Heating for taller boa enclosure

[Dutti]

Hope you sealed that cage with a good waterproof sealant or that pressboard is going to just melt when you throw in 65-70% humidity in it after a year or so. Not to mention the concrete power of boa piss haha. It's almost as bad retic piss.

Yes i have sealed it with 3 layers of the best material available in the market. No chance that water would penetrate it

[Sauzo]

And i wont. Anythng over 24 inches just gets to be a hassle to heat and keep the humidity high enough. I wont let my boas drop below 65% humidity. And too dry of humidity will definitely cause cracking in the lung. Take for example you. ever be in a really dry environment for a long time and the inside of your nose dries out and in extreme cases, you get a little nose bleed? Or your in a dry environment and your skin dries and cracks? The same thing will happen to a boa's lung as they are designed for high humidity. Look at where they come from, the humidity there can get up to 90+%. And it pretty much never drops to 45%.

And yes, too stagnant of air can cause an RI but only if there is bacteria or mold or fungus which is usually created by people trying to mist cages too much with too low of airflow and the cage never being able to dry out. Like i said, air humidity is different than just being wet. A mister or humidifier will raise the air humidity but not create a single drop of actual water unless you have it set to high lol.

Anyways, not going to debate anymore. OP, my opinion is ditch that cage and use the money to buy a PVC cage that is 72x30x18 or 24. You will be much happier and it will be much easier to keep the environment spot on.

Here is an example of my cages. The left side is 48x24x12 and 48x24x15. The right side is 72x30x18 cages.

[Dutti]

Oh and to add one more thing, there is a big difference between humidity and just water all over the place via misting. Like i said above, misting will work here and there to help especially in winter but if you have to mist more than once or twice a week once a day, then you need to evaluate your setup and limit the airflow better.

And another thing, a bad shed doesnt necessarily mean you your humidity is bad. A lot of it has to do with the hydration of the snake which indirectly is from humidity of the environment combined with how much the snake drinks.

A bad shed means first and foremost your humidity is bad. My BCI always sheds in one complete piece. He does not drink that oft, he drinks once or twice after eating and that is it. For example, he ate last time on the 8th of December. He pissed two times after that only

[normandcass]

Thanks for all the great information everybody! The top is solid with a mesh cutout for lighting, but I will definitely cover to maintain humidity. I was planning on getting a few extra humidity gauges so I can measure humidity throughout. I picked up a waterfall/mister to put in, so that should help.

I work from home so I am able to check on temp/humidity throughout the day. I know it will be harder to maintain a taller enclosure, but she absolutely loves to climb and perch, even at her size. I want her to be happy and be able to see more natural behavior, so I don't mind putting in the extra work to make sure all the levels are correct.

[normandcass]

What type of plants do you use and how do you prevent them from getting smashed?

[Sauzo]

What type of plants do you use and how do you prevent them from getting smashed?

Big boas generally bulldoze anything you put in there. You can use all sorts of plants though like Pothos, Nerve Plant, Prayer Plant, Dragon Plant, Parlor Palms etc. The list is long. I personally use Parlor Palm, Pothos and Prayer Plant in my GTP set up.

As for preventing them from getting smashed, good luck there. I dont use live plants in my boas' cages as them, my retic and my BP have all managed to pull down, break, destroy and flatten plastic plants i've put in their cages. Cant imagine poor live plants.

[bcr229]

I wouldn't even try to use live plants in an adult boa enclosure. Plastic décor is usually durable and easy to clean.

[Dutti]

What type of plants do you use and how do you prevent them from getting smashed?

In the photo of my enclosure you can see that i keep the plants hanging in plastic pots and not on the floor to avoid them being smashed by my boa. I use only Epipremnum aureu because this plant need very little light.

[Sauzo]

If you are going to hang the plants, make sure they are secured VERY well. Boas like to climb and a hanging plant is like a giant beacon to them to come and try to destroy it lol.

[normandcass]

lol ok. Using live plants to maintain humidity was mentioned and my first thought was, she climbs on anything she can and the poor plant would be in pieces! I have already purchased the enclosure and am picking it up tomorrow morning, so I will try to make it work. If she ends up needing more floor space or if she keeps growing, I can see about adding panels. It's a modular from customcages.com and they claim you can expand in any direction.