Finally starting my build

[gordo86]

Hi all i posted on here some time ago about hatching and releasing some wild lizard eggs that disturbed at work. And how i wanted to get into reptiles.
Well nearly a year since i purchased a glass display cabinet i have finally decided to start my build and thought i'd share as i go along. It will probably be a while between posts as i'm self employed but i'm in no hurry as i don't have my reptile licence and won't bother applying until this is built. As i go along if anyone is following and has noticed something i have forgotten or looks wrong would appreciate their feed back as i am only going off what i have researched and have no experience in owning reptiles. Cheers

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[gordo86]

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[gordo86]

This is the start i have cut the cabinet in half and join the halves together, was thinking back to be pin hole boarding that you hang tools off hooks. Front and sides to remain glass, rear roof to be permanent which already has light fittings (will put the lowest watt bulbs i can get just for light. And have a fluro fitting i was hoping i could just fit a uv bulb to ( not sure if that works. The rear half will have 2 tiers for them to climb up to for the uv/heat?

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[gordo86]

Calculated the how many liters my tank will be. Works out to be 750 liters or 198 gallons. Purchased some form ply for the base and and lids.

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[gordo86]

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[gordo86]

Can anyone tell me if you can have to much ventilation? Was hoping to have the upper section with my lights have this mesh the whole of rear section

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[PatsyB]

Too much ventilation will allow for a lot of drafts and it will be hard to keep your temps steady.

 

[gordo86]

Cheers i have swapped the mesh to the bottom section now top section will be an adjustable shelf so can raise or lower to where it needs to be for basking and uv light. Haven't even started thingking about temps yet so confusing all the different bulbs and stuff.
It gets to average of 4°c here at night through winter and averages around 16°c day. Summer is around 18°c night and 28 to 35°c day. So may have to make my ventilation adjustable?
Enclosure is 86x91cm length and width and 96cm high.

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[gordo86]

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[gordo86]

Bottom rear will be boxed up to hold 10cm layer of substrate for digging and such. Now making a basking platform/cave for the top basking area, need to find a nice large branch for their upper deck access.

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[gordo86]

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[gordo86]

The beginning of my bas king rock/cave. Thinking of attaching some nice real slate rock to this and adding some different shades of colour to the rock for a more realistic look before sealing

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[gordo86]

bit of painting features and now sealing.

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[gordo86]

was going to use real slate rock for bottom tier behind grassed section but decided against it when i realised that it would be more work to seal underneath for hygiene and to stop live food from hiding. Now thinking of half tiles and like a foam rock wall and other half a substrate of mixed sand an peat moss?

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[gordo86]

and we are up and running. Got my first two beardies and my licence they are 12 weeks old and love their greens,woodies and crickets. They also already love being handled and run up to your hand and climb on.

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[PatsyB]

Here are my concerns, where is the UVB lighting and how is the bottom and the front of the tank being warmed? I also don't see any vents for airflow.

 

[gordo86]

Here are my concerns, where is the UVB lighting and how is the bottom and the front of the tank being warmed? I also don't see any vents for airflow.

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[gordo86]

half the bottom back section is a mesh vent. The bottom half is not heated it's their cool area stays about 27°c basking area is about 40°c and the rest of the top stay between 35-38°c. Uvb light is the one mounted on the rear L/H wall

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[PatsyB]

Is that a coil UVB? Coil UVB have been known to hurt their eyes, plus they don't give off the amount of UVB that they need. They also need to be able to get under the UVB, you need to move the basking spot over so they are closer to it.

 

[gordo86]

I read all the reviews on the bulb i got and apparently people are going back to these coils bulbs since they have fixed the problems with them with no issues on newer model. Also i didn't want to put the basking rock under the uv as the directions stated that it should be 30 cm away from basking area for optimum ammount of uvb in desert reptiles. I thought that uv could should shine in all directions not just downwards?

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