Mesh on top?

[SuperNinjaDragon]

Hello! I'm thinking about making my own vivarium out of wood. Need to work out how to make glass sliding doors... but I'll worry about that later
Planning on building something similar to this one: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/h ... ooden.html

I wanted to put a ramp at the back of the tank that leads to a platform which is right next to the top of a 'cave' - so a bts can walk up the ramp, onto the platform, to the top of the cave and back down - this ramp will take up 2 thirds of the space lengthwise. The basking area will be on the platform and cave, so above will be a heat globe. A long uvb light tube thingy will cover most of the vivarium.
Water and food will be away from the lamp on the cooler side, and I may add plants(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LO ... 0DER&psc=1 and maybe airplants... but I heard that airplants are toxic to them) and some sort of background on that side too.

I also want the top to be made out of mesh, so lighting will be fit easier, and so the vivarium will look less cramped. I heard that mesh makes a vivarium dry, but I'm deciding on an Eastern (they'll be more used to the temperatures in my area, and are sold at my nearest reptile pet shop) and I heard that Easterns do not require high humidity.

So, would a mesh top be okay for Easterns?
Is there any type of wood that is toxic to blue tongues? Was going to use radiata pine.
Will a wooden vivarium rot if the substrate is moist?
Also, is PVC glue harmful in any way? Thinking of using it for extra strength.
And any feedback on my vivarium idea? (Though I probably won't build it in a long time considering my family's finances at the moment )

[kingofnobbys]

Hello! I'm thinking about making my own vivarium out of wood. Need to work out how to make glass sliding doors... but I'll worry about that later
<<< Bunnings carry plastic tracks designed for sliding glass doors (Cowbrey brand http://www.cowdroy.co.nz/uploads/MK11.pdf )
Planning on building something similar to this one: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/h ... ooden.html

I wanted to put a ramp at the back of the tank that leads to a platform which is right next to the top of a 'cave' - so a bts can walk up the ramp, onto the platform, to the top of the cave and back down - this ramp will take up 2 thirds of the space lengthwise. The basking area will be on the platform and cave, so above will be a heat globe. A long uvb light tube thingy will cover most of the vivarium.
Water and food will be away from the lamp on the cooler side, and I may add plants(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LO ... 0DER&psc=1 and maybe airplants... but I heard that airplants are toxic to them) and some sort of background on that side too.

I also want the top to be made out of mesh, so lighting will be fit easier, and so the vivarium will look less cramped. I heard that mesh makes a vivarium dry, but I'm deciding on an Eastern (they'll be more used to the temperatures in my area, and are sold at my nearest reptile pet shop) and I heard that Easterns do not require high humidity. <<<< bad idea ,
as the mesh will allow all the warm air to escape instantly , you'll wind up with a warm pool of air at the ceiling of the room where the viv is
and have to run much higher wattage basking globes than necessary
& mesh will block 40% to 50% of the UV produced by any UV source sitting on top of it
& if you have a cat in the house (the cat WILL be able to get into the viv and attack your skink / kill your skink).


So, would a mesh top be okay for Easterns? NO , not for any pet lizard infact at all.
Is there any type of wood that is toxic to blue tongues? Was going to use radiata pine. <<< careful if it's been chemically treated .
Will a wooden vivarium rot if the substrate is moist? <<< I'd go to marine ply or even Perspex using a Connectit framing system maybe.
Also, is PVC glue harmful in any way? Thinking of using it for extra strength. <<<< make sure it's properly cured and allowed a few weeks to outgas before installing the resident skink, a viv is essentially an confined space and gases and vapours will accumulate in the viv over time unless the viv is well ventilated.
And any feedback on my vivarium idea? (Though I probably won't build it in a long time considering my family's finances at the moment )

[SuperNinjaDragon]

Hello! I'm thinking about making my own vivarium out of wood. Need to work out how to make glass sliding doors... but I'll worry about that later
<<< Bunnings carry plastic tracks designed for sliding glass doors (Cowbrey brand http://www.cowdroy.co.nz/uploads/MK11.pdf )
Planning on building something similar to this one: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/h ... ooden.html

I wanted to put a ramp at the back of the tank that leads to a platform which is right next to the top of a 'cave' - so a bts can walk up the ramp, onto the platform, to the top of the cave and back down - this ramp will take up 2 thirds of the space lengthwise. The basking area will be on the platform and cave, so above will be a heat globe. A long uvb light tube thingy will cover most of the vivarium.
Water and food will be away from the lamp on the cooler side, and I may add plants(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LO ... 0DER&psc=1 and maybe airplants... but I heard that airplants are toxic to them) and some sort of background on that side too.

I also want the top to be made out of mesh, so lighting will be fit easier, and so the vivarium will look less cramped. I heard that mesh makes a vivarium dry, but I'm deciding on an Eastern (they'll be more used to the temperatures in my area, and are sold at my nearest reptile pet shop) and I heard that Easterns do not require high humidity. <<<< bad idea ,
as the mesh will allow all the warm air to escape instantly , you'll wind up with a warm pool of air at the ceiling of the room where the viv is
and have to run much higher wattage basking globes than necessary
& mesh will block 40% to 50% of the UV produced by any UV source sitting on top of it
& if you have a cat in the house (the cat WILL be able to get into the viv and attack your skink / kill your skink).


So, would a mesh top be okay for Easterns? NO , not for any pet lizard infact at all.
Is there any type of wood that is toxic to blue tongues? Was going to use radiata pine. <<< careful if it's been chemically treated .
Will a wooden vivarium rot if the substrate is moist? <<< I'd go to marine ply or even Perspex using a Connectit framing system maybe.
Also, is PVC glue harmful in any way? Thinking of using it for extra strength. <<<< make sure it's properly cured and allowed a few weeks to outgas before installing the resident skink, a viv is essentially an confined space and gases and vapours will accumulate in the viv over time unless the viv is well ventilated.
And any feedback on my vivarium idea? (Though I probably won't build it in a long time considering my family's finances at the moment )

Alright, so no mesh it is! Probably will be easier to hide lights with wood anyway, hehe
Thanks for the tracks link. Any idea how to install them?
Also, what is, and how to use Connectit?
Do we just glue Perspex together?

Sorry, the extent of my skills involve making a single toolbox and a small box with a sliding lid... which are both wobbly

[kingofnobbys]

Hello! I'm thinking about making my own vivarium out of wood. Need to work out how to make glass sliding doors... but I'll worry about that later
<<< Bunnings carry plastic tracks designed for sliding glass doors (Cowbrey brand http://www.cowdroy.co.nz/uploads/MK11.pdf )
Planning on building something similar to this one: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/h ... ooden.html

I wanted to put a ramp at the back of the tank that leads to a platform which is right next to the top of a 'cave' - so a bts can walk up the ramp, onto the platform, to the top of the cave and back down - this ramp will take up 2 thirds of the space lengthwise. The basking area will be on the platform and cave, so above will be a heat globe. A long uvb light tube thingy will cover most of the vivarium.
Water and food will be away from the lamp on the cooler side, and I may add plants(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LO ... 0DER&psc=1 and maybe airplants... but I heard that airplants are toxic to them) and some sort of background on that side too.

I also want the top to be made out of mesh, so lighting will be fit easier, and so the vivarium will look less cramped. I heard that mesh makes a vivarium dry, but I'm deciding on an Eastern (they'll be more used to the temperatures in my area, and are sold at my nearest reptile pet shop) and I heard that Easterns do not require high humidity. <<<< bad idea ,
as the mesh will allow all the warm air to escape instantly , you'll wind up with a warm pool of air at the ceiling of the room where the viv is
and have to run much higher wattage basking globes than necessary
& mesh will block 40% to 50% of the UV produced by any UV source sitting on top of it
& if you have a cat in the house (the cat WILL be able to get into the viv and attack your skink / kill your skink).


So, would a mesh top be okay for Easterns? NO , not for any pet lizard infact at all.
Is there any type of wood that is toxic to blue tongues? Was going to use radiata pine. <<< careful if it's been chemically treated .
Will a wooden vivarium rot if the substrate is moist? <<< I'd go to marine ply or even Perspex using a Connectit framing system maybe.
Also, is PVC glue harmful in any way? Thinking of using it for extra strength. <<<< make sure it's properly cured and allowed a few weeks to outgas before installing the resident skink, a viv is essentially an confined space and gases and vapours will accumulate in the viv over time unless the viv is well ventilated.
And any feedback on my vivarium idea? (Though I probably won't build it in a long time considering my family's finances at the moment )

Alright, so no mesh it is! Probably will be easier to hide lights with wood anyway, hehe
Thanks for the tracks link. Any idea how to install them?
Also, what is, and how to use Connect-it?
Do we just glue Perspex together?

Sorry, the extent of my skills involve making a single toolbox and a small box with a sliding lid... which are both wobbly

Follow the links , there are pdfs that explain it all. and google CONNECT-IT

[SuperNinjaDragon]

Alright, so no mesh it is! Probably will be easier to hide lights with wood anyway, hehe
Thanks for the tracks link. Any idea how to install them?
Also, what is, and how to use Connectit?
Do we just glue Perspex together?

Sorry, the extent of my skills involve making a single toolbox and a small box with a sliding lid... which are both wobbly

Follow the links , there are pdfs that explain it all. and google CONNECTIT

Alright, thank you for the help!

[kingofnobbys]

Alright, so no mesh it is! Probably will be easier to hide lights with wood anyway, hehe
Thanks for the tracks link. Any idea how to install them?
Also, what is, and how to use Connectit?
Do we just glue Perspex together?

Sorry, the extent of my skills involve making a single toolbox and a small box with a sliding lid... which are both wobbly

Follow the links , there are pdfs that explain it all. and google CONNECTIT

Alright, thank you for the help!

My wife who is in no way handy with tools build a bookshelf using Connect-It and precut bits of plywood , no screws , nails , or glue involved, simply ordered the square aluminium tubes (cut to length) and the Connect-it joiners and lengths of precut MDF and she had no problems and it was all done in a few hours , all she needed was my hammer to knock the joins nice and tight. Only needed help from me to move it to the study.
I'm sure a viv would easy to knock together over a weekend if you have everything ready cut to size and all the fittings ready to go, all you'd need is a power driver and maybe a riveting tool or bunch of selftapping metal screws.

I built my last double bay beardie palace from plywood and Perspex ( lighter than glass for doors and easier to work with ) in weekend.