Enclosure Nearly Done

[RoskaL]

Here's my enclosure so far
Still have a few things left to do but waiting on the glue to dry, im putting a mesh over the water catcher at the bottom and a small pump in it to pump the water out when its full
Let me know what you think

 

[reptilover]

It's lookin good. Maybe more foliage up front to give him more of a 3D hiding area. Did ya butcher an exo terra to make it? Its a little small for an adult but man is that a good Idea.
Are u using non toxic aquarium sealent for glue?

 

[RoskaL]

It's lookin good. Maybe more foliage up front to give him more of a 3D hiding area. Did ya butcher an exo terra to make it? Its a little small for an adult but man is that a good Idea.
Are u using non toxic aquarium sealent for glue?

Butcher a exo terra? For the pump its from a exo terra waterfall, I'm gunna hook it up with a water level switch so when the water catcher is near full the pump kicks in and send the water back up top to circulate through then at the end of the day I'll turn the pump on to drain the system and refill with fresh

Yeh still need a few more bits of foliage in there at the front but I need some smaller bits otherwise it gets really crowded in there

 

[RoskaL]

Yeh using the sealer I used for the incubator for my royals

 

[EvilLost]

yea it looks like you destroyed a nice exo terra cage to make this



it looks nice, but you are aware that adult males need 2'x2'x4' enclosures. the setup you have will work (i agree with more foliage) but will not last you more than 3-6 months, imho.


i also would not keep a bowl of any kind in there...or if you do cover it with something (more of those hydroballs would work). Since they don't drink standing water anyway, having an open water source is nothing but a risk of drowning and (unless properly filtered) a breeding source of bacteria when they poop in it (and they manage to do so with extreme frequency!)


EDIT: You only seem to have a basking light in the picture; you are aware you also need a UVB light right?

EDIT2: Given the size of the mesh you have used on the sides, how do you plan to prevent feeders from escaping?

 

[reptilover]

I mean butchered exo terra cause they don't come with screen sides. Weither u or the last owner cut the side glass out and put the screen in. I don't belive Its ruining it. I do like It just not for more than a few months unless you have pygmys

 

[RoskaL]

Ahhh I see, nah its fully glass just bought some mesh so chamber could climb the sides

The water will be covered, just waiting on the glue to dry on the lid

Iv got a big screen reptibreeze he'll be going in when he out grows this setup

Oh there is a UV strip bulb at the top

 

[reptilover]

Ahhh I see, nah its fully glass just bought some mesh so chamber could climb the sides

The water will be covered, just waiting on the glue to dry on the lid

Iv got a big screen reptibreeze he'll be going in when he out grows this setup

Oh there is a UV strip bulb at the top

Awsome! Sounds like u got this on lock down! U got me thinkin about cuttin the sides off my old exo and using it for babies.. Weither u did it or not thanks for the thought! Haha

 

[RoskaL]

Awsome! Sounds like u got this on lock down! U got me thinkin about cuttin the sides off my old exo and using it for babies.. Weither u did it or not thanks for the thought! Haha

Haha no problem, I think

Here's the water catcher setup with the pump and mesh

 

[reptilover]

Nicely done. Where did u get that larger screen that's along the sides?

 

[RoskaL]

Nicely done. Where did u get that larger screen that's along the sides?

Got it from my local garden center

 

[Chameleopatrick]

The hydoballs will do nothing for you except create places to hide for your bugs. The lack of airflow on the bottom of the cage due to all those clay balls will also create a perfect breeding ground for bacteria( warm moist, no airflow). You need additional lights.

you're not almost done, you're just getting started.

 

[RoskaL]

The hydoballs will do nothing for you except create places to hide for your bugs. The lack of airflow on the bottom of the cage due to all those clay balls will also create a perfect breeding ground for bacteria( warm moist, no airflow). You need additional lights.

you're not almost done, you're just getting started.

Y do I need more lights?

 

[EvilLost]

He seems to feel like you need to go overkill on lighting, I don't believe you do as you said you already had a heat bulb and a UVB bulb right?

Any additional lighting would benefit your plant growth.


His point about bacteria/etc is correct to some extent, and since you have nothing planted in the tank, I would agree to remove them personally. They CAN be used in glass tanks to setup drainage layers. Typically, one puts soil with plants on top of the hydroballs (so that when you water, the water drains through the soil and your soil isn't sopping wet). Of course for this to work, you have to occasionally drain out the water that builds up on the bottom. Not to mention you have nothing planted in it.

I would consider adding some more live plants and foliage to the tank as well. You have a good number of twigs/pathways, but without leaves they are all very exposed.

 

[RoskaL]

Yeh the uv light and heat light is there though i think I need a 60watt heat bulb rather than 40, the balls are just there for decoration as I have a lot from growing plants in hydroponics, which they are very easily cleaned. I could see the point about bacteria if they were left for a long while without being cleaned but that would be quite a long time and I'm not sure that would be an issue as I plan on cleaning him out
If this doesn't make much sense its because iv just woke up and the first attempt was a fail lol

 

[RoskaL]

Just had to re order a new pump, forgot the Max head height was about half that I needed lol