# DIY or custom-made?



## Kasmut (Aug 20, 2012)

So I am planning on obtaining my gu's adult enclosure. Hoping for around 8x3x3 measurements. I saw one tutorial for a DIY and was wondering if this is the best way to go, and if it's usually the cheaper route compared to ordering one custom-made?

Do any of you guys have more links to large DIY enclosure tutorials? And also know any good/reliable places to order from for comparison? I live in Louisiana to give an you an idea on shipping distance.

I'd really rather go the cheaper route of course, but I am the furthest thing from a carpenter. My stepfather is a maintenance worker and could help me out, but I'm just wondering if DIY is best for people who don't know what the hell they're doing lol


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## Ntyvirus (Aug 20, 2012)

There's a good video of an outdoor enclosure on YouTube. Just search outdoor tegu cage, the username is hilmsteveduh or Sikhism clOse to that. There's also a history on here that looks vey promising


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## james.w (Aug 20, 2012)

DIY will be quite a bit cheaper and you will be able to build/design it exactly how you want.


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## Scott Hogge (Aug 20, 2012)

Is it going to be outdoor or indoor? What are the temps & humidity like where it will be?


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## Kasmut (Aug 20, 2012)

It will be indoors. The temp will be controlled and most likely will never drop below 70. The humidity will be maintained as well. I live in Louisiana and the humidity is always naturally high also.


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## james.w (Aug 20, 2012)

Sorry double phone post


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## Scott Hogge (Aug 20, 2012)

If its indoors, you can make it out of cardboard boxes, duct tape, and a tarp.

If you aren't worried about humidity, temperature, or your pet cat eating him, you can make it open top, which makes interacting with him really easy.

[attachment=4858]

This is MacGyver's enclosure. It took about 3 hours and costed less than 20 bucks.

It's really easy to build. You don't even need to do any measuring. Just get a bunch of cardboard boxes and start taping them together in the shape you want. Overlap the cardboard to make it stronger... 2 or three layers everywhere should be fine... just keep taping cardboard to any places that flimsy. When you have the shape you want, tape a thick tarp down over the whole thing and you are done. 

If you need to make the walls higher later, its an easy addition. If you want to let him free roam as an adult, you can setup a ramp to let him get himself in/out, or u can just cut a hole in it and then tape around the cut.... or just spend another 3 hr and 20 bucks and make a new one exactly like you wish.

Its also easier to get your basking light at the right height if you can fit an adjustable stand in it.

It makes it super easy to interact with them.
[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSbEwgcB9yU[/video]


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## Kasmut (Aug 20, 2012)

Wow that's a really cool setup. I didn't even think of going that route. Ugh I am so jealous of you. My gu hates me right now and runs away at the sight of me entering the room, much less letting me touch him or climbing up on me. x_x I love the open top idea, but aren't you scared he could climb out?


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## Scott Hogge (Aug 20, 2012)

I was planning on making the front wall higher when he got big enough to climb it, but hes progressing so fast that I'm planning on getting rid of it soon and letting him free roam all the time. He's been free roaming for 3 days straight now and I've setup a basking lamp for him by the balcony door.

When I was in college and couldn't have free roaming tegus because of room mates, I converted half of my bedroom into a cardboard/tarp/duct tape tegu habitat that I raised my red and blue pair in from hatchlings to huge fat 3.5 and 4.5ft monsters. That one had walls about 4 feet high and may of had 4 layers of cardboard or so, I don't recall. I made a door so I could go inside easily and just hang out with them. They ended up being like the tegus in the famous 'tegu attention' youtube video when I would go inside.


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## Dirtydmc (Aug 20, 2012)

A tegu will get out of that. I promise. It cost me $400.00 to build a 6x4 enclosure. I used 3/4" plywood. With all the tools, vents, light fixtures, hinges, latches, drylock, caulk, plexiglass. It would have cost twice that to buy one. If you want to keep your tegu do not make one out of cardboard. It will not last. And he will escape. Even with a lid. He will dig through it.


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## napoleone (Aug 20, 2012)

It's a nice solution but not practical. The tegu will get out in a second (dont need a ramp), also what will you do in the winter ? How are you going to keep heat and humidity ?


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## kellen.watkins (Aug 20, 2012)

Build one that's my suggestion. I built an 8x4x2 plywood plexiglass windows waterproof less than 150$ excluding lights (not fixtures) and I am by no means a carpenter just a little handy.


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## Kasmut (Aug 20, 2012)

Sorry, just to remind people the enclosure I am wanting will not be open-top or made like james.w's (although not saying his isn't fine for him). I made the post asking for advice on DIYing or getting one custom-built, and more importantly if anyone has links to blueprints or tutorials for building your own. Or links/recommendations for custom enclosure builders.


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## kellen.watkins (Aug 20, 2012)

Build it how you want it. Frame it paint it wall it. There are forums of other peoples progress building enclosures some better than others. As far as custom made I looked around and a far as an adult enclosure I've yet to see one less than a grand. Same if you get a large plastic and pvc shipped its about a grand a well.


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## DoctorPepper4 (Aug 21, 2012)

i agree with dirtydmc i built all my enclosure and it was way better then buying one cause you'r going to spend way way more i built a 6x3x3 for my red argentine tegu and a have my caiman lizard in a 4x2x2 that i also built i dont know how to post links but if you go to youtube you can see my enclosure on the 6x3x3 i spent (just on wood) 200.00 on the acrylic window 50.00 then i stained(23.00) it and water treated it(25.00) plus lights and i build a fake brick wall on the 6x3x3(50.00)and a real brick wall on the 4x2x2(74.20) its always better to build you're own enclosure always cheaper and it meets you're expectations


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## Murkve (Aug 21, 2012)

Build it. Build it everytime. Custom cages in Tegu sizes are upwards of $1000. DIY can be build often for $300, if you are carpentry savvy. (Of which I am not.)

And use wood, it is more permanent, stronger, safer, and holds humidity.


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## Kasmut (Aug 21, 2012)

Thanks so much for the tips. Do you know what type of glass is best for sliding doors? I also heard melamine is a good material to build with. Is it better vs. wood or no?


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## Ntyvirus (Aug 21, 2012)

melamine is much heavier then say plywood but i believe it is sturdier


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## Dirtydmc (Aug 21, 2012)

My enclosure is very heavy. A two man job to move. I just used hinges for the front. Didn't want to deal with designing a sliding front. Added a door one the side so I can change water and clean poop easyer. I spent months designing in my head. It pretty simple. If you tell the guy a home depot or lowest what you are doing they will help for free in the length on the cuts. Only cutting I did was for the window m, the side door, and internal frame. I can stand on the enclosure without issues.


Your just building a box. Pretty simple.


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