Ideas for a DIY hide?

[jducky18]

So I just bought a 40 gallon breeder (36x18x18 in.) and it's completely empty right now. Since I don't actually have a dragon at the moment, I wanted to come up with a really cool/fun/beautiful design that I can DIY for my tank, just because he's not human doesn't mean he can't have a fun/beautiful home. I saw an amazing post about building your own DIY hide/basking platform, and so I've had tons of ideas bouncing around in my head. I'm very seriously considering making his basking platform/hide to look like a pile of treasure, and he or she is the dragon guarding it. I'm also thinking about a cool castle or ruins scene, or maybe even a Spyro throwback. I just have a lot of ideas.

In addition to being really pretty, I want to make sure everything I make is as safe and as comfortable for my beardie as I can make it. So if anyone has any comments on how I can build things safely (in addition to reading labels) I'd love to hear it.

So anyway, I'm super open to ideas, comments, photos of cool decorations or designs that people already have, pretty much anything. I love creativity and I'm above-averagely crafty, so if anyone has some cool ideas or suggestions, let me know!!

 

[Onlymediocre]

Theres an article in the Care sheets and articles section at the top of the screen that explains how to make fake rock walls, so you can use that as a reference for what types of material to use http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/falserock/ and just instead of shaping it into a rock shape it into whatever u want I think its a great idea making a neat design in the enclosure... I think rlly neat castle would be fun. Im planning on making basking spot/hides for mine. But Im theming their viv with their names, Athena and Persephone... Athenas going to have the Parthenon for hers, and Persephone I was thinking doing some sort or underword looking desisn for the basking side and doing the other side in springtime flowers and what not... Im starting on Athena 1st (since Im pretty dang sure shes a girl) Persephone is still pretty small, so if she ends up being a he, the name will be changed to Ares and of course the design will change...

I was thinking something like this>> http://www.stormthecastle.com/paper-castle/paper-parthenon.htm but made with the right materials and maybe a little wider/ longer so I can leave a space open and it can double as a cave.. that website also links to a few pretty neat looking castles...
http://www.stormthecastle.com/paper-castle/make-a-cardboard-castle.htm So maybe you can get a few ideas there. If u scroll down the page a little bit youll see dif castle designs and some are pretty neat looking I like the Black Dragon paper castle, since its a castle and dragon, lol.

Anywho, I think its awesome you want to do a unique design. And good luck, Put up pics in the DIY of you making it, maybe ull inspire someone else

 

[jducky18]

Oh wow, those are such cool designs! I'm a huge Greek Mythology nerd, so I'm genuinely surprised that didn't cross my mind! I'm not going to steal your ideas though. And I love the names for your beardies, that's so cute. I'm really thinking of focusing on the castle, dragon-guarding-the-treasure theme because then I can also have a lot of fun with what floor tiles I buy. I appreciate the links too, I'm definitely going to take a look at those. I read the post about creating your own rock walls, and it was really really helpful, so I'm going to go out and buy my polystyrene this weekend and start drafting ideas for my design. I'm still super open to ideas though.

 

[Onlymediocre]

Thanks I got my beardies from someone on here, and they have 4 beardies all with greek names (my beardies parents names are Zeus and Pandora), so we decided to continue the tradition. I like the theme vivs, so def have to do ones for them, lol. Theres someone on here that has an AWESOME mario bros theme viv for their dragon... http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr317/dlturnip/2011-08-05182155.jpg I think thats soo freaking cool.

 

[LennyTheLizardKing]

Have a look at this one, might give you some ideas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRIbo6OuO4g

 

[samphychippy]

I have a 40 gallon as well and for Amarii's hide i took over 1/3 of the tank:

1. i put repti carpet down on one half the tank, tile on the other
2. i took 4 bricks and stacked 2 on top eachother and put them at opposite sides (view front and view back of tank)
3. and then i took wood and cut it to the width of the tank
4. put a blanket on the top of the wood
That way she has a hide (underneath wood) and also another place to jump off of