Securing A Fake Rock Wall?

[Spydr]

ok, so i'm planning to make some fake rock for my beardies' 2 foot high, 3 foot long, 18 inches deep front loading tank. i don't thinking making one massive piece will work or fit well. so i'd better make wall and ramps/basking spots/hides separate. how can i secure a wall without it falling, WITHOUT the wall being permanently glued in. this is a glass tank and i don't want it to be a permanent piece. any help on building it and putting it in the tank etc etc. i know how to make fake rock, i'm concerned with placement, weight issues, joining pieces after grouted and stuff. thanks in advance.

 

[BadCon]

Easiest solution would be to construct the wall so it stands on its own. If you make the wall several feet long, there is no fastening system secure enough to hold the wall in place while also allowing you to remove the wall without breaking it. So your best bet would be to design the ledges and hides so that that act as a tripod with the back of the wall, allowing it to be free-standing.
I made a 4' wall for my males front loading enclosure, and I made it outside the viv and transferred it in. Even though I reinforced the wall with doweling, and used a ridiculous amount of grout, it was still wobbly and I had to be very careful when I mounted it inside the enclosure. Anything that is really long will have this problem, not unless you make it so sturdy (and by that I mean heavy) that removing it is extremely difficult.

In this picture, the wall at the back is glued in place, but the secondary fixture on the left is free standing and can be removed. Keep the pieces smaller then 1.5', and just make several that seam together. Easiest solution for the problem you face....imo anyways.

 

[Spydr]

the ledges you have on the right there. how long can they extend before they need support? and will grouted styrofoam be a good enough column support if it's needed? or should a wall be made instead. i'm thinking about ledges about 18 inches long and 18 inches wide. is that too big? if so what's the biggest a ledge should be to comfortable fit an adult beardie (basking area) (and thickness of grouted styrofoam before it can no longer hold an adults weight). also what is a good size for ramps and stairs/pegs for an adult.

sorry for all the questions i just don't want to mess up and waste all this time and money messing up fake rocks. i want his new tank done soon so he can spread his legs and be happy.

 

[BadCon]

A 4" ramp would be adequate for an adult dragon, but 5-6" would probably be best. As for the ledges, if you want to make them 18", you'll definitely need support. I suggest you make the ledges into a series of free standing structures that are boxed for strength. Kinda like the cave on the left in my picture above...its roughly 17" deep and 20" wide, with the upper ledge being roughly 12" square. The ramp is 5" at the widest point.
The ledge on the right sticks out 11" at the deepest point. Its reinforced with steel brackets underneath the grout, and rock formations that act like little arches on the inside edge to increase strength. I used a combination of sanded and non-sanded grout during construction, so the whole wall is very heavy...but the sanded grout is much more durable then non-sanded.

 

[Spydr]

thank you for all your precise information! this is the kinda stuff that needs to be written down in a detailed 'how to' and stickied.