How I Made my Vivarium Look Like a Zoo Exhibit with FOAM - DIY Terrarium Background Walkthrough!

[@SimplyBetta]

Hey guys, what do you think of the new vid? I LOVE this thing. If you want to join a giveaway, Vision Cages on Instagram (@visioncagesracks) has a post about it! Just watch all the creators' videos who participated, comment which your favorite was, and tag some friends : ) There is a list of the participants in the video description!

[@yentlcloud]

Hi i wondered if the spooky aquarium was stil a plan? :D

[@SimplyBetta]

@@yentlcloud You bet! I just been sidetracked with getting my new studio up and running

[@impenetrablelegalese2410]

Can u help me? I have a betta it is a halfmoon plakat but it has a weird ventral fins, each ventral fin looks like it has three fingers so if u look at it, it seems like it has 6 fingers. What do u call this kind of betta? Is this a new kind of betta?

[@urosmilanovic2878]

Layer of grout on foam is for decoration and more naturalistic look, or for gecko's safety?

[@1mommaof2plus1]

Will your new friend be hurt if they get up on the lights?

[@FishForThought]

Oh man, your leo is gonna looove those dark comfy hiding spots. Also that centrepiece aloe gives me life xD

[@SimplyBetta]

😘🥰🥰

[@SimplyBetta]

Can’t wait to put the Leo in!

[@seunghunshin9549]

@@SimplyBetta I hope she feels better

[@JoeMama-hy9my]

Isn't that a haworthia?

[@scootskie]

Those are zebra plants lol

[@amandaconnell4077]

I definitely haven’t seen anything created like this in my research, and honestly I’m STUNNED! I was sceptical at first but you blew me away! Fantastic work, and I’ll be stealing some ideas for myself in the future!

[@nirvanaquatics]

It turned out wonderful! As for succulents, the only thing you really have to do is avoid overwatering. Only water when the soil under them is really dry. I highly recommend getting a moisture meter for this purpose until you begin to notice the subtle signs that the plants need water just by looking at them. Bonus, the moisture meter spike will help aerate the soil and keep things from compacting and becoming anaerobic.

[@SimplyBetta]

That's a great idea! Especially because I didn't put any sort of drainage in the plant pots, it's just a hole. haha so I have to be totally sure to not overwater

[@VillianousKitty]

I always say if your succulents aren't thriving it means you aren't neglecting them enough 😂 I've one that's been going on 5yrs in my house, and I have only watered it thrice this year 😅🙈

[@turningcursive2255]

I haven’t seen this build method before with the epoxy sculpting but I totally love this! Can’t wait to see the gecko in there!

[@williamamely7038]

Thanks for sharing this video with us. Your Terrarium is looking very good. Your Gecko will enjoy it. You inspire us with your enthusiasm and imagination. You are awesome. 🤗🤗🤗👍👍👍👍😁

[@Tony_Fingazs]

Has to be one of the best enclosures I have seen. You did a great job. You could easily sell them, hell I would buy it. Great job

[@mercygirl317]

it looks great! very realistic looking. i use those egg crate things as tank lids/tops for some of my fish tanks

[@SimplyBetta]

Thank you @mercy S ! Egg crate is convenient to keep around :P

[@fishking10]

I'm jealous 😫 I wish I could do something like this with out messing up my enclosure

[@Avocetexotics]

This looks amazing!!! I have 5 lizards ( 1 bearded dragon, 3 mourning geckos, and 1 leopard gecko ). When I got my leopard gecko Harry Smiles, he would not eat! I tried crickets, meal worms, and baby super worms, but nothing worked. Finally, I tried feeding him a wax worm pupa that I kind of squished ( I know, gross! ) after watching a youtube video, and he took it instantly! Right after I gave him a wax worm and ever since then, he hasn't turned down a meal and will eat what ever bug I put in front of him! I hope this helps and you sweet baby learns to eat!

[@shesellsfish]

Wow...you are so incredibly creative! So perfectly detailed. Looking forward to updates. 👍💓👍

[@fioregiallo]

Oooh I know this one!! The big spiky plant is called portulaca or moss-rose purslane!! I love that whole plant family. Yay!!! Also the smaller spiky one I believe is a Haworthia limifolia aka FAIRY WASHBOARD!! 😍

[@chriskeith988]

Wow. Foamtastic! Not a terrarium/vivarium guy but that looks amazing! Que the lion king music for the basking rock.

[@aquamate]

That looks phenomenal, awesome work, look forward to you adding the gecko 🦎👌

[@lydiastinson6169]

You did such a good job

[@stuckinthelazycorneragain4016]

I LOVE this! So creative and exactly the kind of inspiration I needed, I'm planning on creating a background for my bearded dragon's set up and this is really helpful!

[@tinksmith4964]

I’m forever building gecko tanks. I personally use exo’s even with leopards. I hate the solid tops. I like ventilation & it also means you can just rest your lighting and heating on top. I have industrial shelving to house them

[@rubeno7513]

Very impressive! Looks awesome I am impressed a little more at the fact this video has no dislikes.

[@SimplyBetta]

Oh my, you're right :0

[@prayformemolly1244]

Looks awesome

[@SimplyBetta]

Thank you :)

[@calebwatson3023]

Very nice!

[@mikehulsebus]

This was amazing and fun to watch

[@brigloyd78]

Super great job! You should be proud 😬👍 I appreciate you sharing 🥰

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks for watching!

[@md3631363]

Looks amazing! :)

[@GirlAndStarlighters]

This looks fantastic!

[@myyoutubeaccount2524]

I subbed. I love your energy. I dknt even have fish 🤷‍♂️ but do have a Leo Gec😁

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@lil-mumma-adventures]

Awesome turn out! ☺️

[@MegaMindyLou]

So much talent! Sculpting was amazing. Question, what about airflow? How does fresh air get in there?

[@alkisjorgen3913]

Really nice, but how do you clean it?

[@dyslexofficial2798]

Why didn't you turn the box upside down when you were doing the lights...?

[@barjee8965]

How has his held up over the years? i want to do something similar for my snakes but im so worried that the substrate and wood stuck to the background will rot/ mold >.< Im not doing bioactive so there will be no clean up crew to munch on the nasties!

[@Deathbysnusnu125]

I really want to make something like this without spending $300 on an enclosure. I seep guys making them out of pvc board but I can't find anywhere to buy it locally.

[@goldenlatias152]

You're getting geckos your going to save 15% or more on car insurance 😝

[@SimplyBetta]

Hah!!

[@goldenlatias152]

@@SimplyBetta do you think that the more geckos you get the more the savings will stack

[@SimplyBetta]

@@goldenlatias152 I'll make that point if the hubby ever protests

[@AngelCullen]

My ADHD is screaming in the back of my head "She knows us! She speaks our language!" xD

[@rathyt7605]

👏 👏 🤗

[@trollwithoutcontent2788]

I wish you would DITM....heh heh Know what I’m sayin?

[@KristenLeanneVlog]

Those rock caves are the COOLEST! Ahhh I love it.

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks so much, I'm so proud lol

[@urosmilanovic2878]

Layer of grout on foam is for decoration and more naturalistic look, or for gecko's safety?

[@tylerrugge]

This turned out great!!

[@SimplyBetta]

Thanks, this was a fun project

[@mssnowhite1]

" *gasp!* THE LANDSCAPING! ....... Oh my God! I JUST got it! " - That was hilarious!!! I was trying so hard not to spit my drink out! 😅

[@KyuubiCore]

As someone that never owned any aquariums or terrariums this is so insane to me but in the best way possible, it's so fascinating and takes a lot of work which I could never commit to lol. You're really dedicated and have a great feel for what something should look like, truly impressive and it really turned out amazing 😍 Even if I'll never make anything like this it's super satisfying to watch and your personality and editing makes it that much more fun 😏👍

[@SimplyBetta]

Thank you so much Kyuubi : ) I like knowing that, even if people don't share my same hobbies, we can all enjoy eachother enjoying them! ... if that makes sense ^^

[@KyuubiCore]

@@SimplyBetta We can all enjoy eachother enjoying them indeed, that's a wonderful way to put it XD I'm glad you enjoyed my enjoyment of your enjoyment 🙏

[@FloridasWildest]

This is so awesome !!

[@SimplyBetta]

I'll go watch yours now!

[@MikeTytula]

Awesome video! Thanks for the shout out. The tips for succulents, make sure you water them more regularly than you might expect. Typically, it ends up being once a week or so. Only thing I would mention is because it appears you silicones down most (if not all) of the substrate make sure when your leo picks his spot to poop, you put a square of toilet paper or something there so it’s easily cleaned up.

[@courtney8863]

2 questions: 1) is the "additive" you use at 10:42 the thickening agent? 2) what is the pigment powder you used?

[@rossy8028]

For the succulents, the jade will get very big! They'll eventually grow into small bushes so you'll probably want to replace it in the future, however they are super easy to take cuttings from. You've also got a haworthia there, it should do great! All plants look to be very drought tolerant so maybe biweekly/monthly watering? Not great at succulents so please reseatch more on the care yourself but love the set up!

[@SimplyBetta]

Oh... then I'll have to replace it eventually! Lol! Thanks. You're a succulent pro compared to me.

[@ellesreptiles]

This is great! It makes me want to redo my leopard gecko's bioactive. I love how you used the egg crate as a base. 😊

[@SimplyBetta]

I probably didn't NEED to but it gave me some peace of mind! Nobody else did that step lol. But thank you,

[@fluteteachermarcie6283]

Sedum! The one plant is sedum-let me look up what the variety is. I have some in my yard, and it survives the winter too

[@fluteteachermarcie6283]

Blue spruce sedum, I think.

[@SimplyBetta]

Oo thank you!! :)

[@NurilWidi]

Mantap, sukses .. From KZbinr Betta Fish indonesia

[@moremoregeckos8297]

Great video new to the channel looking forward to more videos have a fantastic day

[@myhomeaquarium98]

Omg this looks so amazing!!! Also aquascaping... landscaping LOL 😂😂😂😂 sorry that cracked me up 😜

[@cheetahwarrior118]

As long as you don’t use sand your good it can cause impaction in geckos and bearded dragons I know because I lost a female leopard gecko to it

[@SimplyBetta]

Aww sorry for your leo! I do know of the perils of sand :(

[@shootingstxr]

Okay super ironic. Im doing research into making a foam background for my leopard gecko. Im also super into RWBY with penny being my fav. As i started watching this my girlfriend turns to me and was like “she sounds just like penny how are you not noticing this” did our research bcz I remember someone saying pennys VA was really into fish… SO IRONIC. This is so cool

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

This is AWESOME

[@680ecks]

That came out soooo great ive not seen anyone use that material for the rocks . I dont have fish i have snakes but enjoy you and your channel . You seem fun and i like to see the passion you have for all your animals and fish . You are such a little worker .i appreciate the love you have that you squish these projects in your day even though your time is very short after taking care of your family.

[@katiedawn2637]

You talk like you’re trying to be an anime character

[@RadioactuveToy]

I love finding various DIY background builds. Everyone uses different materials and I always learn a new material to try. Never heard of the epoxy you used. Great build by they way!

[@RyoWatanabee]

That looks awesome!! Great job and I hope your gecko gets better soon :)

[@fishypetkeeping]

This is SO neat! I love how you actually managed to make it look like you just took a piece of nature and put it in the terrarium 🤩

[@Nanoscape30]

Can you please tell us what type of silicone your using, like the brand, you didnt mention the brand, you just said you got it from Josh's frogs, im guessing you want me to go find it myself, so i can check out his website 😉only to get distracted first by all the micro gecko pictures, gets me everytime, lol 😆 😉 thnx... and if you did mention the brand, my bad for not paying attention, im litterly laying here with my contacts out with an eye patch on with one eye poking out blind im like the guy that loses his glasses in the first mummy movie 🎬... i cant see anything rn and i cant get up... ps. Beautiful build 🎨 nothing wrong with a dose of reptiles, as a fiskeeper... ive been dreaming about getting a baby elephant trunk snake recently, ive never kept a snake and i shurely have not kept a fully aquatic, nocturnal, totally creepy but yet awsome file snake species, but ive been researching them and there really unique, they come up to the surface every 40 mind or so, i love them... reptiles are so dope, so many cool interesting micro gecko species and frogs on Josh's frogs website, hopefully this summer ill get something ive been wanting for a while now, something like Vietnamese mossy frogs... insane 💥 i love clown tree frogs, but i really want a pair of yellow tail dwarf geckos, the saggy skin gets me, just like the elephant trunk snake, i love there baggy skin, i think its 🔥 looking, Josh's Frogs 🐸 is a fun website to check out, the bauers dwarf chameleon geckos almost look like tiny leechy's but i want to start with some high expression Hawaiian Mourning geckos or some yellow belly Mourning geckos i think, setting up my first bio active enclosure soon! Im pumped...

[@akbarrrlubis8295]

At first I saw it as a mess but its turn out amazing. my be i will make this one for my first gecko and first bioactive terra

[@Cgraseck]

Nice to see you using UVB with a Leo (If you don't already know, go light on the D3 when using UV). The tank came out awesome. With succulents just make sure to let them dry out before you water them again. They are pretty tough but don't like soggy conditions. With respect to getting your Leo to eat, have you tried making sure it is warm and tong feeding something really wiggly in the late evening. Sometimes they aren't that good at finding mealworms in a bowl. I like to use chopsticks with herps. Once they get use to eating from chopsticks you can make Repashy grubs (little oblong balls of Repashy) and they will take them right from the chopsticks even though they don't move. Good luck, Chris

[@WhatIsMisophonia]

"What if I don't want to commit to it?" *proceeds to cut and drill holes all over* :P It does look good though. I always have trouble trying to make a structure look naturally rocky somehow, even if it's made of actual rocks... And do you work out? Your biceps might be bigger than mine.

[@curvingfyre6810]

Some notes as a professional lizard keeper. This type of enclosure is oging to be a nightmare to keep clean. All the substrate except in the planters is stuck there, so you can't replace it. If its not bioactive, there's no self cleaning. And there are very few smooth, easily cleanable surface either. Bad combo, almost as bad as the crime against herpetology that is reptile carpet. It looks excellent, but using the same techniques, it is possible to make sure there are substrate beds over most of the walking space that can be replaced and cleaned, or made bioactive, instead of directly adhered substrate.

[@seunghunshin9549]

I would use the terranium, but my long tailed lizard died a couple weeks ago... 😭 Anyway, good luck with your “walking fish”! Shes gonna love the big home you made her! (I’m pretty sure you know this, but leopard geckos can eat freezes dried crickets, a plus! I was going to get a leopard gecko, but they looked kinda creepy in my opinion, so I got a long tailed lizard instead. I have turtles though...)

[@kaylabland6454]

Can I just say.. I’ve watched hundreds of vivarium build videos and found a lot of different knowledge, tips and tricks from various people, but there have always been a few “problems” I haven’t been able to get my brain to find a solve for. Then comes along this video of yours! The mineral oil, egg crate and washer bolting- genius. The diy rock sculpting to the exact shapes needed-genius! Just so much. I’m no expert, but I wonder if any of it has to do with you being female and most other builders being male- like maybe women generally are able to visually solve problems in a different way? Hmmm. Great video!

[@DanBid100]

Sometimes leopard geckos just go on hunger strikes. Make sure u try EVERY food with her. Dubia roaches, superworms, mealworms, wax worms, crickets, hornworms, silkworms.... Even grasshoppers or locusts. Eventually she will eat again when she's ready. As long as she don't look skinny I'd say she's ok

[@oxan7594]

God I relate to the weight issue with exoterras. I was not expecting my 18x18x24 Vivarium to be so difficult to move - and I lift weights!

[@whitefang8329]

Looks fun. I love it to try to use new materials such as 307 Lite Sculpting Epoxy Putty. Note: 25% Lighter formula NO Solvents Non-toxic Sandable Paintable Pigmentable Environmentally Safe Cleans with Water Idea for Underwater Applications

[@wildrattygirl7829]

Omg you did an amazing job! I'm super inspired I really wanna do this for my crested gecko :)

[@syzygy999]

I have stolen this idea fro mike ty... mike tyson! (this is a great build and it's super inspiring for my background project I'm doing for my leo!! I love it!!!!)

[@sarahgeurtz7638]

This is so beautiful? I would like to do something like this but I'm wondering how would you keep something like this clean after your critter pooped on it. Seems like it would be extremely difficult to keep clean.

[@ShaneZettelmier]

Ooh La La! :) Yeah, who are these people to assume these precious animals species, this is 2021, they can be whatever they want. That is a pretty cool cage too. I am a little worried that the color left behind by the balloons might lead the gecko into some sort of crazy psychedelic lifestyle that geckos are in equipped to handle. Hopefully he won’t be ordering a disco ball or purple furry hats. :/

[@darrenderousse4804]

Haha your videos crack me up! “Wait aquascaping is landscaping in the water” I never though if that either 😂 how did you find time to build that intricate terrarium? The rocks look amazing! Can’t wait to see your gecko in there!

[@jacobchambers9067]

How easy is it to clean the background/rocks you’ve created? It looks beautiful I just would love to know how practical it is. Thank you for the response in advance!

[@billlooker2689]

Interesting I learned alot FYI I tried to look for your fish for my new hobby room coming soon.

[@SimplyBetta]

Thank you Bill :)

[@Clover_knows_pets]

In my experiences with leopard geckos they seem to always crying if you give the chance even though they are not arboreal geckos

[@KhoaNguyen.08]

This is a *phenomenal* custom design. Are you able to personally take on custom designs such as this for clients? U.S. based. Florida. Please let me know!

[@YoungBUG716]

Can you make a list of materials in the description, maybe some links too the stuff used. I want to do something like this with a huge tank I got, but also make it bioactive with more space for deep substrate.(my tank is like 5 foot long 2.5 feet high)

[@YoungBUG716]

Can you make a list of materials in the description, maybe some links too the stuff used. I want to do something like this with a huge tank I got, but also make it bioactive with more space for deep substrate.(my tank is like 5 foot long 2.5 feet high)

[@fullyenvenomated757]

That's an awesome looking enclosure, you did an excellent job.....but way too much talking

[@konvoi]

Do keep up the lizard content. I use to have a Leopard Gecko, they are such fun little friends.

[@erikmeyer1136]

Next time why don't you flip the terrarium upside down to drill the holes for the lights? That would make it much easier. Looks great!

[@jasonreding6453]

Are there any holes in the sides? My first thought is you could tip it on its back and make it a mini pond then you have lids already fitted for it. Wonder if the plastic is ok to be submerged all the time.... just a thought for an alternative use haha - maybe a cool livebearer pond?

[@griffinblade]

Taylor/Penny DIYs is the stuff my heart needs after a hard day, thank you! this came out amazing! i love the rock caves!!

[@Malariejane]

Not a fish.. sigh….now I need a gecko…. 😳🤷🏽‍♀️❤️ I love lizards too.

[@kagura9164]

Thats a really nice setup and i love it. I wonder if you love keeping rare bettas as i saw your previous videos. If so, i think you should try and find betta livida and betta persephone. They are endemic and in the country malaysia, livida are endemic only in two states while persephone are endemic in only one state on northern malaysia

[@Tater4200]

you gotta put him a source of heat inside his hide. so he can digest his food properly :) if not he will be forced to come out during the day and bask. and that wouldn't be good :(

[@wvzumbagirl]

I love this set up so much! How do you clean it though ? I’d be worried he’s poop in the hides or somewhere I couldn’t easily clean

[@lethalmambagaming3182]

You sound like peridot from Steven universe... But not annoying

[@MassisPipes]

A very visually appealing enclosure, the rockwork you created with the clay was stellar. I'm not a fan of the thin layer of substrate in a layer of silicone for leo's though. I prefer them to have a bit more soil they can dig through...

[@SimplyBetta]

I appreciate that! If I could go back in time, I would do more substrate on the bottom. Also I would choose a bigger enclosure, this one ended up being a bit cramped so I moved the Leo to a larger enclosure :)

[@sydneywachtler9327]

Try Reptiboost for your Leo. Sometimes they just need a little boost to kickstart their metabolism and Reptiboost has worked every single time for me.

[@boges11]

Garden Answer is a good YT channel that has some great info on succulent care, but beware, it's a slippery slope watching succulent videos.

[@eskimojulie]

Sorry but would it not have made more sense to turn the terrarium upside down for drilling the light clips ?. I Love the way it turned out , so creative 😊

[@Tater4200]

oh noesss. leopard geckos do not need uvb lights. they are nocturnal :). although it should hurt. because he/she should be in their den when its on anyway lol

[@johnfrancismiranda8569]

I love the design but can i ask something heat lamp what for? Plants? Or the gecko? Thank you.

[@galacticknight55544]

Salutations! I didn't know you liked geckos too. Although I do hope to see some betta videos again eventually.

[@marycatehoeft1434]

Leopard geckos are picky eaters and my girl isn’t eating for me right now either but she will when she’s ready 😍 at some point the crickets will tempt her lol

[@xroyalbloodx]

The trick to succulents is to just leave them alone lmao. Sounds easy enough but I mean it. Water them once a week but not too much. Mist them whenever you remember.

[@marytwinflamessoulfamunite7102]

This looks amazing I'd love to do some simular for my two African Fat Tail Geckos I have Custom enclosures from All American Cages a local business in my state and I absolutely love them so much.

[@illustriousmayor2478]

oh my god just wow also that epoxy would make a fine LOTR mordor goblin faces

[@AwoooOga3503]

I'm gettin a new terrarium for my python 😏 Ya know what that means... I can design however I want 🥵🤩

[@MurasakiToshiko]

I really love the hard work and dedication you put into this projects. Hope you'll have a happy lil gecko