Custom ceramic hides/shelters.

lithiun · 10-19-13, 08:25 PM

So for my BP's enclosure I have to cerimc shelter I made myself. One used to be a bowl but I added an entrance and made it a shelter. I use that for his warm side. The other is a tunnel I made just for him. Once I find a solution for a kiln I'm going to make more of a burrow type shelter that I place against the glass and cover with substrate. That way he still keeps his hide and I can still see inside. So long as it's not too bright. I just got an idea maybe there might be a small market for this type of thing. As a college student I could always use a few extra $$. Ceramics are fantastic insulators and right now with the temperature dropping its perfect for my enclosure. I keep my warm side a low 90f but with an under tank heating pad and that bowl im certain its nice and cozy(not too warm though I've checked). I use a temp gun.

**EL Ziggy** · 10-19-13, 10:31 PM

Hey lithiun, I'm always interested in creative hides. Maybe you could share some pictures of your work.

lithiun · 10-19-13, 11:42 PM

Sorry about the bad pictures. Before I get chewed out, I use a temp gun to regulate temp. I do use the hydrometer to regulate humidity though. It is not a screen top. For the most part I use a UT heater for temperature. If it gets too cold I'll use a heat lamp. The bowl sits right on top of the heating pad. When I first put it there I was worried it might have a bit of an oven effect but it doesn't. The grey borrow is something I made after I got him. It is an elbow tube with a slight bulge in the middle. He loves it. I just changed his substrate earlier so it's a little moist. I liked the elbow idea because it had more than one entrance and was more burrow like.

**EL Ziggy** · 10-21-13, 04:29 PM

Nice work lithium. I like both of those, especially the tube. Seems like a snake might enjoy that. I wonder how that would work with Aspen bedding. How much would you charge for those hides?

lithiun · 10-22-13, 12:21 AM

Well if I had a kiln I could make similar stuff. But since I don't have a permanent residence I have to find a place to fire my work, which is not as easy as I'd like it to be. I can't make anything right now so its a mute point lol. But if I could, something like $10-$15 for a small one and maybe $20-30 for larger ones seems reasonable. That would pay for the time and kiln space. But idk seeing as I've never really looked into this sort of thing. I'll post if I can figure out something. Lol maybe I can sell stuff on etsy lol. Also if you have any ideas let me know. Also the bowl is just a bowl with an entrance knocked out. So if you have any old bowls or something ceramic you could use that. If your looking for something to use as a hide to just browse home depot or something. Just always make sure that if you need to you can get the animal out. That is a potential risk with fully enclosed tunnels or pipes. If you do use a pipe make sure its not too long or you can easily get the animal out. It needs to be washable to or else you have a problem with bacteria growth.

ErikBush97 · 10-22-13, 12:41 AM

Good work! For some reason I think an igloo shaped hide space would be nice for a snake, and I've been planning on making my own for awhile