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I'm converting a room in my house into a snake room for a burmese python. The room is 12' long, 8' wide and 8' high. The floor slopes to a drain in the middle. I'm going to use a fish pond in it and I plan on putting a drain in it too for cleaning purposes. I need suggestions from people more creative than me on how to fix the pond and especially on how to heat the room. As it is it will be 72 degrees with the rest of the house. It has a ceramic light fixture in the ceiling in the center of the room and I can add another one anywhere if needed. It also has an outlet that will be inclosed in the wall I build around the pond if I can use that in some way. If you've got any ideas or criticisms let me know. Thanks.

You might consider posting on the cage building and design forum if you haven't already. Lots of creative folks over there...

Bobby,
In general, converting a room into a Burmese Python cage isn't a good idea, but in this case, with the room being smaller than usual, you could make it work but there are a lot things that need to be considered.

One thing; you've got to get the floor temperature up to an acceptable temperature and be able to maintain that temp. Being that heat rises and the ceiling is 8t, it's going to take some doing. Adding a few different levels of basking or resting areas can make good use of the vertical temperature gradient. Making a drop-ceiling is another option.

The walls need to be protected from humidity. I couldn't tell what the walls in there now are made of but with the room having a drain already you might be good to go in the wall area.

Pond - That's a small floor drain in the room, it may not handle the drained pond water very good, at least not in a "dump & go" (speedy drain) situation. If one of the room's walls is an exterior wall you might want to consider running the pond drain thru it, going outside. I like the pond idea but I think you're going to find that it will work you to death. A good filtering system will help.

Radiant heat panels is the first thing that comes to my mind for probably the best way to heat the floor & room.

I suggest posting this in the Cage & Habitat Design forum here at kingsnake.com. Here's the link: Cage and Habitat Forum

This more inline with that forum's purpose and there are some good, knowledgeable people there with plenty of good ideas & suggestions. You should get plenty of good responses there. I'm not trying to dump you off somewhere else, just trying to help you get the things you're seeking.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

For one I wouldn't use that flooring. Over time I believe bacteria will nestle into to pours or the "grain" of the surface. My burm always seems to smear his feces into the corners making it almost impossible to clean out sufficiently. Change the plastic drain to a stainless steel drain also for disinfection and scrubbing ease. I gotta go but I'll add more later
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

Thanks for the advice so far. I've posted it in the correct forum now.