thanks guys. yeah i'll take some more when i have the pond cleaned up here in an hour or two. i'm sitting my fat ass down, i'm smoked.
thanks guys. yeah i'll take some more when i have the pond cleaned up here in an hour or two. i'm sitting my fat ass down, i'm smoked.
here's what this beast is looking like now:
i'm in the middle of re-doing the plumbing and water heating system. tomorrow i have to move some furniture around, but plan to move it inside if my testing goes well. nearly done.
Oh geez it's huge. How much did it cost to build?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
too much. i've got a well over a grand in materials, easy, and still another $250 for the acrylic for the viewing panel.
it shouldn't have cost so much however this was a learning project and i was messing with some new materials, namely Habitat Black Freeform, which is what the tree/branch/whatever and the rocks around the pond are made of. it's a two part epoxy putty and it's what they make high-end aquarium exhibits out of. it's sealed with smooth-cast 325 epoxy which was completely unnecessary but i didn't want the acrylic i used on the rocks possibly flaking off later.
i spent a lot of time with the plumbing system, only to scrap all of it and start over because i wanted an inline water heater to go with my 5 gallon canister filter (i think it's a 5, might be a 3 i'll have to check later). the inline heater was a mini-saga all on its own but it's finished now and i'll be testing it either tonight or tomorrow. dunno how much more i'll be doing tonight, i'm kind of beat but it's home stretch time so i want to get it done!
i have LED lighting for the top, and it will be heated by the pool's 200W heater and a ceramic heater installed on the top along with a basking light i may or may not bother with. she doesn't care much for light; i'll play with the light levels and see how she reacts.
the pond has a variable speed DC motor and the previously mentioned 200W inline heater. the heater is stock but the casing for it to be inline i built myself, from plan from this DIY aquaculture guy (here's his youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM9...GJuUUhgZaiGZkQ) he has a really nice book, too. if you're into DIY tank building, i highly recommend a look. canister filter is built from his projects as well.
tank opens from the left side, and from the right back if i need to get in for deep cleaning or whatever. it's strong enough even my fat ass can climb into it safely.
i'm also building some vines. you take various materials, like nylon rope, hemp rope, and burlap strips, and coat them in black silicone, then coat them in a mix of dirt, dried moss, and peat. i have a test run at them done and completed, but i'm not sure i'll keep this one. i used some spare plastic tubing and the silicone didn't cover it well (it had grooves in it) but it looks ok. we'll see if it makes the final cut. i have plenty of rope for the rest of what i want to do. pics will be forthcoming.
the last real obstacle is getting the 4X6 acrylic sheet home; have to get one of the guys from work to give me a hand w/ a truck.
ok, redid the plumbing:
was very careful and made sure that i double checked each fitting and valve. filled the tub, water goes everywhere because i forgot to tap down the screw on lid for the filter. good job, jackass.
still, huge milestone here. i'm going to let the pump and heater run overnight and see how it does. everything goes well, i drain it and move it inside tomorrow and as soon as i can pick up the acrylic plate for the front panel, we are DONE.
sorry to spam!
i hope that's an air-cooled pump, cos it kinda looks water cooled to me.
anyway good job!
that is one helluva snake setup. well done! I hope she appreciates it!
thanks guys! my overnight test with the heater and pump went well. no leaks. now i have to move this big bitch indoors.
mother of god, this thing was a pain in the ass to move indoors. i tested it to be sure it was going to fit a few months ago *but* that was before about 100 pounds of epoxy and hardware. i am beat to death but we are home stretch here, i can see the light.
the only things remaining are to cut and mount the acrylic plates for the lights on the top, install the acrylic plate for the front, and to finish the cage furnishings.
Oh the enclosure is smaller then it seemed at first. What are you doing with all that space below the enclosure? Or did the pump and water holder take up all that room?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Needed some of the room for the filter canister and pool. When I do one of these for my monitor lizard, it will be laid out a bit different as I need floor space and dirt for them to dig around in.
Enclosure is well over 6' tall, 38" deep, 6' long.
The monitor's tank will be 8' long.
Oh geez that's 6' long? It really must weigh over 800 lbs.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
meanwhile I keep my corn in a regulation long tank with crappy storebought fixtures
you are a good snake parent lol
actually my corn is kinda worrying me lately though. she just ate but refuses to use her hiding spots. I did move them around recently. she has never done that before; usually it's eat -> hide -> (4 days later) poop. I'm probably overthinking it but definitely keeping an eye on her
then again maybe she just horny IDK lol
Make sure she has a warm side hide and a cool side hide. This let's the snake self regulate. If you moved her hides around she may not be able to get to the temp she needs.
She may also just not feel like hiding. Corns are funny
Snakes can live in pretty Spartan conditions provided you supply the correct temps and humidity. Im not a fan of rack systems though; I'm not a commercial breeder and I don't have to maximize my space like they do.
I've been wanting to make a forever home for this python since I got her, but I'm also a dumb ass and continually injure myself. Only have so much energy for projects. The tank she is in now was supposed to be temporary for a month, two tops, and is very very basic. The monitor has her old tank, which she had outgrew 2 years ago anyway.
no pics but, rearranged snakey's cage and sure enough now she's hiding just fine
phew. I was worried about her... very unusual for a snake to not hide, even more unusual for a snake to eat and then not hide.
but, as you said, corns are crazy. she's back to pretending that snuggling up inside a plastic bin with half a foot of tail sticking outside somehow makes her invisible. good girl!
there you go.
ok, this thing is finally fucking finished:
i put her in this evening and we went to grab some dinner. came back and my wife was letting our dogs out, asks me if i had put any gravel or anything in the bottom of the pond. i had not. the python had just taken a gigantic dump. huge, even for her. heated pool, doing what heated pool is supposed to do.
of course i had to go and fishnet out the giant pile of bricks she shat. seriously. give me a trowel, and i can build you a wall.
aww look at her. such a happy snake. she seems to really enjoying chilling in the pool. beautiful girl