Hi all, I've been thinking to include a clay background for my setup instead of using things like expandable foam because it is a more natural choice and then I can also include plants as part of it.
However if I have things like waterfalls and simulated rain would it be sustainable because I'm afraid that it will dissolve when touched with water is there any suggestions?
by Latter_Ingenuity8068
3 Comments
It’s best kept moist but will erode with moving water hitting it, basically. No waterfalls or direct rain.
Could do a waterfall with foam and paint. You can get some colors really close to natural clay with DryLok original and Quikrete liquid concrete dyes.
Your main issues are going to be weight and erosion.
I think clay is an awesome idea, but if you’re building it up, it’s going to be very heavy. So consider if using some insulation foam or ceiling light grid build up can take up some space so this enclosure uses less clay and doesn’t weigh another 40lbs.
Clay also won’t hold shelves well when it dries (natural clays aren’t like ceramic clay, so they get crumbly) , so if you need a basking ledge, you should provide some more internal structure.
Then as you note erosion is going to be a major problem with a clay background using waterfalls. You’ll need to provide a channel for the water to run in out of stone and I’d suggest silicone to make that channel more watertight. In terms of the simulated rain, you probably will see some erosion, but I’d expect it to be pretty slow, especially if you don’t put the water system right against the clay.