• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

My Custom Enclosure

Matthew

Matthew

-M.P. Stafford
Well, I don't know if any of you remember me saying (In my intro thread) that I'd make a custom enclosure for my Corn, but if you do, here it is!

Any advice or suggestions on how to improve it would be welcome. My little gal has been in it for almost four days now. She seems cool with it but she's been hiding the entire time.

I gave her Kathy Love's recommended minimum of three days of alone time. Tonight will be my first attempt at handling her and feeding her. Maybe I can get a family member to snap some pictures too. I'm damn nervous and don't think I'd be able to handle the snake with one hand and the camera with the other.

Anyway, here's the enclosure pictures. Like I said, any advice is welcome.

-Matt

Entire Enclosure:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/IceStormSS84/NewEnclosure1.jpg

Close-up of the section holding my Corn:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/IceStormSS84/NewEnclosure2.jpg

P.S. I don't leave the light on all the time. Only installed it to show her off and in this case, to get a better picture of it. :)
 
That is a very nice custom cage, i dont know what size your snake is but the only thing i would do is throw in a few different things use some of your open space so it is no so "open" maybe some cheap artificial plants or vines that stick to the walls, just something to fill it, unless you have a smaller snake and dont feel like searchin for an hour to find her! but like i said i would just throw in a couple different logs,hides, an vines instead of just the minimal you certainly have the space for it! but i really like the cage! nice job :cheers:
 
kentuckycorns said:
That is a very nice custom cage, i dont know what size your snake is but the only thing i would do is throw in a few different things use some of your open space so it is no so "open" maybe some cheap artificial plants or vines that stick to the walls, just something to fill it, unless you have a smaller snake and dont feel like searchin for an hour to find her! but like i said i would just throw in a couple different logs,hides, an vines instead of just the minimal you certainly have the space for it! but i really like the cage! nice job :cheers:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had thought of that. Could be why she hides under the Aspen so much. Might not feel secure enough for her. I 'was' in fact a little worried about the size, period. The area the snake is in is 16" tall by 24" deep by 40" long.

She's a yearling, around 10 months old. Approx. the size of a pencil and about 11-12" long.
 
i would definately add some more stuff. Given the size of the snake compared to the enclosure, it has got to be a little intimidating lol! it may be harder to find her but with more options i think it would not only help with the stress of being in the open but it will also make it look alot better. :)
 
Thanks. I'll look into finding some more stuff to populate it.

Since I've got quite the household of pets already, I was hoping to minimize cleaning time by putting fewer things in there, hehe.

We'll see how she does after I introduce some more cover for her.
 
Matthew said:
Thanks. I'll look into finding some more stuff to populate it.

Since I've got quite the household of pets already, I was hoping to minimize cleaning time by putting fewer things in there, hehe.

We'll see how she does after I introduce some more cover for her.
Click to expand...
I think you will find that if you add some additional "coverage", in the form of fake plants, climbing branches, and other miscellaneous "stuff", your snake will spend more time exploring and less time hiding. They like to feel secure, and all that wide open space can be a little intimidating, even for a BIG snake. I would also recommend scattering some other hides around...give it plenty of options, and will become more curious about her environment...
 
Nice work..but do you have anything to cover that bare light bulb?? So the snake won't get burnt.
 
Lennycorn said:
Nice work..but do you have anything to cover that bare light bulb?? So the snake won't get burnt.
Click to expand...

Actually, I didn't think it was necessary?

It's a very low wattage, low output fluorescent bulb. When I put my temp gun on the actual coil it's only about 77°F and when I put it on the ceramic ballast part, I only get a reading of 84°.

I assumed that both of those temperatures wouldn't be harmful if the snake came into contact with it. Would I be wrong in assuming that?
 
Might want to cover it anyways.. why take a chance in your snake getting burnt, even slightly. But other than that.. I like how it looks. Actually I have a question or a few.. what material did you use and how did you waterproof the interior of the space (if you did?). What material did you use to cover the outside of the beardie's home.. looks like stone paint, but from pics its hard to tell. I am considering having hubby help me build a multi cage unit for my two corns with the idea of being able to get more snakes in the future. thanx.
 
ladydragon said:
Might want to cover it anyways.. why take a chance in your snake getting burnt, even slightly. But other than that.. I like how it looks. Actually I have a question or a few.. what material did you use and how did you waterproof the interior of the space (if you did?). What material did you use to cover the outside of the beardie's home.. looks like stone paint, but from pics its hard to tell. I am considering having hubby help me build a multi cage unit for my two corns with the idea of being able to get more snakes in the future. thanx.
Click to expand...

The material I used is a HDF, or High Density Fiberboard. It's a very stout board and very heavy, but like most Fiberboards, it's a poor board when getting it wet. Honestly, I don't care for it much. Like I said, it's heavy, bad with water, very dusty when cutting, prone to warping, etc. It's definitely not a beginners board to build with, imo. But I get a hell of a deal on it so that's what I use.

There is no sealant on the actual wood. What you're looking at is a countertop-like material called Formica. I buy it in 4x8 sheets and cut it as needed using a tablesaw. It's very waterproof and is SO easy to clean. Basically, it's just like your countertop. A 'wee' bit pricey, though. But it comes in all sorts of patterns and is better than dealing with sealant.

The corners/cracks are actually sealed with a Food Grade Silicone. Non-Toxic and non Fume-Emitting. Not sure if you can find the type at Lowe's/Home Depot, as we get it from an Industrial Clean Room supplier here at work.

As for the Beardie's cage, yep you're spot on. That's stone paint, or FlekStone. You can buy it in gallons, but I didn't like the way it went on so I bought the spray can type.

It's great stuff and really looks nice. Only thing I can recommend when using it is to put several coats of a similar colored base on before painting on the FlekStone. You'll spend a small fortune in paint like I did if you don't.

I chose not to use it on the Snake/Leo cage because it IS pricey and I was already nearing the end of my budget because of the Formica.

Anyway, if you have any other questions or what-not, just let me know. I'm always happy to answer 'em. :)
 
okay kewl.. thanx.. gives me a few ideas of what i could do. Was thinking about MDF, but it too tends to be dusty when cutting. Was also thinking of using wood and paint with an oil based outdoor paint, sealing the corners with industrial grade silicone (hubby can get that at work, he's in construction.. free is for me!). I'd have to let it dry for at least a week before I felt safe putting anything into it, so Im still contemplating that route. thanx again though. :D
 
ladydragon said:
okay kewl.. thanx.. gives me a few ideas of what i could do. Was thinking about MDF, but it too tends to be dusty when cutting. Was also thinking of using wood and paint with an oil based outdoor paint, sealing the corners with industrial grade silicone (hubby can get that at work, he's in construction.. free is for me!). I'd have to let it dry for at least a week before I felt safe putting anything into it, so Im still contemplating that route. thanx again though. :D
Click to expand...

Oh, so he probably gets similar food grade stuff like me. I'm an Electrician so I too am in Construction.

If you need a suggestion on how I attached my UTH, I can save you some time by telling ya what I did. That was the hardest part on this most recent cage. Had a helluva time figuring something out.

Yeah, a week is minimum to let it dry out. I let my Beardie cage dry out for two weeks and on occasion I can still catch a whiff of the glue I sealed my False Rock Wall with, heh.
 
Just thought I'd mention a few ideas to fill up the open space, and hopefully keep cleaning easy. If you want to add more climbing stuff make it in one piece, and, as I did, if you want make it your self. If you get the size right it will be just as easy to take in and out as what you already have.

As for plants to make your snake feel better, covering the hides with a fake plant makes my corns feel MUCH safer. I used a giant fake... skunk cabbage?? I don't know. It's a thing with huge leaves that drape over the whole area. Raya loves it, it makes her feel very safe. That also shouldn't be to difficult to remove, as you can attach it to the hide as well. I didn't but I bet super glue would do the trick. Also a larger water bowl might be a good thing to add. I like the large, low ones so my snakes can easily take a soak.

Just a few ideas!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top