Step 11: Construction of the Bio Topic :
Construction: Now we will start with construction of inner vivarium side and back replicas of tropical biotopes: first cleaning of the inside flat panels then point out the pots for plants then the foam plates and blocks and imagine the shape that you want and I hide all wood or the appearance of the clothes cabinets and lighting bulb, I use masking tape to support temporary before the foam applied on it..
Also I used some screws and nails for fixing .
In the bottom I protect the drain by masking tape and isolate all the bottom my foam in order to reduce the water effect on wood with slope to the central of the base which drain installed to take as much as of the drain water before come in the wood .. Silicon will apply after the foam dry to reduce this chance.
Types of foam used
Step 17: Artificial Roots :
Making Roots :
It is one on the beautiful things which will add some naturalistic touch in the vivarium are the droopy and suspended roots or dried air roots .. to make these we need some ropes and yarn string which manufactured from plastic , I used several types with several widths , just make a full bucket of the same mixer but without the beat moss and sink these ropes inside , after calculating the length required , take in your consideration that it will be twisted to mimic the real environment .
After that put a news paper and lay the beat moss with 3 to 4 cm thickness layer on the newspaper , now take the rope from bucket and place it on the beat moss , spread some of beat moss on it and roll the news paper to make sure that all the rope become covered with beat moss ..
After one day open the newspaper carefully and take the rope.. Fix it inside the vivarium by using same stationary pins, but two or three and twist the rope as you want and supported by these pins..
Now some of areas of ropes, pins need to repair with same colour of the rope , using brush ( same to paint small brushes used in painting picture to do the work ) try to use same materials ..
Step 12: Construction of Bio Topic:
Foam board or blocks installed inside
Attention : Nowdays all My vivarius are covered from inside by Liner .. Please do the same or bring any materials to protect the wood ( water proofing ) to avoid any damages .. Any materials should be safe for creatures life ..
Step 13: Construction of the Bio Topic
Foam spray applying on the bottom
Step 15: Using Tools for Shaping and Carving
After one day of construction, now I start with trimming, cutting and shaping by using my amazing PROXXON hot wire cutter and Einhell hot gun..
Cleaning and vacuum by vacuum cleaner all the waste , glue and reinstall any weak , soft or moving parts of the decoration or replica .
Step 16: Mixture Used ..
Now we will start place the cover of cement / concrete material :
I use for 5 Liter jar shown:
100 to 200 CC adhesive or Tribond
100 to 200 cc cement
4 letter of peat moss
1 spoon of black cement colour
1 spoon of brown cement colour
Mixing all with water, and now will be ready to establish by shoot them by hand (unfortunately no body to help me photo this process – but it is similar to any building works), Also some brushes similar used in painting with different kind , also small spoon and knife which help to applying the mixture to the corners and deep groove which can not by normal tools , try to use different kind of lighting from different corner to see if there any parts missing from covering by mixture ..
Drain to be protected by maskin tape ..
I hide the drain pipe from the upper tank by foam and maskin tape ..
Step 18: Other Two Tanks
Other Two Tanks :
For the other side two tanks, I decided one of them (The upper one to be tropical the lower one desert terrarium)
The tropical one will be equipped with drain, light and fan as explain previously, only the lighting will be changed I used IKEA light , I need light to not taken as much as size and not release too much heat , led light used ..
The construction process will be same as main vivarium..
