Thinking I've been snowed.....

[smash_57]

Hi Ya'll,
My husband and I got a red tail boa about a week ago. It's about 5 months old and unsexed. Anyhow, I think we were talked into buying inappropriate housing, but I'm interested in opinions and options. We bought an Exo-terra Explorarium to keep him in (until he gets too big for it anyhow). My concern is now that I've come to my senses, I've found that controlling temperature and humidity may be a rather big issue here. We've got a heating lamp (infrared) that shines on part of the terrarium, so that there's a warm part and a cool part. He's got a water dish and a hide box as well. There's also a branch wound with greenery going diagonally from top to bottom, which he seems to enjoy, as well as some other greenery around part of one side (he likes to hide in this as well). I wish I could post a pic, but I don't have a dig. camera. Does anyone here have any experience with this kind of housing? I plan on building an enclosure for when he gets a little bigger (he's about 1 1/2' now), but I'm thinking I may need to go ahead with that now if we're going to have issues with what we have....
Thanks,
~Smash_57

	1.1 One Male and One Female

[tmfleo1]

If your talking about the Exo-terra Terrariums this are fairly new on the market
I have one which I use for my Crested Geckos
which I use a heat mat on the bottom on 24 hrs

have a uv and a day bulbs and a night bulb which are going tobe setup on timer

substrate I'm using perilite on the bottom with a layer of peat moss and then pea gravel

Also have a live plant.

I'm sure if this is the enclosure your talking about it would be fine for a small rtb for a while my oppion

good luck

[tmfleo1]

There's this one also but from the looks of it . It would not hold humidity very well

[smash_57]

Here's a pic I pulled off the internet - it's *very* ventilated as the whole thing is nylon mesh, with a soft plastic tray thing at the bottom.

[smash_57]

Ah - looks like we posted at the same time! That's the one. Now you can see my concern....

[tmfleo1]

I think with that one your going to have problems with humidity and holding heat that might be good for warm spring or summer weather but I would not use that during cold weather months might be better off with a ten gallon fishtank with a screen top or some of the other members use rubber maid type totes for thetre rtb's

[Miket20]

i would build a custom enclosure, about 4x2x2 that should last 2-2 1/2 years, i wouldn't worry about being to big just use loads of hides and fake plants basicly cut down the open space or section it off to start of with, use half and the as he grows open it up. i wouldn't bother with a glass aquariam there more hassle then there worth. are u sure he's a 18 inches that tiny for 5 months neonates are usually between about 16-22 inches

[smash_57]

I have a 10 gallon aquarium I'll be putting him in while I build his new enclosure. I've been looking at the cages/enclosures forums to try and get some ideas.....
Thanks ya'll, for your help.
~Smash_57
Oh - and no, I'm not sure he's 18 inches, it was a guess - I'll measure him in a little while...

[dfreeman1313]

Originally Posted by smash_57

I have a 10 gallon aquarium I'll be putting him in while I build his new enclosure. I've been looking at the cages/enclosures forums to try and get some ideas.....
Thanks ya'll, for your help.
~Smash_57
Oh - and no, I'm not sure he's 18 inches, it was a guess - I'll measure him in a little while...

Do a search on here for cages and cage designs. On this page, go up to the tool bar.....click on the "search" and type in "cage design", "cage plans", etc.

here's a very popular link...

http://redtailboa.net/modules.php?na...threadid=10501

I just built one similar to this for my 6' RTB and moved her in last night. Very easy to construct with the right tools, relatively light weight, and you'll save yourself a ton of money.