Been considering a design/build of what I think would be considered a vivarium. The idea is a group of finches (5 is what I'm imagining at the moment) in a 5W x 3D x 6H foot enclosure.
The frame would be aluminum bolted together for durability and ease of cleaning. The enclosure would be modular, split at the midpoint height-wise with latches, so it can be broken down into two sections for moving.
At the bottom, around 2-3 inches of soil with moss coverage, some small plants (toxicity to finches considered), with earthworms, isopods, and springtails as a cleanup crew to handle waste naturally.
The acrylic wall panels slide out for access to the birds when needed. Inside, there are landings on each side offset from one another—shelves that run the full 3 feet deep with about an inch of soil and moss on top. Each landing has feeders and water cups. Natural branch perches throughout for the birds to move between levels.
For lighting, there is an LED strip at the top with frosted acrylic in front to diffuse the light. The walls are acrylic panels with translucent dot stickers so the finches don't crash into them. There is also a window on the back side for natural light.
Curious if anyone has done something similar or has thoughts on the design—particularly around plant choices, branch sourcing, and aluminum framing for a DIY build.