Vertical vivarium?

[AMY22]

I'm aware that due to gradient reasons a horizontal vivarium is more efficient, but I would prefer to have a vertical one for my MD next, 1. because he loves to climb, and 2. it's more space efficient for my home. If I created a shelf at the top of the vivarium and placed the heating in there so he can climb up there to keep toasty, would that be okay?

 

[JrFear]

im sure it would be fine as long as he can get to a heat source! a shelf like you said would be perfect.

 

[AMY22]

Yeah he'll get to it, haha. Though I wouldn't put it past me. I might forget the door too.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Generally, you are correct in suggesting that horizontal enclosures are easier to heat effectively (with a gradient), but vertical can work, although I would suggest that you place a low-wattage heat source low down in the enclosure as well, to ensure that if the animal does venture down there in very cold weather, it can maintain sufficient body heat to enable it to move back upstairs when it wants to. Something like a 15 or 25 W heat cord under a tile, on which the snake can absorb belly heat.

It may not be necessary if your house is sufficiently warm during very cold weather, but will just help a bit if the place is very cold.

Jamie

 

[AMY22]

Thankyou. Yeah I did think of that, I was going to have the UV lighting attached to the bottom of the shelf to light the lower/main section. This is a rough draft of what I had in mind. Bare in mind this is just a first design which I plan to work on. View attachment 263399

 

[JrFear]

i cant see the picture =[

 

[AMY22]

Is the attachment not working? It's working for me... :?

 

[mad_at_arms]

Nope.

 

[AMY22]

Hmmm...



- - - Updated - - -

How's that?

 

[leamos]

That worked

 

[AMY22]

Excellent. Remember it's just a very rough draft and the design/proportions will most likely be different.

 

[James_Scott]

I would remove the caged heat emitter and put in a heat panel under the shelf. That way you heat both below and above the shelf and no ugly cage.

 

[JrFear]

wow thats a big enclosure!
are u going to have glass on the front? door on the side?

 

[Pythoninfinite]

I'd also drop the top venst down to about 2/3 of the distance from the floor so you can trap some warm air in the upper part of the enclosure, otherwise convection will just pull air in from the bottom vents and shoot it straight out through the top vents.

Jamie

 

[Justdragons]

I would make it 600 deep as sheets are 1200 wide and you will get 2 full strips out of one sheet and if you make it 1800 high you can get pre cut strips of 600 x 1800 of melamine or laminate. Maybe just a few less vents when building a you can add more if it's not workin but adding more is easier. Looks the part though. It will be great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Snowman]

wow thats a big enclosure!
are u going to have glass on the front? door on the side?

That's a good question. The plastic track system is only supposed to support glass up to a certain hight. Also with sheets that big you may want to go with something a little more safe than standard glass.

 

[JrFear]

she could have toughned glass secured properly on the front and have an access door on the side

 

[AMY22]

I was thinking of having a big glass or perspex door at the front with a wooden frame. It may be too much, but I'd like to have a full clean view of the Montaloons in his new pad. That's a good point about making the depth smaller, I was seeing how deep I could make it so that I could still get it through the door, haha.
I was going to have a caged light for the heating up the top because I was thinking of just using the one I already have in his current cage, or just buying a new cord and fitting as it costs less than $20. And the UV light I was going to use was the one I had for my old frog vivarium that is no longer being used. All that could save me close to $100.
And the top vents, if I move them up, should the ones on the lower level be moved as well?

Thanks so much for your advice everyone, I was expecting people to go 'that's crap! Why would you build that! Someone call the RSPCA!'.

 

[thomasssss]

I would make it 600 deep as sheets are 1200 wide and you will get 2 full strips out of one sheet and if you make it 1800 high you can get pre cut strips of 600 x 1800 of melamine or laminate.lk

Forgetting about the thickness of the blade you use to cut it , so if it's 1200 wide and you try to get 2 600 wide pieces one or both will end up under 600 because the blade effectively turns what it cuts through to dust , although it's only a few mm those few mm will result in a cage that is un square and looks wonky from some angles

 

[Ralphee]

Pythoninfinite was sugguesting you move the top vents lower, not higher, to create a area at the top the heat cant escape from (heat rises, if its vented at the top, all the heat will quickly escape and it will be very difficult - read expensive - to keep at temperature)
Also they are assuming you are using melamine sheeting to make the box, what material were you thinking of using?
If you are using glass to do the door, maybe ask a glazier about that, not my area of expertise, but that would be heavy and need to be hinged rather well, a clear perspex could simply have a piano hinge on it, but thats not as nice as glass.