Welcome deadhamster,
I would be great if you could post a photo of your large vivarium.
Theresa

I'd love to! But unfortunately, my designer didn't get to finish detailing it today, so it will probably be tomorrow before I can bring the materials home and build it. I'll take pics as soon as it is built though. I think I have the landscaping worked out now, but I am really scrambling for ideas on lighting. Any ideas on the best bulbs and fixtures for 5 feet by 6 feet of internal tank space and where I can get them?

-DH

You might want to check out the link below. This guy from Holland built a vivarium that is somewhat close to your measurements. There is a bunch of helpful instruction tips and lots of pictures. A panel of compact fluorescent lights would probably be the way to go as shown on that website. Due to the heat of the (many) light bulbs and greenhouse effect you may or may not need additional heating. It's hard to predict, although things usually become warmer than you'd expect. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Construction of a large poison frog vivarium

Yeah, I have read his site over a few times. I really like what he did, it looks incredible. And I am fairly sure I know what bulbs to go with, so I posted a link here hoping to get some opinions but no one answered. What do you think of these?

http://www.topbulb.com/find/Product_Description.asp_Q_intProductID_E_51366

-DH

Your lighting will depend on what kinds of plants you want to grow. Since you'll have a snake twining around everything, I assume you want very sturdy plants. If that is the case, you're in luck, because most tough plants don't need high light. Pothos would be a good vine choice (if you like it, I don't, I think it's ugly), or Raphidophora tetrasperma is a more attractive alternative. It's a vine version of the common houseplant Monstera deliciosa (swiss cheese plant). In a tank that size, you could also grow an anthurium, also sturdy, though it would need more light if you wanted to see blooms. Hmmmmmmmmm. . . most houseplants with thick leaves would be good, actually. And if you posted the other question about lighting, then a metal halide would be truly ideal for you, because it would definitely heat that tank right up, and you wouldn't need to heat the water at all. You'd probably have to cool it in the summer. However, if you're putting it in a sunroom, you would need minimal lighting over the actual tank, since so much would reach it through the windows and sides of the tank, so then you could go with a couple fluo's, a heat lamp if you think you'll need it, and then spend your money on submersible water heaters instead of a metal halide.

Nice size tank!

Considering this will be in your sunroom, I take you will have a ventilation system in the tank to allow excess heat to escape? Otherwise temps might reach lethal levels.

If I recall correctly, it's generally recommended to provided boas with a UV basking lamp. If so then you should still plan on utilizing one as UV rays do not pass through glass.

If your snake is more than a babe, definitely stick to strong/sturdy plants. Don't know that I'd recommend an Anthurium as Sahoy did ... a good sized snake would, I suspect, snap one in two or just out right crush it. Boas can be deceptively strong and weighty.

Thanks! Boas require some UV, but they need less than most other reptiles as they get a lot of their processed vitamin d from their food. I do have a 150 watt incandescent UV night bulb, which will pass from the old tank to this one. Heat/Humidty need to be 85/85, so it will be vented as necessary to provide those. Probably it will be sealed up tight in winter, and actively vented in summer because of the room it is in. I am not sure how careful I need to be about plant size, she really isn't a very large snake and never really will be. The max for this species (brazilian rainbow) is 7 feet. They aren't particularily heavy either.
I finished framing it last night. It looks great :)

-DH

Rainbow boas are a ground dwelling species and will most likely not utilize the vertical space you provide. They may of course climb off of the floor of the cage but not very high. This makes it important to provide as large a land area as possible and makes the inclusion of a water area less appealing unless it is fairly small. It would look nice to have a water feature in one corner that is just large enough for the snake to soak. A large ceramic dish of water will be just as useful and much easier to maintain but might spoil the natural look of your terrarium.
If you have a lot of space it would be a good idea to grow some nice large plants. Climbing species of Philodendron or Monstera would be nice and will do well without having to use extremely bright lights. Fluorescent or compact fluorescent lights would be best for the plants but will provide very little additional heat. I do not think that the heated water alone will be enough for the snake, an area that is five degrees warmer than the ambient temperature in the cage should be available to the snake as well. This is usually achieved with either a spot light or an under tank heater, the under tank heater would of course be out of the question in your setup.

The foam that is used to build these terrarium features is called Greatstuff and is available in most hardware stores. I used it in my tank and covered the foam with black silicone and a layer of coconut peat (brick from pet store). You could use the coconut peat or cypress mulch for a natural substrate. Rainbow boas like to burrow in their substrate so you could use the coconut material as a base and then a layer of loose cypress mulch for burrowing. I would avoid planting in the substrate due to the burrowing habits. Vining plants like Philodendrons can be kept in pots to protect their roots and the pots can be buried under the substrate. The plants will soon put out aerial roots and attach to the walls of the enclosure. If you use the foam method pots can be inserted on the vertical walls and foam filled in around them. Plants can then be elevated off of the floor and will make a really nice display.

I am actually planning on building a similar cage for a Amazon tree boa in the next year or so. I will be using Greatstuff foam to secure cork bark panels to the walls as well as climbing branches. The only difference is that I will not be incorporating a water feature. I have put off buying this species because it is not the friendliest, but have since reconsidered after much though. I would like a large display terrarium and this species is the perfect candidate. The Amazon tree boa has to be one of my favorite snakes, really beautiful animals.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Yeah, I like Amazon tree boas as well. I opted for the brazilian however because it is a bit more active. The tree boas (and pythons too) tend to just sit in the same spot. I know additional heat will probably be needed. She likes to climb vines, usually around 3 in the morning and then proceed to fall 4 feet off them in order to wake me up (I am sure it is intentional). She also soaks quite often, especially when shedding, so I will definitly do a water feature, for looks as well as functionality. There will be no shortage of burrowable substrate as well though, as she most certainly likes to dig. She spends most of her time either burrowed or laying in the water. I'm going to try to take pics as soon as I rip off the masking on the acrylic and get the tank sealed. I'm off to english gardens right now.

-DH

Pictures would be great, of the enclosure and your snake as well if you could. Brazilian rainbow boas are amazing looking snakes.
I would go with fluorescents and just plant accordingly, especially if there is natural light from all those windows. Some epiphytic ferns would look great on the walls as well. Species like Humata tyermanii or a Davallia species would look really nice, as would a birds nest fern in an elevated pot.
If you plan on growing orchids in the enclosure as well just pick low light plants and position them towards the top of the growing space.

Well, it is built. Tomorrow I will finish the electrical wiring, toss in the false bottom and try to snap a few pictures. I am also going to order the lighting tomorrow, so if anyone thinks I am making a horrible mistake, say so NOW!

Here is what I am ordering:
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=6284
http://www.topbulb.com/find/Product_Description.asp_Q_intProductID_E_45439

I know it will make a lot of heat, but I think that is a good thing. In winter, this tank will be a real trip to keep at 85 degrees. If it gets too hot in the summer, I can always vent it. It's easier to vent it than it is to add more heat later. I'll try to get a few pictures of this monstrosity up here tomorrow for your viewing pleasure :)

-DH

I guess it comes down to which part of the year is longer where you live: winter or summer. The heating concern in the winter is definitely an issue, and an MH would be the best light that puts out both heat and light. You may want to add a couple cool white fluo's, just the cheap shoplight ones, to help correct the colour. But you'll be the best judge of that once you have everything set up. Since your tank will also get a lot of natural light, it may not be a problem. Still, one bulb for a 5 foot wide tank will leave the corners pretty dim. I'd try to find a bigger fixture. The one you want to order will not reflect the light very far out from it. So you could order the bulb, and then find a custom lighting store in your area that could make a large reflector for you, one that would nearly cover the top of your tank, and then they could put the fight fixture and ballast in there as well. Or, if you know any electricians (not residential ones, but commercial and/or industrial ones), they could probably hook you up. Because ideally, you would want the ballast in a separate box that you could put on the floor, or hide underneath your tank stand or behind some potted plants or something. That's what my husband did when he made his light fixture for his reef tank. You can get special ballast boxes that are well-vented. The only extra expense is a little more wire needed to go from the box on the floor to the light fixture over the tank. Of course, then you also need to camoflage the cord hanging down one side of the tank, which might not work so well with yours, because it's a centrally-planned hex, right? But you wouldn't want tar leaking into your tank if something ever goes wrong with the ballast. So I would check into how much that would cost you (friends often charge you less for labour, and give you the materials at cost) before ordering this other fixture. You really need a larger reflector; it would make a huge difference. Plus, you will need to replace the ballast about every 10 years, so it would probably be cheaper to do that if you had the ballast in a separate box, rather than this other fixture that comes as a whole unit.

But if, on the other hand, you get hot weather for much longer than you get cold weather, then it would probably be better not to get a metal halide, since you'd just have to vent all the extra heat, and might loose a lot of your humidity in the process, leading to extra RO water costs for replacing the humidity. You could always heat the tank with soil-heating cables. Or perhaps not, since your boa likes to burrow into the substrate. Hmmmmmm. . . tough call! But no matter what, I really would go with a big reflector. Seriously, if you know any electricians, or would be willing to hire one, it's only about an hour or two of labour, plus the cost of materials. Then you could get a nice, big reflector. And if you know anything about wiring stuff yourself, you could probably do the whole thing by yourself. Just get all the supplies from an electrical wholesaler that sells to the public, and ask them how to put it all together.

Thanks for the opinions sahoyaref, I am starting to get there. I am not sure if I can get a custom fixture made affordably or not, but I will try and look into it today. As for cords hanging, thats no problem. The framing is hollow, and I have already dropped 12 gauge romex inside one of the channels. All lines will be invisible :) The frame is also watertight, so I am even thinking about using one of the other channels (3 channels per beam) to carry water to the top. I know both residential and industrial electricians, so that shouldnt be a problem, and I am better than average at it myself anyway. I'll make a few calls, and thanks again, you have been a very big help!

-DH

I think the lights you have chosen will be fine for the plants but will not be the best spectrum to view the enclosure. The light given off by these bulbs is very red when compared to full spectrum bulbs. If you can find bulbs with a color rating of 6400K you will have the best light for plants, snake, and viewing the enclosure.

Because Brazilian Rainbow Boas don't need temperatures above 85F you may not need the extra heat from the bulbs. A full spectrum compact fluorescent bulb may be able to provide the extra heat if the enclosure is not vented. Another problem is that the other bulbs might cause the humidity to drop because of the added heat and need for ventilation. Of course fluorescent bulbs will not be able to support plant growth if more that three or four feet away. Low light plants will be much more forgiving of fluorescent bulbs. I provided a link to a bulb that would provide lots of light for your enclosure. These bulbs do have to be changed about once a year for maximum growth of plants but will last much longer.

Thank you for the reply, I've thought about using CFL bulbs, but I just don't think they will make enough heat. In winter, I need to raise 5'x5'x6' by 25 degrees or so, not to mention get light to penetrate that far, and I just don't think a flourescent is going to do it. As for color temp, I am looking at a 5200k bulb. You think that will be overly red? I'd love to go with a 6500k but they are completely unaffordable as MH bulbs. The 5200k is around $65, the 6500k is about $110. Lighting is so confusing!

-DH

The light from a 5200K bulb will be very red. These bulbs are the same as the ones used as floodlights in industrial applications, very red/orange color and not attractive for viewing because they make everything look strange.
It may be fine to use one 5200K bulb and then supplement with a 6500K fluorescent to correct the color. If you have a local lighting store try dropping by and taking a look at their bulbs before you make a final decision. That 120W compact fluorescent bulb I linked to will give off a lot of light. It is probably about a foot long and not like any compact fluorescent you have seen before.
For more information on lighting try the growing under lights forum on Gardenweb. They will be able to give you specific information if you tell them what you are using the lights for and what kind of plants you want to have in the enclosure.
I think you Boa will act much more natural with light that is the closest to sunlight.

I'll give that CFL another look then. Does it require a ballast or is it built into the base? Will I need to place it in the viv to take advantage of its heat or will most of the heat come from the light?

-DH

The compact flourescent bulbs use mogul sockets, they are very affordable and can be found in hydroponics stores and most lighting dealers. The ballast is built into the bulb and the whole unit will give off heat, just not a ton of it.

Another alternative would be to get two fixtures. One with a metal halide bulb (or two) for the winter, and one with fluo's for the summer. It could even be a single reflector with the correct fixtures for both types of bulbs, and then all you would have to do is change the bulbs according to whether you needed to heat the tank (winter) or just provide a bit of extra light (summer). I wouldn't worry about the light from cfl's only reaching about 2 feet down, because you will have plenty of light coming in the sides of the enclosure if it's in your sunroom. If you do this, you will be able to use more energy-efficient bulbs in the summer, and not need to worry about over-heating your tank (and further increasing your energy bill by needing to run cooling fans). And in the winter you will get a nice heat boost, because fluo's alone simply cannot heat up a tank very much. I find that my tank, an 85 gallon with 4 cfl's, is only a couple degrees higher than room temp, and that's with the tank as completely sealed as possible to keep the humidity up. I have one tiny fan, but it is purely for air circulation, and does not affect the temp. If you go with fluo's year 'round, you will definitely need to add heat lamps or a radiator or something in the winter. Mike did make a good point about visiting hydroponics stores though. They know lots about lighting, especially the kind of lighting plants need.

Well, I ordered a 250 watt MH fixture. I tried a few lighting shops and no one around here does custom fixtures. I did however skip that kit and buy a ballast, socket and fixture seperate. The fixture I chose spreads the light out much much more, so I think I will be ok. I will wire it myself when the components arrive. And in the summer, if it gets too hot, I will order a single CFL, mount it in the same fixture, and use that instead. I really think MH is the way though. It will warm my tank, and I only need 1 ballast and bulb. So we'll start with this. Thanks again to all of you who commented, everything is starting to come together. Tonight I'll try and finish wiring/plumbing it and prepare it for pictures.

-DH