Newbie needing viv advice

[panther_87k]

hi there. i have recently been given a viv constructed of mdf but it is untreated. i would like to know what paint or varnish would be suitable to use on the inside of it that would be reptile friendly and reptile pee resistant. any help would be appreciated. thanks kirsty

[carliz]

if you go there you my get your answer quicker hope that helps

[Paul B]

cant be sure but i am sure i have read somewhere that MDF is not a suitable material for vivs.
assuming it is chemically sound you will have to seal the whole surface area very well because if it gets at all wet it will just swell up and that will be that.
Suggest you start a thread entitled MDF viv.

P

[Meko]

aa few coats of yacht varnish and it'll be deliciously water proof.

[rantasam]

Yup, as above.. Yacht varnish will do the job.

[panther_87k]

thanks for the advice guys, will try to find some yacht varnish. live near the sea so should be able to find a shop here somewhere that sells it.

[Meko]

you can get it in hardware shops such as B&Q

[170pand]

make sure u coat the outside of the viv as well mate as if it chips the snakes aint gonna like that dust at all,lol good luck with it mate

[stuart89]

MDF is an extremely bad choice of material. It is highly absorbant and is very dusty. I would suggest that you scrap that viv and make one out of conti-board/ laminated wood, sealed with aquarium sealent.

[Meko]

why scrap it?
absorbent - hence it needing to be painted with yacht varnish
dusty - its already a viv, not sheets of it needing cutting

varnish the inside and paint the outside to match the room. binning it and getting another one is just pointless.