I'm building something big...

[bohdi13]

Hi everyone,
I am building a bank enclosure and am looking at a corner cabinet at the moment to convert into the enclosure, the enclosure is going to house a Morelia spilota imbricata and an Antaresia stimsoni. Hoping to have a bottom enclosure being a meter odd high and then having the stimsoni in the top enclosure that will be roughly 70 cm high, I know this is somewhat an excessive amount for a terrestrial species but he loves climbing and I love him.

I need some help in where to get foam sheets from? The last two rock walls I have done I have just had the foam but I have been looking everywhere and can't find anything -.-

I also need some help to where I can get second hand grapevines as they look awesome in enclosures and I really want some in both enclosures.was also curious to how to Sand it down? Just sand paper or what's the go?

Should I go with a ceramic heat emitter as the main perch heating source? Will I need any other heating if so? I thought led strips would be a pretty cool idea of lighting the cage!

I don't like how easy Perspex can scatch so I won't be going with Perspex but how much will I be looking at for glass covering the front of each enclosure; swinging doors on the imbricata(bottom) cage and sliding on the top.

Hope someone can help me and leads me in the right direction such as mum

Bohdi.

 

[bigjoediver]

If you live near a Harvey Normans store go around to the warehouse entrance and ask the store man if you can grab some foam out of their bins there's usually lots left from unpacking shelf items.

 

[RedFox]

I get all my foam from Coles, woolies, etc. Just go up to someone in the fresh produce area and ask if they have any broccoli boxes you can have. The ceramic heat emitter should eliminate the need for an extra heat source. As for glass it is hard to say pricewise even if you did have dimensions. The best advice I can give is get at least three quotes. It is amazing how much prices vary from place to place.

 

[bohdi13]

I get all my foam from Coles, woolies, etc. Just go up to someone in the fresh produce area and ask if they have any broccoli boxes you can have. The ceramic heat emitter should eliminate the need for an extra heat source. As for glass it is hard to say pricewise even if you did have dimensions. The best advice I can give is get at least three quotes. It is amazing how much prices vary from place to place.

thanks for both of your replies

'redfox' i was informed they will still need some sort of substrate\base heating but who knows im sure many other people will agree with you with the glass im looking at +$100 though right? thanks for the info, really appreciate it.

 

[bohdi13]

do you think wineries would have useless vines?

 

[R33C3]

do you think wineries would have useless vines?

Check with spotlight or craft shops
or hunt around garage sales

 

[J-A-X]

Hope someone can help me and leads me in the right direction such as mum

Bohdi.

LOL, if you are refering to me, you dont have to wait for me.... you've got all these big brothers and sisters around that are also good with the advice, everyone so far has lead you in the right direction.

as for the grapevines, i dont know that knocking on the winery door will hurt, they often rip up some of the older vines which is where you'll get some awesome gnarled twisted stock. and i wouldnt worry about sanding it right back, just run over it with a wire brush to break off any loose bits.
As for foam, if you want full sheets of flat stuff, check out the yellow pages, or as others have suggested, check out any of the larger electrical retailers. Ask if you can raid their bins out the back, most will be happy to oblige. If it looks like you have found the unhelpful member of staff, say its for your kid/nephew/niece/brother/sister science project. that will normally win them over

Fruit and veg places have the 'brocolli boxes'' and any Aquarium place will have foam transport boxes that are a dense strong flat foam with already 'built' corners

I have never bought foam. and have enough in the shed to float an ark if needed !!

 

[HarleyD]

I'd also love to know where to get the big sheets of foam..as the others have said above i usually just snake it from woolies/harvey norman dumpsters etc..
As for the L.E.D lighting ive done it mate, it looks awesome!

 

[Tesla]

You can get foam in different lengths, thicknesses and density from plastic fabricators.
Search "plastic fabricators" in the yellow pages in your area.

 

[bohdi13]

LOL, if you are refering to me, you dont have to wait for me.... you've got all these big brothers and sisters around that are also good with the advice, everyone so far has lead you in the right direction.

as for the grapevines, i dont know that knocking on the winery door will hurt, they often rip up some of the older vines which is where you'll get some awesome gnarled twisted stock. and i wouldnt worry about sanding it right back, just run over it with a wire brush to break off any loose bits.
As for foam, if you want full sheets of flat stuff, check out the yellow pages, or as others have suggested, check out any of the larger electrical retailers. Ask if you can raid their bins out the back, most will be happy to oblige. If it looks like you have found the unhelpful member of staff, say its for your kid/nephew/niece/brother/sister science project. that will normally win them over

Fruit and veg places have the 'brocolli boxes'' and any Aquarium place will have foam transport boxes that are a dense strong flat foam with already 'built' corners

I have never bought foam. and have enough in the shed to float an ark if needed !!

yes i was referring to you mum ahah.
thanks heaps for the help i will definetly give it a go and try find what i can, i have emailed a local winery asking them if they have any old vines. looks like i will be having a look in the places you guys and girls have told me about.
might go ask some aquarium shops, i was at one the other day haha :lol:

 

[bohdi13]

will most thermostats regulate two heating sources at once?
and aslo what watt ceramic heat emitter should i be using for each enclosure as i want something that wont need to be 'thermostated' too often for the life of the globe.

bohdi.

 

[bigjoediver]

will most thermostats regulate two heating sources at once?
and aslo what watt ceramic heat emitter should i be using for each enclosure as i want something that wont need to be 'thermostated' too often for the life of the globe.

bohdi.

Yes, but they need to be identical heat sources wired in parallel. People do this with heat cords in large rack set ups. If you are going to use a CHE and say a heat cord for substrate heat get a good dimming or pulse proportional thermostat for the CHE and a cheap on/off thermostat for the heat cord. You can get cheap on/off ones for $20 ish off eBay. Also if trying to run 2 heat sources off one thermostat the enclosures need to be the same size or you end up over heating one enclosure or under heating the other.

 

[bohdi13]

Yes, but they need to be identical heat sources wired in parallel. People do this with heat cords in large rack set ups. If you are going to use a CHE and say a heat cord for substrate heat get a good dimming or pulse proportional thermostat for the CHE and a cheap on/off thermostat for the heat cord. You can get cheap on/off ones for $20 ish off eBay. Also if trying to run 2 heat sources off one thermostat the enclosures need to be the same size or you end up over heating one enclosure or under heating the other.

thanks heaps mate, so the heating sources and enclosures need to be identical practically? but this would all run off the same probe?

 

[bigjoediver]

Yes thats right but the upper enclosure would run a little hotter as the heat from below would raise the ambient temperature. You also have the scenario where the heat source in the enclosure with the probe fails so the thermostat thinks its not hot enough so stays on thereby cooking the other enclosure. It's a method of heating that poses more problems than it does solutions and is really only suited to rack systems and heat cords which tend not to overheat if set up properly. The cost of a even a good thermostat is far less than the cost of an animal and its enclosure and certainly far outweighs the distress caused by the death of your pet and or a house fire.

 

[bohdi13]

Thanks for that mate and looks like I'll just get two thermostats

 

[bigjoediver]

Had a thought, you can use a long heat cord., say 50w and split it between the two enclosures. Drill 2 holes in the bottom one run 1/2 the cord under a tile, run it up the back and drill a hole in the top one and put rest of cord under a tile in there. Put the thermostat probe near one of the tiles and run it got a while and check temps, move the cord between enclosures until you achieve your required temps. You can also have small basking spots 25 or 50 watts on timers for a few hours a day to create a basking hot spot. Something else to consider, just a bit of mucking about to get your temps right.

 

[bohdi13]

I have sorted my heating source and the enclosure is coming along very well and the planning is up and away. Planning precise vent placement and heating.