Bought the wooden enclosure, need help!!!!

[Omega]

heres the pic:


I went and picked it up today. Not mint condition obviously, but for 50 bucks- I can't complain. The 3 or 4 large rock water dishes would have cost 20 or 30 alone, and I'm sure the wood was 50-100... so it was a good deal. But unfortunately it looked like the guy selling it to me hadn't been the one keeping up with it, and it appeared empty. But in one of the bottom enclosures, 2 leopard gecko skeletons were waiting to ambush me from under the sandy substrate, lol. Aside from being gross, now I'm more worried about getting it ready. How can I clean the wooden surfaces enough without having to worry about chemicals soaking up in the wood and hurting marley? Would wiping down really good with damp paper towels be enough, or is there some sort of disenfection process I should use?

[Jenn]

The add is gone. I would worry about heating a cage that low and him crawling out of the top.

[Omega]

huh? I confused what you mean about him climbing out the top. the ad is still there for me, and it's a fully enclosed wood setup with glass sliding doors and 3 seperate habitats(one on top that looks about 3 feet long, next to a storage area, with 2 enclosures on the ground level under it), I was planning to remove or cut a hole in the divider between the side by side habitats, to make one big one thats 4feet long, 18 inches tall, and 12 inches deep. My only concern is that it isn't wide(deep) enough.

[Zach]

12 inches is awfully small for depth -- but 4 feet long is good. It's a toss up -- I hate those 12 inch dept tanks because the bluey can barely turn around at times! Looks like a neat cage though.....

[Omega]

12 inches is awfully small for depth -- but 4 feet long is good. It's a toss up -- I hate those 12 inch dept tanks because the bluey can barely turn around at times! Looks like a neat cage though.....

thats my problem... is it worth it for only 50 bucks? More importantly though, do you think Marley would be happy?

[Richard.C]

50 bucks sounds like a good deal but id be looking for a wider floor space,12 inches is quite narrow for a bluie,i like at least 24 inches,could make a good rearing cage for some youngens though,dont tell the cheese and kisses i said that though

[Blotch]

All my bluey setups are about 1ft deep. I havent noticed any problems, however more deth would be an obvious advantage for marley. Another option could be modifying the enclosure to be 2 storey. Have a massive ramp from top level to bottom level. This would indeed give your bluey a work out and a cool looking apartment! Is $50 gonna break the bank? It seems like a nice looking enclosure!

[evil pixie]

Well.. you could always buy it and use it for other creatures

[Omega]

I'm going with my roomie who owns a Tacoma to see it tomorrow morning. As long as it's not messed up, and is at LEAST 12 inches deep I'll be bringing it home. A 3 habitat entertainment center for 50 bucks is too good to turn down, especially if i can modify it into Marley's townhouse aka pimp pad.

[Omega]

updated with new topic, didn't want to make a whole new thread.

[Lucifer_Spades]

updated with new topic, didn't want to make a whole new thread.

ok yeah updated topic, what was that help you needed?

[Omega]

updated with new topic, didn't want to make a whole new thread.

ok yeah updated topic, what was that help you needed?

it's now the original post, u scrolled right past it! hehe

[AneesasMuse]

Novasan or Healthy Habitat... strong!!

After dousing it with one of those solutions, let it air dry in the sun... of course, watch for any warping, etc. I'd be very cautious and concerned about lingering parasites.

I wonder what the story is behind the Leos' carcasses being there still.

It is a nice looking viv, though. Well worth the $50!

[Omega]

Novasan or Healthy Habitat... strong!!

After dousing it with one of those solutions, let it air dry in the sun... of course, watch for any warping, etc. I'd be very cautious and concerned about lingering parasites.

I wonder what the story is behind the Leos' carcasses being there still.

It is a nice looking viv, though. Well worth the $50!

i called both big petstores in the area, neither carry anything but cage cleaning wipes.... is there anything else I can do? I wiped down the inside with reptile relief to kill any mites or parasites that might have been inside, then wiped it all off again with a damp cloth, then dry one.

[AneesasMuse]

Is there a petco or petsmart near you? I know for certain, petco carries the Healthy Habitat stuff.

If you used the mite cure stuff, that should cover that issue. You can use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide as a cleaner, but you'll want it to air out for a bit before putting anyone in there.

[Omega]

Is there a petco or petsmart near you? I know for certain, petco carries the Healthy Habitat stuff.

If you used the mite cure stuff, that should cover that issue. You can use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide as a cleaner, but you'll want it to air out for a bit before putting anyone in there.

I called petsmart and petsupermarket, forgot about petco! It's not that far. Is outside drying a necessity? I don't have much sun to help the process anyway, just an enclosed porch.

[AneesasMuse]

The outside drying probably isn't a necessity... just my overprotectiveness for sensitive respiratory systems. Being on the outside porch for a couple hours... just to air out.. should be fine.

[Omega]

awesome, appreciate the reccomendation, I'm taking out the wiring and removing part of the wooden light hoods so that my lamps have something to grab onto. It should be nice once I'm done I think. Luckily i've got some engineering genes along with my philosophy, so I should be able to come up with something, and hopefully find a way to include the top enclosure as well.

[AneesasMuse]

I can't wait to see pics of the finished viv... with Marley in it, of course!


Btw, my Momma still lives in the ATL area

[Blotch]

Here in Aus we have this shampoo for lice called 'Orange Medic'.

That's great for killing off mites etc... I've used it on my blueys just in case and they are fine, also used it in their vivs to clean it out and found no problems - Plus it have a nice orangey smell to it without being to overpowering!!!

I wouldnt worry about the skeletons - they probably starved to death. Sounds like the previous owner didn't really have much care factor seeing as the substrate and everything else was in there still. Just empty it, vaccuum it, mite kill it, wipe it out, and go from there - otherwise - you could sand the inside back if you're that worried about chemicals then seal it - but what chemicals are you actually worried about???