advice on building an enclosure

Captive care and husbandry.

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herpseeker1978
Posts: 1139
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:05 am
Location: Albuquerque

advice on building an enclosure

Post by herpseeker1978 »

I acquired an aquarium today and unfortunately the bottom of it broke, so I broke the rest of it out and I want to turn it into a terrarium with a screen-top. I plan on doing this by using a wood bottom and sealing it with aquarium safe silicone and building a frame up the corners on the outside and having a hinged top with latches. My question is about the bottom, would a wood bottom be good? Should I put some type of liner between the wood and the substrate? Also, what type of wood would work best?

Josh
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CrashX2
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Joined: August 28th, 2010, 5:55 am
Location: Northeast Texas

Re: advice on building an enclosure

Post by CrashX2 »

I would suggest getting plexi from a hardware/home improvement store. If you measure the size you need they will cut it for you and then proceed with the silicone to hold it in place and prevent leaks from spills.
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Piglet
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:37 pm
Location: SC

Re: advice on building an enclosure

Post by Piglet »

I used plywood to build this one.Then I put plexiglass on the bottom and several inches up the sides and siliconed the seams.I put a divider in the bottom and was able to make it about two-thirds land and one-third water with a waterfall.Has worked well so far.I can water the plants and not worry about leaks.
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KingCam
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Joined: April 11th, 2011, 1:03 pm

Re: advice on building an enclosure

Post by KingCam »

Impressive!! You've inspired me to build something very similar for my tree frog setup!!

- Cam
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Biker Dave
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Joined: June 10th, 2010, 7:56 pm
Location: Wittmann,AZ

Re: advice on building an enclosure

Post by Biker Dave »

I built this enclosure for my Green Basilisks (Basilicus plumifrons). I used recycled wood from old pallets, glued some recycled formica and sealed it with waterproof caulk. I also used a "found" piece of Plexiglass for the door. Thats a new cat box for the water in the bottom. I also have an automatic misting system at the top to keep the humidity level up.

Dave

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Desert Raticus
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Joined: March 2nd, 2011, 9:26 am
Location: Arizona

Re: advice on building an enclosure

Post by Desert Raticus »

Piglet wrote:I used plywood to build this one.Then I put plexiglass on the bottom and several inches up the sides and siliconed the seams.I put a divider in the bottom and was able to make it about two-thirds land and one-third water with a waterfall.Has worked well so far.I can water the plants and not worry about leaks.
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Oh, wow! That is a great set-up!
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Desert Raticus
Posts: 51
Joined: March 2nd, 2011, 9:26 am
Location: Arizona

Re: advice on building an enclosure

Post by Desert Raticus »

[quote="Biker Dave"]I built this enclosure for my Green Basilisks (Basilicus plumifrons). I used recycled wood from old pallets, glued some recycled formica and sealed it with waterproof caulk. I also used a "found" piece of Plexiglass for the door. Thats a new cat box for the water in the bottom. I also have an automatic misting system at the top to keep the humidity level up.

Dave

Sweet!
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