pridecity
Patients took over asylum
With a new and better paying job, I'm getting to the point where I can redesign my reptile room. I have several animals I need to plan for and despite my previous efforts to plan, I keep changing my mind. I'd love some input and suggestions. This project won't start for at least another month as I'll need to find someone to build for me if my step-father won't be able to take the time to do work.
Here are the animals I am looking to rehouse into better environments:
4 bearded dragons
5 turtles
2 snakes (rehoming the rest)
1 uromastyx
possibly a blue tongue skink
Obviously I can use a standard cage size for most of these, which I've decided will be 2 or 3 feet wide, between 2 and 3 feet tall and at least 6 feet long.
We'll start with the turtles. I have three different species, five turtles in all. Four are box turtles and one is a painted turtle. One box turtle is was identified as a "Gulf Coast Three Toed Box Turtle", but I couldn't find the exact name so I'm waiting for an id on another forum. The others are Ornates. Two box turtles are male, the other two female. I'd like to keep them all together, which is possible with a big enough cage.
The standard minimum for boxies is 16sq. Basing my measurements on that, I'd like to get as close to 80sq of workable cage as possible. The minimum excepted tank size for a female painted is 125 gallons. Seeing as Ornates are semi-aquatic, a land/water environment is okay and ideal. Depending on what the other boxie is, she may be compatible with the same environment.
I made a very quick, slightly accurate scale model of a cage idea. I'm thinking that I could probably fit a cage that is "L" shaped into the reptile room. On arm of the "L" would be 10 feet x 4, while the other would be 4x5 feet. This gives a total of about 60sq of land. If it were a straight cage, I guess it would be a 15x4 cage (?).
I was thinking about making a screened in ramp sloping gently down to a stock tank so that everyone has access to water. Let me present a few pictures and explain them.
As you can see, I'm thinking about using a wood based cage. It would have viewing windows on four sides. The top would be screen I think. This would give plenty of air flow. The black bars in the pictures would be UVB lights that span the back walls. The white square in the corner would be the ramp access. I'm thinking a small partition on the side that doesn't connect directly to the ramp would be needed (are turtles smart enough not to fall over it?). The ramp would be screened in with the same material used for the top so that they have a complete view. The ramp would slope down enough so that there would be room for lamps (UVB and basking) for the stock tank.
The stock tank, either a 500 or 600 gallon (haven't decided) would house plants and possibly cool water, turtle edible fish. The water would be low enough to prevent escapes and the ramp would probably have to have acrylic sides at this point to prevent rust. There would be a separate tank to be used as a sump that would house the filter material and heater(s). I'm unsure of the size at this point. Because I would worry about possible drowning via filter (it's happened), I would screen off the size of the tank with the filter hoses with possibly acrylic or plastic mesh that has holes big enough to allow good waterflow. It would also keep plants from being sucked up. With the stock tank, I think the usable living area would be pretty close to 80sq.
My biggest problem at the moment is, where to put the doors? I'm thinking that with the height needed to fit the stock tank as I'd like, top doors would be unwise. I suppose I could turn the viewing windows into doors. In addition, I think the wood cage would have to be a two to three parted cage for easy moving.
Suggestions please?
Once we figure out this tank, I'd like to discuss the bearded dragon cages. I wanted to do a "U" shaped cage, but wouldn't be able to have the room with turtle cage. I'm thinking a four stacked cage with ramps to each level and the ability to have doors in case of aggression issues. The cages would be 6x2x2. The minimum cage size recommended for a bearded dragon is 8sq feet and the cages I'm thinking about are 16sq feet per cage of actual floor, not including "air" space that would have ledges, rocks, branches and other.
This would leave only the snakes, uro, and possible skink for cages. I think I'd see if I could fit another set of 6x2x2 cages, though one snake is still a baby so she'd be bound to a 10 gallon until she's old enough.
Here are the animals I am looking to rehouse into better environments:
4 bearded dragons
5 turtles
2 snakes (rehoming the rest)
1 uromastyx
possibly a blue tongue skink
Obviously I can use a standard cage size for most of these, which I've decided will be 2 or 3 feet wide, between 2 and 3 feet tall and at least 6 feet long.
We'll start with the turtles. I have three different species, five turtles in all. Four are box turtles and one is a painted turtle. One box turtle is was identified as a "Gulf Coast Three Toed Box Turtle", but I couldn't find the exact name so I'm waiting for an id on another forum. The others are Ornates. Two box turtles are male, the other two female. I'd like to keep them all together, which is possible with a big enough cage.
The standard minimum for boxies is 16sq. Basing my measurements on that, I'd like to get as close to 80sq of workable cage as possible. The minimum excepted tank size for a female painted is 125 gallons. Seeing as Ornates are semi-aquatic, a land/water environment is okay and ideal. Depending on what the other boxie is, she may be compatible with the same environment.
I made a very quick, slightly accurate scale model of a cage idea. I'm thinking that I could probably fit a cage that is "L" shaped into the reptile room. On arm of the "L" would be 10 feet x 4, while the other would be 4x5 feet. This gives a total of about 60sq of land. If it were a straight cage, I guess it would be a 15x4 cage (?).
I was thinking about making a screened in ramp sloping gently down to a stock tank so that everyone has access to water. Let me present a few pictures and explain them.
As you can see, I'm thinking about using a wood based cage. It would have viewing windows on four sides. The top would be screen I think. This would give plenty of air flow. The black bars in the pictures would be UVB lights that span the back walls. The white square in the corner would be the ramp access. I'm thinking a small partition on the side that doesn't connect directly to the ramp would be needed (are turtles smart enough not to fall over it?). The ramp would be screened in with the same material used for the top so that they have a complete view. The ramp would slope down enough so that there would be room for lamps (UVB and basking) for the stock tank.
The stock tank, either a 500 or 600 gallon (haven't decided) would house plants and possibly cool water, turtle edible fish. The water would be low enough to prevent escapes and the ramp would probably have to have acrylic sides at this point to prevent rust. There would be a separate tank to be used as a sump that would house the filter material and heater(s). I'm unsure of the size at this point. Because I would worry about possible drowning via filter (it's happened), I would screen off the size of the tank with the filter hoses with possibly acrylic or plastic mesh that has holes big enough to allow good waterflow. It would also keep plants from being sucked up. With the stock tank, I think the usable living area would be pretty close to 80sq.
My biggest problem at the moment is, where to put the doors? I'm thinking that with the height needed to fit the stock tank as I'd like, top doors would be unwise. I suppose I could turn the viewing windows into doors. In addition, I think the wood cage would have to be a two to three parted cage for easy moving.
Suggestions please?
Once we figure out this tank, I'd like to discuss the bearded dragon cages. I wanted to do a "U" shaped cage, but wouldn't be able to have the room with turtle cage. I'm thinking a four stacked cage with ramps to each level and the ability to have doors in case of aggression issues. The cages would be 6x2x2. The minimum cage size recommended for a bearded dragon is 8sq feet and the cages I'm thinking about are 16sq feet per cage of actual floor, not including "air" space that would have ledges, rocks, branches and other.
This would leave only the snakes, uro, and possible skink for cages. I think I'd see if I could fit another set of 6x2x2 cages, though one snake is still a baby so she'd be bound to a 10 gallon until she's old enough.