Hello Everyone,
Firstly I'm new here so thank you for having me. Wasn't sure if this should have been in the DIY or Enclosure section so please feel free to move if needed. I've been reading a lot on this forum not only to make sure my little guy is getting everything he needs, but also to educate myself as much as possible since it is my first beardie. Currently I have a juvenile in a Zoo Med juvenile 20G kit modified to maintain proper temps and humidity as well as UVB. The enclosure works for now but I know I'm going to need bigger, and probably best to get the design sorted now rather than later so I can start accumulating supplies. I created this on powerpoint so please excuse the archaic look.
The topper section will be a removable section, but will still be anchored to the top so it's not loose. Also I have the opening currently designed for doors that open upward, was thinking about opening sideways but would really like sliding doors (need more knowledge/research). I'm an absolute novice at woodworking so I'm not trying to get too complicated. I just haven't done the complete research on sliding wood doors and since this will be an enclosure that will be visible to everyone I'm trying to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible while making my guy as comfortable as possible. I'm going for either 1/2" or 3/4" maple plywood with a painted interior, and probably painted exterior. I chose maple because that's what seems to be what's recommended as one of the better woods and I'd rather build this to last a good while. All of this will sit on a stand/cabinet that I'll build most likely with 2x4 bracing to uphold the weight of both top sections. I know, it'll be heavy - thankfully I have moving dollies, brothers, and plan on this being in 3 pieces (topper, main living section, and stand). The living space will be 48x24x24 - that seems to be the recommended size for when they're fully grown. Vents are placed on the back and side of the living space as well as vents in the top of the topper section to help ventilate stored items. Sliding glass panes on the front that I believe are 3/32" thick from Lowe's. I did one pane 1" larger because I thought it'd be a bit of added security to have the pieces of glass overlap instead of stopping right at the edge.
My Questions: What wattage/strength should I be looking for as far as UVB, CHE, and the basking lamp for this size of an enclosure? I figure the basking lamp would be the most flexible since I can adjust the length of distance between the lamp and basking spot but I'm not smart enough with science to know how to scale what I have up. What temperature probe and accompanying timers/switches would you all recommend? Thoughts on best location for temp/humidity probes?
Looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say. Thank you in advance!
Firstly I'm new here so thank you for having me. Wasn't sure if this should have been in the DIY or Enclosure section so please feel free to move if needed. I've been reading a lot on this forum not only to make sure my little guy is getting everything he needs, but also to educate myself as much as possible since it is my first beardie. Currently I have a juvenile in a Zoo Med juvenile 20G kit modified to maintain proper temps and humidity as well as UVB. The enclosure works for now but I know I'm going to need bigger, and probably best to get the design sorted now rather than later so I can start accumulating supplies. I created this on powerpoint so please excuse the archaic look.
The topper section will be a removable section, but will still be anchored to the top so it's not loose. Also I have the opening currently designed for doors that open upward, was thinking about opening sideways but would really like sliding doors (need more knowledge/research). I'm an absolute novice at woodworking so I'm not trying to get too complicated. I just haven't done the complete research on sliding wood doors and since this will be an enclosure that will be visible to everyone I'm trying to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible while making my guy as comfortable as possible. I'm going for either 1/2" or 3/4" maple plywood with a painted interior, and probably painted exterior. I chose maple because that's what seems to be what's recommended as one of the better woods and I'd rather build this to last a good while. All of this will sit on a stand/cabinet that I'll build most likely with 2x4 bracing to uphold the weight of both top sections. I know, it'll be heavy - thankfully I have moving dollies, brothers, and plan on this being in 3 pieces (topper, main living section, and stand). The living space will be 48x24x24 - that seems to be the recommended size for when they're fully grown. Vents are placed on the back and side of the living space as well as vents in the top of the topper section to help ventilate stored items. Sliding glass panes on the front that I believe are 3/32" thick from Lowe's. I did one pane 1" larger because I thought it'd be a bit of added security to have the pieces of glass overlap instead of stopping right at the edge.
My Questions: What wattage/strength should I be looking for as far as UVB, CHE, and the basking lamp for this size of an enclosure? I figure the basking lamp would be the most flexible since I can adjust the length of distance between the lamp and basking spot but I'm not smart enough with science to know how to scale what I have up. What temperature probe and accompanying timers/switches would you all recommend? Thoughts on best location for temp/humidity probes?
Looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say. Thank you in advance!