Lwt's say you wanted to do a bioactive substrate in this ...

[Genlisae]

Sorry for the extra stuff is a screenshot of a cabinet I am looking at picking up tomorrow.

As for dimensions in inches: 18 deep X32 wide X78 tall.

My thoughts so far have been to knock out all the shelves, lighting inside separated by screening, vents at the side (above the lighting screen) and possibly the top.

And that is as far as I have gotten. I am looking for suggestions on how to accomplish heating and water proofing to hold the water needed by a bioactive system.

I should probably also mention I am not new to bioactive systems. I have successfully built and maintained dart frogs in bioactive complete with river/pond/waterfall (which I would love to do but suspect I am getting ahead of myself here). Those were in very large aquariums though. Already water proofed.

Any and all suggestions welcome!

 

[cornsnakegirl]

For a corn snake? They prefer length, not height, so not the best enclosure in general for a corn.

 

[Genlisae]

Usually yes, I have a climber though and as she gets older she climbs more not less.

 

[hypnoctopus]

For a corn snake? They prefer length, not height, so not the best enclosure in general for a corn.

I think it's plenty big for a corn snake, even a non-climber. A 20 gallon long is only 30 by 12 by 12.

I have never done bioactive substrate, so I can't help you, but I'd love to see how you progress. I can picture it being a really beautiful setup.

 

[Nythain]

For water proofing you're gonna wanna look into some marina sealant. Can't give you any good names, but nothing screams water proof like boat sealers. After you've sealed the wood with a good poly-urethane you can use just about any water proof silicon caulk for the seam. All of this will take a while to cure but should end up perfectly water proof when done.

After that, I can't help much. I haven't done a bio substrate yet so I don't know how people manage to heat them. I can only assume you'll have to rely on some form of above heating, such as a radiant heat panel or a ceramic heat emitter. Curious how well either option will work with the height of the cabinet though.

I agree that the dimensions sound more than adequate, even for an adult. I really hope you figure it all out (and can even share your experience so the rest of us can learn) because I think that would make a really nice display unit.

 

[Genlisae]

I have decided to pass on that particular unit and am now looking for one a little longer which will allow me to have a sizable water area (the snake in question is a swimmer as well as a climber) and still give somewhere around the 32"x18" land area. Shouldn't be too hard, I have my eye on a few ranging from 45" to 60" wide.

The combination of marine sealant and silicone is not something I had thought of. Thank you. I had thought of using one or the other and was leaning toward silicone for flexibility, something which is needed here due to the many, many little earthquakes we get. They are rarely anything strong enough to feel but do a wonderful job of popping larger rocks up under my pool liner . the ability for the cabinet to flex and not break the sealant is needed. I think the combination you suggested is the way to go!

I had thought to do ground heat similarly to the way I have seen others on here do for non-bioactive substrates. Cut a square out of the bottom slightly larger than the UTH and fit a pane of plexiglass and then seal that as well. Perhaps plan the interior layout so the UTH is under a lower spot in the substrate? That will account for belly heat, though I am uncertain how well it will heat the upper regions in mid winter. Probably not well, additional air heating will most likely be required. I will be sure to plan for the addition of a heat emitter.

I will also be sure to start a progression thread. This is going to be a long project with a lot of testing!