New habitat

[brain]

I’m building a new habitat with three ten gallon tanks laidon their front side and stacked. Heattape under the glass, etc…
Here is what I have so far and need some input from thecrowd. Accessing the habitat?
1. Top access seems to frighten the snake, normalso we move the top very slowly and move in cautiously.
2. Front access to me makes a whole lot more senseand from the pics some of us have shared, less stress on the snake. However, escapes can and have happened.
Question - TYPE of door for the habitat - sliding orhinged. Now hinged can be right to left,dropped down, or even lifted up. Slidingyou have the escape route in between the sliders.
Commentswelcome.

[katach]

Very Cool! Can't wait to see the final product!

[brain]

Very Cool! Can't wait to see the final product!

And how do you access your habitat?

[katach]

We have top screens. They were skitterish at first, but they got used to it and come up to us whenever we open it.

[RedSidedSPR]

My snakes all have top sliders, and have ZERO problems with it. Actually, they DO react, but only by looking up expectantly!

[brain]

My snakes all have top sliders, and have ZERO problems with it. Actually, they DO react, but only by looking up expectantly!

I bought a glass 50 lowboy with a sliding top for the Womas and they don't seem a jumpy, but they do know that when that slide sounds they come out for a looky lue.

I have Exo Terra with front opening doors and everyone seems calm. But my Pueblan Milksnakes and Granites are jumpy and I belive that due to the lift off top.

This is why I am making new habitats but can't decide on the doors. Hence the questions.

[katach]

On a construction note, be sure the caulking doesn't have any weak spots. I found Blade trying to get through the caulking in the corner of our 20 long. She wasn't hurt, but I was a little irritated at the poor construction of the tank.

[RedSidedSPR]

I would go with whatever is most convenient.

I open my cages 100 times each day, so they get used to it....

I don't know. I've never had a front-opening cage, only top sliders, but those have been fine.

It's looking AWESOME though!!

[brain]

On a construction note, be sure the caulking doesn't have any weak spots. I found Blade trying to get through the caulking in the corner of out 20 long. She wasn't hurt, but I was a little irritated at the poor construction of the tank.

Right I remember you had a porblem with the caulk section. These ten gallon tanks have been used by various snakes in the past so the are safe in that regard.

The door construction is my main concern at present.

If you noted the last pic you can see I made a raiesd section off the face frame to allow the tank to fit snuggly in.

To hold the tanks in place I willl have a backing which will be screwed into the side face frames. This will allow the tanks to be removed if the need arises.

But I only have a 3/4" face frame and sliding doors might need reconfiguried if get feed back. I have heard some here speak to the drop dors as aposible mass escape when feeding. You know the old "Hey he has Food lets bum rust the dued and steal the worms."

[katach]

Well our snakes love to try to escape with top slider. Feeding time for us is a 2 person job, one to feed and one to keep them from escaping.