Wanting to upgrade enclosure for my BCI

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

Hi everyone! I have been considering upgrading my early 2011 lipstick sunglow, Pandora, from a 40 breeder into a display enclosure. I thought I could put this off until the end of the year, but she was out and about last night and I didn't realize how big she had gotten!

She is about 5 ft, and probably about 6 pounds (haven't weighed her in a while).
Here is a crappy cell phone pic of her exploring before I cleaned her tank.


Out of the typical display cage brands, what are your favorites?

I was looking at some vision cages (the V400 and the V422) as well as the 4 foot enclosures that Cserpents now makes.

Any input?


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[Neal]

Honestly, I wouldn't waste your money on those vision cages, unless they've drastically lowered the prices of their cages(last 2 years or so). Your best bet honestly, is to go to a local reptile show(assuming the ones near you sell cages) and get one from there. You can get a nice 55 or 65 gallon long for under $150, maybe even bigger but that you wouldn't need anything bigger than that, then I think the top maybe $10-20. I haven't been to a reptile show in awhile, and the last one I went to was hosted by gilaproductions and it was in New Orleans and the cage I got was from glasscages. I think I paid about $110 for my tank that I got. I haven't been to the new repticon shows so I don't know what all they have but I do plan on going to the one in June.

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

Honestly, I wouldn't waste your money on those vision cages, unless they've drastically lowered the prices of their cages(last 2 years or so). Your best bet honestly, is to go to a local reptile show(assuming the ones near you sell cages) and get one from there. You can get a nice 55 or 65 gallon long for under $150, maybe even bigger but that you wouldn't need anything bigger than that, then I think the top maybe $10-20. I haven't been to a reptile show in awhile, and the last one I went to was hosted by gilaproductions and it was in New Orleans and the cage I got was from glasscages. I think I paid about $110 for my tank that I got. I haven't been to the new repticon shows so I don't know what all they have but I do plan on going to the one in June.

Cserpents is at a lot of my local shows, and they have a 4 foot enclosure with sliding plexiglass doors, a RHP and lighting for about 300 or 350 I believe... That way I wouldn't have to pay shipping either.


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[Neal]

Is there anyway you can link me to that cage so I can have a look at it for myself?

Also be careful about plexi, it scratches easily and it looks horrible once it starts to get scratched. Also the 55gal long is 48" long which is 4 foot as well.

Just a visual, here is what a 65 gal looks like:


EDIT:
Correction, I owned this tank, it was 65 gal.

[Evenstar]

Consider sticking with a pvc enclosure rather than a tank. Tanks suck with humidity and heat and are much harder to regulate. You can get a T8 from Animal Plastics for $150. Shipped and with heat (flexwatt) included it only comes to $230. A T8 is 4x2x1 and could very well last her for her entire life. These cages make very nice display enclosures too - the black sets off the snake's colors really well and you can use whatever substrate you want and put in a nice driftwood climbing branch.

[Neal]

Consider sticking with a pvc enclosure rather than a tank. Tanks suck with humidity and heat and are much harder to regulate. You can get a T8 from Animal Plastics for $150. Shipped and with heat (flexwatt) included it only comes to $230. A T8 is 4x2x1 and could very well last her for her entire life. These cages make very nice display enclosures too - the black sets off the snake's colors really well and you can use whatever substrate you want and put in a nice driftwood climbing branch.

If you setup a tank properly, you won't have issues with heat or humidity. For the most part your ambient temperature will be in the 70's, unless you keep your house cold, then with a nice ceramic heat emitter on one side and a UTH on the opposite side you can regulate the temps easy. Humidity, what I did is I used the cypress mulch, I put a thick layer down, then I used a small pcv tube put it in the corner, and made sure it went straight to the bottom. Then I evened out the substrate with the top of the pipe, and once a week I would pour a few glasses of water down that tube which soaked the bottom half of the substrate while the top would remain dry, and the UTH raised the humidity and the heat emitter wouldn't zap it like a light. Then you mist the top of the substrate to your liking but the humidity stays high. Keep this in mind I did this for my Anaconda and never once had any issues with sheds or humidity. You can also put saran rap on the opposite side of the light to keep humidity in there.

The only reason I wouldn't get one of those cages is because I can't use any kind of a overhead heating source, which in my tanks I liked to use the dark blue bulb which gives off a faint glow like the moon so it gives the light a little enclosure. Though I did see that some of those tanks come with a place to use overhead lighting.

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

Consider sticking with a pvc enclosure rather than a tank. Tanks suck with humidity and heat and are much harder to regulate. You can get a T8 from Animal Plastics for $150. Shipped and with heat (flexwatt) included it only comes to $230. A T8 is 4x2x1 and could very well last her for her entire life. These cages make very nice display enclosures too - the black sets off the snake's colors really well and you can use whatever substrate you want and put in a nice driftwood climbing branch.

I definitely want to get away from glass tanks.

I need to research more on the T8. That's an enclosure that you assemble yourself, right? What is the best method for heating?


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[I-KandyReptiles]

I definitely want to get away from glass tanks.

I need to research more on the T8. That's an enclosure that you assemble yourself, right? What is the best method for heating?


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Flexwatt or/and RHP.

I have a 3x2x16" and I use both. The rhp just kinda helps bring up the ambient on the cool side (I know others will disagree but it's been working for me)

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

Flexwatt or/and RHP.

I have a 3x2x16" and I use both. The rhp just kinda helps bring up the ambient on the cool side (I know others will disagree but it's been working for me)

That might work well for me. I keep the house pretty cool and don't want her ambient temps to suffer!

Any opinions on the T10 being a few inches taller? I bet it would make bleating much easier.


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[I-KandyReptiles]

Give her the t10!!

When she gets big, it's gonna be hard to get her out with a 1' height.

And when I got my first snake I was keeping my room about 65-70, and with the tape and rhp I managed perfect temps!