Introduction/Custom tank ideas?

[snowsensei]

Hello all,

My name is Wen, and I'm from Alberta, Canada. I do not currently own a blue tongue yet, but I am in the process of attempting to purchase a Northern, which I discovered to be harder than expected. Hopefully I'll be able to track down a trusted breeder with available babies.

I have a 20 gallon set-up for a baby, but I am looking to build my own custom built enclosure. I have some weird ideas I would like some feedback on if possible. First of all, I was planning to use plexiglass, and I was wondering if that would be okay. The reason would be primarily because how much lighter acrylic is compared to glass. I have checked the melting temperature and it is over 80 degrees celsius so it shouldn't be an issue. If anyone know anything that might rule out the use of plexiglass I would love any feedback.

Also, I was wondering how viable it would be to build a two story enclosure and whether Bluetongues can benefit the trouble. Of course I would still give the minimum four square feet on both floors. The rationale behind my thinking is that I could have the basking spot on the top floor and that would provide additional thermal regulation. the problem is that I don't know whether a Bluetongue would have the instinct to climb stairs to bask at all... This could just be a dumb idea and there's a good chance that I won't go through with it, but it would be a neat enclosure with potential for extra mental stimulation.

I look forward to learning with you all. Cheers,

Wen

[xXxBORISxXx]

Hey!
I unfortunately have no useful information on the subject of your post, regarding the tank.
But, I live in Canada, and if you are looking for a breeder, I would highly recommend Mel from Mel's Exotics. I believe she still has some available babies. She's very responsive to emails, but she gets a lot of them so it may take a few days. Check out her website here: http://melsexotics.com/

[snowsensei]

The more I think about it, the more I realize the problems logistically and cost-wise of making a two floor enclosure out of acrylic. I think I'll just build something big and flat and go back to the drawing board when coming up with something "unique" for sometime down the line.

Thanks for the tip, I actually just managed to order one from her. The website actually it as held under my name now. I am pretty darn happy right now. Haha.

[ColdBloodedMachinist]

I keep my uromastyx in a home made wood and glass enclosure. I wouldn't recommend using the same untreated birch as i have for the frame for any tropical animal. Due to it rotting when in contact with wet substrate. Hence I keep my skink in a Atasuki terrarium. If I were to make a new enclosure I would use UHMW in black UV resistant. I thought of publishing the plans but I may need to make a another reiteration before others try making it. I found a lot of fitting troubles and the exposed glass slots are not pleasing to the eye.

I hate to down play the intelligence of our shared favorite animal but Im concerned that a skink may get lost trying to find the ramp if it need to bask. So perhaps settle for a single level box enclosure, skinks are not like bearded dragons with the desire to climb.

Acrylic is a bad choice for an animal enclosure, yes its light but it scratches and scuffs easily with the animals claws and or more likely moving of rocks or other items in the enclosure. Also acrylic degrades in UV light, should you have the proper lighting for your animal it will be as intense or more so in proximity to the lamp as sun light. I can think back to my cousins ATV, after years of sun the polycarbonate wind screen terns murky and cracks easily.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxo8p ... hHM3dPai1B

[mb606587]

I use a converted rabbit hutch and added acrylic sheets to the outside to hold humidity. My skink is over 20 years old and regularly uses both floors and has for many years

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[snowsensei]

Thank you. I did consider the scratching, but I wasn't too concerned since bluetongues don't tend to climb all that much. I didn't know about the interaction between acrylic and UV though. I will do some additional research and see if I can work around the issue. If not, I guess it's back to glass.

[mb606587]

I use this rabbit hutch. Added a plywood floor and placed acrylic sheets along the bars to maintain humidity and heat without issue. Have used for many years and my skink regularly uses both levels.

https://www.chewy.com/trixie-natura-rab ... gLao_D_BwE

[ColdBloodedMachinist]

If you use acrylic sheets as replaceable disposable panels then longevity is not an issue under uv light or wear. If one was to make a permanent enclosure with fixed panels, then glass remains the better choice.
And why the carpet flooring in the enclosure? I cant tell what is in the above area, but they should be given 3-4 inches of substrate for their burrowing habits.

[mb606587]

That picture was taken over 8 years ago. I have since added soil that can be burrowed in and many fake plants that she burrows into. Helps keep humidity up also since I have an Irian jaya

[mb606587]

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