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valiant · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Tacoma, Wa

well, I have been having trouble setting up my small 10g tank, but it was too small anyway for a ball, so I went out into our garage and found an old tank we had out there. it is about the size of a 20g L tank.

we have some scrap plywood out there too and just for fun, I took one that was about the same size as the top and layed it into the groove. it fits pretty tightly, just need to trim it a little to fit length wise.

what i am wondering is if plywood is ok to use as a top? does anyone have any ideas to make a safe way to vent the top, it is a glass aquarium so it vents through the top. I am not really worried about how it looks just as long as it is escape proof and safe for the snake.

I have a plan to keep it shut using some straps to secure it to the stand I am using.
anything I am missing?
thanks
-Mike

frayedend · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 190 Location: Shrewsbury, MA

My thought is that making a top for a tank that has none is probably not worth it. I recommend going to a pet store and finding a screen lid that will fit (measure before you go unless you are sure you have a 20 Long). Then buy the clips that go on to keep it secure. It will look much nicer than using straps. After that I would buy a piece of plexiglass, the best stuff is polycarbonate. You can get a piece big enough for about 10 bucks. You can cut it to fit on top of the screen, about 3/4 of the top covered. This leaves room to vent and for a heat lamp.

deborahbroadus · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:59 am Post subject:

tommyandamanda21 · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:02 am Post subject:

deb are those your setups/// if so why is you thermometer oustide and the probe inside???

the probe only does temp and not humidity, if it is the same one i got a wally mart.... the humidity sensor was on the back the thermometer at the top i believe...........

deborahbroadus · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:08 am Post subject:

tommyandamanda21 · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:18 am Post subject:

LOL

tommyandamanda21 · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:26 am Post subject:

amanda wants to know whar does blue dome things are in the back

deborahbroadus · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:30 am Post subject:

tommyandamanda21 · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:35 am Post subject:

r they still available, imean can u find them? would u recomend them for snakes instead of habba mist?

valiant · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Tacoma, Wa

thats what I was thinking of doing was drilling holes into the wood to use as a vent, should I only do it on the cool side or do it in the back length wise. what size bit is too big, we have plenty of sizes, but I didnt know what was too big.
I went and remeasured the tank after getting dimmension of the internet, I have a regular 20g not the Long one. it should be fine until it starts to get bigger, then I can invest in something bigger.

I was really amazed when I found the piece of wood, if you push real lighty, you can hear it scrape the side of the tank till it stops on the lip. its like it was cut for this tank, all I need to do is trim it length wise. when it sits on the lip it is flush with the whole top.
I have the tank sitting on two 2x4 becuase I didnt want the UTH sitting against my table, so I was thinking of putting those heavy duty hooks into the ends of the 2x4's and hooking the hooks of the straps on those.
do you think that would be as strong as looping it around and hooking it to itself?

as far as keeping the heat up, when I tested my 10g with a screen top, the hot side got to 100 and the cool side got to 65. I didnt put any water in the tank cuase I was just working on the heat first. I think I may have to get a smaller UTH put it on the cool side with its own dimmer and make it only 80 and put a dimmer on the hot side and make it 95. If I use a small UTH, I might be able to turn it up to 84 so that the areas around the UTH are a few degrees lower.

I did think about getting a pre-made screen top, but then I would have to do everything to make that screen top work. I thought about getting plexi to use for the top or even pegboard, but I have to plywood here, so I might as well give it a try.
I dont have a snake yet, I want to make sure it's cage is perfect before I get one, so its enviroment isnt contantly changing on it.

thanks,
Mike

thats a cool idea to use those fogger things, did it raise the himidity a lot or just a little, for being in a big tank?

valiant · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Tacoma, Wa

well, I scrubbed and bleach cleaned the tank and cut to top to fit, it fits nice and tightly, so much I had to use a screw driver to get it out, so I will have to install a handle on it.
it looking pretty good so far, just have to figure out where I should drill the holes.
then I can load it up with my substrate plug in the UTH and see if I can get correct heat.
-Mike

deborahbroadus · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:26 pm Post subject:

valiant · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Tacoma, Wa

I drilled a 1/4" hole every inch for 4"x12" rectangle on the cool side. I have the top on the tank and have it all set up, letting the UTH heat up to see what I get. I am thinking I have too much substrate, its about an 1 1/2" deep.

I am going to build a stand out of 2x4s to lift the tank above my table cuase I dont want the uth sitting directly on my table. I am going to sink some heavy duty loops into the 2x4 stand and use 2 ratchet straps to hold it down. that should keep the top down.
thanks,
Mike

deborahbroadus · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:33 am Post subject:

deborahbroadus · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:34 am Post subject:

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