Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

[Blackcat]

I posted earlier but it was lost to the internet gnomes, possibly my shady connection.
Im trying to build an enclosure for my female redtail. Shes a little over 7' and some inches BCI I believe.

Her current enclosure is 3/16 glass. One of those zilla terarriums. She has never done anything that would lead me to believe shes likely to break the glass shes currently in.

For the front of the enclosure I want a single panel on hinges of 4x6.
After much research and phoning around ive found that acrylics, plexi, polycarb are near impossible to get ahold of in my area and cost a small fortune around 600-700 dollars.

I can get a 4x6 1/4 inch thick piece of glass for 200 dollars.
Many people recommend 3/8ths glass which brings the price to 700 dollars again.
Some people recommend safety glass which again comes too 600 dollars.

Im on a tight budget... Basically what im wondering is will standard 1/4 inch glass really be sufficient ?
3/8 and safety seems like overkill to me but is it necessary ?

Also 1/2 or 3/4 plywood ?

Thanks !

[bebowebb]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

The first post didn't show up because it was awaiting the approval of a moderator.

I approved your posts, but I did remove the first one since this thread was a little more detailed and the other would have made for a duplicate thread.

Welcome to RTB!

[Blackcat]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

Thanks! My connection can be quite spotty so that was my first thought. Moments after I submitted the second post I saw the pm about the moderation, sorry about that.

[Elizabeth94]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

For the kind of money you are talking, I would just spend the money on a Boaphile or Animal Plastics enclosure.

You can get a really really nice Animal Plastics for just above $300. For instance, the 48Lx30Dx18H (T13 Version) is on sale for $305

Boaphiles are great too and lots of people on the forum have them. I have an animal plastics and couldn't be happier. Good Luck!!

[McCarthyBoas]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

Here is a link to my EZ cage prints for you. EZ Cage Prints As for glass I use 1/4” Polycarbonate or tempered glass for all my cages depending on what type of cage I am making.

Do not use plate glass / standard glass you can get at the local hardware store. This type of glass is very dangerous and will shatter if hit by you or your reptile any where on it. Then it will be in very sharp and more than likely kill your reptile. Tempered glass will not shatter like plate glass. 1/4” tempered glass I can punch it in the center and it will not shatter. However if you hit the edges it will shatter in to tiny little squares that will be sharp but will not kill your reptile most likely.

Take care
Tom

[Noelle7206]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

Welcome to the forum- For large heavy snakes, or venomous ones, I'd recommend using whatever they use in the equivalent size aquarium, as I've never had a quality aquarium break. (not talking about the
glass terrariums though, those are MUCH thinner glass & I don't recommend duplicating their stats) Aquariums are built to hold water, which is very heavy, & my 70 gallon is 1/4" thick...but you need a larger
cage than that for your large BCI, so off hand I'd say the 3/8" is best, but since you're not constructing the whole enclosure out of it, only the front doors, I'd say 1/4" thick is sufficient...just my opinion.
Aquariums are 'tempered' glass also, that's a must, IMO.

Plexi/polycarb/acrylics: much lighter but also they scratch easily. It's been a while but I've seen them available online, cut to order...you might research further. For all the work involved, buying a cage may be
the best option. You might also find one that's gently used for sale, but keep in mind you'll need to disinfect every inch of it to the max for the safety of your pet. When you build a huge cage of plywood & glass,
remember it's going to be massively heavy too. And I'm sure you know that the wood must be made impervious to moisture, otherwise it's a bacterial & mold nightmare (health risk) for your snake.

One thing just occurred to me, as far as plexi (etc): if you are still determined to build it yourself, you might try contacting those that make & sell cages professionally, they might be willing to cut custom doors for you?

[Pandorasdad]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

For your specification, a Boaphile 421d is perfect. It has a single, bottom hinged door, is light weight, and will wold temps and humidity very well.

https://www.boaphileplastics.com

Sent from my HTC One via Tapatalk

[Primolilla]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

Well,
Just to add to the mix, another option. Constrictors NW makes Pro-Line cages out of HDPE.

They come in all different sizes and you can custom order them too.

Where do you live that makes getting these so difficult? I'm guessing the shipping is the issue?

There are several quality brands. As mentioned, Boaphile, Animal Plastics, and Pro-Line. Vision and PVC Cages also come to mind. In Canada there is a plastic cage maker, but the name escapes me. Hopefully, at least one of those would be reasonable enough to order.


This cage is cage is 48" x 24" x 24" for a coastal carpet.



This stack of 2 has a 48" x 24" x 14" on the top and a 48" x 30" x 20" custom cage on the bottom.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

I 'second' the idea of a cage out of HDPE (ie. food safe) plastic, IF you're going that route. Some other cages (of PVC) will smell of plastic, and if you think YOU notice it, just imagine being a snake inside...!?!
The reason these plastic cages "hold humidity" so well is that the airflow is greatly restricted...and to me, I'd only be happy using the safest (most inert) materials possible, not something that off-gasses what
may not be healthy to breathe long-term...IMO. (and remember these cages are heated year-round?)

I may be wrong, but I think Northwest Constrictors also offers cages in 'kits' that you can assemble yourself. The savings is big, especially on shipping charges, so that may be your very best all-around choice.

[Kung Fu Joe]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

I have to agree with most of the other posts... I would buy a professional plastic cage for a whole lot of reasons... But if you do decide to build, use 3/4 plywood. If you use 1/2 you will get a lot of flex and will need to reinforce or frame it out.

[Blackcat]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

Thanks McCarthyBoas for those prints! It gave me quite a few ideas.
Im in a remote part of Northern Canada primolilla, your right its mostly shipping costs. The cost of shipping just about anytning to my area is insane. The nearest sign of civilisation from my place is a small mining town about an hours drive so tracking items down can be a bit of a project. I love many of the premade cages (thanks for the links!) It would make it much easier to just buy one but im going to stick to a build. Ive tracked down a sheet of clear 4'x6' 3/4 inch tempered glass for 180 dollars and ive got sheets of 3/4 ply. Now its just design and details like heat and lighting.

[Primolilla]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

Thanks McCarthyBoas for those prints! It gave me quite a few ideas.
Im in a remote part of Northern Canada primolilla, your right its mostly shipping costs. The cost of shipping just about anytning to my area is insane. The nearest sign of civilisation from my place is a small mining town about an hours drive so tracking items down can be a bit of a project. I love many of the premade cages (thanks for the links!) It would make it much easier to just buy one but im going to stick to a build. Ive tracked down a sheet of clear 4'x6' 3/4 inch tempered glass for 180 dollars and ive got sheets of 3/4 ply. Now its just design and details like heat and lighting.

Ha! I had a feeling you were up there LOL!

Tom McCarthy won't steer you wrong. He has been doing this a long time and is always ready to help.

You will wind up with a nice cage and some personal satisfaction too!

[USMC32]

Re: Redtail enclosure glass need advice.

As many others have already said, Boaphile Plastics is the way to go. However, acrylic can be bought by Delvie's Plastics Inc for a very fair price cut to size. I use them all the time with my many different creations. Just do a quick google search to find there website. If they don't have what your looking for on their site give them a call.