New Monitor Cage Build

[Tonka14]

Been Spending a lot of time working on this giant lately. Building a 4'x8'x'4' cage for my Savannah Monitor. It will have 1/4" glass doors and 1/4" windows on each end with a HID metal halide and sulfur sodium light setup when its all done. I will post more as it goes on.
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[Tsubaki]

Looking nice! Can't wait for updates.

[Pirarucu]

Nice build! Keep us posted.

[Tonka14]

Started getting the inside sheeting put in today. Put in a shelf/box area that is going to house a double 5 gallon sump and filter for the pond that will be on top of the shelf. The doors have double hinges on them to I can either open just the glass portion of the door, or I can open them all the way up and have full access to the opening of the cage. More updates to come soon.
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[Tsubaki]

starting to look like something now :D nice!

[LarryS]

Looking good!

[sharthun]

Very nice! :cool:

[Pirarucu]

Good looking cage, can't wait to see it finished!

[Tonka14]

Well the cage build got put on hold for a few today. While I was working on it I pulled my back pretty bad moving a half sheet of plywood on to the table saw to cut down for the side panel. Hopefully I will be feeling well enough real soon so I can get it finished.

[sharthun]

Well the cage build got put on hold for a few today. While I was working on it I pulled my back pretty bad moving a half sheet of plywood on to the table saw to cut down for the side panel. Hopefully I will be feeling well enough real soon so I can get it finished.

I hate it when that happens! Hope you heal up fast, your enclosure is looking awesome! Can't wait to see it finished.

[Tonka14]

Well finally feeling good enough to get out and get some more done on the cage the next group of pics will be with all the rubber laid, I am pretty sure you all know what plywood looks like with some square holes cut in it so I didn't take any pics today.

[Tonka14]

Started getting the rubber put in the enclosure tonight. What a PITA I must say, had I known that it was going to be like this I would of just sealed the wood with resin instead. But here are a couple pics of the current progress of it I am going to get it finished it up tomorrow night and then get all the seams sealed up. :D

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[Teal]

That is going to look amazing when it is complete! Nice!

[Tonka14]

Finally to some time to get back to work on the enclosure. All the rubber is now in and extra sealed where need be and also got the main part of the plumbing and pond put in. Going to try and have pretty much most of it done this weekend as long as time allows me to.
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[sharthun]

Wow looking better all the time! You will need help moving that enclosure when finished! :p:p

[Tonka14]

Wow looking better all the time! You will need help moving that enclosure when finished! :p:p
I have sliders under the corners of it and it only has to move about 3ft back and to the left to be where it will stay. I won't even think about dirt until its in its final resting place.

[sharthun]

I have sliders under the corners of it and it only has to move about 3ft back and to the left to be where it will stay. I won't even think about dirt until its in its final resting place.

Thinking ahead, I like that!

[jpsteele80]

Having had big monitors before, I believe that white rubber stuff your lining it with is going to get tore up, monitors are diggers and the will tear at everything in there, just a suggestion but I would line it with FRP.

[Tonka14]

Having had big monitors before, I believe that white rubber stuff your lining it with is going to get tore up, monitors are diggers and the will tear at everything in there, just a suggestion but I would line it with FRP.

It is rubber roofing for RV's it was free and that is why I went that way and its all been pretty well attached to the wood with contact cement. If he tears it up to bad ill just have to redo it. I wanted to try something new and see how it worked for me

[jpsteele80]

Let us know, I'd be interested to see how it works out in the long run, i always used FRP and it never failed that's why i mentioned it, with water monitors and argus monitors (especially argus) they tear the hell out of everything

[Tonka14]

I sure will, hopefully my savannah won't tear it up to bad

[Kimmie]

wauw awesome :)

[Tonka14]

Well I spent all day working on the enclosure and got a lot done on it. There are only a couple more things to do and my baby can enjoy his new home. Finally got all the piping and filter hooked up and the flow rate just perfect so the buckets don't overflow or the pump doesn't drain to fast (what a major pain that was). All the glass is finally here and in the openings and doors are almost done with required hardware. I only need to finish sealing the inside, build the rock formation out of spray foam and grout, lighting and dirt and she will be all complete. I am hoping to have everything but the dirt done tomorrow night after I get home from school and I will take some new pics and post them up for all to see. Thanks for all the kind words and suggestions from everybody, this has been a great adventure for me to build and can't wait to start on the Retic one next.

[Sublimeballs]

Can't wait to see it done man. So pics tomorrow?lol

[Tonka14]

Ok well the work continues. I went to Lowes to get some more items for the enclosure and I was like a kid in a candy store in the paver section when I found sales on everything I needed. I picked up stuff to build the basking area and cave and more retaining wall blocks to put around the pond along with more spray foam to make some fake rock. So here are some update pics
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I will be grouting all the foam tomorrow and adding all the rocks to the pond to take up some of the depth in it.

[sharthun]

That is going to be one lucky monitor!



Ok well the work continues. I went to Lowes to get some more items for the enclosure and I was like a kid in a candy store in the paver section when I found sales on everything I needed. I picked up stuff to build the basking area and cave and more retaining wall blocks to put around the pond along with more spray foam to make some fake rock. So here are some update pics
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I will be grouting all the foam tomorrow and adding all the rocks to the pond to take up some of the depth in it.

[jarich]

Getting there! Will be cool to see it all set up. Can I ask why you went with all the U bends in the plumbing? Given how much they throw dirt into the water, I think you may find that just a small straight run out into the drainage bucket may be your best bet.

[Tonka14]

Getting there! Will be cool to see it all set up. Can I ask why you went with all the U bends in the plumbing? Given how much they throw dirt into the water, I think you may find that just a small straight run out into the drainage bucket may be your best bet.

Its just something I was trying out to see how will it will work. If it turns out that it get all clogged up with dirt I can unscrew it from the bulk head fitting in the tub and fun a straight run into the bucket.

[Tonka14]

Didn't do much at all tonight just got the lighting installed, I do have to run a power wire to the florescent fixture and that will be all done.
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[Tonka14]

Well the cage is as done as its going to get for now, I had to get him out of the temp cage. It was starting to get to him and cause him to start acting funny, but now he has been in for over a week and back to normal and as feisty as ever. Here are some new pics
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[Tonka14]

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