loye
New member
I was thinking of getting an old dresser, or entertainment center, or bookshelves or something and turning it into a custom cage for my new ball python. Anyone have any ideas that might help with this?
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Help with cage
- Thread starter loye
- Start date
BoaMan Jon
My snakes grow on trees
I've thought about turning an armoire into an arboreal enclosure. It already has doors and hinges, just cut and put glass/plexi windows into them. Take out the shelving in the major section and put shower surround or some other surface treatment on the walls. Only thing you'd have to figure out would be how to latch/lock it shut.
PythonWallace
New member
Here is a link to one I made for adult corn snakes. Any prebuild enclosure with a door/doors can easily be converted as long as it's snake proof. Just seal it like Jon mentioned, add some vents, strip lights and flex watt. If the door is wood just remove the center panel and replace it with a piece of glass or acrylic. Good luck.
http://cagemakers.ophidiagems.com/viewtopic.php?t=16&sid=5bfd5286709d2b94d46977335fc29b40
http://cagemakers.ophidiagems.com/viewtopic.php?t=16&sid=5bfd5286709d2b94d46977335fc29b40
loye
New member
That's great!!! Thanks! I think I'm gonna go to kmart or st. vincent depaul tomorrow or something. Is the flexwatt safe just to put under the substrate? How does that work? I've never heard of it...And the light...would that be ok just hanging? Or put some kind of cover over it? Just making sure!
BoaMan Jon
My snakes grow on trees
If you use incandescent light in the enclosure you will need a cover for it. Florescent light doesn't produce much heat, so it is safe in an enclosure.
Flex-watt is also known as heat tape and it is better outside of an enclosure or if within an enclosure, covered by some form of flooring because you don't need a tipped water bowl to short it out or electrocute your animal.
Flex-watt is also known as heat tape and it is better outside of an enclosure or if within an enclosure, covered by some form of flooring because you don't need a tipped water bowl to short it out or electrocute your animal.
PythonWallace
New member
I used 24" fluorescent strip lights mounted inside to the top of each enclosure. I didn't need to use heat tape for my corns, but for bps you will probably want to run tape right down the back panel of the enclosure, powered with a rheostat or thermostat.
loye
New member
Thanks again guys. Sorry if I'm being a pain...I just want to make sure I do it right so that I'm not sorry later, i've never made a custom cage before (obviosuly huh? lol)
One more question...if I use the flexwatt...and I'm using and old bookcase for a cage...would the flexwatt be safe under the bottom of the dresser? Would it work right? Or should I put it on the inside with a piece of plexiglass or something over it. I'm going to be sitting this right on my dresser in my room until I can build a stand for it as well.
One more question...if I use the flexwatt...and I'm using and old bookcase for a cage...would the flexwatt be safe under the bottom of the dresser? Would it work right? Or should I put it on the inside with a piece of plexiglass or something over it. I'm going to be sitting this right on my dresser in my room until I can build a stand for it as well.
PythonWallace
New member
It depends on the width of the flex watt and the thickness of the wood bottom. The back panel is usually thinner than the base, so it would make more sense to run it along the back on a rheostat. You will use less energy heating through a thin panel. You can put it inside covered with a sheet of plexi glass, but make sure you seal it with a waterproof glue or caulk. You really don't want to have it short when water gets spilled.