Hi Again, As you know, its very hard to actually help anyone here without hurting someones feelings, and more specifically someones elses feelings.
In this case, that someone else that used fiberglass, would be an example. Again, I really do not want to hunt anyones feelings, but you kinda have too.
First, that someone stated that cage lasted ten years. But what did that cage accomplish????? If he had monitors in that cage, for ten years, there should have been life events. WAS there? That same person stated that a cage that was, 4x4x8 foot, was ideal, that shows a limited view of what these monitors need.
You stated, your goals are to include life events, to accomplish that goal. You may need to include deep substrate. Deep substrate for a three to four foot burrowing monitor. That deep substrate is heavy. Its moist, which means its heavy and wet. Its constantly being moved. The monitor moves it, you move it(hopefully to dig up eggs).
For instance. Your roofing paper idea will be shredded like so much cheese, as your monitor burrows up to it. That is a nasty thought for me. I cannot imagine TAR and monitors in the same room, muchless the same cage.
Often in an attempt to keep the moisture levels correct, I end up with a layer of water on the bottom. Of course thats not good or needed, but it DOES OCCUR. This somehow works like an hydraulic ram. All that digging and all that movement, with all that moisture, causes THE PROBLEMS.
Of course, you can always be perfect. Hmmmmmmmmmm sir, after reading your posts, thats not going to happen. I fully understand, I am not perfect, not in the least, but in the context of this forum, sadly, I appear to be amoung the top. But I make all manner of mistakes. Your cage, must also withstand your mistakes, as mine must withstand my mistakes.
Yes, FRP will work. What that person said is FRP. Hand layup if far better then panels, as there are no seams(corners) But hand layup is expensive, and NASTY. And requires about a million times more expertise that breeding monitors. Of course FRP panels are great and easy, but they have none structural corners, this can be fixed easily with a nice bead of silicone, but it will need to be redone over the years. Or you could glass the corners.
Of course you could take your box to a Fiberglass shop and have them glass it up. It may be very cheap. If they are on a run. Its nothing to add in your tiny box. Make sure they gelcoat the outside and make sure they use surfacing wax.
Vinyl flooring can work very well. But it requires a good strong base. Its realitively fluid. And its cheap.
You could make a galvanized metal box(insert)! that would work too. But then you can buy them cheaply, they are called a STOCK TANK.
But actually, none of this is the point. Your ability to ask questions is great, but you seen to not understand what your asking. You research and link threads, but those are out of context. Yes that old context thingy.
State your goal, your mission(mission statement) then entertain information that meets your statement. In this case, my understanding is, your goal is to achieve life events with include reproduction. So you should only ask and entertain the information that INCLUDES those goals.
Your post stated that FRP was too expensive. It would cost an additional 100 bucks. Dude, that was about the worse thing you can think. If your cage does not work, WHAT WOULD THAT COST BE? Or if your are constantly repairing that cage, what would that cost be? Its my experience that it would be much greater then 100 bucks.
I like stock tanks better then FRP, not so much for me, instead, FOR THE LIKES OF YOU GUYS. You see, I had a plastic shop to build exhibits. So I am somewhat familiar with plastics. I understand, that even FRP panels can be installed wrong. Again if installed wrong or poorly, its very costly. This leads to stock tanks. They are premade by EXPERTS.
Metal stock takes do rust. But I have many that have been in service for 16 plus years. That is, they have included reproduction and nesting for burrowing varanids for that ENTIRE TIME. They have at least another 10 or 15 years of UNMAINTAINED service left in them. I imagine that is a decent record for apples to apples information.
Of course plastic stock tanks, indoors, would last much longer, because they do not rust. I have used many Large plastic bins for the length of time and they have not deteriorated AT ALL. They will last many lifetimes(overkill)
I have four cages, stick build like yours, with frp and they are about 8 years old. They have already had to be repaired and in need of more repair. That darn deep substrate thing.
But then, if your goals do not include time and lifes events, just paint the wood. As 99% of those that come here do NOT keep their monitors long enough to merit doing it right.
So for darn sake, do what fits your goals. If your intending to be in it for the long haul, DO IT RIGHT. As that is the cheapest way to go. But if your normal and average, do it cheaply, as you will be using it for firewood in a few months or years. Cheers
