How to Build A Custom DIY Vivarium Background Like a PRO!

How to Build A Custom DIY Vivarium Background Like a PRO!
Channel covers, POISON DART FROG CARE, HOW TO BUILD CUSTOM BIOACTIVE VIVARIUM, PALUDARIUM, EUROSTYLE ,TERRARIUM, TROPICAL PLANTS, DIY, ANIMAL/REPTILE ROOM TOUR, BREEDING/EGG TADPOLE CARE DENDROBATES, OOPHAGA, HISTRIONICA, PUMILIO, SYLVATICA, LEHMANNI, TINCTORIUS, AZUREUS, LEUCOMELAS, AURATUS, CULTURING ISOPODS, SPRINGTAILS MICROFAUNA, BREEDING FRUITFLYS
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[@paesanng]

This sort of art should be offered in high schools and universities.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

I'm gonna shake off the remaining turds that are gonna flop outa here. Boy, Troy sure has a way with words 😂

[@chad110]

I lay silicone lines down on my glass and put popsicle sticks on them and let it dry and cure and then put little droplets of silicone everywhere. Once dried Ivan lay down pond and stone foam. Once it's done cured i cut it. I shape it and then I lay a construction silicone around the edges and smeared in real good. Both on the foam and glass holds it really well. Note to everybody paintable silicone or construction adhesive is easier to work with.

[@minicosm4695]

Incredible hardscape. Can't wait to see what this looks like with plants!

[@mikelingenfelter3889]

Wow! This is amazing... I'll be excited to see the final on this and all the foliage. Awesome video!

[@jukesngambits]

I am SO glad I watched this before ever creating a vivarium - foam as the main substrate and drainage is a brilliant idea even if you wanted some loose substrate on top for whatever reason. This kind of design seems ideal for "sterility", ease of access, and frog safety while still keeping everything beautiful about vivariums. Amazing video, thank you

[@fresnocascabel7571]

Awesome build. Thanks for putting together a video. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to help the rest of us in the poison frog community.

[@bssknox1]

Nicely done. Can’t wait to see them both planted!

[@user-ot6lq7uo2d]

Mechanics gloves work very well (even for folks with long/sharp nails)

[@KS-en5fb]

This was literally one of the coolest backgrounds I have seen so far. The drylock looked awesome on top of foam. I can’t wait to see part 2!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thanks... I planted it today... but I’m not gonna post video til it’s grown in a bit!

[@TFitz-gh4si]

@@TroyGoldberg Does the plants get stuck straight in the background and into the dry lock around the wood? Or is substrate added on top of the black flooring foam you used?

[@TroyGoldberg]

@@TFitz-gh4si they pretty much grow everywhere

[@Reptiliatus]

Awesome video Troy! I’ve been wanting to give dry lock a try for my next build!

[@leafwitheyes2473]

I like how he goes into so much detail, down to what gloves he uses!!!

[@sea78x]

Wow, that carving method is so much easier than carving with knife + you’d have mess whichever way you do it.... nice job 👍🏽

[@aquru]

Beautiful vivarium! Thank you for healing

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Thank you for sharing your techniques. I learned a lot of helpful info and tips. The silicone seal from foam to glass is a great idea that I've never heard before. I will give that a shot for a future project. And the clear but detailed drylok / quikrete portion of the tutorial was exactly what I needed for a project I'm working on. I've been putting off trying the drylok technique for a while now because I thought it would be complicated or a big hassle, but you made it seem simple, and now I know exactly what to do. The background and scape in this video look awesome. Great work!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thanks so much man!!

[@RobsReviv]

Another great video man. Ty for your contributions to the hobby.

[@IsaacMJr]

Oh man, your work is amazing, I own a lot of reptiles and soon I’ll be making them more natural looking terrariums, you just gave me the best ideas, best video ever. Keep it up

[@MarcusRichardsonRacing]

Could you maybe link the materials used in your bio from amazon or something like that?

[@jonisolis9645]

Yes, please!

[@illumlife588]

TROY!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I am a brand new subscriber here!!!! My jaw was open the whole video, not even joking lol! I too have an artistic background. If I had not lost half of my vision I would have continued down that road. My pets are snakes, hopefully down the road I can get some geckos and frogs!!! This video and vivarium background were by far the best here on YT...I especailly LOVED watching you paint and place in your background:) I am grinning from ear to ear hahaha! I have been searching on here trying to place ideas in my head for the "perfect" background in my first ever bioactive terrarium I am putting together for one of my ball pythons...(going to do it for all but money does not grow on trees lol) One word I want to leave for you STUNNING!!! this is the work of someone who takes their time and who knows what they are doing! Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!! Emily

[@TroyGoldberg]

Awesome! I’m glad your enjoying the channel, thanks so much for the kind words!!

[@michaelmelo8075]

Great job Troy, very detailed instructions and an awesome build !

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thanks man!

[@steveferris8119]

Uugghh. I guess I am starting another tank this Friday. Thanks Troy!!!!!!

[@Kira-kg4kl]

I keep coming back and watching this and a few other videos everytime I do a build 😅 always keeps me watching everytime

[@beaurapier967]

Nice work. I like the pace and composition of your videos. Great tip on siliconing the junction of foam and glass. Definitely going to adopt that technique!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thank you!! yeah I’ve only been doing that for about a year now, and so far so good, no background edges have come up off the glass. Knock on wood!

[@carlosortiz2129]

I learned so much and will be using all your methods! You made it look so easy!

[@michaelroche1987]

Great job man. Thanks for the tips

[@joeyp734]

damn. pretty awesome. you've educated and inspired me to take my vivs to the next level!

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

I forgot to mention the foam filter bottom portion. I loved the idea of stacking and carving layers to create a 3D scape. Epic idea. And yea, foam, rocks, etc are way better for a bottom layer than substrate.

[@nitraflo000]

Thanks Troy for this vid! 👍🤗

[@Agg1E91]

Necessity is the mother of invention. I love the wire wheel hack! I am in the process of doing my first naturalistic/bio-active build on a 22wX17dX36H enclosure. I've seen the hand carved approaches, and the references to hours of carving. I'm probably not that patient. I think what I might do is add a little more foam up front, so that I can get some more depth to the cutaways and then maybe hand carve areas I want to bring a specific shape to. I think what I'll do then is to carve out branch/hardscape notches as needed, fit the branches in and then spot foam them in place.

[@arshenfashoom7139]

oh wow, you placed that drift wood in spectacular manner. love the tank build video

[@ChloroPhiles]

Fabulous video, thank you. Answered a lot of my questions!

[@martinmikota2740]

That looks really good!

[@davidjones7503]

Honestly, I'm impressed. Nice work.

[@kelvinsoto8313]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge great enclosure thank you

[@fishysnowman9082]

Really nice job 👍.... very well explained came out amazing

[@kashaun3633]

Genius idea

[@Pr0j3ctSTI]

Auto body shop tip: use 1200 wet sand paper to take anything off your hands 🙌🏽. Body filler is very hard to take off. Sand paper always worked for me 👍🏽👍🏽

[@Prim3Tim33Gaming]

wish we had drylok over here in the uk -_- good job troy cant wait to see how the sponge does hope it does well :)

[@Gothicgirl1122x]

Great video learned some great stuff thank you

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thanks!!

[@beatap6250]

Very nice 👍👊😆🙋

[@davidmarshalldevkc]

Subbed because @animals at home recommended you...and because in your public playlist, you have one of the best Eric Andre skits.

[@jonpiotrowski3506]

Just found your video looking to make my own...To avoid clogging your vac,rubber band about 3-4 sheets of paper towels around the vac filter...shake out or discard and reapply when it clogs...(vac filters are SO expensive) Great looking backgrounds...Thanx.!!!

[@SamDunlap-oc5wp]

Dude you look like you could be Jim from the office brother...John Krasinski and you make the same facial expressions

[@naturesadhd5685]

29:00 nice track!! nice video s much patience! i am bulding my first one.. such a mess!! i am wating for the silicone to dry up RN.. wish me luck!

[@phillepebrooks8117]

Well done

[@alexanderbrown5425]

The music overlay while you were painting the drylok reminded me of the soundtrack for a Tarzan game that I played on the Nintendo 64.

[@zagnut48219]

I am envious of that man cave.

[@agentelvis81]

I work on a lot of cars and bikes, practically live in the garage covered in all sorts of adhesives and chemicals and nasty stuff, but I've got to say "Great Stuff" spray foam is hands down the worst thing I've gotten on my hands lol! I just let it dry and use an emery board on it while I watch TV later on which is pretty relaxing, haha. This is a good video, man, thanks. You're easy to follow with a good pace and a way of explaining things that laymen can understand. The brush on the drill is a good tip. It's tedious using a knife and that brush gives a pretty cool, "natural" texture. I did want to ask if you've tried any false-bottom vivariums in that garage during the dry winter months? They're easy and cheap, I think it might be worth running one as a test to see if it helps keeps the humidity up. Of course you'd probably be pouring in water to refill the bottoms occasionally, but it might be a decent and mostly-passive way to keep the moisture up in the tanks, especially any that have overhead lights. I've been doing them in any vivs that need over 60% humidity or so, they really help any live plants flourish, as well as temperate or tropical "clean up crew" bugs like springtails.

[@aqua_zp]

Хорошая работа!

[@davidbrown-55]

Another great video! These are the vids I like to watch. Can you post the the glass dimensions to build this tank? What brand lights and fixtures do you use? Thanks and keep showing vids like this. Best there is!

[@Expeditionwildside]

👌 very nice 👍

[@Tijlliekens]

You are European! This build defenitly proofs it! Great job man, tank looks awesome. I have a very similar setup for my O.Histrionica and they realy like the long branches to walk on.

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thanks! Means a lot coming from you!

[@Tijlliekens]

@@TroyGoldberg Don't know why but thanks :D

[@DicVein]

hey Troy the about that foam "Substrate" did you silicone/glue to to the bottom of the tank or just the second step?

[@timothyerjavec7272]

Hey Troy, Now that the tank is established, do you think the 1” vents and 4” substrate dam is a better design?

[@debbiedeneese]

Amazing, glad I saw this before starting my first build. Am I correct in noticing you coated ALL exposed surfaces with the DryLok? The foam substrate is a brilliant and very controllable/malleable product. Can't wait to see more!

[@chrisandersen4024]

love the look of it simply amazing. may I ask why y added the screen stuff and not just went full great stuff foam.? keep up the great content :)

[@JoshHind]

Would you be able to scrape the foam off the glass if you wanted to change it later

[@TroyGoldberg]

Yes

[@craigsmart1986]

Dude that wire brush drill is so much easier than using a knife

[@TroyGoldberg]

yeah saves a ton of time! but makes a huge mess LOL!

[@cassalamon]

Hes back!

[@iratevagabond204]

I'm a cabinet and furniture maker by trade; I use my carving tools (knives/gouges), chisels, and scrapers to carve my foam. I also use the green craft/floral foam adhered to the glass for most of my background - use the expanding foam as filler or as terrain variation. Also use different Homax wall/ceiling texture spray for different terrain textures.

[@thesucculentcity]

How do you get it to adhere to the glass?

[@iratevagabond204]

@@thesucculentcity The cheap GE Silicone Adhesive from Walmart.

[@scottclouser2369]

Awesome video, very informative. Looking to get into the hobby after years of saltwater corals. You had mentioned you trek to Pittsburgh. Are there any shops that have good frog selections locally?

[@majmarkmiranda]

If u dab the deep parts with black and then grey around the medium and crack spots then bush the brown over u get better texture and shadows

[@TroyGoldberg]

I have a BFA in oil painting…

[@majmarkmiranda]

@@TroyGoldberg that's Kool is the lighting dark or does that stuff dry to be black?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Mmmm I mix many different batches… some of the dark mixed are almost black, some are a dark brown/grey…. I always paint the deeper crevasses darker mix… and the putter most surfaces usually the lighter mixes I make up… I don’t stick to this rule completely thought, because I’m nature not all substrates and cliffs edges are all the same color, some are different colors of dirt/rock/clay…

[@xmanu100]

brother can the powder foam be used to make anything useful by adding anything to make sure there is no wastage.. like if you mix it up with clear silicone mabe u can make like a rock or another shape required for the terrarium

[@kentmcnab526]

This is a great video also, very informative. I also wanted to add that all of your videos are the best I've seen by far, keep up the great job you are doing. I just wanted to ask a question: How long do you wait before planting the vivarium?

[@TroyGoldberg]

With this particular method you can pretty much plant the tank 24hours after the gorilla glue has dried.

[@sdqsdq6274]

nice dude , better audio, better lighting , funny i will be starting mine vivarium soon, i order the same filter foam, using as a back wall , damn didnt think i can use it as a base as well , now i must order more , btw what size you using , looks like large

[@tylerisaac13]

Hey @troygoldberg, really phenomenal work! Curious if you've had any issues with the great stuff getting waterlogged over time? I noticed it wasn't dryloked beneath the hygrolon, does the gorilla glue partly seal it off from moisture?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Nah never had an issue like that

[@funkyleg9389]

Hey i wonder if the "filter mat moss method" worked out :)? Super informative video! Will definetly build a wall like this !

[@RicoLyco]

What is the pur you used for the background and attaching the wood? I am afraid when I do that it will kill the frogs due to the toxicity

[@cwillphine]

this is so cool and stable! how would you clean a tank like this?

[@raygilbers8274]

Hi Troy thanks for your awesome vid's I love to watch them. I've read that using this type of foam could push out the sides of the viv? I'm planning to do the same method as you apply here but I'm affraid later the glass is pushed out. Whats your thought about this. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work.

[@daves2354]

If anything it's providing strength holding the tank together. When the foam begins to expand, it doesn't have the strength to push on anything because it's just goo. Once it is finished expanding and begins to cure, it doesn't expand anymore so it will essentially just become part of the wall. At least I wouldn't try to remove it unless you placed a layer of plastic drop cloth or something similar between the terrarium and your foam for the purpose of removing it

[@AntsCanada]

Just watched several of your videos! Awesome terrarium builds! Your channel is going to be huge soon! Subscribed! PS - I've always wanted to get into dart frogs but I hear they don't do too well in my hot climate. I'm on a frog flex atm. I have microhylid frogs and a Surinam horned frog. Does the urine from frogs cause the moss to develop algae?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Hahaha Hey Thanks man!, yeah typically they don’t like it when the enclosure goes above 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit on the ground area... that’s a good question about the urine, but I have no clue lol! Thanks for the sub! I love your channel!

[@AntsCanada]

@@TroyGoldberg Thank you! So the moss in your frog tanks don't mold or grow algae?

[@TroyGoldberg]

AntsCanada not usually, but some of my vivs have bubble algae... not exactly sure where that came from... I’ve seen slime mold as well

[@AntsCanada]

@@TroyGoldberg ah ok noted. Same with some of my terrariums containing frogs. Thanks for the info. I will continue to follow your channel!

[@TroyGoldberg]

AntsCanada thanks man I really appreciate it!

[@joshsmith7170]

I'm going to be attaching wood inside my pvc cages, is that mesh a necessity or did you use it because your building on glass?

[@gtamantube]

So why did you put the sheeting over the carved background foam? instead of just drylocking over it as well. Sweet tank, thanks

[@cameronjohnson3736]

Where did you get the hydra lawn. I google it and all kind of thing come up. Is it simply weed barrier mesh ?

[@alisonmorrison1128]

Where do you get the fabric? I think you said hydroline but I can't find it on the web...

[@athiker04]

Nice. How much plant growth do you end up getting on the Dryloc portions of the background? Thanks.

[@TroyGoldberg]

A lot.... plants have no trouble rooting or climbing it

[@Biolo-G_KJ]

Nono not bioactive enough man hahaha. Jk, looks amazing man😄

[@cody2097]

Hey I was wondering, if you can remember, how long did you let your foam sit before hitting it with the drill? I foamed mine yesterday and a mess is an understatement! My drill and myself covered in this lol even though it's cured it's stuck to everything

[@JesseJamesccc]

Hey Troy, I'm curious to know if you use that filter foam for all of your builds now, is the foam you used in the link below or do you prefer a different brand/material?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Yes I do

[@jkruse1151]

how strong is the form for holding branches in place or weight before breaking.

[@pauld.3332]

Oh, I know what I have to try. I have a spare tank where I was uncertain what to do with it 🙂 Are you using some kind of pet save landscape foam or how come you didn't dry lock the foam underneath the hygrolon?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Paul D. It’s not necessary to drylok the foam. And I’m using this filter foam stuff, so yes it’s animal safe

[@botaniker6644]

This looks awesome. But I have a question: doesn't the Hygrolon lead water behind the foam of the driftwood? I am planning a tank right now and I'm not sure if water behind the foam won't degrade the root's stability over time?

[@TroyGoldberg]

No

[@hayshialopez2834]

Can you give me the glass measurements for your new dimensions of the vents? How big is this tank?

[@AOA9871]

Very helpful video man! I’m just wondering, I’m going to be building a vivarium in a couple months and one of the features is going to be a cave right against the glass. The main structure will most likely be made like these backgrounds, but how would I make the foam against the glass look like the background and not...foam? Also, where did you get the supplies to make these awesome backgrounds?

[@jendubay3782]

The foam can peel off the glass easily if you want. Paint it and return it to the original position, with glue

[@ryanjackson587]

Hey man, so im building a vivarium for my chameleon right now, and this has been my first experience using drylok. I put the first layer of drylok on last night, its been about 12 hrs, and the drylok has been really good on the polystyrene foam, but the greatstuff seems to be just holding on to it like a wet sponge and isn't drying in some places. Will it dry with more time, and also, with it gain more rigidity as it dries and i apply more coats to it? Right now, im scared to add more coats of drylok as i dont know what its going to do.

[@juaninestroza4200]

Do I need to add hydro lawn? If I don’t add fry lock will the foam be damaged by water

[@jdeflip]

Can anyone explain the pros of the drylok method over silicon and coco coir? I’m trying to decide for my first viv!

[@WhisperingLeaf8372]

Hey you mentioned expanding foam on the hands and how difficult it is to remove. I have kind of used WD40, soap, then Swarfega, then soap again to get it mostly off. I don't necessarily recommend it, but it's better than nothing

[@TroyGoldberg]

Yes I’ve mentioned it in many videos.... wear gloves!!

[@jasondye1985]

If you're having an issue with all the tanks being too dry, couldn't you run a humidifier in the room so the ambient humidity is higher?

[@donemerson9952]

Great video, thanks! Can you please clarify the names of the products you used for the background, sounds like Hydrolawn & Drylock. Where can they be purchased and what are the pros & cons. Many thanks!

[@Metamancer]

Just found your videos, the vivs are absolutely amazing. I had some questions that may not be in your wheelhouse, but figured I'd ask just in case. I'm planning out a bioactive build for a ball python and was curious if this same process could apply? Would substrate be able to go over the drainage layer or would I have to opt for just substrate? Could the driftwood that is being held up by the foam hold up an adult ball python (4 - 5lbs) or would it collapse? Thanks in advance!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thanks, I have no idea what the requirements are on a python setup

[@Metamancer]

@@TroyGoldberg no problem at all! Thanks for answering. Still appreciate everything you work on. Look forward to future videos too!

[@MrRocchinodoesthings]

Wow, this is great! Any chance you could show us the planting process or the next step?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Yeah I plan on making a part two to this video.

[@MrRocchinodoesthings]

@@TroyGoldberg right onto appreciate the knowledge you provide!

[@yorickster2253]

Amazing video but 1 small notice... the matts we use here in Europe are called Matala matts. They are harder and dont compress unlike the foam filter you used. Matala mats are also used in koi pond filters and big pond filters where the flow of water and hydroscopic presure is so high it would compress the normal foam pads. Matala mats are slightly bendable and can be cut with a sharp knife or cut by a saw. I think over there in the US and UK you can also buy the mountain tree filter mats. Its almost the same material

[@yorickster2253]

Oohw 1 more little thing about the mats. They come in different colours. Use the black or green one. The black is most coarse one the green is normal coarse type. The rest will clog up.

[@TroyGoldberg]

I’ve used matala before… but also what you’re saying isn’t exactly true…. Many of the people in Europe are using the same sponge filter mat that Im using.

[@TroyGoldberg]

I always use black.. there are different grades of the black… I always use the lower PPI( pores per inch) for better aeration and flow.

[@yorickster2253]

@@TroyGoldberg ooh ok, well guess i learned something today 😉, thanks for the reply.

[@jatteste5107]

Hi, I'm a fan of your collection and especially the assembly of your terrariums! You inspire me a lot, keep it up! Can you tell me what is the name of the black fabric that you use as the background of your terrariums? Thank you so much ..

[@derandora3150]

Thanks Troy for sharing all this stuff! Really great build. Does anyone know a drylok replacement that i can buy in germany?

[@hanneseinberger6862]

2kpu Kleber bei Bens Jungle

[@sdqsdq6274]

drylok is the brand , something similar to what he is using should be the same

[@YummiestOrphan]

Awesome build. The wobbliness of those protruding bits of drift wood makes me anxious when you touch them though. Do they not weaken over time and potentially drop as the foam shrinks and the weight of water saturation on the wood etc? I have a 90x45x100 that houses my group of 4 Leuc's that I'm having to rebuild as I foolishly used lots of cork and as its got wet over the months and months and become weak its started to collapse and I'm scared of it collapsing totally on the frogs so want to rip it out and use stronger driftwood. But like I say I fear the driftwood will fall over time. I didn't use expanding foam with the cork though I should add, just lots and lots of silicone to carefully position each piece.

[@TroyGoldberg]

I’ve not had any issues with that.

[@YummiestOrphan]

@@TroyGoldberg Thats good to know. Any chance on your next build video you can show us exactly how you foam those kinds of stick-out pieces in place?

[@machine_elf]

DJI osmo mobile 3 is only $109 right now would really improve the quality of your videos - looks great and appreciate the tutorial !! Going to try this method on my next tank

[@TroyGoldberg]

Thanks I’ll look into it.

[@rexplorer.official]

Hi, not sure if I missed you mention where you got that tank in the video, but where did you get that tank? it looks really nice.

[@TroyGoldberg]

Made it myself

[@albertomas9688]

Hello, thank you very much for your videos. They are really great. I would like to know the name of the textile material you use to cover the foam walls. I want to prepare an exoterra terrarium of 90x45x90 in paludarium mode.

[@TroyGoldberg]

Hygrolon

[@markwylie7111]

With so many people using deep litter for larger oophaga how are you managing that with the new build and the sponge floor covered in moss. Thanks. Mark

[@TroyGoldberg]

I’m going to have moss and leaf litter... should not be a problem for large obligates.... as long as they have food, and large broms, and egg deposit sites... that’s essentially all they need

[@TroyGoldberg]

@@guide2befree its only been a little over a week.... I really won't have an answer for 3-4 months id say.