Armoire Enclosure - ideas from a super beginner

[CliffsMom]

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d4/11/8e/d4118e9199d03d24e6c595129fb4dc65.jpg

Above is a link to the armoire-style enclosure I'm thinking of (that one is made for a chinchilla). I don't think it would be exceptionally difficult but I'm really not experienced. I don't yet have an armoire so I don't have any dimensions for you; this is more general. Here are some alterations I think I'd have to make to an armoire to make an enclosure:

-Doors: I think the regular glass doors to an armoire would be fine as long as they're sturdy, ie I could knock on them with my knuckles. They'd need a few latches of course. Inside the doors I will put a piece of wood across the bottom about 4" tall to keep the substrate in.

-Wood would all need to be sealed

-Would need to make a couple of 3" wide circular holes on each side for vents (how many will depend on the size of course - I'll figure that out later)

- A couple of circular holes on top for heat lamp fixtures

-Hooks inside at the top for the UV tube fixture to hang

-Ceramic tiles on the bottom - with regular grout like you put down tiles in your bathroom I guess?

Are there any other alterations or features I should take into consideration?
For context, I'm going to foster a 3 yo rescue who is very tank-aggressive (he had a rough upbringing sharing space and food with several large beardies). I'm going to train him to come out of his tank when owner rings a bell & play outside his tank & hang out outside when it's being cleaned, etc., because I think it's totally fair for him to want to keep his home to himself and I want to respect that. In that vein, I want to give him a large "territory" that he can chill in because that's where he feels safe and he just went through so much, came out so happy and healthy, his rescuer has 10 other sick beardies so she can't give him all the attention he deserves, and hasn't been adopted in 2 years just because he's so afraid of bad things happening again... And now I'm going to cry. Point is, I want to give him a good head-start here, and I don't have tons to spend, so I reach out to the experts! Thank you!

 

[CooperDragon]

Repurposing furniture like that is a very good idea. It will let you provide lots of space for less money than a commercial enclosure. The bigger the better but I'd get one that is around 4'x2'x4' if you can. That will let you build some levels. You may wind up having enough room to keep all the lamps inside but that's up to you. I would drill vents low on the cool side and high on the warm side to allow convection ventilation. You can get plastic or metal gutter mesh at the hardware store cheaply and use that to cover the vent holes (they can be square, they don't have to be circular). Having a tile floor is good but can be hard. You might consider getting a bunch of cheap fleece that you can cut either into scraps or small blankets to put down over the tile. This may help protect the dragon from wearing the pads of their feet if they are moving around the tank a lot aggressively. It will also allow a place to burrow if you pile some of them up a bit. The fleece is sturdy and is easy to wash by throwing into the clothes washer. Do invest in a good UVB light. A 22'' T5 will work in most cases. They are the best bet for large tanks and they last for a long time. I'd take a look at Taterbug's tank for some ideas about general layout and building levels and heating zones in a tall tank. https://sites.google.com/site/thelizardmadness/photogradient

 

[CliffsMom]

Thanks for being so thorough! Especially about the vent placement. I think I might replace the whole top with a screen. I'd have a lot more control over the temperature & humidity that way. Recently we had a heat wave & it was 93F inside out apartment. So all the lizards got to hang out in their separate play zones outside their tanks for a week & take turns in the outdoor playpen because the humidity was 70% or higher in their tanks. And that was with screens on top!

I can't believe I've never seen an armoire tank before; it seems so simple! The one tank I have with vents has them circular; I guess I forgot there were squares for a sec Those are the UV bulbs I use! They're great to use, not finicky like some dome fixtures I could mention...

I want a floor that's impermeable to poop, parasites, and any kind of liquid or chemical I might use to clean, which is why tile came to mind. I'll add more substrate on top. Besides the issue of wearing down their feet, is there another reason not to choose tile? I'm thinking, people put these tiles in bathrooms where they're regularly soaking in water & getting sprayed with hard core bathroom cleaners (why do people insist on cleaning toilet seats with ammonia? It's not like you're eating off it).