Building a viv for an unhandy person?

Sevvy · 09-06-16, 04:30 AM

Well, I seem to have been bit by the snake bug, so I fully expect to be thinking about a second snake by next summer. Unfortunately I'm a college student on a limited budget and I'm probably going to want a 6-8 foot snake, and craigslist is unreliable.

So! Who here can give tips/how-to on building a pretty and relatively lightweight budget vivarium for someone who is absolutely, positively not handy (and maybe a little afraid of saws)? I know that there are already guides out there, but I don't know what's the best. There's a good chance I'll choose a boa or python (fingers crossed that I find an automatic mister that works), so I'm hoping to build something that will hold in moisture somewhat.

dave himself · 09-06-16, 05:57 AM

See if once you choose whatever wood your gonna build your viv from, if you can find somewhere that will cut it to your measurements that should help you some

Sevvy · 09-06-16, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave himself

See if once you choose whatever wood your gonna build your viv from, if you can find somewhere that will cut it to your measurements that should help you some

Good point. For some reason it didn't occur to me that I could get the wood cut, even though I was already planning to have the glass cut in-shop. Can I also get it pre-drilled?

Also, is Douglas fir a safe wood for snakes?

SWDK · 09-06-16, 10:50 AM

Both Home Depot and Lowes will cut any wood you purchase from them.

bigsnakegirl785 · 09-06-16, 02:14 PM

Why not buy PVC? Some are shipped in one piece, but my two T12's took less than 30 minutes to put together. The sealant takes the most time.

It is a bit more expensive, but if you aren't handy, it can take a lot of the guesswork out of the enclosure building and save you time. AP does offer discounts on the shorter enclosures, too, depending on what species you plan on housing in them those could work.

Sevvy · 09-06-16, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

Why not buy PVC? Some are shipped in one piece, but my two T12's took less than 30 minutes to put together. The sealant takes the most time.

It is a bit more expensive, but if you aren't handy, it can take a lot of the guesswork out of the enclosure building and save you time. AP does offer discounts on the shorter enclosures, too, depending on what species you plan on housing in them those could work.

I wish I could, but the T12s are really out of my price range. I'm hoping to spend somewhere in the range of 100 dollars or less using reclaimed wood and such. Unrealistic maybe, but I'm trying to aim low.

pet_snake_78 · 09-06-16, 08:37 PM

EZ Cage Prints

I've used their cage plans, worked well and takes all the guesswork out of it. If someone cuts the wood wrong, it's going to make things a real headache. 3/4" Plywood sealed properly will work great but lightweight it won't be. Boamaster sells melamine cages as cheap as you can get if you don't mind heavy. given that you're a college student, I think you should go plastics as you'll likely need to move the cage one or more times. Ap makes great, sturdy plastics cages. Smaller cage for a smaller species would save you a lot of money.

Sevvy · 09-06-16, 09:14 PM

Thanks for all the tips, pet_snake. I think the EZ cage prints look great; I can buy up the materials gradually and substitute something lighter for the plywood I'm sure. And on second thought the AP 3 foot cages aren't too bad; I was looking at the 4 footers.

I might change my mind later, but as of now I really have my heart set on a larger snake or a few ball python morphs that are too expensive (love the GHI mojaves) :P

Has anyone tried using the large plastic bins from IKEA as enclosures? They could perhaps house a young terrestrial snake. I know I can also use the dollar per gallon sale at petco to get cheap housing for a young snake too, which should give me ample time to either build or buy something bigger when the snake outgrows it.

**Minkness** · 09-06-16, 09:28 PM

Tubs are great for any young snake and you can get them from walmart pretty cheap. Just make sure to get the kind with rhe locking lids and drill holes in it for air.

=)

Sevvy · 09-06-16, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minkness

Tubs are great for any young snake and you can get them from walmart pretty cheap. Just make sure to get the kind with rhe locking lids and drill holes in it for air.

=)

Oh, awesome! I think that's what I'll do then. Then I can look at the other options here when I have a snake. That way I'll have less chance of spending all my resources on, say, a 3 foot cage, and winding up with a snake that grows to need something bigger.

bigsnakegirl785 · 09-07-16, 04:07 PM

Yup, tubs work great! Even for a larger, slow-growing snake like a boa constrictor, a nice big tub could last you 2-3 years at least depending on growth rate and feeding regimen. If you get a larger snake, by then maybe you'd have the money for a 4-footer. If you go with a snake ball python size or smaller, a 3' cage should be sufficient in most cases.