New DIY project...

DeesBalls · 08-09-12, 12:28 PM

okay all, so as you know my snake room is done, got all snakes moved down there and now i need somthing for me leopard gecko...

i have a book shelf that is about an inch or so, SMALLER than a 20 gallon long by both length and width, but height is adjustable... (bookshelving slots...) so my thing is i want to make that a little display cage.. my thing is how would yougo about heating it? and how high would you make it?

here is a quick pic... as you can see i iwill be using reptile carpet for substrate, let me know what you guys think.. and again, its ALMOST the excact size of a 20 gal long... but i can adjust height..

Wildside · 08-09-12, 12:41 PM

What are the ambient temps of the actual room gonna be?

DeesBalls · 08-09-12, 12:49 PM

after everything is set up and going, should be around 76-80, i will have a small heater on in the room.

Wildside · 08-09-12, 02:38 PM

I dunno... I think what I might do would be to put some flexwatt on the back then put a 20 Long tank in there. That leaves you wide open for quite a few options and is gonna be easy.

DeesBalls · 08-09-12, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildside

I dunno... I think what I might do would be to put some flexwatt on the back then put a 20 Long tank in there. That leaves you wide open for quite a few options and is gonna be easy.

i was going to use flex watt on the back, but the 20 gal long tank wont fit in there...

DeesBalls · 08-10-12, 08:48 AM

so what i got done today is...

flexwatt wired, and in place, plexiglass covering on the plexi glass, just like i did with my snake cages. and will be getting more done later, and pics to come later... right now i have the heat tape hooked up getting warm (check)

Wildside · 08-10-12, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeEuGi

i was going to use flex watt on the back, but the 20 gal long tank wont fit in there...

Oh you did say smaller didn't you

DeesBalls · 08-10-12, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildside

Oh you did say smaller didn't you

:P buy like an inch.

franks · 08-10-12, 10:13 AM

I would suggest taking the shelves and routing heat rope into them. Run the wires out of the side into a dimmer switch. Use puck lighting to light the enclosures. Join all the wires in a junction box behind the unit and run a wire from their to a timer.
The doors are failry straight foward. Buy sheets of acrylic at home depot, and use a table saw to cut a channel into 1x3 to make the door. Good luck.

DeesBalls · 08-10-12, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by franks

I would suggest taking the shelves and routing heat rope into them. Run the wires out of the side into a dimmer switch. Use puck lighting to light the enclosures. Join all the wires in a junction box behind the unit and run a wire from their to a timer.
The doors are failry straight foward. Buy sheets of acrylic at home depot, and use a table saw to cut a channel into 1x3 to make the door. Good luck.

thanks for the suggestion, i will be using a UTH, under the plexi glass (like i have in all 5 of my cages) on a thermostat. i am having problems with the doors now though, im having trouble holding/drilling the hindges on where they need to go by my self..

and i have very stong magnets to hold the doors shut...

if need be, ill be putting in sliding doors instead, although i dont want to.

what is puck lighting?

DeesBalls · 08-10-12, 12:28 PM

update: flexwatt i had doesnt work (its old) so ill use an UTH on thermostat.... and need to use sliding doors, hindges suck.

Brently · 08-11-12, 01:15 PM

I would drill a hole in the back wall after you have the height set and run the flex watt through the back wall. You could even grove the bottom shelf for it to sit in. Then install and seal plexi or something similar. And make it either open from the front or top. I think you can really use your imagination with this.

DeesBalls · 08-11-12, 03:58 PM

what i am thinking about doing now is to:

use the TOP AND BOTTOM. make it 1 big enclosure. at first i was going to only have 1.1 leos in there, but now thinking at the time... ill use the top and bottom to make it all one big cage. i will put either a ramp, or wooden branch decor so they can go from top to bottom... i will have the warm spot on top, it will be 12''x12'' and then the bottom will be the cool(er) ''side'' and go from there?

still not sure.. the baby shower is tomorrow so i wont be working on it this weekend at all.

DeesBalls · 08-13-12, 05:03 PM

It is done... looks pretty nice.. im happt with it and im sure my leo will be happy with it, now to get him a nice female to play with

Wildside · 08-13-12, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeEuGi

It is done... looks pretty nice.. im happt with it and im sure my leo will be happy with it, now to get him a nice female to play with

You need a few females for him to play with. Pics?