DIY Viv stack - how suitable is this plan?

[jovamabob]

I have my 28" corn (who is very small for his age) living in a glass tank at the moment which gets too humid and looses heat far too fast in a very cold house. I can't afford a wooden viv, but i have been offered a spare bookcase that would be an ideal project, but i wanted to check its dimensions and my plans out first,
It is: 34 H x 36 L x 9 D. It has 3 shelves and each have individual sliding glass doors.

This is the unit at the moment:
http://cdn.uploads-preloved.com/uploads/userphotos/12/1121/7130674-349-640x1134.jpg

I know its not incredibly deep so i wanted to cut a 10cm2 hole into the bottom of the top shelf so that the top and middle ones are joined into one multi level viv and put a ramp to connect the two. That way he has enough room for exercise and he does spend a lot of time outta the viv anyway. I'd use the bottom one for my baby corn. I'd ideally heat all 3 levels them with heat cable purely for ease of the awkward dimensions which would be controlled by a thermostat. I already use heat cable in a rack system and love it. Id put the cable directly in the viv but underneath a linoleum substrate. I'd secure the lino using screws - i've done this before and its worked. The edges/corners will be sealed with clear aquarium sealant. I'd put vents along the back wall (standard viv vents) and cut a grommet hole for the cable. I dont often use lights in my vivs since they're in sunny places, but i may use an undercabinet fluorescent if they're too dark.


Would this be an okay solution? My corn is a fair smaller than the length of the unit at 2 years and i'd be willing to relocate the baby (4 months) the moment he's too big for it.

[Lankyrob]

Sounds like a plan, just be careful with having the viv in a "sunny area" that you dont accidently cook the snake. Direct sunlight through the glass doors will raise the temps pretty damn quick :)

[EmbraceCalamity]

I have my 28" corn (who is very small for his age) living in a glass tank at the moment which gets too humid and looses heat far too fast in a very cold house.Wait, what? You shouldn't have any issues with humidity being too high in a glass tank, if you're talking about a regular tank with a screen top. If anything, should be the opposite.

~Maggot

[Lankyrob]

Humidity in the uk is pretty high, lowest we get where i am is 50%. when i fill my corns water bowl the front door will "steam up". We have to be careful that humidity doesnt grt too high in their vivs, and have put vents with slightly larger holes in the viv (but not too big, pesky escapee corns :))

[jovamabob]

oh he escaped like crazy so there is a solid metal top. Theres plenty of ventilation but i get too much condensation and want him in somewhere more suitable. The one he's in is lovely but just not right.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Humidity in the uk is pretty high, lowest we get where i am is 50%. when i fill my corns water bowl the front door will "steam up". We have to be careful that humidity doesnt grt too high in their vivs, and have put vents with slightly larger holes in the viv (but not too big, pesky escapee corns :))"The front door"? I don't think we're talking about the same thing.

~Maggot

[jovamabob]

This is his current tank - its not suitable for him at all ventilation wise and you can see the condensation on the sides.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdibizDsq01ry9h3jo1_1280.jpg

At the minute he spends a lot of time outta the tank anyway and i'm careful to leave the lid off while he's out - at least 1hr every day. The screen top isnt secure so i have to use the metal lid - especially since he's an escapologist!

[Lankyrob]

"The front door"? I don't think we're talking about the same thing.

~Maggot

The glass front doors of their vivs steam up because of the high humidity when i fill the water bowl........

[jovamabob]

Started getting my stuff together for this today - got the vents and such, just gotta wait till tomorrow to start fixing it up :)

Quick question, Im using heat cable underneath lino for the versatility - For the two-tier enclosure would i be best heating the entire of one tier and none of the upper tier, or should i heat half of both?

[Philmul]

Take a pic for us at stages of making it. I love wood work and love to see the progress of these sort of projects

[jovamabob]

I will :) I had a go at it today but i decided to wait till tomorrow when i can get someone to do the main sawing for me since i almost cut my own hand off! Im dyspraxic which is a motor-neurone and coordination disorder so im not very good at woodwork or very handy - this is my first project like this! :) Its not too difficult for a little project though and it'll be good practice.

Its working out very cheap so far! My entire budget for fixing it up, heating it and decorating it is unlikely to exceed £50! I paid my friend a token £15 for the case, found some spare green plastic washing line that i'm going to hot-glue some cheap poundland fake leaves onto to make some vines to link the two tiers and im gonna get some bamboo garden poles to fix up for climbing on, just to increase the space. I found some old green repti-carpet i don't use so im gonna fit that to cover the heat-cable as kinda fake grass. A local tile shop sells cheap spare/broken single tiles, including pieces of slate and natural stone so im gonna get some of those and have a rockery garden part. I got some large pieces of cork bark too and a tree stump hide so im hoping for a kinda forest effect. Just gotta get a more natural looking water bowl to help it blend in a little. (He has a large purple dog bowl with crowns on that i got cheap after the jubilee at the moment!)

[Philmul]

21693

I got a recycled plastic bowl from home bargains for a pound. It's heavier than normal plastic and the way it's shaped is difficult to tip. My boa never tipped it yet. It's a brown colour. I made my other vivs which cost me £80 in total but have sold them for £160 so I have made a huge viv 6ft by 4ft and sectioned it into 3 vivs. This has cost me about £90 so far I have since altered this. It has double glazed units out of used windows, fully insulated as its in my garage. I am looking for to small glass units to make the doors for the top vivs

[jovamabob]

That seems ace! I've seen those bowls in home bargains too. Im considering getting a pair since they don't look too obvious. I noticed a few nice wooden bowls in the home section that im considering too - i'd have to see if they'd be water tight though. If i have any money left over at the end (im funding this by selling his current enclosure) then i may splash out and get a pair of those reptile rock effect ones. I have 2 ideal ones in my beardie enclosure, but he's had coccidia that im still trying to treat so it wouldn't be worth the risk for the price of some new ones.

Started doing this today - took some photos for it :D I only had a 99p junior hacksaw, jab saw, electronic screwdriver, sheer stubbornness and the desire to not waste a perfectly good bookcase so i think it came out not too bad thus far!

I needed to cut out the hole for connecting the two tiers but the wood was so thick, the only way to do it was to take of the back and saw into the back of the shelf. Of course all the screws were old and rusted so half of them had to be forced out. Managed to get all but the ones along the bottom out and it was flexible enough that i could prop the backing to one side with a tub of washing powder and get in to work. Used the hacksaw to cut out the section i needed then fixed the back on with some new screws.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me2guv0Rnw1ry9h3jo1_250.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me2guv0Rnw1ry9h3jo4_250.jpg

Used the jab saw to cut out the holes for the vents - its very thin wood board and most of it will be hidden by the vent, so i decided neatness/accuracy was not required here, thank god. I picked up some Louvre vents with fly-screens to prevent escapee's which seem to be able to do the job. Just gotta get some no more nails to fix them onto the actual board since its so thin it can't take screws.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me2guv0Rnw1ry9h3jo5_250.jpg http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me2guv0Rnw1ry9h3jo6_250.jpg

All i need to do now is get some sealant to seal up the edges and to fill a tiny gap in the backing that links the two separate enclosures. Then i just have to glue on the vents, order the heat cable so i can add that in and then fix down the cage-carpet/lino. I can do all that in a few hours, so im almost done! :) Made a huge mess of the back room though, and insisted the boyfriend was not allowed to help (which resulted in me getting about a gazillion splinters and a busted thumb!) Beyond that, its just decorating the enclosures. Im thinking forest effects :D

[Philmul]

Wow I'm impressed being a girl as well. Lol only joking I'm impressed with the limited tools and yet good outcome. You could always get the cheap bowls from home bargains until you treat your beardies or save up. Not sure about wooden bowls? What snake are you keeping in the viv again? The hole in between the two stages looks small. Just make sure it's sanded so you snake doesn't injure himself. I stick vents on with no nails. It's good stuff.

[jovamabob]

What snake are you keeping in the viv again?
Just corn snakes - a 2 year old who's quite small for his age and a 4 month old in the bottom one.

The hole in between the two stages looks small. Just make sure it's sanded so you snake doesn't injure himself.
The hole is quite deceptive looking in the photo lol - its wide enough that he'll get down it with plenty of room, but small enough that it wont take up too much useable space. I wanted to make it bigger but a 99p wilkos junior hacksaw can only take so much lol! :) I've sanded it down, but it needs another go at it.

I stick vents on with no nails. It's good stuff.
I keep trying to buy no nails but Wilkos keep telling me i need ID to buy it (im 20) - Apparently in a single purchase i can buy a hacksaw, bolt cutters, a claw hammer and a tube of 'blood stains remover' which is essentially a DIY murder kit with no questions asked, but i cannot buy a tube of glue. Finally persuaded poundland im not a glue-sniffer and managed to buy a tube of contact-adhesive that will hopefully do the job lol!

Persuaded a local tile-shop to sell me a load of random tiles they've got left over from various jobs quite cheap so i've got some nice pieces of slate for next to nothing :D. Sebby is getting annoyed at his rather cramped quarters at the moment and is so ready for a new viv its crazy.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md1834n72o1ry9h3jo1_1280.jpg

[Gungirl]

Make sure that once you are done using the adhesive you allow it to fully cure and properly air out before placing your snakes in the new viv. Also make sure the hole you cut between the 2 levels is large enough for your snake to fit through with food in its stomach... If you feed it and then it decides to move up or down a level you don't want it getting stuck.

Looking good other wise. :)

[jovamabob]

Stuck the vents on today and sealed it up. I was gonna use clear stuff but the gaps between the back of the shelves and the backing was bigger than expected so my dad advised me to use some acrylic sealant and just paint it to blend in later on - the bottom of the shelves won't be seen because of the flooring anyway. The vents were stuck on pretty wonky - i entrusted this to my boyfriend because im banned from using any kind of contact adhesive (glued my hands together once - long story).

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me9ly7wYfl1ry9h3jo1_500.jpg

[jovamabob]

Finally got all the stuff together to finish this today and i have a quick question. Laid out the heat cable to see where im gonna route it and i have 2 options:

Option 1: Heat both tiers as if they were separate enclosures and heat them both as normal.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mem7v7updj1ry9h3jo1_1280.jpg

Option 2: Heat just the middle tier and have a entirely heated section and an entirely cool section.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mem7v7updj1ry9h3jo2_1280.jpg

The second option is probably easier to route since i dont need to make as many holes in the back, but i'll do whatevers best. I was thinking that since he got an RI with using aspen, i'll switch to the reptibark and have half of the heated section bedded, and half of the cool section bedded. The non bedded sections are gonna have slate/ceramic tiles and all the temperature sections will have hides that are filled with shredded kitchen roll instead of the bark.

I played around with some of the tiles today and thought i'd show you.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mem7v7updj1ry9h3jo3_1280.jpg

Let Sebby explore a little - he's in shed but still had a nosy round :D He seems to fit in it very well, even with his recent major growth spurt :D
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mem7v7updj1ry9h3jo4_1280.jpg

[Lankyrob]

Looking good, personally i sould heat both areas :)

[jovamabob]

Ace :D I was thinking if i heat both areas, i can separate off one tier while i introduce him to the enclosure and gets used to it - he gets terribly stressed whenever i move him somewhere new.
I always forget - do i heat half of the enclosure or 1/3? :) Thanks

[Lankyrob]

Never used heat tape myself but i know when you use a heatmat you aim for a third, i would ASSUME its the same but cant guarantee it :)

[Philmul]

Heating both shelves would be better IMO as you get a more accurate ambient temp. I would do a third looks good.

[jovamabob]

The heat cable isn't really getting hot enough so i was wondering about other heating methods. Has anyone used ceramic heat bulbs with corn snakes before or is it just heat-mats/cable thats best?

[Lankyrob]

I use CHE's for all my snakes, love them and have zero complaints about them. :)

[jovamabob]

Cool :D The problem i have is that the heat guards take up a lot of space height wise that i don't have. I placed them as if i was to put one sideways against the back wall and they took up half of the height of the viv. Would that be a problem? :)

[Gungirl]

How are you measuring the temps of the heat rope and Do you have the heat rope on a thermostat?

also tape in a viv is a huge no no... Even covered with the rug the snake could still get to it and get stuck.

[jovamabob]

Im not thermostatting it as i intended to heat it and let it all air out for 24hrs. At the moment i dont have any spare thermometer/thermostat stuff - its all in the current viv he's using, but it isnt even warm to the touch at the moment. The wire itself is, but it wont heat the repticarpet above it.

[Philmul]

I would think a small heat mat on each level would be great but you would need a thermostat in there.

[jovamabob]

Ok, so i currently have 2 options. Money is an issue so im trying to reuse what i can.
I could heat it with a CHE on the top level and have an entirely heated level and a cool level below. I already have a 25w and a 50w ceramic bulb as well as a ceramic ballast kit and heat guard. I'll be transfering over his current thermostat to control it. The down side is it would have to be fitted sideways due to the height.
My other option is to buy a heat mat to heat one entire layer - i can't afford a 2nd thermostat so it'd have to be just the one layer heated. This would cost me at least £15-£20 though, which i don't really have.

Im leaning towards the first option because i already have everything i need for it. He's never had a heat-lamp before and i hate how the heat mats get cold spots - the bulbs would be much easier to replace.

[jovamabob]

I finally finished this :D
Had some heating issues but was kindly given a heatmat that just fit the middle shelf nicely - Seb has access to the middle and top shelf and this suits him nicely. No ones in the bottom shelf yet but i may give him access to the bottom tier too later on.He's already been around and i've seen him thermoregulate. He's settling in nicely :D Whether it is escape proof or not we’ll find out. He seems to like it, albeit a little stressed over the change. I also decided its about time i removed the too small coconut hide he’s had since he was a baby and he is a bit annoyed that there is a new log instead - determinedly avoiding it. My favourite part is the bat door wedges.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/0e4af474cb645c243fcfa6b5fee06372/tumblr_mfvb2ye8BY1ry9h3jo2_1280.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/efa7e5ae9578c49e94e67d071fd657a6/tumblr_mfvb2ye8BY1ry9h3jo1_1280.jpg

[Gungirl]

Looks good but be careful. Those types of doors are easy for snakes to squeeze out of. Seeing the bat wedges I am guessing it is a good 1/4" space. I would look into something to block that entire area and just remove it to open the viv. Maybe a piece of rubber weather stripping or something of that sort.

[jovamabob]

i was concerned about that too -i checked and he can't squeeze out of them as his head is too big either way he puts it through but im thinking of getting some rubber piping and affixing that to the gap anyway.

[Gungirl]

You would be amazed at how flat they can get their heads when they finally decide they want out. Rubber piping would be a great way to solve any chance of you losing him.

[Philmul]

Looks good well done.