Terrarium Build

Jolt890Jolt890 Acolyte
edited July 2010 in Life
[highlight]I recently acquired a 36Gal bowfront aquarium and I decided to make it into a terrarium for my non-breeding female leopard geckos.[/highlight]

The Tank
$29, hard to beat.
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Material
This is what I used for the facade. I would've rather used a higher density pink foam, but 4X8 sheets don't fit well in my car.
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First and Second Layer
This is the first of about 11-12 layers. Moved outside to cut, messy.
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Front View
The hole in the left is a little cave and the one in the middle and the right are actually a connected tunnel.
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[highlight]I sealed the whole thing with about 4-5 coats of water based latex sealer. Then I siliconed the sides to the glass to prevent water from getting behind the facade and making a moldy mess.[/highlight]


Covering
I slathered the whole thing with wood glue(non-toxic) and spread it around with a cheap foam brush. I used compress coconut fiber to cover it and some larger wood chips at the bottom.
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Fully Covered
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Final Product + Geckos
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[highlight]I'm still going to take everything out and re-cover it as it's been traveled on by little gecko feet and loosened some of the substrate that didn't stick fully to the facade. Other than that I think it turned out pretty well.[/highlight]

Comments

  • weathersweathers Regular
    edited July 2010
    That is AWESOME. How much did it cost all in all?
  • KatzenklavierKatzenklavier Regular
    edited July 2010
    That's kickass.
  • edited July 2010
    This is seriously really cool, good job.
  • edited July 2010
    Is it difficult to clean? It looks like it might be.
  • Jolt890Jolt890 Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Cost for the tanks was about $30, foam was $8, latex sealer and brushes $10, glue $3, substrate was about $10, stand was another $30

    Most of the hides, water bowl, and misc. decorations I already had.

    All in all, around $100usd.

    The tank/stand would have been much more than that had it not been on sale, probably closer to $250 for just those.

    Leopard geckos keep pretty neat, they're (for the most part) latrine animals, they all like to poop in the same corner and it's pretty easy to pick out the pieces.

    For more deep cleaning I'll probably just dump the majority of the substrate and replace with new.
  • edited July 2010
    Have you done anything like this with larger enclosures? Like for a python? I'm ordering an AP T25 (72L"x 30D" x 18H") terrestrial cage in a week or so and I wanted to try and spruce it up as much as possible since my retic will be spending a good deal of time in it before he has to upgrade to an even bigger enclosure. The problem is, the height/length ration is way different than a cage like the one you posted so I'm having trouble envisioning how to make it have tiers like a first and second level such as the one you posted that will support the weight of 50lb+ animal.

    Dunno if this belongs in the DIY section or not. Maybe the folks down there would know something about building enclosures too. I know SHARP might given his line of work and if he's even on here (unlikely-ain't seen him around much on zoklet)
  • Swamp JunkySwamp Junky Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Nice job on that terrarium. I have something like it in a 5.5 gal as an aboreal set up for one of my tarantulas and I'm working on another. You definitly gave me some ideas for future projects.
  • Jolt890Jolt890 Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    I've custom built some very large enclosures with friends for their animals (snakes usually, and one bitch of a rhinocerous iguana.)

    Any specififcs as to what you wantit to look like or want included, aside from a second level?

    It's gonna be hard to make a second level in only 18" but a simple step up platform of a few inches or so could work.

    How're you heating it? Flexwatt, blanket, lighting?

    I think with this, your best bet is to design a step up platform, and use some expandable foam on the back walls and shape/design that to your liking.
  • edited July 2010
    Yeah, I'm just ordering the 11" flexwatt heating pad that comes with the cage from animalplastics, so that will probably be on the far end of the cage, with the step up/second level occuring somewhere in the middle and a hiding area in the other side

    do you think that foam would support his weight?:confused: I guess I could always plant some dowel rods in the foam or build some kind of framework to put it around before hand. If all else fails I can probably use the tunnel design you used to make a prettyy sweet hiding area for him with different exit points. i just gotta take how big round he's gonna get into account before hand
  • Jolt890Jolt890 Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    You can get higher density foam than I used (it'll be either pink or blue)

    Keep in mind that although he may end up weighing 50-60lbs, all of that weight is spread over a pretty large area. If you're making a tunnel i'd suggest at least 2" of foam over top, more if you're spanning a larger distance.

    Make sure you seal the foam with a water based latex sealer so that if it gets soiled and wet it can resist mold.

    You could also cover all the foam with expandable spray foam which is way more rigid and will hold quite a bit of weight.

    Besides, by the time he gets that big you'll probably want to replace the foam anyways. So I wouldn't worry too much about weight right now.
  • edited July 2010
    Jolt890 wrote: »
    You can get higher density foam than I used (it'll be either pink or blue)

    Keep in mind that although he may end up weighing 50-60lbs, all of that weight is spread over a pretty large area. If you're making a tunnel i'd suggest at least 2" of foam over top, more if you're spanning a larger distance.

    Make sure you seal the foam with a water based latex sealer so that if it gets soiled and wet it can resist mold.

    You could also cover all the foam with expandable spray foam which is way more rigid and will hold quite a bit of weight.

    Besides, by the time he gets that big you'll probably want to replace the foam anyways. So I wouldn't worry too much about weight right now.

    Sweet.:)
  • KatzenklavierKatzenklavier Regular
    edited July 2010
    Yeah, I'm just ordering the 11" flexwatt heating pad that comes with the cage from animalplastics

    BAD, BAD IDEA!!!!! Reptiles lack the nerve structures in their bellies to detect when they are too hot, and they will stay on those pads for hours on end. They end up burning themselves, sometimes badly. Believe me, i've seen it happen many times before. Friends don't believe me and their pets get burned. Those pads were originally designed for aquariums, but the companies decided that there is a bigger market in reptiles. Money is more important to them than you're lizards health.

    If there is anything you need to know about reptiles, i'm your guy.
  • Jolt890Jolt890 Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    The pads are very safe with the proper amount of substrate. Don't place the hide directly over it, only about 50%, and make sure you provide an alyternate hide on the cold side of the gradient. (Tunnels would be cool for this.)

    You can couple the pads with a thermostat and place the probe directly on the pad and set it to around 95 so that it won't get hot enough to burn but will still adaquately heat and provide a gradient for the enclosure.

    What I've been doing for my animals is using a timer and having it turn off the heat every hour for 15 mins.

    You can also set a ceramic tile(s) over where the heater is to help distribute the heat and provide a barrier from direct contact with the pad or hot glass.

    Every form of heating has some risk associated with it. Just use your best judgement.
  • Runaway StaplerRunaway Stapler Semo-Regulars
    edited July 2010
    Nice build! I've been looking into an aquatic version of basically the same thing, but I'm working on a mesh steel netting set up so I can construct a concrete "shell" land form that will minimize weight. I haven't physically made anything yet, but I do have a 100 gallon tank I made last year [gotta fix a few leaks but it's good], along with a 20 [newt+mollies+sunfish+javaweed], 40 breeder [empty], and a leaky little 5er.

    I could probably use your method to make a basic form, cover with concrete, then melt away the styrofoam once the crete has melted. This wouldn't be nearly as sustainable as a steel frame, but it would allow fine control over detailed curves if I carved the foam with the appropriate tools. Good call on coco husk, that would be a great material for my build as well.

    My next step will be figuring out the chemistry between concrete and water so I can determine the appropriate sealer. Anyone have experience with this?

    I would like to build small concrete forms for large glass jar micro aquariums to start. This will be ideal for aquascaping, as I have complete control over the shape of the 'rock'. I hope to make a more realistic scene by painting the concrete before I seal it, but that's another subject I need to research.
  • HellishHellish Regular
    edited July 2010
    I can tell you love your geckos very much. I used to have a Leopard gecko on Calci sand. Im pretty sure he/she died of impaction. I had her for 7 or more years. Get those geckos on a solid substrate with a small dish of loose if you want.
  • Runaway StaplerRunaway Stapler Semo-Regulars
    edited July 2010
    If you are interested in slimming your collection a bit, I'm very interested in a gecko. My 40 gallon tank could definitely hold a couple, probably a steady cricket/insect population as well :D
  • KatzenklavierKatzenklavier Regular
    edited July 2010
    probably a steady cricket/insect population as well :D

    Hell no. That won't happen.
  • Jolt890Jolt890 Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Hellish wrote: »
    I can tell you love your geckos very much. I used to have a Leopard gecko on Calci sand. Im pretty sure he/she died of impaction. I had her for 7 or more years. Get those geckos on a solid substrate with a small dish of loose if you want.

    I would never put any animal I owned on that sand substrate. Digestible my ass, I've taken in rescues that have defecated blue or orange sand for weeks.

    Stuff should be taken off the market.
    If you are interested in slimming your collection a bit, I'm very interested in a gecko. My 40 gallon tank could definitely hold a couple, probably a steady cricket/insect population as well :D

    I've never attempted to ship geckos, I'd most likely wait till summer is waning so that I don't cook my little buddies via UPS truck/oven.

    If you PM me some pics of your setup and are willing to pay for shipping I might send a few to you round Septemberish.
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