Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Greetings folks, I just completed a DIY article for my method of mock rock construction, that I have used to construct several zoological exhibits as well as some museum exhibits... A little bit different approach than most that I have seen here... Check it out, let me know what you think...

Cheers, have a wonderful day!!

Bob
treemonitors.com
FAUX ROCK DIY ARTICLE

NP
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Current snakes:

0.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.3 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

3.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

Bob,

Nice work. I think the major flaw in most of the foam-based rockwork constructions is the constructor has not actually thought about what real rocks look like. Many have been sculpted with ledges and such in mind for the animal's benefit but without stopping to consider whether the end result is going to look unnatural.

I think your method works great on the large scale shown in the photos, but on the much smaller scale found in the average cages used many people it is probably much more difficult. It seems like a good approach would be to find a way to use the rigid wire bracing with a mesh of suitable size that would be easier to work with on a small scale.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois

I agree, that it is generally better used for larger displays, however I have used this same method to construct rock backdrops in enclosures as small as 24"x24"x24". It is a bit easier to work with this method on larger exhibits, as you have more room to work with, and a trowel can be difficult to use in such a tight space...

This method definately isn't for the 10 gallon aquarium, that's for sure.... Just thought I'd share my experience with the community.... Thanks for the feedback.. Cheers

Bob

TREEMONITORS.COM

Nice tree monitor! I definetely think you'd run into trouble trying to use that method in almost any kind of aquarium. It seems more suited to an open-front type of cage. However, I like the technique and I may experiment with it on a smaller scale using finer mesh as I mentioned before. You mention using it in a cage that measure 24x24x24 - did you use the same metal lath with that size cage or something smaller mesh and more pliable?
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois

Hey Matt,

I used the same lathe for the small enclosure.. what I did, because of the limited amount of space, and because the walls were made of 1/2" plywook,d I molded the lathe itself, without any framework, and fastened it securely, so that there was no lag, or flex in the lathe, directly to the bare plywood walls.. If the lathe is affixed tight enough, you shouldn't have a problem with it.. I have also used 1/4" hardware cloth, but because how the holes are shaped on lathe- deeper, and at a slight angle, it seems to hold cement and other aggregates much better.

As for aquariums, yes, probably not the type of method you would use for an aquarium, however, I have made GFRC panels, which were molded out of latex molds of authentic rock outcrops, which can be made to size, and fit perfectly in any acquarium.

*one thing that I think I should point out, is that if you are planning on using this in an enclosure that will be exposed directly to water, ie. submerged, waterfall, etc, and you have animals in there, that may be affected by a decreased pH, I would suggest cycling the tank, before putting any animals in, as cycling for a few weeks will eliminate the naturally low pH that the lime will naturally create.. There are also some liquid membrane applications that are non toxic to coat the cement with, if this could be a big problem..

Cheers...

Bob
treemonitors.com