How to Put Together a Snake Tub to Heat with a Lamp

[froggsong]

A new story entry has been added:

[drupal=64]How to Put Together a Snake Tub to Heat with a Lamp[/drupal]

I had a problem. I needed a new enclosure for my corn snake because I needed to turn the heat down in the house, without him getting too cold. I didn't have anything I could use that wouldn't melt from a lamp, and I didn't want to buy a small glass tank just to have to upgrade again soon. I needed to get it done fast, and get it done cheap, so no flexwatt or heaters. Here's what I came up with, and how you can do it too.

[harrywitmore]

This is a very handy way to make a cheap cage. Very good job. But, I was wondering. Since corn snakes are native to areas that get very cold in the winter and even very cool while they are active. How cold were you going to keep your home?

[froggsong]

Less than 70 degrees, probably all day, definitely all night. I cannot afford to heat the house higher than that for any extended periods because the light bills for this house are way too high, probably because my idiot landlord did alot of the wiring himself, and he doesn't know what he is doing. Also, from what I have read, a change in temperature in the winter is not desirable unless breeding. Most of my sources say that corn snakes should be kept at 75-85 degrees in order to digest their food, the lower number being the lowest the temp should fall during the night, I haven't seen anything saying that the temp should fall below 70 degrees. I could not maintain anything higher than 68 degrees unless I turned my room thermostat up to 75 degrees, at which point I could get it up to 73 degrees in the day time. I'm sure that the thermostat does not regulate the temperature properly for whatever reason, since the digital thermostat (that doesn't control anything and I can't discover it's purpose other than as a thermometer) that is also in the living room would get well above 80 degrees before the heater would turn off. Not only can I not afford to keep the heater running all the time, I can't stand having it that warm in the house.

I'm glad you liked it. I put alot of work into it to make it look nice even though it is just a tub. I wish I had taken a pic of it after I wrapped some of the extra "ivy" around the pond so that you can't see it from the outside. It looks even better that way. It's holding the temps perfectly with nothing but a 25watt bulb (I try to be as economical as possible with bulbs and such), I even get a bit of a night drop because I change the color of the bulb at night. I use a soft purple bulb during the day so there isn't glaring light, then a red at night, and the red one doesn't produce as much heat (I guess because of the color?).

[darc]

The only thing I have to proffer in addition is that I prefer a Dremel (any rotary tool) over a wood burner any day. The dremel may get melted/cut plastic stuck to the drill bit, but at least you don't have the smell/smoke of burning plastic hovering over you. It works well with a decent cordless drill too.

Other than that tiny thing... looks good.
-darc

[JohnEDove]

frogsong,
years ago I was in a similar situation and came up with sort of the same idea with a lower wattage bulb.
What I did was build wooden box frames out of 1X6 wood to fit under the enclosures and mount a cheap light fixture at one end inside the box with a 12 watt bulb in it. on top of the box I attached a piece of flashing tin to prevent the light from showing then I set the enclosure on the box.
The heat from underneath is what terrestrial snakes sense anyway and this provided a temp gradient my snakes at the time seemed to find acceptable.

[froggsong]

John, that's a great idea too! I do try to provide belly heat, that's why I have the basking rocks under the light and whatnot. I have the thermometer probe under the place where he spends the most time on the warm side (just an ambient thermometer on the cool side), and the temp there is perfect.

darc, I have used the dremel as well, and I really prefer the wood burner (or soldering iron). The holes are more uniform, you don't have to worry about cracking the plastic, and the smoke isn't too bad it you pay attention to what you are doing and don't get too much plastic stuck to the tip. Plus, melting it is just so much faster. Of course, we all have our preferences... I bought the wood burner just to do things like this. The only wood I might burn with it would be going into a vive. I wonder if I can do a portrait of the CWD on one of his branches? lol... That way when you look into the tank you think he's sitting there even when he isn't!

[FroggieLove]

This is great! And thanks for the idea, I may just use this to make a winter tank for my frogs. It gets cold in my room in the winter, and I have to use twice as many bulbs as normal to keep my babies warm enough. So, is it the plastic itself that keeps the tank warmer?

[froggsong]

The plastic is a MUCH better insulator than glass. I am currently using a 25 watt bulb, and the temp stays at 84.5 on the hot side with the light on, which is actually a little too hot, but still ok for the hot side. If you do screen across the entire top it wont work quite as well to keep the heat in.

[FroggieLove]

Thank you so much for this! You have been so helpful!!!