Cage price

[reptiguy123]

What is the average price for, say, a cage for a full-grown savannah monitor? I've done hours of research and haven't gotten to the point where I will buy yet, so I want a general range. I would also like to know what sizes pf what materials to use. I haven't started to work with bosc's yet, so when I get one, I want It to have a good home:D

[chuck911jeep]

go to the enclosure forum,you will see lot's of folks enclosure at lots of price

[B-Rep]

A decent 1" plywood 6'L x 3'W x 3H should cost you between 80-160 dollars down there...Depending on what style of enclosure you decide to use.

have fun

[reptiguy123]

I was thinking of plywood and plexiglass, if you were still wondering.

[B-Rep]

Yeah that's what mines made of as well. Just make sure you have enough ventalation.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Im going to be starting one next week, its going to be all wood but the top will be open fully being covered only by a thick wire screen(like chainlink fence type stuff). I got a sheet of plexy that was 5'x3' and 3/8" thick and it was 160.

[JeffT]

You deffinately do NOT want to use plexiglass, the monitor will scratch it up to bad you cant see through after about 2 days. Use glass or some kind of strong, plastic coated mesh.

[reptiguy123]

I was not going to use plexiglass for the sides, just for the top. I'm pretty sure that won't get scratched up much, but if it does, I don't need to see in from the top.

[B-Rep]

I have a plexiglass veiwing window in mine and have since it was made 2 years ago. I guess my sav is just well behaved.

[reptiguy123]

How thich is the plexiglass? Is there only one side of plexiglass, and if there is, is that where the cage opens up? If at all possible, I would like to see pictures of the enclosures to get a better idea of what they look like structurally.

[B-Rep]

I can't be 100% certain on the thickness of the plexi-glass. 1/4 or so maybe, not much more than that. The top is a custom made lid, it opens up and out, to allow easy access for things like cage cleaning etc. I think I only used 2 or 3 sheets of 8'x'4' plywood then had it cut to the dimensions I needed for the cage itself as well as the lid. I don't have a digital camera so I can't post pictures sorry.

good luck

[reptiguy123]

How much did that enclosure cost you?

[B-Rep]

Umm, I think it came to around 180 CDN dollars.

Let us know what you've decided to build.

[reptiguy123]

Okay. My idea is an 8'x4'x4' plywood enclosure with a top that opens in two areas. I think that I'll embed plexigless into each half on the top. If anyone has any complaints/advice on this project, post it now before I start building.

[V.hb]

Matt, top opening on a 4 foot cage will be very hard to service. I would do it somewhat like my cage of the same dimensions. Two 4 foot front opening doors. My doors are on hinges that i can completely remove.(the doors come off, just a matter of fliping a latch) So i have 4x2' of space to service the interior.

I wish i had a digi cam, i'd take some photos.. Soon hopefully.

[reptiguy123]

So, could I have two smaller doors opening on both sides of a top that can be removed but otherwise attached (a plexiglass-embebbed top)?

[V.hb]

you could if you want, but if iam reading what you're saying properly it would still be hard to service being 4 feet tall, remember you're reaching in, and sometimes reaching in for an animal with a food response can be dangerous if you're struggling just to reach.

[reptiguy123]

You do have a point. What should the height be for a full-grown savannah monitor? Keep in mind that I plan to have my light on the inside of the cage, so I want it to be high enough so that the bulb is out of reach.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Well i would reccomend three feet. Im going to be doing two but since you have it in the cage it should be three feet. At four feet a large savannah could still reach it. You could do three feed and enclose it well. That should be good for it.

[V.hb]

4 feet is good, gives you 2 feet of space for dirt, and 2 feet of space above the dirt to service animals and keep the lights at a safe distance.

Another thing to think about as well, you see alot of people using tons of basking lights. A well insulated and well made enclosure usually can be heated properly with one good heat lamp.

[B-Rep]

Good point V.HB, lots of people waste money on extra basking lamps bulbs etc. when all they had to do was build an appropriate enclosure in the first place.

[reptiguy123]

So, in order to make that appropriate enclosure, I would need a 8'x4'x4' plywood box with 2 feet of dirt, two plexiglass-embedded openings on either side of a fixed (but removable if needed) top, and a 75 watt (correct me if I'm wrong) basking light? Should I also have a light that turns on at night?

[crocdoc]

Have you considered putting the doors on the front, rather than the top? Keep your two foot litter dam on the bottom, then have the doors opening above that. Heat rises (taking humidity with it) and with top opening doors, a lot of your heat will rise through the gaps, as it is unlikely they'll be sealed well enough to prevent this from happening. Some heat will still escape through the gaps in front opening doors, but not at the same rate.

As far as basking lights being inaccessible to the monitors, they can be fairly low to the basking spot as long as they aren't near a wall for the monitor to lean on to access them. In my limited experience, if the bulbs are directly above the monitors they'll check them out once or so (possibly even touching a very hot bulb with the tip of their nose), but soon realise they are hot and leave them alone. Trying to cover the lights with screen seems to make the problem worse, for the monitors then have something to hold on to and are more likely to get burned by climbing onto the screen.

Lights that turn on at night would depend on the age/size of your monitor and the room temperature. If your savannah monitor isn't a tiny baby and your room temperature is average room temperature (70F), it will not hurt it to have the enclosure temperature drop to that temperature at night.

[reptiguy123]

Have your monitors ever gotten serious burns from a bulb? Are you saying a light can be lower than 2 feet high if it is in the center of the cage, or is 2 feet the bare minimum? I have considered having side openings, but I wouldn't know how strong a sav could get, and if it it could break plexiglass. It was said that they can also scratch it up, making the vision through unclear. If I do use side openings, do I drill holes in one side of the plexiglass, or what do I use for ventilation? My average room temperature is low sixties/high eighties, so I will probably have at least one bulb on at all times. I will not put screen on the bulbs. If any of this is wrong, please correct me, or it will be at the cost of my dear monitor. One final question for now: are heat lamps the only means that you use to maintain warmth to your enclosures?

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

I myself would stick with the top opening and put the light on the outside, however, its up to what works for you(and the monitor). For heating, no, lights are not the only way. You can use radiant heat pannels, heating pads, and yes, hot rocks. I DO NOT reccomend these and though i may be a hipocrate for this i have ONE that i use. This is because this rocks temperature is 96F and i use a rheostat to tune it down a bit more. It is the only hot rock i have used and ever will use. So yes, lots of way to heat. Under tank heater may not work in this situation though, unless you stuck it on a wall. The radiant heat pannels are for walls.

[crocdoc]

My monitors have yet to get burns from a bulb. If your bulb is 2 feet off the basking spot, you'll need a bulb with a large wattage to get the basking spot hot enough, so you are better off with a lower wattage bulb lower down. You are also better off with two bulbs to make the basking area larger (it should cover the monitor's body length).

Your savannah is unlikely to break the plexiglass but very likely to scratch it up. I use glass on my enclosures, with sliding doors rather than ones that open outward, but that's a personal preference and not a matter of right and wrong.

As far as ventilation goes, openings should be on the sides of the enclosure rather than the top, no matter where your doors are, for if they are on the top the heat and humidity goes straight up and out.

[V.hb]

Top opening doesn't work for a cage that large
1. heat & humidity both escape
2. hard to service (if setup properly)

Theres no point in buying heat panels, hot rocks etc
as I said one heat lamp in a well made enclosure is all you need and considerably cheaper than alot of the other junk on the market.

[crocdoc]

I just noticed the post by chrisandboids that appeared while I was typing mine.

When you are talking about heat, do you mean basking spot or ambient temperature? Monitors should have lights to bask under, preferably white lights rather than red or ceramic. If the enclosure is that large that you need radiant heat panels to keep an appropriate ambient temperature, then so be it, but make sure there is a good gradient between the hot basking spot and the coolest part of the enclosure.

Don't use hot rocks.

[crocdoc]

haha... the posts are coming thick and fast! Every time I click 'submit' there is another post already up there.

Yeah, what V.hb said, although I'd go for two flood lights for a savannah rather than one, to accomodate its body length as an adult

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

For them temp i gave, that was the surface temperature of the hot rock. I dont use radient heat pannels and i dont think they would work well and under tank is out of the question when there is a food o dirt. I am just saying there are other ways. I dont mean ambient or basking spot temps for heat. Also i agree, no hot rocks(i just happen to be lucky to find mine). It is rarely used unless i have an emergency.

[reptiguy123]

Hmmmm. Radiant heat panels. Do they go on the outside, on the side? How many do you need, and how do you attach it? I was only considering using a two floodlight-part basking light system, but do you think it would cover enough to heat a base of 8'x4'? If so, I won't consider heat panels, but I still will read up on it.

"As far as ventilation goes, openings should be on the sides of the enclosure"

It's quite all right with me if you laugh, but I have little experiance with sav enclosures. Please, someone define openings for me.

[crocdoc]

'openings' would be whatever allows air to flow in and out of your enclosure. They can be small holes drilled directly into the walls of the enclosure, a large hole (or holes) covered with a plastic or metal vent purchased from a hardware store or any one of a number of things. You can get adjustable vents that can be opened or closed, too. It is usually best not to have whatever openings you make too close to the top, so some heat and humidity is retained. Midway down the walls or back of the enclosure is good. You may even consider putting them only at the cool end of the enclosure.

For a wooden enclosure measuring 8' x 4' x 4' I would have the two basking lights at one end and nothing else. Remember that half of that space will be filled up with dirt and, if the openings are on the sides rather than the top, the warm end will stay warm. Wood is a good insulator if your enclosure is well built. You'll have a hot basking spot, warm ambient temperatures at the basking end of the enclosure graduating towards a cooler end so the monitor has a choice of temperatures. If you find it gets too cool at the cool end once you've set everything up, you can put an additional heat source half way down the enclosure (this can double as your night time source of heat if you decide to go for that option)

[reptiguy123]

Thanks so much. I was wondering as I tried to make my own, does anyone have any blueprints or anything on that matter? If I had an additional heat source, what would that be? Radiant heat panels?

[crocdoc]

if you really needed an additional heat source half way down the enclosure, a red bulb or ceramic heat bulb would do. A radiant heat panel would be overkill on an enclosure that size. My guess is that you probably will not any additional heat source, anyway

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Yup, exactly what crocdoc said.

[reptiguy123]

Well, my room in question can get really cold. I was thinking of using a red bulb only at night, whan the floodlights go off. Are you suggesting a red bulb for day and night, or just night? By the way, does anyone know any good floodlight types or what amount of watts if it is placed 2 feet above ground level?

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

The red bulb would probably be just for night. Your could also use a black light, this would work fine aswell. I find they produce a tiny little less heat but less light. You could keep them on for general cage temp just for the day as you would probably have it a litle higher up than the others for whole cage temp at night. Im not sure about the wattage probably 75 if you have two lights but probably up too 100watts would be great.

[crocdoc]

I'd probably raise up the basking spot so that the lights aren't 2 feet up from them. You'll have to test the bulbs yourself, for until you have it set up no one can predict what basking temperature will be produced under your specific conditions. For basking lights, look into getting indoor/outdoor floodlights (avoid the ones with the clear hexagon in the centre, though) or halogen floods. At 2 feet you'd probably be looking in the 100- 120 Watt range and half your enclosure would be warmed up.

Just how cold is your room? Didn't you say 60-70?

[reptiguy123]

Actually, the temperature is high 50's, low 60's. How close can 2 floodlights be without contact with an adult sav? I have a 75 watt basking light. Can I use this and a floodlight for daytime temps, and use a (single or one at either end?) night bulbs at night? If this question is unclear, I will try to explain later, but for now I'm pretty busy.

[crocdoc]

as I said, no one will be able to tell what wattage you'll need once your new enclosure is set up, but unless you are planning to get another 75 watt bulb like the one you already have it is best to have two identical bulbs next to each other to expand the size of the basking spot. How close they need to be to the basking spot will depend on the wattage used and how hot a basking spot you want. My bulbs are around 12-14" from the surface, which means my monitors can easily touch them if they want to. They don't, because the bulbs are hot :)

If you are going to have a night time bulb, have it at one end of the enclosure so there is a gradient the monitor can choose from. One idea is to have a bulb midway down the enclosure that is on 24 hours, so that it supplements the basking lights during the day (increasing ambient temperature) and provides a bit of warmth at night. In the end, you'll have to experiment with your new enclosure once it is built. Don't move your monitor in to the new enclosure right away so you can play around with bulbs and wattage to find what works best. No one on these forums can give you set answers, for every set up is different

[reptiguy123]

Well, I kind of figured that out anyway, but thanks for the help. When you mean don't put it in the enclosure right away, do you mean I should make another enclosure for it, or to test the heating before I even buy a new monitor?

[crocdoc]

Now you've lost me. I thought you had a savannah monitor but were building a new enclosure for it, which is why I suggested you build the enclosure, test it with different bulb wattages and basking spot positions, THEN put the monitor in. If you haven't bought the monitor, yet, then do the above before you buy it.

[crocdoc]

aha, I just re read the intial post that started this thread. You haven't bought the monitor yet. Build the enclosure, test the bulbs, add monitor.

[reptiguy123]

Bingo! Well, crocdoc and all others, thanks for all of the help. When I get the monitor (which may be a long time with my rate of progress and the amount of work not related to reptiles), I will try to remember to post pictures. :)

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Sounds Good! Good luck with it!

[reptiguy123]

Yup yup yup:D :D