Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok so ive decided to build a cage...The cage will be inside and is 8 ft long and 4 foot high 3 ft deep....I was going to add two windows on the side so he can watch me and i can watch him, As for the top tho Iw as wondering should i use like a mesh top like those found on most reptile cages? Plus this would vent the cage too, casue i couldnt think of another way aside drilling holes in the sides, but i dont think tha owuld be the greates idea....Thnaks for the help!!!!

Pegboard. It can be painted or protected with urethane. Home Depot will cut to size.

Mike B

is pegboard that particle wood with holes in it

Yes...
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0.0.3 Whites tree frogs
0.0.1 Blizzard leopard gecko
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White tegu
0.1 Tremper leopard gecko
0.1 Het. tremper leopard gecko

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JUICY

I am also in the process of gathering the materials for my cage. I plane on using the same type of vents you would use for your furnace/ac unit in your home. Several of these strategically placed will allow for the proper air current and co2 escape and still keep humidity up. I don't know but does anyone think a full grown male could be strong enough to break through the peg board?
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-Bill

1.0.0 Albino California Kingsnake
0.1.0 Colombian Red Tail Boa
0.1.0 Leucistic Patternless Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 Red Flame Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu

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BoidsNTegus@insightbb.com

Ok Pegboard all around? or just on top? I guesss just on top? I am cutting two windows into the side of his cage so we can see each other too BTW.....Im gonna be doing this all weekend Ive been thinking of designs for most of this week. But if I use particle board on top...where will the lights go? Inside the cage? I dont know if that would be such a good idea....I was hoping to be able to have the lights sitting on the top of the cage and shine through a scrren or somthing , but now i am not sure with this peg board......Becasue i dont think light will go through it very well,nor his heat lamp. Salsbury is shedding AGAIN....my god he grows alot...i love him tho!

I don't know if you misunderstood me or not, but I meant peg board may NOT be a good idea at all. Besides the obvious reasons you mentioned about lighting if you put it on top, I would just be worried that A) the particle board may get weak from high humidity and/or B) an adult male may be strong enough to break through if he really wanted to! Either way, I wouldn't take the risk. Like I said earlier, go buy some home air vents like you use for your furnace, and mount maybe 5 like this: 3 across the TOP of the BACK and 1 at the BOTTOM of each SIDE. This will allow CO2 to escape through the bottom side vents and create an induction current by fresh air coming into the bottom side vents and escaping (after getting warm) through the top back vents.
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-Bill

1.0.0 Albino California Kingsnake
0.1.0 Colombian Red Tail Boa
0.1.0 Leucistic Patternless Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 Red Flame Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu

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BoidsNTegus@insightbb.com

Ok....I get it....but also what about the top? I need somthing the lightts can go through? Just like a normal screen on top? Also do you think like a little window is good? Also what lumber should i use or does it not matter?.........

Do a forum search and look for Ciliatus' posts. He has an excellent enclosure, and it's where I got my idea from. The top should be sealed. You can just mount adjustable floodlight sockets inside the enclosure and cover them in wire mesh so he doesn't burn himself. Look at the left side of my current enclosure below to get an idea of what i mean. For wood, the stronger the better, but any plywood should work fine. For the front, I am using sliding glass, but that is a little more difficult. I would definately put some kind of glass/plexiglass window so you can see the guy. You could use 2 sets of hinged windows also, or just buy a house window of appropriate size and use it.

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-Bill

1.0.0 Albino California Kingsnake
0.1.0 Colombian Red Tail Boa
0.1.0 Leucistic Patternless Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 Red Flame Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu

My Home Page

BoidsNTegus@insightbb.com

I use 1/2" thick particle board and it holds up VERY well to humidity... It's even gotten wet and sprayed and holds up pretty well...

As for the lighting... What i did with my enclosure when I built it is I did not make a top... I have a ceramic heat emitter suspended about 10" away from the mulch and a florescent fixture screwed into the wood on the side of the cage going long-ways

I second pegboard being a bad idea... I just just imagine my little guy trying to climb it and me coming home from work to see toes stuck in the side of the cage *eek!*
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0.0.3 Whites tree frogs
0.0.1 Blizzard leopard gecko
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White tegu
0.1 Tremper leopard gecko
0.1 Het. tremper leopard gecko

How long have you had your particle board enclosure? I live in Florida, and, believe me, no matter how carefully you waterproof that stuff, it will eventually disintegrate from humidity alone, let alone getting wet. The trouble is that it appears to hold up fine, and then one day just start falling apart. The glue they use to make it is not waterproof, not to mention that the stuff is a lot heavier than plywood. If you get a good marine grade plywood to start and then seal the crap out of it, it will hold up better. Particle board is really just sawdust and glue, which is why it is so heavy. It looks nice, but even the liquid you use to seal it begins the eventual disintigration. Learned the hard way here in Florida.

Leslie

Yeah Im not gonna use it...Bills pic is great I really like that set up. So ill get some plywood and go from there.....Get some plexiglass or somthing to make some windows....When they are big do you guys just kind of let them roam free around the house? Like let them go in and out of their cage at their own will for the most part? Cause i was thining waht if I put like a doggy door for him...not now casue he is still small but when he is bigger?

That sounds like a good idea
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0.0.3 Whites tree frogs
0.0.1 Blizzard leopard gecko
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White tegu
0.1 Tremper leopard gecko
0.1 Het. tremper leopard gecko

Mine are too small to let free roam to any extent, although Loiosh, at 19 inches gets some supervised exploration time. I made one of those hip leashes Rollin uses, and that way I can keep him from making a dash under something but still let him wander. He doesn't seem to even realize that it is on; no fussing at all, but he also does not seem to connect the leash with why he can't go under the couch. At least when he is on my shoulder, I don't fear him getting scared and dropping off to run under something, although he's really rather fearless. As curious as they are, I doubt if I'd let mine roam without close supervision unless I "lizard proofed" the house, which I think would be even harder than "kid proofing." My kids never did manage to crawl under the couch, although they tried!

Leslie