Hey everyone and welcome to a very special background build! I have been working on this for quite awhile now and am excited to share it with you all. There is really so much that you can do with the techniques that I show in this video, not just for making awesomely realistic looking backgrounds. I will be using techniques like this a lot of future videos. That said this just goes over the basics since so many techniques are presented here. Thanks for watching and I hope that you can use this for your own projects! See the video description for material links.

@nicolasbrient1181

7 жыл бұрын

SerpaDesign Hey man i want know sothing , could you make live video it could be cool .

@thatfxckinnamekian6450

7 жыл бұрын

SerpaDesign DADDY YOU BACK

@lightningmoon8842

7 жыл бұрын

SerpaDesign Thankyou!! I'm totally going to be using this for my leopard gecko!!

@lightningmoon8842

7 жыл бұрын

can you do a video on making backgrounds out of polystyrene and expanding foam? thankyou!

@SerpaDesign

7 жыл бұрын

What like a live terrarium build?

setting a stiff mesh into the cement will give it extra strength to keep it from cracking as easily. Think of it as miniature rebar like the kind they use in huge concrete structures.

I just found you a few days ago when I was looking for terrarium ideas and now I'm watching these videos like a backround, not in a bad way, it is very pleasant how you talk, and this combination of a video and talks makes me so calm, haha

@SerpaDesign

7 жыл бұрын

Rimvydas M Haha nice! I like to have a diverse collection of content and a lot of people have said these videos are relaxing as well.

Every video of yours I watch I become more and more grateful. I don’t have the time or resources to learn this via other media. Plus, you are a great teacher. I look forward to starting my projects and then someday being able to complete them.

This is the most realistic DIY background I've ever seen! Really great work!

@billkampas3042

3 жыл бұрын

Probably because it is real

@bubblerings

Жыл бұрын

Am heading over to his foam and concrete video. Should be less weight. 😁

Youve made me decide to do a custom background for my living vivarium! im doing the spray foam part today!

As a suggestion, after you have the general clay sculpting done, you can take a piece of the rough, bubbly lava rock and use that to add a more realistic pattern to the clay portions by rolling it around over it... Further, for both making your mould and for casting from it, if you can get some box fans and place them face up underneath your plywood, you get the effect of a vibration table. It helps remove bubbles from the results

I'm loving your techniques and designs. Toward the end of this you mentioned that for larger builds, weight of the background could be an issue, especially with thicker (deeper) molds. This might be relieved somewhat if you first spread a thin layer of your concrete mix to establish the surface texture, then fill the rest of the way with a cement mix including a lot of perlite, which is much lighter. Just a suggestion based on experience making hypertufa.

@SerpaDesign

6 жыл бұрын

That most definitely would work and I'm sure it would cut a lot of weight off.

@AppletonPermaculture

4 жыл бұрын

Wow great idea. Perlite would really lighten it up.

I've found that using granite roof shingles works well for backgrounds. Has a very nice look. I shape the shingles with files or chipping then silicone them to the side of the tank being used. Make sure you get them "natural", not chemically treated with any water proofing. They usually have two holes drilled in for securing, I hide these by grinding up some small pieces of shingle, filling the holes with silicone then covering them with some granite "dust".

Hi SerpaDesign, this video is great as usual! You mention coating in epoxy as a potential option - I did my own floors with an epoxy finish and love how they turned out. The epoxy I used was very runny, though, so I don't think it would work well for this. I'm planning to make a rather large background, with a water feature built in, coated in epoxy; this seemed like a cool place to start. I'd love to see you make one of these concrete backgrounds with an epoxy coat! Any chance? Thanks, and keep making great stuff! :)

Very informative video. I’ve learned a lot from you man and for that I thank you. You’ve truly inspired me to take this all and make it a new hobby in which I am very passionate about. I spent a month cutting and carving foam sheets and cementing them and then painting them. I tried a few other methods and found the one that turned out best but I enjoyed every minute of doing it.

You work more in one day than I have in a lifetime

Do more of these! Oh my god I love it! I keep going back and forth of making a background or buying one. I’m not confident enough yet to actually make one yet lol. But watching helps a lot ! Thank you!

Thanks for this tutorial! I absolutely love the look of this but I have big builds (6×2×2.5 and 4×2×2.5) to do and was concerned about the weight. I thought of two ways to make it lighter but still have this awesome result. 1. Make the mould 1-1.5 inches deep and use a ¼ Styrofoam board kinda sandwiched between the layers of concrete. So it's concrete surrounding all sides but the infill is mostly a light foam. You get the rigid outside on all sides but without all that added weight. 2. Foam filling. There's a liquid version of what GreatStuff is (polyurethane resin foam) that you could pour into the mould and allow it to take shape of all those awesome small details. It is meant for backfilling post holes instead of using cement which is really why I thought of it (cement alternative). I've seen it used in prop making like foam filling masks. It's called Sika PostFix but I'm sure there are other similar products. It sets up in minutes so you could use the alginate mould more times before it loses too much moisture to continue using. I also believe you could make large backgrounds in one piece with no problems at all or sculpt the moulds next to one another so they can puzzle piece fit back together once you install them. Since it is resin, you should be able to tint it using resin dyes (it is green to start), paint it in quikrete and use dry brushing for details, or just cover it in concrete and aggregate mixture like your other background build video. Covering it in concrete or quikrete would probably be preferable for a naturalistic texture and filling any tiny air bubbles. I will try the second method very soon for my builds and hopefully I'll remember to come back and edit with an update.

wow that looks reaaalllly goooood! cant wait to see what animal is going in there

@Plummchild

7 жыл бұрын

or what plants you will put in there as well

Awesome video. Would love to see this on a larger scale

@SerpaDesign

7 жыл бұрын

Day5 Aquatics I can make it happen!

That looks awesome! You're a very good teacher, too. Efficient tutorial.

I've always used Murphy's Oil Soap for the release layer between mold and cast-even plaster casts. That's another cheap option that many people may already have among their cleaning supplies. :)

To texture the clay you can use a natural sea sponge, or a smaller rock.

@SerpaDesign

7 жыл бұрын

what? where? I said about the rock in the video and dId it as well at some point in the time lapse.

I know this is an old video, but I would love to know more about using cement in vivariums. Especially the other methods of stabilizing the PH and also if SerpaDesign thinks using the cement-soaked fabric method would be OK in a background. In my mind, I see it as a great in-between for weight and strength, and low-mess (I don't want to carve foam).

looks awesome man! I'm considering this for about half of my 55g keep up the great work!

It looks great!! I will call my boss immediately and tell him that I quit because I want to make your background!!!

Wow! You are a true artist with this.

Soak in vinegar water to speed up balancing the ph.

By the time I finished wtching, 102 people watched also. Great job!

Oh man, that looks amazing as usual.

It's also possible to "glue" broken pieces of concrete back together with masonry glue. It's very much like an Elmer's Glue made for concrete and once dried is waterproof and relatively clear. On any that oozes up between cracks, simply dust a bit of cement powder over the wet glue to hide the glue. You should be able to get masonry glue from most home centers. MTC

That would be perfect for a desert vivarium, looks great

@SerpaDesign

7 жыл бұрын

Arizona Vivariums It would be, but that's not what the plan is. I have something really unique planned for this one.

Would like to see the demonstration for the 55gal

I love the snake head formation near the upper right corner at 13:11 😁

It came our absolutely awesome. I'd love to see what the entire finished product looks like.

@SerpaDesign

6 жыл бұрын

I finish the project in this video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/g4Rqx6WHdJuap5M.html

This was so much more intense than I was expecting, haha Great results, though!

Por isso sou inscrito no seu canal. Sou do Brasil da cidade de Florianópolis, e aqui no Brasil não vemos trabalhos assim como voce faz. Tenho aprendido muita muita coisa mesmo, tenho um pouco de dificuldade pois não sei falar inglês, mas vou estudar o idioma para aprender justamente para aprender ainda muito mais com teus video, e por isso sou muita grato por voce nos presentear compartilhando teus conhecimento/aprendizado que adiquirestes ao longo do tempo conosco.

Really cool and realistic background. Been trying to figure a method without using cement because of the ph in aquariums

Fantastic tutorial, and loved the background music! Thanks!

I've seen people make silicone molds with regular silicone 1 mixed with cornstarch. These were small and I'm not sure how large you could go with this technique, but it's worth a try.

Ooooo I need to do this and add natural crevices for humus rich soil so I can try growing Asplenium trichomanes! That would eliminate every factor except for the air flow and the seasonal rest period.

For larger backgrounds you can use rigid expanding foam instead of concrete. But be sure to use silicone for the mold material. Expanding foam is ultra lightweight, durable and super easy to use.

@Kontroll343

6 жыл бұрын

just the comment I was looking for please reply. Will the expanding foam fill the gaps as well as the concrete does and provide the same level of detail?

Que tipo de alginato has utilizado, pues el enlace que hay en la descricpion no conduce a ningún sitio. Gracias

Tinted polyester resin with matting reinforcement is a good alternative to concrete. No breaking when removing from the mould and a lot lighter.

how did you make a door for the tank you put upright, I'm not very handy with tools, but would like to repurpose my vertical hex-shaped tank into a terrarium

this was so cool to watch! thanks for posting!

sick, dude! great job, and equally as informative!

@mobspeak

6 жыл бұрын

I know right dude, I mean like you know..

don't u have to seal this stuff up for an aquarium? won't the aquarium water not affect the background or will it poison the water of the fishtank?

Old video I know, but if anyone is still viewing this... I would highly recommend a Silicon mold material to make the mold itself. Not only will it last almost forever, but you may be able to resell the mold if you don't want it anymore. Sure it's more expensive, but in this hobby, what isn't? lol PS I have made molds for other things, and instead of using concrete, I used Dental Plaster, great times!!!

Wow this is amazing. Thanks so much for sharing

I’m going to try this in combination with an expanding foam background to make a water dragon tank!

I would love to see you make a back ground like this but for a 55 gallon tank. I'm going to be getting some Uromastyx lizards later on down the road so I'm looking around for cool ideas. Plus I may explore making my own plywood tank as well to make things a bit more fun. :) Please do a video of a back ground like this but on the bigger scale of a 55 gallon tank.

Hey, do you think plaster of Paris would work instead of concrete?

Just wondering if you did any kind of sealing? Or if it's not necessary since it's a "natural" material?

I know this video is older but man I want to try this for my 7ftx3ftx4ft viv. Did you ever make a video for large enclosures like you said?

instead of concrete you could also use paper mache, or other fiber for a lighter (weight) background, although you'd have to seal it really well to keep it from crumbling, or maybe mix it with resin?

In the case of concrete to vivariums you can add polystyrene 'pearls' to the mix, this way your concrete becomes much lighter.

Id love to see a vid on repairing these after the tank has been set up for a long while. and how they hold up after years of use in an aquarium

Very Nice Sir but how do you make Big ones? Big rock structures or ledges or others for Bigger Animals. Like for some of the Bigger Monitor Lizards?

try using concrete fiber as an additive to the cement. This will reinforce the cement and make it less prone to breaking.. You can get in on Amazon reasonably priced.

If you use the silicone do you still recommend using the plaster of paris?

Great tutorial! very well explained and the results are just outstanding! It will probably take a few attempts to get the technique right but once you do this process seems much faster than the classic foam sculpting in witch you have to do multiple coats for cement. Do you think it'll be possible to create some very pronounced ledges with a cast?? I'm afraid this method is limited in the depth offset you can obtain... Might give it a try thou!

@SerpaDesign

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks! It really doesn't take long at all and the results really aren't comparable. Also ledges are definitely possible, but you will have to get creative in how you create the alginate mold. I would also highly recommend implementing an armature. Additionally it would be easier to use plaster bandages instead of pouring out a POP mold. I will show much more advanced applications for this in the future, I didn't want it to be overkill at first.

@FedericoCocheoFiletti

7 жыл бұрын

Can't wait to see your next video on the topic! Thank you very much!

Beautiful and realistic. Well done

The Master ! Thank you for your superb effort

Awesome, you should do this and make a horizontal Viv, maybe try it out on a 40 gallon for a bearded dragon-type enclosure

What kind of epoxy am I supposed to use at end To make last forever!??

Is there any reason papercrete would be inadvisable? It would be much lighter than concrete.

Hey T! Do u have any suggestions on backgrounds for large monitors as they tear up stuff???? Thanks

When using hydrolic cement on expanded foam and foam insulating wall board, does acrylic fortifier help w adhesion.? Also you keep mentioning covering with epoxy. What type? Does it come in a Matt finish? Project is an 80 gallon vivarium w a waterfall and small pond for ball python. Thanks for all the great videos and ideas.

That's a beautiful background, amazing!

Hey Tanner, do you have a list of tools you use often when building out your terrariums and vivariums? I am just getting started with my first one for my milksnake, but I keep having to make trips back and forth to Lowe's for tools I don't have. I really enjoy these videos. They are really inspiring. Please keep them coming.

Great job,and another awesome tutorial!!!

good job man. I did something similar a year ago. My problem is that the tank was tall and the concrete slab very heavy. I'm now experimenting with a styrofoam background painted with DryLock.

I love what you did, yes would like to see a larger scale!!

Try mixing fibre glass shavings to your mix.... will add amazing rigidity 👍🏼 great vids 🏆

@SerpaDesign

6 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a good idea to me! I'll give a try next time I'm experimenting.

@ScooterFXRS

5 жыл бұрын

or just about any fiber additive for concrete.

I was curious if you could do this to make a rock floor for an aquarium. I have an axolotl who I want to upgrade into a 55 gallon aquarium. He currently has a bare bottom, and I know he's fine with that but I wanted to hardscape a river scene for him without adding sand or gravel he could swallow.

Great video, as always!

How does it change the ph? I would like to do this for a freshwater stingray tank but I'm concerned about the possible change in ph.

This is beautiful one.. i just have a small tank, so cant go with cement though.. but saving this for future 👍

How did i end up here? I just want some tubes for my 10" bichers. Suggestions? Pvc but 'i donwanna'

That looks brilliant. Maybe you could include hair into the cement mix to add strength. One question I do have concerns chemical leaching. Once upon a time they used concrete to make wine distilling vats because it was cheap and fast, but soon realised it had some pretty serious health implications. Would this not effect the health of the inhabitants? Even if you get the ph to manageable levels, I would think it's still a possibility 🤔 Brilliant work though

I’m getting a hexagonal tank for a future crested gecko. I was planning on trying to make a background like this to fit a theme I’m going for

Looking for advice I want to build an aquarium with a waterfall and stream. The upper half will be a terrarium and the lower half aquarium. Where can I buy a pump, filter etc... and General advice. Thank you. Great videos.

Would this be safe to use underwater in an aquarium? I'm thinking for an African Cichlid tank.

To be fair you made this way harder then it needed to be :^)

@SerpaDesign

6 жыл бұрын

Haha! I never said it was the most practical background.

@MarcassCarcass

5 жыл бұрын

How could it be easier?

Hi....SerpaDesign.... looking for a video in which you used tree bark for putting up a very beautiful design in an aquarium tank... will you please post a link here?

What if I wanted to do this on a larger scale? Like 14'x28'. How costly do you think this will be?

Wont the cooking oil absorb into the cement and then leak into the water?

Is this safe for frogs and fish? Concrete raises the PH of water and leaches chemicals into the water???

Thanks for the helpful videos. Are you aware of any products like the Australian Megatreat liquid sandstone that would be available to us in the United States? Thanks.

Oh my God what a show, congratulations !!! One question, how much alginate did you use for this job? Do you think this alginate mold is better than silicone? Hug from Brazil, thank you.

Do you know if this would be suitable for a Tailess whip Scorpion (damon medius)?

Oh also can a concrete background be attached to a plywood terrarium? We are building ours so it will be some kind of wood, not glass. Or, would you recommend the insulation foam method to fit it like your 180 gallon one?

I'd like to make something similar but in size of 200x80 cm so I worry about the weight :-( Any other idea how to make it bigger but not so heavy? Something that would keep the shape after years under the wather. Making 3d background for malawi aquarium

This is really cool! I admit I am pretty hesitant to make my own background as I want a really realistic background, but I like the way this looks. I am curious if I could make ledges in the baclground; would adding the knitting mesh be enough support? And what about making this for three sides instead of just the back?

Is it possible to just silicone the rocks on to the tank?

Could you fill your mold with something other than concrete to keep the weight down? Lightwight hydrocal? Sprayfoam?

I have in my mind to do something like this, with rock back (was thinking of using stone facade pieces used on walls, fireplaces, etc). I want to get a small pump to run water up to the top that will then just trickle down the rock face. I see this frequently while hiking.. water just sort of dripping down a moss-covered rock face. Have you done anything similar? I'm thinking the rock would even jut out slightly further at the top than the bottom in parts of it. This vertical tank option would likely be perfect for what I've got pictured in my head so far.

Can you show us how make form to make pieces like aqua decor works or back to nature we need know the material and way to do it because they pieces it's very expensive

Very well done! and presented!

Is there a way to create something like this for a non vertical vicarium that could hold water near the bottom and also be removeable

@SerpaDesign

7 жыл бұрын

Yes you could coat it in clear epoxy.

Would this be possible to use in a large enclosure like an 8x4? Or would it be far to bulky and heavy is there a better method for large enclosures?

I’m in the middle of making a mortar background for a bioactive ball python enclosure. It’s foam covered in 3 layers of mortar. I’ve read that you need to coat it to make it safe for reptiles yet in the video you said that the concrete would be fine as is (without coating) So I have two questions about this: A- In my case does the mortar need to be coated for animal safety after all? (Ie have you used it for any of your animals) B- is there a safe and thinner alternative to epoxy resin? My concrete background is pretty detailed and I think that brushing on a viscous sealant like epoxy may cause it all to crumble. I’d love to get any advice you can offer :) thanks!

I was hoping you might be able to answer a question. I wanted to make this background for my hermit crab crabitat. The tank is suppose to have an under tank heat mat put on the wall on the outside of the tank but it would be right behind this concrete background in my tank. Would the heat mat work if it’s behind this concrete and would it be safe? I also had the same the question with your DIY foam and concrete background. Let me know what you think thanks! And if it helps, the tank heat and humidity are both supposed to be from 75-85° and the only heat source is from the UTH