What wood to use/not use for tank

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Porkbones

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I have a fish tank that i will be using for a spotted python, but to help keep it warm an not lose heat through all the glass I was going to stick (on the inside of the tank) 6mm MDF board along both sides and back, but have seen that there are certain types of wood not to use.will MDF board be ok for what I had planned??
 
I'm no expert but I believe Mdf in particular is formed together into boards using a glue that has arsenic or aspartame in it. I would think this would cause your pet some issues, especially in the long run. A lot of people use melamine for their enclosures.
Otherwise If you need to use the Mdf then perhaps put it on the outside. Your other option is to make yourself a nice styrofoam background to line all three walls. Will give a great effect and is really easy to do. Have a look through the forum and on YouTube for plenty of tutorials

moses
 
I think you will find MDF,particle board,chip board and melamine coated MDF all use arsenic or formaldehyde in their construction which is why I avoid them completely
 
If you are looking to hold heat use tinfoil looks ugly but does the job or Styrofoam sheets work really well
 
I'm no expert but I believe Mdf in particular is formed together into boards using a glue that has arsenic or aspartame in it. I would think this would cause your pet some issues, especially in the long run. A lot of people use melamine for their enclosures.
Otherwise If you need to use the Mdf then perhaps put it on the outside. Your other option is to make yourself a nice styrofoam background to line all three walls. Will give a great effect and is really easy to do. Have a look through the forum and on YouTube for plenty of tutorials

moses

styrofoam background?? Sounds good,Yes would def have to google to see how that's done. After reading the 2 replies MDF is now outta the question,I even thought of using plywood after I had varnished it

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If you are looking to hold heat use tinfoil looks ugly but does the job or Styrofoam sheets work really well

Thanks.yea tinfoil would do the trick but like u said it would be a tad ugly lol really keen on looking how to do it with styrofoam
 
for hints on how to make styrofoam background just search this DIY forum, there are lots of builds here that show you step by step process of building them.
 
The main trouble with using fish tanks for reptiles is the obvious lack of ventilation, if you have to use the fish tank, definately styrofoam would be best for heat insulation, and make sure the finished tank is in a place where there is a bit of a breeze, so some air can get into the bottom of the tank. If you were going to make the sides and back with timber panels, maybe think about making a bigger enclosure with mellomine or ply with vents, then cut the glass out of the fish tank (separate it into its 5 panels) and use the front and back glass panels as sliding front doors? You can get the glass track from bunnies. Just make the woodwork to suit the size of the glass?

Where mellomine is better than mdf, is even tho they both use nasty adhesives, mellomines plastic laminate outer panels keep the nasties inside, where mdf (especially if it gets wet) tends to continuously shed dust and therefore adhesive particles.....
all just my own opinion ;)
 
for hints on how to make styrofoam background just search this DIY forum, there are lots of builds here that show you step by step process of building them.
Yea thanks saw a couple of great ones tht show u step by step

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The main trouble with using fish tanks for reptiles is the obvious lack of ventilation, if you have to use the fish tank, definately styrofoam would be best for heat insulation, and make sure the finished tank is in a place where there is a bit of a breeze, so some air can get into the bottom of the tank. If you were going to make the sides and back with timber panels, maybe think about making a bigger enclosure with mellomine or ply with vents, then cut the glass out of the fish tank (separate it into its 5 panels) and use the front and back glass panels as sliding front doors? You can get the glass track from bunnies. Just make the woodwork to suit the size of the glass?

Where mellomine is better than mdf, is even tho they both use nasty adhesives, mellomines plastic laminate outer panels keep the nasties inside, where mdf (especially if it gets wet) tends to continuously shed dust and therefore adhesive particles.....
all just my own opinion ;)


Thanks.only using th tank coz it was spare and laying around.quarter of the lid is mesh the rest is wood.i think next time I will build my own
 
MDF does not contain arsenic. The "harmful" agents it contains are softwood dust, urea/formaldehyde resin, paraffin wax and ammonia.
 
I think you will find MDF,particle board,chip board and melamine coated MDF all use arsenic or formaldehyde in their construction which is why I avoid them completely

these chemicals are only an issue if you inhale the dust while sawing/drilling etc, or if heated. you shouldnt have any timber (branches not included) in an enclosure unsealed. An unsealed timber enclosure will smell of urine pretty quickly.

formaldehyde is a naturally occuring substance found in a lot of fruit/veg and plants exrete it as a normal process.
As with anything which produces a dust, even 'real' timber, you should wear the appropriate mask. I've recently started wearing masks, and i'm pretty amazed at what i was breathing in before.

I'm not a fan of using fish tanks for reptiles long term, short term is fine (quarantine/hospital tank) but long term i suggest making one that will suit better.

As for fake rock building head over to the DIY group - http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/groups/diy-enclosures-backgrounds-furniture-225/foamwork-430/
 
these chemicals are only an issue if you inhale the dust while sawing/drilling etc, or if heated. you shouldnt have any timber (branches not included) in an enclosure unsealed. An unsealed timber enclosure will smell of urine pretty quickly.

formaldehyde is a naturally occuring substance found in a lot of fruit/veg and plants exrete it as a normal process.
As with anything which produces a dust, even 'real' timber, you should wear the appropriate mask. I've recently started wearing masks, and i'm pretty amazed at what i was breathing in before.

I'm not a fan of using fish tanks for reptiles long term, short term is fine (quarantine/hospital tank) but long term i suggest making one that will suit better.

As for fake rock building head over to the DIY group - http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/groups/diy-enclosures-backgrounds-furniture-225/foamwork-430/

Thanks I will go and look, ok jus looked lol. I see for ur bonding agent u say PVA or bondall.wen u say bondall are u meaning pondtite?? I use bondcrete to seal and stick 2gther hebel blocks after I carve them.i see pondtite is mainly for around wet areas.
bondcrete says its non toxic and I know it sticks and seals really really well.do u see any problems if I was to use bondcrete to glue styrofoam 2gther in layers and then using it as a final sealing coat?
 
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Been using melamine for many many years with no problems.
As stated above there are only problems if continually breathing in the dust.
 
I use pondtite on any area I've rendered, yes it dries shiney but some fine grade steel wool (not the stuff under the kitchen sink) will quickly knock any unwanted shine off - no heavy pressure required.
I use pva/bondall in the first couple of layers of render to help it stick to the foam, I don't use it as a sealer.
I've seen some people say the use sealer on the foam and then render but that makes no sense, water isn't going to bother the foam. I seal the last layer of render, after I've painted highlights on it, mainly to stop urine soaking in and stinking the place out, it makes cleaning a lot easier.
I've only ever used a 'liquid nail' that is polystyrene friendly - and they state that on the tube, never had any drama.
 
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Been using melamine for many many years with no problems.
As stated above there are only problems if continually breathing in the dust.


Ok,is it correct to say any wood can be used (MDF board or even treated Pine) as long as its sealed with say varnish
 
Treated pine no, that leaches some nasty stuff - arsenic being one. The normal pine you get from bunnings isn't treated, it's only the landscaping timbers that are treated and they no longer uses the arsenic product as far as I know, I'm pretty sure they banned creosote (? Spelling)
The normal construction timbers are fine, just mask up when cutting it and seal the inside with a waterbased polyeurethane if not rendering, for the same reasons I seal timber.
 
I use pondtite on any area I've rendered, yes it dries shiney but some fine grade steel wool (not the stuff under the kitchen sink) will quickly knock any unwanted shine off - no heavy pressure required.
I've only ever used a 'liquid nail' that is polystyrene friendly - and they state that on the tube, never had any drama.

Sorry for going on bout pondtite/bondcrete but wen I googled our local bunnings shop nothing came up for pondtite hence why I was asking ur thoughts on bondcrete,it says its non toxic/non staining. Pondtite seems to be used in and around wet areas.i use bondcrete to seal and sumtimes stick 2gether my hebel carvings before they get put outside as it repels the water,don't want to go driving around for pondtite if the bondcrete I already have is just as good, also Bondcrete can be added to render etc...

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Treated pine no, that leaches some nasty stuff - arsenic being one. The normal pine you get from bunnings isn't treated, it's only the landscaping timbers that are treated and they no longer uses the arsenic product as far as I know, I'm pretty sure they banned creosote (? Spelling)
The normal construction timbers are fine, just mask up when cutting it and seal the inside with a waterbased polyeurethane if not rendering, for the same reasons I seal timber.

Great, this is a huge help thanks
 
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A lot of bunnings ( including my local) don't seem to stock it any more, I know mitre 10 still does. Crommelins (again not sure on the spelling) do a pond sealer that some other members use and say works well. Bondall makes bondcrete and pondtite,
 
A lot of bunnings ( including my local) don't seem to stock it any more, I know mitre 10 still does. Crommelins (again not sure on the spelling) do a pond sealer that some other members use and say works well. Bondall makes bondcrete and pondtite,

yea after i googled pondtite i saw bondall were the makers of both. i wonder if anyone has tried bondcrete?? thanks
 
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