DIY Habitat Decor: pt. 1
Please note: this guide is for creating realistic backgrounds. There are other background options out there using spray foam and coco fiber, but i use foam panels to create my backgrounds, because the coco fiber backgrounds look artificial to me. You can check out you tube for that technique, as I will not describe it in this short guide.
Base Sculpting Materials
These are the basic ingredients needed to start creating a background for your reptiles.
Styrofoam:
There are two types of foam to look into:
•polystyrene/styrofoam panels are cheap and readily available. They break apart easily with your hands, and easily create irregular rock shapes. It isnt very good for crisp, sharp corners, but it can make some nice rounded edges. The spheres of the material also can provide a great rock texture by themselves. This material isnt great if you are trying to carve specific features, because it is crumbly and a little unpredictable. I prefer it because the unpredictability lends to the realism of rock shapes. It's very messy to work with and gets everywhere. Be aware: some companies will put biocide and fire proofing into their styrofoam to make their product last longer. Be sure you are getting styrofoam without additives.
•foamular pink insulation: more expensive, but great for specific detail. This stuff requires more artistic finesse to create rock work. The foam is particularly dense, and consistent throughout unlike polystyrene that is made of those tiny spheres. Its great for sculpting specific details, and provides those sharply formed corners that polystyrene struggles to make.
Spray foam:
Insulation spray foam is commonly used to make irregular rock shapes, and provide a denser material to carve certain details. If also can work as an adhesive, which can strengthen your styrofoam carvings.
There are 3 animal safe versions you can inspect.
1. Pond and stone. Comes in black. Can be submerged. In my experience it cured harder, and was much more difficult to shape- but that was 10 yrs ago i tried it so maybe its not the same. Im not sure.
2. Gaps and cracks. Light tan, off white. Provides a small bead with smaller air cells. Better for detail work.
3. Big gap filler. Light tan, off white. Large bead, larger air cells within the foam. Better for coco coir backgrounds where you silicone coco fiber to the foam.
Many people let this cure, then use silicone to adhere dry coco fiber to it. If you are grouting or painting you must remove the shiny outer layer of this expanding foam.
Be sure you have decent humidity in your location when using these. Urethane based foams require moisture for the chemical reaction to take effect. If you do not have enough humidity, the foam will turn out melty in appearance and have no volume.
Foam carving tools:
Tools are personal preference. These are what ive acquired over the years. I started with the exacto/hobby knife and the razor blade.
•wire brush: easily removes the outer coating of the spray foam, without losing its shape.
•Bear saw and bread knife: quick debulking; gets rid of larger portions of the foam in no time. The bread knife is flexible, where rhe bear saw is not as much, which allows you to make curves and not just straight lines.
•fillet knife: carving smaller chunks, some detailing; very flexible- great for curved pieces.
•steak knife: good for debulking smaller pieces; can be used for detailing
•razor blade and exacto/hobby knife: for detailing.
Not pictured:
•sharpening stone: Get one and learn to use it. Foam will dull your knives very quickly.
•dremel: has a wire brush bit that replaces the manual work of the wire brush pictured.
•Hot knife styrofoam cutter:i woulsnt recommend buying one unless you know youll be doing multiple enclosures. This does not work on the spray foam, only styrofoam. Much much faster and more precise than knives, after a bit of practice.
Silicone:
Silicone is used as glue and to bond the pieces to the enclosure.
There may be others types that are safe, but the typical go tos are GE silicone 1 All Purpose or aquarium silicone. The GE silicone MUST state silicone 1 in the top right corner and "all purpose" on the label. This is because GE silicone 2 and GE silicone 1 Tub and Shower have mold and mildew inhibitors that are toxic and not animal safe. Their new label says 7 years mold free, however, that is not because of additives, that is because silicone is naturally mold/mildew resistant.
Aquarium silicone/sealant is obviously animal safe, but is typically more expensive. If you are unsure about GE, then opt for Aquarium silicone.
Keep an eye out for the next part!
