Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone! I'm new to this forum and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about marine board?? We're getting ready to build our sav's permanent cage and have read some things about sav cages being built with it but I'm wondering if it's as sturdy? Should we just stick with reg. wood? Input would be great! Thanks!

I used wood but had to line it halfway up with a tarp (to hold dirt and humidity) and seal all the edges for the same reason. It's possible, but advisable to use some kind of metal or alternative to wood that will hold humidity and last longer.
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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

Thank you so much! The tarp's not a bad idea!

It's 8x8x5 high.
These are pics from the first day I built it (changed a lot since)

More recent.

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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

Thanks for the pics. That's a nice looking savannah. I guess he/she doesn't tear up the tarp? If we did just wood, could I use a water sealant? I haven't found anything on what's harmful to them... besides lysol.

I have been using West Systems Epoxy resin to seal wood. I think it is probably one of the best bets. You can just paint it on or use a spreader and then the wood will have a super durable finish that soaks into the actual wood. Normal polyurathane sealers don't hold up and will eventually allow the wood to rot away.

good luck
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Steve

Thanks! lol I'm gonna need it. This is my first cage I'll be building, so it's all new. I really appreciate the tip. I'd prefer not to have to build another cage in a few years. Especially since I'd rather buy anything in the stores instead of build it.

Have you thought about building around a metal trough as your base? Wood is going to very difficult to work with over the long term, as any decent substrate is going to penetrate it eventually, and it will swell, warp and rot.

Check out our FAQ on troughs, they make an excellent, affordable, indestructible base to work from.
Metal troughs for monitor caging- FAQ

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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles

I was thinking that the marine board would create a good waterproof barrier or some epxoy resin has been suggested. Or maybe FRP. lol Not too sure yet. I'm not too sure about the trough though. I understand it's metal but aren't they too small for a full grown savannah? As far as the width I mean?

>>I'm not too sure about the trough though. I understand it's
>>metal but aren't they too small for a full grown savannah?
>>As far as the width I mean?

You can get galvanized steel troughs about 8 feet long by 3 feet (plus a bit) wide by 2 feet (plus a bit) high. I used these as a base for enclosures for male argus monitors, which could approach 5 feet in length. If you feel you need more width (I did), you can set a wider base on top of a trough "basement".

From the outside

Inside shot showing the cut-out in the wood to expose the metal trough

Luke

I've said it before and I'll say it again: That is a sick enclosure Luke!
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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

I see. That would work. Just one question bout that.. how do you remove all the substrate for cage cleaning?

>>I see. That would work. Just one question bout that.. how
>>do you remove all the substrate for cage cleaning?

Basically, you don't. It is about half a ton of dirt. You can do spot cleaning, and keep the soil sufficiently moist that you get healthy microbial communities that break down anything you missed. Every so often you can do a partial removal of the surface dirt if you wish, but just filling the tank with dirt takes an hour or so(at least, with buckets and wheelbarrows and shovels. If you have a front-end loader and can drive it right up to the tank, I expect it would be much faster. It can also go faster if you have a dozen muscular friends whom you can bribe with pizza).

Luke

lol Thanks for the tip! We may try it out when we begin building the cage. Sounds like it'd definitely work in my favor! I'm a by-the-book type of "mom" but I guess I'll need to throw some of the authors rules out the window, huh? It doesn't sound very possible to COMPLETELY clean the cage every month. Thanks for your help!

Funny story about the enclosure I built... It is in the basement... That means I had to carry all 2 truckloads of topsoil / sand mix from the truck, down the stairs, across the basement, to the enclosure, BUCKET BY BUCKET. Sucked. I was too excited too finish it as well so I did not want to wait for my friends to help so I did it all myself. After that I was the muscular friend lol.
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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

lol That sounds like it probably sucked! I may stick with the pizza idea. Don't think I want a ton of muscles! But I don't have to go as far as you to fill my cage.

Troughs are definitely an good way to ensure a waterproof base. The epoxy I recommended is very close in terms of durability but will take a bit more expertise to work properly so the trough is probably your best bet. You could use the epoxy on the wood parts of a trough based cage for maximum moisture protection. I forgot to mention it is important to let the cage sit empty for a few week to ensure it has fully off-gassed when using the epoxy.

cheers
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Steve

Thank you guys very much for all your help! We have choices to consider. I, myself, don't have any history with epoxy resin but my fiance does. It sounds like a good idea though so we have more protection against water damage. I appreciate all your help.