Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello my name is Nathan and I was looking into building a melamine, front opening cage for some red ackies I own. There would only be about an inch of sand on the cage floor and a big tupperware container as a nest box. I was talking this over with some one and they said it wouldn't be a good idea because the melamine would rot. If I make this cage and seal it off properly with cock on all the edges will it rot with proper ventilation? Is this not a good idea for a cage? The one inch of sand on the bottom wouldn't always be wet. I would wet it only a little every few days or not even and allow it to dry out completely between each time.

Thanks,
Nathan

Sure you can keep the cage dry enough to make the cage last, but there may be a problem.

To keep it dry enough for the melamine to last, is most likely to dry for the ackies.

Which leads to the question, If your going to be building a cage, then why not build one that works for what your going to be putting in it. In other words, a cage really should be designed around whats being kept in it.

ALso I am not a fan of the One inch of dry sand in the cage and then give them a moisture box. If you think about it, why not just keep them in the moisture box and forget the cage part thats not usable.

Please think about this, the reason for sand or dirt is, for a monitor to burrow. To burrow means to dig a hole thats longer then the monitor. Hopefully much longer. If its not longer then the monitor, then its not a burrow. So the dry sand becomes of no purpose. You might as well use paper towels or egg crates or something equally not as useful.

About front opening cages for insect feeding monitors. No the best idea, Cattle troughs and glass tanks work great for a few really good reasons. One is, the crickets or whatever insects you feed cannot get out. The another is, the monitors cannot get out either, another is, the substrate does not get throw all over the place(out the door, in the tracks, etc) Oh yea, and they are cheap.

Remember, these are only suggestions, you can do whatever you like. Good luck building, FR

very good point FR... i wanted to do the side door thing, but the whold fact that if you forget to close it one time, you almost for sure will loose the lizard. and if you forget to close the top opening cage, then its much less likely to get out. and i have a dirt/sand mix right now, works well.
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0.1.0 BCI, 3 yr old
0.0.1 Ridge Tail Monitor, Juvi.
0.0.1 Leoperd Gecko, Juvi (My girlfriends)