Reptile & Amphibian Forums

MY male burm cage im going to building in the next 2 weeks I want it to be 8'L x 3'W x 2'H

Should the width be 2' or 3' foot? and does that sound like a good size cage, if not what would be?

What should I use for the front of the cage to get him in and out of ? (glass ,PLexiglass, or plywood on a hinge ) how should I use it ?

What about ventilation?, will humidity stay higher now? Esp. if i get a ceramic heat emmiter what size do i use with one of them and what size would be good for my cage size?
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Lee

1.0 Burmese Python (Caesar)
0.1 Ball Python (Kadin)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Zoey)
0.0.3 Green Iguana (Bart)(iggy)(spaz)
0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
0.0.1 Parakeet (Petey)
0.1 German Shepard (Missy)
0.1 Doberman (Tanner)
0.1 Cat (whatever)
1.1 Mice ( )

Dont worry about asking questions, thats what this is all for.

as far as size goes, 8' by 2' should be fine. You can go to 3 ft if you want, but something to consider is that 2 ft you can get through a doorway, and 3 you usually cant. 2 ft high is plenty high enough, and you may even want to go to 18 or 20 inches. The snake will not use the height really, and it will hold temp and humidity better.

For the front, glass or plexiglass will both work fine. The plexiglass will be more durable, but will cost more. I would caution you about doing it all out of plywood, simply for visibility. You want to be able to see that snake before you open the door. or you may just open it up to a mouthful of teeth.

For ventilation, soffit vents work well, and placing them on the sides and down low will also help with temp and humidity. They need some air, but not really an extreme amount.

Also, make sure to seal up your joints well also.

Good luck and any more questions just post em.
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1.0 Albino Green Burm
0.2 Normal Burm
1.1 Java Retic

Im sealing the joints up with caulking right?

Im not sure how to do the door at all im confused?

As for the width it is going in a building that has a garage door for entry so that would not be a prob., so what should i go with?

And what size ceramic heat emmiter would work and would i use it with a 8.0 dome?

How many vents do you think i should put on each side?
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Lee

1.0 Burmese Python (Caesar)
0.1 Ball Python (Kadin)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Zoey)
0.0.3 Green Iguana (Bart)(iggy)(spaz)
0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
0.0.1 Parakeet (Petey)
0.1 German Shepard (Missy)
0.1 Doberman (Tanner)
0.1 Cat (whatever)
1.1 Mice ( )

I have built a cage similar to what you are saying 8x3x3 using plywood, 2x4's and plexiglass. For the doors I used 2x4's for the frame and mounted plexiglass on the inside of the door with screws, I predrilled the holes so as not to crack the plexi. I used 2 pretty solid door hinges on each door, mounting them on the bottom so the doors open down. I also built a large stand for the cage. Last I put 2 bolt locks on the doors for security purposes. I have a ceramic at one end and a heat buld at the other, this is until I get a heat panel then I will adjust accordingly. Hope this helps. Sorry so long. Scott

Doing the door like scott said would probably be the best, but having it open up, may, or may not work well for you.

Sealing the joints with caulk is right. Im not sure exactly what ull need, but just ask your hardware store for a good insulating sealer for use on wood.

As far as the width, go with whatever you like best. the more floor space the better, so 3 feet is going to be better than 2. Just make sure you can reach all the way to the back to clean.

For a heat emitter, I cant really tell you what size you will need. It will depend on the ambient temp of the room and all kinds of other stuff. I like heating under the tank even better, but I use heat emitters too when I cant use the other. You may have to get a couple different sizes and experiment. For mine, I just use the cheap heat lamp domes from walmart. The seem to reflect most of the heat away, and work really well. They may not work for you, but they seem to do fine for me.

As far as vents go, Probably one on each side. It will depend on the size that you go with. If you go with like a 10 inch vent, just one on each side will be plenty. Snakes really dont need a great deal of moving air. If you use smaller vents, you may want to go with a couple. I hope ive answered your questions. Feel free to ask anymore that you may have. and good luck
Dustin
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1.0 Albino Green Burm
0.2 Normal Burm
1.1 Java Retic