!

keep going, the hard bit's over surely!


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## spikemu

kentish said:


> that is SOOO impressive!!
> 
> keep going, the hard bit's over surely!


lol thanks  

yea im gunna be spray painting it wen the weathers nicer and wen i get spray paint  

so will be around wednesday for next updates i think


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## judy

any updates?
:2thumb:


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## spikemu

judy said:


> any updates?
> :2thumb:


yup  lol 

was plannin on putting it up last nyt but got into watchin saw 5 lol 

so here it is with a 1st coat of undercoat  

i used the spray method of approx 1:2 paint to water ratio ( not completely accurate ) 

sorry about the rubbish pic my camera doesnt seem to like taking pictures of black things lol


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## judy

cool, wish i was creative like that!

:flrt:


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## stephenie191

It's been really good watching your porgress.

It's going to look amazing when your done and your going to have one spoilt Cresty : victory:


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## spikemu

judy said:


> cool, wish i was creative like that!
> 
> :flrt:


lol im not creative at all  
u could easily do it  



stephenie191 said:


> It's been really good watching your porgress.
> 
> It's going to look amazing when your done and your going to have one spoilt Cresty : victory:


lol thank you  


i thought ill add a new update as ive been workin most of the day today doin the painting  

heres wat it looked like at the start of the day : 










(i flipped it upsidedown to undercoat the bottom bits of rocks ) 

then this is the undercoat finished :











and then i put the first coat of grey ( im planning on making it lighter as i go along ) but instead of spraying it on i thought id get a better texture by using a sponge  











thank you for all the nice comments everyone


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## Lovely-Amy

OMG MIKE! thats soooo amazing. haaaha my tort thingy will deffenately be good now ive seen this! lol love it. AND you get your crestie soon 

cant beleive you nearly finished.  well done Claps for mike *Clap, Clap*

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! XD


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## B2Z x GURU x

dont bite my head of because im a total newb but i noticed you have covered the vents up with polysyrene ,is that ok?


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## spikemu

B2Z x GURU x said:


> dont bite my head of because im a total newb but i noticed you have covered the vents up with polysyrene ,is that ok?



im gunna cut the holes through wen ive cut more in the viv  

(ive dun it in a very bad order lol)


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## Jim2109

looks like youve got the exact same tub of grout as i just bought the other day, just wondering if you have done all of your fake rock with that one tub?

i wasnt sure how far the grout would go once i started slapping it on, so i think ive probably gone completely overkill if you only used that one tub! but just wondering how much grout you ended up using so i can gauge if mine will be enough


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## kevin cross

mate that looks awesome :2thumb:, dont fancy building mine do ya lol


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## spikemu

Jim2109 said:


> looks like youve got the exact same tub of grout as i just bought the other day, just wondering if you have done all of your fake rock with that one tub?
> 
> i wasnt sure how far the grout would go once i started slapping it on, so i think ive probably gone completely overkill if you only used that one tub! but just wondering how much grout you ended up using so i can gauge if mine will be enough


yeah i did but ive only dun 2 coats of it (otherwise i wouldnt of finished in time for the arrival of the crestie)

i would of actually advised against tht tub tbh ur better off wiv powder lol
it was sooooo hard to put on.


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## spikemu

kevin cross said:


> mate that looks awesome :2thumb:, dont fancy building mine do ya lol



lol funny enough i would  lol 

its soooo fun (except the groutin)  lol 

cheers agen everyone


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## kevin cross

im trying to design 1 for my beardies viv but aint avin much luck lol


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## spikemu

kevin cross said:


> im trying to design 1 for my beardies viv but aint avin much luck lol


awwww tht would be awsome lol  
iv already got my next one in the planning lol 
(to be fair the idea was stolen from sumone off here lol) 
making a tunnel for my leo  so insted of fake rock background it will be fake rock floor lol


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## kevin cross

were abouts in reading you from


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## Jim2109

spikemu said:


> yeah i did but ive only dun 2 coats of it (otherwise i wouldnt of finished in time for the arrival of the crestie)
> 
> i would of actually advised against tht tub tbh ur better off wiv powder lol
> it was sooooo hard to put on.


i think its the adhesive element of it that makes it hard to apply. im not having too much trouble, using a rounded end putty knife. i think once ive laid the first layer the later ones will go on easier as the grout dries rougher than the Oasis foam im laying it on top of, so it will come off the knife easier

first coat is drying now, we will see how it turns out i guess


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## spikemu

kevin cross said:


> were abouts in reading you from


southcote  you ??



Jim2109 said:


> i think its the adhesive element of it that makes it hard to apply. im not having too much trouble, using a rounded end putty knife. i think once ive laid the first layer the later ones will go on easier as the grout dries rougher than the Oasis foam im laying it on top of, so it will come off the knife easier
> 
> first coat is drying now, we will see how it turns out i guess


lol yea i think tht aswell  but it is really good dry i think  
lol i tryed brush, tht was pants , then a cloth wrapped around fingers , tht was pretty good for the big gaps  and then best for smaller gaps is fingers lol  my hand was covered by the end tho  

new updates comin once they uploaded on photobucket  
i have officially finished the painting  
PVA next


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## spikemu

RIGHT !!!! heres the update 

first up is wat it looked like at the start of today ( the right way up ) lol 










and then today i was working on highlights  so it looked tht lil bit more rock like  and to do this i used the same grey but every so often and some more white  then get a lil bit on a sponge and dab it on  getting lighter dabs when each grey gets lighter so you dont cover so much  










and i thought i would add close ups coz there always fun lol 

first up feeding platform :


















The left wall above feeding platform :










Right wall :









Back wall :


















Plant platform ( where the dangling plant will sit in ) :











what you think  lol


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## judy

wow wow wow what more can i say
:no1: :roll2:


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## .:KayLee:.

Looks awesome! MAKE ME ONE.
:flrt:


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## fuzzielady

The looks like it is coming along great: victory:

Regarding your vents though. If you wait until you have finished to cut them out you will have exposed polystyrene. Once you cut into it you may also discover the grout will separate from the polystyrene too. You could maybe cut them now, make sure the grout is still stuck to the polystyrene, then stick mesh vents or something on the front and back. That would stop anything getting to the exposed polystyrene.


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## spikemu

fuzzielady said:


> The looks like it is coming along great: victory:
> 
> Regarding your vents though. If you wait until you have finished to cut them out you will have exposed polystyrene. Once you cut into it you may also discover the grout will separate from the polystyrene too. You could maybe cut them now, make sure the grout is still stuck to the polystyrene, then stick mesh vents or something on the front and back. That would stop anything getting to the exposed polystyrene.


yea i was just about to do the vents lol cheers  im gunna cut through and then re grout the holes  and paint over agen 
lol no tquit finished paint i guess  

o well only two holes needing to be cut  lol


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## fuzzielady

:2thumb:

Didn't want you to finish it then have to ruin it again doing the vents. Would be such a shame after the great job you've done :no1:


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## kevin cross

whitley


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## spikemu

thanks everyone  

im buying decor tomorrow  
and glass should be bought soonish  
NEARLY FINISHED  



kevin cross said:


> whitley


ooo not too far away then  
i think lol


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## Lovely-Amy

Its wed you get jeebus ent it????


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## Tommy123

Abosolutely amazing!


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## spikemu

thank you everyone  

update is .. i have been out and bought some decor but am still in need of hydroleca so i may be goin out tomorrow in search for some  

a garden centre didnt even have it :O lol


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## gilbery007

Looking amazing Mike, really pleased for you mate. Cannot wait to see it full with decor and crestie... Keep posting:2thumb:


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## bacardi84uk

Really nice ambitious build. The only things I probably would have done differently is integrate the vents earlier on, and sand down the grout layer after layer to reduce the sharp and blobby effect, though if thats the look you were going for then it works perfectly. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.


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## spikemu

bacardi84uk said:


> Really nice ambitious build. The only things I probably would have done differently is integrate the vents earlier on, and sand down the grout layer after layer to reduce the sharp and blobby effect, though if thats the look you were going for then it works perfectly. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.


lol this really sounds like a lie but i was goin for tht loook kinda beaten up rock look  

and thank you  

heres my progress today  

first of all i cut the side vents through the background then grouted in their :S coz i forgot to do tht 1st lol dw its will be sanded and painted thts not the finished product and thgere is a vent between the poly and wood aswell lol tht was for photo and ease of cutting purposes  lol




















i then put a bin liner on the floor and stuck it to three walls to act as a waterproof cover for the wood










then i put the front bits of wood in and had the binliner going up and over them so it can cover them from the soil aswell 










after that i put the runners over the binliner and cut off the spare bits that i didnt need. That is as far as i have got so all thats left now is fitting electrics, putting in the soil and plantsand getting the glass

and here it is all together as far as i have got : D 



















sorry that it looks soo dark lol lights coming soon 

and here is the temp viv my cresty (jeebus) will be staying in until i get the glass at the weekend  ( 3 or 4 days max )


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## .:KayLee:.

Its looking excellent Mike, im so glad you kept to it :flrt:


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## Higgt4

Only the other day I saw some pics of Cresties on the forum and thought I would kinda like one...or two.
Now after seeing this thread I just know I want a setup like this - absolutely amazing, can't wait to see the finished article with it's owner living in absolute luxury.
That' a lucky little gecko!
Great work :2thumb:


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## Velosus

really good mate, just read through the thread and its great. 

crestie will live happily in there no doubt!

dont stop with just this one viv.... do your collection...and then THE WORLD lol

cant wait see the finished product 

Ian


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## jack14

looking good :notworthy:
cant wait to see with the plants in ?
when you doing the one in squiglys viv ?


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## spikemu

Velosus said:


> really good mate, just read through the thread and its great.
> 
> crestie will live happily in there no doubt!
> 
> dont stop with just this one viv.... do your collection...and then *THE WORLD lol*
> 
> cant wait see the finished product : )
> 
> Ian


thats gunna be ALOT of grout lol ; ) 
my next plan is to do my leo one but make it a tunnel  

cheers  



jack14 said:


> looking good :notworthy:
> cant wait to see with the plants in ?
> when you doing the one in squiglys viv ?


after this one is fully done  lol 
and got more money  lol i might need some more poly lol




anyways i have nearly nearly finished  

today i have done all the drilling and screwing all the body in so it holds nice and tight  

then i put in the substrate with the stones at the bottom to aid drainage (i couldnt find hydroleca) and i almost forgo to take photo so heres a bit thats had the soil pushed off it  










i then put all the soil in and the plant in and pushed the soil down tightly 









and i had some stones left and remembered some tips about holding humidity levels for longer you can use pebbles and stones so i put a layer on top  (plus it makes it looks abit brighter  ) 










(ive just realised the rejected plant thaty i bought first and then changed my mind about is on the right of the pic lol, i didnt use it coz i didnt like how thin the leaves and trunk were so theres not asmuch for the crestie to hold/ stick on to ) 

incase you wanna kow what plant it is it's a spineless yucca  Iknow its a tad on the small side but they where eithe 999999993584985694 feet tall or that size lol 

(liughts coming tommorow so tommorow will have nice bright pics


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## jack14

:gasp:looks amazing mike
when you doing mine:whistling2:
cnt wait to see it with more plants and with the crestie in :2thumb:


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## Tommy123

Thats abosutely amazing! Can't wait to see the finished product!


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## clidbury

Looking great.
Been watching this thread since the start. Looks great how it's come along.

I know the feeling of satisfaction when you first have it all finally in place.


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## bacardi84uk

Nice choice of plant. Cresties have a habit of jumping further than they can manage and/or fall off onto the floor. Stones arent great as a surface to land on tbh. Soil/coco fibre and moss give a nice cushion and hold moisture very well. I'd go for that instead of the top layer of stones tbh. Also are you planning on having more foliage up high? That one plant wont provide enough cover as it stands.


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## spikemu

bacardi84uk said:


> Nice choice of plant. Cresties have a habit of jumping further than they can manage and/or fall off onto the floor. Stones arent great as a surface to land on tbh. Soil/coco fibre and moss give a nice cushion and hold moisture very well. I'd go for that instead of the top layer of stones tbh. Also are you planning on having more foliage up high? That one plant wont provide enough cover as it stands.



oooo gd point i never thought of that hmmmm maybe take the stones out or bury them abit more. 

im going to get a bromeliad at the bottom as theres no room at the top due to the bulb and ceramic (i know they have room temp but at nights my room gets EXTREMELY cold ) 

new pics in next few hours  ive finnally finished the electrics


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## spikemu

ok ive got new pics  basically all ive done today is stick the background to the wall coz it was sticking out abit too much and i also got lights in there along with the ceramic bulb and thermostat  

atm im using an energy saving bulb coz they dont get hot enough to burn them ( or so ive been told ) 

heres pics 









(just to show where probe is before people start asking  























































hope you all like it .... im seriously considering making this a profession lol ........ i wish


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## naz_pixie

its gorgeous!! are you going to be puting lots more plants and things to climb in/on and places to hide in it?


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## spikemu

naz_pixie said:


> its gorgeous!! are you going to be puting lots more plants and things to climb in/on and places to hide in it?


im getting a bromeliad and depending on the space left ill be getting some lucky bamboo


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## naz_pixie

not to critisise (cant spell it) cose the viv looks great! but i think you could proberly do with ALOT more plants ect.. my plan is do something of a simular size for my cresties but the bigger it gets more the more plants you need.. i was looking at 3ft viv for them and it would have to be very heaverly planted for them to feel save in such a large space.. i was looking at useing atleast 9 very leafy plants.. (although mine will be a bio active tank so a bit differnt) lots n lots of leaves to hide in on lots of different levels.... and lots of plants that hang down over the walls so they can hide under the leafs...


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## spikemu

naz_pixie said:


> not to critisise (cant spell it) cose the viv looks great! but i think you could proberly do with ALOT more plants ect.. my plan is do something of a simular size for my cresties but the bigger it gets more the more plants you need.. i was looking at 3ft viv for them and it would have to be very heaverly planted for them to feel save in such a large space.. i was looking at useing atleast 9 very leafy plants.. lots n lots of leaves to hide in on lots of different levels.... and lots of plants that hang down over the walls so they can hide under the leafs...


yea my dangly down plant is gunna grow ito that fingers crossed lol 

in all honesty the money for this is pretty low so ive had to buy it bit by bit each time i get my ema 
i didnt wanna go into my backup emergency money so the plants will be coming when i gets the moneys for them  
the yucca plant does get pretty big and leafy so its all good


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## naz_pixie

cool cools!! i know what the money thing is like.. im getting mine as a hatchling and it will be in realitivly simplistic set up in a small exo terra untill its ready for its adult viv.. which gives me about 7-8 months to buy everything bit by bit and get it slowly set up! hate to think how much our animals cost us if we added it all up lol!!

good job though!!


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## gilbery007

Looking better with some decor in there Mike but as Naz said definitely need more branches and plantation for the lil guy...


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## Tommy123

It's come on so so well!! You are going to have one lucky lucky crestie!


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## spikemu

right 2day 

all done 

except glass  we went to the glass place that says glass cut within the hour and they sed it will take up to 7 days !!! :O
so we now have to wait 7 days for the glass

but on the bright side the night lights are sorted  

check it out ( looks brighter than it actually is )


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## Jonny357

good job, looks cool in the dark.

guna be an absolute bitch to clean the crestie crap outa the background tho, specially when it works its way into all the nooks and crannies lol


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## spikemu

Jonny357 said:


> good job, looks cool in the dark.
> 
> guna be an absolute bitch to clean the crestie crap outa the background tho, specially when it works its way into all the nooks and crannies lol


lol cheers 
yea but it will be worth it  seems better than a bog standard background or no background lol


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## Jonny357

oh yeah i agree, fortunatly, my waterdragon craps in his water, so i dont have to work bout cleaning mine, just a wipe down ever 2 weeks or so


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## spikemu

as in water fall ??? 

coz wouldnt it clog the pump nd contaminate the water ??


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## Jonny357

the pumps got an intake gaurd for that very reason, and fortunatly his poo's tend to float, so they dont get near the impeller anyway

yeah, it does, tho its a fairly large pool so the concentration is diluted massively, but it gets poppa scooped every day to remove and and the whole pool/waterfall is drained and refilled every other day, bit of a pain but i dont mind


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## Joe-Seff

That is absolutely awesome i want one for my cham lol


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## clidbury

Any more updates spikemu?

Can't wait to see it finished.


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## spikemu

clidbury said:


> Any more updates spikemu?
> 
> Can't wait to see it finished.


sorry but no  

glass comes wednesday  

so hes going in then  

and ill be getting more plants during the weeks after


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## farnell182

just had a read through, fair play great looking viv, shame i cant be bothered to put that amount of effort into my vivs lol, looks amazing :2thumb::no1:


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## gilbery007

What kind of extra plants you putting in there Mike? How are you going to attach them?


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## spikemu

gilbery007 said:


> What kind of extra plants you putting in there Mike? How are you going to attach them?



when i have the money im gunna plant a bromeliad in the bottom corner (probz right corner) 

and lucky bamboo in the opposite back corner lol


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## spikemu

so its easier to see all the pics etc the finished project is in the lizard forum 

follow the link  

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizards/303569-jeebuss-big-viv-build-jeebus.html 



THANK YOU EVERY ONE !!!!!


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## Nat-tigs

Out of curiousity what pva did you use? is something like this ok http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9254390&fh_view_size=10&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB&fh_search=pva&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&ts=1242289772295&isSearch=true


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## spikemu

yea thats probly fine  

i just used waterproof craft glue that kids can use  

main reason being then you will know its deffo non toxic  

just make sure they are non toxic and dry clear


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## naz_pixie

spikemu said:


> when i have the money im gunna plant a bromeliad in the bottom corner (probz right corner)
> 
> and lucky bamboo in the opposite back corner lol


again i realy dont want to critisize (i still cant spell it lol)

but i realy dont think thats enough plants!!

it might not look as nice but what about putting fake trailing plants all round the edges n up the walls untill you can buy real ones, and untill teh real ones have grown a bit?? 

your little lad is going to need lots of loverly things to hide in and will realy apreiciate it!


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## spikemu

naz_pixie said:


> again i realy dont want to critisize (i still cant spell it lol)
> 
> but i realy dont think thats enough plants!!
> 
> it might not look as nice but what about putting fake trailing plants all round the edges n up the walls untill you can buy real ones, and untill teh real ones have grown a bit??
> 
> your little lad is going to need lots of loverly things to hide in and will realy apreiciate it!



tbh the fake plants cost more than live plants so that would be more expensive. hes in there with another plant and a skull, and seems happy atm but i am still getting more. 

i think he'll be fyn atm. i am planning on maybe buying some fake vives for the top aswell .


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## spikemu

Naz pixie is it abit better now ???? :lol2:










(i am getting a bromeliad soon aswell )


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## freekygeeky

tis really cool, agai though i still think it doesnt have enough platning, they are aborial, and live their lives in plants , so maybe pout some fake plants and or bamboo half way up so they can use the middle space?


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## spikemu

freekygeeky said:


> tis really cool, agai though i still think it doesnt have enough platning, they are aborial, and live their lives in plants , so maybe pout some fake plants and or bamboo half way up so they can use the middle space?


people say that but tbh i think my crestie likes the open bit during the night hes always in it :S 

(sounds like an excuse... its not lol )


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## Nicquita

everyone keeps saying to get more plants, but you've already said about 4 times that you're getting them bit by bit...


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## Leliel

Just a thought on grout- when i worked in the plumbing industry we used to go to tile shops a lot- they sell big bags of powdered grout, for about £15 i think they were, and they came in loads of different colours, i was thinking that if you had some grey grout made up quite weak, and bought one of those pressure sprays that you pump by hand, couldn't you put the grout in the sprayer and use that? might take a few more coats but would be quicker/easier/cleaner and you could do the grout layers in the first colour? just a thought for the future!


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## Liam17

I have got to be honest, I am pretty impressed. 

I was going to make my own custom viv earlier this year, turned out the exo-terra's were to convinient and I didnt follow it through.

It looks like youve done a really good job, you should be proud lol. 

One thing you could consider is if you were getting wood for branches why not go an hunt out a really twisted branch from the woods or something.

I have a few natural branches in mine, all I do if find a nice bit if its not quite big enough add anther twisted peice and then totally disinfect the whole thing and dry it out for a few days. Looks better than straight bamboo.

Also I have bromelia and they suit crestie set ups brilliantly.

Great job, hope you get alot of good feedback : victory:


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## SandiskReptiles

it looks fantastic! i love it! and i bet your crestie feels like royalty!


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## teiryklav

that's a very nice viv you got there!! 
may i give a few opinion?
even though that i can't make that kind of viv, and also knows nothing about those things, i think to make the viv more natural, you should give the fake rocks some browny and green colour, brown a bit, and then green a very lil bit but dark green (so it's like lichen/moss there, i'm sure it'll look more natural )

and also, the pebbles, i think that it's to be more natural to get that out, but that's your viv, as you wish lol :roll:

and also, are you getting some forest vine? like the exo terra has? it'll make the viv nicer too for you and the cresties.. 

but that's all my opinion, if you think your viv is better this way, that's fine, still very cool though! : victory:: victory:


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## spikemu

teiryklav said:


> that's a very nice viv you got there!!
> may i give a few opinion?
> even though that i can't make that kind of viv, and also knows nothing about those things, i think to make the viv more natural, you should give the fake rocks some browny and green colour, brown a bit, and then green a very lil bit but dark green (so it's like lichen/moss there, i'm sure it'll look more natural )
> 
> and also, the pebbles, i think that it's to be more natural to get that out, but that's your viv, as you wish lol :roll:
> 
> and also, are you getting some forest vine? like the exo terra has? it'll make the viv nicer too for you and the cresties..
> 
> but that's all my opinion, if you think your viv is better this way, that's fine, still very cool though! : victory:: victory:


its all finished now so i cant paint it anymore but yea i was gunna add abitof brown nd green but i kinda wanted more moss free rocks lol. 

nd it doesnt have so many pebbles in anymore as i buried them all heres a more up to date picture of it : 










i was thinkin of either getting some of the vines or planting some lucky bamboo  

nd also a nice bromeliad to replace the skull


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## teiryklav

yes, i know you can't paint it anymore lol
but if you want some jungle natural look, that should be great lol! xD

plant some good fern there, looks cool! (maybe is it poisonous? i don't know) to replace the skull.


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## JotnJosie

Very nice tanks


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## gecko lover

WOW  only thing i would say really is when u get some money change ur skull (well hopfully not ur personal skull lol) for a plant


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## spikemu

gecko lover said:


> WOW  only thing i would say really is when u get some money change ur skull (well hopfully not ur personal skull lol) for a plant




will be doin tht soon  

my plan was to find either another peace lilly thing or bromeliad


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## thundergibbon

Are you adding branches?


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## spikemu

maybe when i get more moneys


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## thundergibbon

Cool, ciliatus are a lot more arboreal than they are rupicolous


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## Mujician

Looks awesome, and Im sorry to hear your little fella died. Two questions:- How easy is grouted polystyrene to clean? What do you do to clean it? Like when a poo is REALLY stuck on?!!!! And how do you go about cleaning the bottom? Surely you aren't goingto uproot the yucca everytime? Are you putting bugs in there littel tropical woodlice/springtails? Thanks, Ben


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## spikemu

Mujician said:


> Looks awesome, and Im sorry to hear your little fella died. Two questions:- How easy is grouted polystyrene to clean? What do you do to clean it? Like when a poo is REALLY stuck on?!!!! And how do you go about cleaning the bottom? Surely you aren't goingto uproot the yucca everytime? Are you putting bugs in there littel tropical woodlice/springtails? Thanks, Ben


the poo was really easy to clean, it usually just went down un the floor and just left white stuff on the rock so i sprayed it more ( with the powerful setting) and wiped it off.

and i was thinking about getting some wood lice to sort out all the leaves etc tht fell off. 

i had also added a new branch for when jeebus went back into the viv  ill show pic when its dun


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## Mujician

spikemu said:


> the poo was really easy to clean, it usually just went down un the floor and just left white stuff on the rock so i sprayed it more ( with the powerful setting) and wiped it off.
> 
> and i was thinking about getting some wood lice to sort out all the leaves etc tht fell off.
> 
> i had also added a new branch for when jeebus went back into the viv  ill show pic when its dun


 
But dead leaves, and loads of poo are completely different things!! The question (I think) was will you ever completely clean out the bottom of the viv, or are you leaving it for the plant to grow forever? In which case i think you would need to put bugs in! Ta, Ben


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## spikemu

Mujician said:


> But dead leaves, and loads of poo are completely different things!! The question (I think) was will you ever completely clean out the bottom of the viv, or are you leaving it for the plant to grow forever? In which case i think you would need to put bugs in! Ta, Ben


wat u mean leaving it for the plants to grow forever ????

the woodlice eat poo and leaves, cresties wont have enough time to do loads of poos tbh. 

i could see the poo on the floor usually so i could take it out.

but yea woodlice do seem like a good option if i choose to get anything else in there.

im debating getting another or selling the viv.


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## Dynamos Dragons

Just a thought spikemu,was your viv compleatly solvent free by the time you put jeebus in ?


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## spikemu

Dynamos Dragons said:


> Just a thought spikemu,was your viv compleatly solvent free by the time you put jeebus in ?


yup was heated up for a week or 2 before he went in
no smell or nuffin


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## scalez

Waterproof pva isn't totally waterproof, when I accidently left something out in the rain, it turned back White and went all wet again, maybe because of the constant spraying in the vivarium the pva went back wet and the crestie started licking it.
:/


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## spikemu

scalez said:


> Waterproof pva isn't totally waterproof, when I accidently left something out in the rain, it turned back White and went all wet again, maybe because of the constant spraying in the vivarium the pva went back wet and the crestie started licking it.
> :/


no the viv never got tht wet. i spent ages testing for it.

the rain gets it alot wetter for longer than spraying does.


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## ginna

i have seen a lot of vivs in my time but that is the best and nicer looking one i have seen in a long time 
:no1::2thumb::flrt::lol2:
pat on the back


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## spikemu

TY but it all appeared to be a crestie death trap :/ 

the ivy is highly toxic to them  so im replaacing it with a ficus or inch plant and shall house a tokay gecko in there


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## Tommy123

Aren't tokay a ground dwelling lizard? Excuse me if I'm wrong and if I am ignore me!


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## forteh

I believe theyre the same as cresties, semi-arboreal


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## Lew

tokays are arboreal (Y)


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## Tommy123

You learn something new every day! Thanks


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## frogs_an_lizards_an_Ad

sorry to hear you lost him after all that work viv looks stunning tbf tokays would love it to =]

my beaerdie background works a treat an real easy to clean with slight daily maintenance its a doodle =]


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## lauren-rikki

u have done a amazing job there, i was going to do that, got the polystyrene into a random shape and then gave up...... im no good at anything creative...well done xxx


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## Epinefreak

Just wanted to say what an awesomely creative vivarium! Have just looked through all of the thread, you've inspired me to get making! It looks like a lot of fun. 

Would have never thought to use those little sticks (for some reason their name eludes me ??) to pin the polystyrene together. Probably a stupid question but did you use glue aswell? 

Chloe


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## Maggieceltstim

Looks amazing : victory:


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## norfendz

mate this is a big man vivarium im deffo making one of thee when i have a few cresties or gargs


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## lizardlad

spikemu said:


> its all finished now so i cant paint it anymore but yea i was gunna add abitof brown nd green but i kinda wanted more moss free rocks lol.
> 
> nd it doesnt have so many pebbles in anymore as i buried them all heres a more up to date picture of it :
> 
> image
> 
> i was thinkin of either getting some of the vines or planting some lucky bamboo
> 
> nd also a nice bromeliad to replace the skull


 
iff you was selling it how much would it be

2#
were did you get all the foam from

3#
i might have to copy ya but with a smaller viv

and were r you from because i might need a little weeny bit off help iff i do it

it look realy realy fantastic i might just have to buy it off ya :lol2:

cheers 

:notworthy::notworthy:lizardlad:notworthy::notworthy:


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## spikemu

lizardlad said:


> iff you was selling it how much would it be
> 
> around 150 - 200 mark all included i think ........ no idea
> 
> 2#
> were did you get all the foam from
> 
> ebay XD think it was 5 sheets for £10 or sumin
> 
> 3#
> i might have to copy ya but with a smaller viv
> 
> DO IT !!!!
> 
> and were r you from because i might need a little weeny bit off help iff i do it
> 
> Im from Reading XD i think thts pretty far from u
> it look realy realy fantastic i might just have to buy it off ya :lol2:
> 
> lol thanks XD
> cheers
> 
> :notworthy::notworthy:lizardlad:notworthy::notworthy:


 

:2thumb:


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## carpetman

Nice job, that looks the nuts!

:notworthy:


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## Patmufc

Beautiful enclosure although I think It could use alot more vines and plants!


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## Captinchunk

Dude what course are you on i've got to do something similar for mine although i'll probably do something a little less epic and a little more simples lol 
Looking fantastic so far looking forward to seeing the end result.


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## spikemu

Patmufc said:


> Beautiful enclosure although I think It could use alot more vines and plants!


more going in today ..... vines should be here tomoz  



Captinchunk said:


> Dude what course are you on i've got to do something similar for mine although i'll probably do something a little less epic and a little more simples lol
> Looking fantastic so far looking forward to seeing the end result.


what course ???? i was doin ND animal management when i built it 

finished tho ....... DDD FTW (for ppl tht dont know thts top marks :no1: ) 
 

lol cheerz everyone


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## Martha.Kirby

nice! :2thumb:


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