How Do I Build A Cage For My Water Dragon?
I have him a good size home for now. But in the mean time while hes hanging out there I want to get started on his 6 foot cage. I could not find any instructions on the web. Also…were do I get the glass that is made from the same material as most aquariums? I do not need an exact how to guide. Maybe just a supply list and some tips. Then I can figure the rest out on my own.
Tags: Aquariums, Build, Cage, Dragon, Foot Cage, Hes, Mean Time, Water, Water Dragon
December 4th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Mine was constructed by a friend of mine with a bit of a mechanical bent. Bit of advice, use plywood. Glass is impossible to work with and horribly expensive.
First off – no pine or cedar boards. Redwood, Oak, Douglas Fir, Birch, basically anything else is okay, including MDF.
Second – Everything’s got to be water proofed. Use a polyurethane WATER BASED coating. It’ll take 14-30 days after drying for it to be safe for your lizard.
For the front, plexiglass is better than glass. It’s dirt cheap, it’s sold at most hardware stores(Lowe’s, Home Despot, Ace), but you can get it custom cut by a local plastics company for cheaper usually. Expect to pay about 30-40 dollars for a 3′x4′ piece. They also make polycarbonate plastic, which is much stronger and easier to work with, but substantially more expensive. It only needs to be about 1/8th inch thick, as dragons don’t really have the strength to damage it, let alone get through it.http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/enclos… is an excellent starting place.http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven… has some awesome, but complicated designshttp://stembol.com/Pets/iguanacage.htmhttp://www.lizardcages.fws1.com/iguanawo…
As a general rule, look at Iguana cages. They’re similar to water dragons in size requirements, environmental needs and conditions. However, people tend to go a bit overboard with Iguana enclosures, as Iguanas do get substantially larger. However, most of the designs can be adapted to a 6×6 setup. Keep in mind that you will need some tools for this.
December 4th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
They use clear plexi glass for most tanks anymore.
Your gonna need,
Glass of some sort
A tube of silicone.
And perhaps some wood to put around the top.
Take on piece of glass, clean the edge REALLY well so it has nothing at all on it, then do the same with another one. This is so the silicone holds proper.
Hold them together somehow put the silicone on (A good amount but not to much) Then pinch the sides with a clamp for 48 hours. Do the walls first, then the bottom, it works better like that.
Good luck monsieur
Bénir tu et votre arrosez dragon!
December 4th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Make it out of Mythril.
Bless the cage with myrrh daily to keep it subdued.
December 4th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
I made a cage for mine. I didn’t use glass because water dragons have a tendency to rub their snouts raw on the glass. I used a soft black plastic fencing material from a hardware store, with openings small enough the dragons couldn’t get through. This worked pretty well as the lizards did not try to rub their snouts on it; apparently it was visible and bumpy enough that they realized it was a barrier.
Okay I made the floor of water resistant plywood, since water dragons can spill and splash water around. The floor was 2 ft wide and 4 ft long. The back was also plywood, but a lower grade, as it wouldn’t have to get water spilled on it. It was 4 ft wide and 6 ft high. I used plywood for the ceiling too.
I framed the cage with wood and stapled the fencing to it. I made a double door like a dutch door on the front, 3 ft wide and 3 ft tall each door, so both doors together reached from floor to ceiling. This was to make it easier to get in to reach the lizards, shelves, lights, water dish, etc.
I mounted some shelves on the back of the cage, and a fat rope from top to bottom for them to climb. I made holes where needed for electrical cords to go for the lights and hot rocks. I know some people have trouble with hot rocks for reptiles, but I didn’t except in one case when the lizard was sick.
I had 3 incandescent lights in the cage to provide both heat and light. I turned them off at night. I did not heat the cage otherwise, and the lizards seemed quite comfortable and did not seek the basking spots except for now and then. In the afternoon they would often jump from a high spot to the floor or the water dish below. I guess you know the water dish has to be big enough to soak in, and changed daily, since they poop in it.
I didn’t feed the lizards in the cage usually, since crickets could easily escape. Since the adults only ate once every 4-7 days, took them out and put them in a plastic bin with the crickets and mealworms or whatever else I fed them. After they had eaten all they wanted, I put them back in the cage. Feeding only takes a few minutes. BTW they eat a lot more in Summer than in Winter, even if the cage temperature is the same. Somehow they know the season, probably by means of the third eye or light-sensitive spot on the top of the head.