Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently built a 4'x2'x2' cage and used "Silicone II." It has been sitting open for over a week and still smells fairly strong. I am not sure sometimes if I am smelling the wood or the silicone because you can only smell it strongly for a brief time after you open the door. It is ventilated but still has a smell. Is my corn ok to go in here? It has been over a week and I am tired of waiting. I was planning on putting her in there directly after brumation so she could wake up to a fresh home. She is over 3' and back in her 10 gallon now Should I wait, put her in, or what? Also, I am going to be building 2 more like it. What can I use next time that will cure faster?
BTW pics to come!
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.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V.; sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"

Does it smell like vinegar?

What material did you use exactly to to build the cage box? Plywood? What type?

What did you use to seal the cage walls? Inside? Outside?

What sort of glue did you use to construct the box?

Is there anything else that might be producing the odor?
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

I also have the same question- plus one
we've got a few very large cages- total of 4- makes a cube- each individual cage is 8 ft. long, 4 ft. tall, and 4ft wide. problem is- there are 2 cages stacked on top eachother. we sealed the cracks around the bottom with hot glue (works very well- dries fast, and doesn't stink) I went out one day and one of the upper cages had sprung a leak in the water bowl- (large large dish- large amt. of water) it leaked to the cage below- Through the wood (plywood)

What can I use to water-proof? We thought about deck-sealer but i'm afraid it would be toxic- any suggestions?

Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

For a cage that big, to "water-proof" you would need to use fiberglass cloth and polyester resin. It works for boats. It cures fast, and once cured, is non-toxic (the fumes during curing are toxic though.)

Anything less than that will not hold water for long.

Deck sealer is not safe for the animals - it takes a long time to cure.

Paint is a good option, though it won't hold water.

Filling all holes/cracks with Bondo or other polester resin filler helps alot. Then you can paint the cage (water-based interior paint) or use a water-based polyurethane. You will need to air the cage for some time, maybe a week or two or more depending on air temp and humidity, etc. This is an easy solution if water spills are uncommon.

Those are just some suggestions.
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Mark

awsome ideas- thanks- just in time too- we planned for this weekend to start the water-proofing project. got everyone moved into a diff. cage this morning. cleaning them out really good right now. airing out isn't a big deal- we have a vast abundance of cages here.
thanks!!!
Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

Sorry that I missed this message. I must not have clicked on the email reply option.

What species are housed in these cages? What are they currently sealed with? How much money and time are you willing to spend to seal the cages?

Also, are they all plywood or did you also use some solid wood or MDF/melamine?
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

I used melamine wood. All I did was screw the box together, and seal the inside edges with "silicone II" Nothing else in there..... Not so much a vinegar smell. More like sawdust which I know is the wood. Can it hurt her?
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.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V.; sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"

Saw dust can be dangerous to inhale for humans. Melamine does typically have some formaldehyde in it as well so if there's any chance you're smelling that you might give it some more time.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)