Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey...

Where can I get cool 3D Cage Backgrounds for my little buddy, "Fluffy?"

I want him to have a cool, thin wall of rock in the back of his enclosure. How can I go about creating this?

Would you ever place a big rock you find outside, in an enclosure? Would you clean it first? How would you clean it?

Most importantly, I want to know about 3D backgrounds (made of rock)... Thank you.

Fluffy The Snake.com

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Thanks,
Dan from Long Island

This may sound off-the-wall (er - sorry, no pun intended), but have you considered looking in a hobby shop? Model train fans use a variety of products that are designed to simulate real rock without the weight and bother.

You might also find something suitable at a pet store.
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

But I need it to be the size of the back of the entire tank.

Fluffy The Snake.com

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Thanks,
Dan from Long Island

Terrascapesusa.com I saw them at the Daytona show. They come in different size sheets and can be cut to size with a utility knife along squares on the back. Non Toxic, a variety of diffent type of rock backgrounds to choose from and can be used in aquascapes too. Looked pretty real and they showed how you could even velcro it in.They also sell swamp type backgrounds with tree roots etc. for Dart frog type enclosures. One was called Ayers rock. I was impresed.Bob

Hello--
Real rock will make the enclosure very heavy, and hard to clean. There are kits to create the kind of effect desired. It is the material that zoos and professional vivarium folks use. You begin with a lightweight molded form, and then you add the texture with a compound that hardens. I don't recall the name of the product, but it comes in either a red clay or grey rock color, and can be purchased from folks who specialize in vivarium supplies. Perhaps someone else on the forum has additional information? Wish that I knew more--hope this helps.

rgds,
althea

Off topic, but I am just fascinated lately with pythons, and the one pictured is a beauty. After many years of colubrids and rosies (which I still find incredibly interesting, especially in the wild), it is the pythons that have captured my interest for captive snakes. They can have such great personalities, almost seemingly "smart" in the sense that they seem to figure things out.

Anyway, for backgrounds, many folks use foam sealant (e.g. Great Stuff) and shape it to the desired shape, then seal it with grout and grout sealer or sand and grout sealer.

I made a small background with screen mesh and Bondo. I'm no artist, so it doesn't look much like rock formations more than a wall of Bondo, but it does look cool and is waterproof and heat-resistant.

The pros use an epoxy product that is unfortunately not seen in do-it-yourself stores. Hobby stores may be able to get it. Not cheap.

for the prices they charge for premade that might not even be big enough for your tank you could easily make one.If you go to the forum here for cage and habitat design there are lots of people that will help you out.It involves styrofoam and tile grout, or some use chicken wire and cement..Anyway there are lots of ideas there too...
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