Custom enclosure ventilation

[Sizzle]

Hey! I am building a 4x2x2 custom Melamine enclosure for my beardie Fred. I am going to cut vent holes in the sides (1 up top on the hot side and one lower on the cool side) and I am wondering about vent dimensions for retaining heat, providing adequate airflow, and managing humidity...

Relevant things...
- I am using glass for the doors instead of plexiglass/acrylic
- I will be jigsawing rectangles and using window screen/decorative trim rather than actual vent covers
- Mounting my basking light and UVB inside the enclosure

Thanks!

Side question... Thinking about adding a dig box since there will be plenty of extra room... What dimensions would be good for a dig box? Beardie is 18" length from snout to tail. Are dig boxes a good idea? Risk of impaction? (Obviously won't feed inside of the dig box...)

 

[CooperDragon]

You probably don't need a lot in terms of the vents. Maybe a circular vent 4-6'' in diameter to start? (just a guess). You can enlarge them later if needed. You could also try a rectangular vent hole and use a house vent cover that can open and close in order to adjust airflow.

I probably wouldn't include a dig box inside the enclosure due to it being difficult to keep clean. Fleece scraps work well for burrowing in the enclosure and are easy to throw in the washer to clean up as needed. A sand and dirt dig box can be made in a separate tote bin if needed. I've had good luck just using fleece though.

 

[Claudiusx]

Ventilation will depend on your house really, and how hot or cold the room stays.

My house stays pretty constant 70-75.
With that, I don't have the need for convection ventilation. I have two vents at both at the top of my tank but on opposite sides, and that works well for me. I would start with less. You can always up your vent game if you need to. Harder to block off a vent you've already cut in though.

This is what i've used with a lot of success. You could also use the round covers that you see in some guide.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/16-in-x...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-100078188-_-300108806-_-N
Those vents I bought, came with screen mesh attached to the backside of them too.

-Brandon