Enclosure Upgrade! Part 2

Time for the next step! I let the caulk dry overnight to make sure none of the rocks would fall off.


Next step was more messy than I anticipated. I bought some non-sanded grout and followed the instructions on the box and painted it on the Styrofoam rocks.

I applied two coats front and back. This grout ensures than none of the Styrofoam will break off and fall into the enclosure. It took about two days for the grout to dry.

Onto painting! I mixed black and pale gray in a bowl and painted the background. I used Anita's All Purpose paint as it is non-toxic.

Painting took forever because of all the little cracks and crevices. Then I used Mod Podge to seal the paint and grout as a final touch!

Tomorrow I get to add everything and move the enclosure to my apartment!

Enclosure Upgrade! Part 1

As the semester now draws to a close, I've decided it is time for Marbles to get a bigger enclosure. She is currently about 500g and 3' 4" long now.

I am moving Marbles to a 45 gal tank that I got off of Facebook Marketplace (I got a great deal on the tank, lid, lights, and accessories might I add!).

As I did for her current enclosure, I created a custom background. The last one was made with expanding foam, and I enjoyed making it, but for this enclosure I decided to try a new method.

I started out with a base layer of Styrofoam. I then added a few inches to the top to make it to size.

Next, I started carving the rocks out of more Styrofoam into the shapes of different size rocks by pulling out different sized pieces and placing them on the base. To give the rocks a more realistic look, I used sandpaper and a hand file to bevel the Styrofoam.

After I got everything placed where I wanted it, I used caulk to stick the rocks to the base.

The next steps are to cover the background in grout and paint then to clean out the new enclosure and add everything in!

I can't take credit for this idea though. I found a video on YouTube by LizardLandscapes and just modified it a little. You can find their website here to see more of their ideas.