How to waterproof DIY vivarium.

[paul112]

Hello all.
Been meaning to make my own viv for ages, and I finally got some spare cash and created a small wooden one to sit under my Tokay Gecko tank.

I made it from exterior plywood from a building supply store. The basic box shape is made from this, with a 3" lip on the bottom of the front end to keep substrate in the tank. The rest of the front is a flush piece of glass, and the whole thing is held together and sealed by silicone sealant.

Now, I've found a tree frog at the local store which I would like to try out in this tank (side note, it's labelled a "Blue Toed Tree Frog" but I'm having trouble finding info on it, any help here?). However, having kept treefrogs before, I know the tank has to be pretty humid, and I'm not sure how to go about waterproofing this tank.

This is a pretty budget project. The wood was £7, silicone was £5 and the glass was £2. I don't want to spend loads on fiberglassing the thing, so any alternative methods here would be appreciated

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Amaroq]

If its only for the frog then just buy a small sheet of Corrugated Plastic which can be picked up at most large chain hardware stores. Its the same stuff they use for realastate signs. Just line the inside of the cage with it then silicone the cracks. There you go, 100% sealed!

Just be aware that corrugated plastic has a fairly low melting point so don't put light bulbs on/right beside it. It is also fairly cheap, in Canada it is $20 for a 8'x4' sheet which would probably allow you to make a quite a few cages!

 

[paul112]

I've considered lining it with plastic or glass, but I was looking for something along the lines of varnish. I don't want it to hold a pool of water, just be able to deal with the humidity and moist substrate.

I found some stuff on Polyurethane varnish, but I'm not sure how safe that is exactly, especially with amphibians.

Any further help?
Paul