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 #1080508


Willie1
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 Feedback on enclosure please

I need some feedback on this enclosure for my red ackies. It is 2’x2’x8’, with a 16" deep nest box recessed in the floor. There are 2 basking spots, each measured at 150f with a temp gun. Is there anything missing other than some branches to climb on? I will be making a trip to my parent’s farm to cut some branches for all of my enclosures, hopefully this weekend.



12/02/06  01:22pm

 #1080677


Who
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   Message To: Willie1   In reference to Message Id: 1080508


 Feedback on enclosure please

I don’t know why you didn’t make the whole enclosure extend from the floor up instead of building it on a stand. That way they could dig everywhere instead on a small section of the cage.

I do like your use of the tub though.

You could rake some leaves up and toss them in there. They love to “play” around in a bunch of leaves.

Sticks/branches will improve their cage, creating a much more active looking environment.
12/02/06  05:01pm

 #1080748


Shay_
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   Message To: Willie1   In reference to Message Id: 1080508


 Feedback on enclosure please

what’s up with all the trash in the cage. i’m sure it’s possible to make a functional cage looks nice at the same time
12/02/06  06:26pm

 #1080775


Biawak
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   Message To: Willie1   In reference to Message Id: 1080508


 Feedback on enclosure please

1. Why not have deep substrate throughout the cage, instead of a nestbox?

2. Nestbox directly on the floor is not good. Outside temps radiate through floors. In fact it kinda looks like that is bare ground.

3. It’s hard to tell from the pic, but I am skeptical about the type of dirt you have in there.

4. Personally I prefer to use lower wattage bulbs closer to the basking surface.

5. I see a lot of wasted space. Some branches will help You might want to make the walls climbable, make the stacks higher, etc. I don’t see anything on the far end. You might want to put a stack there too.

I think the trashiness is one of the things the monitors will really like.

Cheers






12/02/06  07:08pm

 #1081020


Willie1
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   Message To: Biawak   In reference to Message Id: 1080775


 Feedback on enclosure please

The stacks on the warm end are 8-10" tall or so. The bulbs are 8" from the basking surface. The cage is in the basement, and I added a space heater to the area and the nighttime temp is 80f in the nest box ( I dug down and measured the temp a couple inches from the floor. Since it is in the basement, I wasn’t as concerned with the looks of the inside, just the function of it. There are several pieces of 10x20" pieces of plywood, 2x2s pieces of slate and the broken flower pot I had lying around. They wedge themselves into several different areas in the stack and it is hard to find them, which I think they like. They seem to really like the broken pot as they wedge into the curves of it. I agree, the next one will be made with full substrate, but I am adding a second box at the far end, and will recess a tub in the center for water with a drain in it. I have access to 20 acres of woodland at the parents farm and will be out there tomorrow to get branches. I would like to add leaves but there is 24" of snow in my area right now, so unless I find leaf litter at one of the garden shops I’m out of luck. Thanx for the feedback everyone.

About the dirt, I am not sure about it either, but there is a lot of digging, especially by the female. It is a brand of potting soil which I aded some sand and vermiculite to. It is similar to store bought cactus soil. It is heavier than typical potting soil, but lighter than rich topsoil. In the spring, I will dig some dirt from the cabin in the foothills of the rockies from stream beds, but everything is frozen now. What would you do to change the dirt? It does hold a burrow well as long as the moisture is correct, and the female has spent much of the last 4 days in her nest. At this time I am limited to store bought mixes unfortunately. I have used this for my beardie nest boxes and they love it, so I figured this would be a good place to start.
12/02/06  11:28pm

 #1081022


Willie1
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   Message To: Willie1   In reference to Message Id: 1081020


 Feedback on enclosure please

BTW, the pic is decieving, the tub is 40"x20"x16"deep. It looks smaller compared to the cage but the cage is 8’long, not the typical 48" enclosures people use for ackies.
12/02/06  11:30pm

 #1081511


KAP10CAVY
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   Message To: Willie1   In reference to Message Id: 1081022


 Feedback on enclosure please

Question, does the tub slide out from underneath?
I recently helped a friend build a large cage for his retic.
We build a large roll around tub that locks in place but will unlock and slide out for easy cleaning.
It might also work for a nesting box, who knows?
I like all the crap in the cage, I have never built a cage caring about what the inside looked like.
I prefer function over substance.
If the critters use it, leave it.

Scott
12/03/06  01:33pm

 #1081547


Shay_
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   Message To: KAP10CAVY   In reference to Message Id: 1081511


 Feedback on enclosure please

sure, function is the #1 priority, but you can create with out to much effort a cage that functions well that doesn’t look like a trash can. but hey, i don’t have to look at it every day. cheers



12/03/06  01:56pm

 #1081770


Willie1
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   Message To: Shay_   In reference to Message Id: 1081547


 Feedback on enclosure please

The current tub is screwed into the floor but a roll out one would be a good idea. Shay I’m not sure what you mean by trash. The pieces are all clean, and have been disinfected prior to going in the cage. I could spend a lot of money on decorative hides, but this is a breeding setup, not a display. The pieces have been carefully placed so they don’t shift as the animals move around, and they are spaced to give the animals MANY tight secure areas with different temperatures to hide in. For my display cages, I make them much more visually pleasing, but the function is priority. i am off for the Christmas break and will be building a decorative peachthroat display, ackie display, and beardie display. I will pot some pics when I’m done.
12/03/06  04:20pm

 #1081999


SHvar
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   Message To: Shay_   In reference to Message Id: 1081547


 The cage some good features.

As far as "all the trash" scattered around, and worrying about how nice it looks to you or another human, that is just wrong. What matters is the cage looks or feels good and functions for the lizards, remember its not about you, its about them.
The cage should have a solid floor of substrate. I dont like the idea of a tub underneath for a few reasons. 1 the tub is on the floor, it conducts temps from the floor, 2 reduces the lizards ability to find their own spots to burrow or dig to the tub only.
I think you have some good ideas, but need to focus on what will improve the cage or design one better.
Lower the bulbs, closer to the basking spots, use many low wattage bulbs over those stacks to get better temp zones.
12/03/06  07:03pm

 #1082176


Shay_
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   Message To: Willie1   In reference to Message Id: 1081770


 Feedback on enclosure please

sorry for the harsh words, no disrespect intended. different people have different ideas what they find acceptable. i do respect that cages function is your number one priority. i’ve seen way too many sorry cages that showed little to no function. but i guess it’s the artist in me that needs something pleasing to the eye.

it’s suggested by many keepers to build a cage that’s serviceable. meaning it’s easy to get in to clean, change water etc. reason being is because if it’s difficult to do those things, it’s human nature that over time your husbandry could start to decline. that said, i believe the same applies to a cages interior design. if you have a beautiful cage that functions well with a beautiful animal inside... it’s inspiring. a cage that has loose boards and broken terracotta planters seems uninspiring, and natures way might have a negative influence. i’m not suggesting this will happen to you, in fact i should have just kept it to myself. if it works...it works. cheers



12/03/06  09:44pm

 #1082427


Willie1
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   Message To: Shay_   In reference to Message Id: 1082176


 Feedback on enclosure please

I’m not upset about the comments. I am here to get these guys set up well. I need some clarification on several points.

1. How many basking areas would be ideal in this size enclosure? I will be adding some 45w halogens as per the previous suggestions.

2. Is the nest box not going to work, or is it that a full length substrate would be better? I initially thought this would be a good size, as many ackies are kept in 24x48 enclosures, and the actual dimensions of the box is 42x21x16 deep. This would be nearly the same as a 16" deep substrate in a 24x48 enclosure.

3. Would the nest box be acceptable if I added another one on the far end and linked them with 4" PVC pipe? I like that the boxes are moisure proof. The boxes could be heated to keep the temps warmer (the existing one is heated)

4. What is the advantage of lower output lights closer to the basking spot? I have a temp gradient from 150-90 with secure hides at 5 deg intervals throughout the warm end.

5. What would be more functional for the stacks for the ackies? If there is something better, I will use it. They like the terra cotta so that is staying. They are found wedged into it much of the time.

6. What would work against them breeding in this setup, so I can improve it?

Thanx for your patience, I really appreciate the feedback.



12/04/06  01:52am

 #1083442


Willie1
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   Message To: Willie1   In reference to Message Id: 1082427


 Feedback on enclosure please

I’ve made some preliminary changes. Let me know what you think. More changes are on the way. It was hard to get the branches, the snow was waist deep.



12/04/06  11:32pm


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