My Wife's Creation!

[Double D]

I'm still letting it air some more before I put it in. Once I put it in I'll post up some pics. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

AMAZING!

 

[mainelygeckos]

Ever notice how strange and "omg that looks terrible" it seems to be before you grout and paint? LOL Looks awesome now! I am working on some styrofoam projects myself and this has def made me think how it can look in the end thanks was doubting it cause it looks so awful at first lol but end result is so worth it! great job to you and your wife!

 

[lisa s]

It looks GREAT

 

[mystikal222]

That looks fantastic!! A little crazy in the first pics lol but soooooo amazing at the end!!

 

[Double D]

I've got in the aquarium now. I'm going to try to post some pics today or tomorrow of it in the aquarium. Thanks for all the great replies. I'll agree with the not looking too hot before paint. I was a little unsure on it before I painted it. But I think it turned out good! Not too bad for the first one I ever made, huh? Already planning on making another one!

 

[latshki]

thats looks great I think I may have to use your method on my current styro project

 

[Double D]

OK Here it is in the aquarium. Its a little messy, I took the pictures before daily housekeeping arrived :main_yes: Planning on getting rock style water dish.

 

[Saphira]

looks cool. what is in the glass bowl?

 

[Double D]

Crickets that commited suicide the night before. :dead: Notice I said before housekeeping arrived. :main_laugh: I took the pics before I cleaned out their aquariums yesterday morning. Please excuse me I'm a man :main_huh:

 

[Saphira]

hehe... I kind of thought they were critters

 

[ang3l3s]

looks great!!!!! any probs with the the mud chipping after??? any cracks, how long did u let the paint dry ???

 

[ruthie_bee]

wow - I love it! I want to put in a second floor in my tank, but I'm not sure I have the skills! Fancy a trip over to England to make me one?

 

[Alliemac]

It looks amazing!!! You've inspired me to try and make my own.

 

[GeckoGathering]

What a Gecko Construction Team...Yea team.

Wow, talk about nice work.......that's a dandy, cool,
addition to the hobby.
(suggestion: Seal it a couple coats)
geckos will rub off the paint and mud.
Again, really nice!
Take care. HJ
​

 

[Double D]

I've had no chipping yet. I let it dry/air out for about a week before I put it the aquarium. I put three coats of sealer on it. My little patty loves it. I'm planning on making another one for my 20L real soon. I'll post it up when I do. Not sure when I'll do it but I'll show it off. Thanks for all the comments and replies.

 

[hutena]

Really nice!

 

[fender120993]

Can you tell me how you did that (step by step)
I really wanna make one!
and btw, how much did it cost?

 

[lillith]

I just want to know what kind of "mud" is used...if you please?

 

[Double D]

Supplies needed: 1" Styrofoam Board (Sheathing Insulation) (sold at Lowe's, home depot, etc.), utility knife, tape measure, sharpie marker, toothpicks, joint compound (drywall mud), liquid nails general purpose, 2 cans textured/stone style spray paint ( I used Rust-Oleum American Accents Stone Paint purchased at wal-mart), and a can of protective sealer, don't use a high gloss sealer.

Step #1: Measure the inside of the aquarium you are putting the wall into. You need to measure the clearance you have at the top of your aquarium to freely place your wall into the aquarium. Give your self about a half inch to allow for mud application. Example: So if you have 9" wide by 15" long, then you should be building something like 8 1/2" by 14 1/2", leaving you room to add mud. You don't to make your wall and then not be able to get in your aquarium. Keep these measurements and start building accordingly.

Step #2: Hardest Step. You need to have a basic idea of how you want your wall to look like. Using your measurements cut out a back wall piece. Cut it to size. Start cutting away with your utility knife. Cutting, trimming, shaving, breaking, pieces to suit you, small pieces, large pieces, ledges, etc., the more imperfections the natural look you get. The more you connected to the back the better stability you'll have. I used toothpicks to mock my build so I could move things around until we got what we like.

Step#3: Gluing a bit messy. Use the liquid nails to glue all your pieces together. You can use the glue generously, it dries hard as rock. All ledges you may have be sure they supported well. My long ledge has another small directly under it for added support. Let all the glue dry over night. Once dry put it into your aquarium to see anything else you want to add or take away. Easier to change before mud step.

Step #4: Apply Mud: Really Messy: Just start Appling. There is no wrong way to do it. I used a narrow putty knife, my hands and fingers, I also used a pencil to get to the small crevices. Remember imperfections are good. You just want to get a good coat on it. It will be thicker in some spot and thinner in others. I just made sure I had a thin layer in all spots. I didn't put any mud on the back side or the bottom edges. Once you have good thin layer let it dry overnight.

Step #5 : Paint. I painted the back side (no mud on it) first with regular black spray paint. I used a dark color stone paint to cover the entire thing (not the back side). I then use a light color stone paint to highlight it in spots. I also used some regular black paint for some shading in spots. But you can paint to suit you. Let it dry overnight.

Step #6: Sealer. Important. Apply the sealer of your choice. I put 3 thin coats on about 2 hours between each coat. Careful the sealer I used was thin a would run easy. Don't want runs in your wall.

Step #7: Air it out. I let mine air out about a week before putting it in. Put it in some sun outside to air out some too.

Step #8: ENJOY!