Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We put ours together with melamine...

The dimensions are 6 feet tall, 3 feet deep, and 4 feet wide.

(all prices in canadian funds to find out the american price divide it by three then multiply by two and that gives you a rough estimate)

The melamine cost us about $80

The harware cloth for the top of the enclosure was about $15

Linoleum for the floor was maybe $5

We found a scrap yard that had plexiglass sheets that we cut down to fit the doors...about $25

The heat lamp was $20

The 4' UV fixture came from home depot for $25

The screws were in the garage and so were the tools...

We put it together over a weekend's time and it cost us under $200 to build...about $140 american.

You don't need plans to build the thing...just draw it out on paper. It's basically a big box with an opening door and a roof made our of hardware cloth...misting systems are (in my opinion) priced way too high...just go buy a plant mister for $30 and you're set...if the lamp is to hot buy a $20 dimmer and if you really need a timer...add on another $20

There is no way an enclosure should cost anybody more than $300...unless you are going all out and building a palace.

I'm not putting down anybody who builds the beautiful enclosures I see on here all the time, I'm just saying it can be done cheap...the iguana needs space and climbing areas...as well as the other appropriate aspects of husbandry...I wouldn't say they need colourful, artificial plants, and all the fancy jazz that people put into the enclosures...but hey, whatever floats your boat.

Hope this helps anybody who is trying to build...Home Depot will usually cut the wood for you too...FREE OF CHARGE...so you don't have to mess with sawing things at home...just make sure you have exact measurments.
-----
Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Green Iguanas

Hmm I was thinking about using melmamine (sp) for a rack maybe in the future but this sounds good, but I was wondering, how did you rig the doors?

A pic of your enclosure would be nice too, thanks

sorry, no pics...I don't have a digital working yet...how big were the doors...well they are plexiglass doors on tracks...4x1.5 doors...two sperate sections that slide back and forth.
-----
Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Green Iguanas

Hmm sounds good and affordable, just have to worry about heating/lighting...

So did you use 2 long tracks across the entire front? Do they lock or anything?

How are you going to stock it with stuff?

Well there are two melamine shelves on the inside...and 1 wire shelf that you could get cheap at home depot probably...so the ig can climb up or down to either shelf or the floor.

The doors don't really lock or anything...the slide so they shut tight but I don't think the ig could push open the door himself...hasn't tried yet but I guess if need be we could put an eye and hook lock on.
-----
Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Green Iguanas

How big do the melamine sheets come in? thanks ;p

8' x 4' sheets 5/8" thick

You've never built anything before have you???
-----
Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Green Iguanas

I helped build a fence...
Poured concrete...
And played with legos...

Any of those count? lol

Yes, yes they do!

Legos rule.
-----
Chris Vanderwees
REPTILE SALES AND INFORMATION
E-mail Me
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
3.4.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
1.2.0 California Kingsnakes
1.3.0 South Florida Kingsnakes
1.1.0 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Green Iguanas

Heh I posted something in the cage design about using melamine (some people say it doesn't hold up good in humidity) and someone said I should use substrate that can cause impaction because it helps in digestion lmao