New Home!!

Hey everyone!! My birthday is coming soon and I had asked my dad to build me a home for my columbian. The enclosure is 4'x2.5'x2.5'. HUGE!!!! Anyways, my question is...what kind of wattage for my lighting do I need to keep the whole area at 80-85 and with the whole space that temp, what kind of wattage would I need to keep the warm side 85-90? Also, if a high enough wattage bulb was used on one side, would it warm up the cold side enough to only need the one bulb? Also, any ideas about keeping the humidity up? Right now, she is in and aquarium with a screen top so humidity is fairly easy to keep but this new one has screening only on the top 6" of each end, not on the top. I was thinking of asking him to put some screen on the top but then he would totally have to re-build the top. I will if I have to though. Anyways, any input would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Lindsey

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Originally Posted by Lindsey

Hey everyone!! My birthday is coming soon and I had asked my dad to build me a home for my columbian. The enclosure is 4'x2.5'x2.5'. HUGE!!!! Anyways, my question is...what kind of wattage for my lighting do I need to keep the whole area at 80-85 and with the whole space that temp, what kind of wattage would I need to keep the warm side 85-90? Also, if a high enough wattage bulb was used on one side, would it warm up the cold side enough to only need the one bulb? Also, any ideas about keeping the humidity up? Right now, she is in and aquarium with a screen top so humidity is fairly easy to keep but this new one has screening only on the top 6" of each end, not on the top. I was thinking of asking him to put some screen on the top but then he would totally have to re-build the top. I will if I have to though. Anyways, any input would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Lindsey

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For a top, just make a rectangle and cut a few squares in it and cover it with screen door wire. While you are at it, keep it to one piece of MDF or melamine and make it 4x2x2

i don't know about the screen... you are going to need to make it really strong and escape proof.

i would use vents instead. like we use in our bearded dragon enclosure.

http://www.timelessspirit.com/enclosure.html

we use the vents on the sides... to create flow and they are screwed into place which would be secure for a snake IMO.

and yes... 4x2x2 would use one sheet of melamine and make the enclosure stronger rather than having cuts to make it half a foot longer ;)

So you guys think that there should be some ventilation on the top. At the sides isn't enough?
The screen is actually a heavy duty, thick screening and he has made it into separate frames so the screen/glass are inside the frame. We are also putting a clear covering over the glass so it it does break, the glass will break but it will still stay all together.

And what about the wattage and number of bulbs you think I need?

Lindsey :)

i wouldn't use bulbs honestly. maybe other people will disagree but when i was using bulbs i had issues with humidity and as the general saying goes around here, belly heat is nice. also with one bulb i doubt you could get the right heat gradient. multiple bulbs maybe but i'm guessing it would be tough to control. i bet its going to end up great though and i'm sure you'll get the best advice around here. maybe i'm totally off but i'd say go with flexwatt for heating. hear such good things.

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Originally Posted by Aza

i wouldn't use bulbs honestly. maybe other people will disagree but when i was using bulbs i had issues with humidity and as the general saying goes around here, belly heat is nice. also with one bulb i doubt you could get the right heat gradient. multiple bulbs maybe but i'm guessing it would be tough to control. i bet its going to end up great though and i'm sure you'll get the best advice around here. maybe i'm totally off but i'd say go with flexwatt for heating. hear such good things.

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You are right on. Flexwatt looks like the way to go. :)

for a big cage, a good thermostat and properly sized radiant heat panel would be hard to beat. sometimes you may need a second heat source for the cool side.



vaughn

another idea i had.. if you're going to do a screen top, you could possibly recess it down a bit and have pieces of wood that go into the drop down (but suspended on the wood so the screen isn't weighed down, i could draw it out in paint if i worded that too confusing). the wood slabs could be put in and taken out to raise humidity as you wish, if just simply moving the water source closer or farther to/from the heat source doesn't do it. i've never seen in done before in herp keeping but maybe someone here has or has an opinion on that?

Aza, what is Flexwatt?

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Originally Posted by Lindsey

Aza, what is Flexwatt?

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a type of thin heat source.

What I did to heat my 4x2x2 was get the biggest exo terra UTH and covered it with 2 pieces of window pane glass. I use newspaper as substrate and havent had any problems.