Fake Rock Help!?

I'm wanting to start making my own fake rock hides and backgrounds. Does anyone have any ideas and/or tips for me? I'm thinking about trying to carve styrofoam and use grout to cover it(So far only thing I've heard of using). Any easier ways? Also, wanting to know what materials are the safest to use. I'll be using these in my ball python terrariums, but also wanting to make one for my red eared sliders.

Pictures of anything I can use as ideas are always appreciated!!!
Thanks!

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Originally Posted by prettyin.ink66

I'm wanting to start making my own fake rock hides and backgrounds. Does anyone have any ideas and/or tips for me? I'm thinking about trying to carve styrofoam and use grout to cover it(So far only thing I've heard of using). Any easier ways? Also, wanting to know what materials are the safest to use. I'll be using these in my ball python terrariums, but also wanting to make one for my red eared sliders.

Pictures of anything I can use as ideas are always appreciated!!!
Thanks!

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In the past I have used expanding insulation foam covered in coco coir. I never sealed mine, though, and eventually had to throw it out, but they're easy and cheap to make.

This is sooooo much fun! We used this site to learn how to do it. Now we make ALL of our backdrops this way. I use glue and styrofoam and then use spray styrofoam as well to go around the edges as well as make small ledges. Then we cover it all in concrete. Also we attach it by using a high end industrial velcro. Here is the site. Have fun!!! Its a blas!t!

http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/index.html

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Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

Also we attach it by using a high end industrial velcro.

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Anything adhesive in a BP enclosure is bad news...

Here is a great write up for making your own hides. I think this is exactly what you'll need.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ome+made+hides

Jim Smith

I have built a number of styrofoam things things I have found that work...

Cutting thick styrofoam, a metal putty knife with the side sharpened with a file is the easiest kitchen knives are wedge shaped and bind and exacto knives flex too much.

Cutting details stick to round shapes easier to clean and grout stays better.

Rare earth magnets glued in cut out recesses and magnets on the out side of the enclosure hold perfectly. Velcro gets junk in it and is hard to clean.

hot melt glue hold styrofoam well is easy to work with and non toxic with no fumes.

keep a shop vac by where you are working and run it to suck up the loose bits they get everywhere if you move much.

Base colour with the grout and then use very thin hobby paint to build variation in colour, start with dark and very thin and build up to brighter colours not as thin. The dark will travel and settle in the cracks to build deeper relief looks. The brighter colours as they are thicker can be added to make highlights I use a sponge for that.

Sealing I like to use varnish (not marine varnish! NO spar varnish ever!) and a brush it gives a better coat than sprays. I like to mix high gloss and matte you can use it to get wet look with matte shadow areas.

My lessons,
have fun
Alex

ohhhh bps....no don't use the velcro then. You can use magnets or hot glue it.

Thank you guys so much! After posting this I decided to do more searching on the net for ways to make fake rock structures(just because I'm impatient and was so excited to make one!). I found a great site and decided to give it a try(I was also lucky enough to come across lizard-landscapes!). It ended up being a lot of fun, just time consuming! I finally finished it, let it set for about a week. I then washed it and put it in my enclosure! It turned out great! I will definitely want to experiment, to see which materials work best and will last the longest.

I did mine in 4 different pieces, due to it being so large.

[IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/66vz87.jpg[/IMG]

Does anyone know if these would hold up with 2 adult ball pythons. The one is about 3 feet but he is not very thick because he is a problem eater. The other one is about 3 1/2 - 4 feet but is really thick, shes a pig.
Also is there any body out there who makes these and sells them by any chance?

I just finished another one(rock cave) for my adult balls. I have a male this is a little over 3 ft and the female is 4 1/2 ft and still growing. The way I made mine is sturdy enough for them. I used 1 in and 2 in styrofoam, TONS of liquid nails to glue and seal the egdes, cracks, and crevices. I then used a mesh netting type stuff to make sure that when I applied the grout it wouldn't crack or break. Not sure what it is called but it is yellow and rolled like tape. I used 4-5 layers of non-sanded grout. I then painted it and applied 4-5 layers of waterproof sealant. It took me about 2-3 weeks to do all that then let them set for about a week. The picture I posted is the one for my babies and they absolutely LOVE it! I had never seen them so active!

I had also looked everywhere to see if anyone made these and couldn't find any. I finally found the site(lizard landscapes) and decided to just do it myself! The only problem I see if you could find someone who sells these would be the price. I'm sure if would be outrageous! =(