Canada Day Weekend Build! : Clay Background Method - Page 18

beckdg · #**171** 09-30-2010, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimm

Our pennies are the same size yank! :P

not when you try to spend them.

Judy S · #**172** 09-30-2010, 04:25 PM

has anyone ever tried to paint the "clay" background?? About how long do you have to wait to carve it... If you cover it with Gorilla Glue, then a thinned down coating of a copolymer mixed with the granular grout Laterite product...would that negatively impact the clay/coco fiber/milled spag.mix? It just amazes me that this mix will actually stick to glass...and looks pretty darn good even in a rough state... Any further coloring advice would be great...

Grimm · #**173** 09-30-2010, 04:59 PM

No offence, but that actually makes zero sense to me lol :P ...Maybe I'm not understanding what you are wanting for the end result...The paint would wash off since the clay is in a constant moist/soft state. That is how it sticks to the glass so well. Plus the entire premise of the clay background method is to avoid using unnatural products such as expanding foams, silicone, polymers, paints, ect...If you want a painted or glue covered background, the expanding foam route is the method for you.

I think the only way to add colour, is to actually mix seperate clay batches using different types of substrate, or to just rub the clay with the substrates after it has been applied to the glass.

Judy S · #**174** 09-30-2010, 06:38 PM

No offense taken...but the point of my question was whether it was something that was done..even organically..because the color of the clay does not have the shading that you see in nature...I do understand the why of it and loved mooshing the stuff around, and sticking some moss into it...but if there is another dimension possible with the project, I wanted to do it. I did make a separate removable element that was the black silicone on styrofoam which would make it possible to remove a small pump and the line and yet it looked like part of the cork/clay background. I covered the edge and part of the cork with tape, inserted the removable element...sprayed the foam..removed the element when firm...drilled the appropriate sized hole for the tubing...and therefore even the tubing is replaceable...made an experiment using the plastic coated electric wiring meant for underground use...covered that with GG, some portions with just copolymer...sections with colored grout on top of the GG. unwrapped nylon rope with its frizzies, etc. and mounted that horizontally...so far the tank doesn't look too bad... This is only a 10 G tank, but the materials and the process is what is important to me at this point....having the hole drilled into the black GG will allow a burbling water feature...and a confined area with the "pool" of water on top of EDPM rubber pond liner with stones siliconed to the liner material... I plan to learn as much as I can on this tiny tank before the next three tanks I have...so am really open to all sorts of comments and suggestions...I've seen your very impressive work and hope that your lessons have been integrated into my plans...thanks...Judy S

Grimm · #**175** 09-30-2010, 07:20 PM

As far as my searching and oogling at other people's vivs go, I havent come across a build that has tried what you are suggesting. Not to say it cant be done though.

What would your intentions be by coating the clay other then creating inconsistencies (like in nature). I think it would be difficult to have any part be removable, since its just to sticky and requires the humidity.

I know you could definitely make various different colour clay mixtures. A lot of peat moss will result in a background similar to my own, co-co fiber will give you a nice brown, leaving the clay "pure" will give you a rockie grey colour, or using red art clay will give you a red background. Im sure you could even go as far as coating the clay in sand to give it a rockie look, but it may degrade quite quickly and the frogs will most likely pick a lot of it up on their skin.

The main bonus of using the clay background, is so all of it can be covered in plants

Thats what I love to see anyways. The greener the better imo.

Judy S · #**176** 09-30-2010, 07:34 PM

I don't know whether it will succeed, but it's a learning thing anyway. How long did you have to wait to "carve" the moist clay...and how long before you can put critters in...? The removable part is a back corner constructed of pieces of styro and match up vertically with the grooves/indents of the corkbark. I tried to make it as frogproof as possible. The finishing off of the black foam will have the vertical surface "sculpted" as a rock wall with the water burbling down....hope it works...Maybe I'll try to put some of the actual colored pigment into the most surface...and perhaps dab the face of the clay with some dampened red clay (yes, I got some of that too...as well as the gray art clay...research, don't you know....) How dry does the clay get so that the frogs are not picking up wet stuff on their cute little toes??? I have a baby lutino and another baby Red Eye T.F. to go in there, and when they need to be moved, it will be a setup for some darts...hence the removable waterfall feature... I do appreciate your questioning...makes me think things through more clearly...
"

Grimm · #**177** 09-30-2010, 07:47 PM

There is no wait time, or "carving" for the clay method...Just mix it up and slap it on the glass. You could essentially place your frogs in the tank on the same day, since there is nothing to let cure and no harmful vapours. The clay should never dry out, and it shouldnt become super hard either. If I wanted to, I could mold the background into another design since the clay is practically the same consistency as the day I added it to the tank.

You should start a thread and post pictures of what you are explaining

Im more of a visual guy and could probably give you better insight and advice.

Judy S · #**178** 10-01-2010, 09:14 AM

Thanks for your reply...how come the frogs don't pick up the clay on their feet??...and the crickets get stuck??? Am going to sort "play with the clay" some more today to shape it a little like rocks.. I don't have a digital---but I DO have frogs...priority spending ....I'll get back to you when I'm a little further along with the project...I tested the pump, etc. last night thanks a lot...

jhiner1978 · #**179** 10-30-2010, 02:31 AM

where did you get your moss from?

Grimm · #**180** 11-02-2010, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judy S

Thanks for your reply...how come the frogs don't pick up the clay on their feet??...and the crickets get stuck??? Am going to sort "play with the clay" some more today to shape it a little like rocks.. I don't have a digital---but I DO have frogs...priority spending ....I'll get back to you when I'm a little further along with the project...I tested the pump, etc. last night thanks a lot...

Once the clay has sit for a week or two it will begin to cure and harden slightly. A biofilm will also begin to cover the clay. The frogs are not heavy enough to stick into the clay so they dont really pick up much on their feet. I have noticed over the past few months that my brom leaves have a slight film over them, but it is nothing a quick mist and scrub cant fix.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhiner1978

where did you get your moss from?

I got the majority of it from aquarium shops and hobbyists. And also some from an orchid order.