Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'd like to build a home for my new BTS.

I'd like it to be 5' long and 18" deep.

What type of wood should I use?

I want it to be 3 solid walls, with screen top and glass front that drops down to allow access.

Should I use Glass or Plexi Glass for the front?

oh....and is there stuff that I shouldn't use on the wood?? like Stains or protectants?

You can use any kind of wood, except pressure treated wood, (pretty much any wood designed for decks and other outside building)and cedar. For sealing/paint any non oil based paint/clear coat will work as long as the cage is given plenty of time to dry and air out before introducing your skinks.
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PHLdyPayne

Personally I use Melamine with sliding glass doors for ease of handling and husbandry. My IJ & Gigas are kept in 5' x 2' x 2', 18" width is small in my opinion because it equals the average lenght of animal so 24" is minimal for me. Melamine is easy to clean and holds the heat of a 50 watt spot bulb area @ 95f/a 36" UVB light installed inside top adds to ambient temps while also keeping UVB refaction inside cage. There are no worries about stains, glues, or sealers either.

You can make a cage yourself which is cheaper or you can buy it in kit form.

We love melamine too - but the weight makes it hard to deal with when the cage weighs more than the cage mover. LOL

Where do you see kits for cages?

Morgana
www.reptayls.com

Plexiglass will scratch and warp later while plate glass holds up and is easy to clean. Also the edges of glass is smooth while plexiglass can be smoothed by you but is never completely smooth. And what about that skink climbing that plexiglass - pushing and clawing- think about the strength of Glass vs plexiglass.

I made my enclosure with 5 wooden sides. The top has holes where I installed the heat lamps. On the inside I installed the UV light fixture. the back has holes for air. You can also cut a square out of the back and replace the hole with pegboard. In the front, I have two sliding doors out of glass with plasting runners. If you use a screen top, you might not get the proper temperatures for your bts. If you have the front opening forward, your temps will also take a while to get back up.

I built my enclosure out of melamine & would easily recommend it for others. I used plexiglass for the front & my BTS scratched it all up rather quickly, so I'd go w/ glass if doing it again.
Have you tried the caging & habitat construction forum? They were sooo helpful for me when I've built cages in the past.

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Robins Critters
1.0 Corn snakes Jack Skellington
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 Leopard Geckos Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 Crested Geckos Peek & Boo
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo
0.0.2 Eastern Box Turtles Squirtle & Yurtle
0.1 Pacman Frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
0.2 Tiger Salamanders Tiger & Sally
1.1.3 Firebelly Newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 Cats Gus & Mena