Hello
Its almost time for my juvi stimson to move into a bigger home. Hes now over 60cm and still in a 30x30x30 glass cube. I would like to build him a bigger home within the next few weeks and just have a few questions for those of you who build their own enclosures.
Firstly, i know that 60Wx40Dx450H will be a decent enough size for an adult stimson, but what about possibly a pair in future? I am also unsure as to what thickness of wood to use, and should it have small feet so the base is raised off the surface by an inch or so?
I would like to build the enclosure from wood, as I have read that they are better at retaining heat than glass and stimsons are a desert snake. Does black wood retain heat better than white, and are there any negatives to using it?
I am planning to use sand as a substrate, approx 10cm to allow a few hills/burrows and generally more interesting terrain. I will be heating this from above with a heat lamp, but I am not sure if I also should heat from below or get a infa red lamp and just use 2 lights? or even just 1 decent heat lamp? Will this be something I should try by monitoring temps and just see what works? I am not planning on using a thermostat, and hoping to achieve a stable temperature by using low wat lamps.
Any advice on heating efficiently would be appreciated as this is my first snake I am still a bit of a noob. I am just using a heat mat under a glass tank for now, so have not any exp with more complicated set ups.
I am planning on having 2 intake vents low down on either side, and a wire mesh top (where the lamp+reflector will sit) possibly covered by a wooden hood with an exhaust vent on the rear, will this provide sufficient ventillation without the need for fans, and will the heat regulate okay?
I will probably also be fixing a thick branch at either end as a shelf.
Here is a rough sketch of my design so far, if anyone can suggest improvments or criticisms please go ahead. Please excuse my terrible/quick drawing its just so you get an idea of my design.
(updated simplified design, if it works don't change it right?)
Sorry about such a long post. Thanks for reading and appreciate any advice you may have. I am sure I will have overlooked something so if anyone has some detailed info on the subject please share it
Cheers,
Patrick
Its almost time for my juvi stimson to move into a bigger home. Hes now over 60cm and still in a 30x30x30 glass cube. I would like to build him a bigger home within the next few weeks and just have a few questions for those of you who build their own enclosures.
Firstly, i know that 60Wx40Dx450H will be a decent enough size for an adult stimson, but what about possibly a pair in future? I am also unsure as to what thickness of wood to use, and should it have small feet so the base is raised off the surface by an inch or so?
I would like to build the enclosure from wood, as I have read that they are better at retaining heat than glass and stimsons are a desert snake. Does black wood retain heat better than white, and are there any negatives to using it?
I am planning to use sand as a substrate, approx 10cm to allow a few hills/burrows and generally more interesting terrain. I will be heating this from above with a heat lamp, but I am not sure if I also should heat from below or get a infa red lamp and just use 2 lights? or even just 1 decent heat lamp? Will this be something I should try by monitoring temps and just see what works? I am not planning on using a thermostat, and hoping to achieve a stable temperature by using low wat lamps.
Any advice on heating efficiently would be appreciated as this is my first snake I am still a bit of a noob. I am just using a heat mat under a glass tank for now, so have not any exp with more complicated set ups.
I am planning on having 2 intake vents low down on either side, and a wire mesh top (where the lamp+reflector will sit) possibly covered by a wooden hood with an exhaust vent on the rear, will this provide sufficient ventillation without the need for fans, and will the heat regulate okay?
I will probably also be fixing a thick branch at either end as a shelf.
Here is a rough sketch of my design so far, if anyone can suggest improvments or criticisms please go ahead. Please excuse my terrible/quick drawing its just so you get an idea of my design.
(updated simplified design, if it works don't change it right?)
Sorry about such a long post. Thanks for reading and appreciate any advice you may have. I am sure I will have overlooked something so if anyone has some detailed info on the subject please share it
Cheers,
Patrick
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