# Hiding false bottoms?



## MelanieIvy (Jun 17, 2007)

Yet another newbie working on a plan for a terrarium. This is the tank I got - 









This all started with a little pet (anole) lizard my son got for his birthday  I'm hoping we can both build a terrarium together and add some tree frogs.

I've spent a lot of time researching, and am on information overload  What I'm wondering is if I make a false bottom from egg crate and piping, do I fill that part below with pebbles to conceal it?

I've also noticed some setups don't hide the plastic from the egg crate very well - how do you prevent the plastic from showing?

Thank you for the help.

~Melanie


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## Hassan347 (Jan 8, 2006)

Most people silicone around where the egg crate can be seen before hand


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

There are a few different things you could do. You can buy the film that is for a decorative background on fish tanks and cover it that way. You can smear black silicone on the inside of the tank where you would be able to see under the eggcrate. You can spray black paint the outside of the tank where you would be able to see under the egg crate. Or when you cover the egg crate with screen, leave excess around the edges that will hang down to the bottom and put some gravel just between the screen and the glass so you can't see through. Just some suggestions. I have tried them all and they seem to all work. It just depends on how much work you want to do. Hope this helps.


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## Jungle_John (Feb 19, 2007)

i leave about a half inch from the tanks glass and then fill that up with larger rocks. that way your false bottom looks like rocks buts realy not, and the rocks are to big to go through the holes. i use the rocks from petsmart for 20lbs i think is 10$.


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## MelanieIvy (Jun 17, 2007)

I really like the idea of the using the stones to conceal - thank you. I'm sure I have more to come, but I will find what answers I can through searches and such first.


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## brettlt (Oct 5, 2006)

I use river rocks from a Home Depot type store. A 40lb bag is about $5. I always boil the rocks and rinse them off to try to get rid of anything they could be harboring. I also use pea gravel, same store, about 40lb for about $5. Boil and rinse these also. 

These are estimates on lbs and size, as it was 8 months ago when I purchased them.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

This is 1/4" plexiglas. You could just as easily use glass or some other material that's flat and is viv safe. Once this is done, I lay my cover material (fiberglass window screen or weed cloth) on top of the whole thing (rocks and false bottom) and trim it so it's about 1/4" from the tank.


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

So that's what a college education does for you!!!
I am impressed Mike, that is a good idea. too bad I already have my 17 vivs built.


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## dufus (Feb 20, 2007)

to me, the false bottom look gives me a sense of self success, and reminds me of a serious viv. and easy way to hide it, put the tank on a wooden stand and trim out the aquarium bottom(just like the black plastic already on it, but wood and as tall as the flase bottom goes.


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## jundox (Jul 5, 2007)

A quick alternative for an already planted viv, would be to get a roll of contact paper (preferably frosted, colored, or otherwise opaque) and cut into the roll so that you basically turn it into a 2 in roll of tape... since you cut the roll like that, it will be perfectly even when you unroll it and apply to the bottom of the tank. 

Very similar idea to using the background paper of aquariums, but a little cheaper and easier to pick up locally.


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## the_noobinator (Jan 14, 2007)

hmmm. and here i've been painting the outside of the tanks with acrylic non-toxic paint.


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## jundox (Jul 5, 2007)

the_noobinator said:


> hmmm. and here i've been painting the outside of the tanks with acrylic non-toxic paint.


That opens the door for some pretty cool posibilities tho... Like a fossil scene where there are dinosaur bones and treasure chests underneath the soil.


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

You can also use black eggcrate or other dark materials to create the false bottom. On the couple false bottoms I did, I used a heavy, black MDPE netting designed for aqua culture. Why? Because that's what I had. It worked very well and was basically invisible when filled with water.

EricG.NH


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## the_noobinator (Jan 14, 2007)

jundox said:


> the_noobinator said:
> 
> 
> > hmmm. and here i've been painting the outside of the tanks with acrylic non-toxic paint.
> ...


i'm a designer so i thought about the possibility, or painting a continuation of my hardscape.


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## tedrock (Jul 11, 2007)

you folks ever think about putting a bubble tube along the front to hide the false bottom.

it might not totally hide it but it would still be harder to see behind a curtain of bubbles.


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## the_noobinator (Jan 14, 2007)

ha ha, i'd need an extra $20/month just to run all the air pumps!


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