# Rock Sculpting Practice in a Vison cage - Arid Vivarium



## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

I just finished my first custom background vivarium! It is an arid environment meant for a leopard gecko, but I have learned SO much on this forum that I wanted to share what I was able to make. Thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge here. Video of the step-by-step walkthrough is here (



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I started with a Vision Cage, model 215 which is about 35 gallons. My general plan was to make an arid leopard gecko environment that took advantage of some of the vertical height of this enclosure. I started by getting the light fixtures in there - I drilled some holes for some light brackets on the top and added a daylight bulb and a UV bulb, a brand whose fixtures can daisy-chain together. I drilled an exit hole for the cord in the top right and put a rubber grommet in the hole.











I knew I wanted to make a foam background, but I wasn't sure how well great stuff expanding foam would adhere to the smooth plastic. I ended up cutting some eggcrate and zip-tying it to make a structure on the 3 sides and bottom, then I bolted it through the sides and back. It was pretty solid after that and gave the expanding foam some good surface area. I rubbed mineral oil all over the sides and back so the great stuff wouldn't stick to it, but instead it would stick to the eggcrate. I figured if this was all a huge mistake, it wouldn't be permanent this way and I could remove it. Unnecessary though, it ended up working well.










I had a bunch of manzanita branches I knew I wanted to integrate, so I played around with some designs for a while until I decided on one I liked. I wrapped some flower pots in saran wrap and taped them into place where I knew some plants would go. I didn't take a picture (look at the next one) but I actually blew up some long skinny balloons and taped them into a few places to create some voids for some hides for the gecko. That way, all I would have to do is pop the balloon and I have myself a nicely-shaped hide after the foam cures.










You can see the balloons in the pic below! I added the expanding foam in a few layers, letting it cure between cans. I wasn't comfortable with adding too much volume at once, I was worried that the foam on the innermost parts wouldn't cure well if the layers were too thick. I yanked out the plastic wrap-covered flowerpots and also foamed into place some cork bark pieces.











After a few nights I had all the volume in place. I started carving with a steak knife, planning out where my rock elements would go and giving those areas some extra consideration when I carved. I popped the balloons, too - look at those great hides! Next time, I'll oil the balloons. The latex actually stuck to the foam and was hard to scrape off.











Now, the rock features! The most fun part of this whole build! I didn't take many in-progress photos of this, but you can watch a timelapse on my build video. That is linked on the top of this post!
I used polygem 307 lite to create the rocks. It's an epoxy putty that, when you mix in some hardener additive, can turn into a clay-like consistency to work with. It's super lightweight, strong, inert, and I think it is great. I go over _how_ to work with it in the video, too. You guys probably already know it.










I added a few layers of an acrylic black wash onto the rocks, to get into the cracks and sculpting tool marks and make the detail of my sculpts a little more visible. It adds a nice subtle grunge, too.



















I smeared silicone in little batches on the rest of the exposed foam and pressed my substrate of choice down into it to make it looks like ground. I ended up going with a pre-made substrate from Josh's Frogs, their leopard gecko bioactive substrate. This isn't a bioactive tank, but I like the way the substrate looked. It was deserty, but not sandy. Very visually interesting, so I went with it! I also rubbed it into the cracks and crevices of the sculpted rocks to make them look like they've always been there.


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## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

I'll add in some final images! My leopard gecko isn't in here yet, but she will be as soon as I'm sure she's totally healthy. She's in a quarantine tank right now. 





























Thanks!


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Looks beautiful. 

How do you provide heat (and heat gradients)? And moisture gradients (e.g. a moist hide)? Is there room for a water bowl and feeder dish?


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## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> Looks beautiful.
> 
> How do you provide heat (and heat gradients)? And moisture gradients (e.g. a moist hide)? Is there room for a water bowl and feeder dish?


Thank you! So there is a heat mat on the bottom left to make that lower hide warmer, and a heat lamp cut-out on the top left over the rocky basking area. As for the water bowl and feeding dish, I didn't build those in, so I'll just use a regular little dish on the lower front. If I hate how it looks maybe I'll sculpt some little dishes 
The lower left and right hides will be moist hides with some sphagnum moss in there that I'll spray occasionally


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## Chris S (Apr 12, 2016)

Great post, thanks for sharing!


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I'd be curious to know how the temps shake out in the warm hide. I try to target 90-95F for leo hot spots; that might be challenging through a couple inches of foam.


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## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

Chris S said:


> Great post, thanks for sharing!


My pleasure, I got all of the knowledge I needed from this forum over the past few years of lurking!


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## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> I'd be curious to know how the temps shake out in the warm hide. I try to target 90-95F for leo hot spots; that might be challenging through a couple inches of foam.


I'll let you know! Luckily on the bottom it's only like, 1/2" thick foam, just enough to cover the eggcrate. I really hope my heat mat is able to permeate through a little - I'm still waiting on my flexwatt in the mail


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

I try to avoid fighting through insulative feature. And use accomodating conductivity instead.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

simplybetta said:


> I'll let you know! Luckily on the bottom it's only like, 1/2" thick foam, just enough to cover the eggcrate. I really hope my heat mat is able to permeate through a little - I'm still waiting on my flexwatt in the mail


Yes, do report back. FWIW, Flexwatt is the same thing as a heat mat; though there are better and worse heat mats, that's not likely going to be the weak link here. Personally, I'd be very reluctant (read: I wouldn't do it in my house) to try to run any surface heat element hot enough to make a sufficient hot spot through foam -- simply too much of a fire risk.


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## jgragg (Nov 23, 2009)

> Personally, I'd be very reluctant (read: I wouldn't do it in my house) to try to run any surface heat element hot enough to make a sufficient hot spot through foam -- simply too much of a fire risk.


+1. Words to live by - "don't do dumb".

Next time, just skip the foam on the cage bottom - you can carry it on the back and walls down to or slightly above the substrate surface elevation, and no more. Digging animals will probably find and exploit the ability to retreat or even to tunnel under the "bedrock" along the cage margins, and you can safely underheat without fighting the insulation. Just a thought. (This is the effect I create using cracked-cork mosaic backgrounds for humid vivs. On occasion I will even catch my arboreal snakes exploring these crevices after dark.)


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

Slate is really good flooring for environments using heat strips, mats, cables, SimplyBetta.

Ive taken to putting these on separate glass panes and raising enclosures on blocks. I slide the glass with its heat gear under the environment. No actual committed contact is made or required, and i am able to see, check my equipments at will, and change them, move them easily too.


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

I wanted to add that your video presentation was very professional and pleasant to listen to. 

I appreciated the Polygem tutorial especially. Ive been curious about it for the reasons you state.

I too have a leo. Shes a rescue and I enjoy giving her things to be on, under, through.


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## lork-the-mighty (May 11, 2021)

Super well done! Looks great


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## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

Kmc said:


> I try to avoid fighting through insulative feature. And use accomodating conductivity instead.





Socratic Monologue said:


> Yes, do report back. FWIW, Flexwatt is the same thing as a heat mat; though there are better and worse heat mats, that's not likely going to be the weak link here. Personally, I'd be very reluctant (read: I wouldn't do it in my house) to try to run any surface heat element hot enough to make a sufficient hot spot through foam -- simply too much of a fire risk.





jgragg said:


> +1. Words to live by - "don't do dumb".
> 
> Next time, just skip the foam on the cage bottom - you can carry it on the back and walls down to or slightly above the substrate surface elevation, and no more. Digging animals will probably find and exploit the ability to retreat or even to tunnel under the "bedrock" along the cage margins, and you can safely underheat without fighting the insulation. Just a thought. (This is the effect I create using cracked-cork mosaic backgrounds for humid vivs. On occasion I will even catch my arboreal snakes exploring these crevices after dark.)





Kmc said:


> Slate is really good flooring for environments using heat strips, mats, cables, SimplyBetta.
> 
> Ive taken to putting these on separate glass panes and raising enclosures on blocks. I slide the glass with its heat gear under the environment. No actual committed contact is made or required, and i am able to see, check my equipments at will, and change them, move them easily too.


Hello! Thanks for the advice, I totally get it now. Last night I set up a flexwatt strip on the bottom left under that hide, put the temp probe in the cave and shut the doors, and set the thermostat to 90. It worked! Then I set it to 95, worked again. I didn't measure how hot the flexwatt was running at, though, to heat that hide. That foam on the bottom is 3/8" or 1/2" thick, so I don't know how hard the flexwatt had to work. I don't want a fire hazard.
I'm considering what to do. 
Tonight I will try again, but this time use my temp gun on the flexwatt to see what it's running at.
I'll also try taping the thermostat probe to the flexwatt itself and set it to 95 or so and just see what happens to the temps on the inside.

I could also chisel out a bunch of foam and silicone out from the bottom of that hide to allow the heat to get in there better.
Before I do that though I'll set up my little heat lamp and see how that affects the temps - maybe the higher middle one can be my warm hide


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## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

Kmc said:


> I wanted to add that your video presentation was very professional and pleasant to listen to.
> 
> I appreciated the Polygem tutorial especially. Ive been curious about it for the reasons you state.
> 
> I too have a leo. Shes a rescue and I enjoy giving her things to be on, under, through.





lork-the-mighty said:


> Super well done! Looks great


Thank you, I appreciate it! I want to make a polygem-specific tutorial soon, since I actually found it difficult to find clear, well-presented information when I was trying to learn about it


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## jgragg (Nov 23, 2009)

Oh yeah I just went and looked at the video, and saw your putty bit. I've also worked with Polygem 307 Lite - enough times to consume three 2-gal kits over the years.

It looks like you've definitely gotten how to make it play nice with hands and tools, and also how to use the thickening agent (which gets less useful as a kit ages - at about a year old it's definitely getting a lot stiffer than the day it arrived). I've found that after a year or so it's pretty much at the end of its shelf life.

One thing I can recommend however is another approach to coloring. To wit:

dry pigments (e.g., dry-powder-pigments) offer a huge range of color options
apply them while the putty is still sticky
spoon out a little pile of each color you'r going to use, onto a scrap piece of cardboard or plywood
have a little dish of water on hand
take a stiff, non-shedding paint brush, 1 or 2 inches wide, dip it into the water (just so it's moist, not dripping), then into a color of powder, then "dash" the powder into the surface of the sticky epoxy
color blending will happen - you can control how extensively, by taking some care - don't just make a uni-mud color
I especially like going over the same area with lightly-loaded brush attacks, and no smearing the brush on the pigments - you get a nice depth of stippling & blending, while retaining each color's presence
smearing the brush on the pigments (to blend them more completely) gives a different effect though - and there's times it can look good too, especially if you vary the relative amounts of each powder-color you apply over the work site
you can always just soak the brush in the water to clean it off, then dry it with a paper towel, if you're getting too much "uni-mud color" buildup on the brush
the muddy-colored water doesn't need to be changed, it has basically no effect on the color you're applying or blending, there's so little pigment in the water despite appearances to the contrary
Finally, if you're approaching a year, and you're not ready to do a whole new viv, you can easily make a few small "rocks", ledges, wall-mount planters, and even bowls or basins out of foam and cover them with the putty. I always leave at least one side in bare foam - that's the side(s) I will silicone the "rock" to the viv glass. You may or may not know, but epoxy putty and silicone are pretty similar, in that when uncured they stick to a lot of things, but when cured not much sticks to them. I have not found silicone to adhere to 307 Lite very well at all. Not well at all.


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## simplybetta (Mar 13, 2020)

jgragg said:


> One thing I can recommend however is another approach to coloring. To wit:
> 
> dry pigments (e.g., dry-powder-pigments) offer a huge range of color options
> apply them while the putty is still sticky
> ...


Wait a second @jgragg, you paint on pigment powder? I haven't thought of this! Since you do it before the epoxy has cured, does that "lock in" the pigment onto the epoxy? Enough to prevent it from being washed away in wet environments?
I am really interested in playing with polygem products for underwater applications, but I have not been able to figure out how to apply colors in a way that wouldn't require a layer of clear coat. There's nothing wrong with clear coat but I prefer a matte look


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

simplybetta said:


> Hello! Thanks for the advice, I totally get it now. Last night I set up a flexwatt strip on the bottom left under that hide, put the temp probe in the cave and shut the doors, and set the thermostat to 90. It worked! Then I set it to 95, worked again. I didn't measure how hot the flexwatt was running at, though, to heat that hide. That foam on the bottom is 3/8" or 1/2" thick, so I don't know how hard the flexwatt had to work. I don't want a fire hazard.
> I'm considering what to do.
> Tonight I will try again, but this time use my temp gun on the flexwatt to see what it's running at.


Good info, thanks. If the temp probe responds relatively quickly to adjustments of the thermostat, things are likely fine. (Does the thermostat indicate when or at what percentage it is running? If so, that's a clue as to how hard it is working. If not, write on the top of your Xmas present list "Herpstat!")

The temp gun check would be good (I don't know what the critical temp is for Flexwatt...the ball python people know, I bet), but it sounds to me as if there is not much to worry about.


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## jgragg (Nov 23, 2009)

> Wait a second @jgragg, you paint on pigment powder?
> Since you do it before the epoxy has cured, does that "lock in" the pigment onto the epoxy? Enough to prevent it from being washed away in wet environments?
> I am really interested in playing with polygem products for underwater applications, but I have not been able to figure out how to apply colors in a way that wouldn't require a layer of clear coat.
> There's nothing wrong with clear coat but I prefer a matte look


Yes I apply pigment powders. I first used acrylic paints (also when the epoxy was still tacky) and found them very suitable for drier terraria but iffy - sometimes complete crap! - in wetter situations. The paint can come off, just pilling up in a sort of crumbly mess.

The key with the powders is to "dash" (or poke) them on (or maybe a bit of in?) with the dampened bristle ends. Do this and *hell yeah it sticks* in wet environments. In fact when I'm done coloring, and I've given the piece a day or two to cure, I take the piece over to a big utility sink and give it a wash with wipe. Or if I've built in-viv, I hose and scrub and re-hose out the viv (mine are all drained, I just catch the slop in a bucket). Plenty of color comes off - enough to intensely color the runoff water anyway - but it doesn't really affect the epoxy's color much. I use allegedly nontoxic pigments but I still don't want my animals eating or breathing that stuff.

I have never (with acrylic or powder) applied a post-coloring clear coat. I agree on the preference of matte, but suppose I disagree about gloss - I despise it. Underwater it would make no difference of course. But I don't have any aquaria.

Anyway - nice work on the video, like we both know, the epoxy takes a bit of technique. But it's worth it to me - having tried a bunch of other techniques to cover foam (sliicone schmear, Drylok, mortar + acrylic copolymer) - I now only use epoxy and the dry pigments. And of course, I also like builds with no foam - just cracked-cork mosaic. My ideal is really a combo of mostly cracked-cork plus a few choice "fake rocks" of foam and epoxy, adhered within the cork matrix. It gives some nice heterogeneity in depth, or 3-D, to the background.

For desert terraria I suppose you could do a fake-rock mosaic, with no moss packing. I swear, the more I do it the more I like bench-building smaller "rocks", and the less I like doing fuller-foam backgrounds right there in-viv. Check it out some time.


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## jeffkruse (Jun 5, 2018)

Thank you! That looks great!


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