Vivarium separating?

[Sophieg]

Or hire a "handyman" to make you a real wood cage...it's simple for someone with tools & a little experience, but you have to be able to describe or show them
what you need. Got any friends that might be able to do this? Or maybe you could trade tasks...like do their laundry & clean while they do your cage, lol.
There's bound to be someone around for whom such a trade would be great. Try advertising?

Yea I think I know someone who might do it

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[gunkle]

I'm with you OP. I don't really like tubs myself but it might be a good idea as a temporary solution while you save up some money to replace the cage. I'm sorry that your out the money you spent on the cage but it's ruined. The others are absolutely correct once particle board gets moisture it's ruined. If it had been sealed with something like pond shield it would have been fine or in a less humid set up like a bearded dragon would use. I've built a few enclosures and always use hardwood plywood and seal it. Not sure what you have for hardware stores on your side of the pond but the big ones here will cut sheets of plywood to size for free then all you would need is a drill and a few bits and you could build a fairly basic easy enclosure in a weekend. 1 sheet of 4x8 foot will build a 3x2x1.5 foot with a little scrap left and you don't even need a saw. Very minimal experience needed.

[gunkle]

I know it still wouldn't be completely right but if I took it apart, put it back together and siliconed all the sides properly to prevent anymore moisture from getting in, would that prevent it from getting any worse? I really need to keep this viv, just spent a load of money on a complete new set up!

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If you are set on trying to continue to repair it. Keep an eye out for mold and mildew. Particle board is notorious for that once it gets wet. Also you typically can't reuse screw holes with too much success. Generally you need to use slightly longer screws or make new holes. Remember you MUST pre-drill screw holes in particle board, whether making new ones or using longer screws, with a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screw. I have had best bet with sheet rock screws as they have a larger thread area than a wood screw. Over here Particle board is also called melamine and the covering on it that looks like fake wood is "supposed to" be able to handle moisture. If you look through the DIY forum here you can get some good info on melamine enclosure builds and how to seal them up.

[reptilemom25]

I would just make my own. We did it for our beaded dragon. We spent about $150 to make a 4x2x2, but I spent $50 on custom cut glass. Acrylic would be much cheaper. We used one sheet of laminated plywood, a 1x3 and a 1x2 to trim out the front, bought some stain and poly, screws to put it together, and ordered tracking for the doors. If you don't have the tools, maybe you could borrow from someone. Its just some simple straight cuts and drilling holes and screws plus gluing the track. I have a little experience with power tools but am by no means a carpenter. We used a $30 jigsaw from Lowe's to make our cuts when our circular saw didn't do well. Really all you need is that and a drill with the appropriate bit and a screwdriver bit.