# Best type of large snake enclosure



## Chipewah (Apr 17, 2018)

Good evening members,

I have one snake at the moment and he is only small, about 60cm. He (Choc) is a mix of Darwin and Jungle, het Albino so I am estimating that he will grow somewhere between 150cm to 220cm.

I know I am going to need a large enclosure for him in the future and am contemplating building one out of MDF or Melamine but have heard that wood enclosures won't last all that long due to water damage and they also hold the smell of feces after a few years? 

I have looked at pre-made plastic type enclosures that seem like they last a long time, are relatively easy to clean and won't hold the smell of feces like wood do. 

I would love to hear experienced members thoughts on which enclosures are the better option?

I know the price of the plastic type ones are a few hundred to one thousand each and that likely plays a big part in why some consider the other the better option.


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## cris (Apr 17, 2018)

Some drink fridges can easily be converted into nice enclosures. They also make good incubators if you have lots of eggs to cook. You can find them for free if you are lucky.


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## Bl69aze (Apr 17, 2018)

Wood enclosures last a while if you seal it to prevent water damage.

I’ve seen people do things from tv units to walk in wardrobes to big holes in the walls


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## Pauls_Pythons (Apr 17, 2018)

Melamine does the job. I'm still using a double enclosure I built 10 years or more ago and its still absolutely fine.
You will of course get other suggestions but Melamine will always get my vote.

I was looking to buy some enclosures a while back to use for quarantine. I came across some built with MDF. Once they were heated up there was a musty snake [email protected] smell. I spent weeks trying different cleaning methods/materials to get rid of the smell but ended up breaking them up and building new ones from Melamine.


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## Shire pythons (Apr 17, 2018)

+1 for melamine.. the HMR (highly moisture resistant) variety is your best bet imo


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## Chris1 (Apr 17, 2018)

I hate the look of melamine, so mine were made by the very talented king sirloin using wood look stuff for the bits you see (can't remember what it's called, the stuff in layers) with a melamine floor for easy cleaning.


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## Ropey (Apr 17, 2018)

I used hard wood form ply in my enclosure. It is waterproof a little more expensive than mdf and melamine.my dads are 10+year old and still in good shape. the only thing is you have to seal the cuts with bond Crete for waterproofing.


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## Bl69aze (Apr 17, 2018)

Chris1 said:


> I hate the look of melamine, so mine were made by the very talented king sirloin using wood look stuff for the bits you see (can't remember what it's called, the stuff in layers) with a melamine floor for easy cleaning.


plywood?


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## Chris1 (Apr 17, 2018)

Yes, plywood!


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## Mick666 (Apr 18, 2018)

I also use plywood, mostly because it's light weight. if the shelves get smelly they can be replaced fairly easily.


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## Chipewah (Apr 18, 2018)

Seems like almost everyone is in favor of wood type enclosures.

I like to watch Tony Harrison's YouTube video's and I remember him saying he was moving to the molded pre-fabricated enclosures due to the ease of cleaning them and that no smell would hang around in them.

Has anyone had any experience with the iPetz molded enclosures?
That is what I am leaning towards when Choc gets bigger but that is still a few years away so I have plenty of time to save for it. I will likely need a few of them though as I increase my collection and they aren't exactly space friendly like a tub and rack system. I really like the tub and rack systems but then you actually have to get your snakes out to look at them and that is why I like the iPetz molded enclosures but I would definitely go with a tub and rack system for young snakes and anything that was likely going to be sold later down the track.

Thanks for everyone's replies as well. Food for thought.


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## Bl69aze (Apr 18, 2018)

I enjoy those mdf rectangle enclosures, fairly cheap, like 500$ for 2


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