# New cage for 2 Tegu's



## DireTrollJake (Sep 7, 2011)

My yearling from last year's black and white's is now over 2 feet long and outgrowing his tank. I've been hesitating on what I wanted to do cage wise as my living situation has been less than permanant. I got some ideas and began searching craigslist and found a deli case that I wanted to convert, typically a 6-8 foot case will run $1200 used. Found this for $500 but let the guy wait around on an offer of $200 and 3 weeks after it wouldn't move, I got it!





It is 10 feet long, a little over 3 feet deep, and 4-5 feet tall. The backside is all glass but will be against the window (will also let in some sunlight from my windows) and the side facing the room has 4 sliding glass doors, all very secure tracks. 

The entire thing is insulated and I've began removing the compressor and cooling units, and there is a track lighting system across the top that will be nice, and I intend to mount rail lights for their UVB's and heat lamps. The area where the compressor motor was is cased in aluminum. I am going to cut out a hole and mount a full size bathroom sink as their water source and have a bucket with a pull stop to drain it (I HATE having to lift dirty water out of a cage!!!)

There is also a light switch on the front of the unit that has an outlet on it too. This will be very nice to incorporate into the lighting units.

The bottom has siliding doors as well, just solid metal. Not sure if I will just secure them, or come up with a creative way of using it for access if I build a burrowing area down below. Open to suggestions.

I will keep posting updates as they come, but fingers are still crossed waiting to hear from Bobby about my Red...among other people having contact issues this season...


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## kellen.watkins (Sep 7, 2011)

That's awesome I want one!


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## DireTrollJake (Sep 7, 2011)

Yeh I am quite excited for this project, though it's much less of a project than it would have been to build. Just have alot of cleaning and some modding to do.


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## Rhetoric (Sep 7, 2011)

Awesome! I love craigslist. Definitely keep us posted on this, I'd love to see how it turns out. You can do some pretty neat things with that.


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## james.w (Sep 7, 2011)

I would secure one of the lower doors, and keep the other one and build an underground hide that you can access. Man what I would do if I had a cage like that.


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## DireTrollJake (Sep 8, 2011)

Now, my question there is, do they burrow and want to be all nice and tightly dug in, or just underground and in darkness? I could certainly build a box with a small ramp to go below, but not sure they'd use it the same as just digging underground. Then again, I guess he currently only really digs so that he fits under what ever he wants to hide.


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## james.w (Sep 8, 2011)

I would say both, sometimes mine will just go into his hide and sometimes he will dig into the substrate and be nice and snug.


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## DireTrollJake (Sep 8, 2011)

Cool cool. Just hope they keep their pooing in the sink area so I don't have to try and clean down in that burrow! That definitely sounds like what I'll do tho.


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## j.sawyer48 (Sep 8, 2011)

thats awsome cant wait to see the finished product its gunna be the ill cage


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## Kebechet (Sep 8, 2011)

DireTrollJake said:


> Cool cool. Just hope they keep their pooing in the sink area so I don't have to try and clean down in that burrow! That definitely sounds like what I'll do tho.



Tegus don't like to poo where they sleep, so that shouldn't be a problem.


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## AP27 (Dec 10, 2011)

I would love to find one of these to convert for Odin! and I like the idea for the underground hide. Definitely keep us posted on your progress


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## Sirhc401 (Dec 10, 2011)

Interesting. That is some good improvising.


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## fisheric (Dec 12, 2011)

that is so cool.

and for only $200. You have a couple of lucky lizzards.


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