Terrarium

[dick visser]

Hello everyboddy.

I just looked at all the Terraria, enclosures and 'cages' (which is, in my opinion, not a name for a reptile enclosure, cage is for birds and dangerous dogs...)and I think there is a very big gap between Europian and American way of repetile enclosure building and arrangement. Thats why I'm a little bit shy to publice photo's of my own terrarium setup. I think it is not interesting for most of the members of this forum because my idea about set up a terrarium is completely different from most of the others here.
But after saying this its just honest to show where I'm talking about.
So here is a picture of my terrarium room:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/dickyvisser/K-Ter-Stellagefront1.jpg

All 6 terraria in use are for Asian pitvipers and completely atomatical controlled. Light, heath, fresch air and rain are controlled by thermostats and timers, rainsystem is controlled by a hygrostat. All animals are kept separated and put together in mating time.

Here's a photo of a bigger terrarium for an adult Trimeresurus stejnegeri.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/dickyvisser/K-grootter-trim.jpg

With this kind of setup I have different benefit. I can go on hollyday for 2 or 3 weeks, I never have to clean the terrarium and never have to change the water. because it is constantly filtered and in motion. Because there are airbubbles in the waterpart the snakes go there for drinking, the bubbles come from an aquarium airpump. Ones in a week I'm one hour bussy to remove debris (and sheddet skin) with a spoon which have a long grip, and fill up the waterparts.

Besides the comfort I like to look at a small part of nature when I look into a terrarium. In fact, sometimes I think the plants and all the decoration is more important than the snakes....but no, at the end the snakes come first...!
I experiance the surching for a Trimeresurus vogeli between the green leaves in my terrarium as a thrill, sometimes it take 10 minutes to discover the animal...during that 10 minutes I'm not where I am but somewhere in a Malaysian or Indonesian jungle...

Greetings **** Visser.

[Greg West]

That is quite the set-up ****

Its nice to see naturalistic terraria, and yours with the automation aspect is very slick.

Greg West

[Invictus]

That is AWESOME! What do you mean you think it would be "not interesting" to us north american folks? It looks very high-tech and is probably great for the animals. Thanks for sharing!

[marisa]

I think it's VERY interesting!

For the general herp keeper, I always advise rubbermaids, but for the experts who know their species, their native habitats, etc then I also love the look of natural vivs. It's amazing when someone can take the time to do them up like that!

Congrats! those look great.

Marisa

[HeRpZ03]

Those are amazing terrariums! About how long did it take you to set all that up? and again, those are GREAT terrariums!

[Alberto]

Great set up. Well done!

[Jeff_Favelle]

Very cool. Yep, if you're a beginner, then get the basics down first, which is why I always suggest Rubbermaid-type enclosures. But for the veterans or easy-to-keep species, why not have them on display? Its why we all got into this hobby in the 1st place!!

Great job! :D

[Kimo]

I personally would love to know how these were built...step by step, cause they are just amazing, and look like good space savers...might be nice to get somthing like that working for my ETBs so...any clues on how it was built? hehehe

Josh

[dick visser]

Hello again.

First I like to thank all the nice support you'v give me here. I think my idea about some members here is a little bit beside the truth...

Well, Kimo, you asking for a step by step instruction but thats maibe to much for an answer in this threat, maibe there is an other place in this forum to publice the whole story...?

I will show some other pictures of the pull-out lightbox:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/dickyvisser/K-lichtkapuitg1.jpg

Here one can see how it looks when the lightbox is pulled out for repair or change tubes or bulps.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v451/dickyvisser/K-lichtkap1.jpg

Here one have a better look into the lightbox. Let me explain:

On the front are the defferent switches, lets start at the left (on the picture). The red swich is for the so collt night-lamp. This is a red bulp which is to see at the back of the lightbox between the two tubes. At night, when the lights are swiched off, I swich the red light on to watch without distrurbing the snake.

Below the red swich there is a green one, this is for the halogen-bulp in the middle between the tubes. This bulp is for extra light incase of plant growing, in the rainy season I swich this light off. Next to the red and green there are 2 black swiches , those are for the 2 tubes. In the rainy season one must allways decrease the amout of light in the terrarium.

Next to the 2 black swiches there is the red main swich. When I swich this off all the electricity is cut off.

The smal black beneath the mainswich is for the waterlock. Every day the rainsystem is working after darkness. When I decide to give no rain in a particular terrarium I can swich off the waterlock who is blocking the water flow to that particular enclosure.

The black bordered hole richt from the grip is for the thermostat adjust-knob. Because the copper wire of the sensor is a litle bit rigid I have to attach the thermostat to the frame, one can see between the right tube and the right spot-light.

The yello circel is a mechanical timer for the lights.

The lightbox is made out of just plywood 12 mm. covert with mirroring adhesive plastic cloth. All the electric + wires are red and -- wires are black. The 2 spots are for warming up the rerrarium and conected to the thermostat.

Some electric wires must connect to powerpoints outside the terrarium. I glu all of theme together and let this flexibel bundel of wires roll on with the pull out movement, just like it works in a computer printer where the cardrige is moving from left to right.

The inside of the lightbox looks maibe very impressive and complicated but it is not !
First you put the different light-boddy's where you like theme, just as you do in a normal terrarium and after that you just simpel connect al the components and put swiches after your own wishes.

Advice is: make a drawing befor starting the work....

Greeting **** Visser.

PS: feel free to ask more.

[doenoe]

Jezus christus, ziet dat er ff super uit :D
Man, i cant believe it, those enclosures look awesome.
Job well done, well done indeed.
Greetz Daan

[dick visser]

He Earoplane Daan...

The first line of your kind reply is in Duch which mean you live maibe in Holland??
Wenn yes you can come to visit me and see my setup in the wild.

Thanks for your support

Greetings **** Visser.

[doenoe]

Yup, i live in holland. In a place called Hoorn, about 30 km above Amsterdam.
And i would love to see them, they look awesome.
Where do you live btw?
Greetz Daan

[Invictus]

Once again... Your enclosure is absolutely mind-boggling. I'm utterly amazed. Do you mind if I steal some of your design elements? :D

[dick visser]

...go ahaed Invictus, I feel good when someone like my work....

Daan@

I just live in your naberhood, Zaandam. I'm now working on some new terraria so its a mess in my snake room. In October your most welkom ! Koffie is klaar.....

Greetings **** Visser.