Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what thickness is recommended for a 4'x2'x2' cage? is 1/2" ok or is 3/4" needed?

Half inch is fine for up to 6' cages, IMO. It is a bit harder to center the screws but not a huge problem.

Honestly the biggest issue is if you're attaching a real-wood face frame to a half inch carcass without the benefit of rabbet or dado joints on the face frame. It's just a bit harder to get things perfect. At least for me.

1/2" plywood seems to cost the same as 3/4" nowadays so I assume you're interested in weight savings. Keep in mind that you can save weight by going with a floor-less design or a thin plywood back. I can go into either idea in more detail if you like. They would allow you to use 3/4" for the rest of the cage if that appeals to you.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

no thats plenty information, i was just wondering if it would be stable with the 1/2"

what type of finish goes on the wood(inside, safe for animals)? any recommended brands?

thanks for the help

>>what type of finish goes on the wood?

That depends on the species and whether you want a clear coat or solid color. Lots of choices.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

well, i dont know what u mean by species, but if its the species going into the tank? then its a uromastyx. i just dont know why it would matter :-/ i would prefer a reddish tint if thats possible, but if its way more expensive then just a coat to seal the would is fine.

also, once i put the finish on the wood, is it ready to have dirt on it, or what do i do? can i just throw my dirt substrate in their or will i encounter problems?

IT depends on the species going in the tank because of the humidity requirements, and how strong the sealant for the wood needs to be. For people with pets like monitors, they need an extremely strong, thick, and durable sealant due to the claws, strenth, and digging nature of the monitors.

For my Uro cage I used an oil based polyeurathane, in retrospect though I wish I had used a water based, since theoretically they off gas for less time. Chris and the forum helped me build an awesome cage for my Uro, so if you search on this forum for my ID, you can probably find the threads that he talked to me about sealants, cage designs, etc.

The one thing I was not dealing with at all was the soil substrate. Since the soil contains significantly more moisture than the sand I use, and is generally a deaper substrate, Chris and the others on the board may have some different suggestions for finishing out the bottom of the cage. I am not sure if that bit of moisture will make a difference or not.

Good Luck with your cage! Nice to see you "out and about" off the Uro forum.

Elizabeth

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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

The species does matter and Elizabeth did a good job of explaining why. Some materials are expensive and/or hard to work with. But they are often required for species requiring high humidity and/or those that scratch a lot.

>>i would prefer a reddish tint if thats possible,

I would use birch or maple laminated plywood and use a mohogany colored stain. A water based stain should be fine. Then I'd use several coats of Polycrylic - a water/acrylic based polyurethane.

For the floor I'd find a scrap piece of vinyl flooring, plastic, or something. Uros will scratch a bit and I think you'll want more protection for the floor. You don't need to spend big here.

>>also, once i put the finish on the wood, is it ready to have dirt on it, or what do i do? can i just throw my dirt substrate in their or will i encounter problems?

The dirt might scratch of the sides a bit but it will be covered so no big deal. Simply wait for the stain and poly to dry completely and put the substrate it.

I assume for a Uro you'll need to dry out the dirt first? I'd so that outside of the cage rather than inside the cage.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

ok thanks alot for the tips.
btw i plan on making it similar to mark walsh's stackable tanks.. pics here http://www.kingsnake.com/uromastyx/MarkW/housing.html
so if that helps and you have any other advice i should need, please tell me thanks every1 for the help. by the end of this year ill have three of em completed... hopefully