Yo what's up SerpaSquad!
Tanner here and I'm back with another vivarium build.
Not just one, but three.
Let me give a little context though.
Seven years ago I adopted a Crested Gecko.
I fell in love with him and bought another one from a breeder.
Shortly after, I built them identical plywood tanks and intended to stop there.
However, several years after that, I adopted a Gargoyle Gecko.
She currently lives in an Exo Terra, which doesn't fit into my collection.
I did that to show what's possible and to house her until I had time to do this.
I'm not taking on any more geckos like these.
Crested and gargoyle geckos essentially have the same care requirements, so I made a dedicated
area for them.
Three identical plywood tanks that measure 24 inches wide, 24 inches deep, and 24 inches
tall, which is roughly 60 gallons.
I'll do a separate video on how I built these in the future.
Let's get to work.
The first thing to address are the backgrounds.
I'll use 2 Inch Thick Insulation Foam as the base.
I cut out three pieces for each tank.
Initially I tried to create texture with a Clay Carving Tool.
This worked well, but it took a long time.
I also tried a Hot Wire Tool, but I didn't like those results.
I ended up using a combination of techniques.
I used a Wire Brush Drill Bit to carve out the majority of the foam.
I found that moving the drill from side to side while carving, made the best texture.
As I worked, I vacuumed debris to keep things clean.
I went back with the clay carving tool to add more texture.
Also, I carved the side pieces before the back.
This allowed me to ensure things fit together optimally.
Finally, I did a quick pass with a Heat Gun to tighten up the foam.
I'll paint these to look like dirt.
For that, I'm using tintable White Drylok and Quikrete Tints.
First, I mixed in black and brown pigments to get a dark base.
I painted this onto all nine of the backgrounds.
This is probably the most important layer, so I made sure to get it into all the cracks.
Otherwise, you may have to go back and touch up a few spots.
After that layer dried, I added the next layers with a dry brush technique.
I loaded the brush with dark brown and lightly brushed it over the background.
Since it's a light coating it dries quickly.
I went back with a lighter brown to add the highlights.
This will really bring out all of the texture.
This technique is easy to do, fairly cheap, produces amazing results,
and is a great option for geckos.
The paint creates a hard, textured surface that's easy to grip.
In contrast, the silicone and coco fiber method causes them to slip around
unless you add other elements as I've explained before.
Yo, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that making a project like this is very time consuming.
From concept and making everything you see, as well as editing down the video
and uploading the final product that you're viewing right now
it can take anywhere from 60 to 80 hours.
So if you wouldn't mind just scrolling down real quick, hitting the like button
and subscribing if you haven't done so already
it would really help me out a lot to continue making stuff like this.
Back to the video.
Anyway, let's put them in the enclosures.
I situated the backs first.
Then, I applied silicone to the sides and wedged them in place.
It all fits tight enough that silicone isn't needed, but I added it as a precaution in
case the thinner areas start to bow.
I think the end result looks amazing, but it will look even better with the hardscape.
Since they'll all have a similar design, I chose different materials for each tank.
I have Mopani Wood
Manzanita Wood
and Malaysian Driftwood.
As I'm scaping these, the main thing I'm trying to create is horizontal space.
Yes these are arboreal animals that appreciate taller tanks, but without areas to perch,
in my opinion, going vertical is pointless.
So, as I placed the mopani in the first tank, my goal was to incorporate those spaces.
In doing so, I followed the features of the driftwood to create a pleasing layout.
Once I got a nice design, I taped everything to the top.
This kept it all in place while I applied Expanding Foam, which will lock the elements in place.
I let it cure for a few hours.
I went back and ripped off the expanded portions to match the rest of the background.
I repeated those steps in the next tank.
This one was easier because the scape only consists of three pieces.
I situated them so that they come from a central location.
I taped them in place and applied the foam.
Again, I did the same thing in the third tank.
This one was even easier because I was able to wedge the pieces in place.
I want two of the tanks to have plants on the the backgrounds, so I added Planter Pots.
I placed them in secure locations and filled them with paper.
This kept them empty while I applied the foam.
I carved these out and painted them to match the rest of the background.
I also need to address the food situation.
When I make these tanks, I like to include the food dish in the scape itself.
I use plastic cups as base for these biodegradable dishes.
Anyway, as you'd expect I foamed them in place to match the rest of the background.
I later drilled holes in the cups, so that they don't fill with stagnant water.
Before we complete the tanks, I thoroughly rinsed them off.
This will clear away excess debris from the painting process.
At this point, it's probably also worth mentioning that all of these tanks are drilled with bulkheads.
The benefit to this, is the false bottom can never overflow.
As for the false bottom, I'll use Leca.
Prior to use it can be helpful to soak these in water.
Otherwise, they'll pull moisture from the setup until they become saturated.
I soaked mine overnight.
While that's happening, let's mix up the substrate.
I'll use a combination of elements, including,
Coco Fiber, Coco Chips, Orchid Bark, Sphagnum Moss, Sand, and the remainder of an older Substrate.
I'll list everything up on screen.
Since there's charcoal in the mix, I'm not going to make a dedicated layer.
As for the substrate barrier, I'll use Geotextile Fabric.
This will keep substrate out of the false bottom.
First, I added a layer of leca to each tank.
I have this going just above the bulkhead.
If the false bottom floods, it will overflow without having any affect on the substrate.
I placed the barrier on top of this layer.
You'll notice that they're cut slightly larger than the tank.
I did this so the sides fold up and further help to keep the substrate above the false bottom.
Now we can add the substrate.
Like usual, I sloped this layer toward the back of the tank to create depth.
The plants will primarily be near the back, so that's where the substrate is needed most.
I also lined the planters with fabric and filled them with substrate.
Let's bring them to life with the plants.
I started in the middle tank with an Umbrella Plant.
I put it in the background and throughout the manzanita branches.
It will create good coverage, without blocking the driftwood.
A warning about this plant though.
It's going to require consistent pruning, so it doesn't outgrow the enclosure.
I even trimmed it a little bit to start so the foliage wasn't as dense.
As I'm sure you would probably expect, I have to add Golden Pothos.
I situated it inside the background planters.
I also added Variegated Inch Plant as an accent.
Long term, this should grow up through the canopy for added interest.
As for the second tank, I started with a Bird's Nest Fern.
I put it inside a background planter.
Just like the other tank, I also added a few shoots of umbrella plant and golden pothos.
These should grow other the scape and create a cool look.
As for the final tank, I have a huge Red Guzmania Bromeliad.
I like the pop of red and how it fills in the space.
I also added a Swiss Cheese Vine.
I planted near the bottom in a place where it can grow up through the branches.
I love the texture they create and they will also add to the canopy long term.
I finished it off with an umbrella plant.
After all of that, I generously misted the substrate to get everything nice and hydrated.
I gave the foliage a quick spray as well.
The last design element to address is the Leaf Litter.
I have a mix of Oak and Magnolia Leaves.
These will help naturalize the setup, create a home for the clean up crew, and long term
they'll provide nutrients to the plants as they decompose.
As for the clean up crew I have a few things.
First and foremost are the Springtails.
These will clean up after the geckos and address any potential mold outbreaks.
I also have various Isopods.
These also will clean up after the gecko.
The combination of these, along with beneficial bacterias, and fungi that will develop over time,
will turn this into a living ecosystem that requires no maintenance,
other than trimming the plants.
In line with that, a lot of you ask me about cleaning the background.
If you're consistently spraying the tank, this shouldn't be a concern at all.
Just spray it down and the clean up crew will do the rest.
I want to address a few other key points prior to adding the animals.
First is how I designed the enclosures.
I already talked about the background and hardscape, but what about the plants?
Everything I chose is easy to grow and resilient.
These animals aren't intentionally destructive, but they will ruin delicate plants.
I chose my selection accordingly.
Having foliage is also important because of how these geckos drink.
They prefer to gather water off of the leaves and won't really use a water bowl.
You'll also notice that these tanks are all deceivingly full of plants.
I say deceivingly, because there's still a lot of room for the animals.
They can be within the heart of the scape and feel secure because of the coverage, but
they have unrestricted access to nearly every branch.
They can also hide behind elements in the scape if they are feeling insecure.
In contrast, there are also open areas where they can go if they're feeling confident,
which is usually at night.
Something else that you'll notice is that these tanks aren't being blasted with light.
These are nocturnal animals that hide for most of the day.
You're much more likely to see them in the day if you go for a dimmer environment.
I simply have some LED Strip Lights that work well for growing plants.
Although I have in the past, I don't provide UVB for these geckos.
Some hobbyists like to include it and in low amounts it's probably beneficial,
but it's not a requirement for successfully keeping these specific geckos.
The last thing I'll say is that these are great animals that usually take to handling quite well.
I'm still trying to socialize Cynthia, but both Henry and Delilah are very receptive.
Consistent and positive human interactions, combined with a good environment,
makes for confident animals.
Don't force them to do anything, learn to read they're behaviors, work with them,
and be patient.
The process will vary from animal to animal because they're all individuals.
Also, moving animals into new setups can briefly break trust.
They're used to their current homes and switching them over can cause momentary stress.
After all, these are creatures of habit that like consistency.
I really hope you all enjoyed the video and learned something new.
Until next time SerpaSquad, take care and peace!