First Enclosure Build, Help?

[Bustamove]

This post will be long-winded, relatively specific, and (probably) be littered with misinformation, for this I apologize. If you can help me with anything here, your experience and advice is invaluable to me. I’ll admit this is the first BP I’m keeping so I’m willing to learn as much as possible to keep my friend healthy and comfortable.

I’m going to build an enclosure for William Shatner, a normal python regius, who is currently slightly less than two feet long and about an inch and a half thick at his widest point. There have been several aspects of the design process that have given me considerable grief when attempting to research them on the internet and if anyone can help me out here, it’s the good people on this website. Please include any relevant experiences, stories, tips, links, or pictures. I’m here to learn from you and I’ll take all I can get.

1)Material: Melamine, Treated Plywood (sealed with polyurethane), or PVC? Looking for a relatively painless material to work with, cost-effective, good heat/humidity retention, and an ability to be readily cleaned

2)Heating:

[A]Belly Heat: Flex Watt or Heating Pad? I like the idea of the FW being outside the tank, but Ive read that it has difficulty heating through certain materials (GOAL= 90-92F)

[B]Ambient Temp: RHP, CHE, or Heat Lamp? Ambient temperatures in the room fluctuate wildly so something that can help maintain consistency of ambient temperature within the enclosure is definitely a necessity. I was leaning towards the RHP to provide more even heating at a distance. Where should this secondary heat source be located with respect to the thermal gradient? Ie, center ceiling, cool side ceiling, hot side ceiling. (GOAL= 78-80F)

[C]Thermostat: HerpStat 2 or (insert viable alternaive here)? I like the idea of having one reliable, accurate, safe unit to control the ambient and hot spot heating devices, but I feel that my infatuation with this unit is blinding me to other options.

3)Humidity: Will two reasonably sized water dishes on opposite ends of the thermal gradient combined with warm misting every other day be enough to maintain a proper humidity? One of my main motivations for building this enclosure is that I wont have to run a space heater and humidifier to keep William comfortable. Will building a custom enclosure of this nature help to retain the humidity he needs to stay healthy? Will be using aspen snake bedding as a substrate. (GOAL= 55-60%, 70-75% shed)

4)Ventilation: What size ventilation holes should be made? Where should they be located? How should they be covered to maximize security and safety for my scaley sidekick? The goal of this enclosure is for humidity and heat retention, as both factors fluctuate wildly in the room.

5)Design:

[A] Size: I’d like to build an enclosure that he can enjoy for the rest of his existence. I’ve read that too large of an enclosure can stress smaller snakes out, but nature is pretty large enclosure. I feel that I could minimize the risk of stress by providing enough hides and plenty of flora (fake or otherwise) as well as furniture. Right now, my plan is for a 4x2x3 (lwh), with a shelf halfway up. Where should I place the shelf with respect to the thermal gradient and how large should it be? Billy boy is always out and about at night climbing around the stuff he lives with now, so I can only imagine that more space and furniture to explore would make for a stimulating environment.

[B] Doors: Plexiglass or Glass? Sliding, Drop-Down, or Hinged (opening from the center-out, then sliding back against the outside of the enclosure, leaving the front completely open)? Which design/material will hold humidity and heat well, but allow for an easy cleaning?

[C] Furniture: What kinds of furniture do you recommend putting in with him? I’d like to create a stimulating and diverse environment for him. I’m willing to have potted plants, but not ones that I’d need an entirely different substrate for. I was thinking a combination of vines, logs, fake plants, branches, and rough rocks (for easing shed)? My concerns are for safety, stimulation, and ease of clean.

[D] Lighting: I'd like to be able to view William nocturnally without bothering him, but I will not need a light source to provide a photoperiod as he is in view of a window. What options woud you recommend?

6)Cleaning: What solutions do you use to clean your enclosure? What is your general procedure? How often do you do this? So far, I clean anything that he excretes on/in and do a bimonthly cleaning of everything. I use water and dish soap.

Those are the main questions I couldn’t readily find answers to. If you’ve read this far, +2 internets to you. I believe that if you’re going to do something, do it right the first time. I’ll be monitoring this thread often and for a long time, providing updates if you’d like. With that being said, thanks for your help in creating the best possible home for my dear friend William Shatner.

[grits]

1) I use a pretreated plywood. Its 3/4" thick and comes with a two part epoxy. I own a cabinet shop and you will need to find a cabinet shop to order it for you.

2)RHP all the way. I will never go back to any way of heating an enclosure again.

C)Vivarium Electronics from RBI,affordable and just as good as the big name brands

3) Wooden enclosures hold humidity very well if the proper materials are used see #1

4) 3" round soffit vents, they are visual apealing and can be added as needed very easily.

5) For balls the majority of our customers choose to go 18" X 18" x 32"
B) I have done them all and on my personal enclosures i always use sliding glass
C)This one is totally up to you

D)We use xeon puck lights from Lowes.They also help with heat

6)I clean weekly with 1:1 mixture of water and Orginal Listerine

If you have anymore questions just PM me. If you would like some design ideas check out our website

www.acadianenclosures.weebly.com