I came accross a bakery rack at a local grocery store during work today (Heating and A/C Tech so they know me well). The manager said they were going to get rid of it, and let me have it.

Among the wooden shelves and racks were two 48" long by 24" high 3/4 melamine "boxes" which was divided into two separate enclosures each measuring 48 x 12 x 12 (inches). So I now have a stack of 4 "enclosures to be" which will be mounted on the base with casters and wheels, once I cut them down to size. I have ordered the glass track and once it arrives will be sizing and getting the glass and locks I need to put the sliding front doors on each, and also vents.

I would like to mount a small (12" or so) flourescent light fixture in the top of each cage section so I can see my Hondurans better, make them into display type cages. Has anyone done this, and if so what and where did you get your lights? I'm concerned about too much heat building up in the cages, but would like to have light other than the sunlight or room lights in the cages.

As far as heat, would undertank heaters work inside the enclosure itself? I have these already on the 10 gallon tanks my snakes spent the first year in so there would be no cash outlay to get them. I always have a large clay flowerpot base over the pads (even in the aquariums) to evenly distribute the heat and keep the snakes from making direct contact with the pads themselves, under the tank of course. On top of the base I put a 6 or 8 inch flower pot upside down and enlarge the drain hole so that my snakes can get through even if they have a meal in their gut. Makes for a cheap and very effective hide for them. Or am I asking for trouble with the mats in the cage itself.

Thanks in advance, I'll try and get some pics as I go along, waiting for the glass track to come in, get some liquid nails, vents, glass, locks, and lights.
-----
"Colubrid-aphilia", adj; An inordinate love of Colubrids.

[ Hide Replies ]

• Budget cage build (with questions) - colubrid-aphilia, Wed Jan 4 18:50:47 2006
• RE: Budget cage build (with questions) - Randall_Turner, Thu Jan 5 00:08:46 2006