View Full Version : anyone ever done this before?
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 04:03 PM
Just a thought that I had for a setup for a GTP baby...
First off, here's my idea -- I want to take an aquarium, turn it on it's end (so it's upright), and have a piece of plexiglass (or the like) somehow attached as a locking door. Not a sliding door, but a door that works on hinges. I'd drill holes into the door for ventilation...
Now here's the reasoning behind it -- I know that most people keep their young arboreals (esp. ones that need humidity like GTPs) in rubbermaids -- but I prefer having more visibility, and the rubbermaids seem awfully small as far as having room to maneuver in there while cleaning without having the snake be right in your face, and wanting to bite you. The other option was just getting an aquarium and setting it up with a conventional screen top (and covering part of it to help control humidity) -- my problem with that setup being similar to one of the problems with the rubbermaid -- since the snake is arboreal, it's likely to be at the top of the tank when you open it up, and you could get tagged before you even knew what happened.
What does everyone think? What have you found works well for young arboreals, especially ones that tend to be a bit on the aggressive side?
Thanks for any input that you can give :)
Jen
Jen,
Already making plans for your new baby, huh? Same with me too. A store in Toronto makes all-glass cages, and their arboreal cages are very similar to what you just described, so I think that it would work. They have mesh at the top for a heat lamp.
Hope this helps.
Forgot to add that I saw some really nice looking all acrylic enclosures somewhere before that looked really spiffy. I will post pictures or links when I find them.
if it's got the plastic around the top like many aquariums you probably could buy a premade screen (similar to the ones kate modified for streng) to put in with the aquarium on it's side. it isn't locking with a key but it does have clips on one side and a latch on the other side so the whole side would be removable.
if you want to see a pic of the kind of screen i'm talking about just shout and i'll attach a pic.
Jen,
Here you go, I got them from this site:
http://www.arborealadventures.com/our_facility1.htm
Hope this helps.
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 05:41 PM
Those look amazing :) I'll bet that they cost an arm and a leg though -- LOL :)
I checked out an acrylic/plastic cage that Jeff S. mentioned -- from Barrs, in the states -- only problem is by the time I got it up here it would end up costing $200 or so -- and that's just for the cage, nevermind accessories... a little too steep, especially after what I'm spending on my baby himself... hehe...
That's why I was looking for slightly cheaper alternatives....
Lisa -- sure, that would be great if you could attach a pic :) Wouldn't it be harder to control the humidity with a screen "top" though? And since the screen would be on the front, I think it would be hard to cover part of it to help maintain humidity -- not as easy as just laying a piece of glass etc on top of part of it like you can when it's actually being used as a lid...
Jen
Jeff_Favelle
12-01-02, 05:45 PM
Aquariums aren't the greatest for GTP's Jen. Green Trees need a surprising amount of air flow. It makes sense when you think about it too. They aren't under wet logs or curled up in leaf litter in New Guinea and Australia. Nope. They are in the trees and get a surprising amount air movement around them. They are nothing like a Rainbow and most people don't keep them in Rubbermaids past 8-12 months of age.
They also don't experience the high temps that are associated with the regions that they are from.
Its all about the microclimates. Totally. If it wasn't, we'd have about 5 species of snakes in the world, ha ha!
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 06:20 PM
Hmmm.... what kind of setup would you recommend then Jeff? Although eventually I'll need an "adult" setup, something that will be ok for him for the first year or so is what I'm concerned about right now...
Those Barrs cages don't look like they'd have a lot of airflow either...
Finding something that will allow airflow and yet still maintain humidity should be interesting then....
Jeff_Favelle
12-01-02, 06:52 PM
The cages that Edwin posted look great! They have vents and everything on the sides.
But the best, cost-effective way of doing it is to build your own. They only need 2x2x2 and it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to build that out of 5/8" plywood.
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 07:29 PM
You're assuming that I'm even remotely handy... LOL :) You willing to help? *grins*... (seriously! hehe)
Would the plywood be ok with the humidity though? Wouldn't it warp?
Jeff_Favelle
12-01-02, 07:56 PM
Ha ha, if I had the time to build cages for you, then I would have the time to build the 30 cages that I need for myself! LOL!
Can't help you there. Maybe ******** will build you a couple and sell them to you? Shipping would be hell though...
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 08:07 PM
Darn ;) Well, it was worth a shot *grins*.... What's one little cage though? ;) You said yourself it would only be like 20 minutes :D Hehe...
If it would be fairly easy to do, I could probably manage it myself -- do you think that the lumber store would be able to cut the pieces to size for me, and I could just assemble them? I'm sure I could manage that much :)
I'm also assuming that I would want to have some kind of sealant on the wood so that the humidity doesn't warp it out of shape within weeks?
You don't have plans for the cages that you've built, do you?
If it's more difficult than I could handle, you don't know anyone handy that lives a little closer, do you? :) Because you're right, the shipping would be hell...
Jeff_Favelle
12-01-02, 08:23 PM
The Lumber stores will totally cut the wood for you (at $0.25 per cut). It shouldn't cost much at all. But remember you'll have to paint the cage too (small can of marine enamel will run about $9). You should only need 1 and 1/2 pieces of 4x8 plywood ($30 a sheet), and let's use 3/4" for simplicity's sake:
Here are the dimensions you need for a 2x2x2 cage: (in inches)
Top = 24 x 24
Bottom = 24 x 24
Sides = 24 x 22.5 (x2)
Back = 22.5 x 22.5
Front panels = 22.5 x 4
And that's it. Paint them (both sides) and then screw it together. Done.
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 08:26 PM
LOL -- that DOES sound fairly easy :) I think I could do that...
What about the front doors? And I'm assuming that I'd want to install some kind of vents into at least one of the sides so that there'd be some airflow....
Jeff_Favelle
12-01-02, 08:40 PM
2 ways of doing it:
1) Drill many many small holes in both sides of the cage for air flow.
2) Cut a whole and cover it with screen on both sides to allow for air flow.
Same concept, different method.
As for doors, get plastic tracking and have sliding glass doors. Don't muck around with snakes that have the worst bite in the business (well, after Emmies).
:D
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 08:59 PM
Hmmm -- this DOES sound like something I can handle :) As long as I can get the lumber store to cut the board to size for me...
Do I need to drill pilot holes before I put the screws in? If I wanted to use melamine -- would that work too? Would the lumber store still cut it for me?
And last question (I think... hehe)... If I wanted to have something a little more rectangular... what dimensions would I need for an enclosure say -- 16 x 16 x 20, or maybe 18 x 18 x 24?
LOL -- I know, that's why I want a front opening enclosure instead of a top opening one ;) Not looking forward to the day when this guy gets me -- which I'm sure will happen at some point!
Jeff_Favelle
12-01-02, 09:07 PM
I wouldn't go less then 24 inches high for a GTP. No way.
And yes, if you use melamine, PRE-DRILL!!
Clownfishie
12-01-02, 09:12 PM
Maybe I typed the dimensions wrong there :) I meant it to be 18L x 18W x 24H -- does that sound ok?
Do you think that the melamine would be like a lot harder to work with? I just thought that it might make a nicer looking enclosure than the plywood, although I'm sure that both would work...
Jeff_Favelle
12-01-02, 09:26 PM
18" wide an deep kind of seems small for a GTP. They cruise (ALOT at night) and I'd think that they'd appreciate the room.
clownfishie
I was repling about your original thought. I have done that with several cages. I use them for day geckos though. I just turn the tank on its side and find a long piano hinge. I think they sell them at home depot. They are 3 foot long then I take and screw it to some plexyglass then screw that to the cage. I also can drill air vents in the plexyglass that way. I really like the set up and the geckos love the extra hieght in the cage. I have never used it for a GTP though. I live in Phoenix, AZ and there are several places around here that work in acrylic and they will bould about anything you want if you just give them some plans. Hope this helps
Clownfishie
12-02-02, 11:13 AM
Thanks Bill :)
Do you just screw it into the plastic rim then? Do you find that there's enough air circulation in there for them?
I wish I could afford to have a cage made of acrylic! They look awesome :)
Good air circulation isn't about that size of the vents, but rather the placement. That's why I like using rubbermaids so much, you can strategically place the holes yourself for optimum air circulation. In my emerald's container the humidity is usually around 85% , but I have no condensation anywhere in the enclosure because the holes have been drilled to allow good cross-ventialtion throughout the entire thing. The problem with tanks is you cannot have cross-ventilation because only one side out of the six is able to be ventilated. Aquariums are good for fish and animals with low-medium (regular house humidity) requirements, they aren't suitable for anything with higher requirements.
Jeff_Favelle
12-02-02, 11:50 AM
Linds, I couldn't have put it better myself! Excellent post!
Jen,
Why dont you try contacting Beth Wallbank, she builds really sturdy cages and is always willing to help another herper. She is the closest person to where you are that I can think of.
Hope this helps.
Beth has a bunch of ATB babies, and she made some nice looking cages for them too. Here is a pic which I took from the corallus forums.
Originally posted by Clownfishie
Lisa -- sure, that would be great if you could attach a pic :) Wouldn't it be harder to control the humidity with a screen "top" though? And since the screen would be on the front, I think it would be hard to cover part of it to help maintain humidity -- not as easy as just laying a piece of glass etc on top of part of it like you can when it's actually being used as a lid...
Jen
oops i meant to post this sooner, been busy @ work
tightsqueeze
12-07-02, 01:01 AM
NO PLYWOOD THAT SMALLL WON'T WARP ,IF IT WAS 6X2X2 THEN YES OVER TIME IT WOULD WARP !!!!
BUT YES JEFF FAVELLE HAS A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION WIHT THE 2X2X2 MADE OUT OF 5/8 PLYWOOD
IF YOU USED MALIMINE THEN IF YOU DIDN'T SEAL IT PROPERLY THEN YOU COULD HAVE THE CHANCE OF MOLD
JAY AND KELLY
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