Tiger Progression Thread

[Kryptic]

Enclosure:

So I went from a plastic bin to the Exoterra (36x18x12) pretty quickly. Based on how active he is, I figured that he would probably outgrow that tank pretty quickly and really wanted a 48x24x24. Unfortunately, every enclosure was either sold out or unreasonably expensive at the time. So I decided that I could build one for less and began that project last year. I got pretty far, but ended up hitting a point where I needed a second pair of hands. Life got extremely busy and the project got set aside despite not really needing much at all to complete it. Well, I recently measured him to find that he's about 1100g and 3'8" long. His Exoterra was already looking cramped, but that really lit a fire under my backside to finish his new home.



Here's a write up of my build in case anyone were to want to copy it or use it as a starting point for their own. The final internal dimensions are 48" wide, 20¾" deep, and 21¾ high.

Materials:

(all measurements in inches unless otherwise noted)
My build ended up being less expensive than most of the 48x24x24 cages I've been able to find online. That said, I did a lot of price scouring online, have plenty of hardware stores around where I live and work and used discounts to achieve that. You could easily spend more than you would on a premium enclosure on materials alone if you don't price things out carefully.

(4) 24x48x½ PVC sheets
(3) 2½x96x¾ PVC trim board
(1) ¾x1½x96 poplar* board
(1) ¼x5½x48 poplar board
(2) 26x21½x⅛ plexiglass sheets
(2) 50 count packs of 8x1½ wood screws
(1) 50 count pack of 8x1 wood screws
(1) Tube of silicone sealant

*I only installed the wood on the exterior of the enclosure, so the snake should not be in contact with it. That said, some woods are toxic to snakes. I chose poplar because it is a safe wood for reptiles. It is also known as aspen, which some use for bedding.

Tools:
-Electric drill
-Phillips-head bit
-⅛" drill bit
-Saw
-Black Sharpie permanent marker, pencil, or anything else that can mark PVC
-Measuring tape
-Clamps
-Silicone applicator

Design and build:
Three of the 2'x4' PVC sheets form the top, back wall, and floor. The fourth sheet is cut in half lengthwise, creating two 2'x2' sheets that make up the side walls. I cut them using a Dremel rotary tool with a milling bit along with an attachment that allowed me to make a clean, straight cut. You can use any number of cutting tools like a circular saw, etc. Do note that PVC is annoying to cut. If your tool gets too hot, it could melt the PVC and it is hard on cutting bits that aren't designed for it. I definitely don't recommend a hand saw for the project.

Before screwing any two pieces together, I marked where I wanted each screw and drilled pilot holes. It is important to be able to drill straight holes and keep the sheets steady and pressed against each other. Drilling a pilot hole makes driving the screws easier and will prevent damaging the PVC sheets.

I first screwed the inside edge of the side walls to the outside edge of the cage top with 6 long screws on each edge. I screwed the inside edge of the top to the outside edge of the back wall with 5 long screws. Next the the inside edges of the side walls to the outside edges of the back with 5 long screws per side. The outside edge of the cage floor was placed so that the bottom was aligned 1½" up from the bottom of the two side walls and the back and affixed with 3 long screws to each side wall and 5 to the back.

On the bottom I then screwed 4 cut pieces of the PVC trim board to the bottom as a base to both elevate the cage and reinforce the floor. The description would be way too clunky, so here's a picture.



Next I cut the 8 ft poplar board in half, placed it so that the ¾" edge was aligned with the face of the cage top edge, and affixed it with short screws. I aligned the poplar plank with a vertical line straight down from the inside of the poplar board and affixed it to the cage floor with short screws so that the ¼" edge was the vertical face. I used a hand saw to cut it flush with the edge of the cage floor. I then aligned each of the two 48" PVC trim boards so that there would be a a 0.4" (10mm) gap between the inside edge of each wood board and the 2½" side of each PVC board, then and screwed each to the cage ceiling and floor, respectively, from the outside in. This forms the channel for the plexiglass slide doors.

Finishing:

The finishing steps are to install your heating elements, use silicone sealant to seal all of the inside edges, thoroughly clean and sanitize the cage, then finally, add substrate and decorate.

I'm going to be installing a radiant heat panel, so I'll have to screw it to the ceiling of the cage and drill holes for the cord and the temperature probe.

In terms of decoration, I'll be using an organic topsoil, coco fiber, and sand mix recommended by Reptifiles as a substrate. Coco husk and spagnum moss will be thrown on top for litter and to make spot-cleaning easier. I'm currently researching good live plants that I could use and would like to incorporate elevated platforms for him to climb.