redhandfilms
New Member
- Messages
- 7
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
So, I've just upgraded the viv for Hendricks, my H. Turcicus. I found him backstage in the theatre I worked at back in late September 2013. For the past 6-7 months I've had him living in a 1.25 gallon tank. Small, yes, but so was he. Now he's grown a bit, an upgrade has been overdue.
Here it is.
The new viv is made from a (fake) antique wood and glass display case. Inside, it's a 5 gallon tank. There are glass doors on both sides, a glass top, and I made a rock wall for the back. The case didn't have a back when I bought it so I made one out of thin plywood, with a screen vent cut near the top. I did a couple coats of sealant on the inside, and filled in any small holes that feeders (fruit flies, bean beetles, pinhead crickets) might escape from.
The rock wall is made from real rocks gathered from outside the theatre, where I would occasionally see other geckos running about. The wall was made by gluing the rocks on with silicone, then filling in the cracks with silicone and covering the cracks with black sand.
I've figured out that I'm not going to see Hendricks much any more. With a tank 4 times larger than his original, he's got about 50 new hiding spots. This includes the rock cave. I made the cave by simply gluing a pile of rocks together with silicone.
The substrate is coconut fiber soil. A small water dish and the substrate with daily mistings help maintain the humidity. For light and heat, I installed a candelabra bulb base with a reflector. I'm currently running a 29W halogen (40W replacement) on a dimmer.
To top it all off, I added a name plate and species identification in stamped brass.
Finally, here's a shot comparing the new and old vivs. I'm sure Hendricks will be happy with the upgrade. Thanks for checking it out, and let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Cheers.
Here it is.
The new viv is made from a (fake) antique wood and glass display case. Inside, it's a 5 gallon tank. There are glass doors on both sides, a glass top, and I made a rock wall for the back. The case didn't have a back when I bought it so I made one out of thin plywood, with a screen vent cut near the top. I did a couple coats of sealant on the inside, and filled in any small holes that feeders (fruit flies, bean beetles, pinhead crickets) might escape from.
The rock wall is made from real rocks gathered from outside the theatre, where I would occasionally see other geckos running about. The wall was made by gluing the rocks on with silicone, then filling in the cracks with silicone and covering the cracks with black sand.
I've figured out that I'm not going to see Hendricks much any more. With a tank 4 times larger than his original, he's got about 50 new hiding spots. This includes the rock cave. I made the cave by simply gluing a pile of rocks together with silicone.
The substrate is coconut fiber soil. A small water dish and the substrate with daily mistings help maintain the humidity. For light and heat, I installed a candelabra bulb base with a reflector. I'm currently running a 29W halogen (40W replacement) on a dimmer.
To top it all off, I added a name plate and species identification in stamped brass.
Finally, here's a shot comparing the new and old vivs. I'm sure Hendricks will be happy with the upgrade. Thanks for checking it out, and let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Cheers.
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