Kimberely rock monitor enclousure

[wareagleA5]

Monitors on FB, you got to love it, and yeah I've only been checking the classifieds. I bought the electrical today and I have to decide on what to do for the door/window. Sliding glass or a hinged window. I'm leaning towards hinged window because I don't know if crickets and roaches can escape from the gap in sliding glass.

I also ended up ordering epoxy from a manufacturer for much cheaper than I could find at home depot and the local boating store. I got 6 quarts for a little more than what I would have paid for two locally. They have a website raka.com, and I ended calling and explaining what I was building. They said the closest thing to that their epoxy is used for is outdoor raised flower beds. He said two coats and it'll last for years. He also calculated how much I needed based on surface area and I doubled it because of another project.
eta The epoxy they make is for boat building so it should be good.

[wareagleA5]

Just a little more woodwork and I'll be putting the epoxy on this weekend if the weather cooperates.

[smy_749]

Originally Posted by wareagleA5

Monitors on FB, you got to love it, and yeah I've only been checking the classifieds. I bought the electrical today and I have to decide on what to do for the door/window. Sliding glass or a hinged window. I'm leaning towards hinged window because I don't know if crickets and roaches can escape from the gap in sliding glass.

I also ended up ordering epoxy from a manufacturer for much cheaper than I could find at home depot and the local boating store. I got 6 quarts for a little more than what I would have paid for two locally. They have a website raka.com, and I ended calling and explaining what I was building. They said the closest thing to that their epoxy is used for is outdoor raised flower beds. He said two coats and it'll last for years. He also calculated how much I needed based on surface area and I doubled it because of another project.
eta The epoxy they make is for boat building so it should be good.

I thought I responded to this, almost positive I did. Strange...Go with the hinge, crap gets stuck in the sliding glass, humidity escapes easier and small critters will probably make their way out. Nevermind the annoying sand/dirt that is going to get in the track. Cage looks good.

[wareagleA5]

Originally Posted by smy_749

I thought I responded to this, almost positive I did. Strange...Go with the hinge, crap gets stuck in the sliding glass, humidity escapes easier and small critters will probably make their way out. Nevermind the annoying sand/dirt that is going to get in the track. Cage looks good.

Thanks, I'll go with the hinged window. That'l give me something to do while I wait a week for the epoxy to fully cure.

[wareagleA5]

I put two 70w halogens in to speed up the epoxy and I'm also experimenting with basking spots while I have the lights in. Does this look to concentrated and should the entire surface be the same temp? I haven't got the IR temp gun yet, but just wondering if this is ok.

[smy_749]

Blah, was tired when I read that the first time. Its hard to see if its big enough without the monitor in there. If its too small of a spot, just get smaller bulbs and place two next to eachother to make a bigger spot.

[wareagleA5]

Originally Posted by smy_749

Blah, was tired when I read that the first time. Its hard to see if its big enough without the monitor in there. If its too small of a spot, just get smaller bulbs and place two next to eachother to make a bigger spot.

I'll do that, the big rock is 19" long, I never used higher than 100 degree basking temps with my Nile because I was always worried about the spot being to small.
Thanks again, and I hope to get some monitors by the end of March.

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by wareagleA5

I put two 70w halogens in to speed up the epoxy and I'm also experimenting with basking spots while I have the lights in. Does this look to concentrated and should the entire surface be the same temp? I haven't got the IR temp gun yet, but just wondering if this is ok.

Looks about right for a small species, however without a temp gun, sight alone is not enough......

[wareagleA5]

Originally Posted by infernalis

Looks about right for a small species, however without a temp gun, sight alone is not enough......

Yeah this is my hangup with the higher temp basking spots. The closer you get the light the smaller the light spot gets, and in my mind it's like a magnifying glass that's gonna burn my monitor, even though I see pictures of the same thing and no one else's monitors are getting burned up. I'll just have to trust the temp gun.

[wareagleA5]

I got the stand built, and experimented with the temp gun for the basking spot, I was able to get it up to 150 when it was on top of the two 2x4s with the 70 watt bulbs. I'm also thinking about lining the inside with foam paneling to keep it insulated so I can use less wattage. I painted some epoxy on the foam and just poured sand on until it cured. It was just a quick test run, it would look a little better with more time and two coats.

[wareagleA5]

Door is finally on, few more inches of substrate and couple of weeks to get the temps right and it will be done.

[wareagleA5]

I got rained out before I could find any more drift wood, but I did get this nice hollowed Cypress knee. I'm getting 135 in the basking spot and 82 on the cool end with two 70 watt bulbs.

[murrindindi]

Hi, that`s a great piece of wood, are you planning on using anything on the walls (such as wooden trellis) so they can use more of the available space above ground?
And just for the sake of accuracy, it`s spelt KimberLEY with the E before the Y. I was born in Western Oz, and it`s nice when people spell the names correctly, as I'm sure you all like to do in America! For instance, I know Wayne`s lives in Nuw Yerk....

[psychocircus]

Looking good! Can't wait to see it all set with an animal/animals inside!

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by murrindindi

For instance, I know Wayne`s lives in Nuw Yerk....