Building my own enclosure for a Bredli, just want a little help on a few topics!

[Mikey]

Hi guys!
I guess i will start with a little background since im brand new here.

I'm Michael, my friends call me Mikey (Childhood name that just seemed to stick..) i'm 19 years of age, a chef and live in suburban sydney.
My father is a big lover of snakes, has housed quite a few back in his day, so the idea of getting a Bredli went over extremely well with him which is a major plus!

Anyway, i have had a bit of experience with reptiles in the past, where i kept 3 water dragons for about 3 years before selling them to a close friend. It's been about 2 years since i have worked with any reptiles.

After a fair big chunk of research i have absolutely fallen in love with the beautiful Bredli, even convinced my girlfriend that a 7ft snake is a good idea :lol:

So my best mate is studying Architecture at Uni so he has said that he can put the idea for my enclosure onto paper in a 3d plan, which i will then hand off to my dad to build! (Yes, im lucky enough to be good friends with a Architect and have a father who is a carpenter!)

So what i have in my head is as follows -

1800 long
1000 high
800 deep
With a shelf built at around 400 off the ground, running the length of the tank.

It will be built entirely out of 10mm Plywood (unless you can suggest a better timber?) with a plexi glass sliding front door with lock. I will have 2 vents on either side, high on the hot side, and low on the cool side (dont worry they will be completely impossible to squeeze out of as it will be sealed with a strong mesh screen) And the all the lighting and heating will be built into the roof which i will make hinged to the back for ease of access.

Yes, i know this is quite a large tank, and yes i know large tanks with small snakes leads to stress. Although i have this covered as i have a spare, much smaller tank to house my beast until she/he grows into this one. (Keeping in mind i will be buying a yearling, so it will already be of decent size i hope)

Anyway, on to the part where i would like a little help!

Now, i have read that UVB bulbs are fantastic for Bredli's as they improve colour and general health, in a tank this size would it be better to get a tube or would a bulb suffice?

Heating is my major concern, are heat pads effective at all with wooden tanks?
Or would the wood lead to a good insulator and thus leave me only needing a bulb for a heat source?
I am aware of the heat's required, 30-35 on the hot, 25ish on the cool yes?

Also in terms of feeding, i have been told that you should not handle your snake straight after feeds as it can lead to regurgitation. Now, I've also been told it is a good idea to feed your snake outside of its normal home so it doesn't assume every time you stick your hands in his home its food time.
So this leads me to my problem, if i take my snake out to feed on its feeding mat, it would be fine for me to pick her up and put her back in her tank? I was sure that a small amount of handling such as that wouldn't be too detrimental but i just wanted to be 100% sure.

So its getting a bit late and I've rambled on a bit too much! Sorry about the wall of text!
I'm sure i will have many more questions in the weeks leading up to the build and purchase of my snake so if you guys can help i will be forever grateful!

Oh! I will be having the tank built in 2 weeks, and purchasing my Bredli in 3-5 weeks! =D
I'm already so excited i can hardly think straight!

Again, sorry about the huge post, but i do very much appreciate any feedback from you guys!

Cheers,
Mikey

 

[pythrulz]

hey mikey well thats going to be a huge encloser when your done bredlis love to clinb. heat pads are fine in wooden enclosers but not nescesary in a big encloser just use a heat emiter will be fine you can either buy the baton holder for uv fluro tube or just normal light fitting,you heard right about not handling straight after feeding people suggest 48 hrs or untill the big bump in there stomach back to normal mine pooh out the bone thats when i start handling them anymore questions just fire away always plenty of good people on this site willing to help

 

[jele69]

better off making it taller than longer i recon, mine loves to climb and spends very little time on the ground. 1000 wide and 1800 tall would be sweet! loads of branches and ledges in there and you'll have one happy bredli

 

[bally]

I would be using a bulb rather than a mat as it wont give out enough heat for the size of the enclosure. i would test out the a single bulb first but a second maybe required. Just check your temps and you will no. my bredl's love to climb so make sure there is plenty of fun stuff for them to play on. post pics up when your done

any more questions you have feel free to pm me

Cheers Nick

 

[solar 17]

better off making it taller than longer i recon, mine loves to climb and spends very little time on the ground. 1000 wide and 1800 tall would be sweet! loads of branches and ledges in there and you'll have one happy bredli

DITTO....THEY ARE A CIMBING SNAKE YOU WONT REGRET IT....solar 17 [Baden]

 

[Daryl_H]

i suggest not useing plexi. it will bend allowing your snake to escape through the gap between them use normal glass wont bend as much apart from that sound good

 

[Pythons Rule]

with mesh I find a thick alaminium pet mesh is great they don't scuff there noses on it like they do wire. I also use Pine and ply for my enclosures just don't use a treated pine and remember if your going to varnish it to air it for at least 2 weeks each last coat before placing the snake in it, fumes are very toxic and can harm the snakes. also you'll need a bolb cage (very important) and instead of plexi use 5 - 6 mm glass instead it wont bend (like been stated before) and plexi tends to scratch out in time. handling and feeding - I used to just wait till bolg was midway in stomach and wait about an hour before putting them back into the enclosure after a feed and never had them regurgitate food on me, just don't handle it till its bolge is visably gone and you'll be fine I leave it a week after feed till I handle them again.

Do you have an understanding on size food you will need to feed it? and how often?

 

[zuesowns]

I have built my frame out of pine and used pine tongue and groove for the cladding - pics soon, 2 clear coats till it's almost complete! I made mine 1750 tall 750 wide and 600 deep

 

[Mudimans]

i suggest not useing plexi. it will bend allowing your snake to escape through the gap between them use normal glass wont bend as much apart from that sound good

Agreed, plexi has way too much flex for an opening of that size, the snake could quite easily push it out of the tracks

 

[Mikey]

Thank you for all the reply's guys! Really appreciate your time!

Plexi-glass - This didn't even occur to me! Thank you so much for that, i'll definitely use glass, or form a hinge door instead, see whats easier at the time.

Heating - Yeah with the heat mat i wasn't too sure at all about it's real value in a tank such as this one, I will try my luck with different bulbs instead! And of course i will have a cage around anything that poses a danger to my snake, the last thing i want is to cause any kind of pain / scarring to such a beautiful animal.

Feeding - Uhh in relation to how much, and how often, from what im aware you generally feed Bredli's once a week to once a fortnight with a feeder rat/mouse that is around the same girth as the snake? Juvies would be a little more frequently yes?

Substrate - I know that newspaper is always a great option, but i did want something that suited the tank a little better and that looked less tacky. Would that special reptile bark be ok? I hear it helps alot with holding humidity in the air aswell. Although knowing Bredli's don't need too much humidity would this be a bit of a problem?

And in regards to pictures, once i start the build i will most certainly keep you all updated via this thread with my enclosures progress.
I'm meeting with my friend this coming weekend to put my ideas onto paper and then into a design plan so hopefully i can start the build within 3 weeks! =D

Again, thank you all very much for your time!

Cheers,
Mikey

 

[syeph8]

well if you're looking for a sand-type substrate you can always blend some brown kitty litter and it looks very real and it also reasonably safe. i keep my beardie and yellow CTS on it and hav'nt had any issues. the only problem is, it is a pain in the **** to make. otherwise there is always aqua clay gravel or kitty's crumble, which, when its dry, would be good for a bredli. (but it does take a while to dry out)

 

[Mikey]

Ah ok i haven't ever really thought of those, although i thought sand or other fine substances were a bad choice for substrate as it can cause the snake a whole range of problems?
Granted, that always brought up the question of why, considering they live in such a arid environment anyway..

Ahh i don't know! I think ill just have a good look around and just find something i like the look of =)

 

[Morelialover]

hey man, read half ya post and couldnt be botherd with the rest (no offence to you, im not a big reader ;P), but ill tell ya what i just built for my bredli (5 months) may give ya some idea's or somthing anyway here goes man

4ft wide X 2ft deep X 3ft high

2x rock shaped shelves (cut with jigsaw, wave pattern)

1x Shelf at 1ft high (1/3) and full length, 4ft wide
1x Shelf at 2ft high (2/3) only 3ft wide, stops near heat lamp.

and one branch (say, wrist size) side to side about 2ft up at the front and various branches going up and down and across (changes ever week) and a big red gum hollow wich hangs around the hot end, and fake (plastic stuff) plants here and there, he loves it, as you knwo bredl's LOVE to climb, and ive found he loves it, if u go bigger, GREAT , but i cant wait for photo's!

good luck dude!

 

[Morelialover]

P.s. i built mine myself, and used 16mm white melamine wood from bunning, $33 for a sheet, 8ft long X 4ft wide, wich builds a 4x2x2 enclosure perfect, but a second sheet is needed for any bigger, eg. mine, 4x2x3.

 

[Just_Plain_Nuts]

As everyone said make it taller rather than wider it will also help you get a good temperature gradient. Plexi is no good because of the flex and it scratches too easily. Use heat emitters or bulbs instead of mats. As for substrates i make all my floors and walls out of artificial rock which can be scrubbed and washed, I can supply you with a rock background and floor which will have a waterbowl incorporated into it and be designed to funnel and drain into the one point which will have a drain valve for easy cleaning

 

[Mikey]

Haha, totally understandable Morelialover! It is a bit of a wall.

Anyway i certainly do like the idea of a higher tank for more climbing room, so i may adjust my measurements and just switch the length and height measures.

I am looking for wood that is on the cheaper side, that holds out any moisture.. although i don't much like the melamine, personal preferences i guess. I hear it weighs a tonne too!
I was thinking Shipping Ply, which is about 5mm-10mm thick.

Just_Plain_Nuts, i did have a look at them, they look great! What are they made from, and how much would one cost?

 

[Pythons Rule]

heres an example of one of the enclosures I just resently built I use pine and ply, ply for tops and bases and ply for sides, to seal my enclosures from moisture I use a white plastic sheating which work ecceptionaly well and cleaning is a breaze. I seal with water proof clear glue around the edges of the plastic. I also give my enclosures 3 coats of varnish I used a western jarah stain and varnish 2 in 1 for this enclosure. its only a small one but it cost me just under $200 to build.

could give ya some idea or just another persons perspective using pine and ply for a end finish.

View attachment 156773View attachment 156774View attachment 156775

 

[Mikey]

That looks pretty great mate!
I am assuming you meant Ply for tops and bottom, and Pine for sides =P

The idea i have in my head, is to basically have a piece of wood running along the underside of the roof, big enough to conceal all the lighting / heating bulbs, and then just run a nice big bit of mesh straight along from the piece of wood to the back of the tank to stop the snake getting any burns.
The roof would be some form of hinge that opens up so i can easily access the lighting for changing etc.
And the front door either open out flat, or just have sliding glass, still not sure on that part.

But other then those differences from yours, more or less the same. Although a fair bit bigger

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Just_Plain_Nuts]

hi mikey the backdrops are $ 195 a square metre but these are fibreglass not foam, they are waterproof, very strong,look real and have height differentials of about 30cm. They have built in basking spots and channels for waterfalls. For timber i would suggest making a frame with 70 x 35 pine studs, a floor of melamine and the rest tongue and groove pine cladding

 

[Pythons Rule]

WOW Just_Plain_Nuts love your enclosures and backgrounds absolutly amazing, one day...one day lol I'll be hitting you up for some stuff. good prices to not to shabby I must say. I'll be building 4 new enclosures in the next year or so depending when I will get the time after I have the baby, 4 really big ones for 4 snakes over 2.5 metres in length so yeah think you'll be a happy chappy with some work going when I get to it. absolutly stunning!!!