Building a custom enclosure?

[LittlePetDirt]

Hey everyone!! My northern BTS BBQ has been in a 36x18 inch enclosure ever since i got him. I’ve been looking into building him a custom enclosure that’s about 4 feet by 3 feet. He’s been pretty bored in his small(er) tank and has been nose rubbing as well. I’ve heard that some woods are toxic to skinks, and that an all glass tank of that size will weigh waaay to much. Have any of any of you guys built enclosures and have suggestions as to which materials i should use, i need something light and easily cleanable (i gotta skink that likes to go to the bathroom everywhere) but i also need something that is easily available. i can use glass for the front window, and mesh for the top, i just don’t know what’s good for the bottom or sides. Thanks!!

[kingofnobbys]

Consider using a CONNECTIT / QUBELOK aluminium frame with plywood roof and base & 6mm thick clear UV stabilized acrylic sheeting for the sides.
https://www.aluminiumtc.com.au/qubelok/
https://www.connect-it.cc/

I'm doing a new double bay bearded dragon enclosure using the system soon as my bearded dragons reach about 8 months old (currently housed in 120L rearing tub). This will replace the two old homemade "boxes" I made from plywood about 8 years ago that have been stacked for two older now dead bearded dragons.
I'd perhaps line the floor with lino , then cover with substrate for this skink , this will prevent moisture getting into the timber under the lino.

[LittlePetDirt]

Sorry, is lino short linoleum? And thanks for the help!

[mb606587]

For a Northern, you can get away with building with melamine panels. They are relatively cheap and easy to clean. The only drawback is that they tend to warp in high moisture and humidity environments. So while not ideal with the Indonesian species, it should hold up well in normal household humidity, which the Northern is typically kept at. You will still want to seal all of the seams with a clear silicone caulk as a preventative to keep any water from penetrating into the wood.

[mb606587]

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Some of the melamine enclosures I built very cheaply for Merauke BTS. I did thoroughly waterproof and seal it so they have been durable for me even in a more tropical style enclosure with misters.

[kingofnobbys]

Sorry, is lino short linoleum? And thanks for the help!

yes

[LittlePetDirt]

Thank you guys for all of your help, while planning out what i was going to do, i was wondering why i couldn’t use the acrylic sheets for the base of the tank as well. Would it be due to the acrylic not being strong enough or warping?

[mb606587]

I guess you could if you used thick enough acrylic sheets and had either a plastic or wooden exoskeleton structure with grooves where the sheets could be slid into place and supported firmly with extra braces. That type project would not be cheap however and acrylic sheets are by no means easy to work with. You would need them professionally cut. I've purchased from Lowes in the past and they usually will make my cuts free of charge with the purchase. With what that project would cost, I think I would use glass however as acrylic will discolor over the years and become scratched heavily by your skink.

[kingofnobbys]

Thank you guys for all of your help, while planning out what i was going to do, i was wondering why i couldn’t use the acrylic sheets for the base of the tank as well. Would it be due to the acrylic not being strong enough or warping?

You could actually , but it's a pricey substance per square metre to "hide" under a couple of inches of substrate.

If you are buying a big sheet and having it precut to size , it then becomes viable economically if there is enough left from the sheet to do the base of the tank. The best way to buy this stuff is by the full sheet ( comes in 8ft x 4ft , 6ft x 4ft as standard sheets ) and ask the seller to precut to size , they have special machinery that gives a nice clean cut without any damage to the sheet.

I chose 6mm thick sheet acrylic as it's pretty stiff at that thickness and I was considering using acrylic sliding front doors ( the tracks are designed for 6mm to 6.5mm thick glass ).

[LittlePetDirt]

Awesome! Thank you all so much for your help! i’m looking forward to giving BBQ a nice roomy tank, and i’ll try to keep you guys updated )

[splashy07]

Very nice, mb! Wish you were closer I'd hire you to build me a dozen of those!

[mb606587]

Haha thank you. I've built every enclosure I currently own. Is part of the fun!