Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have need to build a few tanks for some boas, I have a lot of ideas, but my main concern is heating and lighting. I know I'll be using undertank heaters, but so far I've used heat lamps and UV lighting on all my snakes, but I don't see how I could do that safely on a wood and plexiglass tank. I've heard a lot of differing opinions on the necesity of heat lamps, is there another way to keep the ambient and basking temp up to the eighties and nineties? Am I on the wrong track all together? There's one pet store in town that sells boas, which is where I got one of them, but of course they don't sell tanks big enough for a full grown boa, and I've heard a lot against aquraiums as snake habitats. Also, it gets very expensive, and heavy, making it hard to move and clean. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

go over to the blood python forums and ask Angel (googo151) he makes his own tanks and has a lot of helpful advice for others wishing to do the same.
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1.1.0 Colombian Redtail Boas
2.1.0 Sumatran Blood Pythons
1.0 Black Blood Python
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python

Here are instructions for making a 4'x2' cage, which should be big enough for a boa, www.arbreptiles.com/cages/4x2.shtml Snakes don't need UV lights, and you can use a heat panel on the top of the cage to get the ambient temp up, or you can drill a hole in the top of the cage to install a heat lamp. With the heat lamp you'll need to put wire mesh or something around the bulb so the snake can't touch it.

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LONG LIVE METAL!!!!

MY COLLECTION:
1.0 '04 Columbian BCI
0.1 '05 Blood Python
1.2 Ball Pythons

MY WISHLIST (I turn 18 on June 16th ):
A Northern Blue-Tongue Skink
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
1.1 Hogg Island Boas
1.0 Salmon BCI
0.2 Columbian BCI
1.1 Sumatran Short-Tail Pythons
1.1 Borneo Short-Tail Pythons
1.1 Dumerils Boas
1.1 Suriname BCC
1.2 Spotted Pythons
2.4 African House Snakes
2.4 Bearded Dragons
1.2 Rankins Dragons
2.6 Crested Geckos
1.1 purebred Dobermans
0.1 black German Shepherd
2 ferrets
A Senegal Parrot
A Sun Conure

Have you checked out the Cage & Habitat Design Forum here?

Here is a cage I made that is 36"l x 20"w x 18"h. It is plexiglass and wood. I use a floresant and a heat bulb (actually a standard 60 w bulb produces suffecient heat). All I did was buy a floursant baton and a porcelin light baton to attach to the top. Very easy to do and control. Just make sure you have good vents on the sides. Also, coasters on the botom make this so easy to move around. I made it so I can stack another one on top. All in all, it cost less than $200.

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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

That looks a lot like what I was thinking of.

Thanks for your help everyone.