Jeebus's big viv build, and jeebus (the crested gecko)

spikemu · #1 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:00 PM

Around a month ago I started a project to convert a normal 48 x 24 x 24 (L x W x D) into a 4foot tall crested gecko living crested gecko vivarium. It was also part of a college project to design an enclosure for an animal : D

My plans where to have all the plants in the viv living with no fake plants in there at all so it can be a fully living environment for the crestie. To do this I planned on having a 12” layer of substrate so there is enough room for the stones at the bottom to aid drainage and the soil for all the roots and plants to be buried in. Also to have two platforms, one with an in built feeding dish and another platform with an in built plant pot to hold the dangling plant.

I did have a thread on the progress in the habitat section to show how it was going and possibly get hints if needed ( was needed) lol so right now i say thanks to everyone who helped me : ) Especially .:KayLee:. shes been a true guru for all my questions

thank you soo much

i thought id post in this section to show off my new lizard aswell as the vivarium : )

Please wait till ive finished posting all the pics to comment as there are LOADS of pictures and there can only be 15 per post i will need a few posts i will say when I’m done : ) thank you : )

OK my viv started as this normal viv :

so my first job was to un screw it all again and build it back up in an arboreal structure :

i then cut the runners and front bits of wood down to size in preparation for when the background is done :

then started on the polystyrene and got it to cover the whole back 3 walls :

I then cut and built the two ledges I wanted, one to be the feeding platform and the other to hold an in built plant pot so it can be at the top holding a dangling plant :

After that I attached them and began to cut out some rocks for the background to make it easier for the crestie to climb and give the rock face kinda look:

After all the fun bit of the cutting and making a complete mess everywhere was over I was starting to think that the rocks didn’t look too realistic being all square edged and what not so I thought ill make even more mess and sand the edges and make it more detailed :

(close up on feeding platform, there's a few of close ups on this lol )

Then when it was finally all sanded and ready for grouting I pulled it out of the viv and gave it the once over looking for anything wrong with it:

spikemu · #2 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:00 PM

And then I just thought nope needs more sanding on the sides etc so in it went again and got even more sanding lol so here’s that.

Before

After

Also sanded the feeding platform and made the in built food dish dent

So then I had finished all the fun bit and got on with the grouting, this in all honesty is where the newbie-ness kicked in and I had a full on battle with the grout and tried out many different ways of putting the grout on. In the end using a j-cloth that's been tied around my fingers and was dipped in water worked the best for larger areas and just simply using my fingers worked the best for the smaller spaces:

After a few coats of grout

And all the grout finished and the background stuck back together :

That bit made it seem like it didn’t take long but that process took most of the time of building the background lol. So next was another fun bit PAINTING!! For this I planned to spray all the base coats, this way it will get everywhere, (even all over the patio and me lol )
I done a quick first coat

I then turned it upside down to give it another coat :

After all the grout was covered I then sprayed it upside down with the grey coat so it will get the bottom of all the rocks

I then turned it the right way around and sprayed the whole thing again with the same grey, I then mixed in a lighter grey (just added more and more white) and started to dab all the paint on with a sponge :

And then once I got enough covered I made the grey even lighter and dabbed even more around edges etc using a lot lighter touch so it didn’t use soo much paint and cover less of the under coat :

spikemu · #3 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:01 PM

Then I used a VERY light grey for top edges and any other places that are more likely to get more of the light:

I then used PVA to seal it and the background was finished

Now The background was finished I started work on the viv again drilling more holes for vents and also drilling holes in the background due to forgetting to making the holes before for the side vents in the viv ( another newbie mistake) .
Once the vents where cut and the edges sealed I cut up a black big bag and stuck it to the bottom of the viv (and up the wall abit) to stop water from being able to sit at the bottom on the wood. :

I then put the background in and the front wood with the runners, I then made the big bag go up the front side and under the runner so it water proofs the front as I had to use 3 pieces of wood to get the higher level of substrate :

And then cut the over hanging bit off with the ol trusty penknife : D

Then I couldn’t find hydroleca so I got some stones which is the next best thing to aid the drainage and covered them with a layer of soil:

Then it came to planting the Yucca plant which was very straight forward lol :

I then covered the floor with some of the left over stones to make it look brighter and also to keep humidity up :

After al planting was taken care of I had to sort all the wiring out. And due to not being an electrician I just done it simpley with one plug for each thing etc no fancy wiring it all together lol. I wired in a ceramic lamp attached to a GEKO thermostat that is set at 26 degrees C and will turn on the ceramic if it goes under 25 alarm if it goes under 22 or over 29. then the night time LEDs with an energy saving light bulb (low heat emitting).
In all this made the viv look like this :

spikemu · #4 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:02 PM

And night time lighting looks like this but in the pic it looks a lot brighter than it actually is ( my camera doesn't like darkness lol )

I then planted the plant that was kept in the cresties temporary viv a lil bit before I put him in along with the skull to give a lil bit of familiar décor in there with him. And took some advice from a member on here who sed about the stones being potentially dangerous if the crestie lips and falls so I buried them aswell, I then put the glass doors in and it was ready : ) :

So in he went and climbed straight to the top where he’s been ever since: D

Im still going to get some more plants for it when I et more money : )

THANK YOU FOR READING : D

COMMENTS WELCOME : D lol

GECKO=] · #5 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:12 PM

you must love your cresty
class tank
nice cresty and
fair play to you for makin that
looks FAB!

.:KayLee:. · #6 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:16 PM

AMAZING job Mike, I really am jealous of Jeebus, why can't my house look like that?

Anyway, well done

judy · #7 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:19 PM

wow

followed this thread all the way through and have to say im very impressed.
i want one!!
since iv been watching yours come together i want to do my own one and hopefully i will start soon.(my partner will go mad as it will take all my time away from housework!)

well done

:notwo rthy:

: notworthy:

Dave W · #8 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:21 PM

spot on that one

good job

..:: F1D0 ::.. · #9 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:25 PM

that is SUPERB!!, question for you in regards to geckos though....most geckos seem to be nocturnal and so are crickets...now, am i correct in thinking that it dont matter if crickets are left in a gecko viv as the crestie will eat at night? and also when it comes to feeding how often are they fed? reason i ask is being a beardie owner any uneaten live prey must be removed. Im asking as ive been keen on getting a gecko for some time.

Cheers

spikemu · #10 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 10:30 PM

awwww thank you everyone

im really proud of it

Quote:

Originally Posted by ..:: F1D0 ::..

that is SUPERB!!, question for you in regards to geckos though....most geckos seem to be nocturnal and so are crickets...now, am i correct in thinking that it dont matter if crickets are left in a gecko viv as the crestie will eat at night? and also when it comes to feeding how often are they fed? reason i ask is being a beardie owner any uneaten live prey must be removed. Im asking as ive been keen on getting a gecko for some time.

Cheers

well cresties get fed CGD so it makes it alot easier. atm im feeding everyday fresh CGD but soon it will be every other due to alot being wasted. ive not fed him live prey yet but when i do il feed at night time and if he doesnt eat them ill catch them and throw back in tub lol i dont really want them munching away at the background XD

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