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Terrarium Background DIY Questions

Kitten0Face

Kitten0Face

New member
Hello everyone!

I have seen terrarium backgrounds for retail sale as well as some DIY projects. The other day I found this foam at work, and wandered if it was a suitable material for carving into a sort of climbing wall with grooves to look like a rock outcropping or something.

Nagichi loves to climb, and I would love to be able to give him some more places to do it! This kind of foam is the type used to pack electronic equipment. It isn't the 'crumbly' foam that pellets off when you break or carve it. It's a more dense plasticy type.

So I guess my questions are would this be good to use as a backgorund, and do you guys have good suggestions for natural looking paint to mimic rocks, as well as sealant and adhesive advise for this type of material?

Thanks!
 

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I think that would be just fine.

To make it look more "rock like" I would use cement. Really wanter it down so you can paint in onto the structure. Do a few layers until it's the way yo like. They make special dye to add to the cement but I think regular paint would be fine. Then seal it up using epoxy. Let it cure (no smell) before adding it to the tank.

This is done a lot in the fish world. Here are some examples(not mine) Just google DIY rock background.
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This one is mine. Not too pretty because I knew algae would grow over it.
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Wow, I love the way your aquarium one turned out!!! Thanks for these tips. Any ingredients or brands of paint or epoxy I should look for or avoid?
 
Since I was working with salt water I went with a food grade. But since it's for a snake tank I would think any would work. Just make sure it cures really well.
 
Do a youtube search - all manner of ideas there on viv backgrounds.

One example is to make the foam backdrop, slather with black silicon, then cover with the shredded coco bedding.
Let dry, shake off excess coco bedding that failed to stick. Instant jungle backdrop.
 
I made my background with those white foam blocks, carved them into shape and then put a few layers of tileglue on it. Then painted it with a non-toxic paint.

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I added some pics. I just followed the instructions on the website I linked to, and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. It did take awhile, it made a big mess, and I didn't make it for an animal enclosure, but it was easy, and this was my first attempt at such a project. This was for a plants-only terrarium, so you'd have to make sure all materials were reptile safe, and take care that you weren't making hiding spots or crevices that were inaccessible, or you might not see a small snake again. There is really no limit to what you can do with this method.
 

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Ive been doing my own backgrounds for years, Im pretty happy with most of mine but yours are gorgeous. Nice job.
 
Thanks! I designed it to have planting pockets, not for a snake, which would be completely different. I'm thinking multiple built-in hides with lift-off sections to access the animal and different temps so they can thermo-regulate. Maybe a built-in bowl of water that looks like a natural pond or puddle until you lift off the surrounding piece to easily change the bowl. Add a bit of artificial greenery, maybe a few dry leaves, and you got a fairly natural looking habitat. Not sure yet how to deal with the compromise between natural detail and ease of cleaning. Simpler is probably better, but elaborate is prettier.
 
OUTSTANDING!

Have you thought of how to heat this yet?

Reason I ask is that I have a pair of 20L that I want to go planted viv with along with the styrofoam-based backdrop, maybe even one with a "pond" for extra humidity - but I haven't figured out how to properly provide heat it so that it stays safely cozy without baking the plantings.

I'm thinking overhead may be the best way along with plant-lights to supplement "ambient room lighting".
 
As far as a planted viv goes, that does complicate things a bit. Some reptiles might be a bit rough on live plants, and the best environment for a snake may not be the best environment for a certain plant. (nocturnal snake vs. light requirements for photosynthesis) I'll probably stick to artificial plants.
 
Living terrariums can work. You would probably want to look into ficus if you don't have any specific aesthetic requirements. They're very hearty, require little, come in all shapes and sizes, and many are strong enough to withstand various snakes. I started to get into research of living terrariums a while ago, but was put off due to various circumstances.

The day/night cycle of most plants lines up with the day/night cycles required by most snakes. Living plants also help keep consistent temp and humidity. And a living terrarium will usually collect various buggers in the soil levels to help with waste and smell.
 
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