Any texture/landscape foam suitable for terrarium use?

[NinaAmbroshia]

This may sound a little odd, but my girl is on the small side and super active. I have been wanting to do redo her set up and make better use of all the space in her tank. I think to do so, I have to find a way to build a hide or basking spot into her tank or build her a ledge to be hyper and climb.

I've heard about foam that can be put into the tank and shaped. So I was wondering if any knew of a brand or type that was good for reptiles, and/or a good texture spray to put on top of it.

 

[MrSpectrum]

AFAIK, There are 2 types of "foam" used in enclosure building.

The first type is rigid foam (usually polystyrene/styrofoam) insulation board, which comes in sheets (white, pink, blue) in various thicknesses. This is used to build structures, can be shaped, then usually covered with tile grout and sealed with several coats of a non-toxic (when dry/cured) sealer to make cleaning easier.

The other kind is spray urethane foam, which can also be shaped after curing, and likewise coated with grout and/or a sealer.

Both are fairly labor intensive. The spray urethane involves potentially harmful fumes before being fully cured. Rigid insulation may require adhesives or silicone caulk with potentially harmful fumes before being fully cured. Some people use either/both in combination, depending on what they're envisioning/building. You can find many examples & discussions about either/both in the DIY forum and many "How to" videos on YouTube. :wink:

I'm not aware of a texture spray for this application, but there may be such a thing. :dontknow:

Most of these materials are not great for BDs when freshly applied or exposed, which is why the last step is always sealing with multiple coats of a water-based sealer that's non-toxic when fully cured.

Personally, I try to stick with natural materials--rocks, river stones/pebbles, brick, patio/landscaping blocks/tiles, slate/shale, cork rounds, tree branches, etc. It depends on your vision & preferences. Lots of ideas in the above DIY forum and Viv pics only thread in the Enclosures forum.

 

[NinaAmbroshia]

A decent brand of the spray Urethane foam is what I am looking for, I didn't know if anyone knew of a good brand for it or a good brand of sealer too.

I plan on using natural items too, Thats actually part of the reason I want the foam too. I have Peices of off wood for climbing and a couple branches; she loves branches, but now that she isn't as small as she used too, branches have a harder time of staying up when she climbs them.

I will definitely check out the DIY Forum though

 

[MrSpectrum]

I've used this sealer on much of my enclosure. I ignore the triple-thick part, and use multiple coats anyway. I don't usually mention specific brands because there are many good ones, and not all are available in everyone's area.

I've not used spray urethane foam personally (yet), but I imagine something like this; it's specifically mentioned on a quite a few reptile sites.

 

[NinaAmbroshia]

Fair enough, I can understand and respect that. I was more concerned about trying to avoid any bad brands. Thanks for your recommendations all the same I really appreciate it!

 

[MrSpectrum]

I know/understand where you're coming from. In general, I do searches like reptile safe finishes and go from there. :wink: