New Project

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

andyjs

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Aug 13, 2008
2,765
4
36
37
Ohio
This isn't an aquarium build, but it's still a DIY project, so I put it here. If mods see fit for it to be in reptiles, they can feel free to put it there.

As kids, my friend and I took a big wooden box that was in our garage when we moved into the house and modified it (poorly) into a baby iguana cage for our baby iguanas we won at the county fair arcade (needless to say, the sad, diseased little guys didn't last long).

Now I've decided to fix it up and put it to good use for my beardie when he outgrows his 20 long. Currently the cage is 48"X15"X22", but when I build a stand and canopy for the setup, I plan on knocking out the back and expanding it to about 48X24X22.

I'll be putting up pics as I go along, but I wont actually be starting the project till I'm off school for Thanksgiving break (2 weeks), but I've got some questions before I get started.


For one, I want to seal the inside of the cage really well to make it waterproof for cleaning and in case I decide to use the setup for a higher humidity species down the road. What are some brands of the brush on sealant people have used on their plywood tank builds and how much do they cost?

I'll probably have some more questions as this project goes on, but that's all I have so far.
 
Popcorn on standby
 
andyjs;2386127; said:
For one, I want to seal the inside of the cage really well to make it waterproof for cleaning and in case I decide to use the setup for a higher humidity species down the road. What are some brands of the brush on sealant people have used on their plywood tank builds and how much do they cost?
Anyone?
 
It really depends, do you want it to hold water or be safe if it comes in contact with water? You could put a few coats of polyurethane on it as a start. If you want it to actually hold water I would go with a pond liner or some type of epoxy. Water proof methods are much more expensive.
 
I think I might just go with the polyurethane for now. It will have sliding front glass or acrylic doors, so it would only be able to hold maybe 6" of water max if I modified it for a semi-aquatic species in the future anyway. With my beardie, it's be pretty dry so it really wont matter.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com