# Building my corn vivarium!



## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

So today I started building Flame's viv, I've been looking for one for a little while now that would fit my sideboard aswell as have enough space for her to grow. I finally coughed up the courage to build her vivarium from scratch, and it's going well! It's made from 18mm plywood and the left hand side will house my cresties exo terra. 










The next stage is to fit the door to her viv and then seal the lot with varnish. It's quite a tall viv but whether she uses the height or not isn't important as I plan on making it visually appealing as well as functional.

So yeah! Not to shabby for a first attempt!

Steve


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

I added the frame for the door today, the reason it's so small is because im reusing the door from an old viv, and because with the fake background and sides inside it will make the whole thing smaller.










Then I dug out some varnish, got half way through and realised it wouldn't be enough, so for now it's only half varnished. 


























I'll pick up some more varnish at some point, but for now I'm gonna have to leave it while I head off to the other halfs for a few days!

Steve


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Today Wilkinsons helped and allowed me to purchase some more varnish, so now the whole vivarium is one colour. It needs to dry for a few hours (wont be long in this heat!) And then I can fit the door to the snake part. I also bought a new lock for the glass to stop her sneaky self pushing the doors open!


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Popped the glass on. Ceramic should arrive tomorrow so will be starting to setup the basics then.


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## skilzo (Mar 16, 2013)

Looks great I find it fun building my own vivs its nice to see your hard work at the end


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Looks impressive, what are the overall sizes?

I prefer functional vivs rather than the standard melamine viv that's only job is to be a viv.


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Meko said:


> Looks impressive, what are the overall sizes?
> 
> I prefer functional vivs rather than the standard melamine viv that's only job is to be a viv.


The sizes are to fit an existing cabinet, so are unusual. 

The whole viv including the left section is 430x1290mm, the left side for the gecko tank is 320x412x600mm (to fit a 30x30x45 exo.. if he grows up quickly ill be waterproofing the whole section and moving him into that part to give him more space. The actual snake part is 835x394x600mm. It's quite tall but not quite as long, im debating building different height levels for her to use, but it should be fine. The length isnt quite long enough but while she grows it will do. The whole thing is made in such a way that when she needs a 4ft viv I can remove the gecko divide, redo the door and give her the whole length of the cabinet.

It's making my house stink of varnish at the minute mind!


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

The ceramic came today, thanks to Nic (NicolasB), still waiting for the wire to arrive from ebay though but that shouldn't take to long. I moved the viv to it's final resting spot today, but ive yet to drill any wire holes (hence the wires on show) I just wanted to check if it'd fit and that the exo would be snug (which it is!)









Excuse the blurriness!


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## *Blackadder* (Jul 16, 2011)

Cool  like the little part for the exo terra


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## BuckingFrill (Jul 24, 2013)

That's lovely! I love the extra part for your gecko. Jand made vivs really don't look to be too difficult! 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

*Blackadder* said:


> Cool  like the little part for the exo terra


Cheers, i didn't see the point in wasting space that could be used for one of the cresties. He needs extra help too due to MBD so being at a lower level lets me check on him easier.



BuckingFrill said:


> That's lovely! I love the extra part for your gecko. Jand made vivs really don't look to be too difficult!
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


I thought making it would be a pain in the backside, but it's actually been extremely easy! The most difficult part was fitting the door and that was just because the glue i first used didn't stick at all.

Today i fitted the ceramic (thanks again NicolasB) and the guard (Cheers Gazza1973). Although stupid me made the wrong measurements for the guard so it actually wasn't long enough for what i needed to do. But rather then wasting a perfectly good guard i simply blocked it out with some spare wood. The photo below is it just after fitting it, i've added a coat of varnish since to blend it into the rest of the vivarium. Works perfectly well and once i've added the rock sides to the viv it'll blend in further.


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## Beardy Boy97 (Dec 13, 2011)

Very nice viv. I am considering making my own vivs. What glue did you use for the runners and what varnish did you use?


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Beardy Boy97 said:


> Very nice viv. I am considering making my own vivs. What glue did you use for the runners and what varnish did you use?


I only used some wilko own super glue for the runners for now, it holds it well enough to allow for movement to the doors and hasn't given way just yet. I might silicon it in the future but for now it's not bad.

As for the varnish, again it's just some cheapy wilkos own. It's only to seal the actual wood. The entire inside of the snake part is gonna get pond liner sealing the bottom and front inside. While the back and majority of the top will be covered in fake rock sealed with polyurethane. Should be fairly safe for my girly!


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## Phantasmagoria (May 27, 2013)

BuckingFrill said:


> That's lovely! I love the extra part for your gecko. Jand made vivs really don't look to be too difficult!
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


Hand made vivs aren't difficult either :whistling2:


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## BuckingFrill (Jul 24, 2013)

Phantasmagoria said:


> Hand made vivs aren't difficult either :whistling2:


Harrharr.


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## *Blackadder* (Jul 16, 2011)

> Cheers, i didn't see the point in wasting space that could be used for one of the cresties. He needs extra help too due to MBD so being at a lower level lets me check on him easier.


Should get to work on another :lol2: For the other exo terra above it hehe.


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

*Blackadder* said:


> Should get to work on another :lol2: For the other exo terra above it hehe.


You sound like my other half! Convinced the exo on top can't just sit there and look pretty  once I've got a female crestie or two ill box them in.. depends on tank sizes


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

So yesterday I popped down poundland and bought some weed barrier and some sealant. The liner is literally just to give me a surface that is easier to wipe down then the varnished wood, but to also allow a smoother surface for the snake.










Even though I'm putting fake sides all around the edge, I felt that putting sealant around it would act as an extra barrier incase she decides to try and explore. But it'll also give me a flat edge for the fake rock to go against. 

It's my first time with sealant so it's rough and badly done, but it's gonna be covered anyway!


















Gonna get the lighting in today and hopefully get some polystyrene together for the walls.


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## bigd_1 (May 31, 2011)

what sealant have you used at its not all reptile save and what you got the weed barrier for


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

I already explained all that  and the sealants gonna be covered anyway so it doesn't matter if it's reptile safe..


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## bigd_1 (May 31, 2011)

PGTibs said:


> I already explained all that  and the sealants gonna be covered anyway so it doesn't matter if it's reptile safe..


 yep but the weed barrier lets water frow so will trap the water on the wood and the reptile dos not have to come in to contat whit the sealants to come to harm from it its what the sealant gives off that harm then but its your bulid and reptile just trying to help you out :whistling2:


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Isn't gonna be any water getting through.. there's method in my madness..


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## ChristopherMarfell (Jun 13, 2013)

bigd_1 said:


> yep but the weed barrier lets water frow so will trap the water on the wood and the reptile dos not have to come in to contat whit the sealants to come to harm from it its what the sealant gives off that harm then but its your bulid and reptile just trying to help you out :whistling2:


Do you actually know what your talking about??


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## bigd_1 (May 31, 2011)

ChristopherMarfell said:


> Do you actually know what your talking about??


 yep bulid 1or 2 vivs in my time


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Did the light today, just a simple bulb for now on a simple switch, will eventually mount a night light and put the two on timers.


















Then me and my partner went to pretty much every shop in town asking for spare polystyrene. We got sheets, blocks and chips all for a grand total of 20p! Also went and bought 600 cocktail sticks and then started forming the rock wall. Don't have any photos of the polystyrene fresh, but the following photos show the start of the thin layer of papier-mâché that will just hold everything into place before the layers of grout and varnish. Although debating sealing it with pva glue, depending on people's experience with pva and snakes?


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

My partner finished the first layer of papier-mâché today while I was at work, and I started on a seperate hide. Haven't got any photos of the hide but will show it towards the end. Need to do a few more layers of papier-mâché and then grab the paint!


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Sorry it's been a while! 

Today we started painting it, excuse the few bits of papier-mâché on show, it's over the top of the grout to hold a wire in place. Will post again when its all painted later.

I've painted it with acrylic mixed with sand to create a texture, it's like painting with cement and dries pretty hard too!


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Second layer of paint went on tonight, without sand this time!


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## ChristopherMarfell (Jun 13, 2013)

Looking good I wonder how long it took you to paint all that, my back would of killed


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

So today, we tested it against the cleaning products to see whether a varnish would be worth it, as the rock walls are already rock hard. Sprayed some cleaner on it and left it half an hour, then gave it a good scrub.. none of the paint came off! 

Decided that varnish could probably be avoided for now, but may put it on at a later date. So the next plan was to completely decorate the setup. I'm still waiting for some bits to come (led strip light for night viewing as the embeded leds gave off very little light once the rocks went grey!) And an led spot light instead of the yellow bulb we currently have.

Will post more photos when it's completely done and she's all moved in, but for now, what dya think?!


















We do have a guard for the ceramic, but im currently working on making the holes smaller as she's a wee bit small at the mo!


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

Guards are all on now, and she's all moved in (yet to get any photos of her in there yet).

Will be starting on my normal corns vivarium next, but not for a few weeks. Hope ya like it!


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## PGTibs (Apr 26, 2013)

It's the only photo I've managed to get of her in there so far! But it's lovely to see her using all of it! 

Think the next viv is for the cresties which will be inside a second hand display cabinet


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