Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok heres the deal i currently have my black roughneck in a glass aquarium, that A. hes starting to outgrow and B hes is constantly escapping. I put some like homemade locks on the cage to keep him in, see how they work. But im looking to build him a new cage nothing huge yet because were moving within the next year and we dont a have a ton of room here, so i wanted to build a 6 foot cage. 1 i need a wood that will hold moisture well and not rot, and 2 not heavy is key because when were moving id like to take it along.

Im gunna build it like 6 ft wide, 2 1/2 feet tall, and 2 feet deep, Ive had my BRN for over a year and hes grown substantialy hes now 29 inches and very very hefty. The top of the cage im gunna have two doors that open on that just hlds the lights that swings up and has a pad lock on it with chicken wire top, and the other side will be the same with chicken wire and a pad lock that swings upwards on a hinge minus the lighting thogh, and the front oof the cage is just gunna be a piece of glass, just used for viewing not a door.

How much you guy think this will cost any tips this will be my first cage,

Thanks Sean
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1 Black roughneck Monitor (Slick Rick)
A ton of Crested Geckos
1 Vieled Cham (Tony Montana)
Nosy Be Panther Chame (GEE)
1 Leo (Nikki)
1 Uro Yoshi
60 Gallon Hex African Cichlid Tank
26 Gallon Bowfront Marine Tank
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Get yourself a 6'x2'x2' stock tank and just
build a top for it. Stock tanks are galvinized
steel troughs for watering livestock. You get
them at a feed store or Home Depot.
Neal
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pale reason hides the infinite from us

If I were you, I'd give him a much taller enclosure, as all monitors will utilize vertical space as well, and in my experience, rudicollis will do a good deal of climbing/basking... Limiting him to only 2' or so, I think would not be ideal... You also have to think about the size that he/she will ultimately attain... Rudicollis do not stay small as do acanthurus, glauerti, pilbarensis, tristis, etc... which can be kept in a trough the size you described... Rudi's get big, as should their cage be.... Perhaps some of the rudi keepers on here can post some pics of their cages, as I am sure a few of them keep them in large, tall enclosures, as opposed to something very limiting in vertical space... Just my thoughts on the dimensions... your animal will be much happier if you give him/her more room to climb...

Cheers,

Bob
The ODatriad

I mentioned the 6'x2'x2' size he was planning
on building one out of wood in the same dimensions.
Stock tanks come in all sizes. I just saw some
yesterday that were a huge size I'd never seen
before. Many people build tops that extend the
vertical space considerably.
Neal
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pale reason hides the infinite from us

I agree with Bob.

I would go taller, wider, and longer. I have built out tops for troughs, but it really is simpler to just build the entire cage out of wood and line with FRP.

It will be heavy, put wheels on it if you want it to be easy to move around.

--Robert

Yeah i know it should be larger we just dont haev the room now, but when we move sometime within the year im going to build like a 12 by 6 by 3.

But now i can thats as much as i can go on Width and length i could maybe go three or four feet high, Ill just have to think about a different way to access thing in the tank maybe door sin the front i dunno i have to think about the whole plan, i think 6 by 3by 2 would be for the year hopefully, i dont want a trough because we wont be able to view him. Any ideas on design, now that the plan has changed with size,. I would need a fornt access door because it will be sitting on somthing thats 2 1/2 feet high that would its tall and i wouldnt be able to get ym arm in there to get his water dish, so i would need ot build afont door.

Any ideas sorry for scattering all over the place.

Thanks
Sean
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1 Black roughneck Monitor (Slick Rick)
A ton of Crested Geckos
1 Vieled Cham (Tony Montana)
Nosy Be Panther Chame (GEE)
1 Leo (Nikki)
1 Uro Yoshi
60 Gallon Hex African Cichlid Tank
26 Gallon Bowfront Marine Tank
1 Blue Quaker Parrot Kenny Blankenchip
My Email

I don't really disagree with you guys,
But I am a fan of stock tanks. Myself,
I avoid aboreal species because of their
need for vertical space. You could be
right about it being simpler to build
it all out of wood. However one advantage
to building a top section on top of a
stock tank, is that the tank and wood
section could be separated for easier
transport (he's moving in the near future).

Stock tanks also come in a 12'x4'x2' size
which should be sufficiently large (aside
from vertical space).

Neal
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pale reason hides the infinite from us

It doesn't have much to do with aboreal, 2' is not deep enough to do very much, and once a lizard gets in the 3' range, it's pitifully low. With a foot and a half of dirt, that leaves 6".

I like troughs for the simplicity, but once you start building out special tops, it isn't simple anymore. I've done it, but I would never do it again.

--Robert

I see what you are saying, and that's a good point.
One thing I like about stock tanks is that there is
no question about how they will hold up to moisture.
Anyways he doesn't seem keen on the stock tanks,
as he is concerned with the display/viewing aspect.
Neal
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pale reason hides the infinite from us

Use a window, build it as big as possible. Depending on size, use either plywood or framed 2x4's w/ OSB. Line with FRP. It is just a box, don't make it anymore complicated than necessary. Vents can be 2/3 of the way up on the sides and adjustable in some manner (even as simple as blocking it off w/ plywood and duct tape).

If you want to spend time making it fancy, pick up some nice logs, branches, cork bark, etc. and spend it on the inside of the cage.

Good Luck,

--Robert

Here's my .02, though it may not be worth that much...

Build as large as you can. (you already are)
Don't fuss over height. (IMO, they don't care, and won't use it)

Don't fuss over materials if you are moving in a year, since you know the cage is too small even as you build it. It will be scapped when you build the next one. (Unless you plan on keeping it for use with other pets.) I'd use cheap lumber for the frame, and thin particleboard for the walls. Rudis aren't very destructful, IMO. Save your money for building something much bigger and more permanent in the new house.

Put way more thought into building shelves and boxes and places for Rick to squeeze into and behind than a tall enclosure with open space that he will avoid like the plague.

I opted for thin plexiglass on all my cages, it is light, I can drill it securely in place, and I haven't had a problem with it. I can remove damaged pieces and cut them up for use with other cages(my spiders). I am happy with it.
The only damage occured with a water monitor I was babysitting. It was a restless powerful lizard who tore chunks out of all the wood and scratched up the plexi the first day here. My rudis haven't damaged their cages in the least.
Have fun.
D.

Hey dragoon i really apreciate the input, sounds great to me then back to the original plan,

I ahvnt been o thsi forum in a while but i think i remember you were having some rudi eggs hatch just wondering how that went lol sorry its probably a realy long time ago.

Thanks again
Sean
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1 Black roughneck Monitor (Slick Rick)
A ton of Crested Geckos
1 Vieled Cham (Tony Montana)
Nosy Be Panther Chame (GEE)
1 Leo (Nikki)
1 Uro Yoshi
60 Gallon Hex African Cichlid Tank
26 Gallon Bowfront Marine Tank
1 Blue Quaker Parrot Kenny Blankenchip
My Email