Climbing Furnature

[Dubya11]

okay so is Styrofoam, grout, and glue toxic or what??

 

[Brett]

I think you would be fine once its grouted and sealed.

 

[Missy]

I would stick to natural based things like cork bark, wood and plastics that are treated specifically for reptiles.

 

[Dubya11]

Maybe but i just want a really nice looking tank and it seems like all the store bought things are 1. Too small to really give my dragon an enjoyable habitat
2. Too Expensive and generally not the most attrative piece.

 

[ajandj]

I really don't know. I have all the things here to make my own but l just haven't had time.... kids just want to get in and "help".. anyway, l have done a little research and here is a site that shows how to do it and what you need...
Toxic.... *shrug shoulders*.. l really don't no

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Furniture.html

 

[Dubya11]

Thanks I'll check it out I thought I had read all the sites I could already haha.

 

[Sqooky]

Styrofoam can be flammable if it is in direct contact with a heat source, so be careful about where you put lighting. I just finished Igor's fake rock viv and used styrofoam to shape the rock, coated it with a couple of layers of grout and then sealed the whole thing. You can use Modge Podge from the craft store which is a nontoxic sealer, but it dries very smooth and looks wet. You'd have to sand it a bit for traction and to get rid of the wet look. If you look for a tile & grout sealer that has low VOC and is safe for use on food prep surfaces you could use that. It wouldn't have the wet shiny look and keeps traction. After you apply it make sure to air out the tank a couple of days to get rid of any fumes and you're good to go.

 

[tdrost]

I really don't know. I have all the things here to make my own but l just haven't had time.... kids just want to get in and "help".. anyway, l have done a little research and here is a site that shows how to do it and what you need...
Toxic.... *shrug shoulders*.. l really don't no

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Furniture.html

this was the site that i found too when i was looking for ideas. I found that i didn't have time to fool around with styrofoam, cutting, kids helping and so forth. I posted this pic on another thread (forget which one), but here is what I put together. Don't know if it helps you much, but it was ALOT quicker (for me at least)than styrofoam as that site suggests.

 

[Dubya11]

what exactly is that?

 

[tdrost]

what exactly is that?

the platform itself is cut and screwed together from 3 peices of mdf boards. The ramp is one of the really wide baseboards (turned upside down) with popsicle sticks glued to it. (i used contact cement). 2 layers of grout over everything to fill in any cracks or holes, then couple layers of paint. 3 layers of sealant and Voila!
I left it to dry for a few days outside and then gave it a good washing to make sure it was clean.
The ramp is alot longer than many i have seen, but this was built for 1 dragon in mind; and to make it easy for him. (he is missing all but 4 toes on his front feet).
His little cave I did not build (lol-I wish I was that good)

 

[Dubya11]

Thats a Pretty good idea. I need to make something very tall. because his tank is about three feet high

 

[tdrost]

Thats a Pretty good idea. I need to make something very tall. because his tank is about three feet high

i made this one almost 12" x 12" and height is about 9 or so inches.
it took me quite a few days (couple weeks actually) to finish, but that was only working because each "coat" of something i put on, i let dry for a couple days. actual "working" time was only a few hours total!
and i felt so accomplished when i put it in and he climbed right up!!