# Building large vivs. Successes and failures.



## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

Fancy starting a topic so everyone can hear peoples stories about what they've done maybe some pictures. 

I work in a pet store Plymouth, and I get so many people coming in asking where to get vivs big enough for their monitors/Igauanas and so on! and the company I work for only stock up to the 4ft vivs. So as many of you might experience there's a lot of people that are then looking at finding information about how to build a bigger enclosure. 

I'm also looking to build 2 very large enclosures soon one atleast 8ft in length for my Nile as he's having a growth spert  so It'd be nice to hear peoples ideas, what they used, and DO's & DONTS. 
I've seen some very well made enclosures in the past so hopefully lots of people can spare just a few moments to chip in their experience! 

Get posting


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

The biggest tip i can give anyone is dont use contiboard and dont use MDF... 

The second biggest is seal seal seal and seal again :lol2:


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

Also if anyone has had experience with large water features, I'd love to hear what you did, filtering/heating ect  

I've had lots of experience with a number of lizards but no experience with large water areas, looking to create something big enough for my Nile, so tips and advice on heating and filtering his water would be much appreciated!


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> The biggest tip i can give anyone is dont use contiboard and dont use MDF...
> 
> The second biggest is seal seal seal and seal again :lol2:


If you were to use anything what would you use then? I was speaking to someone a little while back and he thought MDF would be a good choice :/ aha


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## sn8ks4life (Jul 27, 2011)

KarlHowells said:


> If you were to use anything what would you use then? I was speaking to someone a little while back and he thought MDF would be a good choice :/ aha


ide imagine OSB would be a good wood for a big encloure, im building a 6 x 4 x 4 out of OSB for my bosc:2thumb:


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

OSB, any sort of plywood... :2thumb:


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## spuddastu (Nov 9, 2008)

Any reason why not to use MDF ? Cause mine is MDF


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

I'm hoping to build a big pool area for my Nile after I've got the viv made. He always leaves a mess whilst he's in his current water dish, so how have people made there pool areas? I've not made one before. Any filters/heaters that anyone can recommend?


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## awalton007 (Mar 7, 2011)

why not mdf if its sealed properley?


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## BoscMonster (Jan 20, 2011)

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> The biggest tip i can give anyone is dont use contiboard and dont use MDF...
> 
> The second biggest is seal seal seal and seal again :lol2:


Second this first second and third and once your sealed up do it again.
Mine will rot out eventually, i broke the seals round a few gaps due to weight of substrate.

MDF vs .............








...................Moni claws, can't see that ending well. Even the smallest of scratches and water will wreck you entire build.


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## stungy (May 28, 2011)

Tiles on the base and a row for whatever depth subtrate you need, are a good option for helping to protect mdf ,before doing that try a water sealant like thompson weather seal its only about £12 for 10litres use it all over even on the tile section make sure you dont allow more then half an hour between cotes also make sure you mix the adhesive with latex not water it helps with waterproofing and wood contraction and shrinkage and then for the rest ov viv the same adhesive and latex mixture painted on quite thickly then a 2nd good cote(you get the latex in pre measured tubes to match with adhesive bag sizes)one more thing as I found out from another thread grout isn't water proof onl resistant(I never knew)just paint a regular varnish on top ,it sounds a lot but price wise compared to boat varnish it still works out cheaper and I cant see and reps claws going through tile.I experimented on a scrap ov mdf and completely covered aevery part ov it with the above steps then soaked it for about 12hrs in a bath ov warm water and then left it outside for about 3 weeks,and it's perfectly fine It's still there now I'm gonna keep it out to see how long it lasts.all the other ways i could think ov for my bosc viv did seem a lot easier but i think this was best for me


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## sadams (Jun 30, 2010)

Im no expert but for the viv build i went down the OSB route myself for a couple of reasons. One was it was cheaper than MDF and it actually says for outdoor/indoor use and the other reason was that when a green dye was added to the resin i coated it with it gave me kind of the jungle effect i was looking for.
As for the waterfeature i used 18mm marine ply, then used a fibreglassing kit and then to cover that i used a pond paint. I also used a preformed waterfall tho bought from a shop and id say if you dont need it to be purpose made then just buy a preformed pond.


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## awalton007 (Mar 7, 2011)

ive started to build a new viv for my chameleon and i have used mdf on the sides and bottom but i dunno what im having as a substrate yet but i have sealed it 3 times and im going to silicone seal the edges so should be safe as the chameleon wont be on the floor scratching it


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

sadams said:


> Im no expert but for the viv build i went down the OSB route myself for a couple of reasons. One was it was cheaper than MDF and it actually says for outdoor/indoor use and the other reason was that when a green dye was added to the resin i coated it with it gave me kind of the jungle effect i was looking for.
> As for the waterfeature i used 18mm marine ply, then used a fibreglassing kit and then to cover that i used a pond paint. I also used a preformed waterfall tho bought from a shop and id say if you dont need it to be purpose made then just buy a preformed pond.
> image


Cheaper is always good!  I'm looking at building an 8ft enclosure but probably going 8ft squared, as I wanna build a decent water area. I've had a look at the pre formed ponds and that's probably the way I'll go then i'll work the pond shape.


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## motorhead (Dec 5, 2010)

any big viv is best done around a frame imo!!


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

All i will say on the subject of MDF is... good luck to anyone using it ive not yet seen a monitor viv that ended well with its use... 

But if anyones got a good chance of making it work Stungy does...


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## awalton007 (Mar 7, 2011)

Would it be suitable for a chameleon as it wont be walking all over it and claws wont be on it as I am putting a background on it


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## anothernoob (Feb 7, 2010)

awalton007 said:


> Would it be suitable for a chameleon as it wont be walking all over it and claws wont be on it as I am putting a background on it


I was always told MDF is like a sponge when it comes to water! I wouldnt personally use it as it requires more attention when costs are similar to plywood etc.

I think this is a really good thread and a place for people to refer to when building big vivs/custom vivs for their reps! 

I just finished building a 6x3x3ft viv for my nile. Used 18mm plywood and managed to coat it twice in yacht varnish! Hopefully this should be enough to keep water from wood! This stuff needs some serious airing out the get rid of fumes...been almost 3 weeks for me and still not happy with the nile going in! I would advise people to coat it then try to let it air out outside (once we get the warm weather!) for a few days or a week then get it indoors and get the heatings in there and it seems to build up the fumes but cure them at the same time!

Also I found using wood stain was the easiest and best way to colour the wood! Only cost me a fiver and i've still got a bit left over!

Also dont drill too many vents like I did lol its hard work getting them ambients up! Tubular heater next week though!


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## stungy (May 28, 2011)

yep it is like a sponge,mate but that thompson water seal is a great product it;s a 1 use product for sealing exterior wood and anything porous they recomend only 2 coates but ive got close to 9ish maybe more in places it goes on as thin as water.Thompson's Water Seal utilises hydrophobic technology to deliver invisible protection against water damage. The deep penetrating formulation travels deep into exterior dry porous surfaces to form a breathable membrane that allows moisture vapour inside the substrate to evaporate whilst protecting against water penetration and damage. Thompson's Water Seal has a unique formulation which, unlike some waterproofers, penetrates the surface therefore waterproofing even after the initial beading is gone. It will not be destroyed by ultraviolet light and is long lasting even under heavy moisture conditions. Assuming application instructions and coverage guidelines are adhered to it provides effective water repellency for years.I looked into all manner ov ways ov sealing it and from what I read the way Iv'e opt on was alot more work but a hell ov alot cheaper to build my 7x3x3 it was £57 4xsheets ov 18mm mdf (all pre cut)£12 thimpson water seal 10l,tiles 5msquare £37,2x10kg bags tile adhesive(1 for tiles 1 for background)£20 2xbottles ov latex,15kg bag grout £11 and various glues,screws and silicon £20(only glass and runners to get,glass £70 runners £10, £150ish,bargain really and my tester piece is still going strong even after 2 days solid rain :lol2:


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## anothernoob (Feb 7, 2010)

stungy said:


> yep it is like a sponge,mate but that thompson water seal is a great product it;s a 1 use product for sealing exterior wood and anything porous they recomend only 2 coates but ive got close to 9ish maybe more in places it goes on as thin as water.Thompson's Water Seal utilises hydrophobic technology to deliver invisible protection against water damage. The deep penetrating formulation travels deep into exterior dry porous surfaces to form a breathable membrane that allows moisture vapour inside the substrate to evaporate whilst protecting against water penetration and damage. Thompson's Water Seal has a unique formulation which, unlike some waterproofers, penetrates the surface therefore waterproofing even after the initial beading is gone. It will not be destroyed by ultraviolet light and is long lasting even under heavy moisture conditions. Assuming application instructions and coverage guidelines are adhered to it provides effective water repellency for years.I looked into all manner ov ways ov sealing it and from what I read the way Iv'e opt on was alot more work but a hell ov alot cheaper to build my 7x3x3 it was £57 4xsheets ov 18mm mdf (all pre cut)£12 thimpson water seal 10l,tiles 5msquare £37,2x10kg bags tile adhesive(1 for tiles 1 for background)£20 2xbottles ov latex,15kg bag grout £11 and various glues,screws and silicon £20(only glass and runners to get,glass £70 runners £10, £150ish,bargain really and my tester piece is still going strong even after 2 days solid rain :lol2:


Ohh mate I wish I knew all this 2 weeks ago when I used yacht varnish :lol2: but it should be just as good right? I mean ive managed to get 2 coats of it so it should be more or less water proof right? I was actually thinking of getting them thin plastic sheets and lining it on the floor...not acrylic but much softer...but not sure if that would be a good idea or not!?


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

I'm dead excited about trying to build my own. 

Need to build my Niles 8ft viv.

A 4 3ft stack/unit.

My Iguanas viv...so much to do! Anyone fancy uploading a few pictures so I can see what people have done.  Any Nile/Iguana enclosures?


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## stungy (May 28, 2011)

anothernoob said:


> Ohh mate I wish I knew all this 2 weeks ago when I used yacht varnish :lol2: but it should be just as good right? I mean ive managed to get 2 coats of it so it should be more or less water proof right? I was actually thinking of getting them thin plastic sheets and lining it on the floor...not acrylic but much softer...but not sure if that would be a good idea or not!?


to be honest mate iv'e no idea about boat varnish as Iv'e never used it I didn't even really think about it I went straight with the tile option for durability,water proofing and its easy to clean as for using the tile adhesive for the rest ov it it serves 2 purposes a good strong and tough way to seal the mdf with the added benefit ov creating a nice rough effect for the background.So far iv'e painted 3 coates on getting thicker buy the 3rd,in a say or 2 i'm going to trowel the final coat and attempt some sort ov finish although,thats not really needed as it has a natural finish to it as is here is a pic ov how far iv'e got so far.








closest to you is a 2x2 raised platform(1foot)for basking with a divider to have a deeper section at the back i need 5 more tiles for one more layer on the back then that green mesh tube is going to be a tunnel going from front to back then the opposit corner ive got a box 2lx1.5wx1tall with one open end open and a window cut out ov another to join to the tunnel with a pre formed pond on top youcan just see a bit ov wood in place ov box the front is going shallow sand/soil with wood chips built upover the tunnel to a full depth 1.5foot at the back the tunnel goes into open end ov box and the open window joining the shallow section to the deep section at the back there is also going to be a buried hide under the basking ledge,everything made ov wood is being coated in the same adhesive,latex mix.Sorry its a bit long I hope you get the jist ov what I've tried to get accross


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## ciz (Dec 12, 2009)

i just built 2 vivs out of 18mm mdf and sealed with 3 coats of yacht warnish so hopefully it will last. ontank is for a bosc and the other for my retic il try and put pics up once the glass is in.


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## ciz (Dec 12, 2009)

here's a few pics of how it turned out.


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

ciz said:


> here's a few pics of how it turned out.
> 
> image
> image


Looking very good, so could you talk me through roughly how you made that.
Or any tips?

I'm looking at making a 4 stack viv soon, drew it up so I can get the wood from Wickes soon, so hoping to crack on with it.


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## ciz (Dec 12, 2009)

it was fairly easy to be honest just measured the wood needed and got b&q to cut it for me, nxt step was 3 coats of yacht varnish which was quite annoying as it kept on running as i used a brush. had to give it a light sanding in between coats.once varnished i left it out side for a week.
nxt comes the building part, had to pilot hole and counter sink were the screws were goin, built the shell the placed the shelf in and some supports at the front and bact of the viv to stop the wood from bowing. also put a bit of wood behind the glass to stop the substrate getting in the runners. nxt was putting in the air vents brought 70mm ones from tool station and glued them in. put four in the top tank and 6 in bottem viv.nxt measure glass which i got wrong, measured it a bit to big in the bottem tank so had recess it into the wood. nxt step was the sealing of the viv uses some brown mastic, which my brother done as i cant really use a silcone gun that well.once all that was done a bit of architrave round the edge of viv so you dont see the wooden joints

hope this helps and sorry if it seems like im rambeling on.


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

anyone fancy uploading pics of their homemade vivs? 

also I am a proper newby with wood, whats the best way to join the wood, seen a few people using just screws and nothing like what you'd get in a flat packed Vivexoctic viv for example.


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## MartinMc (May 19, 2011)

There is a pic of my iggy viv in my album
More pics here http://m1203.photobucket.com/profil...XbS+mf7/nmWUGLiXDoFRiQjHxOOfLG5Dh2nxjlhQHgF4=


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## anothernoob (Feb 7, 2010)

Heres my new one...

18mm plywood, dyed, then yacht varnish 2 coats on the inside and left to air out for a few weeks, used 50mm screws and even with half in it was solid! 10 vents (most are blocked to keep heat n humidity in), 6" plinth, 6mm glass, raised shelf for basking area, 

anything ive left out feel free to ask


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

I built the vivs for my beardie and leopard gecko and also the viv my coastal carpet is in. These are contiboard. My burm is in a converted 4x2x2 TV cabinet, which I also modified. 

As well as the burm, I also have a bci. The plan is to build a couple of large vivs for these as they will soon outgrow their current enclosures. I already have the OSB board for this and will be planning the build soon. The designs I've seen on here have given me some good ideas, so thanks, folks!


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

Jeffers3 said:


> I built the vivs for my beardie and leopard gecko and also the viv my coastal carpet is in. These are contiboard. My burm is in a converted 4x2x2 TV cabinet, which I also modified.
> 
> As well as the burm, I also have a bci. The plan is to build a couple of large vivs for these as they will soon outgrow their current enclosures. I already have the OSB board for this and will be planning the build soon. The designs I've seen on here have given me some good ideas, so thanks, folks!


Yeah I'm hoping more people post stuff up, and when I get going next month, I will post up everything I do, in the hope it can help someone else out!


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

anothernoob said:


> Heres my new one...
> 
> 18mm plywood, dyed, then yacht varnish 2 coats on the inside and left to air out for a few weeks, used 50mm screws and even with half in it was solid! 10 vents (most are blocked to keep heat n humidity in), 6" plinth, 6mm glass, raised shelf for basking area,
> 
> ...


Wicked, that's a big help mate. going to get the stuff next month, will probably bug you a little bit when I'm getting on with it.

With the basking shelf that you've done, you put 2 50mm screws on each side ? is it pretty strong, my Niles pretty heavy footed, especially when you startle him


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## mikeyb (May 8, 2011)

anything big u dont want getting we as itl sag like a grannys :censor: i saw one large nile viv where the lade uses perspex and basically turned the bottom into a tahn but flitet the top edges the easles the :censorut of it then at one end had a basking platform bear in mind he builds pools for a living so this thing was then tiled the lot inside with stone tiles over the perspex apart from the side near the doors so u cud see the nile swimming bear in mind this thing was about 18ft long cnat remember with but can remember i can almost grouch and get in there myself lol


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## anothernoob (Feb 7, 2010)

KarlHowells said:


> Wicked, that's a big help mate. going to get the stuff next month, will probably bug you a little bit when I'm getting on with it.
> 
> With the basking shelf that you've done, you put 2 50mm screws on each side ? is it pretty strong, my Niles pretty heavy footed, especially when you startle him


Lol thanks Karl mate. Hey you can bug me about it all day mate I really can talk about it all day long :lol2:

With the basking shelf I basically had one of the off cut pieces when I got the wood cut from BnQ so all I did was shorten the length up as it was exactly 3ft long so it would obviously get in the way of the glass. Took 40mm off in total to compensate for the rear aswell...does that make sense? Anyway its actually got about 5 screws running along the length and 2 at the back! Supports 2 ceramic tiles (wickes) and the nile very comfortably! If you want extra support just screw a leg under the free corner and it will be strong enough to support a lot more. Not needed in my case as the weight load including isnt much at all to be honest.

Another idea you could think about bud...make a box that can fit the same way so you can have the top for basking and have a small space for the nile to get inside and you can fill it with soil for digging? Can be moved around as well if you ever need to or replace for a bigger one etc in future. something I wanted to do but thought of it after the shelf :lol2:

Also under the ceramic tiles ive actually got these rubbery material that my old man bought ages ago, god knows where from, which stops the tiles from sliding or in our case being kicked off accidentally :2thumb:


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

anothernoob said:


> Lol thanks Karl mate. Hey you can bug me about it all day mate I really can talk about it all day long :lol2:
> 
> With the basking shelf I basically had one of the off cut pieces when I got the wood cut from BnQ so all I did was shorten the length up as it was exactly 3ft long so it would obviously get in the way of the glass. Took 40mm off in total to compensate for the rear aswell...does that make sense? Anyway its actually got about 5 screws running along the length and 2 at the back! Supports 2 ceramic tiles (wickes) and the nile very comfortably! If you want extra support just screw a leg under the free corner and it will be strong enough to support a lot more. Not needed in my case as the weight load including isnt much at all to be honest.
> 
> ...


You'll regret saying that 

Yeah that's a really good idea keep it nice and deep for him, I'm hoping to get a good foot before the glass starts for digging for the time being, and even deeper in some parts! But yeah that idea is a cracking one, cheers!
I might pop in an extra few screws, as he likes to break stuff, so I will make as strong as possible  

I've got some tiles of slate, from wickes  so they'd be fine to use for on top, and I'll try find something similar, I'd imagine if I left him too it he'd knock them off!

You got any plans for when you extend the water area? heating or filters ect? I wanna create a warm water area, but something that can be easily cleaned? he's constantly in his water, as I expected so this is the area I need some ideas for?


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## Rabb (Jan 13, 2010)

Not finished yet but getting there. It's 2 meters long 1 deep.


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

Rabb said:


> Not finished yet but getting there. It's 2 meters long 1 deep.
> 
> image


Right well that's a very nice looking viv. how'd you make your water part?
Looks very nice though, great job!: victory:


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## anothernoob (Feb 7, 2010)

KarlHowells said:


> You'll regret saying that
> 
> Yeah that's a really good idea keep it nice and deep for him, I'm hoping to get a good foot before the glass starts for digging for the time being, and even deeper in some parts! But yeah that idea is a cracking one, cheers!
> I might pop in an extra few screws, as he likes to break stuff, so I will make as strong as possible
> ...


Yep you can never have enough screws in but too few and you will have problems :lol2:

Once he outs grows this im thinking of getting a shed sorted in the back yard for him so pool area I can have something pretty big and just have a drainage under. Not really given it much thought but just a basic idea unless I get other ideas.

My niles not in his water much to be honest. He likes his morning/wake up dip and bask then he doesnt really bother with it...that I know of. Although in his new viv hes barely eaten but I suppose hes still getting use to it? And hes having a body shed so that might explain it too.

What you thinking of doing for when hes fully grown? And water area?



Rabb said:


> Not finished yet but getting there. It's 2 meters long 1 deep.
> 
> image


Really impressive bud! What you housing in there?


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

anothernoob said:


> Yep you can never have enough screws in but too few and you will have problems :lol2:
> 
> Once he outs grows this im thinking of getting a shed sorted in the back yard for him so pool area I can have something pretty big and just have a drainage under. Not really given it much thought but just a basic idea unless I get other ideas.
> 
> ...


AWD  I had a gander through his pics!


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## anothernoob (Feb 7, 2010)

KarlHowells said:


> AWD  I had a gander through his pics!


:lol2: u sneaky devil! I do love AWDs!


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## dinostore (Feb 23, 2011)

Rabb said:


> Not finished yet but getting there. It's 2 meters long 1 deep.
> 
> image


thats insanly brilliant,
with massive enclosures do you need to have glass or are they ok opened like that? and what do you do with the live food, i'm assuming they're not thrown in there loose?


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

anothernoob said:


> :lol2: u sneaky devil! I do love AWDs!


Yeah I've recently grown to like them, but that viv he's done is wicked, I wish I was that creative!!


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

dinostore said:


> thats insanly brilliant,
> with massive enclosures do you need to have glass or are they ok opened like that? and what do you do with the live food, i'm assuming they're not thrown in there loose?


I tong feed my ones in larger enclosures, helps keep an eye on what has been fed, and you can get them all nice and dusted


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## Rabb (Jan 13, 2010)

dinostore said:


> thats insanly brilliant,
> with massive enclosures do you need to have glass or are they ok opened like that? and what do you do with the live food, i'm assuming they're not thrown in there loose?


Yes you need glass  that's why it's not finished.

It's for my AWD's the water area is a preformed pond with a water course form a garden centre that has been blended with a fake rock background I made in the usual way.


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

anothernoob said:


> Yep you can never have enough screws in but too few and you will have problems :lol2:
> 
> Once he outs grows this im thinking of getting a shed sorted in the back yard for him so pool area I can have something pretty big and just have a drainage under. Not really given it much thought but just a basic idea unless I get other ideas.
> 
> ...


I'm going to get a big big bag of 50mm screw! and will probably over do it a bit 

yeah well this 6ft I'm doing will only be for a year or two max, then will probably be doing something similar, lots of time to read up and design something special!

I'm surprised to hear that, my Nile all but lives in his water dish. he's in it now, and will be when I wake


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## anothernoob (Feb 7, 2010)

KarlHowells said:


> I'm going to get a big big bag of 50mm screw! and will probably over do it a bit
> 
> yeah well this 6ft I'm doing will only be for a year or two max, then will probably be doing something similar, lots of time to read up and design something special!
> 
> I'm surprised to hear that, my Nile all but lives in his water dish. he's in it now, and will be when I wake


Yeah thats what I did bought a bag of 100 50mm screws :lol2: I did get carried away with the drill and realised...do I need so many screws when a few can hold the entire viv so well I could literally flip it over by myself (without substrate etc)


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

anothernoob said:


> Yeah thats what I did bought a bag of 100 50mm screws :lol2: I did get carried away with the drill and realised...do I need so many screws when a few can hold the entire viv so well I could literally flip it over by myself (without substrate etc)


Yeah I'll get a huge pack as I wanna make 3/4 vivs! I'm probably going to get a dog bath as his water area, nice and big, deep, and can drain easily, lucky Nile! Poor wallet!


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## ralphsvivariums (Dec 15, 2009)

these are a few i have built i use 18mm ply all joints are glued and screwed and all edges are finished off with wooden edge trim they then get sanded down and stained then they get 3 coats of yatch varnish.


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

ralphsvivariums said:


> these are a few i have built i use 18mm ply all joints are glued and screwed and all edges are finished off with wooden edge trim they then get sanded down and stained then they get 3 coats of yatch varnish.
> 
> image
> image
> ...


Love the vivs! I hope one day I can build something like that!!


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## KarlHowells (Jan 19, 2011)

Anyone else fancy uploading any pics of vivs they've built? how you went about it as well would be handy?


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## AOTP (Mar 22, 2012)

MDF is aweful stuff, its not cheap and its not strong and its not light, its good for absorbing water and gassing animals.

Even when 'sealed' ive been told by a bloke at the timber yard the glue they use for it has a high toxicity content "usually deadly amouts of formaldahyde (formic acid )" which in a closed space leaks out especially when warm and can cause ill effects.

Id avoid MDF and hardboard and go OSB or play everytime, but being that OSB3 (which is suitable for 60% humidity and is roofing grade strength) is almost half the price of plywood, id take OSB3 everytime.

But with regards to the toxic effects of MDF, its as open to discussion as UV for reptiles is, some say its toxic, others say to 'man up' end of the day its YOUR call.


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

AOTP said:


> MDF is aweful stuff, its not cheap and its not strong and its not light, its good for absorbing water and gassing animals.
> 
> Even when 'sealed' ive been told by a bloke at the timber yard the glue they use for it has a high toxicity content "usually deadly amouts of formaldahyde (formic acid )" which in a closed space leaks out especially when warm and can cause ill effects.
> 
> ...


Formaldehyde and formic acid are not the same - and have very different toxicities! Also, what do you think OSB board is stuck together with? I wouldn't use MDF either, but not for this reason. It will outgas relatively quickly, especially if heated. If it was that toxic, we wouldn't be able to use it for building at home.

Plywood is the only really "safe" material that you can use from this perspective, but many other materials can be made pretty safe. Contiboard is good for smaller vivs (and occupants without razor sharp claws!), but is also a bit pricey.


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## AOTP (Mar 22, 2012)

i copied that quote off some website so as for its reliability who knows ^^


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## ciz (Dec 12, 2009)

i built my viv out of mdf and was worried about it rotting if my retic flipped his bowl. so to make sure this didnt happen i used 3 coats of yacht varnish and sealed the edges, and low and be hold the retic some how flipped his bowl and i had 4 liters of water sitting in the bottem of my viv.
after drying it up with a towl the viv was still in tact andd looked like it had never happend. so for people sayin that mdf is rubbish as it absorbs water all you have to do is seal the viv propaly.


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## a.mckee (Jan 1, 2012)

I have always built my vivs with mdf and the first one I built was for my water dragons about four years ago it was a custom build I done in my last house with a pond in it and when I sold my house the new owner loved it do much see kept it in and it still in tip top shape and I'm doing a build at the moment for a water monitor of mine out of the same stuff but this time I got my hands on se inch thick boards


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## stungy (May 28, 2011)

Whats se inch mate


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

guessing "some inch thick"


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