Hi,

After 12 years of having nothing to do with snakes, my daughter inherited a couple of balls from some friends of the family. It's been a while since I've built an enclosure, and I need some input.



I'm going to build a multi-compartment dwelling (daddy plans on getting a few more higher end animals, now that it's ok with the rest of the fam), so my questions are as follows.



Building material:

It's going to have a finished facade, but what are your opinions on the following.



1.Melamine: I remember this had to be baked/cured because there was issues with toxic fumes when heat was applied. Does this still hold true?



2. RHP?

I live in the Pacific Northwest now, it gets cold here at night. I'd prefer a RHP, does anyone have experience with matching wattage vs. size of cages vs. nighttime temperatures. I tend to overdo anything and then back off, but I want to avoid overkill since I've never used RHP in the past.



3. Ventilation and temperature regulation.

For a unit that will house 4-6 different cages (1-2 small semi/arboreal). On which levels do you usually install the heating devices, or where do you place your priorities for species on them (since heat rises and can increase the temperature of the unites above--learned the hard way a long time ago).



Side Ventilation or leave space behind the unit for top vents?



Running multiple therms? Do you prefer one per level, one on the bottom, and a second one wired to act as a kill if the temperature up top gets too hot?





I'd appreciate any input, I'm not a fool, but it's been a long time since I've dealt with any of this, and I don't feel necessarily confident.



Any pictures, or design ideas would be much appreciated, especially from anyone in my region who understand how the weather is up here.



Best,

Quenton

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