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Geckohappy View Profile |
If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Well, it’s been about two months, and I have to say that I love this substrate! It looks just like sand, but you can wipe it clean like tile. It’s waterproof, and just rough enough for the guys to get a good grip but smooth enough to be safe on their little tummies. I think anyone could do this with any type of tank, just mix up a thick batch of plaster and slop it in, make a few soft forms in it so that it’s not perfectly flat, sand any rough spots. Paint it to look like sand once it’s completely dry (use a craft store non-toxic acrylic. Seal it with a clear sealer, maybe two coats. I used Zinnser brand clear acrylic primer and sealer. I also gave it a shot of low odor matte finish clear acrylic spray at the end so that it dulled it down a bit. Here is what it looks like:
I know it’s a little bit of work to make it, but then you never have to pay for any substrate again. It’s hygienic, and it wouldn’t be impossible to remove. I’m sure you could chip it out later if you didn’t want it in the tank any more. I hate to see anyone risking their pets health with real sand, but I can understand the desire for a natural looking environment. Maybe this will do the trick! |
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| 07/13/06 05:02pm |
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Houdini1 View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882379 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Kristy |
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| 07/13/06 05:09pm |
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Spammy123 View Profile |
Message To: Houdini1 In reference to Message Id: 882392 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/13/06 05:15pm |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: Houdini1 In reference to Message Id: 882392 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
I like the surface a lot. I don’t care for the way mealworms get stuck between tiles. A couple of my guys just can’t figure out the concept of a dish, so I drop the food in front of them. Crickets can escape from this, but it takes them a while... so far no mealies have wriggled out. Of course, the leos chose the most inaccesible area to use for a latrine, but I figured out how to use an aquarium scrubber to take care of that. |
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| 07/13/06 05:16pm |
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Snipersean View Profile |
Message To: Houdini1 In reference to Message Id: 882392 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/13/06 05:21pm |
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Houdini1 View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882409 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Kristy |
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| 07/13/06 05:23pm |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: Snipersean In reference to Message Id: 882422 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Here are a few more pics of it: (sorry if you’ve seen all these shots before)
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| 07/13/06 05:25pm |
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Squizz View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882379 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/13/06 05:42pm |
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Squee View Profile |
Message To: Squizz In reference to Message Id: 882466 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/13/06 05:53pm |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: Squee In reference to Message Id: 882480 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
One that’s in there seems traumatized by the change, so I’m giving her a few days, but if she doesn’t start to look like she’s enjoying it, I’ll take her out. There are five of them in there now. It’s interesting to see how they deal with each other. Some do seem to almost bond, but others don’t even look at one another. Oddly, my leo with vision problems found her way around it right away, and she settled in with no problems. I thought the change would be tough on her. Squee, I’ll be right over with a bucket of plaster, but I’ll warn you now, I’m a very messy worker ;) |
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| 07/13/06 06:06pm |
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Geckogirlemi View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882503 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/13/06 08:37pm |
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NanduahWoman View Profile |
Message To: Geckogirlemi In reference to Message Id: 882762 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Miranda |
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| 07/13/06 09:01pm |
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NEWTMAN456 View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882503 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/13/06 09:22pm |
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SpeacilK View Profile |
Message To: NEWTMAN456 In reference to Message Id: 882837 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Kevin |
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| 07/13/06 09:29pm |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: SpeacilK In reference to Message Id: 882856 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Link The cacti are glued down with Gorilla glue which is totally non-toxic when dry. There are removable hides, but the ledges are permanent. NEWTMAN, I’d love to see how it turns out. Can you get theat material smooth enough so you can wipe the floor clean? Miranda, It’s such a simple easy process. I can walk you through it if you’d like to give it a try. I don’t think I would do too well with them on ebay just becuase the shipping would be awfully expensive and it would be tough to insure that they would arrive intact. I have thought about trying to come up with a way to make inserts though. That might work for standard sized tanks. I think in a way it’s almost like having one large tile that fits your tank perfectly. |
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| 07/13/06 09:36pm |
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Ribbon man View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882870 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/13/06 10:44pm |
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NEWTMAN456 View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882870 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/14/06 01:17am |
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IlovemyReptiles View Profile |
Message To: NEWTMAN456 In reference to Message Id: 883263 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/14/06 01:50am |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: NEWTMAN456 In reference to Message Id: 883263 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/14/06 01:08pm |
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Shoophassa View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 883865 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/14/06 01:28pm |
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Tiger* View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882379 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/14/06 01:32pm |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: Tiger* In reference to Message Id: 883921 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
I think they would be really tough to ship or I would definitely sell some on ebay or something. They are fun to make! |
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| 07/14/06 03:11pm |
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Ashmash View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 884054 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
I would like to make one but money & tools might be an issue. -Ashlee |
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| 07/14/06 03:37pm |
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Nathanial91 View Profile |
Message To: Ashmash In reference to Message Id: 884104
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| 07/14/06 03:57pm |
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SpeacilK View Profile |
Message To: Nathanial91 In reference to Message Id: 884150 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/14/06 06:24pm |
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NEWTMAN456 View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 884054 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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| 07/14/06 07:22pm |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: NEWTMAN456 In reference to Message Id: 884492 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
I got the wood display case for free. Plaster of Paris was 8 dollars for a 25 lb bag (that’s a lot, if you are just doing the bottom of a tank it doesn’t cost as much) I do a lot with my bare hands, so as far as tools, any type of stuff you already have can work, from an old credit card, an exacto knife, a screwdriver - just improvise. I used a sanding block to soften the rough spots. Those are about two dollars. The paint was 8 dollars, I think, plus a few brushes for a dollar each. The craft paints are about a dollar fifty each. The spray I used to soften the shine is optional. I think it’s four dollars. All of this stuff is available at a craft shop or hardware store. The cost varies depending on what stuff you use to build up the ledges. You can find ways to do most of that for next to nothing. Gorilla Glue is helpful, and I remember I bought a few screws for a dime each to hold up the stuff I made the ledges out of. A staple gun could work instead, depending on what the wood is made of. Nathanial, I think this would work well with a bought tank. It would save all of the time of building and sealing it first, so it would probably be even easier. SpeacilK, I think it would work for any reptile that would have a possibility of impaction with a loose substrate. You could make neat basking areas for a beardie by building up fake rock forms. You can even create permanent " dishes" for veggies by scooping out a smooth area in the floor for a more natural eating pattern. NEWTMAN, I am in NJ and I went to the Zinsser . com website and there is a store locater. The Sears Hardware near me carried it, as well as about ten other places in a five mile radius, so it’s a common brand. As long as the plaster dries for about four days to a week (depending on thickness) the paint will dry in less than 12 hours. I’d give it another couple of days before adding the leos, just to be safe. |
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| 07/14/06 08:21pm |
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ThatGuy101 View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 882379 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
Also, how long have you been using this method? thanks! |
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| 07/14/06 10:19pm |
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Geckohappy View Profile |
Message To: ThatGuy101 In reference to Message Id: 884851 If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
The leos were in the room as I painted, and they weren’t bothered by it at all. They have been doing just fine since moving into the enclosure. This is my first reptile enclosure, but I have been sculpting with plaster for different projects over the years professionally. I sculpted the Travelocity Gnome out of regular plaster, if anyone happens to be familiar with him.
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| 07/14/06 11:22pm |
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Nathanial91 View Profile |
Message To: Geckohappy In reference to Message Id: 884955
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| 07/15/06 04:19am |
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If you love the look of sand, maybe you should try this instead:
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