Vivarium upgrade | don't make the mistakes I did

Enjoy this redo of my crested gecko's bioactive terrarium / vivarium! I've always wanted to try a background using expanding foam so I decided to go for it and learned a lot along the way.
Timestamps:
0:00 Foam base
8:59 Adding cork
15:25 Expanding foam
21:21 Foam cleanup
23:09 Securing coco coir
36:39 Touching up with moss
39:10 Old tank disassemble
44:19 Substrate + hardscaping
46:00 Planting
50:00 Introducing Korok
51:54 2 month update
🔗Links:
My sister's crochet shop! www.etsy.com/shop/bethamicrafts
The terrarium I used: www.petsmart.ca/reptile/habit...
🛍️Affiliate products:
Aquarium silicone: amzn.to/3rMVtrw
Caulking gun: amzn.to/48HvCCc
Glass scraper: amzn.to/3tmwBYk
Great Stuff Pond & Stone gap filler: amzn.to/3F4yGL2
The foam I used in the video: amzn.to/48Css2z
Loose coco coir: amzn.to/3RLG3yD
Cork bark: amzn.to/45d81GB
Mopani wood: amzn.to/48J36jp
Preserved moss: amzn.to/3Q46C0y
Frog moss: amzn.to/3F2B0lx
Barrina grow lights: amzn.to/46sLdnc
Feeding ledge: amzn.to/3tkpcsu
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/prigida/last-summer
License code: MVWAFQBOPK2LVLP9

[@juandiegomoreno9803]

Advice for anyone in the future, it takes time but you’re supposed to carve ALL of the expanding foam. Silicone doesnt adhere so well to the smooth foam and over time you can start to lose coco coir from the background. Cutting the foam exposes a spongy rough surface that is much better for silicone. Also, to hold up the cork against the wall, if youre working vertically, using expanding foam has worked well for me (as opposed to silicone). It is able to hold it on its own in less time. And lastly, the Pond and Stone expanding foam is black instead of white, which I think looks better than the off-white of regular expanding foam

[@steinfamilytelevision]

What about putting substrate in background before it dries

[@gennasplants]

I've seen people do that with the pond & stone foam but with the regular foam it doesn't seem to stick very well

[@gundamnit3594]

@@steinfamilytelevision As long as your chosen background stuff is bone dry it will actually stick to great stuff pond and stone. So if you are quick enough you can throw coco fiber and moss onto the pond and stone then simply let it lie flat for 24 hours. Afterwards just tap the back of the glass and all the excess will fall off.

[@kitcat9825]

Another tip, you can use painters tape to suspend hardscape pieces into position while you spray the foam

[@kitcat9825]

I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned it but if you clean the glass with rubbing alcohol first, you shouldn’t have any problems with the spray foam adhering to the glass. I don’t use silicone or foam panels and have had no problems

[@_Velqine_]

I always let the foam fully dry out, and then i cut the foam to make cool texture, forms and landscapes. I also dont like the form of the foam when you dont cut it. Then I paint it with color, and the last step is water resistant wood glue that dries transparent. (Is totally reptile save if you use the correct one) The glue mixed with water seals the background and makes it water resistant. Before the glue dries, i use the soil. I also press the soil on to it a bit that it sticks to the background better, and when dried out, it sticks perfectly

[@kitcat9825]

In my experience, no matter how well you think you get the coco coir stuck on, you will see foam peaking through within a few months to a year. Maybe I didn’t press it into the silicone well enough but it does break down over time regardless. I am happier with the tanks I’ve done using dry-lock to paint over the carved foam. I can use dyes to create some naturalistic looking rocks or tree bark. 😁

[@plecoguy7650]

Awesome video! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us! Very helpful.❤

[@leanna2624]

Love your build!! P.s. I used silicone and double back with hot glue. The glue holds while the silicone sets.

[@gennasplants]

Ahh cool!

[@leanna2624]

Also, you skipped the foam carving. It's suuuuper messy. If you do try it next time, a hot tool works, like your hot knife. Using the pond black foam and black silicone It's easier to hide the patches in the coco coir lol. Please, please, please, wear a painters mask. Thank you for your videos, I'm a new fan!!

[@gennasplants]

Yeah I regret not carving the foam 🥲 Next time!

[@TheHairos]

Looks really good,i like it 👍🏻

[@tracys_plants]

Beautiful!! Lucky lucky gecko

[@lewynewman3053]

You don’t need to use aquarium silicone. 100% silicone is aquarium silicone so it’s just the “aquarium” promo people pay more for. This is how it is for most products with animal branding like soils and wood or foods. Most products you’re wanting to use for your terrariums you can find half the price at Home Depot that are the same products. Also you don’t need to use as much silicon. Lots of people think you need to cover it in silicon to apply fiber. Not true. applying fiber while the foam is in it’s tacky form will work and won’t have any other defects like loose fibers. If it’s loose you didn’t apply the fiber fast enough. Also when applying hardscape i put the tank on its back so I don’t need to use as much silicon. Nice tank tho I seen these at petsmarts for really cheap during Christmas

[@gennasplants]

Good points, I will definitely keep in mind for next time!

[@kitcat9825]

One reason I prefer not to use silicone is the amount of time it takes to cure. It’s days before it cured and no longer smelling and I don’t have that much patience LOL😂

[@catfrog1975]

The tiny tiny pieces of cork can be used in isopod or bug propagation set-ups! Or even placed in housepants for aesthetics. :)

[@markwootton937]

Xps foam isnt as toxic as white packaging foam but should always wear a mask. The hot knife will work in similar way to a hot wire foam cutter.

[@WonderfulWorldReptiles]

Beautiful vivarium. I’ve used the thrive hexagon for a couple of my vivariums and I’ve really liked them. Your gecko is stunning too. 😀

[@gennasplants]

Cool! Thank you 🥰

[@vijay.vichhi]

You can simply use needles or nails to basically hold the cork onto the foam while the silicon sets. Push it through the Cork and foam in 2 or 3 places and you are done. For the foam, you can get it off with paint brush cleaner. Not great for the skin but better than having foam on your hands. For the drainage on the pots, even after the foam, you can drill holes with an actual drill, and then cover once more with coco peat.

[@tjohnson1482]

Lay the aquarium on its side and glue the pieces.

[@jaidyn.m]

i use drylok instead of silicone it makes a rough wall they can grip and climb and lets me pin vining plants to the walls and they can grow up it

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

Good video. Lotsss of info necessary to anyone putting together their first bioactive build. I watched a ton of vivarium tutorials before building my one and only, and I still wasn't fully prepared. Everyone has a point at which they can only advance their knowhow via hands on activity, I guess. I used the drylok method and I'm quite satisfied with the finished product. The crestie seems to find it satisfactory as well. Now if I could only dial in my plant care. I have a few that are basically bulletproof, but a few others which died back on transplant. They're still alive but the new growth just halts, leaving perpetually sprouting healthy roots. I just don't get it. Also, I made the mistake of using branches that are too spindly. They're great for my tiny gecko, but once it gets big I'll probably have to tear some out and put in some more substantial stuff that it can relax on. My little guy is turning out to be a very late bloomer. It has finally started putting on some weight, but at 14mos it still only weighs 11g. I think there was a flaw in the way I fed it. I would only coat the bottom of a water bottle cap in a thin layer of pangea. It wouldn't lick all of it up, only eating what was in one spot, so I thought I was providing enough. Later I began to fill the cap at least halfway and the gecko would eat deep into the food, ingesting more, but still only eating from one spot in the cap. This is one thing I wish I had seen mentioned in the hours and hours of care guide videos I watched and the material I read.

[@gennasplants]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I agree, watching videos only prepares you so much 😅

[@damianmlegacy7311]

Use black foam amd lay the tank on it's back so you don't have gravity Issues. Great work!!

[@gennasplants]

will definitely do that next time!

[@thebrookster1]

I love the crestie plush. Did she use any pattern for the crochet?

[@gennasplants]

She got the pattern from a shop called TricksOfCrochet and customized it

[@honnemochi]

i've been looking into the thrive hexagon! i've noticed there was a couple of people having issues with a door gap and/or their lock breaking quickly, have you had any issues since?

[@gennasplants]

No I haven't had any issues with it yet!

[@brzo.]

If i make my enclosure have a background on all 3 sides, will I need to let the foam dry on one side before moving to the next or can I do it while wet/semi-dry?

[@gennasplants]

I'm not sure which step you're referring to, but you should be able to do all 3 at once

[@yvonnevigil7489]

New subscriber here and have been watching your videos now. So much information in them. Well I lost my first hoya ( Mathilde) and I am afraid of house plants. This was my first houseplant and I killed it 😔. Should I start a basic plant maybe a marble queen? Suggestion:

[@gennasplants]

That's too bad! Hoyas are not super easy, but marble queen I definitely recommend!

[@yvonnevigil7489]

@@gennasplants about a marble queen : what type of mixture should it have. Would you buy at a Lowes, Home depot or esty or start with cuttings. Want this plant to be full not on a pole. Thx

[@gennasplants]

Lowes or Home Depot should be fine, just make sure you check for pests. I wouldn't start with cuttings. A chunky aroid mix would be best, but if you can't find that houseplant soil should be fine.

[@jasmingarcia152]

Can you give a break down of how long you had to wait for everything? Like, how long did you wait for the expanding goal to dry before cutting it? How long did you wait for the silicone to cure before brushing off some of the coconut? How long did you have to wait until the silicone completely dry? And how long did you have to wait until placing your gecko inside, finally?

[@gennasplants]

Sure...the expanding foam only took overnight to cure before I cut into it. The silicone cured in about half an hour (if I remember correctly) enough to start brushing off some of some of the coco coir but it will depend on the brand you're using. I let the silicone cure for a week before doing the final brush off, adding plants, and adding the gecko.

[@jasmingarcia152]

Okay, great. Thank you so much for that info. I’m looking to build my own bio active vivarium, so your video was very helpful. I enjoyed the build 😊

[@buda7326]

Just incase anyone else runs into this issue. I also got expanding foam on my hands and it's horrible. What I found works is using a pumice stone in the shower and it took most of it off, my thumbnail is still orange though lol

[@iammatth3w]

No need for a drainage layer? :)

[@gennasplants]

I've done it both ways and haven't found much of a difference. you do you though!

[@DissectionLabBio103]

Opps I see now, you used foam and substrate to cover it up, i cant edit it out, so please disregard.. Looking forward to seeing more ideas shared, i got my first crested Gecko, her name is Jewels :D Love this design for a Vivarium and have learned lots!

[@gennasplants]

Aww congratulations on your gecko!! Glad you found it helpful 🥰

[@amineslami1370]

Use aquarium filter foam instead of the substrate and drainage layer

[@amineslami1370]

44:01

[@gennasplants]

I'm confused, how is that supposed to work with plants?

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

If you use pots wo holes in your build water won't be able to drain and the plants will get root rot and die off.

[@gennasplants]

That's only true if you water too much or other environmental conditions are out of balance. I grow some of my succulents in planters without holes and they're fine. You can always use a removable inner pot if you're really worried.

[@7empestTv]

2 minutes in I couldn’t stand the Starbucks Cashier Voice lol

[@gennasplants]

ikr her voice is so annoying :/

[@bile897]

Probably shouldn’t have your bird flying around, if it got all over the bird it would’ve died.

[@steinfamilytelevision]

Always a Karen