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Making a background (again)

Natalie

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Oct 23, 2012
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Thanks guys. Just a few more tanks and all of them are equipped with a background. I like this last one, but I prefer my H. orientalis background though. After a while the grout gets covered with mosses and dirt and it looks way more realistic. Shrimp love to hide in the cracks and the snails search the surface for tasty morsels. I'm now working on a P. ruber background at this moment. Above the surface I made use of concrete binder adhesive (Flevopol) mixed with fern root grindings and turf pulp. This gets covered with moss if you rub it in with Java moss and when everything remains humid enough. I've applied it on expanding foam like clay. I use this for my frog and gecko vivs. Water will flow over the fake rocks on the left. In the middle there's room for some plants and on the right I've used some cork bark.



I also noticed :eek: that you mentioned that you use a Flevopol enclosure for your P. ruber. I also have a group of them, and I was thinking that when I finally get around to making a nice naturalistic vivarium for them, I would definitely need to use the Elastopur, not Flevopol, because plethodons are so sensitive to the quality of water in their seepages. Am I wrong?
 

Natalie

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I then added three layers of thin grout mixed with little concrete bonder adhesive (brands: Flevopol, ACE concrete bonder, Quikrete) which makes it more flexible and strong. Let it dry for a day to let it harden. It already starts to look like rock.

New tank H.orientalis - YouTube

Sorry, Niels. I know this thread is 5 years old now:eek:, but I just googled tegel lijm and Flevopol to find your great post, answering my question. Thank you! What is the ratio? Do I need to keep the grout wet as it cures, like I would without the Flevopol?
 
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