Hello, First time poster so I apologize in advance if I'm either forgetting something or over analyzing this.

My son, as per usual, gets me involved in small projects which I tend to take way off budget and be a bit Over the top if you will. My latest... If it's not obvious yet. he has a pet lizard and wants more. Problem is, trying to be unique in design and yet still be a convenience in both care and maintenance as well. I hope to actually have this well thought out before hand so I guess I'm interested in opinions and further ideas.

Enter in the dome habitat. I will post some sketches of this to give better thoughts. but a 40" diameter dome with a 19" height to it. Little less than a third of it would be masked off for some privacy and outside light control. possibly using a vinyl material on the outside to coincide perhaps with the room decor or what ever may make the "wife/Girlfriend-able factor" appreciated. The base would be 2 layers of .75" MDF glued together. The upper being more so of a ring than a full diameter sheet. This would allow for what I hope as a desert habitat easier. There are several options to this next portion but I'm thinking a heat element for underneath floor tile then covered with a layer of some type of either grouting or even a thin layer of tile withgrout. then covered by a healthy layer of sand/gravel mix. Depth of this can me adj by simply adding a 2nd .75" ring for a 3rd layer. Control could be administered by an electronic temp control. yes over the top but I'm trying to make this nearly, self sustainable and actually well thought out. Moisture control would be another concern. Yes there would be a lagoon of sorts with both a filtering system as well as a actual drain that would be controlled by a simple small ball control valve and hose. with some work back filling could also be possible instead of trying to fill from above.

My other concerns would be because of either weight or availability, a rock formation to fit in/under the 1/3 of the domes masked off area. Again pictures will show what my intentions are. Top center of dome would be a screened section that would have a light source above. used in conjunction with a timer for energy efficiency. Also the front of the dome would have a simple door with a lock to keep such pets from finding there way out.

What other things could I consider or make use of? Yes I know its an expensive thought for such a simple thing but again im trying to do something specific by this.

thanks in advance for your ideas and suggestions. will post pics soon of both design and build.

first off welcome to the forums!!!! you'll get plenty of help and info around here, trust me =]

what is going to inhabit the enclosure?

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Gerp, Gerp, Gerp.

You'll find that serious herpers spend a lot more money on the enclosure than the animal itself. So you're not wacko at all. Well maybe a bit.lol
I think the weight of the rocks might be too much. I would consider making some faux rocks out of styrofoam. That'll work and look just as great as the real thing.
Can't wait for the pics.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

I think that I would have to see the sketch to be able to really get a good image of what you want to do. I will say that there is a lot of debating going on about sand and if you should use it with reptiles or not. Depending on the animal you can probably do without.

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Welcome
You wouldn't be an engineer would ya?
You sound like a friend of mine...always huge plans trying to build a better mouse trap so to speak. lol
It would really help on the type of lizard your son has, that would help with what it needs. Length compared to height, for example.
I cant wait to see pictures of what you have in mind.

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Just because you have an animal that isnt dead doesnt mean you know how to take care of it

I'm starting to realize this. lol What I was planning on doing is using some expanding foam. create a faux rock like enclosure with a small tunnel, cave and maybe even a cliff retreat. then recovering it in Fiberglass resin. be lightweight, inexpensive and simple in design. Any other suggestions are welcomed for materials as I want this to be Environment friendly for the animals.

I hope my freehand works not to embarrassing. As you can see the lagoon can be made any size or shape. The orange line represents the heating element which can be thermostat controlled rather easily. the drain system combines a hose from the lagoon clamped to a ball-valve plumbing valve. This will be partially exposed for both for draining purposes and the out side end will also have a hose fitting attached to it. this will allow to run a hose to it under low pressure and slowly opening the ball valve to backfill the lagoon. when desired level of water is achieved simply close the ball valve. shut of the water just like a hose nozzle. i'm going to have to say you'll prolly have to reduce pressure outside and remove the hose to drain unwanted water from the hose before disconnecting inside but lol... this may need some improvement in design.

Lol actually no im not. Even though working with several in the Automotive industry, I'd prefer not to be an engineer...lol Long story for that joke to work. With little modification this could be modded to be used as a Desert or Rain forest type enclosure. i will be spending a bit more time asking questions and reading more on the site to learn more as I go. As far as the reptile itself, LOL ill have to bring my son in for that one otherwise I believe its a common green lizard. aprox 4.5 in long and maybe standing at attention .75 tall.




I will do a more detailed pic at a later point to show options, further thoughts and such. Again I apolagise if it seems a bit extravagant for such simple creatures. I would assume this enclosure at 36x18 or 40x19 would be antiquate for 4-6 small lizards, perhaps 2-4 larger/med ones.

Btw, much thanks for the kind words...

I'm looking foward to seeing this all finished, sounds pretty cool. Though for a desert reptile you'd have to find a way to keep humidity down.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

I agree, with the pool in there the dome is going to trap a lot of the humidity.
You might want to stay away from any climbing geckos as well. Or you'll be cleaning the dome every day.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

ok I can see it now! looks like its going to be pretty cool!

What you put in there is going to determine how many can safely go in. Many reptiles can be territorial and while you would think there is enough space to make them happy they would be stressed out by being so close to others.

And I would suggest that rather than build the caves or tunnels into the wall, make them so you can move them. That way you are able to clean underneath or have access to the animal if need be...

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