Picture courtesy of Timofei Ryazanov
You ever have a type of moments the place you would like you would mix two of your favourite issues to make one thing even higher? Nicely, excellent news — in case your favourite issues occur to be reptile holding and crafting, then you possibly can!
Bioactive terrariums (or vivariums) are gaining reputation, and with them, the extent of care that goes into habitat aesthetics.
Listed below are some artful concepts for upping your habitat décor recreation and impressing associates…
Play with spray foam
In a earlier weblog put up,
“Easy methods to Begin Your First Residing Vivarium,” I present you the step-by-step course of of making natural-looking rock and grime surfaces with spray foam. When you’re a crafter, it’s possible you’ll already be aware of utilizing spray foam for different initiatives.
As soon as it has been sprayed right into a normal form, you possibly can carve the froth to get the small print you need. Mastering these things mainly means you possibly can create any terrarium options you need, like ledges and built-in water basins on your unique pets.
Right here’s an instance of a extremely cool tank conversion from commonplace 10-gallon aquarium to a vertical vivarium for an arboreal species:
Enhance purchased items with paint
When you’re extra into the practically DIY strategy of taking ready-made gadgets and enhancing on them, you possibly can nonetheless get distinctive appears on your habitats. Many ready-made gadgets lack the sensible high quality we’re going for in bioactive terrariums.
When you already do crafts, you doubtless have some acrylic paint mendacity round. Paint and portray provides are all you’ll want to enhance store-bought habitat constructions. You are able to do this with gadgets like:
For greatest outcomes, add a number of layers of some completely different colours of paint, watered down.
Right here’s an instance of utilizing easy styrofoam items and turning them right into a rock wall with ledges and a conceal utilizing tile grout, acrylic paint, and sealant:
Be taught to cover foggers and waterfalls
Do not forget that spray foam talked about above? When you grasp the fundamentals, you may get much more superior with it.
If, for example, you employ PVC pipes or tubes to create a tunnel when spraying the froth, you possibly can run traces for fog machines or water sources, or you possibly can even create underground streams that vacant out exactly the place you need.
You merely place the water or fog tunnels first. The froth will cowl the pipes or tubes, making the fog or water stream seem pure.
Right here’s instance of a do-it-yourself waterfall vivarium for vegetation the place the water tubes have been buried beneath spray foam (be aware that the pump setup would have to be completely different for holding a reptile on this tank):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbA1lTM47c0
Received concepts for combining your love of crafts with reptile holding?
Share them with us on our Fb web page!