Loads of building questions.

valid · 06-25-13, 05:09 PM

So .. I have a cousin who is very handy at building and crafting things. A skill I do not possess myself. I have finally convinced him to help me build an enclosure for my snakes, as long as I buy the materials. (not charging me for the time, because we are family - ad he'll only be working on it in his free time)

Anyway, I have several questions, as the topic states xP
Ultimately I would like to have 1 three tier enclosure - to save space etc.
The animals I am looking to house would be a (future) Carpet/WLP - My milk snake, and my sand boa .. Could I house them all in one unit (not together obviously) or am I thinking crazy here?

What would the best dimensions be for such an enclosure if possible?
Also, which is the most cost effective/best wood to use? glass etc. (I have read differing opinions)

ANd for the really stupid question - if I did have a three tier enclosure - what is the best way to heat the individual cells? I have never used heat tape - but I have read it is the best option... I have two working t-stats. ,

Lankyrob · 06-25-13, 05:10 PM

Make three separate enclosures and stack them rather than one big one split in three. The single enclosure will be way to heavy to move if needed where three individual ones shpuld be manageable

smy_749 · 06-25-13, 05:26 PM

White lipped pythons can reach up to 10 feet in length, and sand boas ....not so much. Milks in between. If each enclosure is going to be the same size you may have ALOT of extra space for just one sand boa. Why not have a big cage for the WLP at the bottom, and second level 2 smaller ones, and 3rd level another 2 with some sort of divider if you decide to keep another large snake you can just pull it out.

valid · 06-25-13, 05:38 PM

Separate enclosure does sound like a better idea, I would still like them to stack though. Part of the reason I am looking into this, is for space effective-ness. I live in an apartment and having 2 tanks in separate areas is starting to get old. There are very few places I could put them together, and neither enclosure I have now really stacks.

All ideas are very welcome. I will not even be handing him the plans until I know exactly what it is that I want, and even then it'll probably take him a while to get it done. I don't want to rush into anything.

Also, it is very unlikely i will be getting a WLP/carpet any time soon .. just distant future plans. I figured I could build it now, while I have his commitment and use the extra space for storage at the moment.

valid · 06-26-13, 05:45 PM

Still looking for any ideas on the best wood to use.

mmarchl23 · 06-26-13, 06:03 PM

I built mine out of half inch sanded ply. It was roughly 50 dollars for an 8'x4' piece. Home depot or Lowes will cut it down if you cant transport a whole sheet. (had to fit mine into a 350z). once its built use some sort of sealer, i used Behr brand basement and concrete sealer, it has more color choices than drylock.

valid · 06-26-13, 06:32 PM

Thank you, I will definitely look into that c:

mmarchl23 · 06-26-13, 07:51 PM

sure thing. if you'd like i could get you some pics of the building process. just pm or whatever and let me know.

Concept9 · 06-27-13, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmarchl23

sure thing. if you'd like i could get you some pics of the building process. just pm or whatever and let me know.

Post them here, I would like to see.

KBHicks2012 · 06-27-13, 07:25 AM

I second that, I would really like to see those pictures as well

mmarchl23 · 06-27-13, 07:36 AM

Okay. I've got a busy few days (got a wedding and work and such) ill get them up asap tho! If only the site would allow mobile uploads

valid · 06-27-13, 11:15 AM

Thank would be amazing, thank you c:
FOr the record, because I Know it sort of came off this way, I am not lookign for some one to tell me exactly what to build, I am doing my own research etc. I just figured I'd ask here for some ideas from people who have built, things that have worked, have not etc.

mmarchl23 · 06-28-13, 05:54 AM

Read you loud and clear! I will say that I do agree with rob that one large divided enclosure may not be the best route, even my 4'x2'x3' cage was a pain to move when it was all done. I've got some pics of the finished product sans the decorative paneling. My girl has all the build pictures on her computer at work, ill post those as soon as she gets them emailed to me...
Just a few pointers in case you haven' run into them yet:

-Don't leave the entire top as a caging or mesh it makes heat and humidity control hard. You'll see in the pics that I found out about this mid build and had to sort of rig up the roof of the cage. Most people actually suggest closeable vents on the sides or back, but with the location of mine this wouldn't work but may be something to look at.

-If you want to use a UTH cut an access slot in the back/side/front of the cage near the bottom and put a lifted tile floor in sealed with latex caulking. this is what I use in mine (in addition to the IR lamp) and it works very well just be sure to use stone, or ceramic tiles. <--this idea was actually picked up from another thread i do not remember the OP's name but i can't take any credit for it

-Be sure to seal the wood and I would suggest using silicone on all joints on the interior. Sealing will allow you to properly clean and disinfect the enclosure.

You'll see that mine has a frame that extends around the cage and holds it off the ground, this may be a good idea for your system, essentially make a shelving unit with 2x4s that the enclosures can be slid in and out of.

If you run into anything else I'm glad to throw out some ideas!
Oh and maybe you could slap up some pics of the progress as you start into it?

valid · 06-29-13, 10:04 AM

SOme how I missed this, but that looks really good, thanks for showing me c:
IF you don't mind, could I ask roughly how much it cost to build?

mmarchl23 · 06-30-13, 06:24 AM

Um... id say overall about $200. The plexiglass in the door was the worst part that alone was 50 bucks. I used 1/4 inch though cause its such a big piece.