# The I-Know-Nothing-About-Reptiles Custom Vivarium Design



## Lica (Jan 8, 2013)

*Mission Statement*

We (and when I saw 'we' I mean other people more talented than myself) are going to create the impossible dream for all reptile owners (who are on a budget, anyway). Here at The Ridiculous Idea Co., we aim to build a vivarium stack that holds a variety of different reptiles, is multipurpose, functional and aesthetically pleasing. 

We want to:


House a Tokay
House 2 separate African Fire Skinks
Incorporate a special fridge to keep food cool
Have a special cupboard to hide all the bits we need (Bowls, Aggregate, you know the drill)
Have all the electrics we need built in for ease and ergonomic awesomeness
Have a shelf to remember the fallen (see 'The Tragic Backstory' for more on that)

I hasten to add we don't (yet) own any of these beautiful little scalies, but as soon as the vivarium complex (to rival the Burj Al-Arab no less) is complete, then we shall take delivery of them, and welcome them with open arms (and shiny vivarium-ness into the Barrett-Murray household.

and from there will begin their slow slip and slide into insanity

*The Tragic Backstory*

Until last month, we had 3 lovely reptiles. Echo the Leopard Gecko, Wheatley (Otherwise Known As Steven), the Amel Corn Snake (and my pride and joy), and Alduin 'Owl', the crestie, about whose viviarium I first posted on here.

Unfortunately, now only Owl remains, a lone crestie marching on in the face of adversity.

So obviously, as any self respecting reptile owner would, we need to amend the imbalance in the scales/fur force at home. To this end, Ladies, Gentlemen and members of the Transgender Community, I give you ... 


*Plans For World Domination*









This. It was originally designed by me, in Microsoft Paint (that's just like Photoshop, right guys?). Unfortunately, I posses roughly the same level of artistic ability as my pets, and therefore it ended up looking like something drawn by a hyperactive 3 year old who only had 1 permanent marker to play with.

Never one to turn down a challenge (and high on the promise of baby reptiles), the lovely Nicquita decided that she'd step up to the plate and make a proper design, and then go and put it out to tender. 

Given that it was designed by a man who can barely string together a coherent thought, often locks himself out of the house and forgets where he lives more often than he'd like to admit, advice is welcomed.

Does this looks like a reasonable design for the aforementioned reptiles (Tokay, Fire Skink, Fire Skink), and is there anything super-awesome I should be adding to the design, like killer robots, or gargoyles that can breath fire or anything?

Thanks 

P.S, why does no-one else find the Leachieanus the most hilarious thing ever? Seriously Reptileforums.


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## TheMetaphysicalNinja (Aug 18, 2009)

Looks good! There is loads of guides on here about the actual building and sealing steps so good luck


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## Lica (Jan 8, 2013)

Thanks 

There is no way I would trust myself to be able to do something like this though. I struggle to slice bread straight, much less create something nice.

I think Nicquita has found someone who's a pro at this sort of thing and has asked him to do the honours.


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

That looks good, how deep is it going to be?


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## Fargle (Aug 8, 2013)

A thought on the tokay viv. Those guys like it humid, probably humid enough to damage even well sealed wood, could you find yourself a glass terrarium of the size you want and then leave a nice space for it where you have the viv labelled?


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

It's going to be 18 inches deep. I've had a tokay in a wooden viv before, and really it was a case of sealing it around a million times  As well as having a fake background and a sheeted bottom to prevent substrate damage to the wood. Hopefully it won't be a problem in that regard

No way in heck are we building it ourselves  the ever awesome Volly will be building it for me


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

For you high humidit Viv you could get glass cut to size line the Viv with them then seel 



Is Volly doing fully custom again ? I just had a load made by him 
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snakes/1010308-my-new-snake-vivs.html

Had a lively custom stack off him a couple of years ago..... Long live the Volly :notworthy: :notworthy:


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> For you high humidit Viv you could get glass cut to size line the Viv with them then seel
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Volly is far more awesome than I was expecting  

I keep bugging him to ask questions about it, as I'm constantly changing something, but he doesn't seem to mind. We'll (Chris will. YAY for birthdays :2thumb: ) be paying for it just after Christmas, so I want to finalise the design of it before then. And I have essays to write for uni, which translates directly to 'too much free time'

I don't know if anyone noticed on the picture, but for humidity's (and the woods) sake, the skinks will have custom cut glass trays for their substrate to avoid any unwanted wood swelling, and to preserve the aesthetics due to their deep substrate requirements. I'll also be aquarium sealing the edges of the vivs, with a few good coatings if yacht varnish (or G4?) for good measure. The tokay will either also have a glass substrate tray and an insane amount of sealant, or be lined with pond liner (and an insane amount of sealant :Na_Na_Na_Na: )

Thanks so much for the advice everyone 

How do I hide the wires? xD


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Nicquita said:


> Volly is far more awesome than I was expecting
> 
> I keep bugging him to ask questions about it, as I'm constantly changing something, but he doesn't seem to mind. We'll (Chris will. YAY for birthdays :2thumb: ) be paying for it just after Christmas, so I want to finalise the design of it before then. And I have essays to write for uni, which translates directly to 'too much free time'
> 
> ...



I'm off out now but I will get back to this thread tomorrow I have ideas


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> I'm off out now but I will get back to this thread tomorrow I have ideas


*waiting impatiently for an onslaught of brilliance* :whistling2:


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Nicquita said:


> *waiting impatiently for an onslaught of brilliance* :whistling2:


Sorry bout that I had to go and pick up a snake yesterday :blush: then ended up in a extremely drunken state... Not good when you have work but it's Christmas :whistling2:

I can't even remember what my ideas were now.... Maybe when the hang over clears I will be more useful :blush:

As for the cables, keeping the out the way, cable clips are your friend and come in a lot of sizes, they come in a few colours too, white, black,brown, grey are easiest to find


But you have far too much storage space you need to whack a Viv in one of those space :lol:


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## Lica (Jan 8, 2013)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> But you have far too much storage space you need to whack a Viv in one of those space :lol:


Agreed! Although perhaps 4 reptiles is enough to be going on with for the time being


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

The storage space is intentional  Chris said I could have whatever I wanted, so I limited myself on purpose. The spaces are for specific things. One is for a veggie/mealie fridge, the other is for cleaning stuff and bugs. The space in the middle is for the possible addition of an incubator after we've had the skinks long enough to decide whether that's a route we want to go down. As Chris said, the shelf is for urns, as sad as that makes us :blush: 

Fire skinks are just amazing, and I've wanted one for a while, so I'm allowed to have two (yaaaaay). And then there was room for an arboreal viv. I could've just kitted that out for the crestie, but she has a vivarium already :whistling2:


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## Corfel (Apr 29, 2013)

Subbin to see how this goes : victory:


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

Corfel said:


> Subbin to see how this goes : victory:


I'm pretty sure it'll suck compared to your snake vivarium. I'm planning to make a Skyrim themed background, and looking at your thread has been really inspiring in regards to how I'll be detailing the building feature in our tokay viv :notworthy:










This being the building, I think. Advice is more than welcome xD


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## Corfel (Apr 29, 2013)

Haha good to know

Glad I could inspire

Skyrim theme will be interesting

Let's hope you don't take an arrow to the knee while building.... :whistling2:


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

Corfel said:


> Haha good to know
> 
> Glad I could inspire
> 
> ...


That has made my day! Have you heard the song?

Hopefully the theme will be well executed enough to look awesome. Should be a lot of fun attempting to make it glow like that. I'll feel like a boss forever if I pull it off


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## sketchin (May 21, 2013)

Lica said:


> I struggle to slice bread straight,


I know the feeling all to well


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

You are clearly insane and have no idea how much you are complicating life for yourselves- and I love it! Gonna be following this thread...


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## Lica (Jan 8, 2013)

Ron Magpie said:


> You are clearly insane and have no idea how much you are complicating life for yourselves- and I love it! Gonna be following this thread...


I like you.


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

Ron Magpie said:


> You are clearly insane and have no idea how much you are complicating life for yourselves- and I love it! Gonna be following this thread...


I've done it before. Over not decided what's worse - the build idea, or the fact that I'm going to attempt to tame a tokay. At least if I fail, it'll have a badass viv :2thumb:


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## Lica (Jan 8, 2013)

Nicquita said:


> I've done it before. Over not decided what's worse - the build idea, or the fact that I'm going to attempt to tame a tokay. At least if I fail, it'll have a badass viv :2thumb:


But no hands...


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

Lica said:


> But no hands...


The tokay will still have hands. And so will I. If it's angry, you can hold it xD


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## Nicquita (Mar 14, 2009)

Taken a while due to complications over Christmas, but the wonderful Volly has nearly finished our custom vivarium cabinet. And I can't wait xD it's easily going to be my favourite piece of furniture


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