# Starting to Design, need advice



## Ari Gold (Dec 10, 2007)

I have an 07 red tegu who is in hibernation right now. My goal is to get his final adult size enclosure built by the time he wakes up.

my plan is to let him free roam most of the day/night when I'm home. so with that can I reduce the size of the suggested enclosure from 8x4x4 to something more reasonable for my room which is only 10ftx10ft?

what do you think will be needed to give an adequate basking/sleeping area? with proper range of temp.

I'm trying to make this as small as possible only because my entire room/apartment will likely be his playground so he doesnt need all of the stimulation in his cage that he would otherwise need.

hope you get what I'm saying and can help, thanks in advance!

also, height isnt an issue, if a multi level would work I'd be really into that Idea to save space.


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## olympus (Dec 10, 2007)

Make sure it is deep enough to dig into the substrate and high enough not to cause back aches when cleaning.


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## Ari Gold (Dec 10, 2007)

not a complete noob, i understand all of the basics of cage building so lets not get into that kinda stuff. 

it seems like all I ever get on this board are half assed replies of regurgitated info. I'm looking for something new that will require you and I to think obviously.

bleh whatever :roll:


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## olympus (Dec 10, 2007)

I was just trying to help you out I wasn't regurgitating any info. If you feel like people aren't helping you here and everybody keeps telling you the same thing go some where else. I built my own cage and was just telling you the some of the most important things since you are limited on space.


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## DaveDragon (Dec 10, 2007)

Maybe you need to look elsewhere.


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## olympus (Dec 10, 2007)

Half of my cage is at 100 degrees and 65 percent humidity and the other half at 65 degrees and 90 percent humidity because of where I have the lights. A plug for a fog machine that goes through the top that you can't see for extra humidity. I used only one vent instead of two to minimize humidity loss. I used what was best for me you do what you want.


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## PuffDragon (Dec 10, 2007)

if you are limited on space. maybe you could build something with two levels.


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## Ari Gold (Dec 10, 2007)

DaveDragon said:


> Maybe you need to look elsewhere.



whats that supposed to mean?


a simple get out would do.. dont try and sugar coat anything bro, if you were sincere it would have been followed with "heres a great place to look, <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.example.com">www.example.com</a><!-- w -->"


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## Ari Gold (Dec 10, 2007)

PuffDragon said:


> if you are limited on space. maybe you could build something with two levels.



thanks, thats what I was thinking and mentioned at the end of my first post, just curious as to how?

do they need a certain amount of space to turn around in order to climb up a ramp? how wide of a ramp do they need? should both layers have a foot of substrate? should the top or bottom layer be the heated side, or should they both be?


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## VARNYARD (Dec 10, 2007)

Ari Gold, I did not like your remark and I will not let you attack this site. If you want help, than that is fine, but you are not going to act like this here. As for this site, if you look around, much of the information cannot be found anywhere else. 

That said, you have a red tegu that will reach four feet long. You want to keep him in a room that is only 10 x10. Tegus are all terrestrial, meaning they do not prefer to climb. But you want to build a 2ft wide x 4ft long x 5ft high two level cage for a four foot long red tegu. I do not know what to tell you, I have never built a cage that a tegu had to climb in, I also do not think it is fair to an animal that does not like to climb. That is my answer, I know you do not like it, but there it is.


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## Ari Gold (Dec 11, 2007)

VARNYARD said:


> Ari Gold, I did not like your remark and I will not let you attack this site. If you want help, than that is fine, but you are not going to act like this here. As for this site, if you look around, much of the information cannot be found anywhere else.
> 
> That said, you have a red tegu that will reach four feet long. You want to keep him in a room that is only 10 x10. Tegus are all terrestrial, meaning they do not prefer to climb. But you want to build a 2ft wide x 4ft long x 5ft high two level cage for a four foot long red tegu. I do not know what to tell you, I have never built a cage that a tegu had to climb in, I also do not think it is fair to an animal that does not like to climb. That is my answer, I know you do not like it, but there it is.



did I say anything about 2x4x5ft high? the answer is NO. I was thinking something that was 3x6x5.5. I dont expect him to climb, but walking up a ramp doesnt seem like torture for a terrestrial creature infact I've seen several ramps in tegu enclosures and they all seem to get use from the tegu. I feel like you read only what you wanted to read from my post and ignored the rest.

why would you think I do not like your answer? its straight foward and honest (even though slightly out of context) and actually helpful. I was looking for something like this. 

And by the way i never said he would be confined to just my room, I think I even said that he would have free range of the apartment (once he gets a little bigger of course) What I posted were only thoughts I had, I came here to get the advice I needed and to run my ideas past people like you and get legit answers, not stuff I've read in every cage thread.

I've read all there is to read about cage building that has been posted here, so an answer like "make sure theres enough room for substrate" that completely disregards everything else I had posted originally, upset me and made me feel like I was wasting my time. I honestly expected more from the community. and this is a budding community so you are going to get criticism.


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## olympus (Dec 11, 2007)

I think you should just do whatever you want. Since you tried to get slick at the mouth when people were just trying to help you. If you heard all this stuff before why are you asking for help.


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## ApriliaRufo (Dec 11, 2007)

geez... Poppy on the draw huh? Simply put, the 10x10 room is gonna be rough. That's 100sq feet and your tegu needs 32. That's a lot to share. The problem is the height idea. Absolutely you could put in a second story, I'm building a cage for an adult red right now and I'm going to run a second story to a total height of 6 ft. But the depth is a must, for a red I would assume that 6x6x6 would be an ok cage size if he's going to be out and about a lot of the time. I think you put yourself in a pickle and I'm not a fan of the idea of a free roaming tegu indoors. "Free-roam" in my opinion is the concept of a very large outdoor cage that can withstand the temperature changes and weather. I wouldn't think that a tegu would care about the difference between the cypress mulch and the the carpet in your rented space. If you can manage a 6x6x6 in a corner with your bed on the other corner, you should be ok. The possibility of your tegu actually utilizing the second story depends on the gradient slop of the ramp and the existence of a substrate on the second story, not to mention the fact that you're going to have to run some heat tape across the bottom of the second piece. And even by the small chance that all of this comes into play, you are going to have a hell of a time building a large cage in a small apartment, and if you ever do get the space, you're gonna spend a day or 2 disassembling the thing and probably not be willing to build a larger one. 

Ok, so my second point. Everyone on this forum does everything they can to help anyone and everyone. Sometimes we all don't have solutions and can only offer our moral support. Understand that and take into consideration, that if you cuss out the waiter, he will relieve himself in your soup. No one is going to help you with a jump on comment like that. Some people are good with carpentry, some are good with medicine, some with electrical, some with just being a friendly face. No matter what their strengths are, everyone is here to help. I cannot speak for those in charge, but my solo opinion is that if you don't want our help,and it's not good enough? Then tell me where you can find a better group of people. I've looked, and there is none. Nowhere on EARTH, will you find people as supportive as these. Yes there will always be something or someone you don't agree with, but you slough it off, be patient and let it work itself out. 

And thirdly, coming from me, who has a little bit of a mouth... you should plainly see, that this is not a proper subject to start an argument on. If you don't have the space, buy a futon, and build a proper cage. If you can't do that one either, then don't add to the number of mistreated animals cause you thought it was cool. (I'm sorry Bobby, I fired off again, but not in any kind of anger. I just think that was really unfair. Olympus is a good man and that was just plain mean. Call me if you need to.)


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## olympus (Dec 11, 2007)

Thanks for that I appreciate it.


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## DaveDragon (Dec 11, 2007)

It sounds like you summed up your problem. Now back to find a solution.

At work I'm good at coming up with wacky solutions (sometimes just to be funny or a wise @ss) and many times they make it into the design with some changes. Enough about me.

What about making a bunk bed for the two of you?? He lives in the bottom in an 8ft x 4ft and you put your mattress on top. You're right, building something that thing is gonna be a beetch.

You're also correct about a Tegu not knowing the difference between mulch and carpet. I doubt the owners will appreciate the stains or the smell. Ours free roam for an hour sometimes but we don't have any carpet, only tile and hardwood floors. It's easy to find their messes and it just wipes up.


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## ApriliaRufo (Dec 11, 2007)

DaveDragon said:


> It sounds like you summed up your problem. Now back to find a solution.
> 
> At work I'm good at coming up with wacky solutions (sometimes just to be funny or a wise @ss) and many times they make it into the design with some changes. Enough about me.
> 
> ...





I considerred that as an alternative too, building my bed on top, but the weight on the cage made me nervous and I didn't want to fill his cage with support posts. That and I didn't feel like measuring my mattress. But my main concern was portability. I couldn't get that through the door and I wouldn't want to have to take it apart. Would be very cool looking though.


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## PuffDragon (Dec 11, 2007)

here's what Shreww did on the other site. Looks pretty sweet IMO. Although a bit small it shows the possibilties.


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## dorton (Dec 11, 2007)

ApriliaRufo,
Thumbs up, probably the best post I've seen in a while!! Anywhere Period. 

I wasn't going to post on this one at all just because the unappraciated post towards olympus.

Davedragon, I really like that! I think you're onto something cool. I'll sit down and see if I can come up with some cool ideas, but don't know if it can get much cooler than daves. Only drawbacks I would see would be cleaning, and if not insulated perfectly would make it miserable in summer.

Ari Gold, Hows your carpentry ability scale of 1-10,
we may be able to come up with cool ideas, but be out of you means or ability.


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## VARNYARD (Dec 11, 2007)

dorton said:


> ApriliaRufo,
> Thumbs up, probably the best post I've seen in a while!! Anywhere Period.
> 
> I wasn't going to post on this one at all just because the unappraciated post towards olympus.
> ...



Ari Gold, will not be able to respond for three days, he bought himself a break.


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## DaveDragon (Dec 11, 2007)

The enclosures I build are in 2 pieces so they'll fit through the door. Two of them are stacked. You probably seen the thread.

http://tegutalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=345

Of course you need a large area to build them in.


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## ApriliaRufo (Dec 11, 2007)

olympus said:


> Thanks for that I appreciate it.



Anytime bro, anytime. I believe in fair arguments or disagreements, but I don't agree with people jumping on you just because you gave good advice. How was anyone supposed to know what his idea of a cage was? If you don't back up your points, your spitting in the wind. And the whole "half-a**ed answers thing was a personal shot at us all. We all do the best that we can.


And Dave the 30" door openings in my house couldn't fit those amazing pieces. I just use my garage, I completely resealed everything and have it set up like a rainforest. As soon as I finish, I'm gonna pay this hippie chick to paint the whole thing like a realy rainforest.


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## DaveDragon (Dec 11, 2007)

ApriliaRufo said:


> And Dave the 30" door openings in my house couldn't fit those amazing pieces.


They're made in top & bottom pieces. The top is about 24" high. They fit through my 30" doors! :wink:


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## techhousejunkie (Dec 11, 2007)

i think his doctor gave him too many anal suppositories(dont know if I spelt that right) lmao


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## olympus (Dec 11, 2007)

A davedragon your enclosures are some of the best I've seen.


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## DaveDragon (Dec 11, 2007)

olympus said:


> A davedragon your enclosures are some of the best I've seen.


Thank you. I spent alot of time designing them. I just took the best features from many I've seen and combined them.


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## AB^ (Dec 11, 2007)

Ari Gold said:


> I have an 07 red tegu who is in hibernation right now. My goal is to get his final adult size enclosure built by the time he wakes up.
> 
> my plan is to let him free roam most of the day/night when I'm home. so with that can I reduce the size of the suggested enclosure from 8x4x4 to something more reasonable for my room which is only 10ftx10ft?
> 
> ...



Well, Despite the rest of this thread
I think that in a room 10 x 10 that was tegu proofed you could build a cage no smaller than 5 x 3 and have a swing down door to act as a ramp in and out of the cage (obviously elevated for the substrate dam) for easy access to where the primary basking spot and (humid)hide spots are if the tegu was to be loose in the room the vast majority of the time then you should be ok. You could even set up additional basking spots with in the room as I use in my living room on occasion when I let something wander.

If this is a cluttered room like a cramped bedroom then you'll need a bigger cage to keep better eye on your tegu. The hardest part is blocking off areas you dont want your animal to go especially younger ones . I'm sure you have noticed your tegu squeeze into some tight spots before it went into brumation.

Though I think in your plan you're under the assumption that your tegu will be out and about when you are. Frankly that's just not the way it works, though you could just pull your tegu out of its hole when you want to interect with it but that is a crummy thing to do. With my tegus I only get to see them on the weekends really. Occasionally I will see my argentine before I leave for work but most of the time I dont see them until the weekends (all I get to see is empty food dishes when I come home)
So unless you have no school or work you may want to take that into consideration.

as far as the rest of the thread goes..

arie you were kinda a **** in the way you responded to another member and acted towards all of us, but I understand the aggravation of feeling someone is just feeding you regurgitated garbage (not saying this has happened here, but I do know from other forums)
anyways, I hope you stick around after the suspension and help us build this community and add innovative ideas.


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