# Building a 5 star enclosure (hopefully)



## silatman (May 26, 2010)

I am in the process of setting up an enclosure for a single SW carpet python. She will be with us for life and so I am wanting to go all out for her and build the Rolls Royce of homes.

My question then is obvious, what should I build for her?

I am a tradesman who is competent in using any material and any powertool so go for it, give me your ideas as to what I should do.

I am thinking something about 1.8 x 1.2 x 0.8m with maybe an octagonal section that widens out to about 1.2 in the area where I will build her basking point....maybe. Timber on three sides with the front and (maybe) octagonal section being glass for a nice view into the full cage.
I was going to build a pond with a miniture waterfall and use real plants but am unsure whether this is just going to be trouble and maybe I should stick with plastic plants but I think the water fall will be ok as I have built lots before and by using real rock I think it will add to the display. 

I have looked around at pics I can find of other peoples set ups and frankly they seem to be very sp****, is there a reason for this that I am missing? or is it just about ease of cleaning.

Any ideas that people have will be very much appreciated.
Any pics would be awesome too!


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## Kenshin (May 26, 2010)

imbricata dont like humidity so the pond and plants are definatly not a good idea, also pythons like to sit in plants and crush them a better idea get lots of nice thick braches and attatch silk plants all over them

most imbricata would be fine in a 3x2x2ft till they breach 6ft long then they go into a 4x2x2 and they rarely get bigger then 8ft so thats where they tend to stay for me, a good display mansion for her dosent have to be that long but you can make it high say 3ft long 6ft high 2ft wide lots of branches some aboreal hides water bowl on the floor along with a cool hide lots of branches with the silk plants and if you feel handy a rockwall even

an enclosure that size would be perfect to house two imbricata together and the height would give a fantastic thermal gradiant, my 4 imbricata have a high propencity to be aboreal thats why id go for height and nice thick branches that are comfortable for them to rest on


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## Jonno from ERD (May 26, 2010)

G'day silatman,

Unfortunately, the "Rolls Royce" enclosures are usually the most plain, boring and basic ones! Extra unnecessary features that are incorporated into an enclosure to try and enrich the lives of captive reptiles often become the exact same things that endanger their lives. 

As mentioned, waterfalls will lead to increased humidity and related dermal and respiratory infections. Live plants will also quickly become destroyed unless they can sustain several kilograms of snake sliding over them. 

Cheers


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## J-A-X (May 26, 2010)

good for you, for wanting to build 5 star, being a tradie is a huge advantage, at least it shouldn't take you 4 months (after work) like it did me, first ever attempt at building anything, almost the same size as you are planning (1.8h x 1.3w x .75d :shock: spooky) 

i think the only reason you don't see a lot of HUGE display enclosures is because of the HUGE component... not everyone has the room for something so large, not to mention the cost and skill factor,

mine is only fairly basic compared to some i have seen, i had planned a fake rock background but time became of the essence when my coastal rapidly outgrew her borrowed enclosure, so the 'all out' treatment will have to wait for the next one, and yes, fake plants.


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## Troyster (May 26, 2010)

I like your enthusiasm and the fact that nothing is to much, but like what was said by Kenshin,real plants probably arent a great idea as they will get broken but more importantly they can harbour and incubate parasites in the moist soil so id recommend sticking to silk/fake plants.
Another thing id be weary of is the water fall because if the snake lays across the flow of water it will flood the enclosure with water which could lead to all sorts of issues.
Sorry to have put a dampener on your ideas but better to build it right once and enjoy it for ever rather than to have to rebuild it later due to a few small issues that could have been modified in the planning stage.


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## silatman (May 26, 2010)

I'm crushed!!!

All I've ever wanted was the full rain forrest display, ahh well guess its plain and boring ( but safe) for our girl.

Thanks for the info about the waterfall, that was a definate addition that the entire internal was going to be structured around so that was a huge heads up.

At the moment she is in a click clack that always reads between 48 - 52% humidity, is this too high for her then? The temps are 32 - 22 across the tub.

I look forward to more ideas, cheers people :lol:


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## Kenshin (May 26, 2010)

Jaxrtfm - that enclosure looks shmick, are those windows you used as doors? and does that have a shelf in the middle that has a hole to get through the bottem? how much did that set you back if you dont mind me asking?

unfortunatly the reason i cant go all out on enclosures is two main reasons, 1: i dont own my own house so smaller is better to move and i also cant do what i want to them because it would be perminant! 2: i keep a pretty healthy volume of snakes that will only increase as time goes on so obviously practicality comes into it for me

i would however build an enclosure like that to house a group of frillys or varanids or a scrubby..... would have to be bigger again though!


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## Kenshin (May 26, 2010)

silatman if you want to keep a rainforrest display the most important thing is to get a species that inhabits rainforrest which imbricata certainly do not....... however you can mimick a nice dry eucalyptus forrest of southwest australia, even throw in fresh fully leaved branches in all the eucalyptus leaves last quiet awhile, the rockwall will still work you just have to make it sturdy and silicone the edges into the back of the vivarium


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## silatman (May 26, 2010)

Thanks for your help Kenshin but I live in the southwest of WA and the laws about species are pretty strict over here, not like you lucky buggers.

I was just meaning a lush green looking enclosure not really going for a rainforrest and was always looking to emulate a eucalyptus forrest, sorry I didn't elaborate more.

I am also a first time keeper, had my license for about a month, but I'm a lover of reptiles since I was knee high to a grasshopper, so I need a species that is good for a beginner to start with.

Thanks for your help again mate


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## J-A-X (May 26, 2010)

Kenshin said:


> Jaxrtfm - that enclosure looks shmick, are those windows you used as doors? and does that have a shelf in the middle that has a hole to get through the bottem? how much did that set you back if you dont mind me asking?


 
Thanks for the compliment,all the glass is 6mm laminated, the black frame is commercial double sliding windows, couldn't find any domestic double slides that would hold the weight of glass, laminated because i have young children visit and we all know what kids are like.... nope, no shelf in the middle, just one very spoilt 2yo coastal that has the run of the enclosure, but chooses to lay on the window ledge (can be seen in 2nd pic) cost ? everything was full retail unfortunately, and i didn't get a lot of change out of $1800... but it also has perforated steel half sides and full roof, and it weighs a ton.....

Fake plants all get changed around, the branch is real but coated in sealer for easy cleaning, i plan to get some more vines to put in there to give a tree top feel without the hassle of real plants, marine carpet over melamine floor for easy clean, only takes me half an hour to clean each week, even the 'rock pool' is a removable kitty litter tray, so its out with the old, in with the new, 

and to Silatman, it is still possible to get a rainforest/ tree canopy feel without the hassle of real plants, look for threads on fake backgrounds / fake rocks, take a piece of foam, a hacksaw blade and a blow torch and your half way there, some acrylic render and paints finishes it off,


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## Kenshin (May 26, 2010)

silatman said:


> Thanks for your help Kenshin but I live in the southwest of WA and the laws about species are pretty strict over here, not like you lucky buggers.
> 
> I was just meaning a lush green looking enclosure not really going for a rainforrest and was always looking to emulate a eucalyptus forrest, sorry I didn't elaborate more.
> 
> ...


 

lol i know mate up until the begginning of this month i was living in maddington, there are no rainforrest species on the schedul for WA, imbricata are perfect starters they just as stated dont like humidity

still alot of other options in regards to decorating you could very well make your enclosure look like a rainforrest if you have alook at how alot of europeans setup display enclosures they look like a rainforrest and are fantastic but with not a single plant in them all silk


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## silatman (May 26, 2010)

Is the fake backgrounds that people make made out of foam?

Do the animals ever bite or even rub sections of the foam off?

I love the idea of using such an easy medium to work with but it just doesn't sound too safe.


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## Kenshin (May 26, 2010)

you get the general shape you want with the foam then you put a few coats of a sort of mortar over it then you can even put sealer over the top if you like, they never damage it and it has the texture of real rock


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## silatman (May 26, 2010)

Kenshin said:


> you get the general shape you want with the foam then you put a few coats of a sort of mortar over it then you can even put sealer over the top if you like, they never damage it and it has the texture of real rock




That sounds cool!!
Time to keep my eyes open on site for BIG bits of foam then.


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## J-A-X (May 26, 2010)

the 'faux rock bath' in the post above and her 'hot hide' below are made with foam and tile grout, with 'pondtite', designed for fish ponds, so its waterproof (easy clean) and non toxic. If the cement / render is done properly it will survive monitors, so i'd class it as durable,


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## J-A-X (May 26, 2010)

silatman said:


> That sounds cool!!
> Time to keep my eyes open on site for BIG bits of foam then.


Hit your local electronics store ask if they have any foam packing they are throwing out, the 'hot hide' in the previous post was from a printer, the shape was already half way there,


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## J-A-X (May 26, 2010)

If you really want to see what is possible with a piece of humble foam......

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/...ofessional-artist-enclosure-background-133744

and be warned that this was done by a professional, but we can all aspire to such creative genius....


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## driftoz (May 26, 2010)

or if u have the money just buy a nice rock wall lol


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## J-A-X (May 26, 2010)

the cost of getting enough rock wall backing for an enclosure the size that silatman is talking would cost you a small fortune, it would probably be cheaper to get slate and glue it up.....


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## Dipcdame (May 26, 2010)

Jaxrtfm said:


> Thanks for the compliment,all the glass is 6mm laminated, the black frame is commercial double sliding windows, couldn't find any domestic double slides that would hold the weight of glass, laminated because i have young children visit and we all know what kids are like.... nope, no shelf in the middle, just one very spoilt 2yo coastal that has the run of the enclosure, but chooses to lay on the window ledge (can be seen in 2nd pic) cost ? everything was full retail unfortunately, and i didn't get a lot of change out of $1800... but it also has perforated steel half sides and full roof, and it weighs a ton.....
> 
> Fake plants all get changed around, the branch is real but coated in sealer for easy cleaning, i plan to get some more vines to put in there to give a tree top feel without the hassle of real plants, marine carpet over melamine floor for easy clean, only takes me half an hour to clean each week, even the 'rock pool' is a removable kitty litter tray, so its out with the old, in with the new,
> 
> and to Silatman, it is still possible to get a rainforest/ tree canopy feel without the hassle of real plants, look for threads on fake backgrounds / fake rocks, take a piece of foam, a hacksaw blade and a blow torch and your half way there, some acrylic render and paints finishes it off,


 
...... And I can't WAIT to see what you come up with for the five "kids", Jax!!!!!!!!!


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## driftoz (May 26, 2010)

silatman said:


> I was just meaning a lush green looking enclosure not really going for a rainforrest and was always looking to emulate a eucalyptus forrest, sorry I didn't elaborate more.
> 
> Thanks for your help again mate


 check out my viv pics in my album its only small but i have green marine carpet and fake vine leaves and a fake twisting vine around some branches looks nice and green and jungle like to me and my coastal loves it and have a 3d rock wall ready to go in which i will hang some more green vine leaves off it. will be doing another when i build my 5-6ft high enclosure in a year or so when my coastal grows.


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## townsvillepython (May 26, 2010)

this is one of mine still not really finished the background yet. the jungle shot im having printed on a vinyl sticker for $90


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## mrbaggins (May 27, 2010)

Kenshin, with the rock wall, I've been reading it up and a lot of folks use QuickCrete Quckwall, but I can't get it in Wagga. IS pretty much any cement render going to do it?


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## Kenshin (May 27, 2010)

yea should do as being cement once it dry's its completely non-porus and nontoxic, then theres a number of ways to colour it like throwing oxides over it


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## J-A-X (May 27, 2010)

Bunnings do a product called 'acrylic render' that will give you better results than straight concrete, $20 for 10kg bag, i would think most hardware shops would do something similar, if you cant see what you want ask if they can order it in,


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## evozz (May 27, 2010)

Jax, that enclosure of yours is AMAZING! Especially if it was the first one you'd ever done, and didn't go as far as you had originally wanted... 
What sort of trade experience do you have? I could never hope to make something as good as that, though i have less than 0 trade experience :lol:
I'd love to have something like that for our jungles


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## Just_Plain_Nuts (May 27, 2010)

Go the elaborate enclosure, waterfall does have the problem of when the snake blocks it but we have figured out ways around this. PM sent so check that out, cheers


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## Chris1 (May 27, 2010)

so nice to see some people go all out with their snake enclosures, much nicer then shoving them into a sterile tub where u cant see in and they cant see out,....


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## J-A-X (May 27, 2010)

evozz said:


> Jax, that enclosure of yours is AMAZING! Especially if it was the first one you'd ever done, and didn't go as far as you had originally wanted...
> What sort of trade experience do you have? I could never hope to make something as good as that, though i have less than 0 trade experience :lol:
> I'd love to have something like that for our jungles


 
Thanks for the compliment, that is the first attempt at building anything, as for trade experience, that would be a big fat ZERO... i'm the stereotypical technology nerd, a female, AND 50yo ! ! and this was only built last year...

I knew most of the theory (thanks to a very handy Dad) I read heaps, bought power tools, and learnt by my mistakes. You are only limited by your imagination. If cost is an issue (and i will admit mine was cheaper than getting one retail but still not a cheap exercise for the financially challenged ) try finding old wardrobes to convert, most of the work is then done for you, you then only have to wire it, decorate it, decide on doors / windows, and your done,

One the upside, my next one / two / five, will be done a lot quicker and cheaper now i've done this one, and i'm with 'Just_plain_nuts' Go the elaborate enclosure. it is possible to have it look awesome and easy to maintain if you put a bit of forward thinking into it,


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## liney (May 27, 2010)

You can buy foam(polystyrene) from any Clarks rubber store here in Perth and rip out hunks with ya hands and glue other bits on to make it look realistic and then put on about 4 coats of render cement and then paint it to your colour preference and then seal it as mentioned above. I did this for my SW Carpet and his enclosure is 5ft high x 4ft wide x 2ft deep. He loves it because of the different levels for him to sit on ledges or branches in different heat gradients- and it looks good too


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## RushiesReptiles (May 27, 2010)

Nice looking enclosure..Im in the middle of building one myself slowly myself. Wondering where to start lookig for thicker bits of foam, or what type of company carrys or uses this....? very interested.


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## J-A-X (May 27, 2010)

if you cant find thick foam buy a small tube of liquid nails,it doesn't eat into the foam and makes a strong bond, PVA glue is not strong enough,


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## Troyster (May 27, 2010)

Kenshin said:


> yea should do as being cement once it dry's its completely non-porus and nontoxic, then theres a number of ways to colour it like throwing oxides over it



Sorry mate but concrete is in fact porous unless you seal it with a paint/sealer.


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## Kenshin (May 27, 2010)

ah yeh, i think i mentioned in one of my first posts on this thread to seel it


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## J-A-X (May 27, 2010)

'bondcrete' is a sealer and bonding agent in one,


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## shane14 (May 27, 2010)

Hey mate also in the southwest, SW carpets are good begineer snakes. Awesome pets, if u do manage to make a decent enclosure,you should think of going into making them, been needing to get my male carpet a bigger cage, he's over 1.3m now and in a 3ft cage. want to go for the big display cage.

Ive seen good "replica's" on the Sw Eucalyptus forrest, Naturalist Reptile Park has it down to the dot IMO. A cage, with thick barky branches and wood chips. with naturally found plants would be an ideal enclosure. Even fake plants that look natural.


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## yourasnake (May 27, 2010)

Troyster said:


> I like your enthusiasm and the fact that nothing is to much, but like what was said by Kenshin,real plants probably arent a great idea as they will get broken but more importantly they can harbour and incubate parasites in the moist soil so id recommend sticking to silk/fake plants.
> Another thing id be weary of is the water fall because if the snake lays across the flow of water it will flood the enclosure with water which could lead to all sorts of issues.
> Sorry to have put a dampener on your ideas but better to build it right once and enjoy it for ever rather than to have to rebuild it later due to a few small issues that could have been modified in the planning stage.


 


thanks good point there


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## silatman (Jun 7, 2010)

Alright guys heres an update.


The wife found a corner cabinet online that would suit the bill perfectly and so heaps of the hard word work was done.
It was a three piece unit that had two of the three pieces already glassed top to bottom.
Ive just spent all day cutting out a hole between the center and the one side that we are going to open up for her at the moment and then making it look pretty. The other side will eventually get the same treatment but at the moment she is only a hatchie.

Will get pictures online as soon as the wife can do it, she is the computer whizz while I struggle to log on!
By the way the snake is hers and if sometimes my posts seem to have a split personallity its because its Mrs Silatman not me doing the posting. I on the other hand have a complete fear of snakes but an uncontrollable fascination at the same time, I would rather glass between me and them thats all, I'm not a big girl at all!


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## driftoz (Jun 7, 2010)

silatman said:


> I on the other hand have a complete fear of snakes but an uncontrollable fascination at the same time, I would rather glass between me and them thats all, I'm not a big girl at all!


 my brother says the same but at least im slowly getting him to handle the coastal hatchie so he can get used to it before it reaches 10ft lol


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## J-A-X (Jun 8, 2010)

'mismatched' partners seem to be fairly common, :lol: mine is fascinated with mine, but wont touch them, he will get within 2ft of my 6mth old darwin but will only look at my 2yo coastal through the glass, but on the plus side he's quite happy to assist with anything snake related just not touch them, so i can't complain, but the little darwin is slowly winning his heart i think,


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## Kenshin (Jun 8, 2010)

my mrs used to be terrifyed of them for years she has now gone snake crazy since being bitten she dosent fear them anymore although she is still scared of the bigger ones i have but that will go with time


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## silatman (Jun 15, 2010)

So here's the update guys... having been inspired by all of your handiwork and the incredible talent of Rox'n'Lix's sister, we decided we would have a go at the fake background made from foam. So we have glued in all of the foam and started carving out the background. It's a slow process and we are by no means professionals but hey we're having a go. Will keep you all updated with pics....


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## J-A-X (Jun 15, 2010)

glad to see someone with no prior experience with foamwork is game enough to give it a go,... it may inspire those that are 'all thumbs' to give it a go, looks all good so far, even Roxi's didn't looked 'rough' in the beginning, keep us updated....


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## driftoz (Jun 15, 2010)

wow that rock wall should turn out awsome dont think i have sen any others the same keep up the good work looking forward to seeing the final product.


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## rockstar_jones (Jun 15, 2010)

Looking good! I made I've made a few custom frog enclosures, last one 1000w600d2000tall and making the foam background for that one took like 3 days solid!

Good stuff, I'm not sure if a heat gun has been reccommended already or if you already know about using them, but they finish it all off nicely before painting/covering and it firms the foam up and stops it flaking/beading

Seriously, nice effort there!

Michael


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## Just_Plain_Nuts (Jun 15, 2010)

good job silatman its top notch so far, now comes the hard part, getting the texture and colour right, but your right on the money so far. Keep us updated.


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## TassieHerper (Jun 15, 2010)

I am liking were this is headed. look like a great start, i have only done small things for war hammer (not a player just a builder) but i am eager to give this a go. i look forward to the updates.


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## J-A-X (Jun 15, 2010)

rockstar_jones said:


> Good stuff, I'm not sure if a heat gun has been reccommended already or if you already know about using them, but they finish it all off nicely before painting/covering and it firms the foam up and stops it flaking/beading


 
i haven't tried the heat gun, but i found the 'pencil' type butane gas torch is very easy to control with small fiddly areas,


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## zuesowns (Jun 16, 2010)

This is a great thread.

I like your guys ideas and photos - very talented.

I am in the process of building a new enclosure for my Bredli

My Bredli loves to climb so I thought I might go with hight 5-6 feet and 600-700 squared.

only issue I see is if I build it out of pine like my last enclosure it will be to heavy so I was thinking of making a pine frame and not sure for the outside. I stained my last one and it turned out great.

Also a 6ft piece of toughened glass will cost a bit - I've thought of dividing it into 2 bits to have 2 door openings as apose to 1 big opening. I like the front coming off

any ideas on what timber to use? I thought of the inter locking pannels...

heres a pic of my previous enclosure for my stimsoni. the front is detachable also.


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## Rox.n.Lix (Jun 16, 2010)

Geez, my ears shoulda been burning. Nice job Silatman. I know you've already jumped into the poly carving, but top tips, are good dense poly for smooth shaping, and use a wire brush to smooth out the tree roots etc -kinda like sanding it back.
Real detail on the surface comes from the concrete you use. Quickwall is good as it has additional fibres for strength, but i think cement mixed with PVA would work too. While its wet (but not too wet) you can sculpt fine details, like gnarly knots in roots, or brush it over for texture with a stiff broom or similar. Top tips for painting are dark colours first, and grab a couple of pump spray bottles, water down your paint, and use it like a cheap airbrush for adding texture and depth to the colours.


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## Rox.n.Lix (Jun 16, 2010)

Oh, and be very careful of where your rock wall meets your floor. I am having to do some mods as cleaning can be tricky. Make sure it doesnt have nooks and crannies for poop to collect in, and that its sealed really well. Guaranteed your snake will poop in the most annoying places!!


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## silatman (Jun 18, 2010)

Thanks guys 

We are trying to do everything properly the first time so thanks for all the advice that has been offered.
Haven't had a chance to do anything for a few days as work has been mad but as we continue the process there will be more photo's posted.

Cheers, Mr and Mrs Silatman.


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## Just_Plain_Nuts (Jun 19, 2010)

here's some pics for ideas










the first is my first attempt at a jungle ruins style and was a major pain....hats off to rox n lix's sister


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## silatman (Jun 20, 2010)

Those enclosures are awesome Just_Plain_Nuts! I really appreciated people's photos as they can only give more inspiration and it's quite helpful to get an idea of colours, cheers again


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## Dave.M (Jun 20, 2010)

Hi have just spent the wkend creating back & side walls for our new enclosure out of foam with the mortar and it looks the goods,we got our hands on a commercial fridge with double glass doors and our vision is slowly becoming a reality cant wait to uplowd some pics but not tonight as i would like to show everyone the start to finish of our project


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## silatman (Jul 5, 2010)

OK, so I know this is a slow moving thread, but we only get a couple of hours on a Sunday arvo to keep this project ticking along. So far we have finished the carving out and applied our first coat of Bondcrete. Pretty happy with how it's coming along but like Just_Plain_Nuts said the hard bit will be the painting.... wish us luck, will keep more photos coming


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## J-A-X (Jul 5, 2010)

looking great so far, for painting tips, look up 'dry brushing' on google, 
keep us updated,


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## evozz (Aug 9, 2010)

Bit of an old thread i know, but just wondering how this turned out??


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## J-A-X (Aug 9, 2010)

he actually started another thread showing updates,

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-discussion-42/professional-140789/

he's done a ripper job IMO


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## evozz (Aug 9, 2010)

Oh, woops :lol: Show's how long it's been since i've been on here haha


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