# Vivarium and Fake Rock Summer Project – PICTURE HEAVY



## Alister

Well after a hard term at Uni I was looking for anything to distract my attention from revision… Obviously this led me to researching everything about bearded dragons! I read every care sheet, joined a forum and watched numerous videos on Youtube.

My plans were set in motion for a massive summer project of buying a baby beardie, building a new vivarium (which also stemmed into a cabinet) and constructing a fake rock habitat to finish it all off.



I started by drawing up some plans:

The first sketch is of the fake rock background. I saw so many on here and just had to give one a try!












This second sketch is of my actual vivarium and cabinet. The vivarium is4.5x2x2ft and the design for the cabinet altered to allow the fridge and cockroach colony to fit along with some shelving for other bits.






















Equipment I used:
Jigsaw
Router
No more nails Gun
Straight edge
Set square
Clamps
Sharp pencils
Craft knife
Chisel
Band Saw
Belt sander
Sandpaper – Various Grit
Paint Brush
Soldering Iron
Tile cutter
Wood saw – Circle 75mm
Tape measure
Screwdriver
Electric drill


Materials I Used:
Chipboard – Used 8 sheets 8 x 2ft
No more nails – 12 tubes
Screws – Large box
Polystyrene – 2 sheets 8 x 4ft
Modelling foam – Small amount for “Hollywood”
Piece of slate
Grout (Tile adhesive)
LED’s
Paint (Acrylic)
Tiles – 10 ceramic tiles
Vents – Bought from -loobylou211
Runners – 2 x 5ft 6mm
2 x 2ft 6mm
Glass – Found in my Grandmas cellar!
Adhesive handles x 2
Cocktail Sticks
Stainless handles and Hinges



The first stage for me was the vivarium and cabinet. Luckily my dad is a Design Technology teacher so having the space and equipment was priceless along with his advice if he thought I was wrong!!

To save cash I bought the chip board in tongue and groove style. Cost around £6 a sheet. This meant that the first task was to use the router to remove all of the “tongues” Although a long process it gave me a straight edge to work from and gave me a useable sheet.












From here it was just a case of measuring twice cutting once to give me all the pieces. I used no more nails and screws for all the joints, using clamps to make sure it was dead square. I drilled all the screw holes and countersunk the surfaces to avoid any splitting. Made out of 18mm chipboard the whole unit is very stiff which it needed to be to avoid cracking in the grout when being transported.

Here is a picture of the vivarium. The gaps at the back of the viv have all been filled and from the front it looks perfect.












This is when I began to lay my tiles in the floor. Although I plan to have play sand as the substrate eventually this gives me a waterproof base layer just incase. It should also make for easy cleaning. Somehow the tiles fitted across exactly so all that was needed was to cut the back four. I used no more nails to stick them down securely and grouted the gaps as you will see later.










































The next task was the cabinet for this to sit on. This was going to be a cabinet purely to house all the stuff needed for Tyrone (Named after the getaway driver from Snatch for all who have seen the film!). This included my recent purchase of 700 Dubia roaches housed in a storage box. I have left ventilation at the back of this section as well as the section containing the mini fridge for his salad.






















My original plans were to have 4 doors on the front of this cabinet but once I had seen them held up to it I decided that 2 doors with exposed central shelves looked far better. I used the router tool at this point to create an edge surrounding the door panels. These next pictures show some experimenting with different styles.






















I decided on a simple Cream satinwood finish starting with a couple of coats of undercoat. I added a small amount of colour to brighten things up as the pictures later will show…Haha! I also added some simple handles to finish it off.



Now that I had finished the main construction of the project I could move back home and completely cover my parents house in polystyrene!! They didn’t like that!

Building the fake rock really did take much longer than I had expected, I spent a good month individually cutting and sanding pieces and sticking them into the build.


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## Alister

Fake Rock


I started off with my original idea of having pride rock in one corner being the focal point of the habitat. I decided to use a piece of slate as the base for this basking spot as it will hold the heat far better than the polystyrene. These next few pictures show the background taking shape. I used a craft knife, jigsaw and sandpaper to carve and shape the polystyrene. I found that cocktail sticks were perfect for holding the structure together before permanently gluing it with the no more nails…










































At this stage I brought the vivarium home and started to build it permanently into it. As you will see I used a wood saw to cut holes for the vents. I allowed for 6 vents but can always block them up of the temperature gradient is not right. I figured it is better to have too many than too few.




















































By this point the build was really starting to take shape!! Another one of my original ideas was to include some other ‘landmarks’. My next idea is purely ornamental. I used a sharp craft knife and a metal ruler.


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## Alister

Grouting


Once I had perfected my rock landscape, filled any holes and left it to dry for a couple of days it was time for grouting. I used some pre mixed grout that my dad had left over in the garage. I watered some down and applied 3 even coats using a stiff paintbrush. At this stage really make sure you get into every nook and cranny! This soon started to transform the look and with a light sanding after the 3rd coat gave it a windswept canyon look that I was after. I finished the grouting with a thicker layer to some of the high traffic areas to make it extra hardwearing. I have made it so that the pride rock and the shelf on the other side are removable. This will help with cleaning and made the LED lighting more accessible if something was to go wrong. Here are some shots after the grouting. I put the lid on loosely to see how it looked.




















































Lighting and Equipment



For the temporary viv Tyrone had a 30” Arcadia 12% tube with a 60W spot both with reflectors. He was kept on newspaper for easy cleaning and to prevent possible impaction. I am using a dual probe thermometer to measure both the cool and the hot end. I had the spot running through a Habistat dimmer stat.



With the new viv 2ft tall I was instantly met with the problem of UV. From a tube, to get sufficient levels Tyrone would have to be 6-8 inches from it. For this to happen I would have had to suspend the tube in the middle of the viv and I thought this could ruin the whole effect. I was reading through FireDragon build and noticed he used a Megaray bulb. I looked into it and found that a self ballasted 120w Magaray could provide useable UV at 12-18” which would be perfect. This would be mounted toward the hot end – Pride rock. As well as this I have a spot bulb to provide the extra heat at the basking spot running through the dimming thermostat.

I have also included an Arcadia natural sun tube to provide extra light into the vivarium. This is 36” long and is run using an Arcadia starter.

The final lighting I have is the LED’s. They are red and come on at night lighting up the two caves and HOLLYWOOD.

For the lighting sequence i was inspired by HadesDragons. All the lighting is running off 3 digital timers. At 7am the 40w spot comes on to provide enough light to wake Tyrone, at 7.30 the 40w turns off and the MVB and the sunlight tube come on. These produce temps of around 115 on the very tip of pride rock and 105 directly beneath the bulb with the cool end being 75-77. At 7pm the MVB and tube turn off and are replaced by the 40w spot to provide some gentle evening heat. At 9pm the spot turns off and the LED’s come on until 11pm.





Painting



For the painting I used acrylic paints and started with 4 coats of base colour to make sure the grout was all fully sealed beneath. After this the layers were built up to create a more natural look with plenty of different shades coming through.


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## Alister

Well that’s my project done, just thought that I would share my process with you guys and may be inspire some of you to give it a go! It wasn’t that hard, just time consuming and I’m really happy with the results. Here are some pictures of the finished viv and of Tyrone. I bought him from Fletcher off here and he is superb. As you can see he has grown up fast. He started out in a 3ft setup that I put together while I was building this.


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## GrantW

That is actually awesome!

Hat off to you, I could never make something like that!


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## judy

Wow wow wow wow. thats the best iv seen!!:notworthy::2thumb:
im in the process of getting all the bits together to start my fake rock build. you make it look so easy!


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## markmark.123

that is spot on mate where did ya get the led's from and how did ya put them in i want some for my to vivs


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## thetomahawkkid58

absolutely stuning mate, superb job. :no1:


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## sugars

*quality viv*

that viv is quality
how much in total did it cost u?:notworthy::no1:


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## lil_jo84

that is amazing... fancy doing me one?

Can I just ask what you do at uni cos I think you may be wasting your time with skills like that lol


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## Alister

Cheers for all the comments guys!! The LED's I allready had at home, I just used a soldering iron to make the circuit up and then connected a transformer plug so it ran from a mains socket...
As for the cost, I reakon for just the vivarium about 200-250... But that includes all the lighting which was very expensive!!

Alister


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## dan.hobley

one word...sexual!

that is absolutely stunning! a work of art none the less!

loving the ssshh tyrone asleep..did u make that aswell???

i bet the 700 dubias weren't cheap either lol.

i made a fake rock build and it was very time consuming, nothing to what id say yours took lol!!!

when i decide to build another in the future i will definately (if you dont mind) be using ur viv and some other very good ones on here as a starting base to commence the final house for lex!!


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## Morgan Freeman

:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

Brilliant viv.


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## haunted-havoc

WOW! how much did it all cost in total


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## Dawson

Very nice build, hope mine turns out as good as this. Just one question regarding your lighting. I have been looking intousing an MVB in my build but they are very expensive. Do you know how often they need to be replaced?


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## ObsessedWithSerpents

best beardie viv I have ever seen


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## Pendragon

Hi mate,

I take my hat off mate, this can't be your first build, your understanding of the lighting and temps is spot on, right down to the use of a 2% tube for uva. And am I right in saying that there is a thermometer in the roach box. If so :notworthy:

By the way 30~32c is good, but I bet you already know that.

Jay


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## Alister

Yer the MVB cost me £50 but only needs replacing every 1-1.5 years so it really costs no more than the tube alternative...
It is my first ever attempt at this and my first reptile too! Very chuffed! For the roaches I have them sat on a heatmatt on one end on a matt stat set to 32. The thermometer is for my peice of mind really to check that nothing is broken! Haha

Alister


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## Pendragon

Alister said:


> Yer the MVB cost me £50 but only needs replacing every 1-1.5 years so it really costs no more than the tube alternative...
> It is my first ever attempt at this and my first reptile too! Very chuffed! For the roaches I have them sat on a heatmatt on one end on a matt stat set to 32. The thermometer is for my peice of mind really to check that nothing is broken! Haha
> 
> Alister


:lol2: 

Spot on, if everybody was this clued up from the start, we could shut this forum down : victory:

Jay


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## excession

Thats bloody brilliant.

Nice one!!


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## dan.hobley

isnt it true though that the mvb should be on no longer than 8 hours max due the intense light it puts out (dont know myself, just know its been mentioned many times in other threads...


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## Alister

Cheers dan, yer I did make the curtain! My mum has this sewing machine with programmable settings for letters ect which was useful:lol2:

from what I researched the mvb puts out levels similar to early morning sun, not even close to midday... In a viv with no hides or shade areas I guess this would be a good idea but I do see Tyrone photoregulating and popping under pride rock for shade every so often, exactly the same as they would need to in a wild environment....

Cheeky edit there, I was replying at the same time you posted! Haha 

Alister


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## sup3r_k

wow thats fantastic  great work


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## dan.hobley

lol good come back jay! ha! fair enough. as said i wasnt sure but i suppose as long as he's happy what more could you ask for!!

ha wicked, thats what the OH keeps asking me for so she can make things...now i know what i'll be getting her to make for Lex 

can you find out how much it cost..(dnt mean to be rude)

cheers

p.s. u have a private mail Alistar!!

cheers


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## Alister

I will ask her today!!

I would fully reccomend the Megaray bulb, sinse he has been in this new viv he is far more active, climbing around on the ledges, he just seems so happy! 

Can't get onto the private messages on my phone for some reason so il reply when I get on campus....

Cheers for all the positive comments :2thumb:

Alister


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## kevin cross

totally awesome :no1:


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## suey

Absolutely brilliant, very impressive, well done! :2thumb:


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## dan.hobley

hey Ali where u get ur thermometer from?


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## Alister

Hi dan, the thermeter is a lucky reptile thermeter pro 2 or something like that... It has 2 probes and a humidity sensor too... 

My mum reakons the sewing machine was about £450! Bit pricey I you ask me! Haha

Alister


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## dan.hobley

lol yeah just a bit! thanks for asking anyways buddy! all the best! and as said before!! awesome build mate!! i'm tempted to change my layout now for a new build..inspiring!

maybe ur mum could make me one if i paid her??? cheeky but worth the ask


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## dan.hobley

ha found it...thermometer on order  cheers


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## dan.hobley

Ali...


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## Lukeg28

Has got to be the best viv i have seen.. loving the cover and the hollywood.


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## Alister

Cheers luke! :2thumb:


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## trw

wow. looks really good:2thumb:


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## dan.hobley

so that a no on the question front ali?


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## Mirf

That really is stunning. :no1: You have one very lucky little beardie there.


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## Declan123

how did you seal the rocks,

I think i missed that bit.


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## Alister

You havnt missed it, I didn't use a specific sealent on it. I wasn't looking for the shiny effect that sealing gave so I build up many layers of good acrylic paint. Aslong as all the grout and ploystyrene have been well covered then it will be equally as safe.:2thumb:

Alister


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## Chapster5

WOW! that Viv is awsome! I would love to be that lizard right now lol so much to play with!


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## dan.hobley

hey

what thickness polystyrene sheets did you use and where did you get your paint from...just so i know what type is good quality and what brand is safe.


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## Alister

The polystyrene I used was a 1" thick but I also had some 2" sheets knocking about that i used...

The paint I already had as well but any acrylic with a low VOC figure will do the trick  

Alister


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## HadesDragons

That's a superb build - great job!


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## dan.hobley

nice one cheers!


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## Heart4Darts

I dont know the person that makes these tanks because im new here, but WOW, these are amazing, i wish i could build one of these for my new iguana cage project.
do you think its possible to do this in a 6ft high, 6ft wide and 4ft deep cage? an will the materials be ok for an iguana?


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## Alister

Sure you can build one for your rep, all the materials I have used will be just fine.

Lots of different people have had a go at doing one of these, this is just my effort that i have done over summer. A 6ft one would take AGES if mine was anything to go by :lol2:

Alister


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## xxmykyxx

That's bloody brilliant :mf_dribble:


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## oxxxdanniexxxo

lol lovin the sleepin sign what an awsome build u got 1 lucky beardie )


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## Alister

Cheers for the comments guys! Im sure he appreciates the sleeping sign too!


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## Martha.Kirby

One word- Wow!

I'm building a custom viv for my beardie i'm getting.
Need some ideas still though...
by the way i'm only 14, would this be a complete disaster for me..?

Good job :2thumb:


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## Alister

Cheers!:2thumb: No wont be a disaster, just be careful and keep hoovering up all the polystyrene bits:lol2:

My mum was starting to get angry by the end!!

Alister


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## ObsessedWithSerpents

just an amazing setup


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## Annihilation

Absolutly amazing


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## Patmufc

that is amazing mate


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## dan.hobley

Hey mate.
What wattage megaray you use in ur build??? Cheers!


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## Joshuar.

Fairplay mate, very original


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## kathizzy

:2thumb:Absolutly amazing, what a top job you've done, it really is fan bloody tastic, well done. Your beardie is forever in your debt lol, but bet he a happy spoilt little beardie.:no1:


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## Frogsrule10

Absolutly outstanding!!!:no1: Do you think it could be adapted to house iguanas?


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## ju5t1n

now that is phenominal:no1:
im in the process of deciding on how im going to go about building mine,i think ill be back to the drawing board after seeing yours i really like the idea of a cupboard underneith what was the rough cost on all this?


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## Alister

Hi Dan, sorry for the belated reply!
I believe it is a self ballasted (SB) 150W bulb however im sure I ordered a 100W at the time :lol2:

Either way it doubles up as the basking lamp as it gets hot and produces the UV... I also have the daylight tube to up the brightness in the vivarium and balance out the light spectrum

Cheers for all the comments guys, Tyrone is still loving it! (Although it has now turned out she is a she, mabe Tyronella?! :2thumb

Alister


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## rob.156

nice viv just finished mine can u tell me what the name of the colours u used plz thx


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## Camuk

Top dollar


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## GallimoreNUFC

amazing, looks great


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## RedDragon619

Dude, thats the dogs :censor: :2thumb:

u must love u beardie loads, i love the lil touch with the sleeping blanket lol

Gd job man, my hat is off to u :notworthy:


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## ch4dg

truly awesome


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## teiryklav

:no1: amazing!!


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## WolverineX

Thanks for sharing your build, it inspired me to have a go! :2thumb:


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## Alister

Good morning all,

Unfortunately due to a unforeseen change of job and moving to London it has become completely impossible fit my little beardie in my room :gasp:
Luckily, I have managed to find her a brilliant new home at a local wildlife oasis where she is handled daily and used in talks etc in the reptile enclosure! She is very happy and settled in really quick so I'm really glad about that!


What that does mean is this vivarium will be up for sale in the near future, when I get a chance I will photograph and write up the details in the for sale section... Just thought I would let you know if you we're looking to buy a fake rock style viv...

Alister


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