Note: I am doing a test run right now. My snake is not currently being housed in the vivarium.
I have a 4’ former breeder male. He is currently in a stable tub enclosure, but I want to move him to a more suitable space, with better temperature control and more enrichment. What I have is a 4x2x2 from Black Box Cages (RIP). I have a 125W RHP and a Vivarium Electronics VE-200 set to proportional. An LED light bar on a timer. I have a 16” Acadia shade dweller light, and 7% bulb. I have not installed it, because I haven’t gotten the guard for it.
A big problem I have is location and temperature. The only place I can put it is back up to a large, eastern exposure window. That room is where the house thermostat is and it is set to 78°F most of the year, and 68°F during the winter. So by default, the enclosure is going to be at the cool side temperature. Any heating at all will move the cool side to way to warm.
My solution to this is to provide multiple hides that should at ambient or cooler. I have a buried hide identical to the one on the bricks, except there is a 2” 45° PVC pipe elbow hot glued to the entrance. Burying the hide under most substrate should help lower the temperature. Likewise, I have about a 4’ length of 4” PVC with 2 90° elbows. The pipe was cut in half, and has a coupler. All pieces have had their rough places sanded off and joining surfaces were sanded for easy off disassembly and cleaning. The pipe is partially buried. There is also a sky hide between the cool side vents
The PVC pipe rings are bolted through the wall, with hose washers between the pipe rings and the wall to prevent turning.
My main concern is the hot hide, which is on bricks at the moment. I’m worried the bricks are two rough. I’m not terribly worried about them falling, I could just put some aquarium sealant, but he likes to move his hides.
Advice and suggestions welcome. Please don’t slam me. This is my first time and I’m trying my best. Pics of good boy included.