What would be the best materials to use to build a 4'2'2 feet enclosure with front glass sliding doors. I was thinking about using melamine coated wood foor the front back and sides and making a screen top, would this be a Good option. Also any tips on the actual construction of then tank would be very helpful.
Thanks in advanced, Kassie.
Melamine is very heavy so take that into consideration if you need to move it around at all. The advantage is the melamine coating which is waterproof. I'd probably use nice plywood to build the sides with some 2x2 pieces for the frame. That would be a bit lighter. Then just seal the plywood with a couple of polyurethane coats or paint. You can have a mesh top if you want or you could build light fixtures into the top and put vents on the sides. A vent low on the cool side and high on the warm side should do the trick and allow for optimal airflow.
You might also consider re-purposing a bookshelf or china cabinet instead of building from scratch. I did that for my adult with a built-in bookshelf & it worked out well for the most part. The only thing I'd change if I were doing it over is I would have used less screen & more plexiglas because I had trouble keeping it warm enough in the beginning. I eventually figured something out, but I could have saved myself some trouble by having a bit less ventilation.