I saw one on Facebook marketplace and i was wanting to make one for when i get a python, i had one for 6yrs but unfortunately i think a pet store sold me some sick mice bc she was healthy one day, she ate some mice 2 days later dead
This is super helpful! i'm doing this to a tall dresser for my crested gecko. I noticed some comments about the substrate attached to the foam not holding up, how's it holding up?
You do know that most of that background will only last a year at most, considering all that dust that is under it. That's why most spray the foam and wait for it to totally cure before covering it in silicone and then adding the substrate over black silicone. Then there are others that add the substrate directly one the foam like you did but they do it in sections with proper curing time between the back and either side. The spray foam is a horrible product to use. It is easily damaged as well as some small lizards can dig into it. It also has a short lifespan in high humidity as well as high temperatures. It isn't made to be an outside structure but an inside gap filler. You are better off using pink, blue, green insulation foam boards. They come in a few different thicknesses so you can stack the sheets if needed and glued together with expanding glue AKA gorilla glue or simular. Then you can carve it to the shape/s you want or need. Then, cover it with whatever substrates you want to use. You can use grout to make it look like stone or just as a base coat to make it harder for your reptiles to dig into it. It also makes a better base than silicone as you don't have to worry about having patches of black shiny spots after a while. It also gives a much better surface for mosses and veining plants to grow on. Those are just a few things that are better about the insulation foam boards than the spray foam. Oh, not to mention the price of the sheets are much less the cans of spray as well as not needing days of waiting time between coats of foam as you are only supposed to do single layers of foam and not thick layers as the foam needs air to cure properly and if it is too thick it won't cure properly and you will have pockets of uncured foam in your background. It sucks cutting into these pockets (even if only a pinprick hole) only to have a huge growth show up in what you thought was a finished background the next morning.
did u use normal plywood.? ive heard all plywood is usually pine n thats toxic to snakes.?? im about to be building a enclosure for a 6ft boa constrictor n its my first time building a enclosure also lol😬
It's oriented strand board sheathing. It's various types of wood chips glued together. Cheaper, but not a good choice over actual plywood. There's no telling what kind of fumes will be in the cage. Or if the sealant will keep it out.
Did you just buy a reptile light and hang it? I'm trying to figure out how best to do lighting for my dresser conversion, but I don't want my beardie to be able to touch it.
Awesome video! I was panicking for a bit because I wasn’t sure how to keep them from feezing and was very worried! You are by far one of my favorite reptile influencers! ❤️ love your videos!
Upon unboxing, I was immediately upset at how the rails were very noticeably bent. But I kept going, all tools needed to assemble were included ru-vid.comUgkxqtX4Dxs6aecAZEuz6GY5-d81YecKCshn and I had it set up in about 30 minutes. Honestly I love this thing, make sure to read the measurements and measure your space so you know if it'll work for you. I bought this to put inside my closet, underneath where I hang my clothes and it is absolutely perfect! It is VERY sturdy and all drawers glide easily and mine are stuffed, and they are still flush when closed.
Can I do this with a metal cabinet....I've found them and like metal structures more I'd make it an industrial look. Obviously I'd treat it with the same waterproofing and maybe even add wood or insulation
This is the first DIY enclosure video I've seen that doesnt wait for the foam to dry first (followed by silicone) before putting the dirt on it. Have you found that its still sticking, 3+ months later?
Hey man I got a question did you dry lock the entire inside ? And I wanna try to make one I have two old book cases about 7 feet tall 2 feet long about 18" deep I could re measure but I got two and my sister wants to toss them but I wanna set them up for like idk but did you sand stuff first ? Like dude this is amazing brother 😅makes me think I don't have to spend 800$ on a custom tank for my beardie 😅
I have never had an issue with these products as far as the health of the reptiles. I make sure to give each product its recommended time to fully cure, however I still highly recommend doing a lot of reasearch before I using a product👍
As long as you are giving everything used here time to fully cure, you should be in the clear. Again I am no expert but I have used these products for various enclosure projects and have had no problems yet. Thanks for commenting!
Thank you! The spacing between the two pieces acrylic glass and the hole in the back for the chords provide enough ventilation while holding enough humidity for the plants. Good catch!
I’m planning on using a dresser or some type of furniture to make an enclosure for my snake (although I have to figure out doors or curtain to hide the glass (it may be against my lease to have reptiles 🫢)
@@libbylou6004 LOOK FOR AN OLD TV CABINET WITH THE DOORS THAT OPEN AND FOLD/PUSH IN, ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE MAKING COFFE STATIONS OUT OF THEM, BUT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO CONCEAL THE ENCLOSURE IF NEEDED...
Love this! My only recommendation would be to go easy with the bright bulbs for daytime. Prolonged exposure can lead to early blindness. I like to use black or red bulbs, and just allow my room lighting to illuminate it better. My two oldest leos both turn 14 this year!
That’s actually the opposite. The red and colored lights can cause blindness and hurt their eyes. The only lights you should be using are white lights.
Colored light for animals with good eyesight is like the worst you can do!! White light, in the spectrum of 5200K to 7000K, is what is safest for the eyes of reptiles, read some science papers once and a while stop spreading harmful information about a topic in which you are not informed
You madman! Every guide I've seen does spray foam, wait for cure, cut into foam, then silicon, then cocofiber, if this works well that's so much time and steps saved!
Lol Thank you! Yeah It works amazing and can save potentially days on a project. Just definitely wear gloves because it is impossible to get off your fingers. I learned the hard way.
I make sure to sand off any pieces that would hurt the snake and I've found that they tend to really like the roughness when it's shedding time. However I've been using spray foam and peat moss a lot more lately and I like it better.
Okay that legit just makes me want to rip apart my dresser and make one giant enclosure, and stick a bunch, well not a bunch, but a good group of little green lizards, or tree frogs. Could you imagine if I made one that large for my Pac-Man frog.
I love enclosures made from furniture, they are unique and a great way to provide a larger space for your animals. I have thought that the mostly glass china cabinets would make beautiful enclosures for reptiles that need vertical space.
