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Metal or Glass for vivs?

chibitamalove

chibitamalove

New member
Okay, my dad and I are going to build some stackable vivs so that I actually have room in my room after getting the new ball python. We're probably going to make most of it out of melamine, and the front out of plexiglass. The front will just swing open, nothing special. My question: For the bottom, do you think glass or metal would be better? I know glass will work for undertank heaters, but my dad is worried that I might scratch, put a crack in it, break it, etc., by dropping something on it or something. :rolleyes: He said that metal will distribute the heat from the UTH more, anyway, but I'm not sure. Anyone know about these things?

Thanks in advance,
Aly
 
I imagine that metal will just conduct the heat and get too hot with a UTH. Also, the heat will distribute across the whole bottom. Metal would be a bad idea.
 
Okay, DaveyFig suggested that I use high density polyporpylene or polyethylene for a viv bottom? Think this is good? I'm going to ask my dad, too.
 
metal is bad. if you want to create an oven metal is the way to go! you dont want to distribute the heat too much. remember, snakes are cold blooded they cant regulate their body heat. they need a cold place and a warm place in the viv.
i would look into a strong plastic or maybe could you use plexiglass for the bottom as well?
 
I know that snakes are cold blooded. I'm just looking into a cheaper, stronger bottom for our new vivs. However, if there arent any better options, we will get glass.

Plexiglass can melt, depending on how thick it is. If it's thin, it will melt. The thing is, I have no idea what polypropylene or polyethylene is. So I don't know if they'll work or not. I was wondering if anyone knew if they'd work.

Anyone with viv building experience around?
 
the poly materials suggested are types of plastics. They would work well and can be found online & prbably at a local hardware/home improvement store.

Glass would also be fine.

Some of my cages have melamine bottoms with heat cable underneath; the heat comes through the wood just fine.

What ever you choose, make sure the cage does sit directly on the UTH--you need spacers or feet so that there is a little gap between the bottom of the cage and the furniture it sits on.

have fun building!
 
Oh, okay. How thin is the melamine on the bottom of your vivs? Both my dad and I were thinking that the heat wouldnt go through the melamine. If the heat goes through, melamine should be easy to work with and cheap. We're probably also going to build the rest of the viv out of it, anyway.

For the plastics, just in case, how thick to they have to be, too? I'm guessing that if it's thin, it will melt.

Our UTHs are the ZooMed brand, and they stick right to the bottom of the viv, so no worries. And we do have little spacers so that the cord doesnt get squished and messed up.
 
melomine is naturally pretty thin, you shouldn't have to worry about the thickness of the melomine as much as the thickness of the wood.

I suggest using 1/2" thick wood, then route a chanel for heat cable on the non-laminate side and run the heat cable through the chanel. This is a great source for belly heat. Alternatively, you can use ultratherm or heattape right on top of the melomine provided you have an insulating layer on top, and use a thermostat (i like to use slate tile as an insulator - with ultratherms being regulated, i've not needed to use a thermostat).

For ultimate heating in a condo-type enclosure, I have to strongly suggest indirect or overhead heating. Radiant heat panels are THE BEST for overhead, and ultratherms or flexwatt (thermostate) on the sides are a close second.

I'd SERIOUSLY suggest ditching the zoomed pads and looking into something more practical
 
The melamine I am talking about is from a book case & I am pretty sure the shelves are 1/2" thick.

I also have some sterilite storage boxes and shoeboxes and have never had anything melt with the heat cable I use (zoo med)
 
I bought a melamine bookcase from the Salvation Army, siliconed around the shelves & added tracks/doors and locks. I have heat cable on the "ceiling" of each unit which heats the "floor" for the snake above.

I only made it for 5 snakes b/c I didn't want to go any lower to the ground for the dogs & cats to be staring at my snakes.

You can just barely see the heat cable in these pics. All the units are heated on the left side. In each pic you can see a bit of the cable in the 2nd from the top.

63ab20fe.jpg

PHOT0041.jpg
 
Okay, melamine seems like a good choice. My dad will be happy, too, because melamine won't be hard to work with, and won't break or something when cutting it. >.< So.... half an inch thick, right?
 
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