BP Vivarium/Cage/Enclosure newbie

[MR Snakes]

I also would not keep a pet in a tub, but I enjoy watching mine and creating a very natural habitat. I started with a tank, and while difficult to maintain humidity - it was not impossible, just took a little more work. But I had always planned on moving to an Animal plastics cage, and I LOVE IT. They are a great company and can work some customization in as well. They are nice looking and easy cages to maintain.

AP also has sales frequently. Just make sure you add up any custom changes, the base price is for the cage *without* any heating, locks, lights, or other extra stuff. It also can take a while for them to make and ship it - mine took 12 weeks, but it was well worth the wait and I wasn't in a hurry.

I too like how they look. Please tell how they are easier to maintain than a tank? Also how you overcame the humidity hurdle with a tank? I'd guess you had a screen top for the tank?

[Jbabycsx]

Local? Pet store? Near me?

OK, the local indy pet shop that the high school kids work at is 20 miles away. Petco is 50. Boston is 275 and that would be the largest near city. Maine is in the middle of BFE.

Ouch! Yeah that’s gonna be a tough hurdle to overcome. Don’t get me wrong about tanks, I still have one of my snakes in a 40 gallon tank. I used tin foil over the screen lid and foam insulation sheets on the back and sides. I was able to customize the foam to my liking so that is a plus. After putting the tin on the top and the insulation, humidity is solved. I use a UTH for bottom heat and a RHP for ambient temps. Prices for both set ups is in the same ballpark once you buy all of that so it really boils down to what you want and how much space you have. Here’s a picture of mine while I was setting it up.



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[MR Snakes]

Way cool! What kind of paint did you use on the insulation? Were you worried about it being toxic?

[Jbabycsx]

Way cool! What kind of paint did you use on the insulation? Were you worried about it being toxic?

No it’s non toxic acrylic craft paint that is sealed with a water based sealer. I made sure of the toxicity first! So far it has held up good. The sealer is basically a thinner version of Elmers glue. I carved the skull and ledges out of styrofoam that I “borrowed” from work.


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[MR Snakes]

very nice, thanks

[Crowfingers]

I too like how they look. Please tell how they are easier to maintain than a tank? Also how you overcame the humidity hurdle with a tank? I'd guess you had a screen top for the tank?

So, as for the humidity in the tank, I had to make removable "covers" that were water proof. I had two CHE's on the top as well. What I did was make two panels from cardboard that had 9 inch holes in them (to ensure that the lamps had plenty of space not touching anything). Then I coated the panels in aluminum foil to help reflect heat and used foil tape to make everything look tidy. I used washcloths (changed every 24 hours) that I would soak in hot-ish water and lay on the screen under the panels. The cloths had to be re-moistened about every 8 hours. I was in school at the time and home a lot more.

In addition, I kept a moist hide (made from a terra cotta pot stuffed with sphagnum moss - this needed re-soaked every other day or so) in the tank at all times as well as sphagnum moss in little dishes in each of the back corners. The temps were easy to keep up. The most important thing that I had to overcome was that the tank was only top-opening, I had to removed everything anytime I wanted to take him out, change his water, clean the tank, etc.

To keep in heat, in the winter I stuffed a pillow behind the tank, and duck-taped two pillow (one on each side) to the outside of the tank. Without that I was much harder to keep ambient temps up.

In the AP cage I still use the terra-cotta pot (if you soak them in hot water for an hour or so, they slowly release the humidity over a few days) and when he's in shed, extra moss in the corners to keep up humidity, but its so much easier with front opening cages. I also still use CHE's for his main heat, but recently had to add a UTH. He outgrew his hides and the new ones were much thicker and not getting warm enough on the inside :/ I no longer need to insulate his cage with pillows, and the humidity is often stable for 4 to 6 days at a time instead of 12-24 hours.

Hope this helps

[MR Snakes]

So, as for the humidity in the tank, I had to make removable "covers" that were water proof. I had two CHE's on the top as well. What I did was make two panels from cardboard that had 9 inch holes in them (to ensure that the lamps had plenty of space not touching anything). Then I coated the panels in aluminum foil to help reflect heat and used foil tape to make everything look tidy. I used washcloths (changed every 24 hours) that I would soak in hot-ish water and lay on the screen under the panels. The cloths had to be re-moistened about every 8 hours. I was in school at the time and home a lot more.

In addition, I kept a moist hide (made from a terra cotta pot stuffed with sphagnum moss - this needed re-soaked every other day or so) in the tank at all times as well as sphagnum moss in little dishes in each of the back corners. The temps were easy to keep up. The most important thing that I had to overcome was that the tank was only top-opening, I had to removed everything anytime I wanted to take him out, change his water, clean the tank, etc.

To keep in heat, in the winter I stuffed a pillow behind the tank, and duck-taped two pillow (one on each side) to the outside of the tank. Without that I was much harder to keep ambient temps up.

In the AP cage I still use the terra-cotta pot (if you soak them in hot water for an hour or so, they slowly release the humidity over a few days) and when he's in shed, extra moss in the corners to keep up humidity, but its so much easier with front opening cages. I also still use CHE's for his main heat, but recently had to add a UTH. He outgrew his hides and the new ones were much thicker and not getting warm enough on the inside :/ I no longer need to insulate his cage with pillows, and the humidity is often stable for 4 to 6 days at a time instead of 12-24 hours.

Hope this helps

Very much so. Thank you.