If there was just two things....

So i've been thinking a need a new project to fill some time. i am a multi-skilled builder so im generally pretty good at making things so my question to you is....

if there was two things you can think of thats overpriced or would be really cool to do yourself what would they be? Rack systems? vivs? im open to all suggestions

and then the idea with the most interest i will make to fill my spare time and maybe put a guide up for everyone

All right...something I have been thinking about doing is something with a few different vivs or fish tanks and making tunnels or ramps or whatever for the lizard to get from one tank to another to another......haven't quite figured out how to do it....if you are looking for a challenge have at it!

i used to work at a counter top/cabinet shop, and i enjoy building custom naturalistic vivariums. i build my own racks most of the time, but they are a pretty simple design and not really much of a challenge, especially someone who is good or proficient with tools. i love to build custom vivs and see how you can improve them both asthetically and funtionally, and work on the improvements or ideas from the last one. it is really fun and you can make some decent money by selling the ones you either no longer use, or simply get an offer you cannot refuse!!! good luck and let us know how it is going and what you decide to do and let us know if you need any specific ideas.

okay i can see an idea developing there, naturalistic vivarium with tunnels connecting different area's together... sounds pretty good to me but i think it still needs a little more to get that real "wow" factor. any more ideas?

Multi levels of course
maybe with a built in water dish or moist hide?

Im going to put pencil to paper over the next few days and see what i can come up with drawing wise. it sounds a bit like a gecko's 3 bedroom semi bedroom, lounge, dining area etc haha. i will do a bit of investigation into safe materials to use too see what i can come up with

i built a corner viv one time for a jaguar carpet python. it was six foot wide in the front, six foot tall and was a corner unit. i built it with higher quality press board, then covered it inside and out with coutertop laminate. i built a waterfall that started in the back top, and angled its way down the left side and into a small pond in the front of the floor. it was fully filtered and plummed. it was slate rock and some cooler stones i found in the creek behind my house. i also had attached flat basking rocks and stone "shelving" into the sides. i had vines and plants in it. it had hidden heat pannels and all the plumbing was hidden so you could not see anything "un natural" anywhere. i had cork bark tubes and bio active substrate in there as well. he had a small but thick little tree coming up the middle of the back that was the main decor for it. it looked and funtioned awesome! i only have pics that are already developed or i would post them. my buddy was over with his girl one night and she was really liking it..her brother had some snakes and had some nice setups, and she asked me if she could bring him over and show him. they came over the next weekend and he wanted to buy it, but i told him i really didnt want to sell it. he kept giong on and making me offers, i stuck to my guns....untill he told me he would give me three thousand for it and my jaguar. considering jags were only a thousand dollars at the time, i got two grand out of that cage, and i only had about three hundred in it, plus the labor.

MY Dream idea would be to take an 8-10 foot wide section of wall by about 6 feet high and make built in vivs, with the tunnels going from one tank to another but you wouldn't see the tunnels they'd all be build behind the faux wall front you'd put up to enclose it all. you could fit 6 20 long tanks in a hole that size

If often thought about that Kel, but being able to see through the vivs into the next room.

Sort of like in the romeo and juliet modern film, when they first see each other it is through a fish tank in the wall.

just a heads up...what ever you do keep in mind the cleaning aspect of it. how hard is it going to be to clean every inch of it. if you do tunnels, maybe make them detachable so cleaning is possible. maybe have little slide in/out doors so if the tunnels are out, you can still secure the animals inside. also consider making everything look natural yet make it all functional. good luck bro

i used wall idea on my pc, i have a 24" hd screen mounted in the wall with a slide out keyboard and the front of the tower unit facing out, and my virgin media box just below i was planning to move the 2 existing viv's into the upstairs bedroom using the same technique, maybe another DIY walkthrough when it goes ahead

thats the pc in the wall, same priciple to put the viv in there just a stud frame with supports at the back with a bit of plaster and paint to finish it off if anyone is interested i will do a step by step when the 2 existing viv's go into the bedroom wall

apologies for the low light i had the red bulb in for rambo and amber's eyes lol

A blue bulb would actually be better for their eyes. The moonlight. Just an fyi..

I love the built in. then again I'm a space maximizer I think it would be a great idea to ost something in the DIY section go for it.

I may do that one before my grand design if there is interest, its quite a good DIY project and the total cost to do was under £40 GBP which makes it very affordable even for those hit by the credit crunch

Fiberglass? anyone used it or know if its safe for use with reptiles? sanded to smooth ofcourse and then washed

I dont think fiberglass would be safe personally.. but get more opinions...

Fiberglass IS NOT herp safe... it will splinter and it lets off toxic gasses when heated...

yes that's what i was thinking..

Well i got bored yesterday evening and attacked the bedroom cuboard with a 14lb sledge hammer, so the gecko's are soon to be mounted into the bedroom wall. guide to follow

wooo I like guides

Well i have hit a stumbling block with the wall install. my vans off the road and i cant get a plasterboard home! i managed the timber in the convertable with the roof down but i think i might be pushing it with a full size plasterboard, pushing it to see where im going that is

Yeah that could be difficult but I do believe lowes has free delivery if youre with in 20 miles of the store.

Well I got some time off to I started back on the wall install now rambo is feeling better and I think it will be done by tomorrow, just waiting on filler to dry and some edging trim to do and I'll stick the guide up as soon as I muster the energy to upload the 9 million photo's!