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Help With Caging

sFlsniper

sFlsniper

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I've been out of the reptile keeping world for some time. I lived in a place which had a spare room that was the "snake room". I've since moved and I'm looking to get a juvenile Boa. He will have to live in my bedroom or living room. All of which is kept at 76 degrees. I've always kept small snakes in an aquarium with a screen top, but I no longer have any of my herp supplies.

I'm going to house the Juve in a sterilite for awhile with a UTH. Do you think with the limited "air holes" and the UTH that will be able to keep the inside cage ambient air temp around 80 degrees with a heat spot around 85 degrees?

Also with my previous method of an aquarium and screen lid I had to worry about drafts. I'm thinking with the sterilite I won't have that issue and a ceiling fan will be no problem.

Is my thinking correct? Any recommendations are welcome-

Thanks,
Brian
 
you will need to put your UTH on some sort of thermostat so the inside of your tub does not get too hot. For a juvie boa the tubs will be ok... but eventually you will need to upgrade to around a 4foot x 2 foot cage

do you have any specific questions about a UTH... I'll try to help ya.
 
Southern Wolf said:
you will need to put your UTH on some sort of thermostat so the inside of your tub does not get too hot. For a juvie boa the tubs will be ok... but eventually you will need to upgrade to around a 4foot x 2 foot cage

do you have any specific questions about a UTH... I'll try to help ya.
Click to expand...

Thank Wolf. I've never had a rubber-made type cage before, thus no experience with one. I realize this is only going to be temporary.

I've set up my cage today. I have a 16 qt Sterilite, 10-20 gallon sized Zoo-Med UTH, and digital indoor/outdoor Temp with Humidity.

Seems the ambient temp is going to be right at 80.2 degrees and I'll have the UTH area at 86 degrees. I've kept Burmese at 80-82 degrees with no problems. I'm hoping the same for the Boa. What do you think?

I've used my soldering iron to make air circulation hole- I have 5 on each long side and 5 in the lid. That way my fan won't cause a draft to effect him. Do you think that's sufficient?

thanks-
Brian
 
I have the biggest part of my collection housed in racks with sterilite tubs. The 16qt seems aweful small for a boa as I keep single leos in a 15qt sterilite containers. Your boa is prolly gonna outgrow that container pretty quick. You may want to look at setting it up in something like a 32qt.

The 86 should be fine for the boa.... but make sure it doesnt get toooo hot. I am assuming you dont have any sort of temp control on the UTH?

I use the soldering iron trick on all my tubs... I think you'll be ok with what you have for ventilation.
 
Southern Wolf said:
I have the biggest part of my collection housed in racks with sterilite tubs. The 16qt seems aweful small for a boa as I keep single leos in a 15qt sterilite containers. Your boa is prolly gonna outgrow that container pretty quick. You may want to look at setting it up in something like a 32qt.

The 86 should be fine for the boa.... but make sure it doesnt get toooo hot. I am assuming you dont have any sort of temp control on the UTH?

I use the soldering iron trick on all my tubs... I think you'll be ok with what you have for ventilation.
Click to expand...

I have not seen the guy yet- getting him tomorrow. But It's 2 months old and I figured it would be ok for the next 2 months. If not- less than $10 for the 32 quart! :D

I'm using a dimmer switch for the UTH. without the dimmer it's getting to 100 degrees. I'm going to keep it set for 86*.

thanks again for your input!!

Brian
 
32 qt tub is what I have my hold back hypo circle back in, he is doing fine. I have found dimmer switchs work great IF the room is kept at a constant temp. Dimmers don't work very well when the ambient temp changes a lot, but it sounds like your room stays pretty consistent. The reason a 32 qt tub will work better is he/she will have more room to thermoregulate. A 16qt tub is hard to have a cool end and a hot end, in my opinion. I keep my hatchling corns/milks/kings in them.
 
mxracer4life said:
32 qt tub is what I have my hold back hypo circle back in, he is doing fine. I have found dimmer switchs work great IF the room is kept at a constant temp. Dimmers don't work very well when the ambient temp changes a lot, but it sounds like your room stays pretty consistent. The reason a 32 qt tub will work better is he/she will have more room to thermoregulate. A 16qt tub is hard to have a cool end and a hot end, in my opinion. I keep my hatchling corns/milks/kings in them.
Click to expand...

I just brought my new snake home about an hour ago. he's awesome!

The 16 quart tub looks perfect for him. I will keep in mind his ability to thermo regulate. The 32 quart isn't all that much bigger.

I just looked again. it's a 25 quart- not 26! lol. I remembered the 32 quart was only "slightly" bigger. but that's 2x the size of the 16qt. That made me think! lol He's in a 25 quart sterilite...

thanks guy
 
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