# 2 backgrounds



## Jewyy95 (Jun 6, 2011)

ive been working on my diy background for my beardies and i had heeps of spare foam and glue, i had o use the glue soon before it dried out so i decided to make a 2 backgrounds for my 2 ft tanks.

I am deiciding on wheter to grout these ones like my last background or to try pondite, ive seen some good jobs done with that,

While the glue was drying i took some pics, these walls were made in a matter of 45 minutes, and i think they will turn out great once grouted.

Here are some photos and leave some advice and tips on what i could do .

Cheers


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## Trouble (Jun 6, 2011)

they sound good ... no photos though :?


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 6, 2011)

here are the two 2ft backgrounds,




and heres the other style one


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## RamsMice (Jun 6, 2011)

Looks great mate can't wait to see more sorry no tips but where does every one get the foam? Lol


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## damian83 (Jun 6, 2011)

foam is easy to get from harvey normans or anystore like that that has packaging and uses foam, some recycle centres also have it at the tip
i even get heaps of it through the boxes of windscreens at work 
ive thought about keeping it and selling it all at the goldcoast expo lol


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## RamsMice (Jun 6, 2011)

Hey?? Smart idear not going to copy If I was you I would keep and sell there always people looking for it but not to dear as If I really want I can ring up wollies Harvey Norman ect coloudmt be bothered lol if there long pieces for background (flat) then a couple of chunks of foam I'm going to expo I would probley buy some if 1$ or 2 for a piece\chunk


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## Trouble (Jun 6, 2011)

awesome, it looks good! thanks for sharing. I can't wait until I can start mine xD


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## reptileKev81 (Jun 6, 2011)

Looking good.
I plan attempting this myself very soon.
Just need to get some foam and some time, haha



RamsMice said:


> Hey?? Smart idear not going to copy If I was you I would keep and sell there always people looking for it but not to dear as If I really want I can ring up wollies Harvey Norman ect coloudmt be bothered lol if there long pieces for background (flat) then a couple of chunks of foam I'm going to expo I would probley buy some if 1$ or 2 for a piece\chunk


 
Punctuation dude  I see the words but they dont make much sense, lol, I can make out some bits, but alot of it is open to interpretation, haha


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 6, 2011)

thanks guys, 

I got my foam from a local fruit market , they have so much its not funny.

And these were just a throw up job , ill post a thread of my main project for my beardies. Its a 4ft x2ftx2ft DIY background with a grand canyon theme. Its is taking awhile though. So much fiddling around and stuff, not like these 2 haha 

I was real bored, so i just chucked on my first layer of grout . Should be another layer on by tomorrow arvo


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## 1woma (Jun 7, 2011)

reptileKev81 said:


> Looking good.
> I plan attempting this myself very soon.
> Just need to get some foam and some time, haha
> 
> ...



LOL thats like every text message i get from my teenager LOL


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## Scag (Jun 7, 2011)

Nice. Is the grout strong enough to support those shelved, im wanting to do 2 4foot high 2wide. though im worried about the strength with it being so tall.


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 7, 2011)

Yes In my bigger backgroun i used rock built structures for underneath gives it ectra strength and then glued and grouted, it is strong enough and with these 2 i glued and the shelves are a size that is strong not to big. If your worried about strength just add a few rocks and what not underneath to give support


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## Naga_Kanya (Jun 7, 2011)

Jewyy95 said:


> Yes In my bigger backgroun i used rock built structures for underneath gives it ectra strength and then glued and grouted, it is strong enough and with these 2 i glued and the shelves are a size that is strong not to big. If your worried about strength just add a few rocks and what not underneath to give support



I'm imagining you could also get slimline shelving brackets, and grout over them, making them invisible, but adding a bit more support.


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 7, 2011)

you could do that, but i though screwing them into the foam wouldnt end up to well?


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## MSD Reptiles (Jun 7, 2011)

So when you say 'foam' are we taking styrofoam?


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 8, 2011)

W4NTED said:


> So when you say 'foam' are we taking styrofoam?



Polystyrene


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## MSD Reptiles (Jun 8, 2011)

Jewyy95 said:


> Polystyrene


 
Thats what i meant lol


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 13, 2011)

Its been a while but i have finaly done my 4 layers of grout on the backgrounds.

Today i found some NON TOXIC acrylic paint and decided to give them a layer of paint.

i went over the paint with a wet brush to give it more rock like texture.

The pictures arent working but ill keep trying to get them up

Here are the backgrounds:
- The first one is a darker theme for some velvet geckoes, the first layer of paint is a brown but will be putting more colours into the background to give detail. The colours are going to be to match the lizard in a way.




Now this background is more of a sandstoney look, the effects will show more when i add detial but for a base colour it doesnt look to bad.




More photos will be posted so keep on looking out for updates


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## xJACKx (Jun 13, 2011)

looking good.


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 13, 2011)

Got heeps more to do on them though, not even mention buying paint to do my BIG wall for my beardies, just dont know what colour i want that one :l


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## Trench (Jun 14, 2011)

Nice


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 14, 2011)

The wall are complete and tanks are almost set up, although im having difficulty uploding the photos again, ill get the photos up by tonight or tomorrow 

This is the background completed although i need to add a few plants into this tank and a log for a snake to climb.



I added a few plants but am still going to buy a big feature plant for the middle and a log for the snake to climb




Now my velvet gecko tank 
i am going to add some substrate aswell



and the two together


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## xJACKx (Jun 16, 2011)

that looks soo good, i cant get the smell of my paint out of my tank though...


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## Trench (Jun 16, 2011)

That velvet gecko tank is the best!!!


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## apprenticegnome (Jun 16, 2011)

I notice in a few threads people aren't sure where to by sheets of styrofoam. Try places that do insulation. In newcastle I buy mine at Insulation Industries. Works out fairly cost effective, comes in varying grades and thicknesses and very large sizes and theres no worries about contaminated materials when using new. Apart from backgrounds Ive found its good for lining the outside of my fishtank to trap the warmth. Hope this helps.


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## Jewyy95 (Jun 17, 2011)

thanks everyone i gotta upload the photos again because ive added more plants to the tanks and the log is in, just waiting to find a good feature plant for the sandstone tank then they will be completed.


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## Coastal-Kemp (Jun 17, 2011)

omg huleb this is awesome esh


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