An attempt at a fake rock build - it’s finished

[lifesagame]

After years of wanting to do one for my beardie I thought this was the perfect time to actually do this as I’m between lizards at the moment so no time pressure. Anyway, I thought I’d post some photos here, as I’ve never owned a BTS maybe there are things I’m planning on doing that wouldn’t work so any advice or changes I should do would be really appreciated. It’s a 4x2 vivexotix vivarium from probably 10 years ago now and had my beardie in it so a lot of the things I’m planning on using were in there with him or bits we have lying around the house.

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The first picture should be the vivarium (if I’m doing this right!) as I kind of plan it to look layout wise, with the box showing the cool hide and I’ll have one on the right at the back too. I was wondering if the cork tube thing would be ok as is or are they the kind of animal that will try and squeeze into something and get stuck? I’ve had gerbils who don’t know their size and end up getting their head stuck in a tube but my beardie only went part way into this and knew when to back out. I’ll just cut it in half so it’s a semi circle and keep it stable so it’s just a ramp if it could be a problem. Also not sure about the real rocks I’m using. Again, they were fine for my beardie and he liked crawling around on them plus they kept his claws nice and filed down but not sure for a skink as they sound pretty strong!

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These are just my first stages of the fake rock cool hide. I’ve ended up using epoxy resin to stick them as it’s what we have but I have a feeling we’llbe getting some no nails as a lot of tutorials suggest.

I hope this post is ok, haven’t seen much like this on here, but thought I’d update it as I go along, if I don’t give up part way!

Also I do have bits in the post for the vents and uv light clips, they all needed a bit of a refresh as the uv had disintegrated them over the years. Not sure where I’ll be putting the uv, I was thinking from the top as skinks don’t seem to need it as close as beardie but it can go pretty much anywhere, will worry about that when I’m actually doing the background, if I get that far.

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An edit to add a photo from today. Don’t worry, I won’t be updating it every day but it looks quite different as I did end up cutting some of the bits down. They would have taken too much floor space I think so they stick out a lot less now. Still makes me think of a Flinstones house though. Also, the first layer of grout! It doesn’t look as clean as the tutorials I’ve seen as they tend to use white grout but it’s starting to look like more than just polystyrene stuck around a box! Definitely learning as I go but hope I’ll know more what I’m doing by the time I get to the background.

[kayla990]

Yay build posts are pretty fun imo ^__^ Looking good so far!

Couple of tips/things to consider

- Bluey's are very strong, and will likely push around/flip over light objects (as I believe the current method of a plastic tub/polystyrene/grout will result in a light object). You may need to weigh it down with a heavy object, perhaps a large flat stone as you mentioned for claws too. You'd want to test to make sure it won't collapse under the pressure of added weight + an adult Bluey.

- Sealer; as some like to climb (like ours, he's always going up somewhere!) it's recommended to get a strong sealer. Perhaps something clear and strong like epoxy resin (and heard of some using Yacht varnish for high humidity purposes). We did seal another background using silicone and coco coir (for a gecko), but would be hesitant to use that for Bluey's, especially as silicone can still weaken with time in a hot/humid environment.

- Heating; just another thing to test since basking spots can get very hot. Concrete is an option as it's pretty durable against high heat (just need to make sure it won't leak chemicals).

- Natural: up to you of course if you're looking for a natural looking hide or the Flinstones house (love that description you used!). But if you're looking for a more rocky/natural look, you can use grout that includes stones or larger rocks, coco coir, driftwood or perhaps more unusual textures (like ropes as you can make them look like vines, or possibly just adding more unusual shaped polystyrene; we got a hot wire cutter which is fantastic for making rock shapes). If you're planning to get an Indonesian species, can try to grow some real moss on it too!

- Painting: generally it's easier to create natural looking rocks if you've got a textured surface. If you want some tips on this, I can provide some more info/images of some of the methods I've found successful.

- Sources: Some easy to follow channels SerpaDesign, LizardLandscapes or check for miniature environment makers (funnily enough, warhammer tutorials can give good step by step advice!).

Goodluck for the build! It can be pretty time consuming but feels worth it in the end!

[lifesagame]

Thanks for the tips, any help is appreciated as I’m just going by a couple of sources, mainly lizard landscapes, and making it up as I go along! I’ll give the epoxy a go for sealing I think. I was planning on Mod Podge but wasn’t sure how strong it would be as it looks like it’s basically like glue. My dad used to work a lot with epoxy so hopefully he’ll be able to help with that too.

I was wondering if there’s any guide anywhere, or experience, on how much weight they can tip over? I’m thinking of weighing the one I’ve got the grout on to see how heavy it is and if they could flip it. As I was planning on using it for the water dish on top then I think I’ll have to leave it flat but hoping that a bit of camouflage with fake plants might help make it look slightly more natural, either that or I might call it Dino to go with the flintstones theme

I’m going to see how it goes but I’m planning on having it so that it sort of slots into the background so hopefully that would make it a bit harder to flip too. If not we do have big flat stones or I could get one from a garden centre. The drawer I used as the inside pretty sturdy, it just about held my weight when I was trying to squash one flat for the rubbish, and I’m hoping that the fact it has that for support would hold the weight of a rock plus BTS, not sure about the second hide I’m working on but flat stones are always an option and it’ll be partly resting on a real rock if my planned layout works. I’m just a bit over cautious about taking up floor space so the future BTS has room to dig around.

The basking spot I’m planning on using the real rock in the first picture, it was the one I used for my beardie so I know the temperatures I can get and it did well with his claws, and the lamp would come down from the ceiling above it. I will have to see how hot the hide in the back corner will get, it’s not in the direct spot light area but might still get pretty hot.

I hadn’t thought of rope to make fake vines, I might get see if I can find some cheap and do some experimenting. We probably have some lying around in the shed but I’m not sure how I’d make it clean and safe after being outside so long.

I’ve started on the second hide so when I’ve got the grout done on both I’ll put them in the vivarium and see how it all fits. Not sure if I should make the actual background stick to the vivarium or have it be removable for if/when I have to move it so it isn’t too heavy. I’ve seen some people recommend heavy duty Velcro for attaching the background but not sure how safe that would be if the BTS turns out to be a climber!

Thanks it’s been fun so far but I think the base grout for these hides may the easy bit, not sure how I’ll get it all fitted together and painting it will be messy! I’m thinking I’ll try some thick grout and see how that works with adding some texture to the rocks but any tips would be great. The original plan was to try and make it look like slate but I have a feeling that may not happen.

[kayla990]

Sounds like you're on the right track already! As far as I know there isn't information for Bluey strength.. would be interesting to know! Haha that's great that the box held your weight, so should be perfect for a adult Bluey/heavy rock. And sounds a good plan re-using the basking rock ^__^

Luckily the rope method is pretty easy - basically use a good layer of silicone and when it's still wet roll it in coco coir or other material (a sample of the result can be seen on http://petdiys.com/diy-faux-vivarium-vines/ ). But wouldn't know how to effectively clean an old rope.. maybe trial and error if you do decide to try it

Looking forward to your results of both hides! With the Velcro I reckon it would surely keep it more in place... but I would also presume if weighing it down with a heavy stone then it may not be needed

I would say slate effect should be possible! Sadly I lost an experimental piece I made for making faux-slate from polystyrene.. but maybe these painting references I did a while back can give some ideas; as they are painted on polystyrene/grout, using mainly watered down acrylic paints and 'dry brushing' for highlights.

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[lifesagame]

Yeah, I think I’ll go with leaving it so I can just pull the hides out. I was also thinking of Velcro for if I do the whole wall as well but realised screws would be so much easier, not sure why I tried to over complicate it! I’m hoping that the plastic drawer inside the one hide also means it’ll be good if I ever need to have a humid hide, add a base and it’s done.

Thanks for the link, the rope vine looks good and sounds pretty easy. I didn’t find any old rope so I might wait until I have the main rock bits and fake plants and see how it goes before trying them. I did however find three quarters of a tin of yacht varnish in the garage so I might give that a go as the sealant. It was bought to use on a box my parents have outside and there was way too much for it. Funny how some of these things do eventually become useful!

Those rocks look great, I’ll have to refer back to those pictures for the kinds of colour to use. I’m going to have to be careful I don’t get too impatient with the painting stage and rush it. The small stones in it do make it look good, I’ll see how mine looks when painted but I might be able stick a few extra in to cover spots if I think it looks too Flintstoney (this may have become my favourite way of describing the hide now).

Thanks for the tips. I’m done the third layer of grout on the underside of the second hide, when I’ve done the grout on the top I might take a new photo. It’s surprising how big the hides look outside the vivarium compared to when they’re in it. I thought it’d take up a lot of the floor space but it doesn’t look huge in there.

[lifesagame]

I’ve started adding some texture to the first hide, though I’m not sure how good it looks I think it’s a definite improvement over just the plain edges and looks less like slabs.

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Also started on the back wall. We ran out of no more nails glue so had to stop but think it’ll be ok doing it in two bits and screwing it to the vivarium and hiding the screws with fake plants means I’ll be able to remove it if I need to clean it or if I have a particularly destructive skink that likes to pull it apart!

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I will need to make the holes for the air vents but my dad has a drill bit we used to make the vent holes in the first place so I’m going with a couple of layers of grout then drilling them and doing any patching up then as I tried cutting circles in the polystyrene and it just falls apart without the grout holding it together.

[Suzle87]

I’ve started adding some texture to the first hide, though I’m not sure how good it looks I think it’s a definite improvement over just the plain edges and looks less like slabs.

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Also started on the back wall. We ran out of no more nails glue so had to stop but think it’ll be ok doing it in two bits and screwing it to the vivarium and hiding the screws with fake plants means I’ll be able to remove it if I need to clean it or if I have a particularly destructive skink that likes to pull it apart!

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I will need to make the holes for the air vents but my dad has a drill bit we used to make the vent holes in the first place so I’m going with a couple of layers of grout then drilling them and doing any patching up then as I tried cutting circles in the polystyrene and it just falls apart without the grout holding it together.

That's looking ace!!
you should get a little ebay business going! for the less capable of us (me) to buy some from!

[lifesagame]

I’ve started adding some texture to the first hide, though I’m not sure how good it looks I think it’s a definite improvement over just the plain edges and looks less like slabs.

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Also started on the back wall. We ran out of no more nails glue so had to stop but think it’ll be ok doing it in two bits and screwing it to the vivarium and hiding the screws with fake plants means I’ll be able to remove it if I need to clean it or if I have a particularly destructive skink that likes to pull it apart!

6D115999-4773-4D59-8031-E40CE9631453.jpeg

I will need to make the holes for the air vents but my dad has a drill bit we used to make the vent holes in the first place so I’m going with a couple of layers of grout then drilling them and doing any patching up then as I tried cutting circles in the polystyrene and it just falls apart without the grout holding it together.

That's looking ace!!
you should get a little ebay business going! for the less capable of us (me) to buy some from!

Thanks I hope it looks ok when it’s finished, it’s getting pretty heavy with all this grout! Hoping it’s strong enough to survive a BTS

[lifesagame]

- Sealer; as some like to climb (like ours, he's always going up somewhere!) it's recommended to get a strong sealer. Perhaps something clear and strong like epoxy resin (and heard of some using Yacht varnish for high humidity purposes). We did seal another background using silicone and coco coir (for a gecko), but would be hesitant to use that for Bluey's, especially as silicone can still weaken with time in a hot/humid environment.

Having looked up curing times for the yacht varnish I’m reconsidering the epoxy resin. Have you used it before? I’ve found some craft stuff that seems ok and not stupidly expensive but not sure how it’d work as it seems that all I can find about it review wise is using it in moulds for things so not sure if it might end up just pooling in places. Definitely a better curing time than the varnish, found quite a few people on reptile forums who’ve said it can be eight weeks! A few days, or even a week or two, is definitely better.

[kayla990]

Uff, that is a long curing time! Didn't get around to using the Yacht varnish, but good to keep in mind for future projects ^__^

While I've not used epoxy resin yet - I believe it would be a great alternative! I've heard of many people using it with success (I'll let you know if I stumble on the other posts about it, think it was often used by poison arrow frog owners). It's best to do a few trial runs with it as some resins may cure badly (such as from high humidity, too old substance, if the room is too cold or wrong ratio of resin to hardener) - but overall I reckon it'd be a great choice, as it should be water resistant and cures very sturdy. If I recall correctly, most types are also dishwasher safe - meaning it should also be no issue with basking lights etc

Great work so far! Have you got a Hot wire cutter/foam cutter? They have been a live saver for projects with polystyrene - and generally go for about £20. Before I was using a knife which resulted in the room (and myself) being covered in tiny polystyrene bits for days

[lifesagame]

I think the yacht varnish is basically waiting till there’s no smell and then adding some time on as it’ll be in an enclosed small space so it seems to vary but I can see myself giving it three or four months to be safe!

I think a lot f the craft versions of epoxy seem to say dishwasher safe as well as uv safe and non yellowing so it seems like it might be the way to go. I’m going to ask my dad tomorrow and see if he can recommend one, he seems to think they may give off too much heat as they cure so I’ll definitely be doing a trial run as I don’t want it melting! Being dishwasher safe sounds like it’ll make cleaning a lot easier, just wash with hot water in the sink and it’s done.

Thanks no hot wire cutter, though if I did another one I’d definitely buy one. I’m too near the end for it to be worth it now but it’d save so much clean up time. I’ve been cutting it all outside with a cordless vacuum cleaner nearby and still it seems to leave a trail in the house. Definitely messy and the edges would be a lot smoother with hot wire so if there’s a next time I’ll try one.

Thought I’d edit this post again and add the photos of it so far. I finished cutting and sticking the background, tried it in the vivarium for size and have done the first layer of grout. Pretty happy with how it’s turned out but I don’t think I’ll be doing the extra thick layer of grout to add texture and rely on paint as the big background will be getting pretty heavy!

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[lifesagame]

I’ve started on the painting, though I still don’t have the epoxy to seal it I’m hoping to have the paint8ng done this weekend and order the resin tomorrow so it’ll hopefully be here early next week. Not sure if that’ll happen it I want it all sealed and in the vivarium next weekend hopefully. I think actually cutting the vents in may have been the most awkward part of this so far, would definitely recommend doing it earlier in the process and a hot wire would have made that a lot easier.

I wasn’t sure how much difference there’d be with painting it a darker grey but the change from grout to acrylic paint layer surprised me. I did end up missing some spots, I used a brush rather than a spray as there were some fiddly bits a spray may have struggled with because of the angles, so the next layer will be a darker wash over the shadowy bits which will cover pretty much all of the missed spots. I have tried doing pure black in the real shadow bits but I think that may be too extreme and too much of a contrast, I’ll see how it looks when I’ve done the darker bits. I guess from now on is when the more obvious changes happen with each layer. Not sure I should be this excited about painting fake rocks but I am!

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[lifesagame]

I realised I didn’t actually update the last few stages so I’ll do some quick photos but I finally finished!

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I quite like the way the painting ended up, a pity the resin step made it a lot darker but I still like the colour after.

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I like the way the resin worked. I found one that wasn’t too expensive, especially when it was on sale, easy to mix and set evenly. I did end up getting too much, the right amount for the surface area as they recommend but they recommend for a lot thicker coat that I used because of the shape of it. The only annoying thing is the shiny finish but we went over it with wire wool to reduce it and it’s not too bad now.

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Added some fake plants, attached it with screws to the back and have the lighting running. I’m quite happy with how it ended up, now I’ve got to add the cork round when I’ve cut it in half as a ramp, glue the ivy to the back rather than using blue tack and maybe add more substrate. Ended up having to add a lip at the bottom front because the vivarium only had a 1 1/2 to 2 inch lip at the bottom and I wanted it to be a bit deeper. Hoping it works out ok but most of it can be changed if I need to, even remove the background if it doesn’t work.

[Suzle87]

WOW!! this looks stunning! I can't believe this is home made, you've done brilliantly, well done! hope your bluey is as impressed as i am !

[kayla990]

Yay good job!! Looks great I can imagine you must have learnt a lot in the process! I bet your bluey will love the corner caves too ^__^

[lifesagame]

WOW!! this looks stunning! I can't believe this is home made, you've done brilliantly, well done! hope your bluey is as impressed as i am !

Thanks I was surprised how quickly it all worked out in the end. Crossing my fingers skink like it when he/she arrives!

Yay good job!! Looks great I can imagine you must have learnt a lot in the process! I bet your bluey will love the corner caves too ^__^

Thanks, and thanks for the epoxy resin idea, worked really well and so quick to set. It’s also made them a lot stronger than they were so definitely not worried about the skink in the basking ledge thing. Definitely some things I’d do differently next time but it was fun to do.

[kayla990]

So glad it worked out with the epoxy as well Will be great to see how it holds up long term (not expecting you'll run into issues luckily!)

Definitely some things I’d do differently next time but it was fun to do.

Anything off the top of your head you'd do differently? I learnt the hard way that while silicone is fine to put on texture (like coconut coir); that it's not a good idea to put on wood glue to cover any missed gaps - comes off far too easily! And.. if you ever go for a waterfall build, avoid natural bamboo - pretty but my god will water try it's best to disintegrate it!

[lifesagame]

Im hoping no long term problems but I have another bottle of the resin as I definitely overbought there and so if there’s anything that comes off I can recover the whole thing if needed.

The main things I can think of are fairly simple, the main one being trying to measure everything completely right from the beginning and as many angles as possible. I ended up with the vents getting more and more off the proper place to as it goes from left to right so the far right of the five has about 2/3 of the actual vent showing and the far left is pretty much spot on.

Other than that making sure the grout is thick enough and the final layer actually worked better looking like slate layers when I just made it thick and used a stiff old paint brush to go over rather than trying to do lines with a knife or anything. Not sure if you can see the difference but the two hides used the different methods and I prefer the one on the right, the pillar one, rather than the house one that I posted further up. Also a lot quicker and easier!

The resin stage was pretty simple but I learnt to give it over 24 hours to cure before turning it over if I was doing the other side. I ended up with the top of one hide getting stuck to the old blind I was using as a table cloth and having to redo that bit. Also next time I’d try and get a matte finish epoxy if there is such a thing that’s non toxic.

Next step is gluing that ivy onto the back and I did notice one tiny corner of one of the bits on the background that has chipped off so think I’ll be seeing if some grey epoxy resin adhesive we’ve got eill work to do both as it’s not too far off the colour of the fake wall.

[kayla990]

Pretty interesting to know! Uff, yep measurements can be tricky - especially when the layers of grout can also mis-match things xD
Ahh, can see the differences with using the brush now - at least it's also a good reference point in case you want to do either style again!

I ended up with the top of one hide getting stuck to the old blind I was using as a table cloth and having to redo that bit.

Haha doh! It can be unforgiving material.. but good you managed to solve it ^__^