Wood can be used for humid vivaria. Treatment can be anything from plastic linings, to paint to epoxy. I know of aquaria made of epoxy-sealed plywood that have held saltwater for over 20 years. If they'll hold saltwater they'll handle any misting system for herps.



I'm not crazy about the use of a submerisible pump for water collection. I could go on and on about it but I won't. I prefer to incorporate a floor drain or perhaps a tray that slides underneat the cage.



I've heard the Rainmaker system is very nice. Probably overkill if you have only a few cages, but still very nice.



A light suitable for the lizard species you keep should be sufficient to stimulate growth in many houseplants. Additional plant lights probably not necessary.



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I've been looking through lots of websites to get a general idea of how to go about starting a vivaria. However, I'm stuck on a couple of issues...



1) I'd like to make the cage myself. I've had experience doing so, but only for desert species - hence the humidity factor can be ignored. Are there any problems in making a vivaria out of wood (and glass, where needed... and screen top)? How does the wood need to be treated?



2) I'm not sure how to deal with overflow from the daily "rain". I've seen two options thus far... one being a sump pump, and the other a collection basin. The sump pump seems prefereable, but the website I checked was very unclear on exactly how to make one - and to be honest, what exactly it does...



3) Does anyone have any experience with the "Rainmaker" systems? This seems to me the best option, especially because I don't feel like misting a tank twice a day. A partially self-sufficient system seems ideal.



4) Lighting.... what is necessary? I'm thinking of housing day geckos. So... heat lamp. Check. UV Light. Check. What else... Will the plants require something beyond the UV light? Will the light emmitted from the plant light harm the reptiles, or vice versa?

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