# Building enclosure



## isdrake (Dec 22, 2009)

We want to build a new enclosure for our Argentine B/W Tegu. We have had her/him for about two weeks now and it's time to build a prober home. 

I admit that's it's not going to be huge, but I think it will be pretty good. ^^
I will post a picture of a simple 3D model I made. It's actually 3 terrariums. The lower is for the tegu. The upper will be divided into two terrariums. One for our beared dragon, and one might be used to breed quails... or for some other lizard... We haven't decided yet.

_The bottom surface will be 4,5 square meters.
L 3m D 1.5m H 1.2m
About 0,3 meter will be used for substrate.

The bottom surface will be 14,7 square feet.
L 9,8 feet D 4.9 feet H 3,9 feet
About 0,9 feet will be used for substrate._

Hopefully my boyfriend will start to build somewhere after Christmas/Yule (I'm with my parents during the holidays). We will post photos as soon as we have anything to show.


----------



## isdrake (Dec 27, 2009)

I'm not home right now but my boyfriend and a friend of his started working on the new terrarium today. It's going to be big.


----------



## isdrake (Dec 29, 2009)

Another photo on the terrarium for the tegu/tegus...








And this a smaller terrarium that will stand on top of the bigger one. This one will be used for our bearded dragon Zelda. 

It's 1,5 x 1 x 0,9 meter

That's about 5 x 3 x 3 feet


----------



## Dom3rd (Dec 29, 2009)

Looks great so far


----------



## pitbulldc (Dec 29, 2009)

man thats going to be a great setup. post some pics when its done


----------



## isdrake (Jan 2, 2010)

I came home last night... I know the terrarium they have been building is big... but it's HUGE!!!

I asked my boyfriend to take a photo while I was inside.  And I'm a pretty big girl...


----------



## isdrake (Jan 9, 2010)

We have both been very busy lately. But we are finally coming somewhere with the small terrarium for our bearded dragon.

1,5 x 1 x 0,9 meters
about 5 x 3.3 x 3 feet (L D H)


----------



## isdrake (Jan 12, 2010)

It's starting to look like a terrarium now.  Moisture barrier, glass, air gaps, lamps. Also managed to get it on top of the large enclosure. It was hard I can tell you. :drool


----------



## lazyjr52 (Jan 13, 2010)

Looks great! Make sure you post pics of the finsihed product


----------



## amon60628 (Jan 13, 2010)

Wow you guys are doing an excellent job.U think ur boyfriend can give me any tips on how to build a proper terrarium?/ :-D


----------



## txrepgirl (Jan 13, 2010)

Wow. You all are doing a great job with that enclosure  . What is that white material you are using inside the enclosure or is it just white paint ?


----------



## isdrake (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks for the comments.  I will post more photos along the way, and off course then it's finished. 



amon60628 said:


> Wow you guys are doing an excellent job.U think ur boyfriend can give me any tips on how to build a proper terrarium?/ :-D



Haha, I'm afraid not. We are just a bunch of noobs, this is our first enclosures that we are building ourselves. 



txrepgirl said:


> Wow. You all are doing a great job with that enclosure  . What is that white material you are using inside the enclosure or is it just white paint ?



I dunno what's it called in English. But it's an special paint that works as a moisture barrier. It's used in bathrooms.

I know it's probably unnecessary for a bearded dragon. But I wanted to be on the safe side, and besides, it makes the cleaning easier.

I'm a little concerned how we will make a good moisture barrier for the Tegus though. Since they burrow a lot and has big claws. The problem is that whole enclosure must able to break apart.


----------



## laurarfl (Jan 14, 2010)

I wonder if it would be like Kiltz paint here in America? It is a beautiful enclosure!


----------



## Pikey (Jan 22, 2010)

to make a water proof bottom for big lizards(w/ big claws) is to do that paint you're using then tile the floor & up the sides a foot or 2


----------



## TanMan57 (Jan 22, 2010)

Or you could just use shower board and caulking


----------



## isdrake (Jan 31, 2010)

Today I tried to make a fake rock. The goal is to make some sort of good looking background. But I'm starting small so that I will get used to the materials.

I'm pretty pleased with the result considering it's my first attempt.  It's made of polyurethane resin, sand and paint.


----------



## isdrake (Feb 3, 2010)

And another one.


----------



## TEGUASAUROUS (Feb 3, 2010)

Pretty awesome rock I must say. Rocks are very hard to copy because they are so unique and individual, but it looks like a rock to me! There is a material out there called Boulder Image that is real fun to work with and its as strong as real concrete only its very light weight. I will be posting pics tonight of some, I built almost my kids entire enclosure out of it.


----------



## isdrake (Feb 4, 2010)

TEGUASAUROUS said:


> Pretty awesome rock I must say. Rocks are very hard to copy because they are so unique and individual, but it looks like a rock to me! There is a material out there called Boulder Image that is real fun to work with and its as strong as real concrete only its very light weight. I will be posting pics tonight of some, I built almost my kids entire enclosure out of it.



That sound like an awesome materials. I would love to see some photos.


----------



## isdrake (Feb 7, 2010)

Here comes some updates. Now it actually looks like a terrarium. 










_Front view._









_Side view._


----------



## lazyjr52 (Feb 7, 2010)

Looking good isdrake


----------



## isdrake (Mar 22, 2010)

I have been working on the bearded dragons background the whole weekend. I had to make it in three parts so that it can fit thru the opening.

It's made the background itself with styrofoam, the cliffs/shelfs in newspaper and then coated the whole thing with papier-machÃ?Æ?Ã?Â©. Don't underestimate paper.


----------



## nemo66 (Mar 23, 2010)

do you have like a link or something for making fake rocks like this? i would realy like to learn how to do it  your enclosure looks amazing . good luck with the rest of it


----------



## isdrake (Mar 24, 2010)

nemo66 said:


> do you have like a link or something for making fake rocks like this? i would realy like to learn how to do it  your enclosure looks amazing . good luck with the rest of it



Thank you. I'm still very uncertain about making rocks. Feels like I have forgot how I made it. XD But i might make a video, a tutorial or something later if the background turns out okay.

I'm really exited about getting started with the resin. But my school is killing me (I don't know if you call it school if it's intended to educate grown ups). Hardly have anytime to work on the enclosure...


----------



## nemo66 (Mar 24, 2010)

isdrake said:


> nemo66 said:
> 
> 
> > do you have like a link or something for making fake rocks like this? i would realy like to learn how to do it  your enclosure looks amazing . good luck with the rest of it
> ...





a video or tutorial would be awesome. id really like to learn how to do it myself. i certainly hope you find time through all your school and stuff cuz im anticipating seeing how it all turns out :app


----------



## KSTAR (Mar 24, 2010)

looks great!


----------



## isdrake (Apr 6, 2010)

I have coated the whole thing with one layer of fiber glass now. It was a pain to work with. XD This is becoming expensive. I'm already out of polyurethane resin so I had to order more. I'm afraid it might take several weeks before I get it.

Anyway, it's a really hard surface even though it's only one layer. I stabbed it hard with a screwdriver sever times. 

I will not use this method for the Tegu enclosure though. I can't afford it. I will have to try a more traditional approach (white styrofoam and cement).

And yeah, I managed to get that stuff on me several times. Really hard to get off. I can't get it off my nails. I will haver to wait until my nails have grown out. XD


----------



## new2gu (Apr 6, 2010)

nemo66 said:


> do you have like a link or something for making fake rocks like this? i would realy like to learn how to do it  your enclosure looks amazing . good luck with the rest of it



here's a website that shows how to make fake rocks 

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/</a><!-- m -->


----------



## isdrake (Apr 19, 2010)

I have now sealed the inside.


----------



## fireimp141 (Apr 20, 2010)

Holy crap!! That is awesome!


----------



## kaa (Apr 20, 2010)

Looking fantastic isdrake, Whiskey is going to be in heaven. Any plans on getting him a friend?


----------



## isdrake (Apr 20, 2010)

kaa said:


> Looking fantastic isdrake, Whiskey is going to be in heaven. Any plans on getting him a friend?



Thanks a lot.  It's very tempting but we have decided not to get another one until we can afford a house. If they don't get along we don't have space for another large enclosure.

I realize that getting the second Tegu that past away wasn't such a great idea after all. We all know that Tegus can be pretty addictive. XD But I'm not taking that risk twice.


----------



## isdrake (May 14, 2010)

I have added the final layer.


----------



## isdrake (May 23, 2010)

Some beardie updates. The fake rock background is finally finished.


----------



## SjRrMc (May 23, 2010)

that looks really cool for a dragon of that sort it. I wish i had the time to make that great job i give it a 10


----------



## ThrillHouse (May 27, 2010)

looks awesome!

my tegu cage takes much longer than i would have liked. and is much more costly, but its worth it.

what did you settle on for background? papir machÃ?Æ?Ã?Â© and cement?


----------



## isdrake (May 27, 2010)

ThrillHouse said:


> looks awesome!
> 
> my tegu cage takes much longer than i would have liked. and is much more costly, but its worth it.
> 
> what did you settle on for background? papir machÃ?Æ?Ã?Â© and cement?



Styrofoam and papier machÃ?Æ?Ã?Â© covered with fiber glass, polyurethane resin and some sand. I don't recommend it because it was very expensive and extremely hard to work with. But on the bright side it hard and solid. It will not break then we move it later.


----------



## JohnMatthew (May 27, 2010)

Your hard work has paid off, sweet enclosure.


----------



## isdrake (Jun 1, 2010)

Added ventilation and glass. On the long side we used 4mm sliding glasses and on the short side we used a plastic sheet which can't be opened. It's actually turning out real nice. When we sit on the couch we can see the whole enclosure though the plastic sheet.


----------



## SjRrMc (Jun 1, 2010)

Thats a nice cage i built one on Saturday its harder then i thought but its worth it.


----------



## lazyjr52 (Jun 2, 2010)

That's a really nice cage. What's the dimensions on it?


----------



## isdrake (Jun 2, 2010)

SjRrMc said:


> Thats a nice cage i built one on Saturday its harder then i thought but its worth it.



It would be nice to see some photos of your enclosure. 



lazyjr52 said:


> That's a really nice cage. What's the dimensions on it?



Thanks. It's 3 x 1.5 meters . That's just a little smaller than 10 x 5 feet.


----------



## SjRrMc (Jun 2, 2010)

i will isdrake as soon as i get a camera mine looks no where near as good as yours but it works.


----------



## isdrake (Jun 7, 2010)

Whisky have moved in now.


----------



## cabral (Jun 7, 2010)

WOW,
that looks great, im really liking it,
and really nice tegus BTW, they should be very happy


----------



## mastroj (Jun 7, 2010)

That looks awesome. Great photos of the tegu also!


----------



## lazyjr52 (Jun 8, 2010)

Great job!


----------



## isdrake (Jun 10, 2010)

Thanks for the comments. 

Here is a video of her exploring her new home:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PUlJmyhUmM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PUlJmyhUmM</a><!-- m -->


----------



## isdrake (Jul 4, 2010)

Here comes some more updates. I have done a fake rock background, and it truly looks fake, lol. I really need more practice. XD

It's made in four sections that is simply attached to the plywood so that we can take them away if we need to move the enclosure. I think it would have looked a lot better if I have done it inside the enclosure as a whole section but that's a price we have to pay.

They are made in the most classic way using styrofoam and grout. It's actually five sections. I was working at my parents summer house and the last piece didn't fit into our car so I couldn't take it with me.

Also added some more plants that really makes the whole thing look more alive. I hope she likes it. 




















And some size reference:


----------



## Guest (Jul 4, 2010)

That cage is looking fantastic! The fake rock really does add something. I was impressed before, but now it looks like some displays I've seen in zoos  Maybe we'll get to see a picture of Whisky exploring the new decorations?


----------



## eddyjack (Jul 4, 2010)

That is a really neat enclosure! I also like the end view from your couch. Nicely done.


----------



## lazyjr52 (Jul 5, 2010)

That looks like a zoo exibit! Great job isdrake.


----------



## Weedazon (Jul 5, 2010)

This has probably already been asked, but how much did it cost to make you the tegu cage without the rock wall? I REALLY need to build Zeke a bigger cage, but I need it to be under $200, preferably around $150. I don't know if this is even possible...I sure hope so!


----------



## isdrake (Jul 12, 2010)

Kebechet said:


> That cage is looking fantastic! The fake rock really does add something. I was impressed before, but now it looks like some displays I've seen in zoos  Maybe we'll get to see a picture of Whisky exploring the new decorations?



Sure.  I love taking photos of her. XD

























eddyjack said:


> That is a really neat enclosure! I also like the end view from your couch. Nicely done.



That's one of the best ideas I have ever had. XD It's really sweet to sit on the couch and watch her. 



Weedazon said:


> This has probably already been asked, but how much did it cost to make you the tegu cage without the rock wall? I REALLY need to build Zeke a bigger cage, but I need it to be under $200, preferably around $150. I don't know if this is even possible...I sure hope so!



That's a hard question. I think we spent about 6000 SEK (about 800 USD) on the wood alone (but that's including a smaller enclosure for a bearded dragon). But we have lot more taxes and such then you have.


----------



## Dom3rd (Jul 31, 2010)

All i can say is wow!!! Awesome job looks like one happy Tegu!!


----------



## Rhetoric (May 3, 2011)

Wow this is a really nice enclosure. Sorry for pulling up a dead thread but this is awesome!


----------



## turtlepunk (May 4, 2011)

I agree! this enclosure is AMAZING wish i had the skill to build something like this! looking like im gonna have to hire someone to build one for me


----------

