Would this Convert into an Enclosure?

Beaglegod007 · 05-02-17, 12:21 PM

Was wondering if this seemed to be something that could easily be used to make an Enclosure for a boa.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000C...box+rubbermaid

Any thoughts?

jjhill001 · 05-02-17, 01:36 PM

If you're gonna spend that much on something that you can't even see your snake in you might as well spend an extra couple hundred and get a nice animal plastics or boaphile cage.

This box isn't gonna offer any sort of day or night cycle unless you cut it up and put windows on it. Which is gonna end up costing a bunch of money and being quite a bit of hassle.

sattva · 05-02-17, 01:45 PM

Yaaa... I got to agree with jjhill... Get a proper cage and you and the snake will be happer...
They got some good sales going...
Animal Plastics

**Tsubaki** · 05-02-17, 01:45 PM

Think a 2nd hand pvc would be cheaper?

ttreptile1 · 05-02-17, 01:48 PM

I agree with JJ, more hassle than it's worth. You can also watch craigslist for cages. I often see nice units on there that are ready to go and cheap. Otherwise, for what that outdoor pool shed costs, you could build one from plywood and put a nice finish on it or get a lower end boaphile cage. just my ,02 cents though.

Beaglegod007 · 05-02-17, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjhill001

If you're gonna spend that much on something that you can't even see your snake in you might as well spend an extra couple hundred and get a nice animal plastics or boaphile cage.

This box isn't gonna offer any sort of day or night cycle unless you cut it up and put windows on it. Which is gonna end up costing a bunch of money and being quite a bit of hassle.

I was actually thinking to modify this having it on its side, converting the door into a see through door perhaps removing it and installing sliding glass doors and installing vents, a RHP, and lights.

A 5x2x2 animal plastics cage is pretty expensive.

dannybgoode · 05-03-17, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaglegod007

I was actually thinking to modify this having it on its side, converting the door into a see through door perhaps removing it and installing sliding glass doors and installing vents, a RHP, and lights.

A 5x2x2 animal plastics cage is pretty expensive.

They are but with good reason. A proper enclosure will last longer and be far more sturdy than a converted rubber maid. Also a rubber maid is made from thin plastic which won't retain heat as well as a proper job. Depending on where you live this may or may not be an issue.

As others have already pointed out by the time you have done those modifications etc you'll have spent as much as a second hand Viv in any event.

TRD · 05-03-17, 05:41 AM

Not health to keep snakes in there. You also don't lock your children away in a basement for live.

dannybgoode · 05-03-17, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trd

not health to keep snakes in there. You also don't lock your children away in a basement for live.

+1000000

jjhill001 · 05-03-17, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaglegod007

I was actually thinking to modify this having it on its side, converting the door into a see through door perhaps removing it and installing sliding glass doors and installing vents, a RHP, and lights.

A 5x2x2 animal plastics cage is pretty expensive.

If you can do it and it ends up saving you a few bucks while also allowing proper heating and ventilation then more power to you.

Sheets of glass that big aren't going to be very cheap unless you buy it in bulk. For example at Lowes a 48x24 piece that isn't quite the 1/4 inch thickness (this is thickness of most standard US aquariums I would use this thickness) is like 63 dollars or so. You could maybe harvest glass from a used 20 dollar 75 gallon from craigslist or something.

You could probably build a similarly sized cage out of plywood, seal it with pond armor (they use this to build wooden aquariums for large fish it's expensive but will protect it from the humidity and make it safe no matter what kind of wood you get)

A 4x8 1/2" piece of untreated plywood is gonna run you about 20-40 bucks. Two of those would leave you with plenty of wood to make the runners for the glass and what not. It wouldn't be light weight by any means but I built a pine frame stand out of 2x4s for my snake's cage and it cost me something like 60-70 bucks for all of it.

So stand, wood for the cage, glass and the sealant would probably top you out around 200-220 bucks. And finding advice on how to build those cages (the runners in particular could be tricky), or friends/relatives with the proper tools to construct them is gonna be a lot easier.

I'm not gonna say that its a definite no, because with a bit of ingenuity it COULD work. I just don't wanna see you drop 110 bucks for something that might not look great or could potentially not even work right, potentially could run you a lot more money than you are thinking making it not quite as much of a deal as you'd think. Plus, that plastic is alot more difficult to work with.

TRD · 05-03-17, 06:09 AM

^ Not sure, but over here I buy a complete glass vivarium of 3'x18"x18" for less than $ 30.. including screen top, sliding doors, with 5mm glass.

Prices in the US are that silly? It is just glass, lol.

chairman · 05-03-17, 08:03 AM

I would just buy the AP cage, conversions are usually more trouble than they are worth. But there is a similar one here:

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/enclo...tb-prince.html

jjhill001 · 05-03-17, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRD

^ Not sure, but over here I buy a complete glass vivarium of 3'x18"x18" for less than $ 30.. including screen top, sliding doors, with 5mm glass.

Prices in the US are that silly? It is just glass, lol.

Absolutely they are ridiculous. That same terrarium is 114 dollars US here and only sliding screen tops. Man, cheap terrariums AND free healthcare. Looks like socialism doesn't drive up the cost of everything like they seem to think over on this side of the pond. I have friends from Sweden and the only thing they seem to thing is really expensive in their country compared to ours is clothing made by American brands.

I would say it was because of tub keepers but these terrariums have been these same high prices (going up pretty much yearly) since I worked at a pet store over 12 years ago.

jjhill001 · 05-03-17, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman

I would just buy the AP cage, conversions are usually more trouble than they are worth. But there is a similar one here:

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/enclo...tb-prince.html

Hey, if he wants to give it a shot, I'm not gonna stop him. If he can control costs and make a viable terrarium out of something like that for 50-100 dollars cheaper than one of the PVC's and makes a tutorial on it that would be awesome for a lot of keepers of some of these species.

The pros and cons of this project would be that it could be cheap, but it could be just as pricey, it could work, or it could not work at all and be a waste of time and money. It would be light, it's probably not gonna look good especially if its the first time trying something like that.

The only flaw to the wooden cage really is that it's gonna be a total pain to move around which matters to some, less to others, but it is cheap. A smaller wooden cage would not be cost effective due to the price of quality sealant products.

Joelb922 · 05-03-17, 10:49 AM

Or just build a cage, im about to start building a large enclosure for a square tail boa, its not too difficult to do, as long as you have some framing and carpentry skills and tools