Walk in Vivarium Room

[Strider18]

Hey everyone!

So earlier today I got this crazy idea. I thought to myself, why not turn a room into a vivarium? My question is, would it be possible to line the walls in a room with glass to prevent mold on the drywall etc.? I do not currently plan on doing this, but I would love to in the future if I could afford it. All thoughts and ideas on how to make this possible are welcome!

[privet01]

Issues such as water and air quality will go up exponentially. However money and thought can overcome. Unless you have money out the wazoo to address those issues, I'd hate to be near your home as the smell will be atrocious and likely may violate some zoning and building codes.

But like I said, with enough thought and money you could do it. Zoo's and other places already do.

[Strider18]

I have thought out ventilation already, I would put several vents around the tank. I have also been told that a healthy Viv smells nice and earthy and I don't mind smelling that. I do not plan to do this currently as I am only 16 though lol

[Krispy]

Skin it with marlite... the thin fibreglass/plastic sheeting you see in walk in coolers, kitchens, and restrooms everywhere. Youll need a furnace blower and a water panel that goes on furnace ductwork for whole house humidity purpose. But in a confined space it would work... insulating it properly would be the hardest part i think.

A basic handful of hvac controls would be a start. Ranco controls is a good brand used widely across the pet trade for temp/humidistats. Most wire up 110 like a switch, just add an outlet.

[Krispy]

Oh yeah, and an electronic air cleaner, just jackrig a few sterilizing uv bulbs from the petstore to it to garuntee the best air quality.

[Strider18]

I had thought about using epoxy to seal it. I might not even use it in my house, but I might just build a building and insulate it etc.

[hydromaestro]

Where would the water go that you would be using to water the plants everyday? This seems kinda like a pipe dream if your trying to do it in a house that's already built. You would have to add a room onto your house or create a separate building

[Strider18]

My thought was to make a false bottom, how my room is made there is a walk in closet. The water could drain to there and be recycled to water again.

[privet01]

I have also been told that a healthy Viv smells nice and earthy and I don't mind smelling that.l

True.... but on that scale, when things get out of whack as they almost always do in a closed system, the results could be quite "smelly". Be sure you learn all you can about water chemistry, air quality and handling. At your age, if there is a zoo or someplace nearby with reptile/amphibian exhibits where you can volunteer, you might get some good insights.

[Krispy]

Ay, she'll be a hurt piece on the wallet that for sure. Still backup power/water too....

[Strider18]

I am a he first off :P And as I stated before I obviously can't do this since it's my parents house lol. I just want ideas to see if this is even possible

0.0.1 PCf
Soon to come 0.0.4 Phyllobates bicolor

[deranged chipmunk]

It's a feasible proposition. It wouldn't be cheap to do, by any means, but it is possible.


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[Strider18]

Thx Bill. Any tips for me if I did end up doing it eventually?

[deranged chipmunk]

Well, if I were to do it, for one, I would not even consider doing it in a room that had wood framing. I would only consider doing it in a basement with masonry foundation walls. This leaves only one surface where there is wood framing, the ceiling. Masonry is much easier to waterproof than wood framing. Which brings me to the MOST important thing. Water proofing. The entire thing would need to be sealed. 100%. This is why is should not be done as a DIY project, but by a professional display designer. Water vapor can get places when you couldn't even imagine. All you need is one tiny pinhole somewhere and moisture can escape, and well, I don't think I need to tell you how much damage that can cause. And it will happen behind the scenes, where you won't notice until bad stuff starts happening. Black mold and respiratory problems being the worst. And all this is even BEFORE you get into heating, ventilation, air circulation and all the rest of the goodies.

Lighting presents new issues, since they would need to be inside said room and would need to be waterproofed to prevent corrosion.

It's an adventuresome project, but not really feasible for the normal human. But, if you had enough $$$$, then anything is possible.

The 'realistic' option would be a heated, outdoor greenhouse converted for amphibian life. That could be done much more reasonably.


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[Strider18]

Thanks for elaborating on that Bill! I have thought about doing an outdoor greenhouse but I didn't think that would really be possible, especially since I'm in So. Cal. and it gets up to 105 F on really hot days... Any thoughts on keeping something like that cool enough?

[deranged chipmunk]

Two thoughts actually, both require power. One being ventilation fans (on a serious type hvac controller, obviously), or having one of those high tech minimal mount hvac units installed. But be prepared for high energy bills with either option. Unless of course, you were to power with that new, high tech battery/solar power unit that tesla is slowly introducing.


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[Strider18]

Haha yeah, I did just have a thought... They have CoolBots that they used for custom refrigeration units, it is possible that one could be used with an AC unit