Harpo's Spotted Python Enclosure Build

[Harpo]

Mate I use the heat tile that I made with heat chord 24/7 - it's like a heat mat, but better - It is the exact fit with even heat distribution ( 1/3 of enclosure size) It is controlled by a thermostat, and tile surface is 31- 32. Scan with temp gun. A black hide on it gets to 33-34, a wooden hide is 31-32. All on warm tile. Halogen above tile warms 2 wood hides (31+) and a basking rock that gets up to 34-35 sometimes, Daytimes. So I use both heat sources but rely on the heat tile/mat to do most of the work.

The cool end is usually sits 24 -26 (daytime) It cools more at night, like down to 20 or so.

At midnight I drop the heat tile down to 27 till dawn, the cool end was only 19 this morning, warm end 29. at 6am.

I advise DIY tile instead of the heat mat, but mats ok.

I did have the tile under the fake grass and it works fine, but currently no grass - I'm using alot of large rocks on paper towel covered in dry leaf litter, it looks nice. Substrate is my thing at the moment, I'm trying a few things to try to balance cost and convenience.

Good luck, I say go for it and get a spotted - they cool snakes, actually all snakes are cool IMHO.

 

[CarlosTheSnake]

just looking through some old posts and i must say - that enclosure looks AMAZING! how much did it cost to build the actual enclosure?

 

[Harpo]

Thanks @CarlosTheSnake , I didn't keep track of cost - but I should have. I'll try to break it down from memory.

vents - $60 aprox. You can cut costs by not adding bits and pieces.
glass - $50 custom cut and polished edges, again you can get a cheaper edge on 3 sides to cut cost.
melamine - about $100 including edging (check bunnings for exact price.)
Heat chord - ARS brand, I cannot remember price - about $20
Tiles - $10 or less.
Glass track - $25
LED light bar - $5 + $3 Diffuser

The light mod was cheap - about $10 at kmart, the light itself was $20 on ebay.

Bits like screw caps, hole pass-through things, screws, sliding glass lock, are all from Bunnings - about $20 there.

If you don't already have silicone, liquid nails, add that too.

Bear in mind you need tools like a file, clamps, a mitre box and saw is handy, various drill bits, an iron, jigsaw, angle grinder - for tile etc. I think I used my soldering iron even - on the led diffuser. Also Warning - edging the melamine takes skill, if you are handy you'll be fine. If you're all thumbs it could go wrong!

I muat have spent $300 - 350 I recon, ballpark figure. ? probably more - ssshhh!

 

[CarlosTheSnake]

Thanks @CarlosTheSnake , I didn't keep track of cost - but I should have. I'll try to break it down from memory.

vents - $60 aprox. You can cut costs by not adding bits and pieces.
glass - $50 custom cut and polished edges, again you can get a cheaper edge on 3 sides to cut cost.
melamine - about $100 including edging (check bunnings for exact price.)
Heat chord - ARS brand, I cannot remember price - about $20
Tiles - $10 or less.
Glass track - $25
LED light bar - $5 + $3 Diffuser

The light mod was cheap - about $10 at kmart, the light itself was $20 on ebay.

Bits like screw caps, hole pass-through things, screws, sliding glass lock, are all from Bunnings - about $20 there.

If you don't already have silicone, liquid nails, add that too.

Bear in mind you need tools like a file, clamps, a mitre box and saw is handy, various drill bits, an iron, jigsaw, angle grinder - for tile etc. I think I used my soldering iron even - on the led diffuser. Also Warning - edging the melamine takes skill, if you are handy you'll be fine. If you're all thumbs it could go wrong!

I muat have spent $300 - 350 I recon, ballpark figure. ? probably more - ssshhh!

where did you get the light bar and diffuser?
and what is the light mod?

 

[Harpo]

I got the light strip (LED) off e-bay. One of those cuttable adhesive types, and I only use a 5w. one and only about <30cm of it, and only for daylight/viewing (not using red or blue at night for example) with just warm or cool white light.
The diffuser, ebay also, I have a stack of them, (the "V" type) and they worked out at about $3ea. per m.

The light mod is the big hole I cut in the top of the enclosure to add a halogen basking bulb, ambient warmth over winter, and it also allows for good ventilation.
This one: