Ball Python enclosure build

These are looking great and I appreciate the info on the Pond Shield. I currently use plastic and pvc cages, but this looks like it will work very well to seal wooden cages. The tendency to absorb moisture and urine was the main reason I went to professional cages. Wooden cages always seemed to retain heat well, though the pvc and plastic does fairly well at this too.

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Originally Posted by Dianne

These are looking great and I appreciate the info on the Pond Shield. I currently use plastic and pvc cages, but this looks like it will work very well to seal wooden cages. The tendency to absorb moisture and urine was the main reason I went to professional cages. Wooden cages always seemed to retain heat well, though the pvc and plastic does fairly well at this too.

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I'm hoping they retain heat well as my current home has poor insulation and I keep it on the cooler side during the winter. I put in plenty of holes for air flow that I can block off as needed to help. So far including RHP's, thermostats, thermometers, hygrometers all build materials, stain and Pond Shield I'm at about $300 each. Plus the satisfaction of doing it myself.

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Originally Posted by gunkle

I'm hoping they retain heat well as my current home has poor insulation and I keep it on the cooler side during the winter. I put in plenty of holes for air flow that I can block off as needed to help. So far including RHP's, thermostats, thermometers, hygrometers all build materials, stain and Pond Shield I'm at about $300 each. Plus the satisfaction of doing it myself.

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At $300 each for the complete setup, you are well below the cost of the pvc or plastic enclosures. The new Reptile Basics cages I purchased last year were $225 each for the 3’x2’x12” model. Add the rhp, thermostat, and Acurite thermometer/hygrometer for another $170. I’m looking forward to hearing about how these perform, especially long term.

I live in a home built in 1945, so there is no insulation. :( This means my house is usually fairly cool in the winter as well, though it’s better since I upgraded the windows to double paned and added insulated siding. My snakes have a dedicated snake room that stays a minimum of 72-73F in winter on the coldest nights (teens to twenties outside) and 75-77F normally. With these ambient temperatures, I don’t have any issues maintaining cage temps. If your home is significantly lower than that where you have your snakes, you can always wrap the cages with rigid insulation for the winter.

So I have this cage I built for our bearded dragon a few years ago with a che that has no problem maintaining 90 and it's 4'X2'X2' so I'm hoping to have good luck with the new ones. I even went with the next size up from recommendations RHP for good measure since I've never used one before.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e5c4e2f21f.jpg

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If that cage is maintaining temps, then you shouldn’t have any issues. As you mentioned, you can always reduce air flow by partially covering the vents in the ball python cages.

So the final missing piece for the enclosures feel into place yesterday. I found something to use as a stand on Facebook marketplace. My daughter's love the color. I think it will work good and give me a place to store some supplies. Not bad for $15 and a few minutes drive to pick up. Also I started the reassembly tonight. Got both doors back together and on, and the vent covers in one. Should be able to finish tomorrow evening.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...eb6c2a9a9e.jpg

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Alright. Got them put back together and ready to start testing out. Wiring placement is all temporary while initial testing is going on. Started with 24 hours of no substrate in either and a water bowl in one. Have been recording Thermostat settings, thermostat readings, hot side, cool side, humidity, room temp and any changes made on a spreadsheet. Best humidity I got was 38% with the bowl and 22% without. Also figured out that the top one is a few degrees warmer on both sides then the bottom one. Thinking its heat rising from lower enclosure. Will have to monitor with temp gun to see if I need more separation so the floor doesn't heat too much. After 24 hours I put about an inch of Reptile Prime in each and it felt very very dry so I put about 2 cups of water in each enclosure and mixed it with the Reptile Prime. Then I put the same size bowl of water in each directly under the RHP. After about 3 hours the humidity in the lower one was 81% and the upper one was 85%. Maybe not a good idea to add water to substrate. Will let it go till tomorrow and see if it settles. I also turned the thermostat for the upper cage to 86 degrees which brought the temp range down to 90 hot side and 80 cool side from 94 and 84 when set at 90. Again I think i'm getting heat from lower cage.

Getting some condensation on the door due to too high humidity. No other spot in cage was wet I felt all around (sides, floor, ceiling, RHP) to make sure I didn't have an air flow issue.
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I do have a question about the RHP though. I think I have it right but might as well double check. When using an RHP the top of the substrate should be the hottest part correct? the floor under it should be slightly cooler as its getting heat soaked through from the substrate. Unless of coarse some of it is moved away and the floor is exposed. So if my floor is hotter then the top of the substrate it would probably be caused by the heat rising from the lower cage.

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Originally Posted by gunkle

I do have a question about the RHP though. I think I have it right but might as well double check. When using an RHP the top of the substrate should be the hottest part correct? the floor under it should be slightly cooler as its getting heat soaked through from the substrate. Unless of coarse some of it is moved away and the floor is exposed. So if my floor is hotter then the top of the substrate it would probably be caused by the heat rising from the lower cage.

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I don’t use any type of chip substrate, so I can’t speak to that part, but I can confirm that the heat does rise and warm the floor of the cage above. I don’t get a lot of transference with my plastic or pvc cages, but it is a little warmer on the cage floor due to the rhp on the cage below. It takes a little tweaking with the stack to get the temperatures where I want them. Each thermostat has a slightly different setting. That said, rarely are all the rhp’s running at the same time because my thermostats are the on/off type rather than proportional.

You could use a sheet of rigid foam between the two cages (1/2” maybe?) to provide a break between the cages.

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Originally Posted by Dianne

I don’t use any type of chip substrate, so I can’t speak to that part, but I can confirm that the heat does rise and warm the floor of the cage above. I don’t get a lot of transference with my plastic or pvc cages, but it is a little warmer on the cage floor due to the rhp on the cage below. It takes a little tweaking with the stack to get the temperatures where I want them. Each thermostat has a slightly different setting. That said, rarely are all the rhp’s running at the same time because my thermostats are the on/off type rather than proportional.

You could use a sheet of rigid foam between the two cages (1/2” maybe?) to provide a break between the cages.

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Thanks. I have those little felt pads for under chair legs on the top one. Was hoping that 1/4" air gap would be enough to minimize it. I will keep and eye on the floor of the top cage and see if I need more separation. I gave myself a month to get the tweaking in so I should have plenty of time to get it all figured out. I bought the dual zone VE thermostat so I only have one unit to work with and it was cheaper then buying 2 separate ones. I have it set to proportional.

So it does appear that I need to put more than a small air gap between. I'm getting readings ranging from 95 to 105 at the floor under the substrate of the top cage right above the RHP from the lower cage. Home Depot here I come. Again.