Building a cage

I have decided since seeing the ball python cages for the junior naturalist class at school that I too am going to build my own terrarium. I belive it would be a fun project for my my dad and I. All I need now is some advice from all of you. I need to know what kind of wood to use(should I seal, paint,stain, ect..?) what I should use for glass(can plexiglass stand up to the heat of a UTH if used as a floor), what do i need to use for the floor of the cage to make sure the UTH can work, and what should i do for air flow? I am making the type of terrarium with the two front doors that open out and lock. Why you ask? I dont like the idea of picking up my baby and be bitten only to drop her. Plus I am having problems keeping heat and humidity in her cage right now, plus its not as attractive as I would like. I dont want to buy one cause I am into building things plus i think that I can incorperate her needs and fine tune a cage that I build myself.

Check this site out it answered alot of my questions.

http://cagemakers.ophidiagems.com/in...e64c8dc86de0f7

Also
http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/3x2.shtml

Unfortunatly nothing has been posted at that site in a really long time... None of them have information.. more just questions like mine that have not been answered.

Nvm the second one helps!

Not a lot of action on the first site, but if you look around read the threads there is some good information.

Trey

How well will melamine with stand the heat from a UTH? If a UTH is used and water seaps through the substrate will it crack like glass?

what are some good substitute for glass? Melamine and what?

A melamine cage that is 3ft wide x 2ft deep x 14" tall or so, sealed properly at the seams, with front down-opening glass or plexiglas doors, and a radiant heat panel from Pro-Products would be a great cage for an adult Ball.

I would definitely stick with a small plastic tub(15qt-32qt) while the snake is a juvenile. Big spaces can stress them a bit too much and can cause them to be very insecure. Insecure, stressed babies don't eat, regardless of if the enclosure is set up properly or not.

And a good thing to remember is, floor space is much more important to Ball Pythons than height of an enclosure. So a 3ftx2ft or even a 4ftx2ft would be very adequate for even the biggest adult female Ball.

I put flexwatt down then put a piece of vinyl florring to cover the floor, to keep the flexwatt from getting wet. I use aspen bedding on glass and wood.


This is the one i built. You can see the vinyl floor in each level and the aspen. Also each level is 3'x2'.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...9/100_3038.JPG

so what should i use for the bottom of the terrarium? and the "glass" I cant very well put the UTH under wood and expect it to work...