Lightweight, attractive enclosure for 1 snake?

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum. I have adopted a female (I guess? That's what I was told) BP who is maybe 2-3 years old? She is almost 4 feet long. She's in a 40 gallon glass tank right now. Aside from being ugly, the tank is so heavy that it's been challenging for me to clean and take care of. I have seen beautiful enclosures built into cabinets, but after reading through the DIY forums here, I feel overwhelmed by the prospect of making something myself. I would really like a lightweight, attractive enclosure set up for her. I don't want any other animals, so I don't need something that stacks or anything. What I am finding looks like it's meant for people with lots and lots and lots of reptiles!

The adoption was sort of thrust upon me. I'd like the snake to be happy and healthy. Do you have any suggestions for me? I'm feeling quite lost...

Thank you in advance for any ideas!

You need to post pictures of your snake for sure:)
I certainly don't know anything about building enclosures but most important thing is that it is 200% escape-proof !

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"Lightweight" cages are typically gonna be plastic storage bins that so many are using now...they're cheap & easy to come by, but IMO they are ugly.

I happen to prefer glass tanks for attractiveness...you can put scenery on the back & sides too (outside the glass), & honestly I don't understand your complaint
about how heavy it is??? Once in place, mine are never picked up & moved, certainly not for cleaning, so I'm guessing you've been trying to "dump it" to clean?
I agree, that's not a winner. I just clean out the substrate & wipe down the glass with disinfectant (diluted chlorhexidine) & then put in fresh substrate & every-
thing back where it belongs. My snakes are in plastic ventilated carrying cases while I do this. Depending on what substrate you're using, you just need a better
way of removing it, sounds like to me.

We can help better with more details...and :welcome:

There's a variety of nice PVC style front opening cages from many companies, you can design the inside however you like, they tend to have recessed heating/lighting and are very lightweight. Animal Plastics, Vision cages etc.

Personally I enjoy the build of DIY projects but there are a lot of great looking PVC cages out there. PVC are a bit more expensive then homemade or a setup tank but can be very clean and finished looking. If DIY isn't your thing then give the PVC ones a good look. Some have rather long wait times though so be prepared. Also I second what Bogertophis said once a tank is put in place don't move it, even the PVC and wooden ones are too much to move once in place but the front opening doors do help a bit in the cleaning IMO.

I'm definitely not able to dump the substrate, but I do need to use a step stool to clean it, sadly, as I am short! I think what I don't like about the tank is that the heat lamp and wires and stuff are all on top of it and all over. It had a screen top that I covered with tin foil. SOOOOO ugly!!

I really like the idea of having heat and light all contained inside it -- I feel like it'd be easier to incorporate it into my house. And I like the idea of a door that opens out so I don't have to clean it with a step stool.

I like the look of these: http://www.showcasecages.com/cage_details.htm though they're sort of expensive. However, this snake may outlive me!! I think it's worth it to invest in a terrarium that I won't mind looking at the rest of my life... ;)

I looked at Vision Cages and Animal Plastic. They seem expensive too, and not as attractive. Guess I'm one of the few reptile keepers who don't want a black stack of boxes... :)

Maybe there is a reptile specific hood that would go on my 40 gallon to hide all this ugly crap?

Check out my build thread in the DIY section. Its a very easy build. Where are you from? maybe you could find a handyman or friend to give you a hand building something. I have a coworker that is thinking of building one and may be leaning on me a bit for help.

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Originally Posted by melissa

I'm definitely not able to dump the substrate, but I do need to use a step stool to clean it, sadly, as I am short! I think what I don't like about the tank is that the heat lamp and wires and stuff are all on top of it and all over. It had a screen top that I covered with tin foil. SOOOOO ugly!!

I really like the idea of having heat and light all contained inside it -- I feel like it'd be easier to incorporate it into my house. And I like the idea of a door that opens out so I don't have to clean it with a step stool.

I like the look of these: http://www.showcasecages.com/cage_details.htm though they're sort of expensive. However, this snake may outlive me!! I think it's worth it to invest in a terrarium that I won't mind looking at the rest of my life... ;)

I looked at Vision Cages and Animal Plastic. They seem expensive too, and not as attractive. Guess I'm one of the few reptile keepers who don't want a black stack of boxes... :)

Maybe there is a reptile specific hood that would go on my 40 gallon to hide all this ugly crap?

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Just a thought, but you could get a front-opening exo terra (if you're used to and fine with the mods needed on glass tanks), and then just make a small wooden frame that can sit on top/on legs surrounding the cage and be painted or stained. It could be just a U shape on legs that sits on the table with the enclosure (to keep weight off the top). You can paint or stain it to go with your decor and if done would block visibility to heat lamps and wiring to remove the eyesore and give you easier access for cleaning. (Just make sure not to fully enclose them over the top which could be a fire hazard with the lack of air flow.)

Since you don't like the look of most of the PVC caging, then that might be more your preference.

Although I think you underestimate how nice a single PVC cage can be set up. Having a flat top gives you space you could place photo frames or small plant pots (nothing too heavy for PVC to avoid warping under the weight but under 15-20 lbs would be safe), or other small decorative items with the cage on a nice stand.

A 4x2x2 or 4x2x18" could look very nice like that similar to how people use aquariums as focal points for rooms. If the interior of the cage is nice and attractive, you can easily distract from the more simplistic exterior that way. The shape of the enclosure itself is not the most important when it comes to how it comes across in a room. And just because it can stack doesn't mean you need to stack it or get multiple cages/animals.

PVC is a very good enclosure because it eliminates the need to for misting or major lid modifications to maintain humidity or keep the heat in. It may make it way simply to care for your snake and leave more time for enjoying it.

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

Although I think you underestimate how nice a single PVC cage can be set up. Having a flat top gives you space you could place photo frames or small plant pots (nothing too heavy for PVC to avoid warping under the weight but under 15-20 lbs would be safe), or other small decorative items with the cage on a nice stand.

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Oh I didn't realize that anything could even go on top! For some reason I imagined they are not very sturdy!

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Originally Posted by gunkle

Check out my build thread in the DIY section. Its a very easy build. Where are you from? maybe you could find a handyman or friend to give you a hand building something. I have a coworker that is thinking of building one and may be leaning on me a bit for help.

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I did see your thread in DIY before I posted here! Actually it was what made me realize how out of my depth I'd be attempting to build something on my own! :D

Though I do admire your skills!!

I SO understand...I have some very large glass tanks that are a stretch for me to reach into the bottom of as well, but in part because of the height of the
furniture they're sitting on. So maybe you need to re-think what this tank is setting on? It's not hard to find a coffee table (etc) that a 40 gal. tank will fit on,
& remember, stretching is good for you. ;)

Heat lamps are ok as supplemental heating, but first off I'd recommend using UTH (under tank heat). You don't want a heavy glass tank sitting on wires, so
what I use is rubber weatherstripping that comes on a flat roll (available in any hardware/home improvement store)- it's peel & stick & I install it on the bottom
edges of all my tanks, leaving a few gaps (1-2") for wires to go thru and for the UTH to "breathe" as required for safe operation.

If you're a "do-it-yourselfer" like I am, & obviously gunkle is, there are ways to customize (re-purpose) furniture cabinets to be both practical & functional while
looking good, but honestly for what you want, I think the prices on "showcasecages" are not bad at all, when you add up both know-how & features you want.
I have no feedback about their cages one way or the other, I always recommend further investigation, especially for such an investment, but I see why you like.

There is/was? a company that builds cages with hoods, but you'd still have the height issue, & as you say, you plan to be dealing with this for quite a while. For
that matter, a local handyman (one that doesn't pass out when he or she sees a snake) might be able to help you with a custom hood without it costing "an arm
& a leg". BTW, glass tanks are NOT all the same exact dimensions for any given capacity, so before you invest in a ready-made "hood", measure TWICE & check
carefully with the source. Have you checked with any local tropical fish shops? They may know of someone who could help you customize with a hood, etc.

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Originally Posted by melissa

I did see your thread in DIY before I posted here! Actually it was what made me realize how out of my depth I'd be attempting to build something on my own! :D

Though I do admire your skills!!

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Thanks for the compliment. Not much on the skills though. It was very basic woodworking. Home Depot did most of the cuts for me. I really like the looks of the work at Showcase cages. That is skill, but its all doable with a little help. You may be surprised what your friends can do or know. On the other hand pretends2bnormal is correct that you can make a PVC cage fit into most rooms nicely. Just remember that BP's typically don't like to be in high traffic areas. I would look into construction and thickness of materials of any PVC cage your interested in as it could be done cheaply or with care and well made. Also show off your new little one. We love pictures.

For pvc cages, I really like my Reptile Basics cages. Their turnaround is far shorter than anyone else, usually 2-3 weeks. I haven’t seen Orb cages in person, so I have no idea about quality or order times. They are very innovative, but also pricy. Links to both below.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-cages/

https://www.terra-orb.com/store/c6/Orbs.html

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Originally Posted by Dianne

For pvc cages, I really like my Reptile Basics cages. Their turnaround is far shorter than anyone else, usually 2-3 weeks. I haven’t seen Orb cages in person, so I have no idea about quality or order times. They are very innovative, but also pricy. Links to both below.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-cages/

https://www.terra-orb.com/store/c6/Orbs.html

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Never heard of the Terra-Orb once but they are nice looking glass cages.

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Originally Posted by gunkle

Never heard of the Terra-Orb once but they are nice looking glass cages.

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Somebody here posted that they had seen these at a show. Of course I had to go check them out. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianne

Somebody here posted that they had seen these at a show. Of course I had to go check them out. :D

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I may have to borrow the Tree post in the middle idea in my crested gecko enclosure when I get to building it.:D

I am a fan of Jim's cages at pvccages.com. I have used them (still do) and have been very satisfied with them

It sounds like you need a handyman to make you a canopy— to hide all the above equipment.

I’ve hired carpenters to make me things before- it’s worth it.

Showcase has been around a long time. I’ve always felt they’re expensive for what they were.

I do like the PVC, I’ve seen many setups that look very nice.

It's not lightweight, but I really love my front-opening exo-terras. They are really nice to look at -- I put in lots of decorations and real and artificial pants. Easy to clean and easy to maintain humidity when the top is mostly covered. I bought one on discount at a reptile store-- I asked them when they would go on sale. I bought the other one used on Craigslist and just scrubbed and cleaned it well and put it in the sun before using it.

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Originally Posted by FollowTheSun

It's not lightweight, but I really love my front-opening exo-terras. They are really nice to look at -- I put in lots of decorations and real and artificial pants. Easy to clean and easy to maintain humidity when the top is mostly covered. I bought one on discount at a reptile store-- I asked them when they would go on sale. I bought the other one used on Craigslist and just scrubbed and cleaned it well and put it in the sun before using it.

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Same ... they’re really cheap if you get used ones and they clean up easily ..look new .

They have such a huge range of size/shapes plus good quality fittings .

I also like the raised windows/doors which gives a waterproof lower section if you want a water feature of some kind ... great for amphibians and BRBs ..

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