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8x2x2 Viv and background build.

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8x2x2
7K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  Sjames 
#1 ·
Hey guys :)

Recently moved into my first house and now have my own reptile room, so decided my beardie could do with an upgrade. I've always wanted to make a large viv for him I just couldn't before due to my bedroom only being small.

So I started with a trip to B&Q, I was pretty worried that they wouldn't cut it accurately especially when the guy cutting it asked what I was making and suggested that when I put it all together I should use nails, as screws are just going to split it, even though I told him I was going to drill pilot holes first, he still carried on trying to convince me to use nails :lol2:

wood....


The boy himself for size comparison...




The plinths and middle support are going to be added at the end when all the background has been grouted and sealed :)

Branches have been de-barked, the smaller piece is just under 4ft and the other is about 7ish ft.




I'll add more photos as I'm making a start on the background tomorrow : victory:

Cheers,
Chloe.
 
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#2 ·
Wicked Chloe, love a good dragon viv and this has potential! I will do similar when I have my rep room however I think I'll go deeper and higher also, I find 2ft to small when the length is 6ft or longer.

Subscribed! :2thumb:
 
#5 ·
Cheers Tom :), yeah I would of loved to have made him an 8x3x3 or even a 8x4x4 but I didn't want it too be too bulky as the room isn't as big as I'd like and I already have another six vivs in the room that will need upgrading in the future, I'm thinking of stacking some vivs on top of the 8x2 so didn't want it to be too high and I don't think I could trust him with that much height he's a kamikaze lizard :lol2: he's forever nose diving from his top ledge, and the way he lands! I'm surprised he hasn't broken his neck.
He does have free roam of the rep room as well, so it shouldn't be a problem :)

Awesome!! That is gunna be one happy critter!

Dave
Thanks Dave :) I hope he'll be happy with it.

nice. great to see a large accommodation for a critter :2thumb:
have you already designed the background?
you could have a wicked 3D background in there without taking up any floor space and having another level for the dragon to utilise (well with the one I have in my head you could :Na_Na_Na_Na:) with natural hides/caves to boot.

good luck with the build.

subscribed too
Thank you :)
I have made a small start on the background, but then I pulled a muscle in my neck :lol2: so its on hold until the stiffness in my neck eases up.

The main thing I had in my mind before starting the background, was that I wanted to utilise all of the height, I wanted it to be practical for him.



This is as far as I've got, but as you can see there's plenty of ledges which he'll be able to climb with ease :)

I do have one ledge that comes out onto the floor but that's going to be the only one.

: victory:
 
#3 ·
Awesome!! That is gunna be one happy critter!

Dave
 
#4 ·
nice. great to see a large accommodation for a critter :2thumb:
have you already designed the background?
you could have a wicked 3D background in there without taking up any floor space and having another level for the dragon to utilise (well with the one I have in my head you could :Na_Na_Na_Na:) with natural hides/caves to boot.

good luck with the build.

subscribed too
 
#6 ·
Haven't done as much as I'd like to have done by now as I just got a new job, but I'll have some spare time this week to get on with some more grouting hopefully :)











: victory:
 
#7 ·
looking gr8! :no1:
 
#16 ·
Looking good mate!

I thought mine was big when i first put it together that thing must look huge!

Keep the updates coming

Lewis:2thumb:

Thanks, its definitely an upgrade from his current viv 4x21"x24" :)

Three coats of grout so far,





Still a few more coats of grout to do, then its onto the painting, sealing and then I can make a start on the electrics and lighting :victory:
 
#15 ·
Looking good mate!

I thought mine was big when i first put it together that thing must look huge!

Keep the updates coming

Lewis:2thumb:
 
#19 ·
#18 ·
Looking good :2thumb:

What kind of wood did you use? I have a B&Q next to me and we're looking for white for the shelving we're doing as I'm building a viv into the shelves. Or at least trying to.
 
#20 ·
Don't know why my pics have done a disappearing act :whistling2:

Right I was hoping this would of been complete a week or two ago, but nope me and my ex partner parted ways, so I had too move back in with my mother.
So no more reptile room :cry:, but my mother was kind enough to give me her large bedroom while she moved into the box room.

Moving an 8ft viv isn't easy :lol2:, we couldn't get it up the stairs. I had the bright idea of...


We took both 4ft sections upstairs and bracketed it all together again, it was that or throw it on a rubbish tip.









Had to make the supports blend in...






Lighting wise I have two Arcadia 75w halogens, and a Arcadia T5 Twin 54w 46".
One of the UVB lamp is positioned on the top plinth as far into the hot end as possible and the other uvb is positioned 6 inches away from the first uvb and 8 inches away from the hot end, as advised by John :)
 
#21 ·
Pretty much finished now, just waiting on some air plants and another 46" Arcadia T5 and reflector to go along side the other that's already in there.















 
#25 ·
Thanks :)

Fantastic build, such a shame you had to cut the viv in half though but these things are sent to try us, you have one lucky beardie :2thumb:
Thank you. If it was 6 inches shorter in length then I could of got it up the stairs in one piece :lol2:

It all worked out in the end, thankfully :)
 
#27 ·
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