Chinese Water Dragon Vivarium ?

[MrKing]

OK, I am planing on making a CWD vivarium, i am going to make it 6x6x3.

As they need humidity as well as heat should i use conti board ?

In the bottom i want to include a small pond/water feature big enough for the water dragons to bath/lay in, should i use glass or plexi type plastic to seal this part of the conti board ?

I am going to make the viv as natural as possible using forest/Jungle type substrates, real plants etc. ( I have some experience with this side of things due to keeping pygmy chameleons )

I would be interested in your ideas, suggestions. tips

Thanks

[Athen]

as far as for building your viv im not too sure what conti board is but for the one i intend to build in the future i will probably be using either plywood or MDF for the structure with some plexiglass as a viewing pane in the front and as for keeping the water area waterproof i would paint the inside with an epoxy paint such as what is used in swimming pools and the likes this will allow the wood to be waterproofed and not have to build a separate "tank" within you tank for the water feature and for the humidity using the method of GS and lining it with cocoa fiber and sphagnum moss would probably help greatly in maintaining raising humidity as well as give it a great natural look

[froggsong]

Yes, do tell, what is conti board? I would recommend a false bottom tank, as these guys fowl their water VERY quickly, even with filtration. (I have to change the water in my pond every other day, and clean the filter at the same time because it is almost completely clogged. I have grass in my tank, so it is just dragon poop that is clogging it, not the substrate) If you don't want to use the epoxy paint (though it is the best idea), you could line the bottom of the tank with plexi on the bottom and sides up to the top of your soil line. This would water proof the bottom. You still run the risk of damaging the walls due to the moisture. If you are coating all three walls with GS, that should keep the boards from being damaged by water, as the GS is waterproof. The problem with that is that you can't be entirely sure that the GS is covering the entire surface of the boards without any pinholes. You could also coat the boards with silicone, though that gets as expensive as the epoxy paint (but easier to find), it is also VERY messy. That is how I did my frog tank, with the silicone, and a separate glass tank turned on end on one side for the water area.

[jpstod]

Conti Board is a Veneered High Density Particleboard used in the United Kingdom.

[JohnEDove]

That is generally known as Hard Board here in the US and I would not suggest using it for an enclosure that requires high humidity without doing as Athen said and coating the interior with a water proof epoxy paint. Hard Board can quickly break down in an environment with high humidity.

[MrKing]

Thanks i will look into this a little more

[jpstod]

I am not sure if its offered in the UK or Not, but a better alternative would be Ceramic Backer Board. 100% Water proof. Its used mainly for Countertops and Walls in areas that get Ceramic tiles applied. It comes in sheets that are small. Can be cut without expensive blades.

There is also Cement Backer Board thicker than the Ceramic Variety.
Ceramic Backer board is general around 3/16 or 1/4 of an inch thick, Cement board ranges from 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick.

Since a tank the size you are talking about won't be highly Mobile unless the base has coasters built in, I suspect once it's set you won't be moving it much. The Backer boards will last forever, even though it does add some weight. You can add Tiles to it, even stucco over the surface area. Definately would stand up to even the clawing of a large CWD.

The Main problem area you will have is the Basin area, since you want to add soil and plants and a pond to make it look natural. I say you would need at least an 18" Basin Area to add soil and plants to and the Pond doesn't really have to be more than say 4" deep when the CWD is full grown although it would need to be at least say 24" long maybe 36". Are plastic preformed ponds offered in The UK..They are pretty durable and come in various shapes. Most are at least 18" deep though.

You would have to Frame the tank then add either Backer Board to the Inside area of the Tank. Framing the Tank would have added advantages. Just Like framing a house, you could add recessed Lights, even add duct work to circulate air without worry about anything get caught in the Tank. The Fan like a central unit could draw air from the Top of the Tank and distribute it to the Bottom..or left to right..etc

Think I will Try to sketch something up to give you an Idea what I am talking about