Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was curious if anyone could give me some info on making some artifical rock backdrops for some of my cages. Im scared to use concrete because i remember reading a study a while back that cement blocks (like the kinds used under moblie homes) are known to have lead in them and actually lead to the death of some uromastyx, i dont know if concrete has lead in it or not. someone told me once that i can use styrafoam and then cover it with something (i cant remember what it was) but mix in sand and dirt in the mix to give it a natural look, i was thinking plaster of paris but i dont know if it will work...any advice you guys can give me would be greatly appericiated... thanks in advace.....

Try a search on google for more info.

There have been some threads here in the past, including step-by-step pictures. Try a search on past threads too.

There are probably a number of ways, but here are 3 that I've seen:

1) Use galvanized hardware cloth over plywood to make crude topology for the rock surface. Use "plasticized" cement (like they use for pools and ponds) and cover the hardware cloth. From here it gets creative. You can seal the dried cement with sealer. Some use sand mixed with paint, some use stone sealer, some use grout and grout sealer. Hopefully you'll get more info on the finish. As long as the cement is sealed, no worries about harmful chemicals I would bet.

2) You can use foam sealant to make formations. This stuff is sold at do-it-yourself stores for sealing gaps in seams in attics and such. Again, hopefully someone will help with how to finish it. I've seen someone use acrylic clear spray paint to seal the foam then use grout and grout sealer to cover the foam, or sand mixed with grout sealer. Not a strong rock wall, mainly for looks.

3) My way, and I just made a really small formation - use Bondo over hardware cloth. Paint and seal the dried formation. Hey, it worked. Expensive though.