# Leopard Gecko Desert Rock Build (round 2)



## chondro13

Well, i made this fake rock multi-layer thingy for my girls: 









And that went pretty well, they seem to love it anyway! But i felt really sorry for my two boys in their bare boring setups! Lol - heres a pic of how they both looked before hand:

Spawn's:









Tweak's:









So, i made simple levels out of polystyrene, tooth picks and glue. I made them to suit each individual gecko - Tweak loves to climb, so he gets three layers, Spawn loves to hide, so he gets oodles of dark hidey holes (he also fails at climbing so only has two levels lol!), i also made them in seperate bits so i can get them in and out of the small gap that is the front of these vivs lol! The left hand side of the bases (where the heat mats are positioned!) were completely cut out, so that i can put kitchen roll on top of the matt, in order to heat the vivs properly (as, in these vivs, i cant put ceramic bulbs in like i did with the girls!):

Spawn's:









Tweak's:









I then put the first layer of grout on, this was very thin to get in all the cracks (leave for 24 hours):









Then for the second layer, i put red paint in this one so i could tell where i had grouted before (leave for 24 hours):









Then the third layer, grey again (leave for 24 hours):









Then the fourth layer, i made this reddy brown in colour (very desertie) so i didnt have to paint it afterwards this time! apologies but i forgot to take a pic of this stage...(leave for 24 hours)

Then it was time for oodles of PVA and sand. This was only put on places where it was going to be seen (leave for 24 hours):









Add air plants, put moist hides/bowls/calcium dish etc in the viv - add gecko and there you go!! Finished vivs:

Spawn's (full view):









Spawn's (left hand side of viv, showing moist hide and large hide):









Spawn's (right hand side of viv, showing cool hide)









Tweak's (right hand side of viv, showing cool hide and three climbing layers):









Tweak's (left hand side of viv, showing moist hide and warm hide):









So thats the lot! They all get equal high-class living from now on... :2thumb:


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## MrMike

Want to make me some? :whistling2:

You seem to have the "knack", excellent job!!! Bet they all love it


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## laiq

love these. They look great... might be inspired to do something similar for my beardies - they enclosures always feel a bit bare to me!!


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## martin day

these are the best leo vivs ive ever seen:mf_dribble: did you draw a plan out first how you wanted them to look


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## chondro13

martin day said:


> these are the best leo vivs ive ever seen:mf_dribble: did you draw a plan out first how you wanted them to look



Yeah i did, but only a simple sketch on a scrap of paper while bored at work.. lol - its important to put stuff down on paper and think through how your going to do everything before you start otherwise 's**t, i meant to do that..' happens.. trust me... lol!!


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## rabbit

God this is the second thread on homemade viv decorations that i've seen this week and now...I GOTTA HAVE A GO MYSELF! If I can make one that looks even half as good as yours i'll be well pleased! Good job mate and two VERY lucky geckos! :mf_dribble:


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## Tommy123

OMG!! Wha lucky lucky lucky gecko's!! If I ever get a leo/beardie i'll be making one of these for deffinete!!!


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## joeyboy

gosh your good at shaping the polystyrene, did you just use a sharp knife?

Were exactly do you buy sheets of polystyrene anyways?:lol2:


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## Jaymond

Hey, thats amazing! it's definatly given me some imspiration!!

Well done!

Jay x


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## chondro13

Tommy123 said:


> OMG!! Wha lucky lucky lucky gecko's!! If I ever get a leo/beardie i'll be making one of these for deffinete!!!


pics if you do please :flrt:


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## chondro13

joeyboy said:


> gosh your good at shaping the polystyrene, did you just use a sharp knife?
> 
> Were exactly do you buy sheets of polystyrene anyways?:lol2:



Yep i used a stanley knife and sandpaper to shape it! and good old eBay for polystyrene sheets.. lol


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## Jb1432

I have always liked the leo geckos but now you've made this you make me want em even more! Absolutely amazing, i wish i was that "arty":flrt:


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## chondro13

could always give it a go and make an epic leo viv before looking into actually getting them? :whistling2:


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## Lisasgeckonursery

those are awesome, well done. just for info wikes sells sheets of poly board for about £5 for a big sheet, i'm using it in work (a school)to make a medival castle for our frogs :lol2:


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## carpetman

That is brilliant!!!!!!! 

I am going to try that now


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## Jon2ooo8

another great one :lol2: iv got to upload mine !!!!


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## chondro13

Jon2ooo8 said:


> another great one :lol2: iv got to upload mine !!!!



still waiting  :lol2:


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## Jon2ooo8

i will see if i can do a gd pic of it now lol shame i dont have a before pic and an after, nevermind though


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## funky1

You`ve done really well with those - again! I reckon you must have the patience of a saint to use all that fiddly polystyrene.


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## chondro13

funky1 said:


> You`ve done really well with those - again! I reckon you must have the patience of a saint to use all that fiddly polystyrene.



hehe not really its quite fun... the only thing i hate is the mess it makes!!!

solution: make your mate clean it up.. .tehe!


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## Fraggle

yay!!! they look amazing hun- im dying to do all mine now!!! gonna have to put it on hold tho cos we mite be moving house this year and in a few weeks we will find out whether it will be soon or later in the year 

they remind me of bedrock!!! i mite try and do a proper bedrock flintstonesy one as my first go  im off to look for pics hehe!


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## chondro13

ooooh that sounds ace!!! 

i think you should do the backgrounds asap  becauseeee your gonna be taking the vivs with you whether you move or not.. and if you do them all in one go they still wont take you more than a week :whistling2:

hehe i love the flintstone idea :2thumb:


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## Pirate7

Thats awesome. I want to try that

With the polostyrine backgrounds do you need to have a bulb to heat it or would a heatmat do it?


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## Fraggle

but im hoping to make some new vivs next year (a little bigger) but dont tell chris- he'll kill me lol! he only made this stack last year!!! id like some a little wider so i can really build them up and make them more interesting for the leos 

mite have a practice go in my little spare viv  its empty but im keeping it free for quarantine/separating my girls if one is ever sick/random emergencies lol. 

mite be good for a small practice go, eh?oooh, im gonna make lil flintstone houses!!! hahahaha!!!!


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## Fraggle

Pirate7 said:


> Thats awesome. I want to try that
> 
> With the polostyrine backgrounds do you need to have a bulb to heat it or would a heatmat do it?


depends if you do just a background or the floorspace too. if its just the back wall like an exo terra background then either is fine. if you do the flooring you will need a bulb cos a mat wont get the heat through the thicker floor 

hope that helps matey


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## chondro13

Pirate7 said:


> Thats awesome. I want to try that
> 
> With the polostyrine backgrounds do you need to have a bulb to heat it or would a heatmat do it?


I heat my girls with an overhead ceramic bulb, the boys are heated with heatmats. 



fraggle said:


> but im hoping to make some new vivs next year (a little bigger) but dont tell chris- he'll kill me lol! he only made this stack last year!!! id like some a little wider so i can really build them up and make them more interesting for the leos
> 
> mite have a practice go in my little spare viv  its empty but im keeping it free for quarantine/separating my girls if one is ever sick/random emergencies lol.
> 
> mite be good for a small practice go, eh?oooh, im gonna make lil flintstone houses!!! hahahaha!!!!


LOL your a BAD girl!!!!!!!!! hehehe!! 

yeeeah have a practice - your sick/quarantined (or impulse buy :whistling2 leo's will live like KINGS :no1: tehe! 


speaking of impulse buys... i went to a place to get a GTP.. came back with ANOTHER leo... LOL shes very teeny, but very pretty. in quarantine at the mo but i may leave her in there longer than 3 months until shes up to a similar weight to my girls before i pop her in my communal viv with them :whistling2:


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## Pirate7

fraggle said:


> depends if you do just a background or the floorspace too. if its just the back wall like an exo terra background then either is fine. if you do the flooring you will need a bulb cos a mat wont get the heat through the thicker floor
> 
> hope that helps matey


Thanks mate yeah it dosee .




chondro13 said:


> I heat my girls with an overhead ceramic bulb, the boys are heated with heatmats.


ahh okay thanks  : victory:. I am hoping to avoid bulb's, But if it makes the viv look nicer and there enviorment to be better and more enrischment it's worht using bulbs..

. what i was thinking though is if its possable to make the mat sit onto of the floor, but with a segment cut out and then put something very thin to cover that... or wont that work?

thanks : victory:


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## chondro13

Pirate7 said:


> . what i was thinking though is if its possable to make the mat sit onto of the floor, but with a segment cut out and then put something very thin to cover that... or wont that work?
> 
> thanks : victory:



thats exactly what ive done in the boy's vivs. Cut a hole in the polystyrene, cover the mat with kitchen roll and there you go : victory:


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## Fraggle

:mf_dribble: awww- pics pics pics!!!! i'm not allowed any more impulse buys- i _have_ to save room now for next seasons hatchlings- i dont want to be struggling for room last minute  and i need space cos im gonna try and grow a few on this time so i have _definite_ sexed ones lol!!! temp sexing macks just doesn't work!

hopefully with bigger vivs i can group a few more females together- i have a pair of macks that live together, and 3 other seperate females- ill try them together in a few months and dependant on how well they get on i will make new setups accordingly  then i could use my old stack for *babies*!!!!! lol!

im so excited about moving! i hope it all works out so we can


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## Pirate7

chondro13 said:


> thats exactly what ive done in the boy's vivs. Cut a hole in the polystyrene, cover the mat with kitchen roll and there you go : victory:


aawesome thanks very much for the help! much aprecheated!! :2thumb:


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## chondro13

fraggle said:


> :mf_dribble: awww- pics pics pics!!!! i'm not allowed any more impulse buys- i _have_ to save room now for next seasons hatchlings- i dont want to be struggling for room last minute  and i need space cos im gonna try and grow a few on this time so i have _definite_ sexed ones lol!!! temp sexing macks just doesn't work!
> 
> hopefully with bigger vivs i can group a few more females together- i have a pair of macks that live together, and 3 other seperate females- ill try them together in a few months and dependant on how well they get on i will make new setups accordingly  then i could use my old stack for *babies*!!!!! lol!
> 
> im so excited about moving! i hope it all works out so we can



lol here ya go hun:
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizards/235554-midnight.html


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## lil_jo84

You really are very talented, no dubt if i tried this I would have a pile of mess and be covered in grout and PVA glue lol


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## Becky Wheeler

Flippin heck! That's is just Sooooo Cool!!! It's giving me ideas now! I'm starting to twitch! :jump: 

Must make more backgrounds! Must make more backgrounds!!! :mf_dribble:

No seriously hun, That just looks amazing! If you lived closer i'd buy you a drink and then you could come round to my place and do my vivs :lol2:


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## chondro13

lil_jo84 said:


> You really are very talented, no dubt if i tried this I would have a pile of mess and be covered in grout and PVA glue lol


LOL surely not  although i did have to scrub the wooden floor.. youd be amazed how far grout goes :devil:



Becky Wheeler said:


> Flippin heck! That's is just Sooooo Cool!!! It's giving me ideas now! I'm starting to twitch! :jump:
> 
> Must make more backgrounds! Must make more backgrounds!!! :mf_dribble:
> 
> No seriously hun, That just looks amazing! If you lived closer i'd buy you a drink and then you could come round to my place and do my vivs :lol2:



tehe im yours for a pint  lol!

your beardie is already living like a king! i think you should make more backgrounds and fill them up with creatures... :whistling2: hehe


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## Sollytear

I know you covered this in ur last thread, but how much smaller do u make the polystyrene base to allow room for the grouting? I know my leo tries to push into the smallest gap so i need it to be a good fit. 
1/2 a n inch? Ive never used grout, dunno how thick it is!


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## chondro13

Sollytear said:


> I know you covered this in ur last thread, but how much smaller do u make the polystyrene base to allow room for the grouting? I know my leo tries to push into the smallest gap so i need it to be a good fit.
> 1/2 a n inch? Ive never used grout, dunno how thick it is!



well to be honest i know its weird but half an inch isnt quite enough, one inch seems too much and they can fit down it! 

i make the bottom piece 3/4 of an inch smaller - this has worked very well in my boy's vivs. 

In the girls i left a full inch which is a little big.. i plug up the gaps with kitchen roll! lol : victory:


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## Sollytear

is that 3/4" per side or 3/4" when you push it in the courner.


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## chondro13

basically if you measure your viv and it is 24" long by 12" wide


make your polystyrene 23.25" long by 11.25" wide... 

leaving 3/4 of an inch space in the viv for grout/sand/f**k ups etc... :lol2:


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## claireandgeorge

*silly question*

hi really love what you did with those vivs! just checking, it is just run of the mill polystyrene? no special stuff? just bought some from ebay aswell.


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## chondro13

claireandgeorge said:


> hi really love what you did with those vivs! just checking, it is just run of the mill polystyrene? no special stuff? just bought some from ebay aswell.



just bog standard poly from mr polystyrene on ebay lol!


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## claireandgeorge

hi just wondered are all air plants safe to use in gecko tanks? mine lick everything! x


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## claireandgeorge

haha wicked thats where i just bought mine!! fab .


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## lucas

I have seen a few of these rock builds but yours are stunning! They have inspired me to make one! 

I have a question though, my gecko tank has a fairly big piece of wood in the middle of it, it would have to be removed if I was to make a rock build. Do you think taking something that big out of the enclosure and replacing it with something else would be too much for the gecko to handle? She sleeps behind the log...


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## chondro13

claireandgeorge said:


> hi just wondered are all air plants safe to use in gecko tanks? mine lick everything! x


lol mine dont lick them.. but yeah they are safe as they can be used in dart frog vivs (as these have the same risk of cricket eating air plant - frog eating cricket) so no risks as far as im aware : victory:



lucas said:


> I have seen a few of these rock builds but yours are stunning! They have inspired me to make one!
> 
> I have a question though, my gecko tank has a fairly big piece of wood in the middle of it, it would have to be removed if I was to make a rock build. Do you think taking something that big out of the enclosure and replacing it with something else would be too much for the gecko to handle? She sleeps behind the log...


well my girls were kept with cricket boxes and wood in there.. this is completely different for them and they seem to really love it. a massive change in environment should be fine for them seen as they experience it when going from breeders home to your home.. only in this case they get a better environment and probably less stress - should be fine in my opinion! :2thumb:


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## claireandgeorge

yea thanks  i saw with your boy tank you left gaps in the bottom so the heatmat could get through, im wondering if i made the floor peice of poly thinner do you think the heat would get through? one of my geckos sleeps at the front of the tank on the mat and it would be weird having random holes everywhere. also what sort of ratio did you use for sand to glue? sorry for the masses of questions!


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## chondro13

claireandgeorge said:


> yea thanks  i saw with your boy tank you left gaps in the bottom so the heatmat could get through, im wondering if i made the floor peice of poly thinner do you think the heat would get through? one of my geckos sleeps at the front of the tank on the mat and it would be weird having random holes everywhere. also what sort of ratio did you use for sand to glue? sorry for the masses of questions!



lol no worries - to be honest i doubt heat will penetrate the polystyrene! the poly does get hot in the vivs but not as hot as they need if that make sense. mind you if you put well shaped holes everywhere and put desert-coloured napkins underneath (instead of kitchen roll like me - as it doesnt matter coz you cant see it in mine) that would look epic! :no1:

and ratio of glue to sand... just whack enough glue on a 10" square bit of the thing so it looks white, pat enough sand on so you cant see anything through it, leave to try, PVA over the top so the leo's cant get impacted : victory:


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## claireandgeorge

wicked  thanks! yea that sounds like a great plan! i cant wait for the poly to come so i can start! i bought a bag of grout, just regular stuff, literally 'wilkinsons super white tile grout' in a powder form so i can mix it up to whatever thickness i want (the staff in wilko's now think i'm crazy) is this ok stuff? its got big orange IRRITANT signs all over it but I assume this is just in powder form and when its covered in PVA wont matter. Wow I have high hopes for this project!


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## chondro13

claireandgeorge said:


> wicked  thanks! yea that sounds like a great plan! i cant wait for the poly to come so i can start! i bought a bag of grout, just regular stuff, literally 'wilkinsons super white tile grout' in a powder form so i can mix it up to whatever thickness i want (the staff in wilko's now think i'm crazy) is this ok stuff? its got big orange IRRITANT signs all over it but I assume this is just in powder form and when its covered in PVA wont matter. Wow I have high hopes for this project!



sounds fine to me! i got my grout from the pound shop.. lol! after all - your gonna be covering it with at least 3 layers of child-safe PVA afterwards so it really cant harm them. : victory:


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## philipniceguy

i have a few questions how hard are they once its finished? do you think i could use it in my monitors vivs as at mo 2 of them are in 8ft by 4ft by 3ft vivs and the backs just plain old wood dont look that nice


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## chondro13

philipniceguy said:


> i have a few questions how hard are they once its finished? do you think i could use it in my monitors vivs as at mo 2 of them are in 8ft by 4ft by 3ft vivs and the backs just plain old wood dont look that nice



they are surprisingly strong - they do feel like real rock and they are heavy,

HOWEVER i think these would definitely be brilliant in a monitor viv but you will need to put a lot more grout on - maybe up to 6-8 layers before the sand to make it strong enough to support their weight : victory:


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## skinz89

hi i have just bought a leopard gecko and i am interested in making him a new background similar to the two that you have done. wat size tank are yours in? mine is roughly a 2ft by 1ft is that big enough?? cheers rob


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## claireandgeorge

how did you make the grout coloured? what sort of paint did you put in?


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## philipniceguy

chondro13 said:


> they are surprisingly strong - they do feel like real rock and they are heavy,
> 
> HOWEVER i think these would definitely be brilliant in a monitor viv but you will need to put a lot more grout on - maybe up to 6-8 layers before the sand to make it strong enough to support their weight : victory:


 ok thanks alot maybe when i got a week of work il have a go at a small one see what its like and then if its good il make a large one for the monitors


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## chondro13

skinz89 said:


> hi i have just bought a leopard gecko and i am interested in making him a new background similar to the two that you have done. wat size tank are yours in? mine is roughly a 2ft by 1ft is that big enough?? cheers rob


2ft by 1ft is ideal! I now have one 3ft tank for the girls, and two 2ft tanks for the boys all with these backgrounds : victory:



claireandgeorge said:


> how did you make the grout coloured? what sort of paint did you put in?


Bog standard acrylic  you hardly need any though



philipniceguy said:


> ok thanks alot maybe when i got a week of work il have a go at a small one see what its like and then if its good il make a large one for the monitors


definitely! you will need a lot of grout to withstand the weight of a monitor, but should look fantastic :2thumb:


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## claireandgeorge

*my attempt!*

i am in the process of doing this! mine isnt looking half as good.. but hopefully as the babies haven't seen yours they won't be too disappointed!!
ive done 2 layers of grout so far.. im not the best grouter it must be said.. will post pictures once its finished! hopefully in the next few days. 
wish me luck guys!!


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## lucas

How many sheets of polystyrene did you use for each viv? I'm finally going to attempt this! And also what type of grout did you use? What type of air plants can be used in leopard gecko tanks? Thanks!!


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## chondro13

claireandgeorge said:


> i am in the process of doing this! mine isnt looking half as good.. but hopefully as the babies haven't seen yours they won't be too disappointed!!
> ive done 2 layers of grout so far.. im not the best grouter it must be said.. will post pictures once its finished! hopefully in the next few days.
> wish me luck guys!!


aww im sure thats not true!!!! cant wait to see pics hun :2thumb:



lucas said:


> How many sheets of polystyrene did you use for each viv? I'm finally going to attempt this! And also what type of grout did you use? What type of air plants can be used in leopard gecko tanks? Thanks!!


for the 3ft girls viv i used about 4.5 sheets that measured 60cmx40cm each (this is because i did a back and sides for this viv)

for BOTH 2ft vivs i only used about 4 sheets :2thumb:


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## lucas

chondro13 said:


> for the 3ft girls viv i used about 4.5 sheets that measured 60cmx40cm each (this is because i did a back and sides for this viv)
> 
> for BOTH 2ft vivs i only used about 4 sheets :2thumb:


Cool! Thanks! I'm definitely going to try this now.

Do you know what air plants can be used and which grout you used? Thanks!


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## chondro13

lucas said:


> Cool! Thanks! I'm definitely going to try this now.
> 
> Do you know what air plants can be used and which grout you used? Thanks!



sorry i missed that somehow lol..

grout - ordinary bog standard cheapest white powder! i got most of mine from the pound shop! till i bought them out and had to go to B&Q and pay twice the price... lol 

air plants - Livefood UK Crickets Locusts Mealworms Reptile supplies mail order any of these are fine : victory:


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## lucas

chondro13 said:


> sorry i missed that somehow lol..
> 
> grout - ordinary bog standard cheapest white powder! i got most of mine from the pound shop! till i bought them out and had to go to B&Q and pay twice the price... lol
> 
> air plants - Livefood UK Crickets Locusts Mealworms Reptile supplies mail order any of these are fine : victory:


Thank you very much! I'll give it a go!


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## claireandgeorge

*few pics*

heres a few pics of the project so far, having had 2 layers of grout:


this is full front view of how it will look when its in the tank.:










close up of left side.:










close up of right side hide: (for moss)









close up of right front stoney effect: (will look better when done!)










and finally a close look at my home made palm tree:








its a bit curly as yet! and unpainted.

in front on the right by the palm tree is where Freckle likes to lie most of the day so I've cut that out from the poly and placed a pale blue flannel in over the heat mat so its oasis looking and soft for her 

today will be the third layer of grout, getting better at it! here goes.


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## chondro13

wooah i LOVE the palm tree!! :mf_dribble: thats officially made me far too excited... 

:lol2: lookin fab cant wait to see it finished :notworthy:


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## claireandgeorge

*almost finished!*

hello guys! just a couple of pictures of the completely grouted setup, just awaiting pva and sand!









_ 










theres the coconuts on the paper by the tree! my mum thought they were rabbit droppings.. from which rabbit i have no idea..

but yea just some sand and pva and presto! cant wait


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## chondro13

LOL - i love the coconuts!!!

tis looking ace hun, will be wicked when finished :2thumb:


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## Tommy123

claireandgeorge said:


> hello guys! just a couple of pictures of the completely grouted setup, just awaiting pva and sand!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> theres the coconuts on the paper by the tree! my mum thought they were rabbit droppings.. from which rabbit i have no idea..
> 
> but yea just some sand and pva and presto! cant wait


Thats amazing!!!! lol


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## chondro13

Tommy123 said:


> Thats amazing!!!! lol



how much do i wish i had the palm tree idea :mf_dribble: :lol2:


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## Tommy123

chondro13 said:


> how much do i wish i had the palm tree idea :mf_dribble: :lol2:


I know it's amazing i think i'll be copying it!!!!! LOL


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## claireandgeorge

haha feel free guys!! its lookin good, just put the pva+sand on, wen its all dry il take a pic


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## claireandgeorge

*latest pics!*

here is pics of the sanded and pva'ed floor! 








and here are the cave/extra levels:









and here is speckle sleeping..








and here is her scowling at me for waking herr...


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## Tommy123

OMG, It's amazing!! A job well done so far!!


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## chondro13

aww well done hun! she looks soooo happy :flrt:


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## claireandgeorge

haha yep i cant wait to see how they react to the new stuff! did u do one layer of pva on top of the sand?


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## Repti-Bids

*Love the palm tree!!!*

*You got any photo's of the enclosure in the light so we can see it better? *
*Looks very good from what I can see though.*

*Ive always wanted to do this but I dont have the patence lol*


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## claireandgeorge

haha i will! the camera isnt amazing, its good but not in dark cos it has no flash (phone cam.. my regular one broke on me) so il take a good one in the light tomorro  hoping to move it in soon so hopefully they will like it!


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## chondro13

Yep i did one layer of sand on top of PVA - this covered it enough but on one of them there were a few bits i missed so i went back over them

once the whole lot was dry i PVA'd over the top 

more pics :flrt:


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## claireandgeorge

shucks i really wanted to put it in tonight but i just found lots of areas that need gluin !! oh well only one more day!


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## chondro13

tis always the way!! they will appreciate it even more with it being perfect - even if is a day late :flrt:


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## claireandgeorge

haha i hope so! their up now avin a mooch around, wonderin whats craackin off!


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## claireandgeorge

do you think freckle might be mack snow? again, sorry about poor quality of pics..




























shes got the purply ****** lilacy colour in her tail alot and on alot of her body, with a very very purply undertail and a very pale tum.


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## chondro13

hmm possibly - did you get her as a baby?

only way to be sure is to test breed her - if you get any all white/black offspring then she is a mack snow : victory:


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## claireandgeorge

yea i had her from 8 weeks old, her sister was 6 weeks.she was much whiter and purplier as a baby. maybe when shes big (or maybe bigger! shes a right porker) and all grown up she can be a mum.


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## chondro13

aww that would be ace :flrt: shes very pretty - lovely bold patterning on her, if she was white as a baby then she is probably a mack!!


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## claireandgeorge

hehe yay! god shes so crazY!! i just had her out and she went right up onto my chest, onto my shoulder, round my neck, half way down my back, then back up and onto my hand from my neck! shes so crazy, my heart was going so fast! its a good job i had my work jacket on that she could grip! dear me. shes very agile i will give her that! her sister will happily sit on my knee.


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## Rexc

great job


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## claireandgeorge

*houston, we have a problem.*

if anyone remembers from the pics, the mini set of stairs i made to go upto the level on top of the moist hide (right side) that i had intended to attach..
well now its proven very difficult! im using pva now but it doesnt look very strong. anyone have any suggestions? i should have bonded them at grout stage but now its all pretty and sanded and glued and shiny and i dont want to wreck it :'(

grr!

its just to hold it in place, to attach it to the upper level that it leads to really. ive attached it to the base but i fear it may fall if they get a bit crazy in one of their many mad half hours.


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## claireandgeorge

heres a pic:


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## claireandgeorge




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## claireandgeorge

you can see where the glue is, sortof ran abit, what do u think?


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## claireandgeorge

ps the vase of flowers behind isnt going in


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## chondro13

You need to use Epoxy resin - get the 'dry in ten minutes' stuff - believe me its strong enough to glue your fingers together

(i speak from experience and a trip to the hospital age 8 :blush


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## cat001

WOW loving the creativity with that one!


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## claireandgeorge

hmmmm right where do i get that? doesnt it make fumes? sounds like super glue. (had many accidents with that myself)


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## arthur cooke

You could try pushing a long thin piece of wood or metal at an angle down the steps; then you'd only have a little hole to fill at the top of the steps. If you put some glue on the stick it would help stabilise it.
cheers arthur


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## claireandgeorge

oo yea that cud work! will try that :-D thanks!


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## lucas

Where did you buy your polystyrene?! I was just in b and q and they only had bulk packs! Far too much!


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## claireandgeorge

its the polystyrene man on ebay! dirt cheap. i got a 5 pack and only used like one peice for the floor and a couple for the extra bits! depends on tank size though. i think theyre 600mm by 400mm.


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## lucas

Is this the one? 

5 POLYSTYRENE FOAM PACKING SHEETS 600 X 400 X 25MM on eBay, also, Other Packing Supplies, Packing Posting Supplies, Business, Office Industrial (end time 31-Jan-09 18:13:40 GMT)

I didn't think it would be thick enough


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## claireandgeorge

yea thats him. it is its 2 n alf centimetres! by the time uve grouted (4 layers) n pva glued (3 layers) its gonna be beastily thick!


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## lucas

Ok! Thanks very much! Gonna order some now!


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## claireandgeorge

*serious problem*

hey guys, glue was dry (or so i thought) after 24 hours, and i put the new tank setup in this morning. geckos loved it, but i noticed after a few minutes that spots of glue appeared, wet bits. i think it was when they had stepped in the water and then onto the floor, but it was really alarming. it was like when the tiniest bit of water went on it it jus got runny again!just wondered if this happened to chondro13? its really odd, i had to remove it all straight away and put them back on kitchen roll with their old stuff. it was so strange I did not see it coming. 
any ideas on how to sort this out? maybe if ijust leave it longer, but it has been like over 4 days since most of it was glued.


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## Danielle_c

wow that is a great design, has given me some good ideas for my build project.:2thumb:


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## Farske

!! Very nice 

I plan to make my own terrain come summer, pics and process will be shared ofc.

awesome


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## chondro13

cheers guys - i want pics of your creations!!!

my next projects are:

dart frog viv (no fake rocks)

but then hognose viv and CWD viv - both these will involve fake rock projects so ill make some threads of these but the CWD is gonna be a bloody nightmare with waterproofing... ill keep you updated lol!


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## The Roach Hut

chondro13 said:


> Well, i made this fake rock multi-layer thingy for my girls:
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> And that went pretty well, they seem to love it anyway! But i felt really sorry for my two boys in their bare boring setups! Lol - heres a pic of how they both looked before hand:
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> So, i made simple levels out of polystyrene, tooth picks and glue. I made them to suit each individual gecko - Tweak loves to climb, so he gets three layers, Spawn loves to hide, so he gets oodles of dark hidey holes (he also fails at climbing so only has two levels lol!), i also made them in seperate bits so i can get them in and out of the small gap that is the front of these vivs lol! The left hand side of the bases (where the heat mats are positioned!) were completely cut out, so that i can put kitchen roll on top of the matt, in order to heat the vivs properly (as, in these vivs, i cant put ceramic bulbs in like i did with the girls!):
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> So thats the lot! They all get equal high-class living from now on... :2thumb:


 looks awesum hun, did an wicked job i bet your geckos love it and look at all the xtra floorspace they have


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## chondro13

cheers hun - i actually didnt think of the floorspace originally but now ive worked it out - the floorspace in each of the TWO foot vivs is now equal to a THREE foot viv :2thumb: win


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## pritc

chondro13 said:


> cheers guys - i want pics of your creations!!!


After seeing your fantastic design I had to give it a go!!
First picture of my creation for my Leopard Gecko's Vivarium.
Managed to get the left hand side shaped and glued on Sunday.Next up the Right hand side..


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## chondro13

hey lookin fab!! :2thumb:


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## Pepper Pot

those two backgrounds have inspired me to get geckos 

I was after a hoggy at first but I think I changed my mind

you have a hoggy don't you??

which would you say you prefer (honestly) 

Peter


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## Taz Devil

B&Q do a large polystyrene sheet used for insulating walls. I cannot find it on B&Q's site but this is the sort of thing I found on Wickes' site Polystyrene sheeting from wickes's

I used it to insulate my incubator with and still have a :censor: load left. I think I'll try and create a background for my Corn when I get it. 

did you leave the open gap for under tank heating and if so what would be the best thing to cover it with so as to let the heat through but keep the theme. I was thinking of covering a piece of paper with a thin layer of grout so that the heat can get through.

Looks like the kitchen floor is going to look like it's been hit by a blizzard by the time I have done.

One other question, what grit sand paper did you use. It seems when I use sand paper all I get is a snow storm.


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## Optikal

I've got a custom viv stack on the way and had an old poly box and some poly parts from some packaging. Anyways I'm on the first stage of making some nifty new furniture for my gex. I'll make the flooring seperate once I can figure out the exact dimenisions, but for now it's looking good  There'll be pics up soon, once they're done.


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## funkyboogalooo

Hi
Wonder if you could tell me when you say "grout" what exactly do you mean? Is it simply ordinary tiling grout?
Ta
Mike


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## thetomahawkkid58

yup, any type of tile grout, better with the powder though.


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## funkyboogalooo

Thanks, what do use it for just to finish the polystyrene? Do you just mix it thin and paint it on?


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## thetomahawkkid58

yup.......two or three coats of grout, then two or three coats of acrylic paint..............then seal it or do a layer with sand and pva glue mxed before sealing.


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## gilly platt

*amazing gecko desert and a lot of questions!*

Hi your gecko desert is amazing, I'll be following your lead sometime!!Can I ask you a heap of questions for you or anyone to answer!? We have got 3 leopard geckos that we have had for 2 weeks, they are a year old and came from a breeder, they are in a glass viv, with a red light that is kept on all the time ( this is what she did) she fed them on size 4 crickets, and did crickets for 2 weeks and mealworms for 1 week. We found that the geckos weren't eating the crickets but ate the mealworms as we bought them both together we gave them on alternate days. I asked at the local reptile shop and she said they should be on a heat mat at night with no light as it would be in the dessert to encourage them to hunt, we tried switching the light off and they did seem more active and came out and prowled around but didn't seem able or whether they were not inclined enough but still didn't eat any crickets, we left them for 48 hours with only the crickets but they still didn't eat and then when we put some mealworms in they wolfed them down as though they were starving. We're not sure what to do, they haven't been looked after so far with a heatmat, they are expensive to buy with a thermostat but they do seem more active in the evening when we turn the light off for a few hours - we switch it back on when the temp gets to low 70's. What do other people think I should do about the food and the light. They are still pooping so that's a good sign I guess, they have calci sand on the bottom of their viv - is that ok with a heat mat if I need one. Also is the glass viv ok or do they need a wooden one - she gave us the glass one with the geckos. Sorry to ask so much but I feel as though we're fumbling in the dark- the breeder says different to the reptile shop and looking on the internet there seems to lots of different views!!


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## chondro13

There are very different ways to go about heating a leo viv - none of which are incorrect so long as you understand why they are behaving how they are!

I use both wooden and glass vivs - Both are OK so long as you have adequate heating - obviously this is easier in a wooden viv though lol. I heat two of my vivs with heatmats on a stat. I heat the other one (this one) with a ceramic bulb on a stat. Both ways heat the floor of the viv which the leos can then use to absorb heat through their bellies.

They are nocturnal - so dont expect them to be active during the day.

They often dont like light - especially if they have any albino in them. I have a light on with mine during the day but its not a bright light, and its only there to let them know when its morning and when its night so they have a proper photo cycle - they will come out and be very active at night so long as it it hot enough for them


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## RepoUK

gilly platt said:


> Hi your gecko desert is amazing, I'll be following your lead sometime!!Can I ask you a heap of questions for you or anyone to answer!? We have got 3 leopard geckos that we have had for 2 weeks, they are a year old and came from a breeder, they are in a glass viv, with a red light that is kept on all the time ( this is what she did) she fed them on size 4 crickets, and did crickets for 2 weeks and mealworms for 1 week. We found that the geckos weren't eating the crickets but ate the mealworms as we bought them both together we gave them on alternate days. I asked at the local reptile shop and she said they should be on a heat mat at night with no light as it would be in the dessert to encourage them to hunt, we tried switching the light off and they did seem more active and came out and prowled around but didn't seem able or whether they were not inclined enough but still didn't eat any crickets, we left them for 48 hours with only the crickets but they still didn't eat and then when we put some mealworms in they wolfed them down as though they were starving. We're not sure what to do, they haven't been looked after so far with a heatmat, they are expensive to buy with a thermostat but they do seem more active in the evening when we turn the light off for a few hours - we switch it back on when the temp gets to low 70's. What do other people think I should do about the food and the light. They are still pooping so that's a good sign I guess, they have calci sand on the bottom of their viv - is that ok with a heat mat if I need one. Also is the glass viv ok or do they need a wooden one - she gave us the glass one with the geckos. Sorry to ask so much but I feel as though we're fumbling in the dark- the breeder says different to the reptile shop and looking on the internet there seems to lots of different views!!


I suspect that breeder knows little about gecko's and has done it purely for a perceived profit rather than the hobby. These are exactly the sort of people I would not deal with.

Geckos prefer heatmats on 24 hours with a standard light bulb (normal or long life) on for 12-14 hours during the day. They are nocturnal by nature so like to come out at "night" for a wander. No one I know keeps leo geckos using a heat lamp! Temps should be 80f at peak during the day on hotside to 75f change the rating of the lamp or heatmat as necessary or use a thermostat for the heatmat.

I suspect the breeder was not telling the truth about the diet either and have only fed them on mealworms which are far cheaper to buy/easier to breed than criks, which to me, further reinforces what I said about money vs hobby. This is easy to cure though as the simple problem is that your leo's have not learnt that criks=food. Buy another female leo that def does eat criks; either from the reptile shop you mentioned (as s/he seems to know what they are talking about) or of course a forum member. Even borrow an crik eating female from a friend. After a few weeks/months the others will have learnt by example that cricks=food too!

Next to last! We have gecko's in Exo Terra plastic tanks, Perfecto glass tanks and wooden viv's. They are all quite happy 

Lastly; forget the calcisand. I'm not a freak about gecko's can never be on sand like some are but IMHO you're better with 1cm depth of chinchilla sand and a bowl of calcium dust.


PS: What weights are the geckos? - I suspect they are not 1 year old either so double check that they are all females!


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## teiryklav

chondro 13. your things are amazing. if you please, could you give me some ways of making them (simple ways) as im not good at english.
thank you


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## wilso31

love it few questions 

how do you stick the polystyrene together?

whats on the floor

how did you deal with getting the temperature on the upper decks

and finally i heard it wasnt that safe for leopard geckos to climb u un shelves?

any better instructions would come in handy too 

mick


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## lewi

Heres the one i had a go at, thought ad start small incase it went wrong.

With tile grout









With sand and PVA









:mf_dribble:


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## hollydominique

*Inspired :d*

You SERIOUSLY inspired me (even if I did find this thread late!). Your setups look truly awesome :gasp:

Unfortunately couldnt find small bags of natural sand (being in a flat didnt want a huge sack) so opted for PURPLE. Oh yes. wasnt sure about it until it finally came together, but I quite like it. Gecko LOVES being able to use her claws climbing around, I swear she has a smile on her face! 

Ive tried something different with the floor (as I dont have room for a ceramic bulb in that viv) I got some thin fine grade sheets of sandpaper (reinforced with gaffa tape) to fit the floor (applying the same 2 top layers of sand and PVA as sealant) and have tested the heat transmittance with my hand 2 hrs after lights out. Its not at all bad and seems to work. I have yet to find out the actual temps, but she doesnt seem chilly, still sprawling over the cooler side at night...

Photos!

Base structure









Heres what I mean with the floor...

















FAILed panorama









Warm side









Cool side - hole in the free polystyrene I picked up at work, perfect for a petridish, not sure what she makes of the transparent floor?









Gecko enjoying the playground...









Used sea-urchins I found on the beach in Greece for air-plant bases, looks alien!









Sorry for all the photos, its been really exciting making it! Thankyou for sharing your creations!


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## chondro13

Hollydominique that looks amazing!!!!




wilso31 said:


> love it few questions
> 
> how do you stick the polystyrene together?
> 
> whats on the floor
> 
> how did you deal with getting the temperature on the upper decks
> 
> and finally i heard it wasnt that safe for leopard geckos to climb u un shelves?
> 
> any better instructions would come in handy too
> 
> mick



polystyrene is held together with epoxy resin and toothpicks, the floor is polystyrene grout and sand. temperature comes from overhead ceramic bulbs. The shelves are only 3" high so no risk of falling and hurting. 

which better instructions would you prefer lol?


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## jag160605

They are amazing.


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## Zoekins

these are absolutely fantastic, seriously.. 
i attempted to make some polystyrene hides a while ago but didnt mix the grout with water so it was really thick and difficult to spread.. i then got frustrated with the whole thing and gave up, but seeing your wonderful creations it makes me want to try again!


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## Taz Devil

chondro13 said:


> basically if you measure your viv and it is 24" long by 12" wide
> 
> 
> make your polystyrene 23.25" long by 11.25" wide...
> 
> leaving 3/4 of an inch space in the viv for grout/sand/f**k ups etc... :lol2:


If you are doing this in an Exo terra Terrarium then leave a good inch or more gap for it to fit in through the top of the viv. I made this mistake and had to hack mine to bits so as to get it in. Glad I'd only done the polystyrene layout up to press. Or make it in sections as shown in this post.


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## lambda

This thread needs to be revived!

Does it go, Grout > Grout > Grout sealer > PVA and Sand?

Or something else?

Thanks


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## MojaveRose

Would putting something like this in a 20 gallon tank (for just one gecko) take up too much space? If I wanted to do something like this should I get a bigger tank, and if so about how much bigger?


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