10 gal setup

V

vear

New Member
Messages
71
Location
New York
Hi everybody, I wanted to share this for a while but never got around to it.

I've had my female gecko for a year now. I got her as a baby and fitting hides inside a 10 gallon was no problem. However, she grew ... fast! (she's 68g!). My poor girl could barely fit in her hides.As you know, a 10 gallon has limitations, there would be no way for me to fit 3 large hides in there and still have floor space.

So, I decided to make a sort of cave that spans the entire tank, she would be able to move from hot to cold and she'd have plenty of space inside to stretch out, curl up or do whatever she wanted. I made 3 separate entrances (1 on the cold side, 1 on the hot side, 1 in the middle) and I built the humid hide on top. I also added my own hammock I made with some mesh I had lying around. I'm attaching pictures, hope you guys like it - she absolutely loves it. She loved it the minute I put her in there :)

Also, I know some of the pics are pretty bad - I apologize, I didn't want to use flash and it's rather dark in this room. But you get the idea.

Styrofoam cutouts:
IMG_2265.jpg


IMG_4122.jpg


IMG_3684.jpg


Leiah in humid hide:
IMG_3692.jpg
 
V

vear

New Member
Messages
71
Location
New York
Thank you guys! I worked very hard on this. I really wanted her to be comfortable and happy.

@RKGeckos: yeah, I've been trying to get her to quit! she just won't listen. haha! Actually, nobody in my house smokes - I bought the ashtrays specifically for this. heheh :) It was one dollar for the set of 3.
 
Strange

Strange

New Member
Messages
14
Looks good great job! Is this a DIY project some where on here? If so could you pm me the link or is this your own genius if so pm details please,thanks! Either way looks great
 
V

vear

New Member
Messages
71
Location
New York
Ok cool. This is pretty much the message I sent Strange:

Hey, the DIY was my idea, I was trying to make use of as much space as possible in a small tank. I wanted to take pics as I went along, but I got caught up in it and only took a few.

I'm uploading some pics and attaching a link: http://s587.photobucket.com/albums/s...h/DIY build/

(sorry, the pics didn't upload in order!)

Basically:

1. I took four sheets of styrofoam that I got from home depot and cut them to size ( a bit smaller than the 10 gallon foot print so that it would fit after all the grouting, plus it needs to get past the lip of the tank border). So now you have 4 rectangles.

2. I glued two of the sheets together to make it thicker. If you buy the thicker styrofoam sheets then you won't need to do this. But this is all I had.

3. I used a marker to draw the shape of the trench I was going to make from one side of the styrofoam to the other. This would be used for her to hide. Make sure it's wide enough.

4. I used a knife and/or small saw to dig the "trench". I took off 1 layer of styrofoam, leaving the bottom layer intact. I also took some styrofoam off the front so she'd have an outside space to lounge. You can see this drawn out in one of the pictures.
...now you have the bottom layer.

5. Then I glued together the other 2 rectangles, these would serve as the "lid". I dug a trench on the side that faces down to match the trench on the bottom. This is also 1 layer deep. This would give her enough space to fit in there, even if she grows more. I hope this makes sense!

6. Now you need to make your doors and/or windows. I made 3 entrances and a little window on the side. I wanted to make a larger window in the middle so I could see her, but this would let too much light in, so I decided against it. I wanted her to be really comfortable. Make sure the doors are wide enough for the gecko to fit through.

7. Ok, once that was done I made a little addendum on top. I created a simple "box", though I shaped it like a half moon. I made a lid for it with a hole for her to get into. I figure this would be her humid hide. Honestly, she doesn't use it that much. I don't think she's used to the entrance being on top! (Since this would be a humid hide I made sure to seal it with aquarium silicone).

8. Then you can decorate however you want... I added little pieces of styrofoam everywhere to make it look like rocks.

(Here I forgot to mention that I took the whole structure and split it/cut it in half to make it easier to take out of the tank, clean, and have access to Leiah) It's not necessary, but it makes it a lot easier for me. I don't have to take the whole thing out, instead I just take out pieces.

9. Apply sanded grout. If you don't know how to do this, let me know. Also, there are websites (and threads) out there that show you how, i.e: http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/Fak...ner-video.html

10. Paint. I use acrylic paints that I buy from Michaels for 70 cents.

11. Then I seal. To seal it, I use mod podge (matte). First I dilute it with water, or else it dries white. I apply about 3 coats, letting it dry in between. Remember I sealed the humid hide with aquarium silicone - the fumes are sooo strong. Make sure there's plenty of ventilation and air it out for a couple of days before you put it in the tank.

That's it. Just make sure whatever you build fits in your tank. Also make sure you allow a space somewhere to put your food/water/calcium dishes. My dishes are small so I didn't need that much space, but I know people have larger dishes.
 
nnoossss

nnoossss

New Member
Messages
106
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Russellm0704 said:
Quit making negative comments. You act like you are 8 years old. 10 gallon is plenty of space and the poster did a great job in making use of all the space and more.
Click to expand...

I have too aggree i do like bigger tanks ofcourse but getting multiple geckos i cant have a house full off 50's, and 10's are sufficient especially in this case you did a great job with utilizing the space you have for her too give her more room, i will definetly be doing something like this.
 
Dimidiata

Dimidiata

New Member
Messages
1,943
Location
palmetto FL
Agreed, stop being negetive. I LOVE what you did with the tank, ive been thinking about how i could do rangos. This is how lol. I hope you dont mind me using your blueprints.
 
V

vear

New Member
Messages
71
Location
New York
Thanks everyone. I'm happy I was able to give some of you ideas for your tanks.

About the size of the cage - I realize a larger tank is always better. I'm very conscious about the space requirement of all my pets. When I saw how small Leiah's hides became for her I figured I'd try to come up with something that would work. If I thought in any way she wasn't comfortable or "happy" in there I would have gotten a larger tank. I think this works really well, she has floor space, a "second floor", all the hiding space she needs and a hammock for her to hang out on.

With that said - I would like to get a 20 gallon for her. I'd have a lot of fun building hides for it, as well as decorating it. Right now, my husband would probably have a heart attack if I upgraded. (he's had to put up with upgrades for my RES, goldfish, even for the guppies I used to breed!). But for now, she's plenty comfy. :)
 
Korb

Korb

New Member
Messages
43
Location
San Jose, CA
This looks great, My only question is how is the clean up?

I am looking to create a setup similar to yours, but i am concerned w/ the gecko pooping in its hide.
 
V

vear

New Member
Messages
71
Location
New York
Well, I know where she likes to poop - front right hand corner. So I put a small "litter box" type thing there. So that's where she poops. Also, the tops of the hides are easy to take out of the tank, so even if she pooped in there, it would be easy to clean. The top is split in 2, the right side and the left side. It comes out easy.
 
theCREECH

theCREECH

New Member
Messages
171
Location
Aurora, Colorado
I think it's great. Love the look of it, very natural.

And yes a ten gallon is fine for space. If a breeder can keep adults in a 16qt tub and the geckos are happy, then a ten gallon tank will be even better.
 
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