Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What kind of cage should i get for a pair of ackies? Pet supermarket has an aquarium that is 42long 18deep and 24 high. Would this be ok? Its &150

it's cheaper and better all around. i made a 7' x 2.5' x 3.5' cage for only $40. it easy

Alex Oliver

What materials should i use? I heard of this stuff called Melamine? ? Dont know how to spell it. Should i use that

My experience with melamine has been bad. The sides may be water resistant, but the edges are anything but. What this means is, if the substrate has any moisture in it and the corners of your enclosure aren't perfectly, 100%, fantastically sealed, the moisture will seep into the edges of the melamine and the whole insides will turn to mush.

You are better off using either sealed plywood, or a cheaper board but with the insides of the enclosure lined with FRP (fibre reinforced plastic). I have never tried FRP (not even sure if it is available where I live), but many on this forum use it and swear by it.

I wold recommend building one 4' x 4' x 6' tall... the more space the better

6ft tall for a pair of ackies ? ? ? How would i clean the cage? My arms arent that long

if your arms aren't 6 feet long then I guess you would have to build a door into the front or side of the cage.... wouldn't you? (remember, you are building it and can customize it any way you want) I used 2x4's and plywood, and plexiglass for the windows for my monitor's cage. about $100 later I have a 8'x 3'x 2' cage with 2 windows on the front and 2 on the top. Personally I wouldn't keep any monitor in a store bought glass aquarium as an adult... they are just too small. As soon as I move to a new place, I will be adding on to my cage... The more space the better. keeping a monitor in a whole room is still a tiny home compared to the wild.

another downside to using a store bought aquarium, aside from size and cost, is that glass is a poor insulator and you'll lose a lot of heat through the glass. Having a wood enclosure with a glass or plexiglass front slows this down.

There is also the issue with vents. With a store bought aquarium, you are stuck with having your vents at the top, which means heat and humidity escape too easily and you risk dehydrating your monitors. With a home made enclosure you can put your vents lower down.

Building your own cage is the best choice. However, 6' tall for a pair of ackies is not only impractical, but it doesnt make much sense at all. Ackies are tunnelers, not climbers. Now, if your going to fill it up with 4 feet of dirt thats one thing. But since thats as overkill as the 6' tall cage, stick to an enclosure built around a 4'x2'x2' cattle water trough that you can get at your local feed store. Check out the "facility" gallery at proexotics.com for more info.