Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok here are some more pics so far. I have taken and mixed 1:2-3 weldbond:water, and then mixed in eco earth until the mix started to get lumpy, and is not runny (got this info from Mark Pepper he said he had used it in 30+tanks) I let it dry on its back over night with the fan like the 3rd picture. I plan to let it sit like this for about 7 days. It is hard to the touch after one night, but you can tell it is not 100% dry.

So far I am very impressed with this method, the inital cost is a bit high, but I am guessing I can get a good amount of tanks out of the gallon of weldbond. So overall it will end up being very cheap. I just bought a gallon to have it on hand.

My highly advanced drying technique:

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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

Like it, it has a niuce form. Is the rest going to be a water area or something?
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Here is my new image hosting site! I have made it Bigger, Stronger, Faster!
kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05

No, but not sure yet. I plan to add gravel/leca and then maybe have a small pool in the front left. I am going to pass on a water feature, for this one. I am starting to look into plants.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

I dont get it...does it make a hard surface? if so then how do you out plants in it? also would I be able to do this if I wanted water to touch the dirt directly? where can I find this stuff and if you dont mind can I get a little more detailed instructions on the mixing.
thank you
-Matt

It does seem to make a hard dirt like serface, I plan to either use clibing pants or aother taller plants from the bottom where I will have gravel and or dirt. It is not 100% dry yet so I can tell tell you want the final will be like.

Water can touch it as long as it is fully dried which I hear can take up to a week or so.

I got it at ACE hardware, thanks to info from falconblade.

What I did with directions from Mark Pepper was this:
- add weldbond
- then about 2-3 parts water
- mixed it up to be a thin past
- added already expanded and dried eco earth to it until it lumpy or not runny.
- then i used my hand (with rubber glove) to place gobs of it on the background. It forms easy and stays for the most part. I do have a section that I mixed to wet and I need to add some more to cover a spot or 2. So far it seems great. I will post more pics in a week or so when I get more done on the tank. For now it is drying.

I do also suggest using better styrofoam than I did, was this stuff was a brittle mess and did not sculpt well at all. I did use some greatsutff also and it is good, but DO NOT USE old cans, as they do not work well. I had a 1/2 a can left from another tank and it just made a gooey mess.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

wait what?
syrofoam? what are you talking about?
I thought all I had to do was mix the weldbond with the eco-earth and sculpt it how I like
what else do I have to do? where does the styrofoam come into play?---sorry for all the questions I just want to do this right...I plan on using this for only a small part of the tank the part where the dirt ends and the pond starts I am going to use the mixture you said for just the slope where the two meet
so that the water will stay clean and the dirt wont flood

Look on my site below and I have the first pictures also. I used sytrofoam to make the overall, shape.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

Looks great. What i would have done though, was make little "D" styrofoam shapes, and glue them onto the background. Use the triple expanding foam to slant the bottom onto the back. Then add a pump ontop, and cascade the water down the D shapes (tree fungus), just be sure to slant it.

Just an idea. I know im going to use it on my next tank though.

M.N

I was going to do something like that, but backed away from the water feature for this one. Maybe the next one. I need some foam that is easier to cut than what I have. I think after the gravel is added it will look good. I like the cork bark with the tree like look it has made.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

That turned out pretty nice. I may try it on one of my new tanks when I begin putting them together.

TonyT

1.1 Azureus
1.2 Imitators M Wilson line
0.1 Mint Terribillis
1.0 Citronella
3.2 G&B Auratus C/R
2.2 Luecs
0.0.4 Oyapoks
0.0.4 Alanis
0.0.3 Yellow backs
0.0.4 Red Vitattus

Thanks I think in the long run it will look very nice and it is really not that much work.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators