So I'm just starting this project, but in the next couple of months I plan on making a proper enclosure for my boy, Guacamole. He's about 16.5 inches long, or 42 cm and a little more than a year old. He's a fairly smol boy, but he's also just young enough that I'm concerned about him growing more and making the enclosure I build for him based on his size now too small. Plus I live in a tiny apartment and am a starving college student, so I have a limited budget to work with and making something excessively large is a poor life choice.
Currently, the melmac I want to use for most of the interior is sold in 4 foot by 8 foot sheets, and due to that and the dimensions of my room, I am planning on making a 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot enclosure. Do you think that is an adequately sized enclosure?
Additionally, I'm trying to sort out my best option for lights. I'm thinking I'll go with a ceramic heat emitter centered on the roof of one end for basking, and the UVB tube mounted to the back, either centered or positioned so that it's "behind" the heat source. What do you guys think?
4x2x2' is a pretty common dimension for an adult. If you are going to use a hard top and mount the lights inside you might want to make it a bit taller so there is enough room for climbing as well. If you are going with a mesh or open top then the lights can be suspended above and out of the way. I would use a 22'' T5 fixture and set it over the basking area. If you create vents that are low on the cool side and high on the warm side it will allow air to circulate through the tank pretty well. I have my basking light and CHE on opposite sides of the tank but you could put them side by side if you want to. I'd just keep them on separate controls so you can adjust them individually.