How do I make a Vive background?

[tjohnston02]

Anyone have instructions or know what are good materials to use to make a background?

[RecycledAgain]

I would start by taking a look at some of the build posts, they will answer most all of your questions.

Dan

[tjohnston02]

would using wire or chicken wire to shape the vivarium then using expaning foam on the wire then silicone for the substrate work?

[MtuPup]

it's been awhile since I've been on the farm, but isn't chicken wire prone to rusting...

[froggsong]

I think we have a sticky thread with a similar idea. It's for leos, I think. Should be in the Terra-Construction forum. I think it's by MustacheMatt... Don't know if I spelled that right.

[sbye]

I would use plastic egg crate and put the foam on that. It wont rust and you can zip-tie it together to form the background. Then you could use great stuff to put on the egg crate. You can find both of those at Lowes or Menards.

[froggsong]

If you were to use chicken wire and it was entirely enclosed in the foam, it will not rust. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Even if it gets wet, it has to come in contact with oxygen to rust.

[WannabeVivMaster]

With my little experience; I would think chicken wire would work as long as you have it completely sealed from any external viarables...
If it has contact with oxygen and water, it will rust. Rust will contaminate your complete system. I'm assuming it is a closed system. That relative large amount of rust contaminates your closed system... it could be detrimental to your viv over an extended period of time. There are natural ways to "build" your viv.... using your substrate, you could built suffiecent "mounds" to eliminte the need of chicken wire.

[phoenixflames44]

Front-Opening Showcase Vivarium How-To