Opinions on enclosures :)

[calebs92]

After alot a thought and planning I've decide to build my own 4 bank enclosure, I have draw it out planned what i want in each. Btw Im 17 and have been saving a while for this, and was going to pay some one to do it but too be honest I dont trust others, and i got year 12 furnishing award 2 weeks agos so I know I could build it but I didn't have the big machine to cut the wood perfectly and Ive work out away around it this. Ive looked at prices of different things and im planning it to cost around $1000 max Including Wood, glass+tracks, vents, all the plants/bowls/hides/substrate, lights, thermostats, sealer and timers.
Heres the plan,
Overall size - 1200mm long by 2400mm high by 600mm deep
bredli enclosure - 1200mm long by 1200mm high by 600mm deep
blue tongue enclosure - 1200mm long by 450mm high by 600mm deep
central beaded dragon enclosure - 1200mm long by 450mm high by 600mm deep
spotted python enclosure -1200mm long by 300mm high by 600mm deep

Im planning on making it out of black melamine, and going to ask a cabinet maker I did work experience with if cut out my pieces for me. Then ill just drill them together and seal at home.

Snake enclosures will have one ceramic es light fitting each (with cages)
Lizard enclosures will have two ceramic es light fittings each, 1 for heat bulbs 1 for UVB
Amazing amazon have pre-wired one.
All on thermostats and times.

bredli - 2 big vents
lizards and spotted - 1 big vent each

Them I'm going to have them all as sliding glass door.

Set up plans -
bredli - rainforest (lots of green and branches)
blue tongue - backyard (fake grass, house, bricks and logs)
beardeds - desert (sand, rocks and logs)
spotted - cave (bark and rocks)
All get a big water dish, lizards get a fruit/veg dish as well and hides in all.

Please give me pros, cons, opinions or any help you can please comment.

Thanks you

 

[disintegratus]

I would suggest
a) not making it so high unless you're ridiculously tall or are not opposed to using a stepladder. Though getting a cranky snake out of an enclosure above head height would be interesting at least
b) making 4 (or even 2) separate enclosures that stack on top of each other (maybe line up some holes in the corners and connect the enclosures with dowel so they sit properly) this way the bank as a whole is interchangable, and also won't weigh a tonne when you have to move it!

That's all I can suggest for now, based on my experiences with owning (not so much making, having bought them secondhand) a few bank enclosures.

 

[slide]

A suggestion would be to think about reaching in/bending down to clean them out and also can you move it from one room/house to another. Surely one day you will move if you are 17.

Aaron

 

[Pythoninfinite]

A few things... as has already been pointed out, the extremes - at floor level and overheight - are awkward to service, and you'll have to get down on hands & knees to see what's in the bottom enclosure and stand on a chair to get at the top one.

More importantly, you'll have a lot of difficulty managing the temps effectively in each enclosure due to the fact that stacked enclosures suffer a build-up of heat from the enclosure/s below them, if you can't insulate them from the enclosure below. It can be done by those with a lot of experience, but requires constant monitoring, and you chance accidentally cooking the animals in the higher enclosures, or at least considerably overheating them. The floors of the higher enclosures can become dangerously and constantly too warm.

Remember that the bank of enclosures you are planning will be extremely heavy and difficult to move, and may have to be dismantled to manoeuvre it into a standard room, especially if it's off a passageway, you won't get it around corners.

Overall, I would definitely consider at least making two double enclosures, if you can't afford four single enclosures (the best option).

Just a note for accuracy - bredli is a central Australian species, so you would get a better look with a desert-type setup, a rainforest look would be way off the mark.

Jamie

 

[calebs92]

Disintegratus - dont worry the bredli is at the top, very friendly And yes ill be making step too grap him ! And making was planning to make them all separately so I can move and switch them around.

Pythoninfinite - Ill be doing alot of testing with different wattage before anything goes in, making sure basking spot dont get to hot for the reptiles needs. I'm only making the bredli enclosure a rainforest forest so everything has a different theme

 

[Red-Ink]

Make sure you have enough structural support and thick enough melamine as it's going to be hideously heavy and may buckle under it's own weight. Castors are a definite consideration for ease of movement should it be necessary to move it.

 

[Misnomer]

Throwing practicality aside, I'm one for building large enclosures. Making them 'modular', although finicky, helps. I.e being able to dismantle it with a minimum of effort.

I've built one bank of enclosures which allows for the seperating walls and floor to be removed to make one 3.0m x 2.2m x 1.2m, or a combination. The whole front comes away with only 8 screws. Divides just slide out. With heavy panels of fake rock and flloor 'mats' it's not hard to maintain temps.

Recycled timber adds to the result....but preparing timber is a time consuming exercise.

Yes, I make things more complicated than need be :?

Happy building

 

[Snowman]

I go floor to about 1800 high. It's fine as I'm over 6ft and I don't mind bending down for the first level. Mine are just three levels at 1200L x 600H x 600W.
If you put the 1200H one at the top you will be fine.
From top to bottom I'd go:
1200H
300H
450H
450H
You don't want the 300 at the bottom cause it will be the hardest to see into at that height.
The biggest problem with going past 1800H is doorways. Also I put wheels on to make moving and even building it easier. Make sure you will fit it through doors and hallways if needed to get to its resting place in the house.

 

[justin91]

I'm going to mention something about the size of the spotted's enclosure. 300mm doesn't seem very high. Yes, they are a small snake but in my experience with my spotted, it loves climbing more then being on the ground.. Just throwing it out there.