Making Fake Rocks

[ProjectReptile]

I second Sbre's notion.

On the rock building note, I am going to look around at Lowes and Home Depot to see if they have a few shades of orange and rust colored grout. I am planning on making a background using this method and those colors to create a 'sandstone' effect for a bearded dragon tank. I'm looking to make a miniture version of something like this:

[zachattack]

there is only one red. they also have balck and a mustard yellow. i am makinkg a bg for my beardie that i am attempting to make the final result look like your pic. i am going to use various layers of the afore mentioned colors to achieve this look. i think the results should be good. you can mix the powdered pigments to achieve your ideal shade of rust red.

[zachattack]

this is my background for my beardie i am working on. It is blue styrofoam, i covered it with two layers of grout thus far, i have like 3 layers to go.

[hoyta]

I like it!

[jpstod]

Thanks for sharing everyone.

I am so glad that alot of people in the Hobby of keeping Animals of any type are moving away from just plain empty cages to Naturualistic Vivariums. Just like Zoos have moved away from bland cages.

I have been looking for 3d Ideas for more tanks.

Keep sharing everyone.

[plural_of_fant]

Great thread.. hx you mentioned using an acrylic copolymer several times.. and not much more specific.. care to elaborate? What exactly is it, and how is it used.

[HX]

Originally Posted by plural_of_fant

. hx you mentioned using an acrylic copolymer several times.. and not much more specific.. care to elaborate? What exactly is it, and how is it used.

Acrylic copolymeres are airdrying 1-component liquid plastics. Stable when dried up.
In this thread I mean the types designed for use in construction industry, additives for modified cements and plasters.
They are used for a number of goals. Strengthening, making the product more flexible or water/grease resistant, sticking better to the surface it's put on. You name it.
Many makes with slightly different qualities. But of the ones I have used, none have proven unsuitable for this process.
Sold in bottles or cans...

Manufacturers tend to give very specific ratios of mixtures for their products, but basically they are all mixed in with water that is then mixed in with cement/concrete/plaster.

I tend to make a lot thinner (=more water) mixture of grout for this process than what the grout manufacturers recommend. This leads me to believe that the ratios the polymere manufacturers recommend, do not apply.
In general, I mix in less polymere to the mixture than a typical recommendation of 3 parts water/1 part polymere. But I can't give an exact amount...
I just sorta spill some into the mixture and work with it. And sometimes I spray some polymere/water mixture onto the finished stone. It sucks in to the dried up cement quite well and leaves you with a more dirt resistant surface than without a sprayed coat...

Hope this helps some.

[plural_of_fant]

very helpful thank you

[Ed]

If I remember correctly... using less than the require ratio can lead to some significant levels of unpolymerized acrylic polymer which can allow the unpolymerized monomers to leach back out of the grout. Monomeric acrylics can be toxic.

Ed

[HX]

Originally Posted by Ed

If I remember correctly... using less than the require ratio can lead to some significant levels of unpolymerized acrylic polymer which can allow the unpolymerized monomers to leach back out of the grout. Monomeric acrylics can be toxic.

Ed

I admit that I've never heard of this before. And I admit my knowledge in chemistry is limited.

I also do realise that when asked about it, the manufacturers of almost all construction materials say they do not guarantee the safety of their materials in aquariums or terrariums.

But.
Flevopol is an acrylic copolymer. I haven't come up with any experience on Flevopol being toxic to problematic levels, despite the fact that it is used in various ratios of mixtures.

A good warning, though, Ed. Thank you.
Goes to show that you can never be too careful with using materials in contact with your animals.