I finished my new enclosure

[OrangeDragon]

I just finished my new enclosure and I was wondering if everything is good. She has been surfing on the back wall and I might add a climbable background.

 

[ChileanTaco]

IMHO looks good. For the substrate, I strongly recommend making sure it is not dusty. Some people here wrote when they use a substrate they have dust up on the lamps (!), this should really not be the case. To get the desired surface: When you spray it with some water over a few days and let it dry, it finally should form a hard "crust" (without needing to be constantly sprayed with water after that) - should be more like on a hiking trail, instead of powdery. For example, if I want to plant another plant or otherwise remove some substrate, I have to break it open using a spoon, so hard is it.
If it's difficult getting this kind of surface, mixing in a bit of "burrowing clay" such as Zoomed Excavator Clay Burrowing Substrate can help. (I have access to sand straight from the desert here and can get the desired consistency without problems. I have the burrowing clay too, but for shaping more elevated things.)

Regarding the live plants: I always put some stones around them, especially until they are well rooted. This prevents them from being dug out or just being ripped out when the dragon walks over them.

The climbable background: I would add it for sure! My dragon also has one and uses it a lot. He's more up there than on the ground, and the same was true when he was small. It basically adds a second level to it, also enabling the dragon to get closer to the lamps or further away in incremental steps - you can also integrate cave(s) into the background when the background has "boards" that protrude from it (like in pictures from the one I made in some threads). My dragon sometimes sleeps in a deep burrow he dug, and sometimes in an elevated cave. He also likes the elevated cave when he wants to rest a bit in semi-shade but still quite warm.

 

[Chris.]

That looks really good, I like the look of dark substrates

The climbable back wall is a great idea, both my dragons love these.

Adding some more branches for climbing might be a good idea as well. It looks better if there is some decor that makes use of the tanks hight and from what I observed with my dragons (as @ChileanTaco mentioned) is that they spend a lot less time on the ground if given the opportunity to go up. Especially at a younger age, they tend to like to be somewhat elevated.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Especially at a younger age, they tend to like to be somewhat elevated.

That, and my Taco still likes it (he's now 14 month old). He's rarely on the ground, usually only for going into his burrow or coming out, or for getting some food. Otherwise, he sits somewhere elevated and is also walking around up there.
I would also add more branches, or rather a large branch - even if the size might look a bit weird compared to a young dragon, I'd immediately go for the final size. I did so, and the branch is approx. the size of what is the diagonal of the enclosure, and a good arm's thickness. See attached image - that's the same branch, the same dragon

 

[OrangeDragon]

What should I use for the background? I was thinking of foam or cork. Also if I did foam, what kind of paint or sealant since the wall is PVC. Also, where would I find the materials?

 

[ChileanTaco]

For the background, I started with two MDF boards which I screwed together with metal angle brackets, to have an L-shape going around a corner, covering most of the back and one side of the enclosure (the enclosure of my dragon is 120 cm long and 80 cm deep, and this is about 110 cm long, 60 cm deep).
For some "boards" protruding from it, I then nailed syrofoam to the MDF boards (actually: piercing the MDF board with nails and putting the syrofoam on it), then covered them in construction foam to make a thicker, more sturdy shape and make everything holding well together.
I let the construction foam dry a few days; during that time it expands. Afterwards I cut it down a bit using a knife when it just was too round and looked too much like "icing on a cake", to give it more a stone-like shape. I then covered everything with a layer of tile glue (that's something similar to concrete, not similar to a normal glue) mixed with acrylic paint. The tile glue itself dries to a light grey, almost white surface. I added another layer of that tile glue mixed with acrylic paint and this time pressed sand firmly to the surface. Once dry - I just waited until the next weekend - I brushed off any sand that's loose.
With that it was finished. I glued the background into the enclosure using aquarium-grade silicone (a big "blob" on the back of the enclosure and firmly pressing it on). I then sealed it all around with the silicone, to make sure no insects can get behind that background.

I have built this before I got my dragon. As you already have your dragon: I would recommend when you glue in the background with the silicone, to house your dragon in something else temporary for 1 - 2 days to let it air out. I let the background itself air out two weeks, but also the silicone stinks and of course the dragon should not come into contact with the still liquid silicone. Maybe you can put your dragon, if you have no other tank available, in a tote or large box for a day or two, putting the top mesh of the enclosure on top to prevent escaping.

All materials can be found in any kind of hardware store. (I actually reused the styrofoam from when we got a fridge delivered as we moved right before, but also the styrofoam can be bought in a hardware store.)
This kind of background is very sturdy, I see no "wear and tear" from the claws, and I thing because of the materials automatically giving a stone-like, natural appearance it always turns out nice and one doesn't need to be especially "artsy" for that.

I have attached some images from when I built the background. Image 1 is with MDF, syrofoam and construction foam. Image 2 is with first layer of tile glue mixed with acrylic paint added. Image 3 is the finished surface now with a second layer of tile glue and paint with sand added, as it looks in the enclosure.

 

[Chris.]

If you are lazy (like myself) you can also buy both options, foam or cork, and glue them with silicone to the back wall

 

[ChileanTaco]

@Chris.
So you have just a flat cork background, or are there also "boards" protruding from it?
My solution wasn't even overly complicated. I remember when I bought the stuff, my husband was more like "oh no, what giant project she's starting now...", he joked about the "construction site", but in the end, it just wasn't that complicated or overly labor-intensive and I think it's totally worth it. My dragon loves it, and I love watching him climbing up and sitting there on his "lookout post" or him snuggling into an elevated cave when he wants to doze but still catch some sun

Another option might be: screwing branches or thick pieces of bark onto a wooden/ MDF panel. Was no option for me as any kind of branches are very hard to get by here (desert), but otherwise, also something that works. Benefit of that might be that it can be finished immediately in one day, whereas the "stone wall" thing involves some time for drying/hardening of the materials (I finished it over three weekends with just about 1 - 2 hours work each weekend).

 

[Chris.]

@Chris.
So you have just a flat cork background, or are there also "boards" protruding from it?
My solution wasn't even overly complicated. I remember when I bought the stuff, my husband was more like "oh no, what giant project she's starting now...", he joked about the "construction site", but in the end, it just wasn't that complicated or overly labor-intensive and I think it's totally worth it. My dragon loves it, and I love watching him climbing up and sitting there on his "lookout post" or him snuggling into an elevated cave when he wants to doze but still catch some sun

Another option might be: screwing branches or thick pieces of bark onto a wooden/ MDF panel. Was no option for me as any kind of branches are very hard to get by here (desert), but otherwise, also something that works. Benefit of that might be that it can be finished immediately in one day, whereas the "stone wall" thing involves some time for drying/hardening of the materials (I finished it over three weekends with just about 1 - 2 hours work each weekend).

The cork is a simple, flat plate. The foam is more uneven but also more expensive.
I'll look for some pictures...

 

[ChileanTaco]

@Chris.

Thanks for the pictures. So I see, this serves a bit a different purpose.
Yours mimicking more forest with the back similar to a piece of a large-diameter tree and most climbing is on branches, and mine mimicking desert with natural sandstone structures and niches, and that's a totally different shape. (I have one large branch diagonally in the enclosure.) So it's really a decision doing it more this way or that way and absolutely (!) I think both are great, naturalistic solutions to the problem.

I think if such boards you used are not available (looks like reptile-specific stuff?), one could use MDF and just smear the construction foam and tile glue on it. I've seen something similar done for other reptiles and amphibians, e.g. when mimicking more a (rain-)forest and the background should look like a piece of a large tree, and then even integrating pots for live plants into that.

 

[OrangeDragon]

Is this Video good?

 

[ChileanTaco]

Is this Video good?

i used this and similar youtube videos to find out how to build it (plus an article on a website but it's in German). It's a good description and makes sense IMHO and you could follow that.
They seem to build it in the enclosure already. Good choice if the enclosure opens from the front, but mine opens from the top (and is 80 cm high, half my height ) so reaching in is very hard and there was the danger of breaking the glass, so I first built the background separately before putting it in.
As you already have your dragon, a benefit of building it outside would be, however, the time for the materials to dry. If you build it inside, you will have to house your dragon until it is fully dried, a week or so, in another temporary enclosure.

 

[OrangeDragon]

I still have my old enclosure. The temps in the new one is a little low. I have added a couple of stones higher up to help. Hopefully the climbable background helps too.

 

[ChileanTaco]

@OrangeDragon

I still have my old enclosure.

That's good for this purpose

Hopefully the climbable background helps too.

Usually it should This helps for a nice temperature gradient - having access to heat, but also being able to get away from the heat.

 

[Chris.]

@OrangeDragon

That's good for this purpose

Usually it should This helps for a nice temperature gradient - having access to heat, but also being able to get away from the heat.

Plus the added insulation, obviously