DIY: Stackable Condos for Dragons (Discussion/BuildLog)

[Shekibobo]

Hi everyone. I just recently got it in my head that I wanted to build stackable condos for my lizards. Part of this was a lack of space in my house, part of it was me really wanting another dragon but not wanting to have yet another tank lying on the floor somewhere.

Anyway, below is a sketchup of my plan for individual condos. I guess each one would just be stacked on top of the other; I don't really have a plan to put space in between, but that's part of what the "Discussion" part of this thread is about. If I've got enough ventilation is space really required?

Below is a model I built in Maya (to help make sure I get all the measurements right) that lays out my plan.

It is composed of the following:

[top, bottom] 3/4" x 24" x 48" plywood (probably birch)
[back] 3/4" x 24 x 46.5" plywood
- [vent] cut into the back to fit vented soffit
[sides] x 2
- [bottom/top] 1" x 4" x 24" (pine?)
- [sides] 2 pieces1" x 3" x 17"
- [glass] 18" x 20"
[front]
- [glass] 2 panes, 18" x 24"
- [top track] 1" x 3" x 46.5"
- [bottom track] 1" x 4" x 46.5"
- [top trim] 1" x 4" x 48"
- [bottom trim] 1" x 6" x 48"
- [side trims] 2 pieces, 1" x 3" x 16.5"
- glass track frame

I haven't really gotten into electrical at all, as I'm not really experienced, but I'd like to have permanent fixtures and stop having to deal with the clamp-lamps. I guess I'll be drilling small holes to run electricity into it - probably right up near the top, or through the vented soffit.

The substrate will be tile and I'll have a little sandbox (Ozma uses a litter box!), with a rubber mat beneath the tile. Only one side will be opaque, so I'll probably paint it or put up a backdrop or something.

I'm really excited that my animals will finally be getting homes big enough for them (my corn snake still lives in a 12x12x30 tank). Also, not as messy of a cable setup.

Anyway, this is the start of the discussion. Take a look at my plans, let me know what you think. I plan to ultimately stack three of these, and then maybe even build a drawer to put underneath them all. So I'm definitely looking for advice here, and probably won't start building for another week or so, until I get some more solid plans drawn up.

 

[JeffSimpson]

First off, welcome to the obsession. 8)

It's true you could simply make two or three as designed, and stack them on top of each other, but you will probably want to think about the electrical components before you do. Prewired fixtures are going to cost quite a bit more, and if you don't leave a space between the enclosures, you'll be forced to put the electrical connections / boxes inside if you go the route of wiring them yourself. Having the boxes inside would make them pretty much a pain to work on, if you ever needed to, especially for the upper units.

Someone else will probably chime in with comments about the sandbox, so I'll leave that one alone.

 

[hcozart]

Did you get your design figured out? I would really like to build a stackable three enclousure unit as well. Let me know, going to mess around with some design in google sketch up

 

[sh00tdangit]

sounds like a great idea. i was trying to design something for a while but kept running into dilemmas as far as electrical. i wanted permanent light fixtures too but then i got nervous because not any light socket can house a heat bulb and this is where i'd run into complications. then i ran into financial complications and building a cage was the least of my worries. but none the less i WILL build a big one for my two beardies and a smaller one for my leopard gecko, aaaaaaaaaaand maaaaybe another one JUST in case my two beardies don't get along when they get older, although its very doubtful since they're like in love with eachother lol.