Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering how I can go about building a new terrarium for my mali uro. He's in a 50 long now. I was hoping to make a 75 long and have it about a 18 inches tall *he's only about 10 and half inches long*. I'd like to have the inside and outside smooth so he wouldn't be able to get hurt. If you've ever made an enclosure could you tell me how and show me pics of the finished product so I will know at least what to expect?

Thanks in adavce

Mine was made by a friend (well, he used to be) to my specs. It's 48"x18"x18" inside dimensions. the top is screened as well as a couple on each side. The door in front opens downward and has plexiglass, but I would go with safety glass, as the plexi gets all hazy from the scratching. The bottom also has plexiglass with supports for an undertank heater. The stand is actually a part of the cage (not the greatest design) so they cannot be seperated. The finish on the outside of the cage is vegetable or mineral oil, a non-toxic finish (not a stain). You can see pics through the link of my uros in my signature.

If you're going to attempt a glass terrarium, make sure you use a 100% non-toxic silcone adhesive. I think it's the ones that are 100% silicone. I never wanted to build one of glass because I feel (strictly opinion) that the wood is less stressful, as they don't have so much area to be watching for potential threats.

Hope that helps a bit.

-Jim

>>I was wondering how I can go about building a new terrarium for my mali uro. He's in a 50 long now. I was hoping to make a 75 long and have it about a 18 inches tall *he's only about 10 and half inches long*. I'd like to have the inside and outside smooth so he wouldn't be able to get hurt. If you've ever made an enclosure could you tell me how and show me pics of the finished product so I will know at least what to expect?
>>
>>Thanks in adavce
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2.1 - Rocky, Runako, and RoxyIII

Jim:

Do you have bigger (640x480) pictures from your site? Hard to see your nice setup with just thumbnails.

Yeah. I'd like if you could post bigger pics of your set ups. That'd help me out. I'm calling around at home depot and lowe's to see if they have the supplies you suggested. I think I'm gonna make it 60"x24"x24"

I'll look for bigger to post here before linking to the site. I lost a bunch in the move to a bigger computer, but may have on disc somewhere...hopefully, more to come.

As for your dimensions, one thought. Are you going to mount the lights inside? On the reptisun lights, they suggest mounting up to 12" from the reptile for proper health. I don't know how accurate this is, I'm sure they've done their research, but at 24" high, you just might want to take that into consideration. Plus, the higher, the more cubic feet inside, the more heat required to maintain proper temps, and therefore, the more PG&E likes you . Mine is 18" (both), the light is mounted a few inches down (except for Rocky's cage, but that's changing), and the sand is a couple of inches deep, so it's about 13"-14" give or take.

I''ll snap a picture or two in a bit and post.

jim
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2.1 - Rocky, Runako, and RoxyIII

Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for these to load. I didn't crunch them too much.

Rocky's cage:

Runako and Roxy's cage (left side):

Right Side:

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2.1 - Rocky, Runako, and RoxyIII

How large is Runako and RoxyIII's cage? The coolest section is in the middle front if I'm seeing that correctly - how does that work out?
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Torey
Salem, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Uromastyx Maliensis (Tank and Turtle)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.1 African Dwarf Frogs (Bruce and Sheila)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.0 Sunset Dwarf Gourami (Sideshow)
0.0.1 False Spotted Corydoras (Spot)
0.0.2 Metae Corydoras (Frank and Jesse)
0.0.2 Dwarf Sucking Oto (Tootsie and Dum-Dum)
0.0.1 Apple Snail
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Actually it's only 48"x24"x18" and it has two front doors that swing outward. The site shows videos that show the whole front in one picture.
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2.1 - Rocky, Runako, and RoxyIII

Well, as of right now the lights are all on top of their cages. I think I might just keep them on top of the cages when I build more. I think I'll build the front to swing open also. I was planning on making a cage that sort of looks like an L. Like the desks people have that go around the room corner to corner wall to wall. Like that cause then I could build 3 cages into one. But I think I'll just stick with your idea.