Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I have a trio of baby Australian Water Dragons that I just purchased from Agama International. Until they a grow a bit, I wil be maintaining them in a standard 29 gallon terrarium. I plan on building an enclosure for them within the next 6 months that will easily accomodate their adult sizes. One of the books I have recommends not using treated lumber for enclosures because the chemicals used to treat it can be toxic to inhabitants. I guess I would like some advice on this matter and recommendations concerning acceptable types/grades of wood and animal safe polyurethane or epoxy brands. I definitely need to keep moisture resistance/sealing in mind as I want to have a sizeable water tub/container that I'm sure will cause quite a bit of splashing from time to time. Any thoughts, comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time,

Chuck H.

For lumber, I would avoid any treated material and/or any woods that naturally resist decay. Woods like cedar, redwood, teak, etc.

Regarding epoxy, just about any product will cure to an inert finish. Many epoxies are have a rating for potable water, many others are just as safe but don't bother to be tested for such a rating since they are not designed for that application. For the most part, you don't need to worry about epoxy once it's cured.

I do worry about the solvents in epoxies, but only for the period when I'm applying them. Some are absolutely nasty to work with. But even the worst epoxies are completely safe to even delicate marine invertebrates once fully cured.

Polyurethanes are a bit different. Some of the more water resistant products are known to offgass for months. Many people have used them in reptile enclosures with no apparent ill effects, but you need to use what your comfortable with. I would avoid most waterborne polyurethanes for the cage interior simply because most of them won't offere sufficient water resistance. They are safer than oil-based polys, however, and maybe that's what you'll want to use on the cage exterior.

I can give more specific recommendations but it would help to have a better idea of what your goals are.

Do you want a fancy cage with stained and clear coated wood or do you want a more utalitarian cage with solid colors, etc.?
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

Thanks for the reply Chris.

I'm not that handy to make a furniture quality cage, so I guess I'm looking for something that has the necessary features to meet the needs of the animals and not necessarily nice enough to be in my living room. A solid color/paint, such as light blue, would be fine and I think provide for an interesting contrast between the animals and decorations. My goal is to make an enclosure about 5' long x 5' tall x 2' wide. I would want front opening glass (or acrylic or plexi - whatever is economical and easy to work with) doors on hinges (not sliding - I want to be able to open both doors at one time to get full access if necessary). The top will be screen (for basking and flourescent light fixtures) in places and solid elsewhere. One side of the enclosure will have sizeable (about 2' long and as wide) water area (either a litter pan or rubbermaid tub,etc.) with branches over it. That's about what I'm thinking of. Any other input you can provide would be great! Thanks,

Chuck H.

My goal is to make an enclosure about 5' long x 5' tall x 2' wide.

Normally this is a difficult size since sheet material typically comes in 4'x8' sheets, but right now there is a lot of imported Russian/Finnish birch plywood in the states, all in 5'x5' sheets. Typically only available from cabinet supply shops or specialty lumber yards, but I've also heard of it showing up in some of the major home improvement centers. Perfect for your project. It makes a great surface for paint as well. I saw a sample piece of it recently and was very impressed for the price.

I would want front opening glass (or acrylic or plexi - whatever is economical and easy to work with) doors on hinges (not sliding - I want to be able to open both doors at one time to get full access if necessary).

Build whatever door suits you better. However, don't forgo sliding doors due to the space issue. It is very easy to remove both panels and set them aside for more thorough cleanings. They are also easier to build and make the cage much more viewable.

At any rate, building such a cage won't be difficult. You're basically building a box. At least consider having a cabinet shop cut the wood for you. Then all you'll have to do is assemble it, and that will be much easier with cabinet shop quality cuts.

I'd paint it with pool epoxy paint, provided you have an open, ventilated area to do it. Otherwise, you could use bar top epoxy, but I don't have any direct experience using it in cages holding species that scratch a lot.

I'd at least consider hiding the lights and heating elements somehow, although that does add a bit of complexity to the project.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

I built this acout a month ago.

NP
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0.1 Albino Cal. King (Fokker)
)
1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn (trouble)

0.0.2 Anery (Thanks Jimmy)(Frodo, and Sam Wise)
1.2 Dogs(2 Boxers, Cookie and Joe, Lhasa Apso, George)
1.0 Betta
0.1 Wife
0.1 Kid

I had the same concerns about toxicity in the construction materials I was using. I found out that most plywood is manufactured using formeldahyde. Not good. I did find a product that will seal the wood and prevent any toxic issues. The product itself contains nothing toxic either. Most polyurethanes contain toxic stuff. After it has fully cured, this should not be an issue. Keep in mind that oil based polyurethanes can take months to fully cure. Try AFM Safecoat Polyureseal BP. Do a google search to find where you can buy it. I got mine at needs.com The trouble is, it is about 89.00 dollars a gallon and 27.00 dollars a quart. My snake has been fine since he went into the new viv about a month ago.