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Looking for Printed Background

chief762x39

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I did a search on the internet but can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Does anyone know of a business that sells printed backgrounds that can be attached to the outside of the glass of the terrarium? So far all the ones I've found where made for underwater aquariums. I need some kind of rainforest type scene or something. The few that I've found online were all too small (I need one 24 inches tall),
 

SludgeMunkey

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Sadly, there isn't much for the terrestrial trade online.

PetCo and PetSmart both carry a few terrestrial backgrounds like you describe, but frankly, to me they look like the 1970s TFH Publishing photos they are and never seem to be in the tank size one needs.

My advice:

Get out a digital camera and set it to the highest resolution possible. Find a nice scene you like at the zoo, local nature preserve or botanical gardens, and then take your panoramic, max- resolution format photo to a print shop and have one made up. It is a bit more work, but it won't cost you much.

Another option is to start hogging up all the NatGeo, Nature, and similar magazines you can find and get wacky with some scissors and clear drying glue and fabricate a high resolution collage right on the glass. When the glue is dry you can back the whole thing with contact paper and call it done.

Personally, I just spraypaint the entire exterior surface black and call it good. That way your carefully assembled landscaping and pets do not get "lost" in an ultimately artificial looking set piece.

Another fun way to do an excellent terrestrial background is to collect and prepare (as described in my wood article on Caudata Culture) tree bark, rock and the like and silicone it right to the glass interior. You can knock out some really cool stuff that way that will also support the growth of live mosses and other climbing plants for that "real" effect. This is a lot of work, and not easy if the vivarium is already inhabited, but the results are best of the best with a little effort and creativity. The plus side to this is you can use regular old 100% silicone, the type that doesn't have fungicides in it, as it is a non-structural build. The minus side is you will need to move your critters into temporary digs for about a week.

See the Forums and the Caudata Culture Articles on vivaria builds for more info. Also, check out John's other site, FrogForum, as there are some obscenely cool looking natural background builds posted there. And, lets, face it those creepy frog people have a ton of terrestrial experience over we, the generally aquatic-minded creepy salamander people...

:smile:
 
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