Making my own display tank DIY

[Gtwo305]

Im currently housing two leos in a 10 gallon, they both get along extremely well but i just think their outgrowing their tank, i believe it should be 10 gallons per gecko.

I want to make my own display tank though because it would be a funner project and i can make it to my own liking. Im looking for something to be similiar to a 20 Gallon long but with more horizontal floor space.

Does anyone have or know any DIY that helps you step by step and shows materials needed , etc..

 

[katie_]

Are both your geckos male? Also somewhat off topic, did you guarantine these geckos in seperate tanks or are they together? I think I remember you saying you just got a new one...

 

[Gtwo305]

Females, with male names. im sure no one can bully them for that

 

[katie_]

Well you still have lots of time before you introduce them, but I think a 20 long should be fine.

 

[Jaiden23]

If you're housing them together then you definitely need more than a 10 gallon. You need a big enough space to fit a full set of hides per each leo... so 2 warm hides, 2 moist hides, and 2 cool hides at least. Even if they seem to get along, they still need plenty of space to get away from one another to help reduce the chance of bullying.

I found this tank-building guide awhile back. It's for a bearded dragon cage, but the same basic design and materials would work for a leo tank, you just might need to adjust the measurements to whatever works best for you.
http://www.freewebs.com/crossfireenclosures/

My husband and I looked into building a large 2-tank display a few months ago, but once we finished drafting the basic design and started pricing the materials we quickly realized that it would cost alot more than we wanted to spend. We started looking at turning existing furniture into a display tank instead, and came up with this...
http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=90008

It was a fun project. Not as nice as a completely custom built cage, but it works for what we needed. The interior dimensions are equal to a 20L, but I wouldn't feel comfortable putting more than one leo in it.

 

[Gtwo305]

Katie they have already been introduced!

jaiden- thank you, im not looking to make a furniture type display, i just need a tank basically since i already have the table. i was just looking to cut out wood, buy the plexi glass or glass for the doors and vents i believe for air flow and tile the ground. thats another question i have, how can you put a UTH under the tile when u also have wood under that

 

[katie_]

Oh I dont know how I didnt catch that.
In the future, just so you know, its always best to keep new geckos seperated from others for AT LEAST 90 days.

 

[Jaiden23]

how can you put a UTH under the tile when u also have wood under that

In our tank we just put the mat right between the wood and the tile. We also put a thin layer of sand over the heatmat, but under the tile of course.

We used the sand to help with the heat gradient, but mainly just to keep the tiles level, as the heatmat caused them to be uneven.

We were concerned about whether it was a fire hazard, but the heatmat itself won't get hot enough to reach the flashpoint of wood, unless it malfunctions. If you use a thermostat with the mat, then there's no reason to worry as it will shut the mat off even if the mat malfunctions.

Of course both the mat and the thermostat could malfunction... and then you're screwed, but that seems extremely unlikely :main_laugh:

 

[Gtwo305]

I tried keeping them away i did for a week, but the suspense killed me. So i put them both in a tub with a towel n introduced them, at first they were jumpy to each other like if their tails touched, but now they sleep together in the moist hide .

Sucks i really thought id find a DIY.