# Favorite background



## alex111683 (Sep 11, 2010)

I just wanted to get a poll going to see what everyone's favorite background is and why. Mine is cork bark mosiac with Sphagnum in the gaps so far. To me it looks much more natural than my GS and silicone background.


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## shazzbott (Sep 17, 2010)

Clay all the way! It looks great, and has the advantage the moss loves it and will eventually totally cover it.


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## Kaity (Sep 18, 2010)

I've only done clay so far and now I'm looking for something else. I like how it looks when you first set up the viv but after a while I think it just looks dingy and "dirty". I want to try the tree fern panel or maybe cork bark mosaic next....


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

You are missing quite a few different methods, but I guess they fall into other....Concrete, grout, glue mixture w/ naturals, and painted to name a few.

From what I have tried so far (silicone/coco, clay, and titebond mixture) I vote for titebond. Only way to make the method better would be to mix in an additive that allows it to be slightly flexible.


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## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

Favourite backgrounds!!!
There was a thread exactly like this less than a month ago...

For me, it depends on what I feel like doing. I like the clay, but I think next I may try some cork/bark tiles or treefern/ecoweb.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

boabab95 said:


> Favourite backgrounds!!!
> There was a thread exactly like this less than a month ago...
> 
> For me, it depends on what I feel like doing. I like the clay, but I think next I may try some cork/bark tiles or treefern/ecoweb.


...and alex posted on the 2nd page of it also hahaha


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## alex111683 (Sep 11, 2010)

GRIMM said:


> ...and alex posted on the 2nd page of it also hahaha


I feel stupid now. Sorry guys. I could've sworn someone started one recently. I searched and for some reason that one didn't come up or I might just looked over it. I should've just looked at all my posts. And yeah I thought of grout and concreate with the styrofoam after I hit the post button.


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

No problem. I think the poll, which gives an average idea of the whole threads thoughts at a glance, makes it different than the other thread.

I chose clay, but I also like to toy around with others. For instance, I just made a cement rock wall background which Im waiting to cure before posting pictures. The only method I hate is the great stuff method. I dont know if it was just bad luck or because I was a beginner, but every great stuff tank that I made failed. Every non-GS tank that I made did fine.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Okapi said:


> No problem. I think the poll, which gives an average idea of the whole threads thoughts at a glance, makes it different than the other thread.
> 
> I chose clay, but I also like to toy around with others. For instance, I just made a cement rock wall background which Im waiting to cure before posting pictures. *The only method I hate is the great stuff method*. I dont know if it was just bad luck or because I was a beginner, but every great stuff tank that I made failed. Every non-GS tank that I made did fine.


Thats funny you say that...I swore after my first tank I wouldnt use GS again, but now after having worked with it using new techniques, I like it a lot more. The fact that you can shape and carve it into any form imaginable is great. I also love how it will not degrade over time. The drying time and stickiness are its downsides, but some of the nicest looking and most detailed backgrounds posted here use GS in one technique or another. Just take a look at Raf's viv, or any of the works by HX.


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## RNKot (Jun 9, 2010)

No cement option found


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## alex111683 (Sep 11, 2010)

Wow! At this point I honestly didnt think GS would be in the top 3.


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## pnwpdf (Nov 9, 2010)

I've only used GS or clay, but I definitely like clay better. Moss likes clay better in my experience. And I like moss.


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## ALLEN HUNTER (Jun 9, 2009)

Can anyone point me in the right direction for the BEST clay background build with step by step instructions. There are soo many different brands of clay/kitty litter, with soo many variables. I have never used clay. Only gs and cork. Let me know what ya think. Thanks in advance.
Allen


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## Vinicam (Sep 13, 2008)

I like the randomness of the expansive foam, despite the mess...


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## alex111683 (Sep 11, 2010)

ALLEN HUNTER said:


> Can anyone point me in the right direction for the BEST clay background build with step by step instructions. There are soo many different brands of clay/kitty litter, with soo many variables. I have never used clay. Only gs and cork. Let me know what ya think. Thanks in advance.
> Allen


Check out the Canada day weekend build by GRIMM


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## eazyezcape (Nov 29, 2010)

Grimm's tanks are great. I have heard clay is a easy process, but I have not had success with it. I have only tried the Special Kitty 100% clay and it would not clump together. Guess I will have to try Dr. Elsey's.

-Eric


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## JherperJ (Jun 23, 2010)

I voted other. I do use clay in my tanks, but usually it is just here and there or a side wall rather than the main back wall. I prefer to use gorilla glue. It is basically the same as great stuff, but it is much easier to work with and has an overall better look without the shrinkage factor.


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## Warren B (Dec 13, 2010)

GS + Cork Bark.

Only kind of background I've used so far.


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## Woodsman (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't use backgrounds. Most of my frogs are terrestrial and backgrounds take up too much space from the viv.

Richard.


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

ALLEN HUNTER said:


> Can anyone point me in the right direction for the BEST clay background build with step by step instructions. There are soo many different brands of clay/kitty litter, with soo many variables. I have never used clay. Only gs and cork. Let me know what ya think. Thanks in advance.
> Allen


We just posted this video in out Vert tutorial thread...

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...eo-tutorial-building-vertical-vivarium-3.html


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

alex111683 said:


> Wow! At this point I honestly didnt think GS would be in the top 3.


Still a fan of GS. What you can do with it is endless..


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## Bokfan1 (Oct 17, 2010)

I like concrete rocks but I also really like the clay method...on my next viv I plan on mixing the two methods!


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## NVfrogger (Apr 10, 2011)

I have done silicone with GS and GS with titebond III I really like the titebond III the best so for I like the coco fiber look and i like the ease of doing it the silicone GS is pretty easy but I like the titebond III the best best look and very sturdy you just have to be patient and give it plenty of drying time.


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## player9 (Apr 20, 2009)

GS and Silicone for when I have plants on the background or want a different look than grout (painted) would give me.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

I love clay blend backgrounds. I used bentonite clay powder instead of kitty litter, mixed with redart clay, coco fiber, and Turface infield conditioner. First I glue cork bark to the glass and fill in with clay. I find that this give some support to the clay and gives the background a 3-D look. I also use small pieces of wood or cork bark to build ledges or spots for plants. I'll never go back to GS or tree fern panels.


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## JJhuang (Feb 5, 2010)

I put other, I use gorilla glue and pack in ecoearth and bark along with driftwood and corkbark.


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## FwoGiZ (Jul 8, 2008)

I've tried 
gs+silicone
gs+titebond
styrofoam+concrete

and I often sticks some driftwood and piece of back in any of the gs methods

I have yet to try the clay method, but I just CAN'T find any clay of any type, at all... hate quebec

if you would ask me to choose 1 method tho, I would go with gs with a cork bark filled with titebond mix, it has ALL of what I want from a background
it is VERY natural looking, cork will hold humidity and moss will grow on it, and yet VERY durable because of the titebond
I also usually sticks some coco pot where I'll be using titebond too, so I can plant some bigger plants on the background

I've seen some pretty kickass background made out of counter-top tile cement that were made by mark pepper, which is another method I have yet to try!


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## tgregoire (Jul 21, 2010)

My favorite so far is basically great stuff, silicone, and coco. Except I changed two of the ingrediants and became a much bigger fan of this "style" background. I use black pond foam, gorilla glue, and a fir and sphagnum peat mix. Works incredibly and holds up phenominally to water!

Once you gorilla glue, you never look back! Stuff is simply amazing. 

My favorite style background that I have yet to try would be Raf's stunning rootie, pure slice of jungle lookin method......

















Im sure you have heard this many times Raf, but GREAT job, still tops my list on favorite vivs.


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## motydesign (Feb 27, 2011)

im now part of the "Anti-Clay" party.... i hate that stuff now, good idea, but ifs falling off and i followed all the threads closely. next to try this glue and coco/fern idea?


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## RarePlantBroker (Aug 3, 2008)

Since I'm posting after those photo's of Raf's viv...I'll hold on posting any pics.

I must either spend too much time on my vivariums, or really like to play with different materials. My two most recent vivariums have had some tree fern panels in the background, grout/cement covered styrofoam "rocks", GS covered in epoxy and natural fibers for "roots", cork-tube "trees" to hide mechanicals (drain tubes/power cords), and bentonite clay filling the gaps between the rocks and the tree fern. The variety of materials/techniques gives (at least in my opinion) a more natural appearance to the texture of the different surfaces.


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