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BCI Cage Plans

C

CaseyUndead

New member
Hey, i think my parents *might* let me get another snake, and i've wanted a Columbian Red Tail for awhile.. I'd like to have a big snake... and i think BCIs are perfect, since they are pretty big impressive animals, but they still aren't GIANT like a retic or female burm.. Plus, all the Red Tails i've ever held(of any age) have had wonderful temperments. There's a reptile show near here next month, so i was thinking that maybe i'd get a baby(at least if i start with a baby, it won't be full-grown until i'm ready to move out of my parents' house, hah)... And if i can't make it there, maybe i'll buy from a breeder online. But, anyway, the pet shops here don't really sell any tanks over 55 gal, and i think that instead of buying a new tank every few months, i should just start out with one the snake can live in its' whole life. So.. i was thinking of building one.

So.. I'm sure some of you here have experience building your own custom enclosures for big snakes. I'm thinking that 6' wide by 2' tall by 3' deep would be sufficient for a female(and i think i want a female, since they're a little bigger), or should it be bigger? And i guess i'll build it with plywood... And then coat it with polyurethane so it doesn't absorb bacteria and stuff. But, yeah, i have a few questions. Would it be fine to build the whole thing(except the top) out of plywood, or do i need to make one side glass so the snake can look out(i don't know if they'd prefer having a side to look out of, or if they'd like the security of all the sides being wood...?). If i need to make one side glass, how to i attach glass to wood? And what should i build the top out of? I was thinking that i could use some kind of heavy metal screen material.. and then cut some notches into the wood sides so that i can use some clamps to keep the screen top secure. But i don't know if a boa would be strong enough to push through a metal screen top?... Also, how would one heat a mostly wooden enclosure? I use a UTH for my corn, but that's with a glass tank... I don't think you're supposed to use UTHs on non-glass material.. So would something like nocturnal heat bulb or a ceramic heat emitter work fine? I've been using a nocturnal heat bulb for my Leo(since the tank i have for him doesn't have a glass bottom), and that seems to work fine for him. Oh, and it might take me a little while to build.. Would it be acceptable to keep a baby boa in something like a 10gal for a month or two until i complete the big enclosure?
 
I just purchased my own enclosures for my boas. They're water tight, secure and look nice. You'll spend just as much money using a high-quality plywood, sealing it, etc as you would just purchasing the cage.

These are heating with halogen lights hooked up to a dimmer. I wouldn't use anything smaller then a 20g long for a neonate boa.
 

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I don't know. All the cages i see online that would be big enough are up in the $300+ range... Plus the huge shipping cost for something that large, since i haven't seen any cages big enough for sale around here. And i don't see how the amount of plywood, glass, and screen material i would need could possibly cost that much. Where'd you buy yours from, and how much was it?
 
Here's a shot at one I built (for corns, not a BCI, but would work just fine). The total cost was about $150 ($300 total for both). But I built two, so was able to buy larger pieces of wood than would be needed for just one which makes it cheaper per cage. But I imagine it wouldn't be much more than that. It's two units in one, which if you only have one snake, it might be cheaper as it'd be half the size.

I used 3/4" birch plywood, way more expensive than the others, but the nicest you can get. I used melamine for the flooring and acrylic for the doors. The plywood is all sealed with a water based sealent (can't remember the brand or name) and then the joints are all sealed with silicone. I did originally line it with contac paper (as is seen in the pic, but took it out not too long after. If doing it again, I'd paint it after sealing it. Each unit is approximately the size of a 75 g aquarium.

Anyways, maybe this can give you an idea. And if you have any qeustions, don't hesitate to ask.

*Edit* - 1000th post! :)
 

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Oh, ok.. neat. How does the heating work?

and, blueapplepaste, how do you heat yours? I really like that kind of set up(except i'd probably want just one level, and longer).. but how would one use something like a heat lamp with that, if the top's made of wood?
 
I agree with Blkat
These style cages are the way to go. I had a home made cage for a few years and my guy had so many problems shedding. A friend of mine gave me this cage and now my guy is doing fantastic. Humidity is now not a problem and it has also a heat panel inside. So I have no problems with his heating.

Its actually worth the price spending the money for your snakes. These cages will last as long as your pet or more so. It would make a great X-mas present to yourself.

Here is a picture of his cage.
KAAscage.jpg



Another site is http://www.animalplastics.com/
Their T10 setup would be perfect for an adult male boa.
 
CaseyUndead said:
Oh, ok.. neat. How does the heating work?

and, blueapplepaste, how do you heat yours? I really like that kind of set up(except i'd probably want just one level, and longer).. but how would one use something like a heat lamp with that, if the top's made of wood?
Click to expand...

If you were to use a heat lamp, you could cut a hole in the top and then install screen and put it through that. Or just use flexwatt. I will add this, I made one like this and another with three cages in a unit - so five cages for $300. Pretty cheap.

But if I was building one for just a single boa; I'd probably just buy one as others have suggested. The cost difference between what I did and what you want to do will be minimal and not worth it to only house one snake IMO. I'd just spend the extra and buy one. Now, if you were going to house several, then building can be very cost efficient.
 
I don't remember who posted it, but someone used an old dresser to make a tank.. I thought it was a neat idea! Maybe you could do something like that! Just a thought...
 
Hmm.. I think i might just go ahead and buy a 30gal whenever i buy the boa... and that should be a good size for a baby boa for a few months... then around Xmas time or my b-day when my parents ask what i want, i'll ask for one of those big 200-300 dollar cages. Then i can move the boa into the big cage, and move my corn into the 30 gal... Because i'm going to need to move my corn into a bigger cage in awhile anyway.
 
Oh well.. Nevermind... Mom's not going to let me get one... Now that i have everything planned out and all, i find out that she's still totally against it. She said the other day that "we'll see how you do when you start college"(which is going to be next week).. and i thought that that meant that if i showed her that i'd do good in school that she'd let me buy one. So i was thinking that maybe that meant that i could maybe get one and a tank by the reptile show next month, and save money from not having to pay for the whole shipping thing.. But now she says noooo, and she doesn't even want me to go to the reptile show in the first place because no one wants to go with me and she doesn't want me to drive 3 hours away by myself(and god damn it i'm 19 years old...). And that MAYBE i'll be able to get one at the reptile show in september of NEXT YEAR if i make straight A's. I love my parents, but i just can't stand living with them...
 
CaseyUndead said:
Oh well.. Nevermind... Mom's not going to let me get one... Now that i have everything planned out and all, i find out that she's still totally against it. She said the other day that "we'll see how you do when you start college"(which is going to be next week).. and i thought that that meant that if i showed her that i'd do good in school that she'd let me buy one. So i was thinking that maybe that meant that i could maybe get one and a tank by the reptile show next month, and save money from not having to pay for the whole shipping thing.. But now she says noooo, and she doesn't even want me to go to the reptile show in the first place because no one wants to go with me and she doesn't want me to drive 3 hours away by myself(and god damn it i'm 19 years old...). And that MAYBE i'll be able to get one at the reptile show in september of NEXT YEAR if i make straight A's. I love my parents, but i just can't stand living with them...
Click to expand...
Actually I personally would wait until after college or until you can afford your own place due to size of cage and snake. Plus I really hate having snakes and room mates. I never trust them with my animals. I would be patient right now before getting one.
 
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