Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Have any of you ever tried making a viv out of a barrister bookcase? If it could be converted, it would make 4 cages...? Am I completely out of my mind? (you don't have to answer that)
Mindy

Mindy, you so crazy, just kidding. I did that very thing. Mine was made of oak so basically the only things I did were:

Make a 2" litter dam for the front, so it would keep the substrate inside.

Seal the wood with a non-toxic epoxy sealer making sure it was completely cured before putting inhabitants.

That's pretty much it. It made great display cages in a small compact package. I sold it because I really needed bigger cages for my snakes.

Robert

>>Have any of you ever tried making a viv out of a barrister bookcase? If it could be converted, it would make 4 cages...? Am I completely out of my mind? (you don't have to answer that)
>>Mindy

Where did you find non-toxic epoxy? What type of snake do you think could be housed in something like this? I'm interested in housing a ball python and a corn snake... and maybe some more - who knows?
I'm really just looking for a decent looking cage that won't take a lot of work, because I'm lazy, and my husband's even lazier!

Home Depot. Look for a polyurethane. A ball or corn should be fine depending on the dimensions. Mine was about 36" wide x 12" deep. Not too much work other than applying the sealant.
A cheaper and even less work would be to apply vinyl flooring, available at your local home center. You may be able to get scrap pieces for free. Don't forget to use aquarium grade silicone sealant for all the seams.

>>Where did you find non-toxic epoxy? What type of snake do you think could be housed in something like this? I'm interested in housing a ball python and a corn snake... and maybe some more - who knows?
>>I'm really just looking for a decent looking cage that won't take a lot of work, because I'm lazy, and my husband's even lazier!

Thank you so much for your response! I just may have to try it myself!
Mindy