Fired Clay

[Ryan]

If anyone has access to a kiln, it would be a cool experiment to make a clay background thats fired, that you silicon with a gap behind it in the vivarium where you would fill with water. That way it seeps moister and keeps all mosses and plants watered. Similar to the way the drainage pipse are used for the nano vivs they use in europe. Any thoughts?

[Ed]

Is there any advantage to this over a regular non-fired clay background? I'm asking as the fired clay will inhibit the penetration of the roots..

Ed

[Ryan]

Diary of a Mad Natural Historian Orchid nano-viv

IF you see the designs, they seem to water almost perfectly for different orchids n all. Just an idea i think could be cool, those dont allow actual penetration either, but seem to work great for them. Just a thought, may get surprising responses. My next project is a Clay Background similar to the one you posted before, I am going to track down some redart clay and Calcium bentonite if i can find it.

[Ed]

With that kind of use, you can probably get away without a kiln and do a simple wood firing. The lower temperature firing makes the clay a little more porus allowing for better water wicking.
Or for this kind of use, you can probably build a basic kiln from cinderblocks and fire it..

Ed