How should I heat my cage

[LawfulChaos]

So, im building a cage for my snakes. It's going to be 48Lx24Wx18H. Should I put the heat tape on the bottom of one side of the cage like most traditional cages ive seen are, or should I run the heat tape along the bottom of the back of the cage from end to end. If I do it the second way I could put a Hide in each back corner for the two snakes, and the water dish could be in the center towards the front of the cage.

If I do it the second way also plan on making the cage in a way where if I want to or I find it necessary to separate the snakes, or maybe use this cage in the future for a different reptile, I could slide something down the middle to create 2 separate cages of 24Lx24Wx18H.

[littleindiangirl]

Well, I'll recommend you make it with two seperate enclosures. BP's aren't a social animal that lives in packs, and pretty much the only reason to keep them together is for breeding a few months of the year.


With two seperate ones, if they are on the same level, I would say put the heat tape on the bottom, right in the middle where the two cages are seperated, so that either far end for each cage is the "cool side", and where they are connected is the hot spot.

[llovelace]

They need individual cages, you could build a large enough enclosure with a divider in the middle; run a wide enough flexwatt in the middle for both sides.

[LawfulChaos]

Ive thought about putting it in the middle too and making it to separate cages like you said.

Well these 2 snakes have been housed together for well over a year, in a 50gal tank haven't had any issues. the problem i have with that is that a 2'x2' cage is just to small.

I suppose I could just build 2 completely separate cages and stack them, but that brings up the issue of cost and size. With my current situation I need something I can easily move.

[Enser54]

I plan on building a larger sized enclosure soon for my big boa probably 4x2x2 and was also wondering how I might heat it and I think I may use one of these ultratherm pads from reptile basics:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Ultrath...p-1-c-273.html

Good price and more durable than flexwatt.

[blackcrystal22]

Ive thought about putting it in the middle too and making it to separate cages like you said.

Well these 2 snakes have been housed together for well over a year, in a 50gal tank haven't had any issues. the problem i have with that is that a 2'x2' cage is just to small.

I suppose I could just build 2 completely separate cages and stack them, but that brings up the issue of cost and size. With my current situation I need something I can easily move.

I plan on building a larger sized enclosure soon for my big boa probably 4x2x2 and was also wondering how I might heat it and I think I may use one of these ultratherm pads from reptile basics:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Ultrath...p-1-c-273.html

Good price and more durable than flexwatt.

4x2x2 is a boa sized cage. Really, I don't think anything bigger than a 20gallon or a 30 gallon is healthy for the snakes.

Just because something hasn't happened, doesn't mean that it rules out potential issues of keeping the two snakes together. If one gets ill, they both get ill. Cannibalization is possible, and if they are two males, they could fight. Male and female could breed, and if she breeds when she is too small, cause egg impaction, which could kill the female.

Just overall, a bad idea.

No matter what, to heat the enclosures, you must use a good thermostat with the probe taped directly on the tape or UTH.

Ceramic heat emitters are also another option.

[LawfulChaos]

Thanks for your help, they are both females. I am thinking of just building 2 separate cages, one is my roommates snake anyways. I posted some plans for the cage I plan on building in the caging forum, if you want to check it out and let me know, the one i posted is the bearded dragon version, but i plan on just changing the dimensions for the snakes.

[LawfulChaos]

I plan on building a larger sized enclosure soon for my big boa probably 4x2x2 and was also wondering how I might heat it and I think I may use one of these ultratherm pads from reptile basics:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Ultrath...p-1-c-273.html

Good price and more durable than flexwatt.

Thanks for the info i will look into it

[blackcrystal22]

Thanks for your help, they are both females. I am thinking of just building 2 separate cages, one is my roommates snake anyways. I posted some plans for the cage I plan on building in the caging forum, if you want to check it out and let me know, the one i posted is the bearded dragon version, but i plan on just changing the dimensions for the snakes.

A good demension estimate would be something around 3ft L x 1.5ft W x 1ft T.

That would be a perfect ball python cage in my opinion. :]
2x2x1 wouldn't be terrible either. A lot of adult ball pythons live in 32qts happily, and those are 2ft deep and 1ft wide. :]

If it concerns you, you could always divide a 5x2x1 cage into two 2.5x2x1.

[LawfulChaos]

Thats another possibility, Im not planning on building these cages for another month so i have time to think and make it as good as possible.