Alright already!
I get it.
I've waited long enough to address what has easily been the most requested project on the channel.
Meet Felix, the Bearded Dragon.
More specifically, he's a Hypo Translucent Leatherback Het for Witblit.
My friend told me he needed a larger home about 9 months back.
That's when I seized the opportunity to finally make this build happen
since it's an animal I likely won't include in my personal collection.
We've been planning this for a long time and were finally able to finish the job.
Going back 14 years, I bought what was my first large enclosure, this 90 Gallon Aquarium.
Its previous owner used it as an aquarium before I got it.
I did the same at first, then it housed my late Snapping Turtle Olivia,
then an aquarium once more, and in recent years it's been collecting dust in my garage.
Needless to say, this tank shows its age.
The glass is scratched and etched and thus unsuitable for a display tank.
However, with a little modification, we can bring new life to it.
I began by removing the frame from the top of the tank.
I cut through the silicone seam on the inside.
Then, I used a putty knife, like a wedge, to slightly separate the pieces at the top.
This allowed me to break the seal between the glass.
Finally, I was able to dismantle the tank.
I'll put the same pieces back together, but I'll make some adjustments prior.
I wanted to include side ventilation.
For that, I set up a guide on the appropriate pieces of glass.
Like I've shown before, it's just a piece of Corrugated Plastic taped to the glass.
I fill the guide with water and drill away with a Diamond Tipped Hole Saw.
From there, I went on to remove all of the excess silicone from the glass.
To keep a clean aesthetic, I painted the bottom frame with Krylon Fusion Paint.
I'll reuse all of the glass, except for the front.
As a replacement, I have two pieces of 1/2” Thick Glass, which are cut to the width of the tank.
I taped off the edges for consistent silicone beads.
I'll use 100% Silicone to reconstruct the tank.
I applied it to the bottom frame first.
I placed the bottom piece of glass over this and clamped
it together to ensure everything stays put.
I ran silicone along the edges of the bottom piece and attached the rest, starting with the back.
I taped it ahead of time for clean beads.
I put silicone along the edges and secured the side pieces with tape.
I repeated the process on the bottom for the substrate tray.
I went back and applied silicone along the inside seams.
I smoothed it out with my finger.
I removed the tap and left the silicone to cure.
Afterward, I removed the clamps and anchoring tape.
I turned the tank on its back and attached the top piece of glass like before.
Then, I applied silicone to the top edge of the tank and secured the frame.
Again, I let it cure overnight.
Here's how it looks now.
I still have more elements to add, but I'll do that after constructing the background.
For that we'll use XPS Insulation Foam.
I had plenty of scraps and off-cuts from other projects.
We cut these up into small strips and stacked them up the back of the tank.
As we did this, we sketched out overhangs and cut out the shapes with a Scroll Saw.
We continued up the entire back of the tank and
worked in driftwood as we went to build up the base design.
We ended up with something that could work quite well.
To make this look natural we added the details.
I carved out the base shape with a Wire Brush Drill Attachment,
while Nate added details with a Foam Carving Tool.
This took a long time, but eventually we made it through.
We finalized the pieces with a quick pass of a Heat Gun.
This tightens up the foam, makes it stronger, and brings out the carved texture.
We went on to attach these pieces to the back of the tank with silicone.
We labeled everything prior, so the pieces could be reassembled with ease.
We let the silicone cure overnight.
After that, I went back with Expanding Foam to fill in the cracks.
I let it cure.
Then, I carved it out to match the rest of the foam.
I carved additional details and cracks to tie it all together.
Here's how it ended up looking.
I'll paint this with tinted Drylok like I've shown in other recent projects.
I started with a base layer of black.
This will fill in all of the cracks and establish the details.
It's the most important layer, so I was careful to make sure to apply it thoroughly.
I let this layer dry and added the subsequent layers with a dry brush technique.
I painted on dark brown, which brings out some of the details, but not much.
The third layer I used was a terracotta color.
This will add more color and give that land down under feel.
A thing you'll notice as I apply these paints is that they're much brighter before they dry.
The final layer I applied was a light brown to bring everything full circle.
After the paint dried, I removed excess on the glass with a Razor Scraper.
The background is looking really good, which means we can add the driftwood.
Initially, I tried to replicate our original layout, but it just didn't look right.
So, I scrapped it and came up with a completely new design.
I really wanted to utilize all the space within the setup and get an aesthetically pleasing look.
Here's what I ended up with.
I locked all of these pieces together with expanding foam.
I carved out the foam and painted it to match the rest of the background.
With those items complete, I can finish the tank's exterior.
I applied silicone to the Glass Tracks and taped them in place.
I also added Custom Aluminum Screens to the top.
I put a dab of silicone in each corner and secured them with stainless steel pan head screws.
I made the screens like I've shown in previous builds and
will link up a video outlining the process.
After that, I framed in the front of the tank with PVC Boards.
I applied silicone to the edges and clamped them down while it cured.
These will make the overall aesthetic appear cleaner.
As for the ventilation holes on the sides, I'll use Stainless Steel Sink Strainers.
They might look a little silly, but they're the perfect size.
I painted them black to match the rest of the hardware.
Then, I siliconed them to the inside of the tank.
For the doors, I used two pieces of 1/8” Thick Plate Glass.
I cut them out myself and as usual, I sanded the edges, so they're safe to handle.
I placed them in the tracks and installed the lock.
I marked for it on the left pane and drilled a hole.
I secured the hardware after that.
I also added Stick On Handles near the bottom of the doors.
Finally, I concealed the sides of the foam with Acrylic Paint.
Another component we'll need is a water bowl.
I was going to carve one from scratch, but I decided to refurbish an old one instead.
I painted it exactly the same as the background, so everything matches.
I went back and sealed the inside with three layers of Pond Armor Epoxy,
which is made for applications like this.
It will help the piece hold up for years to come.
Let's go behind the glass once more to finish the setup.
We started with 5” of the Base Substrate.
It's a mix of Organic Top Soil, Coco Fiber, and Play Sand.
I wanted to include Excavator Clay as well, but it's unavailable pretty much everywhere right now.
Either way, the current mix will suffice.
We put the water bowl in for placement and added the plants.
First up were various tillandsia.
They'll add pops of texture and color to the background.
We secured them with Super Glue Gel to ensure they stay put.
We also added several Thornsless Prickly Pear Cactus plants.
I think these really add a vibe to the design.
An Elephant Bush was added for a little accent and texture.
A few Haworthia Plants were included as well.
From there, we added a top dressing of Jurassic Natural Australian Sand.
This stuff is awesome and is actually gathered from
the bearded dragon's native range in Australia.
However, on its own, it's not ideal for bioactive tanks and is served best as a top layer.
We also sprinkled it all throughout the rocky background to tie everything together.
No bioactive tank is complete without Leaf Litter, right?
We started with a thin layer just to get a feel for how it will look.
From there, we added more plants including Oregano and Mint.
The herbs are more experimental than the other plants.
In theory they should do well, but there's always the possibility they don't thrive.
That said, there's more than enough plants otherwise, that it's fine if they don't.
Let's introduce the clean up crew.
First up are Super Worms.
I dug out a section in the tank and poured in a large group of them.
They'll dig throughout the substrate and become an occasional snack for Felix.
We also added a colony of Arid Springtails.
Again, I dug up the substrate and loosely buried the entire culture.
Here, it can become established, in the lower layers.
I added pieces of Cork Bark to the landscape to create areas of refuge for the micro fauna.
Especially the next inclusion, 60 Powder Orange Isopods.
These are prolific, blend in with the substrate, and should thrive in this type of environment.
I added the groups under the cork bark pieces, but it didn't take long before they began exploring.
I topped everything off with more leaf litter.
Finally, I sprinkled in a little more desert sand over all the components for a seamless look.
A quick overview of the tank before we add Felix.
Every decision made here was very deliberate.
From the plants to the scape, it's all designed with purpose.
All of the plants are safe if ingested and should thrive in this environment.
Plus as they establish, they'll become an integral
component of the bioactive process as I've explained in past videos.
The substrate is deep enough that the under layers
stay moist for the plants and cleanup crew, while the top stays nice and dry.
You'll notice that the background and scape are built with two purposes in mind.
First is a sort of stair-like system that leads up to the basking hot spot.
Sure, Felix can just easily climb up the sticks, but we thought this would be a nice inclusion.
It also doubles as a refuge and hide.
The entire space under the stairs is quite spacious and easy to access.
With that in mind, I think we did a great job maximizing the space.
There are plenty of areas to explore and provide
enrichment, while also creating gradients of heat and humidity.
My guess is that every inch of space will get used.
I'll quickly mention that there is a full length UVB T5 in the hood,
a Halogen Basking Bulb, an LED Strip Light for the plants, and other elements.
I didn't want to get into the specifics in this video because
they are largely dependent on how the tank is designed.
To conclude on that, this was my take on a bioactive bearded dragon habitat.
It goes without saying to do your own research,
but I think what we've created is a great solution.
Also, just because it's bioactive, that doesn't mean this is a care free tank.
Spot cleaning and general maintenance is still required.
With all of that addressed, I'd say we're good to add Felix.
I'm so happy to have finally made this build
happen for those of you who have been asking for years.
I hope you all enjoyed it and learned something new.
Anyway, be sure to leave a like, comment,
and subscribe for the YouTube algorithm to help your boy out.
Until next time SerpaSquad, take care and peace!