need some ideas on building a terrarium

[bigblue09]

im thinking about building my 3ft long bp a cage. right now i have a 30l store bought tank for her and she doesnt have much room to move around. i want the new one to be about 4ftx2ftx2ft. i was going to build it out of plywood and have plexiglass on the front and screen on the top. it would open on the front. i have a few concerns. what should i use for the bottom so that i can use the heating pad? also how hard would it be to heat something that big and what would be the best way of doing so? any ideas or suggestions on the best way of doing it would be greatly appreciated

[Jarrod Baker]

On the bottom of the tank, use a thinner piece of 'paneling-type' material called luaun...it is 1/8" thick, & is sold in 4x8 sheets at Home Depot/Lowes, etc...however, MAKE SURE IT IS NOT CEDAR...sometimes, they construct it our of cedar chips...

ALSO, make sure you use an adequate sealer, i.e. Thompson's sealer to treat the inside of your enclosure with, or you will lose ALL humidity...DON'T forget to allow the pre-treated wood to cure for 4-6 weeks to eliminate the possibility of injury to your BP

[Wh00h0069]

In my experience, ball pythons do not do well in large cages. I have had some in cages go off food, or become aggressive, from stress. Once switched to smaller enclosures, I use tubs, they start eating again.

[Exotic Ectotherms]

I would recommend not making the entire top screen. That is the best way to lose all of your humidity. Instead, I would put vents like these...(http://www.cagesbydesign.com/c-51-ad...age-vents.aspx) in the sides and back. You will have better humidity and temperature control.

I would personally put the heating pad inside of the enclosure on the plywood bottom and then cover the whole bottom of the cage with ceramic tiles. They conduct heat well and they will be easy to lift out of the enclosure to clean and sanitize. Obviously you should not adhere them down or grout them...lol.

[bigblue09]

I would recommend not making the entire top screen. That is the best way to lose all of your humidity. Instead, I would put vents like these...(http://www.cagesbydesign.com/c-51-ad...age-vents.aspx) in the sides and back. You will have better humidity and temperature control.

I would personally put the heating pad inside of the enclosure on the plywood bottom and then cover the whole bottom of the cage with ceramic tiles. They conduct heat well and they will be easy to lift out of the enclosure to clean and sanitize. Obviously you should not adhere them down or grout them...lol.

One of the reasons I was going to do screen on the top was to put my lamps on it for heat. I would cover the open parts with foil. I planned on putting some vents in the back and sides. I never thought of the tile idea. I think I will use that one. What are some other good ways to heat the whole thing? I think it would take more than one lamp to do so.

[Exotic Ectotherms]

If you want to go with a solid top instead of the screen, you can mount a Radiant Heat Panel to the inside top. Here is a link....http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels

They are a little pricey at first, but last damn near forever unlike heat lamps or ceramic heat emitters. I use these in my display cages and they are awesome. If you email Rich at Reptile Basics with your cage dimensions he will tell you exactly what size RHP you need. He is a great guy to deal with.

[bigblue09]

If you want to go with a solid top instead of the screen, you can mount a Radiant Heat Panel to the inside top. Here is a link....http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels

They are a little pricey at first, but last damn near forever unlike heat lamps or ceramic heat emitters. I use these in my display cages and they are awesome. If you email Rich at Reptile Basics with your cage dimensions he will tell you exactly what size RHP you need. He is a great guy to deal with.

awesome i like that idea. do you hook it up to a thermostat?

[Exotic Ectotherms]

Yup....you use a thermostat on it just like any other heating element. I glue my probe directly to the RHP.

[bigblue09]

okay cool. i will have to buy another thermostat. I will be using the one i have on my heating pad like I am now. What temp do you set it on with it being right on the element?

[Exotic Ectotherms]

I can double check when I get home from work, but I'm pretty sure it is set around 130 degrees or so. My cage is 22" high and the RHP keeps the ambient temperature on the warm side around 88 and at 80 on the cool side. I also have a heating pad on the warm side, which keeps the floor temperature at a steady 92 degrees.