Viv pics only thread

[GlueStick]

Glue stick, What sand are you using? I would like t o get some myself. Also, where did you get your tank?

I am using playsand that I purchased from Home Depot. Like a 50lb bag for $4.

Check out your local pet stores, ones that are individually owned if you can, or even craigslist . com. You can usually find used tanks for a relatively cheap price. I bought this used 75 gallon tank for $50. It used to be used for fish but with a good scrubing, turns out well for reptiles

 

[Tuskugee]

Alright thanks. Was the sand non silica?

 

[GlueStick]

I'm pretty sure that it wasn't otherwise, knowing me, I wouldn't have bought it. Its playsand by Quikrete

and if you don't mind me asking, how old is your beardie? Aussie is nearly two... 1 yr and 8 months actually. Any younger than 1.5 yrs then I would refrain from purchasing loose particle substrate

 

[Tuskugee]

she is 13 months

 

[JimnCar70506]

i want to build my own tank but i was told to "wait" which usually is her nice way of saying no.... but i was thinking about going bigger then what i see here, why does every1 use 4x2x2? why not 6x3x2high? or different? is ther something special about 4x2x2? and my research for melamine in 4'x8' sections haven't returned alot of results, what is every1 else using as their wood materials?

 

[Tuskugee]

I am too curious

 

[Neromom39]

is ther something special about 4x2x2? and my research for melamine in 4'x8' sections haven't returned alot of results, what is every1 else using as their wood materials?

4x2x2 is the size that you can comfortably house an adult dragon. They will have plenty of room to move around yet you still have ebough space to add plenty of deco! The larger vivs are nice, but if you are starting out with a baby, way too overwhelming, and you have to deal with regulating temps, blah, blah, blah. We have two custom built 4x2x2 (hubby built them) and and to be quite honest, alot of the space goes to waste... the dragons usually spend most of their time in one general area. But I would much rather them have too much room than not enough

As far as materials go, I personally would not recommend melamine. Over time this material tends to warp and then you may find yourself building another viv. Your best bet would be to use a hardwood plywood... oak (if budget allows) or birch (what ours are made of) which is a bit cheaper. There is an even less expensive wood called agathis that looks alot like oak especially after it is stained. It runs about 2-3 dollars a sheet less than birch. Just be sure to stay away from pourous woods like pine, etc.

Hope this helps.

Beardie waves.

 

[BeardieBaby69]

Ok here is Kiku's new viv, at least untill she gets a lil bigger.LOL. When I first put her in it , she just explored for hours! She loves it! Especially climbing everything!

Exploring...

More exploring...

 

[Tuskugee]

is ther something special about 4x2x2? and my research for melamine in 4'x8' sections haven't returned alot of results, what is every1 else using as their wood materials?

4x2x2 is the size that you can comfortably house an adult dragon. They will have plenty of room to move around yet you still have ebough space to add plenty of deco! The larger vivs are nice, but if you are starting out with a baby, way too overwhelming, and you have to deal with regulating temps, blah, blah, blah. We have two custom built 4x2x2 (hubby built them) and and to be quite honest, alot of the space goes to waste... the dragons usually spend most of their time in one general area. But I would much rather them have too much room than not enough

As far as materials go, I personally would not recommend melamine. Over time this material tends to warp and then you may find yourself building another viv. Your best bet would be to use a hardwood plywood... oak (if budget allows) or birch (what ours are made of) which is a bit cheaper. There is an even less expensive wood called agathis that looks alot like oak especially after it is stained. It runs about 2-3 dollars a sheet less than birch. Just be sure to stay away from pourous woods like pine, etc.

Hope this helps.

Beardie waves.

Could I ask what to stain them with?

 

[Neromom39]

Could I ask what to stain them with?

You can use any stain because the final application you use is going to be polyurethane. We used a stain from MinWax. We got the best results by sanding the wood first, then staining. The wood absorbed the color much better on our second set of enclosures.

 

[Tuskugee]

Well yeh, but what is the name of the first stain? Then after I stain it, I put polyurthane on it?

 

[Neromom39]

It is wood stain made by MinWax. Found in the same section where you find the polyurethane. Just choose what color. You don't need to buy a lot of it. We stained 3 4x2x2 enclosures with 1 small can of stain (not sure if it is a quart or pint). After the stain is dry then you want to use a "High Build" polyurethane. Anything less and you will have to use several coats which will increase time you have to wait until you can safely put your beardie in the finished product. If you have a paint sprayer available, I recommend applying the polyurethane this way as it is a real time saver :wink:

 

[zebraflavencs]

This is my current project, almost done !
48"L x 40"H x 24"W ! Bright Colors !

All I need to do is install the glass on swinging doors, install a custom made steps (being made now by our Gecko/New Beardie slave, Jargonchipmunk! shameless advertising) and an old waterfall that I filled in with Great Stuff, sand, and min wax polyurethane to seal in.

All in all I think that Gemini is going to love his new Home !
Janie.

 

[Neromom39]

That is going to look totally awwsome when it is done, Janie!! Can't wait to see it.

 

[Tuskugee]

you stain it after it is built right? Should I see the edges with some kind of sealer? (the kind in the liquid nail gun)

Sorry for all the talk and no pics. Everyones viv looks greaks