Hello everyone!
I'm new here as far as posting goes, though otherwise I have been a lurker for a long time! I've finally posted as I'm looking for some input on something, so prepare yourself for some heavy rambling. :p
I've had this empty cage (look below for pictures!) for a while now and I am trying to figure out how to convert it into something livable for an argentine b/w youngster... or if it's even worth doing so. The dimensions on it are 4x2x2 and it was originally crafted for a baby BCI I had many years ago. The person who made it for me really didn't listen when I asked about sealing the wood, so it was unfortunately left exposed throughout its use since I was younger at the time and had no means of getting it done myself. Nothing has warped despite this and it's still incredibly sturdy, though there are some obvious stains and water damage here and there. Obviously, this thing needs some fixing up and I'd love some advice on making it a suitable home for a baby tegu.
My current to-do list for it is here:
1) Cleaning it up. Pretty straight forward. I want to take out the background and remove the cheap vinyl flooring.
2) Widening the hole for a much larger basking lamp and adding screen mesh for it to sit on. The edges of the lamp used to sit directly on the wood and if you look you can see the plywood is a bit darker in these areas due to heat exposure. I was never very happy with this part of the design, but again, the person who made the cage for me didn't really care for my input. How much bigger do you think I should make this? I'd like something that I can place a 10" lamp onto... so I was thinking of making it a bit wider than that.
3) Coat it with Drylok and seal the corners. I'm not sure how well this will work considering the bit of damage it already has, even though it's really nothing too bad. If this was a long-term enclosure, I would probably be more concerned. However, considering the growth rate of tegus, I'm not terribly worried. I just need something that will work for a few months.
4) Mount a fluorescent light fixture for a UV bulb. This one is a bit annoying for me. I've looked at my local hardware store and the only fixtures they stock that would work with a T8 bulb are 4' long and up. I might be able to get a 3' one, but I'm not sure... I was looking for 2', but all they seem to have for that are fixtures that take T5 bulbs.
5) Make a larger lip at the front of the cage to hold more substrate. I'm not too sure how tall to make it, though. I figured something like 8"-12"? Should I make it deeper or is that fine?
6) Add a clip that attaches from the top of the cage to the door to keep it from falling once open. While this has never been an issue, I'd feel a lot better knowing the door isn't suddenly going to swing shut because somebody bumped it and possibly harm my pet... if not worse. :c
AND... I believe that is all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure I left something out, but those are the few things that seemed most important when it came to revamping the cage. Oh gosh, I'm so sorry I kind of just went off and rambled. I didn't mean to write so much, I just wanted to make sure everything was clear and understandable! D: Basically, what I want to know is if this seems like it would be more cost effective and better for the tegu or if I should just save up and buy a large glass tank at the pet shop or take my chances on craigslist(living in a rural area+craigslist=disappointment). Though, I've heard the glass terrariums can have some issues with keeping up humidity/the glass getting too hot, so I'm not sure what to think! Hence, why I've come to get advice. c:
Also, if keeping this cage is the best route, what other improvements do you think I could I make to it? I've never really constructed anything on my own before, so I just want to be sure I'm doing this correctly before diving into anything.
(sorry for the tininess and blurriness of the pictures, I had to take them with my phone)
Thank you for reading!
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