# Build project for me!



## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

I am planning on building a viv this week in preperation for the Dumeril I should be getting soon. I am thinking maybe 2 foot long 1and a 1/2 wide and a foot tall. The boa is just a touch over a foot long. I am planning on using half inch MDF but i am not too sure bout the doors whether to have slidin or maybe some kind of hinged affair. Also what heating would you recommend? Any tips on viv building would be great as i am a bit of a spaz at joinery! :lol:


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## tazzyasb (May 4, 2005)

is the hinge gonna be at the top or bottom. Just thinking gonna be quite difficult to hold the glass up and get the snake out at the same time.

i would go for sliding doors easier to get snake out and to stop the snake getting out if you are trying to put it back in when you have had her out and when changing the water and so on. 

Mine always try to make a bid for freedom.

You can get the runner things for the glass from B&Q


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

hmm i was just thinkin maybe hinged on the bottom. I suppose most people have slidy doors for a reason! What do you reckon for heating? I have asked about and if I have the back made out of ply wood they say I could put a heat mat on the back. But I am gonna incorperate a light fitting into the build anyway.


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## nattyb (Apr 9, 2005)

yeah sliding doors for me also..
just a thought but you could make your viv around 36x18x18 then when your boas outgrows it ..your little python could have it or any other snake you may have bought by then lol


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## tazzyasb (May 4, 2005)

I would but a hole in for the wire and put the heat mat in the bottom under substrate. What you ganna use wood chippings or paper.

Do not know why just thnk its better to have the heat mat underneath as apposed to the side. But thats just my personal oppinion do not know if it is actually any better


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2005)

If you are going to incorperate a light i would use a 25 watt golfball buld and a 6x11 heat mat for the viv.You may want to go slightly higher than 12" to allow for the bulb.A bulb plus holder will hang approx 4-5 inches which is not allowing a great deal of room below it.If you do decide to go with a 12" height then i would gaurd the bulb in some way.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Nathan: do you think a viv that big would be ok for a little boa?

Tazzy: I was thinking bout that but i thought about the mat if i got wet and stuff?i dunno just thought maybe it would be dodgy?


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Ryan I was thinking bout those dimensions for the snake I am not too sure on what it would be happy in. I would prefer a larger viv than smaller but just dont wanna stress the little critter!


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## nattyb (Apr 9, 2005)

i personally like to give my snakes some room to stretch so as long as he cant harm himself or escape he should be ok i mean they arent restricted for space in the wild


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## tazzyasb (May 4, 2005)

one of our vivs for two of my corns has the heat mat inside and I have never had any problems and they are little buggers for sloshing there water dish around especially when they were breeding. 

Its not going to get wet with gallons of water and a little bit of water will soon dry with the heat of the heat mat


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Yeah thats what i thought but you read bout people sayin if u put them in a large viv they get stressed and wont feed. I think if i do go bigger i'll put plenty of hides in there get it looking good!I need to read a bit bout what sort of habitat they live in the wild. I know madagascar but i dont know what its like there!


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Fair one tazzy i think it will be easier inside but i'll see when i build it. Can you recommend any silicone sealant thats good to use?


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## nattyb (Apr 9, 2005)

yeah i think its more about the snake not feeling safe and secure that leads them to be funny feeders as opposed to them thinking 'oh no this place is just too big' lol 
use an aquarium sealent you get it from petsores


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## tazzyasb (May 4, 2005)

not off the top of my head but i can find out as my mates day has just built him loads a temp vivs the ones with the white lipped and so on in so I will ask him what he used.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Cool I'm looking forward to building this viv if it goes well i might build my spotty little bugger a new one he is about a foot an half long now think he would like a bigger viv! Plus then I'll have a spare viv then i can buy another snake!!


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## nattyb (Apr 9, 2005)

hehe i did something similar but i built seven vivs so i just needed to fill em lol


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

lol I start a new job on monday but i reckon I can get two built by then! Then on pay day I can fill them! I just need to buy a bigger house now! :lol:


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## nattyb (Apr 9, 2005)

cool hope the new job pays well cos it lookslike you gonna need the cash :wink:


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Hey I'm a plumber you try find one for less than £60 an hour!! :lol:


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## Luke (May 19, 2005)

Hey bud
I used to have an old viv with a hinged door at the bottom and it made for difficult maintainence and getiing the snake out as i had to make sure when getting close into the viv i didnt lean on the door and break the hinges off. If you do want hinged doors how about ones either side that open out?. Just make sure theres no gaps


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Yeah I didn't think of that...thick tw*t!  I thought hinged would look good but i am getting swayed towards sliding as i say everyone must have them for a reason! i like to be different tho!

Thanks for all the advice tho everyone i'll let you know how it all goes


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## bigp (Apr 24, 2005)

sorry they took so long but heres some pics of my dumeril.

these were taken about 8 weeks ago and shes put on a stupid amount of size since then!


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## bigp (Apr 24, 2005)

if i were you bud i'd go for the 3ft viv.


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## treeboa (May 4, 2005)

some dumms can get to big sizes, if that does you may find the vivs too small, use overhead ceramic heating controlled by a day night pulse stat, lot of concerns about heat mats and burns, mate of mines an electronics buff, he had a wet monitor on a heat mat, got a tingle from it, wehen he checked the mat was radiating rf !! think microwave ovens, now if you had been around a long time you would remember concerns about royals being cooked on mats, personally i wont entertain the things


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

BigP:Thanks for the pics mate she is gorgeous! I cannot wait to get mine! She looks happy being handled is she always like that?How old is she too?Sorry for all the questions!  

Treeboa:I did have my reservations about heatmats actually in the viv but as I am new to keeping snakes I have not heard any horror stories about heat mats all I ahve been told is they were a bit dodgy in the past but new ones are pretty safe. Maybe someone with more experience than me can give there opinion as I am no expert!!   

I did think about placing the heat mat on the back of the viv as that will be thinner ply wood and having a bulb inside for basking light? Any advice on the most effective heating would be much appreciated I'm not too fussed bout price if its better for the snake.


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## bigp (Apr 24, 2005)

she/he's about 2 and a half(i can't remember exactly as i've not looked at my paperwork on ages!) she's about 4 ft flat out and she has her moments.

i think i've finally gotten rid of the multiple personality thing she had goin on for a while!!!


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2005)

If the cost of the viv and heating is not an issue then i would go with a 3 foot viv possibly heated with a reptile radiator and on a day/night stat.This is what i am going to do with my burmese eventually.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

green phase i havent heard of a reptile radiator what are these?


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2005)

Andy have a look here mate it tells you all about them

http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=151


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

yeah that looks pretty good. So you just fit it into the roof? Do you need to guard it?Anidea how long they last. It does look ideal i think i may order one.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2005)

Hi Andy

I have no real information about the reptile radiators.A friend mentioned them to me so i looked to get one.I put some form of gaurd around it as they look to be along the same lines as the ceramic heaters.No idea the life span on them but they were designed to fit into low vivs as they just screw onto the underneath of the top of the viv.My mate knows people who use them though so i may be able to find out.I think these are supposed to be the European version of the American pro-panels.I have heard as well that microclimate do a similar thing with a built in thermostat but i have not been able to find anything on them as of yet.If i do i will let you know.

Maybe Bigp will know more about them as he has the shop


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

ah ok i have just knocked together a viv i went for 36x18x18 it looks pretty big!just need some sealant and door runners and i will be well away!


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## ReptileResort (Jul 25, 2005)

n1 m8 hope it ends up well  , i no it went a good few posts ago but i use a heatmat i just but it on the inside with a bit of clear perspects( appols for spelling ) bigger than the heatmat to cover it ,so the heatmat goes in between the floor of your viv and the clear plastic , then put your substrate on top , there for any spills or what ever won't evern touch your heatmat , plus prevents your snake from burning its self , thats what i do any way , but good luck m8  & hope to see the finnished viv soon


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2005)

Ok just ben looking up the microclimate AHS heater with pulse stat










Cant find any prices at the moment but will keep looking.

They are available in 2 sizes which are 185mmx122mmx55mm or 100mmx123mmx64mm

They come in power outputs of 100w,150w,250w,350w or 500w


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## bigp (Apr 24, 2005)

i'll check my price list tommorrow and find out how much they are.

they look the dogs bollocks.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Cheers Ryan they do look good dont they!The sizes seem qiute good too. It already has a guard on too by the looks of it your getting a complete system in one. God I better not let my python see what treatment ny boas gonna get he'll be well jealous! :lol:


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Cheers bigp that'd be good before i rush out and buy somethin else!


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

http://www.petsparade.com/product.asp?prod=2131

Found these and it explains a bit more about them the price is high but then your getting a stat and all that in one so it seems reasonable.What size do you think for a 36x18x18?


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2005)

They are expensive but as you say you get a complete unit.The 150 watt would be plenty big enough for you viv mate.The price they state is actually cheaper than buying each part seperately when you consider a pulse stat then ceramic plus holder and reflector.It does state that you would need a seperate gaurd though as the metal on the unit does get hot.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

I reckon i can make a guard with my superb fabrication skills!Then when i have spent hours trying i'll go buy one!I'll see how much bigp reckons.


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## bigp (Apr 24, 2005)

if i can get them any cheaper then we'll sort something out.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Cheers dude thanks for the help. What temps do you keep your dumeril at?


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