# New habitat for my girl



## ronhalling (Dec 31, 2012)

Well finally everything but the glass has arrived from 1 of the sponsers of this forum (Reptile Direct) for my girls new habitat. Today i put together the habitat carcass 







As can be seen at the bottom i have incorperated a raised lip so i have the benefit of being able to use Kritter Crumble or newspaper sheets on the bottom, the boxed area at the top will hide all the hardware ( themostats, pc power pack, pc fans and wiring for the heat emitter and light) this habitat will be sitting on top of another cupboard very similar to the 1 i am building so nothing but the controller for the main thermostat will be visible.
Tomorrow i will install the heat emitter, UVA/UVB light, lighting cages and hopefully the main thermostat and vents.
Hardware i have bought for this build are:

TMZ-455 UV Lamp
JET-200 Digital Thermostat 
JET-300 Digital Probe Thermometer
JET-001 Day Night Thermostat Timer 
ZHX-002 Mesh Light Cage Large x2
ZJT-001 Sliding Door Lock 
GCE-004 Heat Emitter 100W
FCM-002 Ceramic Battenholder x2
PC Power Pack
PC Fans x2
Round vents x? (decided to go with the round vents as i am going to have a go at creating a 3D background for the back of the habitat and the round vents are less obtrusive)
Sliding glass tracks (Bunnings)
the PC fans will be connected to the JET-200 thermostat via the PC power pack to cool the habitat if the abient temps go above 33deg C
Included in the build will be a combination basking platform/hide the dimensions for which will be decided when everything is up and running and i can get a good average temp below the heat emitter at differing heights. will update as it goes along

Ron


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## Shotta (Dec 31, 2012)

niice looking forward to seeing it once its finished thnaks for sharing


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## J-A-X (Dec 31, 2012)

Someone's been shopping LOL. What size is the enclosure and from your previous posts I'm guessing your 5yo 2 metre coastal is going in there  
If that's the case, don't worry about night heat, and be careful with the 100w ceramic. 
Ventilation and plenty of it will help. For an inhabitant of this size you can just drill some decent (10mm) size holes in a group rather than small round vents. That way you can drill where it suits your rock wall  
Make sure you seal inside the holes you make - even if you buy vents. The tiniest bit of moisture will make the melamine swell. 
Take lots of pics, ask lots of questions I'm sure we can help you through )


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## ronhalling (Dec 31, 2012)

lol, sorry i forgot the dimensions, it is 900h x 900w x 450d, i have done it this size as my next build will be bigger and i can use this 1 for my next yearling....yes there will deff be another, thanks for the feedback....all is appreciated neg and pos

Ron


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## ronhalling (Jan 4, 2013)

Well the sparky was here today and wired in my light and heat emitter so it is all systems are go again




Ron said let there be light and lo there was light (and heat)




i think that will do for today, can't get too out of control can i lol
vents and thermostats tomorrow i think, if i can get motivated that is.

More to come
Ron


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## J-A-X (Jan 4, 2013)

Well done on leaving the electrics to the sparky  
You've made progress in the right direction. Keep going but pace yourself


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## ronhalling (Jan 15, 2013)

Ok it has been a week since i reported on progress, vents are now in bottom right inside and out, vents for fans are also in, hide built and installed still waiting for 30x30 sandstock tile to finish it, Fans are installed and wired, thermostat for fans installed, main thermostat/timer installed for heat emitter and light, so now all that is left to do is install sliding tracks and glass, pretty it all up and add furniture i.e log branches substrate and maybe a bit of greenery to break things up a bit then run it for a few days till i am satisfied with temps and zones. till next time Ron


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## J-A-X (Jan 15, 2013)

Looking good Ron ! Great tutorial too. I love that people are doing progress pics as they go. As they say - a picture is worth a thousand words- or to quote the APS unwritten rule "pics or it didn't happen"


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## ronhalling (Jan 18, 2013)

Ok, the glass arrived today and it is a perfect fit, so the tracks, glass and lock are now installed, or if you put it in builders terms "Her house is now at lockup stage" lol will test all the electrics in a real time situation over the weekend and if everything checks out after a couple of days "run in" i will then get the tile for the basking platform and install it and put all her furniture in minus the water bowl, then run it again for another couple of days to ensure a "hot" and "cool" zone exist and the basking temp is ok, then she can pack her bags and move in. then i can concentrate on my bubby spotty when it is ready.....exciting times ahead--------------------------Ron .............. only the 1 pic this time, will put up more as i decorate and when she moves in and signs off on the build lol


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## Shotta (Jan 18, 2013)

nice job that is one cooly cool enclsoure


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## ronhalling (Jan 18, 2013)

he he he, i had to cross out the glass coz i kept going to put my hand in there without opening it first.....toooooo used to it not having any glass lol........................................................Ron


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## ronhalling (Jan 27, 2013)

Wow do i feel like an idiot, here i have been basking in the warm glow of compliments about this build and now -------- i have fallen flat on my face, what are the first few rules of construction a) measure twice cut once b) make sure you have everything required for the build on hand, well it would seem in my rush to get this enclosure built i have broken rule "b", i had all the timber, glues, nails, screws and electrics but neglected to source the part that will turn a "nice" enclosure to a "niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccccceeeeee" enclosure, yep you guessed it "THE FOLLAGE", in my haste i forgot to get some nice follage to finish things off, now !! in the beginning i did not think i had a real budget to stick too but after buying all the best electrics i could it would seem the well has sorta run dry, i parused all the sponser sites and although they had IMO the best looking follage available (especially reptiles direct) they were all out of my price range to finish this build.............soooo it was off to ebay i went and found what i wanted (if not the same quality of the sponsers products) for under $20, but now i have to wait untill the 13th feb or later for it to arrive from china Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr so i can finish it and our girl can move in. what mainly prompted this particular post was a warning to the budding enclosure engineer's to not just measure twice and cut once but to also check to make sure you have everything needed to build your reptile home from start to finish and if you are on a budget maybe unlike me you might think about some cheaper electrics so there is still something left in the build bucket for those unexpected costs albiet 1s that should have been thought about in the first place..................................................Ron


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## J-A-X (Jan 27, 2013)

Check you local $2 shops Ron - you could be pleasantly surprised at what you might find - 
Try craft outlets too- 2nd hand shops are worth a visit if you've got some nearby


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## pharskie (Jan 28, 2013)

eBay. Search wedding plants


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## sharky (Jan 28, 2013)

Looking awesome ron, can't wait to see the finished product!


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## Bananapeel (Jan 28, 2013)

+1 to sharkyy. It will look stunning


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## TheJoyces (Jan 28, 2013)

I love looking at people DYI's  glad it's coming along so well


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## ronhalling (Feb 25, 2013)

Well finally finished, now just add occupant tomorrow, i did not add as much greenery as i was going to, decided to leave it a little understated rather than cluttered....tomorrow i will put in her water bowl her log and her at which time i will add the final pics, hope you all have had as much enjoyment watching this build as i had doing it, there is a certain pride in completion that cannot be matched by just buying a store bought model, cheers all....................................Ron


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## J-A-X (Feb 25, 2013)

Well worth the wait Ron . 
it is a great feeling once its done isn't it !
Test the temps for awhile before moving the precious pet into it. 
I normally recommend putting the tank where it will live and set it running as if the occupant were in residence. That way you know there won't be any nasty "too hot" spots and it gives all the timbers and air chance to come up to operating temp  
Can't wait to see what the housemate thinks of it -


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## ronhalling (Mar 1, 2013)

Ok 4 days of making sure temps are good, now just add snake, just a few pics of our girl checking out her new surroundings......................................................Ron


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## J-A-X (Mar 1, 2013)

She looks as if she approves  
Nice work Ron !


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## Bart70 (Mar 2, 2013)

That is looking good Ron.

I have a question - Your glass slide runners you said came from Bunnings? Was it the local Bunnings here in Port?

I went there yesterday, and after 20 mins looking I asked one guy ho had no idea and told me to go to the Tradedesk, they told me aisle 8, 9 ,or 10 - Went back and still could not find them. Asked another person who told me they had never seen them, who then asked another 2 people who also said they do not stock them.

I don't doubt that you got them from our local Bunnings....do you recall what section they were in? The guys in the shop don't know they have them..LOL

I am not building an enclosure yet, but have started putting some thoughts together on how to modify my 2 existing TV cabinets and wanted to get a visual of the runners so I can picture how it will all go together.


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## ronhalling (Mar 2, 2013)

Hi Robert, yes it was the local bunnings, isle 9 half way down on the left hand side, the brand is Cowdrey, sorry i can't be more specific lol....................................Ron


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## J-A-X (Mar 2, 2013)

they are normally stacked vertically, look near the built in wardrobe runners, or ask someone where the runners are for the built in wardrobes, they will probably know where they are, and they are packed in clear plastic


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## Melzey (Mar 2, 2013)

Looks awesome Ron


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## caleb96 (Mar 2, 2013)

Looks awesome mate


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## Bart70 (Mar 2, 2013)

ronhalling said:


> Hi Robert, yes it was the local bunnings, isle 9 half way down on the left hand side, the brand is Cowdrey, sorry i can't be more specific lol....................................Ron



Thanks Ron, I will check again when I go back......nobody there seems to have a clue 80% of the time. 

Your enclosure is looking great.....Great Job!


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## ronhalling (Mar 5, 2013)

So after sulking in her hide for the last 3 days because i had the tumerity to move her from her home of 5 years she finally came out and signed off on her new digs tonight, but now she is confused.....doesn't know whether to be arborial or terestrial now........................................................Ron


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## Gruni (Mar 6, 2013)

Well done mate. I was surprised I thought at first Skittles had taken well to her new home but it really took her the better part of two weeks to get back to her old self and is now looking truely settled.


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## Xeaal (Mar 6, 2013)

You have done a fabulous job there and that girl looks very happy - and I might add, very beautiful


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## jacorin (Mar 6, 2013)

wd ron..want to come down to newy and build me some??  ...... im a bit of a DIY numpty eh.... should see what i did to the shower lolololol


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## ronhalling (Mar 6, 2013)

Hey jacorin, it is very surprising what can be achieved if you take your time and absorb all the good oil that is available in this DIY section, all the gr8 people here have taken all the hard work and mental strain away from building an enclosure by sharing their experiences and tragedy's, tips and tricks and a multitude of other good information, the 1 biggy for me was finding out bunnings can cut your melamine sheets at $1 per cut, another thing that is a boon to the diy nOObs is this thread on our very own forum http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/...97/building-enclosure-darren-whittaker-76861/ a 1 eyed, 1 armed, 1 legged council worker could follow these directions and end up with something you would be pleased to move into yourself. As a final word there is no better feeling than to look at your enclosure with your animal in it and being able to proudly proclaim "I BUILT THAT MYSELF"........................................................Ron


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## Davesgonefishin (Mar 6, 2013)

I have some very bad news for you Ron....
This enclosure is way to small for your snake so you will need to build a bigger one.
You can then put this one on a truck & ship it to me since you will no longer have any use for it lol.....


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## ronhalling (Mar 7, 2013)

Unfortunately "Davesgonefishin" after sinking so much unneccisary cash into the electrics on this build i cannot afford the postage to FNQ so my big girl will just have to make do with this enclosure untill i can build something better lol, but thankyou for your interest ...........................................................Ron


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## ronhalling (Mar 14, 2013)

few more pics of our girl enjoying her new enclosure...............................Ron


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## Melzey (Mar 14, 2013)

She is a big girl there Ron  very cool.


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## rvcasa (May 29, 2013)

Lots "spent on unnecessary gear" 
and then a $11 thermostat, classic!

Nice job 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cypher69 (May 29, 2013)

I just wanted to comment & have a slight whinge regarding that certain reptile supplier you mentioned for the fake greenery.
I recently ordered a fake plant from them, the price was a bit high but it would look good in my viv so I gave in & ordered it.

It would've been "nice & helpful" if the supplier showed the entire picture of the fake plant, rather than just its leaves & flower...the thing arrived mounted in a plastic pot filled with plaster of paris & thus too tall & bulky to be placed in the viv. Yes, I could've cut the stems from the pot but I'm still in 2 minds whether to send it back or hang onto it for future projects.


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## Bart70 (May 29, 2013)

Here in Port we have a shop that specialises in silk/artificial plants and flowers. They have a sound range of plants ranging from tropical species to natives and grasses/shrubs. I found some good inland grass varieties that look great in an inland environment for my Murray Darling. I have been back to size up some more arid native species for my Bredli enclosure and will be using them when my Cape York is old enough for her Jungle theme.

Their prices are pretty good depending on what you go for......I fully decked out my Murray Darling's enclosure for about $35 (it is not a small enclosure). They also gave good advice on which items could be 'dismantled' and used around an enclosure in smaller 'bunches' to save costs.

They will also custom design a themed enclosure for you if you give them dimensions and photos. 

Not sure how many towns have shops likes these but I have found them competitive compared to mail order companies...and you can see the item before you buy it.

Definitely worth checking if there is one in the area when putting together an enclosure.


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## ronhalling (May 30, 2013)

rvcasa said:


> Lots "spent on unnecessary gear"
> and then a $11 thermostat, classic!
> 
> Nice job
> ...



Hey there rvcasa, i think maybe you may have read my thread wrong as you will note my main thermostat is the JET-001 day night thermostat which cost a deal more than $11, i think the 1 you refer to is the JET-200 digital thermostat which i installed in conjunction with the extraction fans which have since been removed as not needed, i am sorry if somewhere in my thread i mislead anyone as this was not my intention  .............................................Ron


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## harlemrain (May 30, 2013)

How much did it cost you total? Sorry if you've already mentioned it :lol:


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## ronhalling (May 30, 2013)

In total Harls it cost around $300 from go to whoa, there was probably around $100 in unnecissary stuff ie fans,extra thermostat, UV lighting etc, but all up i was happy and Cinaman was happy so that is the main thing, but i know now for the next build what i really need so the next 1 it will be cheaper .........................Ron


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## harlemrain (May 30, 2013)

ronhalling said:


> In total Harls it cost around $300 from go to whoa, there was probably around $100 in unnecissary stuff ie fans,extra thermostat, UV lighting etc, but all up i was happy and Cinaman was happy so that is the main thing, but i know now for the next build what i really need so the next 1 it will be cheaper .........................Ron




I wish I was this talented! Bought what going to be a cabinet conversion a couple months back and nothing came of it lol, well done it looks amazing


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## Bart70 (May 30, 2013)

harlemrain said:


> I wish I was this talented! Bought what going to be a cabinet conversion a couple months back and nothing came of it lol, well done it looks amazing



I have done a couple now and I am not talented to any great degree. I probably should put some pics up one day.

Bunnings had the larger (10 inch) Ozito Compound Mitre Slide Saw's on special for $98 on the weekend so I grabbed one. Whilst they are not full blown tradesman quality (they do have a 3 year full replacement warranty) it is a darned handy bit of gear to have around the house for altering or refurbing cabinets. It can cut material up to 300mm wide and does all the angle/mitre cuts. 

House is full of sawdust and bits if offcut timber.....But I have managed to add some nice little trick-bits to my enclosures.

There are some great TV cabinets around for converting if you do your homework....Ones that are 500 - 600mm deep are a little harder to find but are out there for little $$. I have 2 already that were glorified 'junk' collectors until one was turned into a MD and Jungle enclosure. The other is awaiting its refit.


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## harlemrain (May 30, 2013)

Bart70 said:


> I have done a couple now and I am not talented to any great degree. I probably should put some pics up one day.
> 
> Bunnings had the larger (10 inch) Ozito Compound Mitre Slide Saw's on special for $98 on the weekend so I grabbed one. Whilst they are not full blown tradesman quality (they do have a 3 year full replacement warranty) it is a darned handy bit of gear to have around the house for altering or refurbing cabinets. It can cut material up to 300mm wide and does all the angle/mitre cuts.
> 
> ...



I've got a massive one already not sure what the dimensions are just got pull my finger out and get started lol


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