My winter project

[Shmoges]

My wife got a killer deal on two 18x18x18 zoomed vivs and I decided this winter was a good time to try to make something cool for either bumble bee toads, fire bellied toads, or dumpies!

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0065.jpg

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Way too big atm but I will make it fit good later.

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0022.jpg
Woots lets make ledges!!!

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0023.jpg

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[Shmoges]

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0034.jpg

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[Shmoges]

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0041-1.jpg
After I put all the support pipes on I realized it was to big and had to cut a few inches off the front for water... lol

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0042-1.jpg

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0043-1.jpg

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Now I am just waiting for a friend to get me some of that landscaping fabric for a medium to set my substrate on.

To be honest I am kinda scared shooting the foam for the back drop I may practice with a can before I am ready to do it for real with this master piece lol. I have been watching a lot of vids of what ppl have done and I have gone this route because it seemed easyiest and most practical with out ruining the enclosure. It will be removable!!!

[Norm66]

Looks cool! Keep us posted.

[Shmoges]

Thanks Norm! Criticism and suggestions are more than welcome :D

[Shmoges]

I had glass tops made for both tanks out of smoke glass then I realized if I am going to have live plants with a led light on top how the heck will they get sustenance through the glass..... guess I will get clear ones made......

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0018.jpg

[UwabamiReptiles]

Thats an awesome project! I can't wait to see the finished product.

[Kayla90]

It's looking good...

[alessia55]

That's looking really great!! Can't wait to see it all finished with the last details. Are you going to cover the shelves etc with some sort of fabric or just leave them like that?

[Shmoges]

the back and ledges will be covered with foam then sprayed with adhesive and then covered in a mix of substrate to give it a natural look and also give a rooting surface for ivy. The floor will have different layers and mixes of substrate to help suport plants moss and springtails. I am kinda boozed atm so I can't go into to much detail atm on the specific mixes of substrate. I believe orchid bark, sphagnum moss, charcoal, and coconut husk are among them..

[ZARADOZIA]

Awesome! You just gave me some ideas!!

[Gungirl]

Looks like a fun project. I wouldn't worry to much about practicing with the foam. The best thing about the foam is as long as you cover the entire piece you can then just carve it with a knife to make it look how you want. No need to try and make shapes and what not with the foam.

[Shmoges]

Yeah I have read that and I wanted to try it on a piece of cardboard for practice.

[beardeds4life]

it is not that hard but be careful i was making some custom hides but the foam didnt stop coming out -it created a HUGE mess

[Strutter769]

.That really looks great! Where did you get the plastic you used for framing? What is it calked, and do you know what size sheets are available? Is it obvious I'm stealing the idea? Or, can I just ask permission? Then it's not stealing. :laughing:

[Quack]

Its called egg crate, although some people know them as light diffusers. they usually come in 4'x2' sheets and i buy mine at Lowes for around 8 bucks

[Strutter769]

Effective & affordable. Can't beat that! Thanks!

[Shmoges]

It came in a big sheet like 2 1/2 x 4 feet for like $12 at home depot I bought 2 so I had extra to play with. With zip ties and glue you can do a lot with it :D

[Shmoges]

Some update pics, and no I haven't played with the foam yet lol. I felt frustrated for awhile with this but I started tinkering again last night.

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/Picture045.jpg

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/Picture046.jpg

My wife mentioned that if the pump ever takes a dump we will have a hell of a time getting to it with 1-2 inches of substrate on top and lifting out the whole bottom section wont work. So I made a door!!

Then after I cut some of the plastic weed block that will line the egg crate before any substrate is put in I realized that substrate will leak to the bottom on all sides if I don't make some walls.

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/Picture044.jpg
front
http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/Picture050.jpg

Lol, all that work to make a door for the pump and I had to tear it apart to accommodate a wall next to it.

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/Picture049.jpg
Now I have to figure out how to make a back wall if I even will.

[jaleely]

Very cool! I saw someone do a photo journal of this technique making a saltwater reef tank. I kind of tried to do it myself, but didn't use the foam. I wish i had! We had some issues later, and long story short...zip ties, silicone, and rocks don't hold up well if you move them *lol*
Needless to say it doesn't look like this anymore. But it looked like this for a while and it was cool. Someday when we upgrade our two tanks (this nano, and our large reef one) I'll do it right and do the foam!

[beardeds4life]

is the foam water proof and this looks amazing what is it stocked with?

[millertime89]

I can't wait to see how those turn out Shmoges!

[jsmorphs2]

That thing is going to awesome when you're done Aaron!!

[Shmoges]

Foam is a mess!! OMG I hate this stuff!

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0001.jpg

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I hope I can clean this up because it looks absolutely terrible.

[alessia55]

that looks super, super messy :p

[Shmoges]

I use the wrong stuff?

[Gungirl]

I use the wrong stuff?

Depends on what you are trying to achieve. They make a few kinds of that foam. Triple expanding , minimal expanding and some that flows and self levels. So if you used the triple expanding you might just be making more work for yourself and minimal expanding would have been easier to shape as you put it on. I am not 100% on what you want to make so idk..

[Shmoges]

UPDATE

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/IMG_0007.jpg
I took a knife to the foam finally and after making. quite a mess it doesn't look so bad now.

Then me wife decided it was time to have some fun with glue!
http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/IMG_0061.jpg

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[exwizard]

Looking good so far. :)

[Shmoges]

lol moved some pics reposting them and update. ITS ALL DONE (I hope)...

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0007.jpg

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[Shmoges]

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0057.jpg
I have to do some more work on the waterfall turns out it doesn't work how i wanted for all that work so I think I will elongate the hose and put it in a piece of wood so it all goes in the water in front instead of making a lake on the substrate...

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0058.jpg
I will have to do multi water changes I'm sure to get the dyed water out and get rid of that foam.

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0059.jpg

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0061-1.jpg

Here they both are. Its funny how much time and effort the one one the left has taken to make. The one on the right only took one afternoon to make. We have learned a lot from making the first and the saying "keep it simple stupid" is a good motto for making these. The one on the left has a glass top to hold in more humidity for milk frogs and the right one has a spray painted egg crate top to be less humid for waxy monkey frogs and also keep the fing cats from falling in through the screen.

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0059-2.jpg

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0060-1.jpg

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af309/Shmoges/Viv%20Construction/IMG_0058-2.jpg
Now all we need are frogs!

[sarahpede]

This is amazing

[rmfsnakes32]

I love it you are so creative!

[foxbody90]

this is crazy cool