# Vivarium Making MDF or Conti Board



## tortz (Nov 25, 2007)

Hi everyone,

im going to start and make a 4ft viv for a bearded dragon, and then possibly in a few months a few vivs for some gecko's

I was just wondering, what you would make them out of MDF or Contiboard?

Which is better suited?

If i use MDF i will cover the outer and inner with some sticky back plastic FABLON, from B & Q, where as the conti board is already covered in some kind of melamine.

Any help appreciated.

cheers


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## Rencey (Sep 5, 2008)

mdf is a sponge to moisture and swells and goes soft if moisture gets to it.
BUT i used 12mm mdf for my cwd viv and that has a water fall in it and 75%humidity. i used 5 coats of yaught varnish on the inside then when everything was finished i laminated everything inclding the varnished mdf with epoxy resin.
use what ever you want but take the correct precautions i dont keep then but i think bd and leos dont need highhumidity so 12mm mdf two coats of yaught varnish and your away


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## jaf2212 (May 10, 2008)

I've built 3 vivs with MDF, all with 18mm, one is painted the other two are varnished. Get some kids pva glue and mix with water to seal the wood before using varnish or paint.


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## tortz (Nov 25, 2007)

thanks for the help,

I'll stick with my original idea of using MDF, and just make sure i seal it all well.

Many thanks


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## Toeboe (Dec 28, 2006)

Is sealing MDF cost effective? By the time you have spent money on sealing with either pVA or varnish, wont you be at a similar price to conti board. If so then the conti would look better in most case.
Just a thought.


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## Aligowers55 (Oct 23, 2008)

I used MDF and just painted it with MDF primer for my bearded dragons and then painted white inside and outside and there perfectly safe just leave it or over a week with no glass to air out a bit 
and did the exact same for my leopard geckos used this method for years never had a problem


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## tortz (Nov 25, 2007)

I can only find sheets of conti board a maximum of 600mm wide, unless i get plain white boards which come in a larger size. So with conti i would have to buy larger in white, then paint or re-cover with fablon any way.

What i intend on doing is bulding it out of MDF, then covering it all with fablon (waterproof sticky back plastic) then sealing all the edges with some aquarium sealer.
I think that should make it up to the job.

One last question, is glass or acrylic sheets? I can order the acrylic sheets really cheap on line, but would they just get scratched to easily ?


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## jaf2212 (May 10, 2008)

Toeboe said:


> Is sealing MDF cost effective? By the time you have spent money on sealing with either pVA or varnish, wont you be at a similar price to conti board. If so then the conti would look better in most case.
> Just a thought.


 
It is cheaper than you realise, I've just built 2 4x2x2 a stack for about £100 out off mdf


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## Rencey (Sep 5, 2008)

newtort said:


> I can only find sheets of conti board a maximum of 600mm wide, unless i get plain white boards which come in a larger size. So with conti i would have to buy larger in white, then paint or re-cover with fablon any way.
> 
> What i intend on doing is bulding it out of MDF, then covering it all with fablon (waterproof sticky back plastic) then sealing all the edges with some aquarium sealer.
> I think that should make it up to the job.
> ...


acrylic or perspex scratches far too easily for me i am definatly not a fan of using it but with my vivs i ama perfectionist hence why i am alway's asking peoples oppinions of the one i just built (and you poor people will have it again as i do razors lol)


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## sharpstrain (May 24, 2008)

MDF coated with fablon will be fine but - make sure you have plenty of ventilation or you will get humidity problems


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## tortz (Nov 25, 2007)

sharpstrain said:


> MDF coated with fablon will be fine but - make sure you have plenty of ventilation or you will get humidity problems


I will !

I have found a seller on ebay that sells the long ventilation strips that im going to run across the top of the back panel.

Having a strip of 4ft vents should be more than enough i think.


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