# 4 Stack vivarium update & Pics



## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Hiya guys,

I posted on here a couple of weeks ago to say that i was going to build my own 4 stack vivarium out of a wardrobe from Argos.

Well my husband started on it yesterday and here ya go! This is it so far, should be finished next weekend hopefully. I still need to tile the floors and put the back on. I still need to get the glass, runners & vents.

Once thats done then i can begin to transfer over the equipment and Beardies to the new setup.

So what do you guys think of it so far? Is it ok? it measures 42" long x 19.5" deep x 71" high. So each viv is 42L x 19.5"D x 17.5H.

This is the picture of what the wardrobe would have looked like.


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## groovy chick (Aug 1, 2006)

Cool. Well done. What you going to put in them :smile:


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

The Beardies in my signature and the bottom viv will be for babies.


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## Deano (Oct 26, 2006)

Is this an old wardrobe you have converted, or did buying the wardrobe new work out cheaper than buying the wood from Homebase?


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

I got this one brand new. And i still have wood left over to use for hides and shelves etc. Worked out cheaper than buying sheets of conti board. It all depends what wood you want to use??

https://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...go.x=9&go.y=14


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## BU5T4 (Feb 18, 2007)

Good job becky it looks smashing. That would be ideal for me.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it comes along.

How are you going to mount the UV and Heat lamps for your beardies in this setup?


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## tom1400 (Jan 21, 2007)

loooking good how much did the wardrobe cost you?


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

The UV & basking bulb will be easy to mount, just need a couple of screws. 

As for the wardbrobe it was £99. then i had to buy a few bits for it in homebase, that totalled £50. And now i just need some glass and runners. Not as cheap as i thought it would be but still works out cheaper than if i paid someone to do it for me.


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## neil4842 (Jan 21, 2007)

any more pics have you finnished it


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

not finished yet mate, going to get more done this weekend and then order the glass. I can't wait to see the finished result, it's gonna look great.


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## eddygecko (Feb 14, 2007)

Come on, must be done now! i cant wait to see it!


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## Nail42 (Jan 11, 2007)

nice 1 mate looks great


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Hi guys,

sorry for the delay in replying but it's been mental here, People asking about my baby Beardies, couriering, etc etc...

Anyway, My husband only has time to build the viv on weekends, All together he's spent about 2 days on it.

All thats left now is the vents, glass runners, 4mm toughened glass which im getting saturday.

After that, it's all good to go! Just need to trasfer the equipment and Beardies.

Here's todays pics. Excuse the mess! It's impossible to build a viv and keep tidy at the same time. lol.


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

*cost so far*

Hi guys i thought i would give u a run down of how much it's cost me so far:

Wardbrobe £99
tiles (2 packs) £20
screws, glue, Silicone, and other little bits £25
MDF for back £15
Dessert background x 14ft £14
Heavy duty castors x4 £10
Runners £24 
Vents x 10 £12

So far it totals £219.00

and I still have the glass to get.

Look expensive i know, but still works out cheaper than getting done by someone else.


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## Beardies (Sep 30, 2006)

I have just shown my dad and he sad if that what i want he will build me them bt he knows i will fill more vivs as i currently only have 2 snakes in my room the beardies are downstairs so i am going to get them built by my dad i think as im getting another snake soon yay!!!


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## Nat (Jan 26, 2005)

wow babe !!! Its lookin totally fab!!!
cant wait to see the finished result!!!
Nat xx


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## BU5T4 (Feb 18, 2007)

Hay hay Hay great job, its looking really good. I need to pinch your idea of putting castors on mine too, it wont be moved very often but just in case i need to get in the back or something as mine weights a ton. 

You must have a really handy husband 

Looking forward to seeing the babies in it I bet.

D-A


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Thanks hun, I thought Castors might come in handy as the last time we moved some vivs around my husband hurt his back and this will make life so much easier for us.

As for the vivs, 3 of them will be half tiled and half sand for my females to lay eggs. The bottom viv is just tiled and this is for the Babies. I call it "The Beardie Nursery!" lol.

The UV tube will be fixed above rather than on the back wall, The viv is 17" high and will have branches so they will still be close to the UV.

I have 70mm vents to go on the sides and white runners to match.

I'm hoping my husband will get it finished by this weekend, but lets see what happens as we still need to silicone around the shelfs and glue in the runners.

I'm going at 9am tomorrow to get some 4mm toughened glass, 8 sheets, I just hope its not too pricey or this will delay things even more.


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## groovy chick (Aug 1, 2006)

I cant believe it should have been a wardrobe. I would never have thought to do anything like that :smile:


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## BU5T4 (Feb 18, 2007)

Becky Wheeler said:


> Thanks hun, I thought Castors might come in handy as the last time we moved some vivs around my husband hurt his back and this will make life so much easier for us.


hahaha it took three of us big burly Scotsmen too lift it out of my mates van and then discover that it wouldn't fit up the stairs. I think casters will be just the ticket.



Becky Wheeler said:


> As for the vivs, 3 of them will be half tiled and half sand for my females to lay eggs. The bottom viv is just tiled and this is for the Babies. I call it "The Beardie Nursery!" lol.
> 
> The UV tube will be fixed above rather than on the back wall, The viv is 17" high and will have branches so they will still be close to the UV.


Yeh mine is about the same hight ( Just checked its 16" )


Becky Wheeler said:


> I have 70mm vents to go on the sides and white runners to match.


Where did you get them Becky? and if you dont mind me asking how much did they cost?


Becky Wheeler said:


> I'm hoping my husband will get it finished by this weekend, but lets see what happens as we still need to silicone around the shelfs and glue in the runners.



Your husband must be a busy man with all this work you are giving him over the weekend.

Do you have too silicone around the shelves as mine dont have any gabs they are tightly joined? What effect would putting the silicone on have?


Becky Wheeler said:


> I'm going at 9am tomorrow to get some 4mm toughened glass, 8 sheets, I just hope its not too pricey or this will delay things even more.


I was just trying to figure out the size of the glass required, How did you go about measuring it to size? I just measured the inside edges of the viv and the substrate bits from side to side and top to bottom and removed a couple of mm from the top and bottom to let the runners fit (should probably buy these first ) and I made the length to be 2 foot as the viv is 4 foot and that gives it a little bit of over lap in the middle given the thickness of the sides (18mm)

Cant wait to get this big thing in place and setup 

D-A


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## salad dodger (Feb 13, 2007)

THATS MY WARDROBE !!!!!! im in talks with the wife now , but shes not keen on me piling my clobber on the floor :lol2:


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## Lizard_Boy (Mar 1, 2007)

looks great, im looking into building one but not got the room for anything as big as yours


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Hiya guys,

Bad news, I can't order the glass today cos the runners aint finished plus we've noticed the lip on one shelf is not even and need to be cut again. So no glass this weekend :bash: 

Which means the vivs i have advertised for sale will be withdrawn until things are sorted.

so things on this end have turned to shit.

As for the vents, i got them from viv builder mate.


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

well guys the problem has been sorted and the runners are now in place, just need to cut holes for the vents, buy the glass and hey presto! I can start transfer everything!.

The whole fiasco was because one end of the viv (one viv) was smaller than the other, this was because one of the lips was not cut straight and was out by 5mm! meaning if i would have got the glass on saturday, we would have found the glass falling out on one side. and the runners would have also been wasted if stuck down etc etc.

Anyway Here's the result so far. And let me just say to DOUBLE check your measurements before ordering the glass! it could have ended up bad for me if my husband did'nt double check.

As for measurments for the glass I will get my husband on here later to explain. Cos it's all greek to me.


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## Svee (Mar 9, 2007)

oooh, that looks good that does :mf_dribble:


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

hehe yeah well at least it's the right way up this time and not upside down or back to front! PMSL!

If anyones wondering! Svee is my husband! And he's the one who should take all the credit for the vivarium. He's done a wonderful job and i'm very proud of him. Plus the castor wheels are on the bottom and not the top!. lol.


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

*Update!*

Hi guys,

Well today has gone well, My husband has silicone off some off the vivs, Still need to finish this off.

6 out of 8 vents have been done!

And the most trickest part, The Glass! I went this morning and got 8 large sheets of 4mm and it cost me £80. Plus he gave me a large tub of silicone free of charge.

So the only thing left to do is:

2 holes to drill out for vents
silicone the rest of the viv
add sand tomorrow
transfer equipment from vivs one by one.
And finally tranfer the Beardies & babies.


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## leila (Jul 26, 2006)

looks ace!: victory:


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## filfy (Jan 9, 2007)

thats wicked, i wish i had an idea about how to build one.... but i spose thats what dads are for!!


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## Breadrun (Mar 1, 2007)

*excellent*

Thats excellent, im gonna try and do one but can i ask a question, how do you know it will be strong enough t withstand all the weight! thats what i would be scared of, coming back from the shops to find it all a mess!!! lol

so whats do u use as in screws or whatever? what size cheers


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Hi Breadrun,

The shelves are screwed in at the sides and back of the viv, he's used L Shaped plates for under each shelf to support weight. and also glued and siliconed. So it's really strong. my husband use some large screws and i'll ask him later what size screws he used.

Also don't forget, i'm having mine half sand half tiled so it won't be as heavy! 

The whole viv has been made to withstand weight, so even if it was full of sand on each viv it would still be strong enough. 

That's one reason why it has taken so long, we want to make sure that this viv is safe and secure and will last for years.


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## Breadrun (Mar 1, 2007)

*cheers*

Cheers becky, i wanted to start to build a viv but when didnt have a clue i used the wood to make lids for my glass vivariums, but i hate having about 4 - 5 vivs around the house/room so i really want to make a stack and althought not easier i would say by buying a wardrobe you are that bit extra there!!!!! lol,

cheers again x


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## Svee (Mar 9, 2007)

The screws are 5mm by 3 inch (roughly) matey 

And ive used LOADS of em


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

Hi hunny (svee), 

You've done so well with this vivarium and i really do appreciate everything you do for me.

The dragons have moved up in the world! and will now have a nicer home thanks to you.


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## Svee (Mar 9, 2007)

I didnt know you put that on here lol. Aww *blush*

do you realise we are using a forum to talk to eachother when we live under the same roof ROFLMAO :lol2:


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

*NewsFlash!*

One down, 3 more vivs to go!

The babies are now in the bottom viv! and there loving there new environment, licking everything in sight and having a good wonder around.

Tomorrow were start moving adults vivs! Still got to add more branches for the babies but that's it.


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## King Of Dreams (Aug 4, 2006)

looks awesome!!!


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

nice vivs! ill be making my own sooon also


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

WELL, 3 out of the 4 vivs are now housing the babies, Snoopy & Spike, Drusilla & Peanut.

Dude & Missy will be moving in tonight. So far so good. The temps are stable and there loving the new enviroment.


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

well guys,

Drusilla & Peanut have moved in and love there new home.



Snoopy & Spike moved in lastnight. And they've already made a mess, lol



And this is how it all looks so far


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## eddygecko (Feb 14, 2007)

Absolutely brilliant job. Well done:no1:


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## Becky Wheeler (Jun 15, 2006)

*It's Finished!*

Hiya guys & Gals,

Well it's all done! Glass needs cleaning as you can see but apart from that it's all done just need to get some more sand tomorrow as there is'nt enough really.

Dude & Missy have just moved house!


The finished vivarium


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## leila (Jul 26, 2006)

looks ace becky, lovely vivs! the beardies look to love there new home.: victory:


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## cliffy (Aug 10, 2006)

top notch job, looks just the ticket :no1:


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