Avatar-inspired vivarium build

[Equidoc2013]

Hey guys,

I need some advice from people who have used various forms of cement to build backgrounds before. I'm building a 29 gallon viv inspired by the movie Avatar. It will mimic the rainforest of Pandora, and will have a rock wall with waterfall. I constructed the background with Polyfoam from Hobby Lobby. A picture is attached. I was planning on using underlayment cement like the guy on here who built the fantastic 60 gallon viv, but underlayment cement is impossible to find. I bought some quickcrete mortar mix and tested it on a different background for another viv I'm building that isn't as special to me as the avatar tank. The quickcrete was a nightmare! It doesn't want to stick to the polyfoam, and I had to apply it so thickly (by hand, impossible to paint on) that the original architecture of the foam was completely lost. Does anyone know what would be best to use that can be applied thinly, so that I will be able to see the shapes I carved out of the foam? I don't mind if I have to cure it with vinegar, I was already planning on that for the cement anyway, and I will be painting it with acrylic paints to seal it. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

-Alyson

[VivariumWorks]

If you want to retain much of your original carving you will need to go with an epoxy, or possibly the drylock paint. I've done the epoxy plenty, but I can't personally vouch for the drylock paint. (The high VOC content is partly why I don't mess with it.)

Using grout or cement in thin layers can be done but keep in mind the thinner it is more likely it will chip, crack, or flake off. And of course the whole 4 week+ curing will still be a factor.

[dope.fatboy]

ARMORSTONE - POLYGEM, Inc.

[batrachotoxin]

Originally Posted by VivariumWorks

If you want to retain much of your original carving you will need to go with an epoxy, or possibly the drylock paint. I've done the epoxy plenty, but I can't personally vouch for the drylock paint. (The high VOC content is partly why I don't mess with it.)

There are multiple Drylok products but the one ZB uses in the Josh'sfrogs video seems to be the latex based product. I must admit that I deduced this solely by freeze framing the video and then comparing pictures of product.

IN GENERAL, latex based products will have amines (stinky chemicals) in them. they do stink but won't jack you up or get you high like an oil based product would with what would normally be called "VOCs" or volatile organic compounds.
So there is a drylok compound that would certainly give you a high "VOC" exposure, but thankfully it seems that ZB used the latex one. I haven't read the labels yet, but would bet that like most latex based products it is stinky amines, which are actually preferable to VOCs as far as health issues. they also disappear pretty quickly when it dries.

Now, if only someone that has actually used the stuff will post instead of me rambling with my suppositions!

[Equidoc2013]

Originally Posted by VivariumWorks

If you want to retain much of your original carving you will need to go with an epoxy, or possibly the drylock paint. I've done the epoxy plenty, but I can't personally vouch for the drylock paint.

Thanks! I like the drylok idea, but could you give me a specific product name for the epoxy so I can look it up? Googling "epoxy" has gotten me nowhere.

[batrachotoxin]

I think dopefatboy did just that in this thread already

[Equidoc2013]

Originally Posted by batrachotoxin

I think dopefatboy did just that in this thread already

Could you be a little more specific?

[zBrinks]

Originally Posted by batrachotoxin

There are multiple Drylok products but the one ZB uses in the Josh'sfrogs video seems to be the latex based product. I must admit that I deduced this solely by freeze framing the video and then comparing pictures of product.

IN GENERAL, latex based products will have amines (stinky chemicals) in them. they do stink but won't jack you up or get you high like an oil based product would with what would normally be called "VOCs" or volatile organic compounds.
So there is a drylok compound that would certainly give you a high "VOC" exposure, but thankfully it seems that ZB used the latex one. I haven't read the labels yet, but would bet that like most latex based products it is stinky amines, which are actually preferable to VOCs as far as health issues. they also disappear pretty quickly when it dries.

Now, if only someone that has actually used the stuff will post instead of me rambling with my suppositions!

Yup, that's what I used. I've had friends use it in aquariums for years with no issues, so I decided to give it a try in vivaria. As long as it is allowed to dry completely (I typically wait a couple/few weeks), it seems to be safe.

[BethInAK]

I would use the dryloc (latex based) for that if you wanted to use the existing texture. Its thin, like thickish paint and will keep your details.

[Equidoc2013]

Thanks everybody! Just bought the drylok, we'll see how it goes!