# Plywood cage questions



## sandiegoleu (Jun 2, 2009)

So, I have decided that I want to build a large plywood vivarium. I'm planning on a size of 2' deep, 4'tall, 4' long. I have a few questions. I went to Home Depot to look at wood. I was only able to find 1/4" birch and sandeply?. Everything else was not nice enough for a stain.

Should what kind of wood and thickness? I am no carpenter, but love DIY. Any tips are welcome as I want to start tomorrow with the wood. Ill have them cut it for me. I plan to coat the inside with polyurethane. Any suggestions would help. 

I do not know what else to include as i am so excited.


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## sandiegoleu (Jun 2, 2009)

so ive searched but nothing comes up except someone used red oak. Any other word besides marine grade. I want a name to tell to employees at HD


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## tincubus (Apr 9, 2010)

i would use some mesonite wood.


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## gschump79 (Jun 27, 2009)

use some cheap 3/4 plywood or 1/2plywood if properly supported and wrap it with the 1/4 veneer of your choice whether its is an oak or birch. It will save you a ton of money this way.


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## sandiegoleu (Jun 2, 2009)

thanks chump thats the advice i wanted. 


One question, could i wrap it seamlessly? im excited because wife gave me the go ahead. Many may criticize, but i plan on a emerald with three luecs


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## Tony (Oct 13, 2008)

sandiegoleu said:


> Many may criticize, but i plan on a emerald with three luecs


Emerald as in emerald tree boa? Very cool, that viv should be plenty big enough for both species to find their niches.


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## gschump79 (Jun 27, 2009)

you could definately do it seamless your only concern would be the corners but nothing a little trim cant fix. just use a jigsaw to cut out any holes needed for viewing or ventilation. I hope this helps. If you need any info on building or need some pics I can help out alot as I have some really good examples just pm me.


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

I'm building a tank the same size I'm useing 3/4" and i can't break it if I try t was $17 for a 8' by 4' sheet at lowes


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## VenomR00 (Apr 23, 2010)

Make sure its PT (Pressure Treated) wood. Otherwise it will start to mold rapidly.


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

VenomR00 said:


> Make sure its PT (Pressure Treated) wood. Otherwise it will start to mold rapidly.


no you coat the wood with epoxy


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## VenomR00 (Apr 23, 2010)

Epoxy wears over time. PT is forever =P. but long as you epoxy every few years I guess it would be fine.


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## sandiegoleu (Jun 2, 2009)

Yes, I plan on putting a tree boa in there with the darts. I want everyone to be comfortable. It may only be the boa if I think its unfit for the darts.

I want everything to be done right. Epoxy, lights, drainage, misters everything.

On lights, i was thinking of t5. I was thinking about using saltwater style, would plants benefit form the actinics?


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## gschump79 (Jun 27, 2009)

dont ever use pressure treated wood in a terrarium it contains all kinds of nasty chemicals that will end up killing your frogs. There is a reason they recommend a dust mask and eye protection right on the tag when working with that stuff because it can be harmful to humans so you know it cant be good for frogs


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## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

Pressure Treated Lumber contains arsenic..

You can't even burn it and breath in the Fumes without it being deadly


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## sandiegoleu (Jun 2, 2009)

nice to know. Thanks guys. 

Ive seen some use MDF board. How long do those last?


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## Tony (Oct 13, 2008)

jpstod said:


> Pressure Treated Lumber contains arsenic..


Arsenic is no longer used for the vast majority of pressure treated wood products, it was banned by the EPA for residential use in 2003. Copper Quat and Copper Azole have replaced Copper Arsenate. I would still avoid treated wood for frog (or any animal) use.


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## wimvanvelzen (Nov 1, 2008)

Never heard about epoxy suffering from wear and tear (unless of course one uses it in a horse trailer or something). Any reason for worrying when epoxy is used in vivarium build?


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## davecalk (Dec 17, 2008)

sandiegoleu said:


> nice to know. Thanks guys.
> 
> Ive seen some use MDF board. How long do those last?


No, you do not want to use MDF, Medium Density Fiberboard. It doesn't hold screws well and more importantly it is not waterproof. It is just sawdust compressed into a wood like shape. In the presence of water or moisture, it will just balloon, swell up and deteriorate. 

The best product that you could look into is MDO, Medium Density Overlay, aka “Signboard”. It is made up of phenolic resin coated paper laminated between layers of ply (11 layers of wood in 3/4”). It is an EXTERIOR type plywood with a weather-resistant resin overlay bonded to the wood by heat and pressure. This process fuses the molecules of the overlay with the fibres of the wood to form a bond as strong as the wood itself. MDO has all the advantages of regular plywood as well as additional properties. The overlay, which has 28% resin content, resists water, weather, wear and degradation. It has texture that paint can grip with remarkable tenacity. Paint finishes on MDO are up to three times more durable than the same finish applied to ordinary plywood. Its what most roadsigns are made of, being that it is waterproof and dead flat. In many instances, overlaid MDO plywood has proven an even more durable sign material than metal. MDO plywood is resistant to the elements with no danger of rust or corrosion. 

I think that it would be the very best product you could use for a plywood tank.











You wont find it in Home Depot or Lowes. I have had success at many of the local lumberyards which cater to contractors and other construction “Professionals." It is not quite as hard or slippery as phenolic ply but I think it's availability and price is much better than the hard to find fully phenolic plywood. One of our local lumber yards carry’s it in 3/8’ths, 1/2” and 3/4”. A 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of 3/4” MDO is around $65.00.


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## sandiegoleu (Jun 2, 2009)

^^ great info thanks a lot for guiding me in the right direction. Im going to think about it since its 65 bucks a sheet. With this, would i still need to epoxy? or just seal the seams.


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## davecalk (Dec 17, 2008)

The cost of a sheet of MDO varies quite a bit, check prices in your area. I've seen it vary from $35 - $70 per sheet.




sandiegoleu said:


> ^^ great info thanks a lot for guiding me in the right direction. Im going to think about it since its 65 bucks a sheet. With this, would i still need to epoxy? or just seal the seams.


That's a good question. Thinking about it, a good coat of paint is really all that you need with MDO. MDO is manufactured with 100 % waterproof glue. To insure that you get good bonding it is recommended that you lightly scuff sand the MDO with a fine grit sandpaper which slightly roughs up the surface and provides a better tooth for the paint.

It should be primed and painted and only paint that is designed for wood products should be with MDO. Read through the spec sheet page 10 for more info on using it. 


MDO spec sheet information


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## Toby_H (Apr 6, 2009)

As an alternative option... I've used Drylock to seal a reptile enclosure and after three years and being moved around many times it is still 100% wter tight. Meaning I can fill the thing up with water until it overflows the doors and 24 hours later not a drop has leaked anywhere. 

I'm currently in the process of building a larger reptile enclosure and plan to build a filter water dish (30" x 12" @ 8" deep) that will be a plywood box, reinforced with lumber and sealed with Drylock.

Drylock comes in a couple of light colors but additional pigment can be added. I like the grey DryLock with 2.5~3 ounces of black pigment added. By pigment I mean the die they add to latex paint to color it.

You could build a frame, layer that with a 1/2"~3/4" plywood shell and then layer that with a more attractive veneer.

DryLock has a rock-like texture when dried...


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## vivbulider (Jan 23, 2010)

hows the tank doing


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