# Blue tongue Enclosures



## kukri-dragon (Sep 13, 2012)

hey, 
I'm looking at getting a blue tongue soon and when i go on youtube to look for Blue tongue enclosures they are all 9 year old Americans with a food dish, water bowl and some horrible looking substrate. So I was just wondering if you guys could show me some real Aussie set ups or give me any advice on how to set it up. Thanks in advance...

- - - Updated - - -

anyone?... :|


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## Reptiles101 (Jan 31, 2013)

Hi,

I have a 1 year old Eastern Bluey in a 3 foot melamine tank, I use Reptile bark or Kritters Crumble for my enclosures substrate. I have 2 hides an exo terra hide and a long log hide. a big rock for basking, and a water and food bowl.

Hope this helps you setting up your enclosure.

Here's an old pic of my bluey Jinxy's enclosure.


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## Skippii (Jan 31, 2013)

Reptiles101 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a 1 year old Eastern Bluey in a 3 foot melamine tank, I use Reptile bark or Kritters Crumble for my enclosures substrate. I have 2 hides an exo terra hide and a long log hide. a big rock for basking, and a water and food bowl.
> 
> ...



Nice setup! Does Jinxy spend much time burrowing in it?

x


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## Reptiles101 (Jan 31, 2013)

Yeah she used to borrow/hide heaps when I first bought her, but she has settled in very well. She is very inquisitive now doesn't hide/borrow to much now tho.


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## Skippii (Jan 31, 2013)

Aww cute. Pics?  I love blueys, thinking of getting a bluey and a shingleback somewhere down the line.

Also, come on people, there've got to be more of you out there with bluey enclosures to show off!


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## Snowballlz (Feb 1, 2013)

Hey I'm new to blueys as well, to be honest reptiles in general.
Here is a pic of where I'm up to with my build, this is two afternoons work ill probably have it stained tonight.





heat lamp will be mounted top right and still yet to figure oh how to do the front door sliding probably.
its 3x1.6x1.6 feet


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## Reptiles101 (Feb 1, 2013)

Wow great progress *Snowballlz *​your enclosure is lookin' awesome already, can't wait to see it when its done.


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## Skippii (Feb 1, 2013)

Nice work! What colour you planning on staining it?


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## Snowballlz (Feb 1, 2013)

thx guys, Its a Cedar stain & varnish all in one, so ill do a couple coats.
I have gotten a bit more done since that pic, I now have the top on and some trim peices for the front. Now I just hafto get some energy back and varnish it or it can just wait till tomorrow.




The hole in the top right is where the adjustable/directional heatlamp will be fitted (modified $10 bunnings special) and the small hole in the middle is where the power cable for the flue will go.
The big holes will have brass vents over them which I found also at bunnings.

sorry for possible thread highjack


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## Skippii (Feb 1, 2013)

It's coming along really nicely, snow! I don't think you've hijacked the thread lol you're showing the original poster how quick/easy it can be to put together a bluey enclosure. Plus you're helping keep this thread from going inactive. Definitely be sure and show us more when it's all done and set up


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## Reptiles101 (Feb 1, 2013)

I agree with skippii it is coming alone nicely, I think now I'm going to make my own tank now lol


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## Wally (Feb 1, 2013)

I've just knocked up a bunch of these tubs out of 500ltr rainwater tanks. Cut the bottom and part of the lid out and wired in some mesh. Euci mulch in the bottom with a few hides and the blueys are outside getting the good stuff from above.


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## Snowballlz (Feb 2, 2013)

Love those tubs might make one for times when I'm ducking down the shops and I can just put blue outside for a bit. How do you secure the lids on? Don't want escape or my cats to gain entry...
reptiles101 I would definatly make one, if you get the peices cut to size for you it's just a case of glue and screw.
thx Skipp, I have noticed a few threads that just sort off drop off, I'll be right into reading it and then get to the next page and it just ends haha. Just realised you say you live in Ellalong, my big sister lives out there just down from the pub.

Back on topic for the OP I'll put up some more pics tonight of it stained and fitted out (except for the door don't have any glass)


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## Wally (Feb 2, 2013)

Snowballlz said:


> Love those tubs might make one for times when I'm ducking down the shops and I can just put blue outside for a bit. How do you secure the lids on? Don't want escape or my cats to gain entry...



Couple of half bricks on top. I'm sure you could be a little more elaborate if you wanted though. They're 500mm high with smooth walls, no bluey is going to climb out of that unless you placed something against the wall for it to climb on.


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## Snowballlz (Feb 2, 2013)

ahh yes the old brick lock, I'm sure that would suffice haha

Just a quick update I did a coat of stain/varnish, will do another tomorrow as its really bad weather here at the moment.


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## ArcticMonkey (Feb 2, 2013)

Hoe did you attach the mesh to the pastic Wally?




Wally76 said:


> Couple of half bricks on top. I'm sure you could be a little more elaborate if you wanted though. They're 500mm high with smooth walls, no bluey is going to climb out of that unless you placed something against the wall for it to climb on.


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## Wally (Feb 2, 2013)

With small gauge fencing wire. Twisty bits to the outside to avoid injury to reptiles.

Inside tub.






And outside.


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## ArcticMonkey (Feb 2, 2013)

OK thanks, I'll be trying something similar very soon so will have to give it a try.


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## Snowballlz (Feb 3, 2013)

Ok so I got my second coat of stain/varnish on. The question is should I also give it a clear coat aswell? I have a rattle can of gloss polyurethane, I'm thinking as I have it may aswell use it.




btw all the other pics are a little yellow because I have a Eco-friendly light in the garage, this pic is with the garage door open.


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## Reptiles101 (Feb 4, 2013)

Wow it's looking amazing now. I'm so jealous.


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## Snowballlz (Feb 4, 2013)

Thx, but the pics make it look way better haha.
I ordered the glass today and Ill be picking it up on Friday. I'll throw up a progress pic in the next couple days with all it's fittings, minus the doors that is.

Would love to see some other people's enclosures for blues and other skinks.


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## Snowballlz (Feb 7, 2013)

So it's a bin a bit, waiting for things to to be at least touch dry sucks.
I have since done a single clear coat on the out side and 2 coats on the inside.
I did all the wiring today for the single fluro and spot light, I will be getting a proper heat globe on Friday or the weekend, where is the best place to get a thermostat switch for a good price?









Also glass will be in Friday night or over the weekend and I'm going to leave it cure for few days before I put ol' blue in there.


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## Wally (Feb 7, 2013)

Looks good.

Is that a UV fluro tube?


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## Snowballlz (Feb 7, 2013)

No it's just a normal fluro tube. It's an Eco friendly low voltage one, its really skinny.


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## Skippii (Feb 7, 2013)

Ahh, Snow it's looking fantastic! Would love to see a picture of it with the lights on at night.
Are you planning to put fake plants and the like in there? I'm jealous, I couldn't put something together from scratch like that haha, I'm cheating and using tv cabinets!


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 7, 2013)

I have a 4x2x2 wooden enclosure with a cave & a didgeridoo for hides,basking rock,log and red gum gum chips for substrate about 2" deep that she loves to burrow through .There is a 2' UV flouro (and a heat cable under the rock for cold days)also a big water dish to bathe in.Sorry can't put up pics ATM as I'm on a crappy old laptop


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## StimiLove (Feb 7, 2013)

This is my shingle back's home. He has a MVB for heat and UV, 2 hides (you can't see the one up front, and normally I have massive plastic green leaves in there for him to hide under. I took them out for the photo so you can see the lizard 
I know he isn't a blue tongue, but they reqire the same set up still


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## Snowballlz (Feb 7, 2013)

Skippii said:


> Ahh, Snow it's looking fantastic! Would love to see a picture of it with the lights on at night.
> Are you planning to put fake plants and the like in there? I'm jealous, I couldn't put something together from scratch like that haha, I'm cheating and using tv cabinets!



Oh I never thaught of putting plants in there, the only enclosures I have seen have been basic, water bowl, hide and wood chips. I will look into that maybe some of the nice soft ones from the dollar store?
how would you go about fixing them in there or just let the lizard rearanege them hahaha.

Would love to see some pics of yours dragonlover1, mines only 3feet long to fit on a bench in the kitchen. I'm still unsure as how to go about the basking rock, its hard to find something thats skinny enough so it wont be inches from the heat lamp and I dont want a tile trying to go for an all natural look


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## Snowballlz (Feb 13, 2013)

so I have finaly finished building my enclosure, the glass was ordered wrong so I had to get that re done, shifty buggers were going to try and make me pay the difference too.
All in all I wont be going there again and I have sonce learned it is very over priced  as in almost double what there competitors quote...

Here it is installed in the kitchen, Just need to get my dimming thermostat next week and thats it.





So now its time to move on to a double snake enclosure


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## Skippii (Feb 13, 2013)

Snow that looks awesome! Wow.. Lucky little bluey 

Personally, I would definitely add in some fake plants, and make the enclosure a little more like a natural habitat. blueys are pretty intelligent and VERY inquisitive. It's also a good idea if possible to rearrange things in the enclosure occasionally, just to keep them stimulated. You'll notice most blueys will really go around and explore when things have been changed. I have no doubts that it's beneficial for them, to keep things a little interesting.

As far as fixing the plants, there are a lot of different methods out there. I couldn't tell you myself, as I'm in the same process of figuring things out myself right now haha, but surely it can't be all that difficult! I've just brought home a little bluey from the castle hill expo, so I'll be setting him up a nice permanent enclosure asap, and it'll most certainly include some nice fake plants for him to rummage around in and hide under 

Any chance for some more pics of your little bluey any time soon? They're such cuties

x


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## Snowballlz (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks I'm surprised it turned out so well hahaha. You should have seen him dart around investigating his new space its was cool, he even got on his rock for a bit of a warm up soo awsome to watch.
yeah I'll probably go to the local dollar store this weekend and see what plants they have. Firstly I hafto go get a lower watt heat lamp and may hafto add extra Vents, the one I put in there shot the temp up way to high it was 30+ at the cool end oops oh well live and learn, will come in handy for next build 

I'll get some more pics of him tomorrow lunch time after I finnish work, I'll try get some pics of him feeding  he is still a little hopless at chaseing crickets it funny to watch 
this is him last week


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## Snowballlz (Feb 14, 2013)

Skippii said:


> Any chance for some more pics of your little bluey any time soon? They're such cuties
> 
> x



here I got these today no feeding as my feminine side fed blue before I got home from work 
still got some of him basking under the heat lamp for a bit before the tank heated up to much and I had to turn it off.














He got under there and just flattened himself out sooo cute haha


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## Skippii (Feb 15, 2013)

baha he looks like a pancake when hes basking, so cute! Love the lil fella


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## ronhalling (Feb 16, 2013)

If you want to secure plants in there get hold of a hot glue gun and glue them to the bottom then put the substrate back in, when you want to move them around just use your hair dryer to soften the hot glue...........................Ron


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## Snowballlz (Feb 16, 2013)

ronhalling said:


> If you want to secure plants in there get hold of a hot glue gun and glue them to the bottom then put the substrate back in, when you want to move them around just use your hair dryer to soften the hot glue...........................Ron



Thanks I'll borrow the one from work, I just threw some plastic vine in there for now, should be plenty exiting for him. Till I can find some more interesting fake plants.


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## Snowballlz (Feb 16, 2013)

Just took this pic with the vine in, can you spot the blue?


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## Skippii (Feb 16, 2013)

Awww look at im peering out. I'd say he loves it! Lovely vine too, where'd you get it? Looks great!


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## Snowballlz (Feb 16, 2013)

Skippii said:


> Awww look at im peering out. I'd say he loves it! Lovely vine too, where'd you get it? Looks great!



Yeah it deff looks better then I thaught it would when I got it off the rack at HOT DOLLAR it was the only plant they had there appart from the more ridgid flower ones for vases.
its like plastic chain link but when its all bunched together it looks pretty  cant wait to build my snake enclosre and deck it out haha


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## Skippii (May 18, 2013)

How's he doing these days? 

x


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