Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I see alot of vents high up on custom made cages, that realy dosn't make sence to me. Heat rises there for alowing the heat to escape. Should the vents be more towards the bottum. Is there a general rule or guidlines to follow? Like one vent for every squar foot or something. Thanks for your time. And ih ya all you pro cage builders dont worry I wont be running you ouy of business any time soon. lol

They like to be pet behind the ears. Im an idiot Its put not pet lol

As the heat rises a convection current is created, thereby pulling gases up and out of the cage. If vents are at the bottom of the cage only one has to rely on a mechanical current to creat cross ventilation, and that does not always happen. In a perfect world there would be a small vent near the bottom of a cage, especially if it were tall, to act as something of a cold air return.

There are no general rules as to how much ventilation to add. It is a function of the species you are keeping, the temperature differential between the cage and the room it is sitting in, and the relative humidity in the room. The use and type of misting system can also effect how much ventilation is required.

It's actually even more complex than that, so one has to fiddle with any particular cage setup to find the right combination.

I fall into the camp who builds too much ventilation into a cage and the covers it as required. I'd rather quickly uncover a vent than add another if necessary.

` You're right about vents in the top of the cage. Also, cages with unsealed tops, and corners. And, screen top cages too, which are a common cause of newbies with Ball Pythons that can't shed properly.
` All the snakes I'm currently keeping are humidity lovers so, I vent only in the lower 25% of the cage. I force ventilation from the outside with small 3" computer fans I get from the computer salvage shop. The fans are on timers, and placed for cross ventilation. You must balance the ventilation between cage temperature and room temperature. I keep my Boids in an unheated room so, I had to get the fan time just right, or chill the snakes. I use only floor heat, thermostatically controlled. I don't think this method would be as safe with overhead heat. I started using the forced air ventilation a few years ago. One interesting outcome is that my Boas, and Anacondas, usually gather around the fan, to sleep, even when digesting. I heat the entire floor of my cages, to 72 to 88 degrees F. I keep water containers over a hot spot in the floor. This provides plenty of humidity from evaporation to be trapped inside the cage.
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