Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I am curious as to what materials you can use to build the background in a Vivarium... Um, I was reading about a kind of foam people use... But what kind of foam is it? A special foam? Also, would I be able to just use cork, like, from a cork board to create a #-D background and just blend the edges with coco fiber or something of the sort? Or would the corkboard material rot?

Any help regarding building the backgrounds and what materials that can be used successfully is a big help...

Thanks a lot...

the foam is called great stuff. it isn't very expensive i think its about 4-6 dallors for a pair of cans. and one can usually does the job unles you have a huge tank.

anyways take this stuff and spray a single layer across the back so you can A) see how much it expanes and B) make sure you covered the entire back and corners

you could do this on a peice of wood out side the tank just so you can see how much it epanes....its alot.

then just build the rest of the backround with it..slowly adding foam we you think it needs it. also and wood or anything stuck in the wall should be places and then jioned by spraying the foam around the joint.

after the backround in the way you want(wait a day or 2 to let the foam dry) it buy some black silicone (check to make sure its 100% and doesn't have mold inhibitors init) spread this on the backround in small areas and press dried coco fiber or rocks or what ever you want just those are the most common, to it

Cork doesn't break down rapidly. I've never used the panels, but use the cork bark a lot, even for waterfalls. It holds up very well. What you are planning sounds interesting. Please take some pictures as you progress and share them.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus

Hey there

I have used Waterfall Foam by Beckett's and cork bark mixed and by it themselfs. The beckett's has a charcoal color and cork is great in water, I have a piece floting in an aquarium where my dwarf african frogs climb onto in to lay eggs. I just finished a tank today using coco fiber I don't know how this will turn out in the long run. Let me know if have any specific questions maybe I can help.
I got good info from blackjungle.com and vivariumconcepts.com
goodluck