fake rock?

[cmullins]

hi everyone!

i want to make some fake rock for my vivarium to make some ledges on the back corner,

i'v had a little look around on the internet and i'v found that a few people have done it this way.......

get some polystyrene, make it into the shape you want, if you are using more than one bit and want to stick them together, use grout.
paint the polystyrene with "clear matt varnish" and whilst the varnish is wet put sand on to the varnish to create a sand effect rock......blah blah blah....

has anyone done this before and how did it go????? and also is it same, like the varnish???

[Green Ghost]

I think that's a good concept but I've never tried it myself. Wanted to say be careful with grout because I don't think it's safe to use for frogs. Grout has lye in it.... If everything is non toxic (including the varnish) when fully cured then it's all good?

[FrogGirl]

I'd like to find a good way to do this too I think.

[Green Ghost]

What about this: HabaCrete Vivarium Mortar Instructions.

could put that over the polystyrene....

[Rainfrog]

Check this out: backround Question?

[mh32]

This is pretty cool too
http://www.dendroboard.com/parts-con...opic22606.html

[HerpInvert]

Marty has been pushing me to post comments on HabaCrete but I've held off as there has been some issues in the past with fullfilling orders, Click for more info which are finally over.

HabaCrete is a prodcut we invented that dries fast, bonds to wood, glass and rock, has a lower pH then cement products so you won't have to wash it with acid or such, does not effervences (cement/concrete leach lime over time especially in damp environments). Salt is Bad for vivariums.
HabaCrete also dries to a white color so staining or coloring (our pigments or acrylic paints (Chorma airbrush paint is the best)). It can be scuplted with a trowle (sp), cast with molds or handpacked like Mary did above. I hope to get a tutorial up here shortly to show step x step usage, or at least on my site, so you can see how to mold a real stone, make a skin, cast the HabaCrete and how to cover foam for a natural looking rock effect. I've made tree stumps, bark textures and even mudbanks that show errosion with this and since it dries fast, i can go from foam to planted vivarium in a day.
HabaCrete does not need sealing and in fact, by adding a small amount of milled peat to the dry mix, your moss will will grow on it for a more realistic effect.









HabaCrete has been used in aquariums but that's not my field so I won't speak to that. I've built many turtle exhibits, salamander displays and have never noted any issues with toxicity or any reactions, that's why I created. I mostly work with dart frogs, tarnatulas and scorpions, geckos and snakes. I've never had any problems with HabaCrete in the over 300 vivariums I've built since I sent Mary my first revised product, which I think was a year ago, when he did this one.

thanks.

For this thread though, i'd cut or shoot the foam for the type of landscape i want. cast some rock shapes, handpack some habacrete that i set the rock shapes into, making sure i get the right theme going and then color spray the handpacked areas lightly with water to get the agragate to show through for the dirt effect. I'd then get my brown, black and white paint loaded up for the airbrush and start painting the rocks. i'd add orange to the brown and paint the rocks then go back over them with black to fill in the small cracks and such to show the texture of the rock. then with brown and white, paint the "dirt". i'd then "dust" it with the black in areas to add tones. then i'd get the tea sieve and spray bottle and make lichens which i'd paint with green tones. hope this helps.

[AugisZ]

Very nice.
I have corns terrarium with face rock, and tree frog poliudarium

[AugisZ]

This is my one of my spiders terrariums with foam backgrounds, not very cool, but not

[froggsong]

Alright guys, this thread is beyond dead... If you want to discuss faux rock BGs, please start a new thread.