Woma enclosure project.

[Barrett]

Hey guys and gals, today I decided to start building a new cage for my woma. My mum had some kitchen cupboards she never used and now they are going to get some good use after all.
Day 1 progress photos:
This is what I started with.

Has a perfect little shelf built in

Made a roof with a light fixture built in and cut some vent holes. Also built a base lip to stop substrate from getting out and to add a base for the perspex doors (3 doors are being put in).

I also took off the back and made a new one that will be half painted like a desert and the other half will be a 3d wall made from the styrofoam sheets laying I have spare.

While taking a break I heard some rustling from around the shed and came across some cuties.
*****ly gecko (Heteronotia binoei)

Common dtella (Gehyra variegata) The big one had a fair lack of patterning compared to all the others I found.

And lastly a Peron's tree frog (Litoria peroni). Didn't think they were this far west (Broken Hill) I think this was a female as I never heard it call and accidently found it, there was a male calling somewhere else near by. First time I've come across them out here.

Will post more photos as I progress with the enclosure.

 

[ssnakeboyy]

Very nice so far I'm just starting one using a massive tv cabinet I got for $1

 

[Barrett]

Nice, can't wait to see your final product I'm about to start a second one while doing this one (I have a lot of free time) which is a tall cupboard about 6"1/2h x 2"1/2w x 2"1/2d. Going to be a double vertical enclosure for my yellow faced whippy and a coastal that I am buying. whippy will get 2"1/2h and coastal will get the other 4"h.

 

[Barrett]

Have now started making the fake rock background. Have rendered it and applied the first coat of paint. Ordered the vents and morelia handle for the left hand side door (double sliding perspex for the right hand side of the enclosure).
The early stages of the background.

Shaped my design.

Headed down to home hardware (no bunnings in Broken Hill) and spent $85 on supplies.

Making sure it fits before I paint it so I could make adjustments to the edges. Snug fit

 

[justin91]

Wow mate, nice job, definitely gonna look amazing. Coming together fast.

 

[Gruni]

Awesome job Barrett, powering on.

How you liking the Hill? I was a C grader there in the mid 90's but upgraded to a B grader when I married a local girl. :lol:

 

[Barrett]

Wow mate, nice job, definitely gonna look amazing. Coming together fast.

Cheers, hopefully it does

Awesome job Barrett, powering on.

How you liking the Hill? I was a C grader there in the mid 90's but upgraded to a B grader when I married a local girl. :lol:

Thanks, yeah I don't mind it. Grew up here and moved back a couple months ago. I enjoy the slower pace of life here compared to Sydney. Though will be happy to get back to the big smoke, hopefully the outskirts, prefer a bit of greenery around.

 

[Barrett]

Figured I may as well ask in here as it is part of my built. Do you think a heat emitter above the shelf and a LED strip in the middle (like Gruni used) and a heat mat for bottom shelf will be sufficient for my woma? - shelf less side is cool side. Or should I go with a bulb with a uv rating, LED strip, and heat mat?

 

[caleb96]

Use a heat cord instead of a heat mat

Caleb.

 

[Barrett]

Use a heat cord instead of a heat mat

Caleb.

Would heat cord be fine to hide under kritter crumble, only need about 30-31c for the bottom shelf as the top shelf will have the hot spot at 34c from either emitter or bunnings uv heat light

 

[Gruni]

If you use heat chord you will have to create a frame and tile setup similar to mine. Personally I still don't see what all the fuss is about with the heat mats as I have used one the whole time in my current enclosure and know friends who use them for their fishtanks. We have never had a problem with them.

 

[Barrett]

If you use heat chord you will have to create a frame and tile setup similar to mine. Personally I still don't see what all the fuss is about with the heat mats as I have used one the whole time in my current enclosure and know friends who use them for their fishtanks. We have never had a problem with them.

Yeah I am currently using one for my woma and haven't had an issue and my sister uses one for her bredli without issue. Where did you buy your LED strip from, trying to find a 'warm' toned one as well.

 

[Gruni]

I went to Jaycar and they had both types. I just had to solder an adaptor plug onto the lead to connect to the 12v tranny.

 

[Dutchy88]

Yeah I am currently using one for my woma and haven't had an issue and my sister uses one for her bredli without issue. Where did you buy your LED strip from, trying to find a 'warm' toned one as well.

Ebay sells a whole range plus u can buy adapter plug for the transformer so no soldering

 

[Barrett]

Have been working around the clock to get this project done as I have paid for a YFWS that will temporarily go in my current woma enclosure so I thought I should put up some more progress photos.

All painting on the rock wall done, just need to seal with pondtite (few days ago).

Have spent a decent amount of time (working through the nights as I am unemployed) cutting the front wooden beams to sit snug into the frame. have primed and painted them, added glass runners for 2/3 of the length. My vents arrived and are now fitted. Two coats of pondtite have been added to my rock wall aided by 35c low humidity days. Now I just need the glass for the runners and a perspex sheet to fixed into the left side, cage for the light (I have bought it, it's just sitting at my sisters house in Sydney), LED strip and electronics and Im ready to move my baby in

Was going to start a new thread for my next enclosure but decided to just add it into this one. This is the starting frame for my dual enclosure for my YFWS and a yearling hypo coastal carpet I am getting in the near future. It's about 6 1/2'h x 2 1/2'w x 2 1/2'd.

While waiting for paint to dry for the woma enclosure I started cutting the top doors to the right size. Going to have door with morelia handles and large cut outs with perspex bolted into place for the top enclosure and sliding glass doors for the bottom enclosure

And for fun heres a couple of my backyard locals getting along

 

[Barrett]

Thought I would put up an update on progress.

Cut out the doors (bolting perspex sheets in them) and added the virides handles, the enclosure backing will either be stained a dark brown or painted like trees for the top enclosure with a jungle theme and making a rock wall for the smaller enclosure underneath.

Also added wheels to the base of the woma enclosure and currently making the hide for the coastal I am buying.

Today I bought all the electronics, heating, lighting, habitat decor and accessories which came out to about $900, so not too bad. On monday I will get quotes for the glass and perspex needed. After that I am pretty much done

 

[jacorin]

very very nice m8.......if i tried anything like these,i'd end up either cutting things wrong or breaking a tool,and throwing it....... my family don't like me using tools lolol i'm told to put them down and wait for someone to come help

 

[Barrett]

Last night I got started on the second background. Here is some pics.
starting shape

Getting the cutting underway.

Design is finished.

First layer of render.

 

[Xeaal]

Wow - you're brilliant. Those enclosures are just wonderful; you've done a fabulous job with them! And I love the photos of the cute locals. I wish we got them around here. Maybe they are surveying all the new housing projects and hoping you'll build one for them too

 

[Barrett]

Thanks Xeaal

Glass and perspex arrived today, hopefully everything else arrives in the next couple of days.

Have now added two coats of paint to the YFWS's rock wall.

Have painted the back wall for the coastal setup, decided to go with a 'dark forest' style look (have vines and plants arriving soon for it). The hide has been screwed into place and the roof if a snug fit have my dowel posts put into place, just have to stain the top piece. I have wired the lights and they work perfectly. I bought some 'plush' artificial lawn ( nearly $70 for 1.8mx1m ) and have cut it to size for the base and for inside the hide. Today I hope to get the perspex into the doors of the coastal enclosure and make sure all the glass sheets fit.

And then there was light!

Lilly checking out my work.

She thinks she is a coastal