Cheap Enclosures?

[FlipsideRuffian]

Hello everyone, I have been away for quite a while now, huh? Asriel has been doing amazing these past few months. He is now completely on f/t and eats like a champ, and is growing like a weed. He's nearly 2 feet! Because he's getting larger, I don't feel that he is thriving in his current tank.
He currently resides in a 12x12x18 locking terrarium on Eco Earth with a heat lamp, UTH, two hides, water dish, two small branches and some faux plants for cover. As you can imagine, all that stuff takes up a lot of space! While I know that ball pythons don't really explore and such, the issue is the temp gradient-there's basically none. With such a small terrarium, the lamp combined with the UTH really heats the tank completely evenly, which I don't want. I would like to upgrade him in a way that he has a comfortable temp gradient, has enough room and just somewhere he can thrive. However I am on a budget, so I can't really spend a whole lot on a new cage.
I can't do an aquarium with a screen lid and clips as that was how my past snake escaped and trust me, I'm not reliving that nightmare. Also, humidity is impossible to keep in check. However if there is a way to make this work please let me know, I have an extra 20 long that can be used.
I can't do a DIY snake cabinet. While I am a very crafty person, I'm not too fond of working with wood and glass.
I can possibly do a plastic tub/bin but I am very afraid of the plastic heating up.
If anybody can please help me find a suitable tank for Asriel that is in a low price range please do. I feel bad keeping him in a tank with pretty much no temp gradient, I know I certainly would hate having to live in a hot room with no way to escape it.

Thank you in advance!

[bcr229]

I didn't see a thermostat for the UTH in your equipment list. If you don't have one you need one, you're just lucky your snake hasn't burned itself yet.

This tub is great for one snake since the lid latches very securely and it's about $20. You just need a UTH regulated by a thermostat so it creates a hot spot at 92*F on one side:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hefty-25-Ga...Lid/1000505547

Since it holds humidity extremely well you can use paper substrate and not the eco earth, unless you really want to.

[dr del]

Hi,

If the heating source is on a thermostat the the plastic should never heat up enough to be a problem.

You will need to find some way to ensure the lid is secure obviously. Unless you can find an easy to assemble rack type frame to hold it - it really isn't that hard to build one honest.

[FlipsideRuffian]

I forgot to include the thermostat in the list, sorry! I also have an acurite thermo-hygrometer. What do you mean by a rack to hold the lid?

EDIT: Oh I know what rack you're talking about! Sorry, I'm an idiot lol. Yes, I do have a thermostat. But isn't there a 'melting plastic' smell when the UTH is attached to the bin? I've been looking to upgrade him into a bin so don't mind me if I ask a bunch of questions.

[redshepherd]

I forgot to include the thermostat in the list, sorry! I also have an acurite thermo-hygrometer. What do you mean by a rack to hold the lid?

EDIT: Oh I know what rack you're talking about! Sorry, I'm an idiot lol. Yes, I do have a thermostat. But isn't there a 'melting plastic' smell when the UTH is attached to the bin? I've been looking to upgrade him into a bin so don't mind me if I ask a bunch of questions.

The temperature of your hand when it's warm is 98 degrees, so if your hand can't melt a plastic bin, a regulated UTH won't

[FlipsideRuffian]

That's a very good point, lol. The melting point of plastic is 212 Fahrenheit and the maximum temp I have the UTH set to it 90 (let me know if that is too hot or too cold, I'll change it). I guess reading about melting plastic bins in the reviews of heat pads is not the greatest idea. I have a terrible fear of fire and anything related to it (smoke, smoke alarms, fire drills at school, you name it) so I'm just a bit anxious.

[bcr229]

That's a very good point, lol. The melting point of plastic is 212 Fahrenheit...

Actually it varies. I used a heat gun on mine to kill mite eggs when I had a battle with the little so-and-so's and at about 150*F the plastic started to warp and it had an odd odor to it. Not a burned smell, more like strong plastic. Temps below that were fine.

So, set your thermostat so the floor of the tub is about 90*F and it's all good.

[Tessellate]

This is the enclosure I have for my 3 y.o. ball python:

https://www.containerstore.com/s/gar...uctId=10026213

I have the 74qt size with vent holes soldered around the upper perimeter. The lock is tight and I've never had an issue with escapes. My girl likes to climb so I've used the height to make kind of a second-story exploration level with a hide. I'll be upgrading to a larger floorspace viv within the year, but for the time being this one has been wonderful. The only thing it it's quite tall so it's a little ungainly when you have to move it. Other than that it's great. Humidity is never an issue. Now, it is a little hard to see through, so you can't just glance over and know what the snake is up to unless they're pressed against the edge. So if you're concerned about that, a clear plastic water-tight seal locking lid container would be better for you.

[Sunnieskys]

I use a 20L for all my snakes and humidity is not a problem in mine. I use a screen lid with clamps. I also get a thick piece of cardboard cut to the dimensions of the screen top. Place my unplugged heat lamp onthe cardboard where I want my hot spot, trace it, then cut the traced hole out. Cover the entire thing with foil working around the hole as well and place on top. Place the light into the hole. My humidity never drops below 60.