?'s on DIY waterfall and water bowl

I planning on doing a display tank with a DIY waterfall and lagoon/pond at the bottom using a filter/pump.

I'm going to use great stuff minimal expanding foam to make the rock work, and Rustoleum American accents stone finish to add color and realism. I'm also going to paint the inside of the plywood enclosure with the same stuff with varying colors to make it more visually appealing.

My question is, what sealant is safe to use for constant submersion and temps typical of a snake enclosure that doesn't look hideous?

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Originally Posted by Expensive hobby

I planning on doing a display tank with a DIY waterfall and lagoon/pond at the bottom using a filter/pump.

I'm going to use great stuff minimal expanding foam to make the rock work, and Rustoleum American accents stone finish to add color and realism. I'm also going to paint the inside of the plywood enclosure with the same stuff with varying colors to make it more visually appealing.

My question is, what sealant is safe to use for constant submersion and temps typical of a snake enclosure that doesn't look hideous?

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I did some research on this back when I was ambitious about making display tanks. Then i got lazy and mostly switched to tubs lol. Basically look for aquarium grade sealant for the final coat. Apparently a product called 'shields all' sealant is wonderful, but it'll cost ya. A lot of people use it in frog tanks, it holds up great to humidity and is non toxic to boot. It's a clear sealant, but will have a shiny look to it. If that doesn't bother you, awesome. But if you want something duller and a bit more natural, you can add some sand to the top coat so it doesn't look so artificial. Hope that helps!


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Ya I have read about that stuff and I guess you can only get it online and the cost of shipping is nearly as much as the product. I'm already gonna have hundreds invested in this enclosure.

Btw it's 48"W x 43"T x 21"D with a divider between the two.

The bottom will hold my new(today) BCC Columbian Red Tail Boa(0.1) and the top will hold my Normal Ball Python(0.1).

My boa is so awesome. No head shyness AT ALL! Totally cool with you doing whatever to her, and she loves feeling secure in your hand. Being semi arboreal she loves her little branch lol

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/...2/null-168.jpg

My wife holding her:
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/...2/null-167.jpg

Wait so it's gonna be divided horizontally? What are you using to support it? And are you planning on doing water features on both levels? If so, I'd definitely reinforce that barrier pretty heavily. I'm sure you have a lot of the details planned out :) I'm just nosy lol. I'd love to see the plans/ sketch if you have em handy. It sounds like an awesome project. Keep us posted if you find any cheaper alternatives to shields all. I'd love to do something in like that in my display tank, but that's wayyy out of budget.

Beautiful boa by the way. She looks like such a sweetie.

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/...2/null-169.jpg
Early stages of construction. Hot the basic shape built and square, now I'm gonna do some trim with 1x3" oak, which will add some support.

Water features will be in the corners to give it the most strength least sag, and some bracing is included around the perimeter...

I'll keep ya guys updated and thanks for the kind words!

That's gonna be killer!!! When are you looking to get it done by? I had another question but I totally spaced. It kind of makes me want to get my butt into gear and be productive :) thanks for sharing!

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Originally Posted by MootWorm

That's gonna be killer!!! When are you looking to get it done by? I had another question but I totally spaced. It kind of makes me want to get my butt into gear and be productive :) thanks for sharing!

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Hopefully I get it 100% in a few weeks... Got our sons b-day party coming up so that's a lot of time away from it, still have my fish so they require a ton of time, and our 3 kids keep us busy 24/7...

But I'm gonna push to get it done ASAP. Still have to buy heat tape, light fixtures, viewing lights, sealer(if I find the right kind) and build the stand to house the fogger and all the controllers etc...

It's gonna be fun!

Not to rain on your parade, but a female RTB is probably going to outgrow that cage... It really should be 72" x 24" x 24"

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Not to rain on your parade, but a female RTB is probably going to outgrow that cage... It really should be 72" x 24" x 24"

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Of course she will! I hope she does! This is temporary, for her, and lifetime for my ball. After my RTB outgrows this enclosure I'll make a new one for just her, and keep my ball up top, an probably get another ball for the bottom...

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Originally Posted by Expensive hobby

Of course she will! I hope she does! This is temporary, for her, and lifetime for my ball. After my RTB outgrows this enclosure I'll make a new one for just her, and keep my ball up top, an probably get another ball for the bottom...

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OK, just making sure. Most people don't want to put that much effort into a temporary cage.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

OK, just making sure. Most people don't want to put that much effort into a temporary cage.

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I don't either but you gotta love A-Type personalities lol.

I'm still looking for a sealer that is pet safe, and ok with constant submersion...

So anymore ideas?


0.1.0 Normal Ball Python
0.1.0 Red Tail Boa

100% silicone sealant (the kind for windows, trim, etc). Just make sure they're no additives or mold inhibitors. The only issue, for me at least, is that it's super goopy. I was looking for a smooth sealant rather than a super thick toothpaste sealant lol.

Or if you can find it, the sealant used for outdoor ponds. We got it from Home Depot I think, and haven't had any dead fish yet, so it should be ok for reptiles. It sure what brand it was though.

I haven't personally used it, but polyurethane should do the trick. I'm not sure if there's any leaching though from the continual submersion. I'd take a look at tree/dart frog forums for additional ideas. They're much more sensitive, so if there's a product that works well in those setups, it should be perfect for snakes.

Ya I was thinking about pond sealant too, just hadn't looked any up just yet...

I need something fairly economical because I'm gonna be covering some pretty big square footage lol.


0.1.0 Normal Ball Python
0.1.0 Red Tail Boa

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Originally Posted by Expensive hobby

Ya I was thinking about pond sealant too, just hadn't looked any up just yet...

I need something fairly economical because I'm gonna be covering some pretty big square footage lol.


0.1.0 Normal Ball Python
0.1.0 Red Tail Boa

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Yeah unless you can get silicone in a 5 gal bucket, it's not economical at all. So I did some research because I was really bored. Looks like everyone swears by Krylon clear coat polyurethane. Apparently people have been using that for years without any leaching or other detrimental effects in frog vivs. So I can't see why your general, run of the mill poly can't work for your purposes.

For a piece as large as yours, you'd probably be going through 10 cans of the stuff. Word of warning: if you do go the spray paint route, make sure you do like 15 coats. I used a clear spray paint (Rustoleum? I think) on some home made hides, I believe I did 8 coats and it wasn't enough. If I were to do it again, I'd use the brush on gallon of regular poly so I could do 3-5 thick coats and call it a day.

I also saw that many recommend to use the thicker pond sealant only on the areas that are holding water (the basin/waterfall area, etc) and cover the rest with poly. Much cheaper than covering the entire thing in pond sealant.