Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here’s another little project I have been working on. It’s a small planter/water bowl/ fake rock decoration. The plants end up being right under the light in the cage.

I used a piece of plexi or acrylic that was eleven by fourteen inches and used silicone to glue three small empty plant cups. I put the water bowl inside a disposable bag, and filled all around with expanding foam.

After it dried, I trimmed the foam and sprayed it with faux stone paint, and then clear enamel.

Here it is with the bowl (exact template) removed and all painted.

Now these plants fit exactly in the empty cups and can’t be tipped over or moved.

It looks pretty good. This snake better appreciate all my work!

Thanks for looking.

Another cool idea and you don't have to worry about the bowl getting tipped over. I need to start playing with the foam ya'll are always talking about. Is it the stuff in a can that you would fill holes with? Where do you get stone paint?
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

Awesome!!

You can get 'stone' paint or faux stone paint at Michael's they have like every kind of faux texture there.

Here’s another picture that shows the can of paint. I got it at Homed Epot. I sprayed over it with clear because it seemed like it would be hard to clean as it was. It’s much smoother texture now.

I picked up a can of the Stone Accents last weekend and sprayed it on a scrap piece of the blue extruded polystyrene. If the solvents in the paint melted the foam it is not enough to be noticable through the already textured surface the paint leaves.

I think this stuff would be a great addition to the standard foam background. At the very least I think highlights of it would be a nice addition to some of the foam/grout backgrounds I have seen.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Your cobra is living better than I do,lol. Great job man , I haven't worked very hard to create natural setups or decor but i've been thinking about a natural venomous setup in the living room wall.

It’s a leap from a sweater box, that’s for sure. In some ways it’s sorta come full circle, from my first keeping in decorated aquariums, to minimalist boxes, to absolute barebones rack. Now here I am doing the same things I did as a novice making “pretty” snake cages. These are very satisfying just believing the snake is being maintained with more tlc.

I'm stealing this idea!!! my new nile needs a hide cave. just wondering but what brand of clear enamle do you use
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"Create then surpass your expectations"

Sorry for the delay. I had to go look at the can. It is Rustoleum Crystal Clear Enamel. Same stuff I sprayed on the bamboo sticks. It does shine nice. I would recommend very light coats and build it up that way. It dries really fast, though, so it doesn't take all day to get the job done.

I've been meaning to try this, albeit with polystyrene foam rather than spray can foam. I think it looks great and better than I expected.

If you have a bit of paint left and a small piece of packing styrofoam could you spray a bit of it on there and see if it melts the foam? Styrene foam is more sensitive to more different types of solvents than the polyurethane foam (spray can foam).

I was going to buy the Stone Effects that comes in the one gallon cans as it does not have any solvents. I assume the spray stone effects does as most spray paints do. But if I can buy the spray cans for small projects that would be great.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback