# Building My 1st Enclosure (Pics)



## yarok (Apr 6, 2012)

Plywood 48 x 24 x 24. Thomsons water sealant. Sliding plexiglass doors. Round vents, 3 per side. Not sure about Lighting/Heating yet. Need ideas.


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## MarcaineArt (Apr 6, 2012)

Looks like a good start. Is this for indoor or outdoor use?


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## Tom (Apr 6, 2012)

Keep the pics and updates coming. If you close in the top and put all your lights and heat inside, it will create the optimum environment AND save you a ton on electricity. You'll probably only need a 50 watt incandescent flood bulb for basking on one side. Then I'd mount a flourescent fixture over the middle with a 24" bulb. You could use a 10.0 tube. I don't know how much UV you will really get out of it, especially from 24" away, but it won't hurt anything. Lastly, I'd hang a 60 watt CHE toward the other side from the heat bulb and run it 24/7 on a thermostat. I set mine to 80 for leopard and sulcata babies, but that is up to you. I don't think you will need 6 vents. If they are closable then you will have the option of more or less airflow. I use ZERO vents on my 4'x8'x24" enclosure.

I think you and your tortoise are going to be very happy with the results. This sort of enclosure allows you to more easily simulate the warm humid rainy season over there. So good for them.

This will be good practice for you. About the time you finish putting away all your tools and move him in, it will be time to build a bigger one.


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## StudentoftheReptile (Apr 6, 2012)

Actually, if I recall correctly, I believe this enclosure is for his savannah monitor. I could be wrong though.


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## yarok (Apr 6, 2012)

MarcaineArt said:


> Looks like a good start. Is this for indoor or outdoor use?



Indoors



Tom said:


> Keep the pics and updates coming. If you close in the top and put all your lights and heat inside, it will create the optimum environment AND save you a ton on electricity. You'll probably only need a 50 watt incandescent flood bulb for basking on one side. Then I'd mount a flourescent fixture over the middle with a 24" bulb. You could use a 10.0 tube. I don't know how much UV you will really get out of it, especially from 24" away, but it won't hurt anything. Lastly, I'd hang a 60 watt CHE toward the other side from the heat bulb and run it 24/7 on a thermostat. I set mine to 80 for leopard and sulcata babies, but that is up to you. I don't think you will need 6 vents. If they are closable then you will have the option of more or less airflow. I use ZERO vents on my 4'x8'x24" enclosure.
> 
> I think you and your tortoise are going to be very happy with the results. This sort of enclosure allows you to more easily simulate the warm humid rainy season over there. So good for them.
> 
> This will be good practice for you. About the time you finish putting away all your tools and move him in, it will be time to build a bigger one.



The top is already closed. the part thats open is actually the front of the enclosure. Thanks for the lighting advice.


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## Tom (Apr 6, 2012)

StudentoftheReptile said:


> Actually, if I recall correctly, I believe this enclosure is for his savannah monitor. I could be wrong though.



Ooh. That would certainly change my heating and lighting advice.


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## yarok (Apr 6, 2012)

StudentoftheReptile said:


> Actually, if I recall correctly, I believe this enclosure is for his savannah monitor. I could be wrong though.



Well this is my 1st enclosure. If it works out nicely I will probably build another.



Tom said:


> StudentoftheReptile said:
> 
> 
> > Actually, if I recall correctly, I believe this enclosure is for his savannah monitor. I could be wrong though.
> ...



Well if I end up using it for the savannah monitor than what lighting advice would you have for me?


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## Tom (Apr 6, 2012)

Have a solid top, but cut holes to fit all the same lighting equipment in the same fashion. I use half inch hardware cloth to rest all of my heating stuff on. Also, use some bailing wire to fasten your domes to the wire so they cannot be tipped over or moved onto the wood. If you listen to nothing else, listen to that. Fire risk is serious with heat bulbs and wood enclosures. I speak from experience. Bad experience.

You could also build a hardware cloth layer to rest the heating equipment on and build a cover over that... let me explain better. Build the enclosure a little taller, but exactly the same otherwise and have a hardware cloth shelf or layer inside to rest all your electrical equipment on. This way ALL of your heat and humidity is still contained inside your closed chamber, but your lizard cannot access it and get burned or knock it over. The problem with resting in on top and outside the enclosure is that a large percentage of the heat generated goes up into the room, instead of staying in the enclosure where you want it. Also the holes needed for your heating equipment allow your warm humid air to escape up and out into the room. You end up needing much more electricity since so much of it is wasted in the room. In a closed chamber ALL of the heat stays inside the enclosure where you want it. All the vents you are installing will let your heat out too...


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## Redstrike (Apr 6, 2012)

Looking great, please do keep the photos coming as you progress. I'm thinking of a similar design for my two cherryheads - especially the sliding glass front. Problem is, I'm not all that great with carpentry, so you documenting this would be extremely helpful!


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## yarok (Apr 6, 2012)

Tom said:


> Have a solid top, but cut holes to fit all the same lighting equipment in the same fashion. I use half inch hardware cloth to rest all of my heating stuff on. Also, use some bailing wire to fasten your domes to the wire so they cannot be tipped over or moved onto the wood. If you listen to nothing else, listen to that. Fire risk is serious with heat bulbs and wood enclosures. I speak from experience. Bad experience.
> 
> You could also build a hardware cloth layer to rest the heating equipment on and build a cover over that... let me explain better. Build the enclosure a little taller, but exactly the same otherwise and have a hardware cloth shelf or layer inside to rest all your electrical equipment on. This way ALL of your heat and humidity is still contained inside your closed chamber, but your lizard cannot access it and get burned or knock it over. The problem with resting in on top and outside the enclosure is that a large percentage of the heat generated goes up into the room, instead of staying in the enclosure where you want it. Also the holes needed for your heating equipment allow your warm humid air to escape up and out into the room. You end up needing much more electricity since so much of it is wasted in the room. In a closed chamber ALL of the heat stays inside the enclosure where you want it. All the vents you are installing will let your heat out too...



The vents i was planning to install are 1 and a half inch round vents. I plan to put 3 on each side. Do you Think that would be a mistake?


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## Jacob (Apr 6, 2012)

Very Nice, cant wait to see if finished!


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## Tom (Apr 6, 2012)

yarok said:


> The vents i was planning to install are 1 and a half inch round vents. I plan to put 3 on each side. Do you Think that would be a mistake?



Not necessarily a mistake. It just depends on your enclosure and your house. For my enclosure and my house, no vent holes work best. Are your vents closable? Can you cover them up to stop heat and humidity loss if you need to? Can you start with out them and easily add them later if you think you need them? They might be fine, especially if you have a humid hide box available. You DO have a humid hide box for that awesome lizard, don't you? You need one right away, if not. Those REALLY help the African Varanids thrive. The results from my blackthroats were amazing.


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## yarok (Apr 6, 2012)

yea thanks for that tip by the way. I am looking for a 24 inch light fixture for UVB that has a cage around it. I have noticed that alot of custom enclosures have metal cages covering there fixtures. Would you have any idea where i could get my hands on one of those?


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## lynnedit (Apr 7, 2012)

yarok said:


> yea thanks for that tip by the way. I am looking for a 24 inch light fixture for UVB that has a cage around it. I have noticed that alot of custom enclosures have metal cages covering there fixtures. Would you have any idea where i could get my hands on one of those?



Do you mean the 24" long UV light fixture for the UV tube light? Those don't really generate heat, so don't get too hot. You shoudldn't need a cage protector. CHE's or UVB or basking lights are different, but the round brooder or dome lights work for them, and reptile supply places have cage covers. (Maybe I understood your question wrong?)


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 7, 2012)




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## Infernalis (Apr 7, 2012)

looking great...

Regarding your lighting questions...

I have my basking lights set up like this...(The tube is a 10.0 UVB florescent)






To ease your worries, I used my temp gun to measure the surface of the bulb itself, I got a reading of 138 degrees (F) that is COOLER than my basking platform itself, so any contact with a 50 watt bulb is harmless.

Using guards or hoods allows for this to happen..






as you can see, once the lizard gets bigger, it can yank down the wiring, with NO guard in place, the lizard has nothing to get hold of to yank, and by using 50 watt bulbs, there is zero burn risk if the animal does touch the bulb.

My basking spot reading (with just 2 50 watt bulbs) 






and the babies love it...







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## yarok (Apr 8, 2012)

Infernalis said:


> looking great...
> 
> Regarding your lighting questions...
> 
> ...


Thank you that was extremely helpful. Can you post some pics of your entire enclosure for me? Just need some ideas on how to set things up. Thanks again.


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## Infernalis (Apr 8, 2012)

sure...

BRB


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## Infernalis (Apr 8, 2012)

OK, I assembled some pictures for you to get ideas from.

First is my cage..






Looking inside it...






My babies love that grass in there.

now, here are some pics I have from other peoples projects, (for ideas)





















here is a blog I made while putting mine together..

http://www.chompersite.com/cage.htm

hope this helps.


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## Tom (Apr 8, 2012)

lynnedit said:


> yarok said:
> 
> 
> > yea thanks for that tip by the way. I am looking for a 24 inch light fixture for UVB that has a cage around it. I have noticed that alot of custom enclosures have metal cages covering there fixtures. Would you have any idea where i could get my hands on one of those?
> ...



Its not just the heat. The lizards will grab it and try to climb on. Don't want the bulb to break.


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