Many people have commented on the setup of the Leuc/Azureus grow out tank. It is my only tank with an elaborate background. Fortunately, I took some pics in the process:

1. Coat the areas to be covered with backgroun with brown silicone. It will look nicer if you see the sides or back.

http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3239.jpg

2. Coat siliconed areas with Great Stuff insulation. Set in driftwood.

http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3241.jpg
http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3242.jpg

3. After Great Stuff cures, coat with brown silicone, and immediately coat with coir (which will stick to the wet silicone like glitter to glue in a kindergarter art project). It may not be perfect, as seen here.

http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3251.jpg
http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3257.jpg

4. Go back and coat again with more silicone, and coir. Scrape the excess silicone off the sides where there is no great stuff. Put down a layer of LECA, and then a layer of fiberglass screening.

http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3259.jpg

5. Add planting substrate and plant.


http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3261.jpg
http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3264.jpg
http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq176/mtolypetsupply/20L%20construction%20thread/IMG_3269.jpg

Great project. Thanks for showing the how-to on it.:rockon:

Nice project

Looks really good.

Neat stuff. Thanks for the step by step :D.

Oh man... looks like I will be making one of these as soon as Jen sees this..... :dunno: :D

Great step by step! Thanks for sharing!

Nice thread, Stephi!

My condolences, Ron.

Nice thread, Stephi!

My condolences, Ron.

thanks Bro! :lmao:

Great step by step Stephi and thank you. i think i will give this a try and get me some dart frogs for it lol.

Really nice walk through...thanks for sharing :cheers:

It's a little time consuming, but in the end, IMO, very worth the effect.

Some pointers for those about to make one:

1. Test a smear of your silicone before you goop up the whole tank. Even brand new tubes can sometimes be bad and not cure. Silicone that won't cure is a terrible mess to remove. And test every tube you get. Same box at the store doesn't mean they're all good.

2. WEAR GLOVES AND CRAPPY CLOTHES WHEN WORKING WITH GREAT STUFF. If you look at how to remove it from skin and clothes, I think it basically tells you it just has to wear off. I'm not kidding, wear latex gloves.

3. Great stuff will expand. A LOT. It can even crack your tank if forced into tight spots. Allow for that.

4. Great stuff can be sculpted with a knife after it fully cures. Do not try to do so early, as you'll just remove the outer skin and have another goopy mess.


Gotta go make dinner, I'll think on other tips and post them when I can.

:)

Stephi, that is a really good post and pic process!! Love it!

Oh!! And as for gotta go make dinner, you can repeat just like you did here, but put it in the recipies section!!:lmao::cheers:

A few more tips:

5. If you are going to hide misting or fogging or drainage/siphoning tubing in the background, run a tunnel of PVC in the great stuff, THEN when it's all cured, run your tubing through the pvc, as electrcians would run wires through conduit. If you have a clog, a break or any other issue, you will be able to pull out the tubing and make your repairs. If the tubing is set directly in the great stuff, you will have to destroy the whole background to get it out.

6. A bulkhead at the bottom is always good to drain excess water, but if you don't want to go through all that, you can always remove excess with a turkey baster down into the Leca layer.

7. A better way to do the WHOLE thing is to turn the tank on it's side, and make doors for the front. If the tank mods for that are too much (they sure were for me), then invest in acrylic hinges, and a knob, and get two pieces of glass cut so you can leave most of the lid in place, and hinge up a small portion at the front of the tank for feeding and minor maintenance. As this tank is, I used a screen lid I covered with press and seal, so have to remove the whole lid (and take the lights off, and move the mister hose) to feed/do maintenance. I have hinges, just need to get the glass cut when I have some money.

8. Be Creative!!!! You can set a whole bunch of things into that back wall to enhance it. Small plastic flower pots can be inset, and planted into. Water features can be made, with really cool drip walls, and cascades down rocks and pieces of wood. And you can use plenty of stuff you find around your own yards or nearby places. "Driftwood" from local beaches/riverbanks, leaf litter from your yard, old plant pots, scrap wood (once covered with great stuff and silicone/coir, no one will know you raided your scrap pile and cut out perfect "roots").

Now I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!!!!

If I had the room for full enclosures, I'd do this for my snakes, too. I'm not fond of the backdrops one buys at the store. And hubby built the dragon cages, else there'd be some fun and funky stuff in there!

:)

Very nice job. iCandi it a lot. Maybe when I slowly get into Tree Frogs Ill come back to this thread. ;)