Help me design my enclosure please

Norm66 · 12-02-11, 08:41 AM

OK, thanks for the input everybody. Believe me, I will take all your advice to heart.

On vents, high on the cool side and vice versa makes sense to me. It would let the heat build up rather than escape out the vents while pulling fresh air in from the cool side. On the other hand, I notice Kat's vents are all along the rear and down fairly low while Jimi only has the one 1" vent. Hmmm.... I'll have to think about it and maybe consult an HVAC guy here at work.

For sealing, I like Kat's idea of two-part epoxy on the floor since that'll obviously receive the worst of the water. I'm not familiar with the whey based clear coat she mentioned, but I can research it.

Doors, I've never heard of a snake strike breaking glass but I see how it could happen I suppose. Plus plexi or Lexan would be a lot lighter, but I worry about scratches. Also I notice that Kat switched her 2nd cage to a 2-door design. What are the thoughts there Kat?

Red Ink, how big is the carpet in that picture? I've read cage sizes for carpets anywhere from 36" x 18" x 18" up to 6'x2'x3'. I've also read that as they get older they use the perches less and less. I can only go by mine but he spends upwards of 98% of the time on his perch. I might be able to go 2' high, but any taller and it'll be to big to get three cages high.

Now let's talk heating. I was thinking radiant heat panels, but I see that Kat uses Flexwatt on one side w/ RHPs in the middle. What is the general thought on heating cages this big? I can see where a 2' high cage might need belly heat in addition to a belly heat source or at least the bottom one might because I assume the heat from the RHP will heat the floor somewhat in the cage above it.

And finally (for now) what about lighting? I love the LED light ropes in Kat's 2nd cage in her linked thread. I actually have some already I'd just have to get end kits & cords etc. I assume they're rated for outdoor use so would probably do better than just putting an under-counter fluorescent fixture in.

Again, I appreciate everybody taking the time to help me work this out. I want to get as much right the first time through this exercise as possible both for the snakes' sake and so I don't have to re-do a bunch of stuff to get it right.

red ink · 12-02-11, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norm66

Red Ink, how big is the carpet in that picture? I've read cage sizes for carpets anywhere from 36" x 18" x 18" up to 6'x2'x3'. I've also read that as they get older they use the perches less and less. I can only go by mine but he spends upwards of 98% of the time on his perch. I might be able to go 2' high, but any taller and it'll be to big to get three cages high.

Mate... the JCP in the pic is nearly 5 foot (probably bout 4.5). There's lots of ways to keep them. Some people make do eith tubs, it's all up to you really. But in my opinion though carpet husbandry is pretty standard accross the board with all sub-species (except for M. spilota spilota), their behaviour is not. I've tailored the enclosure suit the semi-arboreal nature of JCPs but that does'nt mean they can't thrive in a shorter enclosure. Being a JCP mine actually never spends time on the substrate... it's always on the perch assuming the ambush position. The only time it goes on the substrate is when I put it into prolong periods of now food. then it starts to move around.

I believe that behaviour would be different to say an inland or a coastal where trees are more sparse in their endemic habitat.

Now let's talk heating. I was thinking radiant heat panels, but I see that Kat uses Flexwatt on one side w/ RHPs in the middle. What is the general thought on heating cages this big? I can see where a 2' high cage might need belly heat in addition to a belly heat source or at least the bottom one might because I assume the heat from the RHP will heat the floor somewhat in the cage above it.

My enclosure is heated with a 75 watt CHE... 35C at the basking spot (the spot it is at in that pic) and 23C at the enclosure floor. The gradient also moves left to right in that pic with a varriance of 35C at the basking spot to 27C to the right. I have a fluro tube in there providing a photo period and a wall mounted analougue thermostat controlling the CHE via air temps.

Again, I appreciate everybody taking the time to help me work this out. I want to get as much right the first time through this exercise as possible both for the snakes' sake and so I don't have to re-do a bunch of stuff to get it right.

Hope that helps....