Reptile & Amphibian Forums

im building a cage for my retic and had a few questions. What should i use to seal the inside?(type of silicone and the sealer) And do any of you who have built your own wooden cage have any advice or pics on building the doors? Would this cage(93" by 33" inside demensions) be large enough for an adult female or should i use it for a male? Thanks for any advice.

Hi!

"What should i use to seal the inside?(type of silicone and the sealer)"

GE Silicone I (one) or any aquarium-approved silicone. You can also use most of the indoor caulking available, but don't use any of the Tub & Tile caulking. Just be sure to let it air out at least 24 hours, or until there aren't any fumes left.

For sealing the wood there are many options from as simple as latex paint to water-based polyurethane, epoxy resins, self-adhesive plastic sheeting used for sign lettering, laminates, and more. It's mostly a matter of preferrence and how much work & money you want to put into it.

For doors - sliding glass doors and hinged doors each have their trade offs. Again, it's basically a matter of preferrence, work & money.

Here are a few photos of two cages I built from the same type of plywood frame, the only difference between them is the doors.

Here is the cage frame made out of 3/4-inch plywood & sealed with water-based polyurethane. This cage is 7ft long x 3ft deep & 21 inches high. I made it for a Burmese Python and reduced the length so I could fit two stacks, 4 high, in the space I had available.

Once I finished the frame I took it to a local glass shop & had them install sliding glass doors, track & all. for $150.

I built this one using the same type of frame but wanted to use drop-down doors to see if I liked them better than sliding doors. This one was cheaper to make but took more time to build. (The lightbulb was only installed for photographing)

The doors are made out of 1 x 4 pine boards with grooves cut on the inside for the plexiglass. If the plexiglass were to ever break it will be heck to replace it without having to modify the doors but I seriously doubt it'll get broken.

Here's a closeup of how the doors were made. They're glued together, no screws, except for the hinges.

I kinda like the drop-down door cage better than the one with sliding glass doors, mostly due to its look. I've got the cage with drop-down doors on top of the one with sliding glass doors so opening the drop-down doors isn't a problem. It would be for a cage sitting on the floor, though.

I think your cage size is big enough for the average male or female retic, especially as long as you get it out for exercise regularly.

Have fun!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

thanks for the ideas, still got some thinking to do. lol