# ideas for enclosures



## Anthony (Jul 31, 2009)

ok im starting to think about my permanent enclosure for when my tegu gets adult size... my father is a carpenter and can build anything i ask em to however myself i dont think i could build a square without messing up lol....

what are the do's and the donts when it comes to material...

i want something simple , NOT HEAVY , easy to move , and probably 6 long by 3 wide and 3 high.... yes its small but i will let my tegu free roam plenty .... i want the top to be screen mesh and the front plexiglass and the rest some type of wood.... so what can i do and how do u prevent the wood from rotting or building up mold etc....

please any tips are appreciated\\....


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## Jefroka (Jul 31, 2009)

You may not be able to meet all those desires. It will be heavier than you think, but put it on wheels and and will be easy to move around.


...Jefroka


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## tracyanderson777 (Aug 2, 2009)

wow i cant believe not many have helped you.

well....

If you've got a girl tegu the 6 foot by 3 foot will pass if you have a male like i do your gonna have to step up to the 8 foot cage. im gonna build my cage in a week or so.  there goes half my room but its not gonna be light unless you go get like a vision cage but i dont think either you or me is gonna spend 1200 dollars for a cage. 

I strongly suggest a wooden back, top, and sides with a sliding glass front.

the wood makes it much much easier with the whole humidity thing. i also wouldnt make it more than 2 1/2 feet tall. 

good luck with it.


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## Toby_H (Aug 2, 2009)

EssentiallyÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ my 4Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã¢â??Â¢ x 2Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã¢â??Â¢ x 2Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã¢â??Â¢ cage is a frame made out of 2Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â x 2Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?ÂsÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ with Ã?â??Ã?Â½ ply wrapped around itÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦

The entire front hinges to open upÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ which works for me on mine, but you may want to modify a bit for yoursÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ sliding doors are nice, but are a slight bit trickier to design/buildÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦

My front is 1/8Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â ply sandwiching in a piece of Ã?â??Ã?Â¼Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â glassÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ I had the glass already which is why I used it but [email protected] does that make the door heavy.

I have a 20Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â x 20Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â hole cut in the top with Ã?â??Ã?Â¼Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã¢â??Â¢ screen covering the holeÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦

I have a 6Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â x 20Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â hole on each end with Ã?â??Ã?Â¼Ã?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â screen covering itÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ 

The outside of my cage is painted with Grey KilzÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ the inside is painted with DryLockÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ When I first built it cage could be filled with water up to the level it poured out the door and not leak a dropÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ I havenÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã¢â??Â¢t tested it to make sure it is still this water tight but I suspect it isÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ 

I am very pleased with my cage and plan to make her next upgrade per the exact same design except for modifying the doorÃ?Â¢Ã¢â??Â¬Ã?Â¦ 

As opposed to building it on wheels I suggest you just get a couple 4-way dollies to use to move it. This way if you want to take it off the wheels you can (it may be prettier without wheels).


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## Toby_H (Aug 2, 2009)

PS - to make things simplier your welcome to swing by one day this week and check it out...


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## cornking4 (Aug 3, 2009)

Hahahahhaha tracyanderson777 you just copied word for word what I suggested to you in a PM when you asked me this exact same question. lol whatever haha


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## 4Horse (Aug 5, 2009)

I made my enclosure out of 3/8" plywood, 1" x 2"s and 2" x 4"s. I tried to make it so it wasn't too heavy, but since it ended up being 6' long 3' tall and 3' wide it still ended up being somewhat heavy. I was able to move it by myself though. I actually made it wider but had to cut it down some so it would fit through the door. I still ended up having to remove the door.

I built mine with legs and front doors so I wouldn't have to bend down to get into it. I also made the doors with 1/4" acrylic sheeting framed with 1" x 2" boards. I liked the idea of being able to see inside the enclosure.

Check out Tanks enclosure:


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## 4Horse (Aug 5, 2009)

I forgot to mention I put a color matched vent on each end of the enclosure. Now that I'm pouring water straight into the substrate and mixing it all up, the humdity level stays higher. The misting was just a never-ending job. It took forever to get the substrate moist all the way through. Of course I made sure I made the enclosure water-tight.


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## cornking4 (Aug 5, 2009)

Nice lookin enclosure. I made a similar one using aluminum and tile board.


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## MIKE-ZILLA (Aug 5, 2009)

> want something simple , NOT HEAVY , easy to move , and probably 6 long by 3 wide and 3 high.... yes its small but i will let my tegu free roam plenty .... i want the top to be screen mesh and the front plexiglass and the rest some type of wood.... so what can i do and how do u prevent the wood from rotting or building up mold etc....


 If you want it light use ply wood (but not too thin) i would use screen at the top and place basking lights on it. the plexiglass front is cool. you probably want your front door to hinge downward if your going to be handling you gu alot. to prevent rotting I would caulk the interior seams and use indoor non-toxic paint on the inside. you could also use vinyl (like in bathrooms and kitchens cut to the right size or astro turf carpet as thr flooring.) this should be used in addition to a thick layer of cypess mulch. since you dads a carpenter you should have no problems.and as previously said put it on casters (wheels) because it will still be a little heavy.


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## jarett_Harrison (Aug 6, 2009)

im going to get a bunk bed and build my cage in the bottom bunk part. now just the part of finding a used wooden bunk bed....=p


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## cornking4 (Aug 6, 2009)

That's a great idea. Tegus are awesome to have but their enclosures hog most of your room. lol


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