new enclosure

[Spikeee]

Hi everyone.
I have a female Bredli named Precious and she is growing like a weed,
So ive decided to make her a bigger house.
Her current dwelling is 1500mm long x 600 x 600. Made mainly of wood. With a double glazed front window.
She has been happy. But she is starting to outgrow it.
So i started planning for her long term future.

With some research i found a new double glazed front window 2600 long x 950 high.
and thru work ive scored insulated panels 75mm thick for the walls, roof and floor.

now to my questions, which thermostat and heat source?
vents at either end as usual?

Thanks for any advice

- - - Updated - - -

No one?

Are on off thermostat's the go for cheap and reliability?
Or is there a better option.
Ive tried searching but haven't found much from recent threads

 

[mje772003]

My advice is look at herpshop or proherp websites for heating and thermostats. The type of thermostat would also be based on what type of heating your going to have.

 

[arevenant]

At that size - a 100w - 150w basking globe and you won't need a thermostat.
I have my 4yo male Bredli in a 4x4x2 melamine with a 150w globe and no thermostat - I get a temp of about 35c roughly 60cm from the globe and a ground temp of about 27c.
Bredli like it a little hotter than most other Morlelia when it comes to basking spots.

 

[Spikeee]

Thanks,
But due to being fully insulated i feel a thermostat will be essential.
As the vents will be the only source of heat loss.
And the double glazed window make a massive difference to heat retention.

I was kinda planning on starting with a 150w heat lamp up one end to start with, and then work out if i need anything else by monitoring the temps from there.

Are small enslosure fans worth using in such a big setup?

And where can i find the moulded backgrounds that ive seen in some setups?
It would need to be 900 high.
Thanks

 

[wokka]

At that size - a 100w - 150w basking globe and you won't need a thermostat.
I have my 4yo male Bredli in a 4x4x2 melamine with a 150w globe and no thermostat - I get a temp of about 35c roughly 60cm from the globe and a ground temp of about 27c.
Bredli like it a little hotter than most other Morlelia when it comes to basking spots.

I think 100-150 watts of heat in such a heavily insulated cage would get too hot without a thermostat. It will be difficult to create the cool temperature gradient as the heat cannot escape. Double glazed windows and 75mm panel would be great to house a python in the snow, but it is generally an overkill in normal climates.

 

[Spikeee]

If i had to pay for the insulated panels i would agree totally.
Way over the top.
Considering they were free for me, i figured why not.

I figured good ventilation and constant controlled temp should make her happy. Considering the amount of room, i can make plenty of options for her to hang out both up high or spread out.

 

[arevenant]

I think 100-150 watts of heat in such a heavily insulated cage would get too hot without a thermostat. It will be difficult to create the cool temperature gradient as the heat cannot escape. Double glazed windows and 75mm panel would be great to house a python in the snow, but it is generally an overkill in normal climates.

Yep completely agree, skimmed over the details that said insulated and double glazed - gonna improve the heat retention quite dramatically and a thermostat would be a good option indeed.

 

[Spikeee]

Is a circulation fan worth contemplating?
Or will the natural heat transfer be enough?

Got the end walls and floor assembled this arvo.
Tomorrow should get the rear wall and roof.

Ive designed and constructed it in sections so if i ever decide to move house etc i can separate it into
Manageable pieces.
The total weight is heading north, so trying to keep it move able.

 

[wokka]

A circulation fan will destroy any gradient you get. A thermostatically controlled exhaust fan at the cool end would work, set to exhaust when the temp at the cool ends exceeds say 25c. Possibly if you replace the double glazed window with a single glazed slider it would allow excess heat out. Unfortunately you are starting with the wrong materials -free or not. If you go with a fan , what happens if the cooling thermostat fails? Keep your heat source at the absolute minimum to provide the required hot spot.

 

[Spikeee]

Why is loosing heat thru the front glass better then double glazed?
Im curious as i was under the impression the opposite would be far better for power consumption. And constant temps.
Obviously there will be a hotter end and a cooler end. So she can move wherever she wants

 

[wokka]

Glass is a poor insulator so surplus heat can be lost easily. Once you double glaze the gas between the two layers of glass improves the insulation significantly. The surplus heat will have nowhere to go and so will build up. Your cage may be better on power consumption for heating but difficult to provide a thermal gradient. I doubt that the cool end will be much cooler than the hot end. I made the same mistake in that I have snake rooms made of cool room panel. The heat builds up so that the ambient in the room gets over 25c. To breed I need to use extractor fans to remove heat from my rooms. My opinion, and i am not qualified except for experience, is that getting rid of heat from the cool end will be more difficult than providing the heat to the hot end. A baffle wall may help.

 

[mikey_mike]

Surely hear loss can be controlled by adding or removing vents.
It seems to me that this set up will allow control of temp, gradient and power bills.
Please let us know how you get on.

 

[Spikeee]

Its getting closer.
Ive designed and constructed it so it can be removed in sections.
The weight and size as one piece is unmanageable. But in seperate wall sections, window, roof etc its a 2 man lift.
The window alone is 85 kgs.

I visited Bunnings on the weekend and found some good size vents.
So im going to start with a big one at the cool end 350mm x 250mm and a slightly smaller one at the hot end.
I can then adjust the wattage of the heat lamp, and also go bigger on the vent if there isnt enough variation in temp.

The hard bit is working out what to put in such a big tank. Structure and or decoration wise.

Its in my dining room and looks very impressive. So need to put some thought and effort into the fitout.

Any ideas?

Big log And some fancy well placed feature lighting is my current thinking. But open to suggestions.

 

[mikey_mike]

At 2600 x 950 I'd install a bean bag & a tv & move in.
Looking forward to a photo when its finished.

 

[Spikeee]

Has anyone used a log / branch they have found themselves?
Ive read many posts on this but first hand advice is allways good.

select carefully then strip clean of all debris.
Pressure clean.
Then soak in vinegar or bleach.
And or use a heat gun to cook any porous parts.
Then pressure clean again and let dry thoroughly.

Anyone have any other advice?

Im thinking a nice redgum log about 2m long 6 inch round.
Forked for stability with about 2 foot of elevation.

 

[Spikeee]

Progress.

Window and roof have been removed for the rock renovations.
But its starting to come together.
In the middle is a removable water pond thats plenty strong enough to hold her weight.

Tomorrow the grouting starts.

 

[dodgie]

Always use a Thermostat you don't want to burn your House down.

Keep us updated this looks awesome.

 

[Spikeee]

Yep
I have a evo microclimate here patiently waiting for its chance to be put be put in charge.

 

[Wallo]

Congrats on the Evo - they are little rippers
With wood from the bush I give it a F10 spray and let it dry out then spray it with Mac Mite - cleans the wood up an absolute treat - never had an issue - just make sure you get in to all the nooks and ensure it is dry

And always use a thermostat with any heat source - best to be safe than sorry

 

[Spikeee]

Awesome info. Thanks

I've got my second coat of grout on now.
had my kids in there painting away doing their bit.

I was thinking a red grout rock would look cool,
but after using a gunmetal grey grout im now thinkin i may stick with it.