DIY: Crested Gecko Tubs

[Kaorte]

I really like tub setups for my reptiles. Glass cages are nice, but once you acquire more than a few animals that each require their own glass tank, it gets rather expensive, heavy, and cumbersome.

I followed a few guides on how to make tubs for crested geckos and I thought I would post how I put mine together.

One tub only takes about 30 minutes to assemble so get your tools ready!

Materials List:
Plastic tub: I used the container store's "deep sweater boxes". They are about equivalent to a 10g and nice and tall. They are also some of the clearest tubs on the market.

Screen Mesh: I used fiberglass screen which can be found at the Home Depot or Lowes for about $5 for a huge roll. You won't need nearly as much as provided for one tub, but chances are you will be getting a new gecko soon, right?

Plants and climbing branches:This can be as boring or elaborate as you want. I use plastic plants from the dollar store, sterilized sticks I find outside, and paper towel tubes. Remember that your crestie needs good sturdy climbing surfaces as well as foliage for hiding spots.


Tools:

These are the basic tools that you need to do this project.

The little blue thing with the cap on it is called an acrylic scorer. It is used to cut plastic and plexiglass. It works very very well at cutting tubs. You could use an exacto knife or a box cutter, but it will be much more difficult. These tools are only a couple of dollars at the home depot right by where they keep the plexiglass. Hopefully you all can recognize the other tools

Step#1:
Mark where you want your screened in opening to be. I made mine 7"x11". The screen size is directly related to the humidity. If you live in a humid climate, make a bigger screened area. If you live in a very dry climate, make the screened area smaller. You want enough screen to allow good air flow, but not too much so that it doesn't hold any humidity. The tub should go through a humidity cycle. After you mist, the enclosure should be able to dry out before you mist again.

I cut out two squares, one on the front side of the tub and one on the back. The screen also doubles as a good climbing surface for cresties.


This is how you use the acrylic scorer.



Step#2:
Wash your tub! I like to do this after I cut the square for the screen. Less surface area to clean and easier to dry.

Step#3:
Cutting the screen. Make sure you cut the screen a little bit bigger then the opening you cut in your tub. I made my screen pieces 1/2" bigger on all
sides.

Place your screen on the inside of the tub and check to make sure it fits well. If it is a little bit big, trim a little off the sides and check it again. Start out a little bit bigger then what you think you need. It is much easier to trim a little bit off the side, and much more wasteful to re-cut the piece of screen if you make it too small.



Step#4:
Hot glue the screen to the tub. This is probably the trickiest part. Lay the screen as flat as you can over the opening. I like to hold the screen nice and tight over the edges and put a little bit of glue there to hold it in place before I do the whole thing.

Make sure the screen is touching the tub so that the hot glue can get into the mesh and adhere itself to the tub. I will sometimes press my finger over the freshly laid hot glue to press it in and seal it. This is kind of painful since the glue is very hot, but it isn't enough to cause burns (or maybe my skin is just that tough now ). You don't need to do this, I think it looks a little nicer in the end if you do.

Check to make sure the screen is secure. Gently press your hand on the screen from the outside. Make sure there are no gaps in the glue. If it feels nice and taught you are good to go!



Tada! Your tub is now done! All that is left is to decorate it

Add in your substrate. I like to use paper towels. They look clean, and it is easy to spot poo. Mmm Poo.


This is your chance to be creative. Arrange your plants, sticks, paper towel tubes, food dishes, hides! Here are some of my tubs that I have set up. Make sure you take advantage of the vertical space and put plants and climbing branches up there too. Cresties like to climb and jump!

Here is a good way to attach larger leaves and vines into your tub. I cut the leaves off a dollar store fake plant and threaded them through some soldered holes in the tub.











The best part is, they are stack-able!


Post pictures of tubs you have made for your geckos!