My Jungle Boas Terrarium Setup

[LCSCALES]

this is my boas setup. exo terra 36x18x18. he will be good in here for a little while.

[Terranaut]

I love the door setup on those cages. Not a fan of the screen top or using lamps for heat. It looks great. Watch the humidity levels closely. Wild fluctuations is just as bad as low. Also those dial gauges are not very accurate. Sorry I am not trying to knock your setup but many people with screen tops and lights for heat end up with shed issues. People who do not have issues tend to live in more humid regions. Just be aware if you have a shed issue it will be humidity regardless of what that gauge says.
Are you using a thermostat?
Again not trying to rain on your parade, just being honest.
But as far as looks it's great.

[snakeman879]

Hi the set up looks really nice

[sharthun]

Lookin good!

[thinkbig317]

Like it alot!

[LCSCALES]

Thanks everyone. As far as humidity the humidity is just fine. Here in utah its still pretty hot so A/c is still on which helps humidity but the heat lamp only goes on for a little while so day temps dont get too low. Have an undertank heat mat but not enough alone. Thermostat is behind tank. So far he hasnt had shed issues, already had 1 shed and no problem there.

[smy_749]

Air conditioning lowers the humidity, not raises it. Warm air holds more water, condense the air by cooling it and you get 'condensation' because the cold air isn't capable of holding as much.

[Terranaut]

Originally Posted by smy_749

Air conditioning lowers the humidity, not raises it. Warm air holds more water, condense the air by cooling it and you get 'condensation' because the cold air isn't capable of holding as much.

Yup. What he said!


What is your homes typical ambient humidity ?
You mentioned the light only coming on for short periods. Is that both lights or is the red on all the time?

[B_Aller]

Screen tops are a death sentence for reptiles, your set up looks nice but is 30 years behind the times. Ditch the fish tank with doors and build a reptile enclosure.
Sorry to be harsh but it's the truth.
B

[jausi]

If the screen top is the Issue use glass to cover the screen top, that what I did for both of my exo terras and humidity is great, you setup looks great, good job

[formica]

agree with the above, get the top covered with glass or plastic, and get a digital hygrometer so you can monitor the humidity properly. air con = low humidity.

looks nice apart from that, would love to see pics of the snake

[LCSCALES]

Sorry that was a typo. meant with a/c on doesn't help humidity but Im actually going to go today to get plexiglass to cover screen top. the humidity so far doesn't fluctuate very much. I keep an eye on it. but I do plan on building a cage for him here in near future.

[bigsnakegirl785]

You can have boas in screen top/lighting heat set-ups. I had Cloud in one until I moved him into his new custom enclosure several months ago. I have never had even the slightest issues with shedding the whole time I've had him. Just cover most of the top and it should keep humidity well. It looks really nice, I hope to be decorating Cloud's kind of like that whenever I get a job. Right now he's got just the bare necessities; water bowl, two hides (need to work on new ones, he's just about outgrown these ones), and a branch.

[B_Aller]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

You can have boas in screen top/lighting heat set-ups. I had Cloud in one until I moved him into his new custom enclosure several months ago. I have never had even the slightest issues with shedding the whole time I've had him. Just cover most of the top and it should keep humidity well.

Absolutely terrible advice.
Screen tops allow all of the necessary humidity to attach to heat and rise out of the enclosure. A "reptile cage" with a screen top is actually the exact same design as a meat dehydrator. Imagine living in a meat dehydrator and what it would do to your internal organs.
Your boas may have been fine short term but this type of antiquated husbandry is PROVEN to cause gout and long term problems.
We need to move this hobby past the 1970's style of keeping. Fish tanks are for fish. Screen tops are a slow death sentence.
What we try to tech people is that holding humidity in an enclosure is just like holding water in a bucket, if you have even a small section of the bottom of your bucket made of screen will it hold water?
Not to mention the waste of money, why pay to heat your enclosure when it all just escapes out of the top?
Thanks.

[smy_749]

If you cover the whole top with a custom fit glass top that doesn't allow moisture to escape....? Not advising that tanks are the best way to keep an animal, but covering the top sufficiently and sides for security....