Attractive plastic enclosure?

[pharika]

I'm thinking about switching my modified glass tank for a plastic bin for my BP after reading about the benefits of that over glass. My snake being comfortable is more important than a decorative tank, of course, but I'm trying to think of a way to make it look a little nicer! I live in a studio so the enclosure takes up a significant amount of space. The tank I have now looks beautiful, with a custom backdrop and sides I made, but it has the typical problems of glass tanks of course and will be outgrown very soon (it's a 10gal, recycled from a tank I had, with the intention of getting a new one soon.) I'm fairly crafty, so if anyone has made a storage bin enclosure look...well, not like a storage bin sitting on the table, recommendations for attractive bins I can use, or other ideas for making a comfortable and safe (and lightweight!) DIY enclosure, let me know!

I have a couple general questions about using a storage bin as well, I've read other people's descriptions of theirs and how they made them, but can't seem to find out how people keep the lid on. I have very strong clamps on my lid now because my BP likes to climb and play in his vines near the top, but I'm not sure how that would work with the shape of storage box lids which usually just snap lightly on either end. Could I just bent the metal clamps into the right size? We're talking about a criminal mastermind here. ;)
Also, and this may sound stupid but I honestly don't know, if I use a plastic/rubber bin, will my UTH burn it?

[ClockwerkBonnet]

That last question isn't stupid at all. :-)
To be honest, the solution to the problem with the lid might depend on what that lid looks like. I've never used plastic cages for permanent homes before, so the case at hand is a little tricky to tackle.
And yes, undertank heaters can melt certain plastic materials. It all depends on what kind
of plastic the tank is made of, in my opinion.
Forgive me if I said something wrong. I'm just trying to help.

[psychocircus]

I use Animal Plastics cages (apcages). Sounds like you're not looking to spend that money, but they look very nice, organized, and are easy to decorate. You may at least look into them for inspiration.

[Scubadiver59]

Are you talking about stacked bins, in a rack, using heat tape either on the back or on the bottom back of the bin? Or are you referring to a "tub", i.e. Sterilite, with latches on the end?

If the latter, use bungee cords to secure the top from end to end, towards the sides, or from side to side, 1/3 from the ends.

Heat tape works good on bins, and UTHs will work too, if you use a good thermostat that has a cut off if something goes wrong. Most bins/tubs can withstand a good amount of heat, but your snake can't.

If you're speaking about PVC enclosures...use an RHP.

[craigafrechette]

Just to clarify...as long as your UTH is regulated by a thermostat it won't melt the plastic. Think if it this way, our body temp is roughly 98F, plastic wont melt in your hands. Your hotspot should be 92 at the hottest. I go 88-89 personally.

[pet_snake_78]

I like AP cages. racks work fine for a lot of species but it's not as attractive if you're keeping a snake for your viewing pleasure. In either case, be careful to monitor the temperatures. I like to use something with a daily min/max so you can detect if anything bad is going on like the sun hitting it at a certain time of day and spiking temperatures as happened to me once (thankfully I caught it before it was too bad).