More enclosure advice

[thecat]

Hey all I'm building an enclosure for my stimi.
It's 900L 450 wide and 600high. I know that's little on the large size for a stimson's python but I've got a bit of fake rock for the back ground that takes up a fair bit of the depth and will have a couple of hides.

My plan was to have a heat mat under the floor and then put a heat lamp in behind the fake rock, under a ledge that I'm hoping the snake will like to belly bask on.

I've used expanding foam to make sure the are no gaps and plan to paint the inside to blend this into the rock and enclosure.

How long would you guys give it after painting to allow the fumes and smells to dissipate before moving the snake in?

Attached photo is where I'm up to at the moment. Getting the kids to paint today and then will set up the heat lamp and lights

 

[Red-Ink]

What's the fake rock made of? I'd be worried that it might be a fire hazzard if you put a lamp behind there, it might be better just using a heat cord instead of a lamp behind the wall...

I would give it a week of drying with the paint and a week with the heat on to fume out before putting in your snake...

 

[thecat]

The rock is fiberglass and I've got a safety cut out built in so it can't get too hot

 

[pepsi111]

i think if it was fibre glass and it has good ventilation it should be fine

but is it just a fibre glass shell or dose it have foam behind it?

 

[thecat]

Just fiberglass with plenty of vents in behind too. It's an off cut from an old enclosure from one of the zoos, it was back heated in that set up so I can't see being a problem

 

[thecat]

Almost done. One of my LEDs night lites was DOA, once it's replaced it'll light the dark corner bottom right. I'll leave the left bottom as a darker cave and then there is 2 log hides either end and a plastic one in the middle

Thermo control pro 2 is regulating the temp nicely. Heat mat under the left hand side has that end sitting at about 29*, heat lamp behind the rock is keeping the area above the lit ledge on the left a bit higher at 33* ambient, with the rock itself mid to high 30s. Cool end is about 26*.

Just giving it a few more days to air right out with the heat lamp on and door open then it should be good to go

 

[Just_Plain_Nuts]

very nice background. Have you considered a 12v downlight directly above the basking shelf, produces light and heat, works a treat.

 

[thecat]

Thanks mate. Thought about the down light but was advised Stimi's don't need/like it as they are nocturnal and prefer belly basking.

That's why I went with the heat lamp under the fake rock and the blue night lite system