DIY Vivarium Ideas?

Backer

Has anyone ever built a Vivarium on your own? I am thinking wood with a glass front. (needs to retain about 110-120F) If so, tips/ideas/plans would be awesome! I am going to build one this summer, I am just getting ideas together at the moment. It's gonna be about 57" x 16" deep, height is variable.

bettababy

2 questions to ask before you decide what materials to use and how to construct it.
1. What plants are you planning to keep in there? Amphibious, terrestrial, aquatic? Mixture?
2. What animals, if any, are planned to go into this set up?

Instead of constructing something and then trying to find plants and/or animals to put into it, it should be well planned to cater to the plants and animals you desire. This will avoid issues and needed modifications later, and will help to eliminate you wanting something that just can't go in there at all.

Have you given thought to what you can afford for materials and lighting? What kind of "look" do you wish it to have? Even if drawing isn't your best talent, get out a pencil and some paper and sketch something for yourself. Once you have a picture in your head, research the plants and animals you wish to add, find out what they need for an environment. Animals such as frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, etc. are incredible escape artists. Will you need to accommodate any of those while creating ease of maintenance at same time? Will you need to add things such as crickets for live food? (crickets chew through many materials, such as fabric screening... so this is another consideration)

You have lots of options, but overall, the plants and animals should dictate how you approach it.

Backer

Yeah, all this has been taken into consideration already, thank you. I am just looking for ideas as far as ANYTHING that HAS been done, just to know what works. It will be made of wood, probably plywood, and then depending on price I will finish it with some Iron on finish of sorts, or paint. A vivarium is generally a non-aquatic environment, as the half land half water environments are paludariums. So it will contain a hot dry setting, as suited for a uromastyx, with the OPTION of some planted desert plants in pots if I find any.It's for a uromastyx. There will likely not be anything planted in there. So not an issue when it comes to design. Lighting will most likely NOT be tube florescent as $$$ is limited. I will be mounting a vent/fan in the side of it also. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do, I just want to see if anyone has any BETTER ones BEFORE I build it.

lanceq

I've used anything from old fish tanks,to the older style gun cases made of wood and glass(for chameleons),I even picked up a cheap china cabinet at a garage sale,took off the front ,put on a piece of plexi,installed lights,then it could be used as three seperate levels for ground dwellers,or take out the shelving and you have a higher tank for climbers.Also made a 2 1/2 foot by 4 foot boox with a drop front door of glass,installed vents on each end and a light on one end,worked perfect,lol used it for a coffee table( ahhhh life was so much easier when one is single lol)
So like bettababy says it depends on what you're going to house,so get a general idea then go for it.
wish I had some pics to post for you