Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What would some of you experienced keepers suggest the bottom of a a large blackthroat monitors enclosure should be made of? I rememberreading that wood would be out of the question but if I am going to be giving it about 8x10ft of floor space and have this hold a couple of feet of dirt then what would be a good material for the base?

Hey Baz,
Funny thing. I saw your pics of your Indo trip and enjoyed them. Then the same day I was looking at Little Rays website and saw your pic there. Didn't know you were Canadian. Are you still affiliated with Little Rays? I'm in southern ontario.
For the cage bottom, just make your structure out of plywood and then cover with either frp board or formica. Glue that in and silicone the corners. If done properly it will last 'forever'. You might have to redo the silicone periodically. Hope this helps.

Thanks Mike. Would melamine be ok too then with the corners siliconed? My salvator is in a melamine enclosure but Ithought maybe I would need to get something more sturdy (after reading about people using metal troughs).

Yes Im still with Little Rays. I work the occasional weekend for them. I only live 5 minutes from the zoo.

Melamine swells and warps if any water gets in the cracks. The particle board beneath the melamine is the problem, not the actual melamine laminate.

we have had galvanized metal pans made for some larger cages, those have worked very well. 12 inch, 14 inch sides, make it as tall as you need.

anything that you have to "seal" or treat is just going to rot under a moist substrate. no wood, no caulking, no varnishes. very limited choices : )
-----
robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles