Posted this in the caging forum as well, but I thought I would place it here just in case people dont go down there......


I have just built a custom enclosure, here is the pic below: Measurements: Length: 4 feet, Height: 2 feet, Depth: 1.5 feet



It is built from pine, with laminate flooring applied to the inner surfaces for cleanliness and snake safety. I have placed a heat glo red bulb (150W) on a dimmer switch on the "hot" side, which allows me to keep a 92 hot and 78 cold side. The enclosure has three vents and a sliding front plexiglass window I put onto molding:



The problem is I want to provide them with some "UV" during the day so I was going to install a flourescent UVA bulb for the daytime, and so I bought a 150W ceramic emitter for the main heating, so it would be dark at night:



When I put the ceramic emitter in the temp on the hot side drops down to 86, and 73 on the cold side. I have a nice digital hygro/temp gauge in there so I feel its pretty accurate. Thing is, when I open the door, its hot as s..t in there.

Is the temp gauge giving a false reading with the red light, or is the ceramic emitter that much weaker...it feels really hot.

So here was my solution: Get a basking type lamp to suppplement the ceramic emitter, perhaps one that also gives off UV for them, and then just turn off the lamp and have the ceramic at night. Or do I install a flourescent UV over head and put in a smaller heat bulb in the middle to supplement the ceramic? This would mean two more lights, which I will do if I have to.

Here are the serpents BTW:

My Central Phoenix (Male) late 2010:



The BCC Cinnamon (Female) late 2010



Thank you for your input in advance......