Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a entertainment center that i am turning into 3 different cages. Each species of herp I am planning on putting in there requires high humidity. What can I use to waterproof this setup that is herp freindly? What is it called and is it expenscive?
-----
1.2 Hypo Tang Leos, 1.0 Blizzard Leo, 0.1 het Blizzard Leo, 2.0 Tremper Albino Leos, 1.0 Knight Anole, 0.1 Mali Uromastyx, 0.1 Green Iguana, 1.1 Ball Pythons, 1.0 Green Anole, a Common Snapping Turt, and a 1.0 Veild Chameleon!
www.geocities.com/multiplemorphherpetoculture

There are some very good water borne acrylics which can endure the humidity. Many are bar-top finishes so they can take the beating and the moisture. You can also use marine acrylic resin (don't use polyester resin - like you'll find at Home Depot and Lowes etc.) Acrylic resin dries harder, out-gases faster, and does not have a residual toxicity. I used a combo of these products on my recent Tegu cage - the upper portions, and the entire exterior I finished with a water borne clear acrylic finish, and the lower interior portions I coated with acrylic resin to ensure moisture protection on the high moisture areas. Just be sure to allow enough time, with full ventilation, for everything to out-gas before you close it in with doors, and put your reptiles in - I would say at least a week.

MAP

Here's what I was refering to. The lower area, from the elevated pond (on the left and the basking shelf (on the right) and the entire bottom portion is resin, the rest is water borne clear acrlic.

nice setup. can you give us product names on what you used to waterproof the inside. another question is where did you get the platforms in your cage,i really like them and would like to use them in my setups
thanks ric morales

I made the platforms and pond. Started out with a plywood base and added various pieces of wood scrap & moldings etc to give it some definition, and then covered it all with metal lath which is used for plastering (from Home Depot) and then concocted a mixture of thinset mortar and Fix-All and plastered the whole shelf and pond set-up (about 3 coats). Then I painted it with a multi colored speckeled paint so that it looked like rock, and sealed it with marine resin.

I just looked on the internet for boat/marine resin supplier in my area and found one here in CA. I only needed one quart,and a pint of catalyst (about $18)to put 2 thick coats on the lower third of the cage. The rest I finished with a product which is also manufactured here in CA (we are enviro-hypersensitive). Its expensive ($36 / gal.), but I know all major paint manufacturing companies have similar products. Ask for a water borne acrylic (or lacquer) and look for a bar-top finish application - high moisture (and alchohol) resistance.

MAP