Rainbow boa terrarium questions

[SnoopySnake]

In my experience the radiant heat panels dried the air out a bit but not nearly as much as a lamp. Depending on your ambient temps I personally would go with flex watt or an ultratherm heat mat for a rainbow boa.

[sharthun]

Originally Posted by SnoopySnake

In my experience the radiant heat panels dried the air out a bit but not nearly as much as a lamp. Depending on your ambient temps I personally would go with flex watt or an ultratherm heat mat for a rainbow boa.

I was hoping snakesitter would chime in. He's a RB expert. I would think you would want some cypress mulch or substrate that would hold moisture and not mildew or rot.

[SnoopySnake]

Originally Posted by sharthun

I was hoping snakesitter would chime in. He's a RB expert. I would think you would want some cypress mulch or substrate that would hold moisture and not mildew or rot.

He probably will, lol.. Yes cypress mulch is really good for rainbow boas, and sphagnum moss.. I personally use soil covered in eco earth because I have a bioactive enclosure. Heat mats also do a really good job putting moisture from the substrate into the air which is why I think it's better for a rainbow boa

[sharthun]

Originally Posted by SnoopySnake

He probably will, lol.. Yes cypress mulch is really good for rainbow boas, and sphagnum moss.. I personally use soil covered in eco earth because I have a bioactive enclosure. Heat mats also do a really good job putting moisture from the substrate into the air which is why I think it's better for a rainbow boa

Yeah I agree! I don't keep any RB's. All mine are colubrids. Although, my black milk has a moist hide filled with damp sphagnum moss.

[Snakesitter]

Originally Posted by sharthun

I was hoping snakesitter would chime in.

Will not!

Er... ;-)

I use Boaphile Plastics enclosures, but any plastic enclosure will work fine. Aim for at least six square feet of floor space, unless you plan to move up in sizes as the animal grows.

For heat, either undercage or RHPs work best. In either case, make sure you pair it with a solid thermostat for your and the animal's safety.

For humidity, limiting ventilation is key. Make sure you have limited air exchange (otherwise your humidity will leak out), use a large flat waterbowl to maximize evaporation, choose moisture-retaining but mold-resistant substrate (top choices are coco husk, orchid bark, and eco earth), and add a moist sphagnum moss hide.

I hope this helps!

[soad]

Originally Posted by Snakesitter

Will not!

Er... ;-)

I use Boaphile Plastics enclosures, but any plastic enclosure will work fine. Aim for at least six square feet of floor space, unless you plan to move up in sizes as the animal grows.

For heat, either undercage or RHPs work best. In either case, make sure you pair it with a solid thermostat for your and the animal's safety.

For humidity, limiting ventilation is key. Make sure you have limited air exchange (otherwise your humidity will leak out), use a large flat waterbowl to maximize evaporation, choose moisture-retaining but mold-resistant substrate (top choices are coco husk, orchid bark, and eco earth), and add a moist sphagnum moss hide.

I hope this helps!

What would be an appriate sized ap cage? If it's not bad for the snake I would like to get a cage that will Be a good size for an adult. She is currently 4 months old. And I was considering the radiant heat panel if that's a good choice. Also is there a light you can get that won't emit heat or lower the humidity of the cage. To top it off any suggestions on a reasonably priced thermostat to use? I currently use a zilla. Once again thank you all for your help she is currently doing great and is being taken care of well but I would like to get her a cage that is good to look at and equipment that is easier to control temps and humidity

[sharthun]

Originally Posted by soad

What would be an appriate sized ap cage? If it's not bad for the snake I would like to get a cage that will Be a good size for an adult. She is currently 4 months old. And I was considering the radiant heat panel if that's a good choice. Also is there a light you can get that won't emit heat or lower the humidity of the cage. To top it off any suggestions on a reasonably priced thermostat to use? I currently use a zilla. Once again thank you all for your help she is currently doing great and is being taken care of well but I would like to get her a cage that is good to look at and equipment that is easier to control temps and humidity

Cliff should be able to answer the enclosure size question. But I think it's just fine to place a young snake in and adult sized enclosure, provided you have enough hides and cover for security. The larger the enclosure the easier it is to have temperature gradients. I have three AP t10's with rbi rhp's installed and love them. A very good inexpensive thermostat is the hydrofarm. I have 5 of them and they work great.

Hydrofarm thermostat:
Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Heat Mat Temperature Controller 6" at EssentialHardware.com

This is the cheapest shipped price online supplier for the hydrofarm tstat that I've found. Hope this helps!

[SnoopySnake]

Originally Posted by sharthun

Cliff should be able to answer the enclosure size question. But I think it's just fine to place a young snake in and adult sized enclosure, provided you have enough hides and cover for security. The larger the enclosure the easier it is to have temperature gradients. I have three AP t10's with rbi rhp's installed and love them. A very good inexpensive thermostat is the hydrofarm. I have 5 of them and they work great.

Hydrofarm thermostat:
Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Heat Mat Temperature Controller 6" at EssentialHardware.com

This is the cheapest shipped price online supplier for the hydrofarm tstat that I've found. Hope this helps!

All very good info^^ I would just get the adult enclosure and fill it with hides, lots of branches and lots of fake plants. I personally wouldn't go any smaller than a 4x2x2 for an adult enclosure.