PVC vs Stick "Jungle Gym"

[Piccola]

Hey guys.
I'm thinking of making some sort of jungle gym for my crested gecko to give him more things climb on. I've seen that a lot of people just glue climbing things to the inside of the tank, and that makes me nervous, I'd like to have some non-permanent options in case things change around in the future and for ease of cleaning. I'm not looking to put together anything too fancy. I was just wondering if you think PVC tubing would be better than using medium sized sticks/branches to create this. I like the idea of branches because they look natural, but could my gecko possibly pick up something from outside? I'd be willing to boil the branches but I would rather use PVC pipe if there's any chance he could get sick from the branches. I really don't want to spend real money buying "clean" branches from the store when they're littering my outside, I'd rather go for plastic. And if I use PVC, can I safely paint it with acrylic paints?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[thehotchik1000]

Well PVC would certainly be easier to clean and sanitize. I have a cage that I attatched the PVC on to suction cups and they stick to the cage great. Any credit store and hardware store you could get both from cheaply. You could sanitize the branches by baking them. I've never done this but I know other
Members have. Poss someone could chime in on that aspect. I've spray painted those suction cup soap holders for my arboreal cages using a thin layer of spray paint. I make feeding ledges out of them. I spray paint them let them dry for a couple of days and then scrub them in the sink And those work amazing. I'm sure you could do the same.

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

PVC works great. If you want it to look more natural, you can paint it. See my thread about that here: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/do-yourself-diy/53388-diy-quick-easy-pvc-tubes.html

You could also use bamboo (I sell it pretty cheap). It is rot resistant and tends to hold up for quite a while even in moist conditions. You can use sticks from outside but my biggest issue with that is not the bugs, but the fact that they tend to grow mold and rot from moisture over time depending on what type of wood it is.

 

[Piccola]

Thanks guys. I'll probably go with plastic. You both mentioned spray paint but I've got a problem with that for a few reasons. Do you know if regular acrylic paint would be good for sticking to the plastic?

Update: my Friday night got canceled, I might crank something out of popsicle sticks. Wish me luck!

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

I use Krylon "fusion" paint as it's specifically made to adhere to plastic, no primer needed. Just a quick sanding to rough up the surface.

 

[Piccola]

Win win: I ended up with bamboo and wood from the hardware store, total $4 because of some sale. It's like 12 feet of wood! No paint needed

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

What kind of wood did you get from the hardware store? You're likely going to want to paint it as most wood is going to rot and mold from the humidity in the enclosure.

 

[Piccola]

I'm not sure specifically what type of wood, but it's the pieces that you use to stick in the ground and let vine plants crawl up. I used them for peas and jasmine outside last year and I watered them like mad- no rot. It should be fine, right?

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

I'm not sure specifically what type of wood, but it's the pieces that you use to stick in the ground and let vine plants crawl up. I used them for peas and jasmine outside last year and I watered them like mad- no rot. It should be fine, right?

I can't say without know what type of wood it is. Also, make sure that it's not pressure treated wood as the chemicals used in making it weather proof are toxic. Also, make sure that the bamboo is natural and not coated with anything that could be toxic.