Newly Converted Crystal Cabinet, Critisism or Advice Welcome

[Schnecke]

Hi All,
This is my newly converted crystal cabinet for my jungle, once he upgrades (can never be ready too early I think, he can always use it as a jungle gym in the meantime, even before he lives there permenantly.)

It measures (on the inside) 85cm long x 38cm deep x 125cm high (400 Litres internally) and has a 200w black ceramic heat lamp and compact uv fluro fitted (needed lighting as well and the uv can't hurt) and the white thermostat probe sits about 30cm below the heat lamp above the currently highest basking spot (higher branches will be screwed in as the need for more height is required, I have some ready to be trimmed off, washed and put in later on, but my hatchy is only 6 months old as of yesterday so won't need the whole space for a while yet)

I have put cleaned and sanitised artificial turf in (that is removable and washable) and there is a stem of washed fake plant there too. All I need to get is a hide (considering a floor hide + raised hide near the basking spot, but open on that one still) and of course a water dish. The thermostat is a dual plug so it runs both the heat lamp and timer on off for the lighting too, so I just set and forget (with digi display that you can see there when the I was running a temp test)



Left door has internal lock and right door has external lock. All in all, I personally think I have done ok for a new keeper and I think the pannelling will leave Moose feeling less exposed when he does eventually upgrade to this enclosure (not sure when this will be, will go with the flow)

Critisism or advice very welcome, I appreciate input both positive and negative.

Cheers,
Schnecke

 

[1woma]

well done i have a china cabinet i plan to do one day

 

[Schnecke]

Thanks this was a "rustic" display cabinet that I was only really using to store things I didn't know where else to put so I thought what the heck, I need an enclosure and I love this piece of furniture, even though it was sitting there doing nothing, so thought it best to put it to use.

I had to remove all of the shelves and get some angled (triangle) pine strips that I fixed up the back sides of the inside, so eliminate any little gaps between the backing board and the sides and where I removed the shelves left the perfect ledges for the branches to sit onto (I have screwed them together so they don't move or twist) and will add more shortly after I trim them, strip the bark and wash them down.

 

[1woma]

were did you place the vents?

 

[Schnecke]

Bottom left (can't see in these photo's as the plant is in the way)

I opted to put it in the cooler part of the enclosure only, but may add another one on the right as well. It means that the enclosure can't sit flush against the wall, but I don't mind.

 

[Schnecke]

UPDATED ENCLOSURE PICS:

Vents still to be fitted in these pics, holes are mapped out though. Struggling to decide size
40cm under the heat globe there is a 25cm x 20cm basking shelf attached to the branch
Still a few more plants to go in, but it's getting there slowly.

Have also placed a tube hide on the basking shelf, wedged in place between the branch and the back wall.

 

[Fantazmic]

have you thought of making a heated shelf...sorry to suggest it now you ahve done all this work...but the habistat reptiradiators are far better than the globes as they dont 'blow' my jungles are loving their shelves and I put a towel on the shelf and they get inside it instead of a hide.....

here is a pic

 

[J-A-X]

I like furniture conversion but they can have their challenges too, with your venting, rather than drill more holes on the back, why not take out one of the floor level glass side panels. You could put in some pre vented timber, stained to match of course, or pegboard or perforated steel. You'd have some decent cross ventilation then.

 

[Schnecke]

Thanks Fantazmic, The shelf that sits below the heat globe where the probe is gets up to 34-35 degrees, the air above it, 33. We'll stick with the globes for now, noone I personally know has had any drama's with them, but if we change in the future will most likely go with a radiator

The towel thing is a great idea, I might pop one up there for Moose (I put him in there last night and he seemed ok with it, I checked him this morning and he wasn't even in one of the 3 hides i have set up for him now, so that was interesting. I've covered half of the enclosure with a blanket so he has some dark and privacy and will leave him there for a week, then see if he'll feed. If not, I'll pop him back in to the CC. When I checked on him this morning he was his usual GTP self, under the big leaf

Jaxrtfm: The holes are only drilled so I can cut that part out more easily (working without a jigsaw) so I haven't cut it out yet as just hanging off until the vent arrives. Thanks for the idea of removing the glass, but I'd have to remove a whole panel in order to do that and it's just too large of an area for a vent (30x30cm) The doors aren't the best sealers (certainly the gaps aren't big enough for a skull to get through) but enough for some air and with heat rising, it tends to come out the top of the doors, so there is always a little bit of air circulating from bottom to top in there. Once the vent gets here and I cut the hole out at the back, I think that will be enough.

 

[J-A-X]

Too large for a vent ?!? LOL you obviously haven't seen my 'Taj mahal' album ! But I was suggesting that you take a piece of timber and make your vent as normal, it doesn't have to be the full 30 x 30 and then pop that in where the glass is