Category Arboreal Snake

Automation, Innovation, Blasphemy… all-in-one enclosure.

Our Heretic, a modified Apex model 3x2x4 enclosure, bucks convention by boasting 10 inches of substrate area, staggered side windows, carbon fiber perches, and computer-controlled misting and humidity management.

This Heretic is built with a wide range of heating and lighting components. Programmable Jungle Hobbies Advanced LED lighting, Arcadia Shadedweller UVB, 50w Acadia Halogen, and 100w ProProducts RHP are all a part of the wide array of UVA and UVB offerings for the reptile, live plants, and isopods living in the enclosure’s ecosystem.

Starting from the bottom, this deep substrate dam is filled with 144qts of BioDude TerraFirma soil which is visible through the clear Heretic logo CNC milled into the front of the enclosure.

Planted within are two Bromeliads, one Mass Cane (dracaena fragrans massangeana), one Auntie Lou Cordyline (cordyline fruticosa Auntie Lou), one Dracaena, and some Golden Pothos for floor cover with leaf litter sprinkled throughout. The back wall is sheeted by a large Universal Rocks background.

Cascading frosted acrylic perch mounts are bolted to both side walls between the staggered windows. Carbon fiber perches of varying outside diameters are fitted to these mounts allowing for climbing opportunities throughout a wide range of temperature and humidity gradients. The 35″ interior width coupled with a variety of perch placements in this enclosure offer basking areas under Halogen heat, Halogen/UVB, UVB/RHP, or just RHP.

Both left and right walls of this enclosure are fitted with 1 hygrometer/thermometer each to control either an automated misting system or a 4-inch inline fresh air intake fan. There is one forced air intake grate located on the right wall in the lower rear portion just above the substrate offset by a small exhaust fan on the left side in the upper front wall corner.

The hygrometer on the right side of the Heretic is used to trigger a 4-inch inline fan with a charcoal air filter to limit maximum humidity. When this system is triggered the inline fan gradually pulls in fresh ambient air from outside the enclosure through the charcoal filter and down an exterior hose where it enters through the lower side grate.

The moist air is expelled through the exhaust fan in the upper left wall until the desired humidity level is reached. This system cycles on and off as needed to limit maximum humidity parameters. The ventilation programming display shows temperature, humidity level, and current fan speed so the user can monitor the internal conditions without the aid of any additional thermometers/hygrometers.

However, two additional mounts were added towards the side centers to help map the temp and humidity gradients via Bluetooth SensorPush units.

The left side of the enclosure features the sensor and controls to add humidity to the environment. A 5th generation MistKing with HT-24 Hygrostat monitors the humidity levels lower down near the substrate and live plants.

When the moisture level falls below the set threshold, the MistKing will pull water from a 5-gallon reserve located in a two-foot-tall stand upon which the Heretic sits. Ceiling-mounted misting nozzles add moisture to the enclosure until the minimum set level is reached. Water accumulates on perches and plants which drips down to the soil.

If too much aerosolized water remains in the air, the humidity management system slowly ramps on to bring the level back in check. The HT-24 Hygrostat displays both temperature and humidity levels for the left portion of the enclosure.

The roof of the Heretic is the primary mounting location for the majority of the electronics. All heating and lighting elements are internally mounted with the exception of the Advanced LED system. The large size and potential heat generated by this particular element require it to be placed on top of the enclosure over a clear window.

This light is biased towards the front leaving room for the air filtration and inline fan to be mounted behind it. All internal ceiling cords as well as all probe cords are covered to keep down the potential for unwanted climbing activities.

This is our first test of a fully automated enclosure. Optimizing the blend of heating, lighting, and overall environmental controls will require diligent monitoring as we refine the Heretic. We look forward to the insights gained and the evolution of our contributions to reptile keeping.

Secrets – they’re hard to keep 😁

We built our first prototype C3 3x2x2 months ago, with the original idea behind it formed years back. Finally, technology and material availability met for an amazing match in these fresh builds for the one and only Bill Stegall of @phoenix.reptiles

To start, the first upgrade that catches your eye is the HDPE wood grain front. These two HDPE pieces are both aesthetic and structural components. While they look great they also provide support for sliding tracks to accommodate 1/4″ tempered polished glass. Similar to musical instrument neck construction, the sliding bases feature multi-component assembly utilizing both wood-look HDPE and a 1/2″ PVC backing plate. Not only do they look phenomenally clean, but they’re also incredibly rigid.

To further accent these pieces we added a recessed, floating, frosted Focus Cubed logo encapsulated by a bolt-on viewing window. While being ridiculously cool, this unique component pays homage to the next generation of enclosure ventilation.

Mounted in the upper rear wall (cool side) of these enclosures is one variable speed fan. This fan allows for airflow on demand by pulling outside ambient air through the bypassing front doors across the cool side/hotside transition. There is a second probe cord cover located next to the fan where a hygrometer/thermometer probe can be mounted to monitor or automate internal conditions.

Along with these wicked upgrades, you can see some of our favorites like the dual ceiling mounted PlantClamps, 15/20/20mm carbon fiber perch combo resting on HDPE mounts, 32″ LED with cord cover, and 80-watt heat panel. This unit even features a thermostat probe guide with an adjacent thermostat probe cover to allow for probe installation/removal without the need to pull apart any walls or roof panels and no drilling of any access holes.

Get a closer look and video walkthrough with this C3’s Enclosure Talk on the Focus Cubed Habitats YouTube channel, link in Stories. Also, keep an eye out for MJ’s vlog of our delivery to Bill’s place & our very own Making Of vlog!

Moving right along with our NARBC weekend model release recap – meet the Yin & Yang C2 Slider 2x2x2 build!

Stephen tossed around several ideas for these two foot Sliders and landed on the concept of Yin and Yang – the matching opposites. The first C2 features a red front and holographic logo with the gray build featuring a chrome red logo.

Each of these matching opposite builds has a variable speed fan like the ones we included in the sister C3 Sliders featured in our post yesterday. This fan allows for airflow on demand by pulling outside ambient air through the bypassing front doors across the cool side/hotside transition. Also included is a second probe cord cover located next to the fan where a hygrometer/thermometer probe can be mounted to monitor or automate internal airflow and humidity.

Continuing with the tradition, each C2 is optioned with dual ceiling mounted PlantClamps, 12/15/20mm carbon fiber perch combo resting on HDPE mounts, 22″ LED, and 40-watt heat panel. Some very cool design ideas Stephen machined into these are the thermostat probe guide with an adjacent thermostat probe cover to allow for probe installation/removal without the need to pull apart any walls or roof panels and no drilling of any access holes.

Get a closer look and video walk through with these C2’s Enclosure Talk on the Focus Cubed Habitats YouTube channel.

What can we say, we’re incredibly excited to share our KINOVA Special Projects reptile room Focus Cubed Habitats enclosure build and two-day journey with you! Few people know it, but my first snakes were pied ball pythons and the little girl inside had a dream come true working with and visiting KINOVA.

Follow along with us as we unload the materials, machine, build, pack, and travel cross-country to deliver to one of the premier reptile breeding facilities in the Nation. Stephen and I drove straight through the night from Texas to Georgia, met with the amazing Summer, Justin, and crew, unloaded enclosures, and then headed BACK to Texas for another overnight drive to pick up our pups from boarding. Intense – that’s how we do it here at Focus Cubed Habitats!

Also do us a favor and go check out KINOVA’s Hetflix Episode 176 of their Special Projects room update, subscribe to their channel, and show your support to the KINOVA team!