Hi everyone (& happy holidays),
Just sharing some info on the new enclosure setup I've been working on.
This enclosure does a great job holding in heat and humidity. I maintain the warm end at about 100ºF, and the cool end at about 80ºF, with RH always within ~70-90%.
To help with maintaining the right temps, I installed a thermostat on the RHP. Initially, I just had the thermometer laying on the floor under the panel, but I didn't like the idea of it being in a place where it could be in standing liquids at any time, and I also didn't like that he could inadvertantly push it out of the way while moving in and out of the heated area. To get around that I decided to hang the thermometer right down the center of the panel, to a height just a few inches above the floor - and this is working great so far.
Here's how I did it:
To keep the thermometer's wire lead from touching the panel's hot surface I ran it through a length of silicone tubing, and dropped out in the center. This has worked well enough that I decided to do it in his old Vision cage too (which now houses my boa).
The last issue I ran into with this new enclosure had to do with the acrylic sliding doors - which were bending inward due to the 'high' temperature inside. It was very frustrating, but I finally went out and bought some 1/8" UV coated Lexan. I cut it down to the right size for each door, installed it, and hoped for the best.
It worked! To this point it hasn't bent even the slightest bit - so I don't expect to have any more problems with that.
Unfortunately, I did happen across another problem in the mean time. Yes, another! This time it has to do with the melamine floors. I have a misting system setup in the enclosure, which sprays a fine mist of water right under the RHP, once every twelve hours (this works out very nicely to maintain humidity). The problem is that the floor is starting to swell and bubble in a circular area exactly where the water lands.
I know - I should have known better. My idea to correct for this is to cover the flooring with acrylic sheets and seal them in with silicone. That would make it completely water (and, urine) proof. Unfortunately, it means I would have to find somewhere to keep a 13' python until the silicone completely cures - which isn't a small task. So, to this point I have just placed a piece of acrylic sheet under the area where the misting nozzle is. It works just fine to keep the floor dry, but its kind of a half-*ssed approach - and I'm just not comfortable with settling for that.
Another thing that has helped in general to keep the floor dry is the bedding I am trying. For some time now I have just been using good old newspaper, but not anymore.
New enclosure (early stages):
I've lined the enclosure with newspaper and then spread out a layer of shredded aspen - just enough to yield an even layer. Let me tell ya - in an 8'x3' enclosure, that's a lot of aspen! Anyway, it works great - absorbs liquids right away, and helps keep down odors to some degree. And when I got in to clean it all out I can practically roll it all up in a snap by rolling it up in the bottom layer of newspaper. I think I might keep up with this, unless the aspen shavings become prohibitively expensive.
New setup - complete with hide box, apsen bedding, and thermstatic temperature control:
So - I think the enclosure is pretty much in good working order - and my burm certainly seems to like it, very much.
Thanks for reading/looking,
- Mark
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The set up looks great. Funny though how an enclosure that size makes a thirteen foot burm look so small.
