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Hey guys and gals, I just wanted to introduce myself and my two ornates as I'll probably be posting here often. I've yet to sex them but I'm hoping for a pair.




Anyway, I just added a new backdrop which is comprised of 2" pink insulation coated with several (5) layers of non-sanded grout to my 2x2x4' vivarium. Though many people seal the grout with latex or another sealant I've also heard this isn't completely necessary. Obviously cleaning would be easier and the sealant would prevent cracking better but I hate the wet look it presents, which is why I haven't sealed it (yet). I'm wondering if there are others out there that have a similar setup, using a grout backdrop without a sealant. If so, how has it been holding up?

Thanks!

Matt

HI and welcome to the forum. I hope you find it useful. Nice looking Ornates!! I don't have any experience making my own backdrops, so I can't help you there. I hope someone else will chime in on that one for you.

Hi Matt,\
Welcome.
Nice looking Uros.
I have been researching a fake wall for a long time. Try putting fine sand in your sealant (you could have purchased grout with sand in it too.) when applying it, or you can scrunch up some plastic wrap and patt your sealant with the wrap (while still wet) and that will give you a texture and that should get rid of the "wet look". Come to think of it - you might even want to add fine sand to the sealant and patt it with plastic wrap. Remember - when the grout is still wet, you can add detail by carving into it with certain tools to give you certain looks. Try different types of brushes (both soft and firm). You don't have to seal it if you have enough coats of grout.

Post a picture of your backdrop and let's see how it looks.

tom

Thanks Tim and Tom. Tom, I'll post a few images of my setup when I get home later this evening.

Alright, so I had a little time to grab a couple quick snaps of the background just to give you an idea. The shade/color is even, the mixed lighting just makes it look off.

Excellent carving skills. I like the texture. It looks almost like windswept dunes in some places. Do the little guys climb on it? Did you add color or was that the out of the box color?

tom

Thank you, Tom It was my first go at the whole thing. I started with the rear piece (started as one, cut into two) which took a few hours combined but I quickly found I was being over-meticulous about the whole process. The sides took ~15min each and were more 'organic' as far as the process went. The central idea was to recreate desert rock found in Egypt for a more homey atmosphere. I used two types of precolored non-sanded grout (one light, one a few shades darker with a very slight red tint). I used the light colored grout for the first few (3?) base layers and added a couple layers of the dark grout mixed with the light grout (~1:2 dark to light ratio for a more gradual color tone) on top, which were later sanded down a bit to reveal the lighter layer beneath for a more weathered appearance. All in all I'm happy with the final product, but as noted am considering adding a layer of sealant for more durability and to act as a better cleaning surface as I've got a feeling it won't last long in it's current state. I just hate the idea of a semi-gloss sheen Perhaps mixing a bit of the grout with some acrylic base sealant would do the trick?

As for them climbing, I did watch one scale the wall about halfway up but that's about as far as he/she got before loosing grip. I'm actually kind of worried about them getting up to one of the shelves (specifically the one beneath the MVB) since it's so close to the heat source. I guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on them.

Anyway I'm planning on building another identical enclosure which will link up with the other via a few entryways between the two. The second enclosure will include a sand pit for digging, an additional basking site as well as a 'buried' nest box which will be accessed through a 3" corrugated pipe running from the primary enclosure. This way I can keep sand segregated from the feeding area in the primary enclosure and create a mock burrow. And, if worse comes to worse, if they are both males I can separate the two and convert the secondary enclosure into a primary if need be.

AWESOME!! That is fantastic. Great set up and nice work!!

Thanks, Tim. Honestly the whole process was really quite simple...now I just need to figure a way to achieve a maximum lifespan without sacrificing aesthetics!

As a side update, it seems one of them has mastered climbing up the backdrop and basking on one the of ledges that is very, very close to the MVB. This is no good for several reasons--the most obvious being a an accidental fall on to the rocks/tile below as well as the dangerous levels of UVB the uro would be receiving if basking there for an extended period (It's bad enough the 160w PowerSun is only 16" away from the basking rock surface atm). I'm planning on modifying the top of the enclosure by cutting out a larger square hole and adding a top cabinet that will give me a bit more height for mounting lighting, timers, fans and perhaps a thermostat and will also act as a cupboard for supplies, but that won't happen for another week or so. Anyone have any advice up until that point? Should I try to adjust the MVB to get it higher?