Water Dragons - Building an enclosure

Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to Water Dragons Forum Forums Home Members Area

Water Dragons Forum

Audio Yexalen Audio Yexalen Audio Seiryu 4Kitara Darad Audio Cphill58 Yexalen Audio Yexalen Audio Yexalen Audio Audio Yexalen Jwsurfergirl

Member

Message

#1728759

Audio
View Profile

Building an enclosure

I’ve gone all over the place trying to figure out what reptile I might get next, from Nile Monitor, about 5 other monitor types, then 3 tegu types, just unable to decide and eventually realized I just can’t afford one. Then I did realize I could afford a water dragon. At least I’m pretty sure I can. I’m most likely going to be building a 6 foot high, 3 1/2 foot wide and 1.5-2 foot deep enclosure. I’m gonna be building it with my dad for my 21st birthday, if my parents can afford it. (lmao, I know, i’m 21... i have some medical issues and can’t get a job or go to school for a good while)

Anyway, I’m trying to get an average on how much something like this costs. An enclosure for a monitor is bigger and cost 500 dollars, so I’m assuming I’ll be able to make it less than that. How much did your enclosure cost? Any problems you found you had with yours so I could avoid the same mistake? I’m trying to draw up some blue prints too but I’m not entirely sure how to do everything.

05/07/08 10:14pm

#1728796

Yexalen
View Profile

Message To: Audio In reference to Message Id: 1728759

Building an enclosure

Well I will "bump" the enclosure thread so you can get visuals and see pics....
- The enclosure’s height is really good, it should be at least 4ft wide though, if you get a dragon that gets up to 3ft long 3.5 feet wont be comfy

and 1.5 isn’t good 2ft is good though....

Diego’s enclosure costs us a little under $500 including lights, un needed aesthetics and water pool etc.
It can be done much cheaper

But I got a used entertainment center w/ doors for $75 (you can find them free on craigslist.org)
Then gutted out all the shelving and took off the cardboard backing.
Bought a sheet of wood and $40 bamboo window shades to cover the back.
$70 in plexiglass for the doors and all their little fixures
$15 on silicone, and water proofing
then the lights and everything else.

Now I am building one for Angus and so far Its looking about $150- $200
Frame built from PVC pipe, 6ft tall 6ft wide and 2ft deep. with a 45 gallon tank at the bottom for water (not completely filled)
PVC is costing us about $30 for the frame
Wood is going to run about $40
Plexiglass will be about $50
The tank itself (already bought) was $100 but we already had that and we bought it new, used is cheaper....

And then all the odds and ends.... basking branches, lights, heat, water, yada yada yada

Hope that helps....

05/07/08 10:49pm

#1728818

Audio
View Profile

Message To: Yexalen In reference to Message Id: 1728796

Building an enclosure

Oh yeah! If anyone has pics so I can get ideas how to lay things out that’d be awesome. Thanks for giving me a really in depth reply.
I might be stretching it out to 3 1/2 feet wide and I could stretch it to 2 feet deep no problem I was kind of avoiding it though just to avoid taking up room.

05/07/08 11:05pm

#1728836

Yexalen
View Profile

Message To: Audio In reference to Message Id: 1728818

Building an enclosure

I bumped up the thread but here is a link to it too just in case it falls again:

Link

And why not, I will post my pics here as well...

Diego’s

Out of the entertainment center ^^^^^

Angus’
Current: temp tank:

Plans:

So far:

Hope that helps

05/07/08 11:20pm

#1728861

Audio
View Profile

Message To: Yexalen In reference to Message Id: 1728836

Building an enclosure

It definitely does, thank you. The link has a lot of pictures in it too, so that’s awesome.

05/07/08 11:35pm

#1729085

Seiryu
View Profile

Message To: Audio In reference to Message Id: 1728861

Building an enclosure

Yex just curious. When you said "$15 for water proofing" I am assuming you meant water proofing the sides so water stays in correct?

Is the entertainment center wood or a hard plastic? I ask because I built my 6x5x4 enclosure out of wood and had to Polyurethane it all (which costs a decent amount and takes a lot of time to dry).

So was curious what you used to waterproof.

05/08/08 09:26am

#1729256

4Kitara
View Profile

Message To: Seiryu In reference to Message Id: 1729085

Building an enclosure

We built Kitara a 4x4x2 HLD viv and my iggy Godzilla a 6x4x2 for about $70 each (not including lights etc.). It really wasn’t that hard at all. We used a solid piece of oak for the floor and built the frame off of it using 2x4’s, we covered the sides and back with hardboard that has a water proof laminate over it, used 1x2’s for the front frame, door frame, covered the top and front with pet screen stapled down. We still have alot to do to get them both cluttered up and still need to improve their pools, but the vivs themselves are great. Here some pics of both just keep in mind that we are not done adding stuff, still got a shelf system with ramps leading to the shelves to build along with all kinds of other things, thinking about adding a live tree to each viv too.

Here is Kitara’s viv.

A side view so you can get an idea of the framing.

Here’s Godzilla’s viv.

The hardboard across the bottom of Godzilla’s viv we slid in there because he was really spooked about being on the floor. This covers the bottom 2ft of his viv and really helped him calm down. If I were to do anything different I think it would be to cover the lower half of the viv,s with a peiceof wood or even hard board to add more security. This would also make it easier to change from carpet to sterile soil when old enough.

05/08/08 12:45pm

#1729271

Darad
View Profile

Message To: 4Kitara In reference to Message Id: 1729256

Building an enclosure

hi i spent no more then £200 on my viv took some time . only had evenings after work
i even built a waterfull
hope you like

05/08/08 01:00pm

#1729302

Audio
View Profile

Message To: Darad In reference to Message Id: 1729271

Building an enclosure

Yeah, that’s really good Darad. Where’d you get the large branches though? I tried to do that for my gecko one time and used something from the yard and it was just too sharp and stuff cause I tried to peel off the bark.

05/08/08 01:36pm

#1730487

Cphill58
View Profile

Message To: Audio In reference to Message Id: 1729302

Building an enclosure

Ok Yex , I see the pvc pipe frame and the casters too ...cool ...but what are you going to cover it with ???
More details ...more details....lol... floor plan water feature etc.

Spare nothing ...tell all

Shoot some pics are still not showing ...Darad

05/09/08 04:42pm

#1730559

Yexalen
View Profile

Message To: Cphill58 In reference to Message Id: 1730487

Building an enclosure

Not sure on covering it... been through a lot of possibilites most likely just a sturdy plywood... money is short right now but if money was no object probably the bathroom tile board paneling junk....

But probably just plywood then sealing it good...

but the water feature will be the tank at the bottom then on one level off to the side a home built water fall going into it.... lots of basking areas and just a pretty simple idea.... a 4x4 foot plexiglass front.... should be simple....

05/09/08 06:05pm

#1741348

Audio
View Profile

Message To: Yexalen In reference to Message Id: 1730559

Building an enclosure

Ok, getting lumber soon, are their any types of wood that are a major "No"? I might be getting pine and something else.

05/20/08 03:05pm

#1741377

Yexalen
View Profile

Message To: Audio In reference to Message Id: 1741348

Building an enclosure

Yes there are major "no" woods

Pine and Cedar can not be used, they can be toxic especially cedar. With no matter what coating, or painting or sealing. Stay away from those two... I have a link with more info on that if you want it...

05/20/08 03:28pm

#1741389

Audio
View Profile

Message To: Yexalen In reference to Message Id: 1741377

Building an enclosure

Of course lol, "no i dont want to know, i’d rather just take a gamble and see if it lives"

link please

05/20/08 03:42pm

#1741391

Yexalen
View Profile

Message To: Audio In reference to Message Id: 1741389

Building an enclosure

Well I know for sure that pine and cedar are no good, but the link shows the back up proof and info about it. Wasnt sure if you wanted all the little details or just wanted to know what woods were bad...

but here are two links the first one I beleive is mostly on cedar the second focuses more on pine and they are both from anapsid.org Melissa Kaplan’s site

Link
Link

That should help out

05/20/08 03:49pm

#1741392

Audio
View Profile

Message To: Audio In reference to Message Id: 1741389

Building an enclosure

Just looked into it. Cedar and Redwood are the 2 that are mainly toxic. Pine is pretty much what normal plywood has on it, or residue of it or something... It’s only fresh pine that can be a problem. I think sealed pine would be fine. Cedar on the other hand has very heavy oils.

I still want that link though.

05/20/08 03:49pm