Housing Questions

[Friedasian]

Hello all...well i am somewhat stuck and have some questions on building or buying a tegu enclosure. First off i have a whole room to myself so a large enclosure wouldnt be a problem to put in there. Im thinking of something around 8x4x4 with a sliding front door. But i am a complete dummie at building anything...it has been 3 years since i picked up a hammer or anything like that. I found some links showing how to build one (nothing through though) but im just afraid ill screw up. So what do you guys think should i just man up and build my own enclosure or order one online (theyre quite expensive i must say) that has been properly built.

Also would it be ok to house a baby tegu in such a large enclosure? Or should i start by puttin it in a smaller tank first?

Thanks!

 

[Joshjack90]

I would say build your own. It is ALOT cheaper to make your own enclosure. Get some plywood, which is already in 8x4 pieces so you wont have to do alot of cutting. What i do is i get 1x1 studs and put one in each back corner and screw into that for added strength and support, and then you can use thinner plywood which is cheaper and lighter. If you want you can email me ad i can send you pictures so you can see what im talkin about. [email protected] Hope this helps!! Goodluck with the new tegu!!!

 

[Friedasian]

Thanks josh i think i kinda get what your talking about, now that you made it simpler to understand haha. Oh and btw i just sent you an email regarding those pictures. Thanks again!

 

[Toby_H]

It's much cheaper to make your own than to buy one... but tihs is true about everything: a house, food, etc, etc... but making your own isn't always practical.

First off, consider your priorities. Which is more important to you, saving money or having a first class enclosure?

Just about anyone can build a simple enclsoure that will work, but some people want a really nice one that is beyond their talent to build. Or they simply do not have the time, space or tools to build one but they do have the money to buy one.

If you will be happy with a simple raw looking enclosure then building your own is quite simple. As suggested above, a simple rectangle frame shelled in plywood is very simple to put together. I suggest using 2x2s (which are actually 1.5" x 1.5") as opposed to 1x1s (which are actually .75" x .75"). While 1x1s will be strong enough to hold the weight/balance of the enclsoure itself, an enclosure this large will almost always have other things sitting on top of it. The more weight you need the enclsoure to hold the bulkier you need the studs to be.

My biggest/best suggestion is to plan plan plan. Draw it out, think it through, figure out every step before you buy or cut anything.

 

[Joshjack90]

It's much cheaper to make your own than to buy one... but tihs is true about everything: a house, food, etc, etc... but making your own isn't always practical.

First off, consider your priorities. Which is more important to you, saving money or having a first class enclosure?

Just about anyone can build a simple enclsoure that will work, but some people want a really nice one that is beyond their talent to build. Or they simply do not have the time, space or tools to build one but they do have the money to buy one.

If you will be happy with a simple raw looking enclosure then building your own is quite simple. As suggested above, a simple rectangle frame shelled in plywood is very simple to put together. I suggest using 2x2s (which are actually 1.5" x 1.5") as opposed to 1x1s (which are actually .75" x .75"). While 1x1s will be strong enough to hold the weight/balance of the enclsoure itself, an enclosure this large will almost always have other things sitting on top of it. The more weight you need the enclsoure to hold the bulkier you need the studs to be.

My biggest/best suggestion is to plan plan plan. Draw it out, think it through, figure out every step before you buy or cut anything.

Yeah i think i actually did use 2x2's im not sure, but either way you know what i meant! Hope this helped!!!