Rainbow boa terrarium questions

[soad]

So currently I have my brb in a sterlite tub which works great for keeping humidity and heat. But I would like to get an actual plastic terrarium that works just as well but looks a little nicer than a plastic tub. Any suggestions on brands or a website I could check out? Obviously no screen tops.

[sharthun]

So currently I have my brb in a sterlite tub which works great for keeping humidity and heat. But I would like to get an actual plastic terrarium that works just as well but looks a little nicer than a plastic tub. Any suggestions on brands or a website I could check out? Obviously no screen tops.

Here are some popular PVC cages :

Animal Plastics
http://www.apcages.com/home/

Pvccages
Snake Cage and Reptile Cage at PVC Cages | PVC Cages: For Healthier and Happier Snakes and Reptiles (http://pvccages.com)

Constrictors Northwest
Constrictors Northwest (http://www.constrictorsnw.com/cagessupply/plmodularcages.html)

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Have you had any experiences with these? Or heard anything about them?

[soad]

Have you had any experiences with these? Or heard anything about them?

V422 Vision cage (http://www.lllreptile.com/products/579-v422-vision-cage)

[sharthun]

Have you had any experiences with these? Or heard anything about them?

All great cages. Hold humidity well and easy to heat and clean. I personally like animal plastics. I have 3 t10 's and love them. I'm not crazy about vision cages, they are good at holding humidity but the plastic they are made of isn't very thick.

[soad]

All great cages. Hold humidity well and easy to heat and clean. I personally like animal plastics. I have 3 t10 's and love them. I'm not crazy about vision cages, they are good at holding humidity but the plastic they are made of isn't very thick.

So those are pretty good with holding heat and humidity as well? Would flex watt work good with those? I've been trying to look at those but from all of my computers it says the server is down when I try to enter the website.

[sharthun]

So those are pretty good with holding heat and humidity as well? Would flex watt work good with those? I've been trying to look at those but from all of my computers it says the server is down when I try to enter the website.

Yes you can use heat tape but i recommend radiant heat panels. I have 5 of the 40 watt Reptile Basics RHP'S.

RBI Radiant Heat Panels (http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels)

[soad]

Yes you can use heat tape but i recommend radiant heat panels. I have 5 of the 40 watt Reptile Basics RHP'S.

RBI Radiant Heat Panels (http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels)

So where do you place those? Do they heat the floor well? And also do they affect the humidity at all?

[sharthun]

So where do you place those? Do they heat the floor well? And also do they affect the humidity at all?

Radiant Heat Panel FAQ: Reptile Products You Can Trust | Reptile Basics Inc (http://www.reptilebasics.com/radiant-panel-faq)

You mount them inside on the ceiling of your enclosure. No issues with humidity.

[SnoopySnake]

In my experience the radiant heat panels dried the air out a bit but not nearly as much as a lamp. Depending on your ambient temps I personally would go with flex watt or an ultratherm heat mat for a rainbow boa.

[sharthun]

In my experience the radiant heat panels dried the air out a bit but not nearly as much as a lamp. Depending on your ambient temps I personally would go with flex watt or an ultratherm heat mat for a rainbow boa.

I was hoping snakesitter would chime in. He's a RB expert. I would think you would want some cypress mulch or substrate that would hold moisture and not mildew or rot.

[SnoopySnake]

I was hoping snakesitter would chime in. He's a RB expert. I would think you would want some cypress mulch or substrate that would hold moisture and not mildew or rot.

He probably will, lol.. Yes cypress mulch is really good for rainbow boas, and sphagnum moss.. I personally use soil covered in eco earth because I have a bioactive enclosure. Heat mats also do a really good job putting moisture from the substrate into the air which is why I think it's better for a rainbow boa :)

[sharthun]

He probably will, lol.. Yes cypress mulch is really good for rainbow boas, and sphagnum moss.. I personally use soil covered in eco earth because I have a bioactive enclosure. Heat mats also do a really good job putting moisture from the substrate into the air which is why I think it's better for a rainbow boa :)

Yeah I agree! I don't keep any RB's. All mine are colubrids. Although, my black milk has a moist hide filled with damp sphagnum moss.

[Snakesitter]

I was hoping snakesitter would chime in.



Will not!

Er... ;-)

I use Boaphile Plastics enclosures, but any plastic enclosure will work fine. Aim for at least six square feet of floor space, unless you plan to move up in sizes as the animal grows.

For heat, either undercage or RHPs work best. In either case, make sure you pair it with a solid thermostat for your and the animal's safety.

For humidity, limiting ventilation is key. Make sure you have limited air exchange (otherwise your humidity will leak out), use a large flat waterbowl to maximize evaporation, choose moisture-retaining but mold-resistant substrate (top choices are coco husk, orchid bark, and eco earth), and add a moist sphagnum moss hide.

I hope this helps!

[soad]

Will not!

Er... ;-)

I use Boaphile Plastics enclosures, but any plastic enclosure will work fine. Aim for at least six square feet of floor space, unless you plan to move up in sizes as the animal grows.

For heat, either undercage or RHPs work best. In either case, make sure you pair it with a solid thermostat for your and the animal's safety.

For humidity, limiting ventilation is key. Make sure you have limited air exchange (otherwise your humidity will leak out), use a large flat waterbowl to maximize evaporation, choose moisture-retaining but mold-resistant substrate (top choices are coco husk, orchid bark, and eco earth), and add a moist sphagnum moss hide.

I hope this helps!

What would be an appriate sized ap cage? If it's not bad for the snake I would like to get a cage that will Be a good size for an adult. She is currently 4 months old. And I was considering the radiant heat panel if that's a good choice. Also is there a light you can get that won't emit heat or lower the humidity of the cage. To top it off any suggestions on a reasonably priced thermostat to use? I currently use a zilla. Once again thank you all for your help she is currently doing great and is being taken care of well but I would like to get her a cage that is good to look at and equipment that is easier to control temps and humidity

[sharthun]

What would be an appriate sized ap cage? If it's not bad for the snake I would like to get a cage that will Be a good size for an adult. She is currently 4 months old. And I was considering the radiant heat panel if that's a good choice. Also is there a light you can get that won't emit heat or lower the humidity of the cage. To top it off any suggestions on a reasonably priced thermostat to use? I currently use a zilla. Once again thank you all for your help she is currently doing great and is being taken care of well but I would like to get her a cage that is good to look at and equipment that is easier to control temps and humidity

Cliff should be able to answer the enclosure size question. But I think it's just fine to place a young snake in and adult sized enclosure, provided you have enough hides and cover for security. The larger the enclosure the easier it is to have temperature gradients. I have three AP t10's with rbi rhp's installed and love them. A very good inexpensive thermostat is the hydrofarm. I have 5 of them and they work great.

Hydrofarm thermostat:
Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Heat Mat Temperature Controller 6" at EssentialHardware.com (http://www.essentialhardware.com/hydrofarm-mtprtc-digital-heat-mat-temperature-controller-6-147951.html)

This is the cheapest shipped price online supplier for the hydrofarm tstat that I've found. Hope this helps!

[SnoopySnake]

Cliff should be able to answer the enclosure size question. But I think it's just fine to place a young snake in and adult sized enclosure, provided you have enough hides and cover for security. The larger the enclosure the easier it is to have temperature gradients. I have three AP t10's with rbi rhp's installed and love them. A very good inexpensive thermostat is the hydrofarm. I have 5 of them and they work great.

Hydrofarm thermostat:
Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Heat Mat Temperature Controller 6" at EssentialHardware.com (http://www.essentialhardware.com/hydrofarm-mtprtc-digital-heat-mat-temperature-controller-6-147951.html)

This is the cheapest shipped price online supplier for the hydrofarm tstat that I've found. Hope this helps!


All very good info^^ I would just get the adult enclosure and fill it with hides, lots of branches and lots of fake plants. I personally wouldn't go any smaller than a 4x2x2 for an adult enclosure.

[Snakesitter]

Size
Aim for at least six square feet of floor space, unless you plan to move up in sizes as the animal grows. (This is based on the "one square foot of floor space her foot of adult length" rule.) I actually go higher myself, and offer adults eight square feet. Height is not a concern, one foot is fine. As was noted by others, just be sure to add extra hides and other cover.

Heat
A radiant heat panel is fine, just a bit more pricey than undercage options.

Light
I generally do not recommend enclosure-level lighting for this species. They are shy and nocturnal by nature, so bright light is not high on their list. Just use room lighting.

Thermostat
I tend to go high-end, due to the increased accuracy and reduced risk of failure -- and because I buy the units with four controllers in one box. The Herpstat 5 is my unit of choice...though it's not cheap.

Good luck!

[soad]

Size
Aim for at least six square feet of floor space, unless you plan to move up in sizes as the animal grows. (This is based on the "one square foot of floor space her foot of adult length" rule.) I actually go higher myself, and offer adults eight square feet. Height is not a concern, one foot is fine. As was noted by others, just be sure to add extra hides and other cover.

Heat
A radiant heat panel is fine, just a bit more pricey than undercage options.

Light
I generally do not recommend enclosure-level lighting for this species. They are shy and nocturnal by nature, so bright light is not high on their list. Just use room lighting.

Thermostat
I tend to go high-end, due to the increased accuracy and reduced risk of failure -- and because I buy the units with four controllers in one box. The Herpstat 5 is my unit of choice...though it's not cheap.

Good luck!

Thank you for all the info! you've been a big help but I do have a final question for you. What are good temps for warm and cool side? I've seen different care sheets with different temps where one would say 87 on the warm and another would say above 85 can be dangerous.

[Snakesitter]

The last part is correct advice: 85F and over can be lethal, if the snake cannot get away from it.

I set up my enclosures with the goal of a ten-degree gradient: 72F low end, 82F warm end.

And you are very welcome!

[soad]

So if I wanted to grasp some knowledge on breeding and genetics for brbs would I have to get just a general boa book or do they have any specific ones. Not necessarily saying I'm going to start breeding but I am very interested in knowing lots more about it. Been having difficulties trying to get info.

[Snakesitter]

There are very few dedicated books on rainbows out there. There are also very few proven morphs, as the genetics on this species are still young. Look on Amazon under "rainbow boa" in books. If you can, however, please buy them from a reptile store or vendor rather than there. Good luck!