Basic Build

[Mountain]

I've seen quite a few asking how to build a habitat.
And instead of giving you a wall of text, I've made this tiny guide.
This guide will cover a 150x75x75cm (wxhxd) wood-based habitat with a light-ramp.
I decided to do the guide based on the measurements of 12mm plywood.
How you put it together is up to you, if you want to use nails, glue, screws, gum or saliva.
Just remember to drill guide-holes if you intend to screw.
Which ever option you pick, use glue as a backup!

Note:
This is very basic and should be taken as such a guide.
This only involves the structure, not protecting about moisture or building a styrofoam interior.
There may be some typing errors in the guide.

For a sexier, glass habitat, visit this guide by Darryl over at Dendroboard.com.


1.
To start it off we need a base.
Measurements being 1500mm x 750mm.


2.
Now our habitat needs itself a back.
We place this on top of the base.
Measurements: 1500mm x 726mm.


3.
Sides!!!
We need two of these and we place these on top of the base and inside the back.
Before you attach these, make sure to make ventilation holes, shown in step 4.
Measurements: 738mm x 726mm


4.
Time to get some fresh air in and some circulation going.
As different animals and species have different needs regarding temperature and humidity, I have not included measurements for the ventilation.
I recommend the following measurements for the placement: 45mm from the base/top of the still unattached sidepiece.


5.
Time for the top and some mesh.
We start off by making our top.
This will be placed on top of every other piece that is now attached.
Measurements: 1500mm x 750mm (same as the base)
We make a hole in the top for the light to come in.
Measurements for the hole are not included since ramps come in so many different sizes.
Recommended measurements for your hole: 40mm bigger than your light-ramps width and depth.
Sweet, all our holes are drilled/sawed/hacked, time for that hot mesh!
What you need here is a fine, fine mesh (so that your snake cant escape through it).
Make sure that your mesh is at least 40mm bigger than your "light-hole" and 20mm bigger than your vent-holes.


6.
You keep putting up barriers towards me
Jokes aside, this part is to keep your substrate below your sliding glass-doors.
You'll want two identical pieces.
Measurements: 100mm x 1476mm


7.
Time for glass-tracks!
These are what your sliding glass-doors will rest in so they do not fall on the floor and break etc.
If you're picky, you can put these tracks on the sides as well, making a nice, tight seal.
For side-measurements: Go measure!
Measurements for the long parts are: 1476mm.


8.
Glass, glass, glass.. this means we're near the end!
I prefer using 4mm glass, you can of course use 6mm if you want to, but note that your tracks will stick out from the wood by a few millimeters.
As tracks come in alot of models and styles, I cant give definite measurements for the glass.
But they should be close to: 770mm x 265mm (will overlap 40mm).



I hope this guide was useful to some of you.
Comments are very welcome!
*dreams of a sticky*


All images are © Daniel Graff

[Mountain]

I'd love some feedback on this as I'm thinking of making a detailed guide about creating the interior for a viv.
All based on this Australian Eroded Sand-Stone build that me and Graffen did last year for our Morelias:


This includes built in heatsource, thermostat, waterbowl, drainage system and rainsystem (the last which I have yet to acquire and install).

Picture courtesy of Graffen.