Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok, i know it needs to be 4x2x2

it has to have adaquit ventilation, well is a screen top good enough or should i put a screen top and 2 side vents that are 6in x 6in??????

does it have to be out of melamine????

or can i use something else????

i am thinking of just using plyboard with an oak finish that is coated with something, would this work?????

what would i coat it with?????

would i use a stain or could i use an outdoor house paint????

if i were to use a outdoor house paint would it give off any fumes after i let it air out and dry outside in the sun for a week?????

and, if the dragon was to scratch the wall by accident would any chips come off???

thanx!!!!!!!

All your questions you asked are some of the same questions I had, and the reason I went with melamine. Melamine is water proof to an extent cause of the covering on the wood. Although it's a little more expensive. I believe it holds up better with the daily misting, heat, and daily cleaning you have to do to keep a nice enclosure. It also to some extent looks nice without painting/staining. You could if you didn't want the white color just paint the outside. I was always afraid of the wood being treated, or painting/staining and the fumes it would give off. I have seen some nice cages built out of wood, but I think with the high heat, and water melamine is just the best choice. Maybe someone else used wood for theirs and could answer your questions more complete and give you products you could use to keep it safe for the dragon. I just didn't know and went with what others used and said worked well. I have know complaints.
With the question about the screening. Mine have two 8X4 vents on either side. If I was to do it over I would have added more to the back as well for added ventilation. I would not screen the top, cause I wanted to stack a few on top of each other. I think if you hit mystical dragons below I have a pic the first day I put a dragon in it. Of course now stuff is in it now for the dragons to climb and bask. I keep two females in the tank pictured it's 4x2x2.
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Mystical Dragons

I recently built a 5'x2'x2' enclosure made out of plexi glass (sides, bit on the bottom to prevent sand from being kicked out but doesn't matter now, since i decided not to use sand. But it does prevent dragon from clawing or tearing screen). I used screen on the front two doors, a metal screen, not fiberglass. For the top I had about half wood and the rest 1/4 inch grid wire for ventilation.

The wood back and bottom was 1/4" underlay board. Ontop I used half inch sheet of plywood. The rest of the frame was just 2"x2" lengths. I had it sealed with wood varnish, one that soaks in then seals the wood to prevent moisture from getting in. Since I don't do misting alot in the cage I am not worried it would get waterlogged and the varnish makes it easy to do a throughout cleaning. However I had it aired out for over a week before I put my dragon into it. I certainly cannot smell the varnish. Also, since varnish soaks into the wood, it doens't flake off when scatched by a dragon. It may do so in 10 years or so but if I notice it aging and starting to flake, it will be completely sanded down and re-varnished. (I hope my bearded dragon lives that long LOL).

and some help from Veronica from Beautiful Dragons. thanx!!!