Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi all! i need some advice on the new cage we are building for the uros.
the cage is 4x3x2, made out of plywood, and will have glass doors, 1 vent on each side, and 1 on top. it will have what i call a "millet pit" for them to dig in (much easier to clean up IMO), and the rest of the floor will be...something else, but solid and easy to clean.
i am thinking of several different ways of doing the insides, and since this particular cage does not need real waterproofing since uros are very low humidity animals, am trying to come up with a logical, doable and safe way to seal up the insides.
my concerns with using something like paint, sealant or anything else they can scratch off is the fact that uros wall climb - constantly. and their little nails can be a real pain, and can very easily scratch off something painted on (IMO at least, if you know otherwise, please tell). this is why i was thinking of tileboard...its easy to clean, can withstand the scratching of little nails constantly (i think), and can easily be sealed at the corners with some waterbased sealant or silicone, which gives a little bit of protection at the corners. so that takes care of the walls and ceiling at least. i am thinking ceramic tiles, or something similar for the floors, as they need more grip to run around obviously. (any ideas are greatly appreciated on the floor idea).
now, the big question is how to attach it to the plywood safely, and doing it with something durable. i was thinking of some sort of actual adhesive or glue, but am not sure of what would work that would be safe, even with proper drying/airing out time. my main concern with this type of cage is the high basking temps (up to 125) that the adhesive would be subject to, which could produce fumes and even come unglued that hot. so i was thinking nails or screws? since i am planning on using the regular white tileboard, white finishing nails or screws should work fine with minimal issues with seeing them. any opinions on this particular setup would be appreciated.

after this cage is done, the next cages to be built will be for crested geckos. the main differences here are that the cresteds need higher humidity requirements, and we dont have to worry about little nails as much. my main question is this...would doing the tileboard sealed with silicone/sealant work, yet protect the plywood from the humidity? im thinking yes, because all of the places where the humidity could seep through would be sealed off. also, because of the lower heat requirements, does anyone know of a good, safe adhesive or glue that could work to attach the tileboard to the plywood? or would it even be necessary to do that?

thanks in advance for all the advice. i searched and searched in these posts, but didnt really see a good answer to the idea of a safe adhesive or glue for high temps, so i just had to ask.
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Kelly S.
OffBeat Dezine
1.2 Mali Uros
1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.6 Leopard Geckos
1.0.2 Crested Geckos
0.1 Red Footed Tortoise
1.0 Ball Python

Honestly I don't like tileboard for either situation. It's not the most scratch resistant nor the most moisture resistant so in either case I think you'd have to install it in a way that you could easily replace it.

If you do use it the heat of the lamps is a real concern in the Uromastyx cage and is something I've never really thought about. I put linoleum in on the floor of my bearded dragon cage with latex based Liquid nails and as far as I know I did not have any problems below the heat source with long term adhesion.

Now that I mention it, a stone-looking linoleum might be a good choice instead of tileboard.
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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)

chris,
thanks for the response! the only concern i was having about the lino was the fumes...ive read a few studies that have suggested issues with toxcitity and lino tiles over time, even after airing out. i wish i could find the links right now. granted, i have used the self-stick tiles for the floors of my leo cages, and have never had an issue with fumes after a bit of airing out, but the temps are not nearly as high. plus, they have solid screen fronts to their cages, and pegboard backs, so there is TONS of ventilation. i think they would be the easiest, cheapest way to do the cages and make them as scratch resistant as possible though. i have emailed a few manufacturers of adhesives, and the main concern they have had is the fumes at the high temps...i did not know that tileboard was not so scratch resistant, so that puts a chink in the idea i guess. i was also thinking of regular vinyl lino flooring instead of the self-stick kind, as you can get that fairly cheap, and they have some cool patterns, but again, the adhesive issue is a factor. as big as this cage will be, im trying to find something that will not run me 900 bucks to seal it. grrrr, as much as i love my animals, they can be such a pain sometimes. lol
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Kelly S.
OffBeat Dezine
1.2 Mali Uros
1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.6 Leopard Geckos
1.0.2 Crested Geckos
0.1 Red Footed Tortoise
1.0 Ball Python

I think the cheapest/easiest way would be to paint the interiors with Drylok, specifically their latex masonry waterproofer. It has a natural sandy texture to it and is very waterproof, even on wood. I know of several people who have built aquaria out of plywood up to 300 gallons in size and they only have drylok on the inside.

For $22 per gallon it's tough to beat. I would get the grey color as I'm not a fan of white and their white in particular is not very nice.
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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)

chris,

although the drylock may work on a cage for something like a leo or crested, my concern with the uros is the constant cage climbing and wall scratching. i know the damage they do to my arms when they get going, i can just see the paint peeling off before my eyes as they go exploring...good idea though, just not sure if it is right for this very specific species.
i think i have decided to go with the lino/liquid nails idea for these guys. i double checked the tile board with an exacto knife (sorry home depot), and sure as hell that stuff scratches! too bad there isnt a local dealer of pvc or plastic sheeting...pics will come as work gets done!
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Kelly S.
OffBeat Dezine
1.2 Mali Uros
1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.6 Leopard Geckos
1.0.2 Crested Geckos
0.1 Red Footed Tortoise
1.0 Ball Python

I think you may be suprised to know that Drylok is no normal paint to actually seaps into the pores and chemically bonds itself to other material including itself. I think you may find that even under scrathcing it is very durable.

More so than linoleumbecause once through linoleum you either add on top of the prvious layer or remove and re do. Where as with drylok you would just have to touch up the area that was damaged.

I havn't used it with lizards yet but plan to do so this summer.

Best Of Luck
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
1.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.10 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child

I agree with Jeremy, Drylok is no normal "paint". In fact it's really hydraulic cement mixed with enough water and color to make it somewhat like a paint.

I read a fish forum once in a while and several keepers over there have built everywhere from 90 to 300 gallon aquaria made from plywood sealed with nothing other than drylok. Another guy built an 1100 gallon aquarium from wood but in his case he first lined the tank with cement board thinking that the drylok would adhere to it better.

And it would be very easy to repair a small spot or the first four inches of the cage or wherever the lizard scratched every year or so. You can't really do that with linoleum or tile board.
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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)