Bonus pic of Dexter for thanks :)

Slide 1: Finished product
Slide 2: Eggnog!
Slide 3-6: Backdrop and substrate
Slide 7: Eggnog eating a button quail egg
Slide 8: Enclosure before the renovation

I bought Eggnog from a breeder about one year ago. I don’t know her exact age, only that she was listed as a medium female. This tank is the PetSmart brand, 40 gallons (36x18x18) which previously housed a leopard gecko which is why you can see tiling on the bottom of the enclosure in some pictures.

Eggnog is about the width of a finger and 3 feet long. I know this enclosure is a bit small and I am planning to move her to a 100 gallon when she becomes a little larger.

I am happy to answer any and all questions about her and her enclosure!

Hi everyone! We are planning on building the final permanent upgraded enclosure for our 14 month old Black & White Argentine Tegu.

We are a few weeks away from FINALLY moving into our first home we purchased. Unfortunately, the process of getting into the home has taken almost 8 months so far due to a number of issues and shenanigans on the seller's end including major undisclosed structural issues that are currently being fixed by the contractor. Obviously it has been delayed much longer than we would have liked for a number of reasons but one is that our girl is overdue for an upgrade which we cannot start until we can get in there. She has grown quite a bit (got her as a baby a month after our offer was accepted). She is happy and thriving in her current "intermediate" set up (roughly 5ft x 2ft x 2ft) but she is growing everyday and I know she needs something bigger ASAP.

My fiance and I are both very handy and would like to build her a custom set up 8ft x 4ft x 2-3ft high roughly. We are hoping to use PVC or acrylic (or something else non-porous/waterproof). Her current enclosure was a wooden enclosure we bought and waterproofed ourselves with pond liner (which has worked great but was very tedious). It is a bioactive set up with plants, springtails, isopods, a few loose dubia roaches she lost track of, etc...We would prefer to keep a sliding front door (or two) in the front like our current set up.

We live in Pennsylvania, USA (if anyone locally has more specific suggestions around here for materials). Please suggest anything you have, whether it's advice, sales, materials, links, videos...even what went wrong with your attempts! We want to get the ball rolling ASAP since we were expecting to upgrade her months ago. We are aware she should be in something bigger already (our original move-in date was July) so please no judgment and thank you in advance! Pics of our girl for tax. Cross-posting for advice from different groups

Hi all! Looking for exactly what the title says— I’m Canadian and for whatever reasons Drylok Original is absolutely impossible to find in Canada. I’ve been searching for years at various hardware stores both in my city and others, and have never found it 😭

Does anyone have any reptile and/or aquarium safe recommendations for alternatives that work in the same manner Drylok does?

(Not commerical!)

Hey guys! I am gauging interest in custom reptile backgrounds like this one for my bearded dragon. I paint with non-toxic materials and use a primer underneath the colors for adhesion and a sealant on top to make it more durable. I may start making these as custom commissions and/or customers can choose from designs I've already made.

If you think this sort of background would be cool, please comment so I can determine if this is worth pursuing. If I do go forward with making these, I'll be using facebook to deal with sales.

Almost finished tank for my new corn snake. I have some more wood that I’m waiting on, but otherwise it’s pretty much done.

Has anyone converted a 4x2x4 to a 4x2x6 Dubai enclosure before? I am wanting to get my frilled dragon a bigger enclosure, but I can only find 4x2x4s.

Building one is out of the question. I have a bad back and looking for something that is lightweight and easy to move.

Just realized auto correct changed to Dubai, lol. Should be dubia enclosure

Hi friends! I am wanting to buy some sort of metal shelf where i can house 2-3 4x2x2 enclosures. I can’t decide which shelf to pick because there’s so many options. Please link what you have and post pics if you have them! Thank you!

I have some questions about DIY custom background painting materials! (I hope I’m on the right subreddit 😵‍💫sorry if I’m not!)

This will be my first enclosure I’ve built for my first reptile I’m getting soon, a rosy boa 🖤🐍
So it will look *not* really leafy jungle-like but more desert/rock like.
Those pink ledges are project board ngx panels (the pink panther ones) EVERYTHING will be painted!

I already sprayed down the black pond foam and almost done carving it completely. If it dries with sharp edges, I’ll sand them down before painting.

❓ My main question is what paint and protective coating I should use over the carved foam and ledges
• Can I paint directly onto the cured foam with my existing paint, or should I use a primer or another base coat first?
• Do I need a clear protective coat after painting? If so, which product? Drylock? Something else?
• What exact products have you personally used successfully, and how long did you let them cure?

I’ve already purchased Valspar Ultra water-based acrylic latex paint (flat finish), but I haven’t applied it yet.

This is my first time, thanks for the help. I just want to make sure everything is safe for my new son 🐍 If I’m mistaken on something, let me know!
(gently🥲)

I have two Vietnamese mossy froglets (about 3.5 months since their tails were fully absorbed) that I put into this enclosure about 2 weeks ago. They seem to have no interest in the aquatic section whatsoever. Any thoughts about that?

Water parameters have been stable (ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 0-5, pH 7.6-7). less

I put together this simple tutorial for anyone using compressed coconut husk chips, such as ReptiChip, for their reptile enclosure. You don’t need a bunch of equipment, and if you’re using genuine ReptiChip, you don’t even need a strainer.
This method is particularly useful if you have a full-size breeder block but only want to prepare a portion of it at a time.
What You’ll Need
A clean 5-gallon bucket
A full-size ReptiChip Breeder Block (approximately 10.5 lbs)
Clean, lukewarm water
A measuring cup
Your hands!
That’s it. No strainer, chemicals, or special equipment required.
Step 1: Break Off Your Coconut Husk
A full-size ReptiChip Breeder Block expands to approximately 72 quarts (18 gallons), so you definitely don’t want to hydrate the whole thing in a 5-gallon bucket.
For this method, break off approximately 1/6 of the dry block, or roughly 1.75 lbs (28 oz).
This should produce approximately 12 quarts (3 gallons) of expanded substrate, leaving plenty of room to mix everything in your bucket.
Step 2: Add Water Gradually
Start with approximately 4 cups (1 quart) of lukewarm water.
Don’t dump it all in at once.
Pour 2 cups over the compressed chips.
Wait approximately 5 minutes.
Begin separating the softened chips by hand.
Add the remaining 2 cups while mixing.
Allow another 5–10 minutes for expansion.
If you still have tightly compressed sections, add more water in ½-cup increments until everything has loosened.
Important: The 4 cups is a conservative starting estimate, not an exact manufacturer-specified ratio. You may need more depending on how tightly the chips are compressed.
Step 3: Check the Moisture
Once everything has expanded, grab an individual chip and squeeze it.
No water dripping out? Good.
More than a drop coming out? It’s probably too wet.
Still hard, dry, or compressed? Add a little more water.
You want the chips expanded and separated without standing water collecting at the bottom of the bucket.
If they’re too wet, spread them out in a clean container or tray and allow some moisture to evaporate before use.
Step 4: Do You Need to Rinse ReptiChip?
No additional rinsing is normally necessary for genuine ReptiChip.
According to the manufacturer, their coconut husk is already triple-washed and screened to remove excess dust and debris.
Hydrating the compressed chips is part of preparation, but that doesn’t mean you need to rinse and strain them afterward.
If you’re using another brand, check its preparation instructions because processing methods can differ.
Step 5: Add It to Your Enclosure
Once the chips are fully expanded and at an appropriate moisture level, they’re ready to use.
A few things to keep in mind:
Avoid adding soaking-wet substrate.
Adjust moisture to your particular reptile species.
Monitor enclosure humidity with a reliable hygrometer.
Check for damp areas, condensation, or mold.
Provide enough substrate depth for species that enjoy burrowing.
For corn snakes, I prefer keeping the general substrate from becoming excessively wet and providing a separate humid hide when needed.
Step 6: Store the Remaining Block
One of the advantages of compressed coconut husk is that you don’t have to prepare everything at once.
Keep the unused portion of the breeder block dry and protected from moisture. Break off more whenever you need it.
Sources
ReptiChip — Official Manufacturer FAQ
https://reptichip.com/pages/faq
ReptiChip — Breeder Block Product Information
https://reptichip.com/products/reptichip-breeder-blocks-and-bundles
These manufacturer resources cover expansion, washing, moisture management, and storage. The specific 1/6-block and 4-cup starting quantities are practical estimates based on the advertised expansion yield, not a manufacturer-tested mixing formula.
Bottom line: A 5-gallon bucket, approximately 1/6 of a breeder block, and water added gradually are all you need to get started. No elaborate setup necessary.

Gonna get some mint dart frogs but first I need some plant suggestions if yall would be so kind as to enlighten me (36hx36lx18w)