# INSITU - RIO amazon biotope



## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi all, it’s been a number of years since I’ve last posted on here. It’s good to see new faces and new enthusiasts, plus the new forum looks pretty crafty.

A little while back I took on a little project of doing a little Amazonian biotope in one of the insitu terrarium series with the Rio upgrade. It’s been several months now and I must say it’s grown in quite nicely along with the water feature continually flowing whenever my timer kicks on. This terrarium houses a lonely variablis these days but home to quite a diverse collection of Amazonian flora, specifically Napo, Ecuador.

Flora list:
*Pilea sp. amazonas - widespread throughout Ecuador
*anthurium polystichum
*banisteriopsis sp. (lianna vine sp)
*selaginella sp. amazonas
*monolena priminflora
*dicranopygium stenophyllum
*nautilocalyx sp napo
*phrapmipedium pearcei
*triolena pileanioides
*philodendron chinchamayense
*philodendron brandtianum
*monstera obliqua - Amazonian form
*peperomia emarginella - Ecuador Amazon locale
*microgramma reptans
*marcgravia sp “el Coca”
*marcgravia sp. amazonas
*thidium sp. Ecuador
*plagichilla sp. Ecuador
*trichomanes crispum



Today 8/31/2021










June/2021



















initial setup process:


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## Leoito (Mar 4, 2021)

I think you've managed to achieve a very natural, grown-in look in a short span of time, so congrats on that; 'rockier' hardscapes are also always a treat to see featured. How long does the water feature run for?


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## geginn64 (Jun 24, 2020)

An enthusiastic two thumbs  up!

I really like your build. You did a really nice job in transforming the GS into natural-looking rock.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk


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## hansgruber7 (Mar 23, 2020)

Looks great. How do you keep it from getting too damp/wet in there?


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## DarciD (May 23, 2020)

Wow! What did you use in the great stuff to get that stone look?


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## alsofaac (Aug 21, 2013)

Beautiful setup!!!


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## Eruantien (Dec 23, 2014)

Love this!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## calhoun3186 (Nov 1, 2019)

incredibly impressive


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Are there any online or other resources (books, photos, videos) that you used to model the hardscape around that of the area you're emulating?


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## deeloc (Jan 21, 2017)

👍


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## Grundler (Apr 19, 2015)

Wow! This is one of the better tanks I've seen in a while! I can tell because my first impression is that I want to rip-off your design! I too would like to know your process for transforming the background into such natural looking "rock". Great job!

Edit: I just realized you chose Napo! I got to visit there back in 2010! One of the greatest travel experiences of my life! So cool!


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## Lance Larsen (Jul 4, 2021)

Amazingly beautiful! Well done... Definitely not easy to get such a nice paint job on the stone!!


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## Lucano (Aug 21, 2017)

I love biotopes! Awesome


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## connorology (Oct 6, 2018)

DarciD said:


> Wow! What did you use in the great stuff to get that stone look?





Grundler said:


> Wow! This is one of the better tanks I've seen in a while! I can tell because my first impression is that I want to rip-off your design! I too would like to know your process for transforming the background into such natural looking "rock". Great job!
> 
> Edit: I just realized you chose Napo! I got to visit there back in 2010! One of the greatest travel experiences of my life! So cool!


I'd also like to know the technique. I'm in the initial research phases of planning a vivarium with a cave component and I'm looking to fake some cave formations but I don't have a lot of experience with faking stone.


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

Socratic Monologue said:


> Are there any online or other resources (books, photos, videos) that you used to model the hardscape around that of the area you're emulating?





Grundler said:


> Wow! This is one of the better tanks I've seen in a while! I can tell because my first impression is that I want to rip-off your design! I too would like to know your process for transforming the background into such natural looking "rock". Great job!
> 
> Edit: I just realized you chose Napo! I got to visit there back in 2010! One of the greatest travel experiences of my life! So cool!





connorology said:


> I'd also like to know the technique. I'm in the initial research phases of planning a vivarium with a cave component and I'm looking to fake some cave formations but I don't have a lot of experience with faking stone.


experience - I use very basic tools but over the years of making these types of backgrounds and rocks I guess I’ve just gotten better at it with time. I do use online references and my own such as photos of rocks and landscapes but also visual memory from my past travels of particular spots that catch my eye. I use styrofoam for majority of my rocks I make but have special additives I add to make them more natural in appearance and feeling. The paint process is particularly the most important as it’s all about the colors and brushing techniques. My airbrush definitely is a big game changer when I use it to add the finishing touches. As of recently I have begun to offer custom backgrounds I can either design myself or mimic from photos.


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## Dr. Manhattan (Oct 28, 2016)

Wow, just wow. I would like to hear more about this airbrush technique.


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