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Three Tier Viv ???

Smokey-Steve

Smokey-Steve

New member
Hi guys

Does anyone know the best material to use to build a viv, a three tier specifically. I have two of my snakes in tubs at the moment but now they are getting big i feel they should have a proper home. I want something that is waterproof and obviously sturdy. Each viv will be 3'x2'x2' any suggestions would be great and where I could pick it up from. Thank you in advance.
 
I'd go for melamine - you can buy that from places like Homebase and B&Q. They should cut it to size for you as well. Raw edges will need to have a matching iron-on edging, but they should be able to advise on that.

Only sealed glass or perspex would be completely waterproof (I guess if you wanted that sort of option then you'd be buying tanks), but melamine will be water-resistant and can last for years. My custom-built vivs are about 10 years old and the only maintenance I've had to do is replace a couple of bits of the iron-on edging.

If you want/can afford to, you could buy 3 commercially-made melamine vivs the same size, and stack them. Works fine for me.
 
bitsy- You've have melamine vivs for 10 yrs and no warping in the bottom? I know it's already sealed, but did you seal over them again with something?

I didn't trust bare shelving, so each of our vivs has a sheet of plexiglass (persplex?) in the bottom and is sealed around the edges with silicone.

But plexi is expensive- it would be good to know for next time if it was unnecessary.
 
No extra sealant and no warping, no. As far as I know, they only warp if they get wet enough for water to get underneath the plastic coating and make the internal chipboard expand. I've never had a water container tip over. I only have one snake that occasionally soaks in his dish and he's a Mountain Kingsnake - he's much smaller than the Corns and doesn't displace enough water to spill. Prompt spot cleaning seems to prevent poop/urates from causing damage.

My commercially-made melamine vivs have aquarium sealant where the base meets the walls, for extra protection. I haven't found it necessary in the ones I had built, but it's worth considering if you have a water-loving Corn or you mist the viv rather than use a humid hide during shedding.
 
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