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self build viv - help please :)

531 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  daniel-james 
#1 ·
hey folks - i now have a spare room in my house so want to build my own vivs - this is 100% the research phase and i am looking for a shopping list of materials i need to buy

i want to make 3 4x2 which will sit on top of each other - bearded dragon, brb and corns - i also need advice on what order to house them - brb bottom as it needs humid, corns to split and dragons on top? what is the best heating set up for them?

how tall should i make each viv? how do you make and paint that foam stuff for decor? i am wanting to incorporate a pool in the brb's viv and multi level for the dragons

this is a long term project - the vivs need to be individual as i have a house move planned in the future - at 5ft 8 i am tall but dont want the viv stack to be too huge - i will be buying everything new so shopping list needed for electrics to raw materials - obviously want to do this right and these will be forever homes

thanks in advance :)
 
#3 ·
If it's a show piece and you want it to look the part in a living room then you will probably be using Melamine furniture board? just make sure you seal
It well Inside to stop ANY moisture or damp getting inside the wood. if it's going in a reptile room or only for your eyes you can use heavy-duty plywood.

Personally inwould make each Viv 4x2x2 but I you don't want it 6th high then you could just do each Viv 18 inches high. I would try and keep them all the same though. Keep in mind the weigh issue as well additional support mast be needed in bottom vivs as it will be taking the weight of the other 2 and all the substrate and equipment. get your wood cut by the place you buy it from an you can't really go wrong.

As for the 3d backgrounds there's tons of threads on here already or look on YouTube it is not hard if your handy or Like arts n crafts at all. it's limited by your imagination but the basics are polystyrene, tile grout, non toxic paint like a plasti-coat spray and a sealant/varnish.. It's very time consuming if you want a realistic natural rocky affect.

As for what way around to have them
I no for a fact my Beardies don't like being kept down on the floor level they act completely different they are scared of everything that moves as it towers over them when they are by your feet! they are confident and happy as larry when placed on top of another Viv. I suppose it all depends on what height they are kept at the moment, try and keep
It the same to avoid to much change in there surroundings.

Beat of luck and enjoy it.. That's the main thing
 
#4 ·
As they are forever homes then instead of making three seperate vivs you could just make one bookcase style viv.
I have done this by using 18mm mdf which is painted with emulsion and then sealed with varnish, have also done another stack that i painted with pond paint. Each stack has five seperate enclosures that are 5.5Wx1Hx2D.
Much easier than making seperate vivs in my opinion.
 
#7 ·
you might aswell just pick up 3 seperate vivs then,

I'm Pretty sure if you google Viv exotic lx48 or vx48 and then click shopping it will come up with seapets.com choice of colours and free delivery very very competitive prices (around £70) And then just do your own backgrounds and so on,

Will be cheaper than custom building 3 decent vivs
 
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