Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking for help. I'm putting together a 55 gal aquarium for a green basilisk an want to seperate it in thirds. One third a lake with a waterfall the other two thirds will be planted area with a two foot rise in tank for climbing.My problem is how to dam up (natural looking) the water side.I'm at a block any suggestions or how to viedos are welcome.I'm bored with just a large water bowl. I'm also (near future) going to do same in two 100gal tanks i have. Thank you in advance

>>I'm looking for help. I'm putting together a 55 gal aquarium for a green basilisk an want to seperate it in thirds. One third a lake with a waterfall the other two thirds will be planted area with a two foot rise in tank for climbing.My problem is how to dam up (natural looking) the water side.I'm at a block any suggestions or how to viedos are welcome.I'm bored with just a large water bowl. I'm also (near future) going to do same in two 100gal tanks i have. Thank you in advance

I'm going to refer back to the KISS concept for this one as well.

Take this as my opinion and not user bashing.

A 55 gal fish tank while capable of holding a Basilisk, really isn't a life long cage.

While keeping that in mind anything you do should be considered temporary at best, because within 2 years it won't be needed.

Dividing a aquarium is easy, simply have a glass place cut you appropriate sized divider walls. These can easily be siliconed in place and hold back water substrate easily. While not nessarily the most asthetic it's cheap and quick.

Once you achieve the functionality disquising it is the logical next step. If looking at substrate is not you goal you can use black silicon. In addition to using it for the glass dams, you can mask and coat the non "lake" areas below the dam with black silicon, this will make for a more asthetic view of wait would essentially be distracting substrate. If masked appropriatly the neat line will be pleasing. Another added benefit is that silicon is easily removed from glass if the aquarium needs to be re-utilized down the line.

As for the lake side dam. You easily could fabriacte a background useing foam and grout. There are more how to's on the web for this process than I care to recall, a quick google will yeild plaenty of sources. This background once complete and selaed can again easily be siliconed inplace to the dam.

The background will cost the most to make but you crtainly could do it for less than $25. Also the glass and silicon could be done for about the same. Making it coincevable that this project could be less than $50, and accomplished in one day.

Once setup you have about a year before the substrate most likely will need replacement. Which gives you a year in which you could build another larger cage with even more display potential and greater naturalistic potential.

Of course others may have other ideas.

Cheers
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

0.1.2 Morelia Viridis

thank you , I thought about the plexy but wasn't sure how to make it natural looking. And the size of aquarium for the basilisk perm. home will be a 100 gal aquarium? 60"Lx24"Hx24"D with a 2ft.rise On top of tank, for climbing, just want to try to make a nice temp home that will be close to what lifetime home will look like. The 55 gal will be more like a pratice run.That way perm. home should(hopefully)look even better. Thank you again

>>thank you , I thought about the plexy but wasn't sure how to make it natural looking. And the size of aquarium for the basilisk perm. home will be a 100 gal aquarium? 60"Lx24"Hx24"D with a 2ft.rise On top of tank, for climbing, just want to try to make a nice temp home that will be close to what lifetime home will look like. The 55 gal will be more like a pratice run.That way perm. home should(hopefully)look even better. Thank you again

No offense but it has always been my position that aquaria are for fish and enclosures are for reptiles. I think you could build something much better and cheaper than 100gal glass aquarium.

When you account for lights and 24" deep tank cleaning becomes difficult. I don't even like cleaning 24" deep fish tanks, let alone a reptile tank. IMO front opening enclosures are far easier to clean and you don't need to remove a light hood to clean them.

But it's your money, time, and collection.

Good Luck
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

0.1.2 Morelia Viridis

no offense taken. again thank you .wasn't sure styrofoam would work,you always get ideas that differ, you just take it all in then make up your own mind and go with it, if it works it works, if it don't you have other ideas to fall back on. I already have two 100gal tanks. will see how it goes. thanks again