Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

ross · I'm new here... Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 17

im looking to get a male common boa in a few months time,about 4 or 5 foot long in length,so i wanna make a viv for it.i was gonna make it 6x2x2 and use aquarium sealant to seal the gaps round the edges to keep the heat in better.can you use mdf wood or has it got to be melamine wood?also what watt ceramic bulb will i need to keep the temps perfect,as i dont want to have the temps struggling to get to the desired heat.
and also is 2 foot high to high ,ifso shall i make it 1 and half foot high?
i know i can build it its just i dont now these things so i wanna find out so i meet the snakes every needs.thanks in advance for any help

peaches · Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 11:06 am Post subject:

Melamine I think would be your best bet, mdf seems quite porous (sp) to me and maybe not that easy to clean.

Height wise I think is good too, you could add a raised level or fix some sturdy branches?

For the ceramic, I would go for a 250w on stat.
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lol93 · Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject:

Conti Board is quite good for building vivs. You can buy big lengths if it at B&Q. I prefer reptile radiators over ceramic bulbs-I feel they are safer for the snakes and effective at heating a viv that size. Remember if you are putting any lighting in your viv that it will increase the temperature too.
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serpent · Key Member Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Posts: 426 Location: Kent

MDF can be used but it must be sealed with several coats of gloss/matt paint or yacht varnish. I would be much much easier and cheaper to go to B & Q and buy some contiboard as lol93 said.
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