FAQs
Focus Cubed Habitats is owned and run by Stephen and Ashley, a husband-and-wife team who maintains over 90 reptiles when not building enclosures at their shop in Montgomery, Texas. From monitors to croc skinks, green tree pythons, corn snakes, geckos, bearded dragons, and many others, we’ve been keeping since 1994 and our whole life experience revolves around keeping reptiles and building amazing enclosures for you!
What is the difference between the IQ Series, Custom Shop, Kits, and Condos?
We’ve broken down our enclosure and tub system offerings into different categories.
IQ Series – Looking for an awesome enclosure fast? The IQ Series is an intelligently designed group of enclosures that have faster lead times and are offered with laser cut acrylic doors and uninstalled accessories to lower turn-around time and shipping costs. Modern design with built-in features not available from any other manufacturer.
Custom Shop – These enclosures are offered with tons of pre-installed heating, lighting, screen, and perching accessories with color, window, and other personalization options for you to make your own unique build.
Kits – Have a particular animal and want a more one-click setup? Then the Species Kits are available to help you select the most popular setup for bearded dragons (and other arid species), ball pythons, blue tongue skinks, arboreal snakes, and super dwarf retics (and other semi-arboreal species)!
Tub Systems – Our Hangar and Concept tub systems use the popular clear Cambro tubs that are great for neonates, as quarantine units, and for breeders needing multi-unit tub systems. They make cleaning a breeze!
Gecko Condos – Our Sequence line of condo enclosures are built with the gecko keeper and breeder in mind. They’re lightweight while offering multiple enclosures in one!
Tops – Our replacement tops for the modern swivel-clip Exo Terras are optionable with heating, lighting, window, and screens to turn your Exo Terra build up a notch! These tops are available in multiple configurations depending on your animal’s humidity and environmental needs.
What are your current lead times?
Orders are currently going into production in:
**All lead times can be found under each enclosure’s page for convenience.
Estimated 2 weeks for IQ Series, Hangar1 18x12x9
Estimated 4 weeks for Hangar6, Hangar6 Factory Edition, Sector
Estimated 6 weeks for Exo Terra replacement tops, Matrix, Matrix XL, Alpha, Hangar1 XL 26x18x15, Hangar1 Traverse, EVO Arboreal Snake Builds
Estimated 8 weeks for Expanse, TwentyFour, TwentyFour XL, Sector, Arcade, Ratio, Ratio Slider, Panorama, HighRise XL, Vault, Monolith Slim, Monolith, Formula, Ratio 4x2x2 Kits, C3 Slider
Estimated 10 weeks for Studio, Studio Slider Performante
Estimated 12 weeks for Hatchling Hangar, Concept3, Concept3 MaXX
Estimated 15 weeks for Sequence3, and Sequence4 Mini, Sequence321, Aspect, GT, GT Slider, GTO, GTO Slider, Signal, Mini Monster Performante, MOB, Concord SR-72, & Ascent
As a two-person husband and wife team working hard to fulfill orders, we very much appreciate yours! All processes are done in-house by the two of us from design, 3D modeling, CNC machining, assembling, disassembling, shipping, die-cut logos, web design, social media, and material procurement.
Some suppliers are still running slow and encountering material backorders. We genuinely appreciate your interest and patience through ever-changing times!
What Makes a Focus Cubed Habitats Enclosure different?
Stephen and I understand it can be tough to tell the difference in one of our Focus Cubed Habitats enclosures when just looking at photos online. We’ll keep it simple here!
– We use genuine American-made PVC. Some other enclosure manufacturers use imported plastic which costs sometimes over three times less than American PVC sheets. Sure those other enclosures may be cheaper, but there is always a reason. Not only does using imported PVC not support the American economy, imported PVC is also often brittle, easily scratchable, and less dense. While we’re on the subject… we also use an American-made CNC machine. Support local!
– Our enclosures are preassembled for fitment so you can rest assured they’re easy to assemble once you receive yours. All windows, screens, doors, locks, and front hardware come already installed!
– All of our hinged door models use real name-brand metal hinges with bolts, stainless steel lock washers, and lock nuts. No plastic glue-on stuff to fail here.
– Slider models feature real tracks attached with stainless hardware. Some other sliding door enclosures on the market use double-sided tape that can fall off or have dadoed grooves that have a rough sliding action. Our process requires more hardware and effort on our end to install tracks, but the quality of the slide makes the time worth the extra effort. All of our sliding enclosures have removable polycarbonate or glass doors for easy cleaning. Glass sliding doors are fully Tempered 1/4″ high polished panes. That’s right, we’re using full 1/4″ glass doors where others might use thinner 1/8″ glass.
– Stephen puts in the extra hours designing models that look amazing in your home. Simple things like shelf braces, door lines, corner radii, detailed window and shelf shapes, slider fronts, and more are thoughtfully crafted rather than a simple square or rectangle shape. Keeping reptiles is about having fun, too!
– We’re not a big corporate business. As mentioned above, Focus Cubed Habitats is just me, Ashley, and my husband Stephen. We’re two passionate keepers and enjoy talking to fellow reptile keepers like yourselves. As a matter of fact, most orders are from repeat customers who have experienced the Focus Cubed Habitats difference! Reviews and support from our Focus Family speak for themselves.
Is there more information about Heating & Lighting options you offer?
We created an Accessory Information page where we break down what a RHP is, different types of lighting, types of thermostats, etc. with photos to help you decide what is best for your situation!
What is a good thermostat to use?
All heating must be controlled with a thermostat. We recommend Spyder Robotics Herpstat thermostats that are available in 1-6 probe options depending on how many heating elements you want to control.
A note on Humidity/Temperature tracking.
In addition to a quality thermostat, we like to use the SensorPush sensor to track humidity and temperature over time using the SensorPush app linked to your phone. These are great tools to really dial in your setup. They’re readily available on Amazon.
Can I have bioactive soil in a PVC enclosure?
Yes! We, and many others, have bioactive setups in Focus Cubed enclosures. All PVC enclosures must be sealed to make substrate/watertight no matter what substrate is used. Here is a link to the enclosure care guide with our preferred sealant choice: https://focuscubedhabitats.com/quick-enclosure-care-guide
Here is a handy plant processing guide that we’ve found helpful when getting plants ready for a planted enclosure: https://www.neherpetoculture.com/plantprocessingprocedures
Is there a way to see enclosure builds in more detail?
We understand there are a lot of options for our enclosures and it is sometimes difficult to picture a certain setup just from the product photos. To limit the amount of clutter on each model page, many of our models have a video or two at the bottom of the enclosure order page and we have over 500 Enclosure Talk videos on our Focus Cubed Habitats YouTube channel. There you can see more examples of different build and accessory configurations we have made over the years. You can also visit the HELP tab at the top of the page for a variety of material, accessory, assembly instructions, etc. links to help you decide what setup is right for you!
Are these enclosures stackable?
Yes, stack ’em up! Like-sized enclosures can be easily stacked by placing on top each other.
How do I use the rear cord slots?
Our enclosures are equipped with convenient machined cord slots in the rear panel to easily route accessory cords through before attaching the back panel.
Are there photo examples of perches for arboreal snake builds?
Check out enclosure perching options with size and perch mount examples on the Perch Information page. Our perches are only available with enclosure builds as they are fit to each build.
What is the difference between the Matrix XL and Alpha 18x12x12 enclosures?
The Matrix XL features a taller substrate dam to accommodate deeper substrate for arboreal snakes or more terrestrial species. The Alpha has a shorter substrate dam for sterile (paper towel/puppy pad) arboreal snake keeping with front intake vents and a larger door opening area for easier perch removal. Same enclosure size to fit different keeping needs!
Heat Panels and Send Us Your Panel for Install
We carry a wide variety of Wilbanks & VE panels as options on many enclosure builds. You can order your enclosure build with or without a heat panel, or if you prefer you can also contact Bob at Pro Products (https://pro-products.com/pro-heat/) to order a panel from Bob. Bob drop ships your heat panel order directly to us – just use his form linked above and tell him to send it to Focus Cubed Habitats. He’ll know what to do!
What about under tank heating pads?
PVC enclosures insulate better than older glass or wooden boxes that might have used under tank heating pads. We do not offer under tank heating in PVC enclosures. Modern heating available in non-tub enclosure setups allows for more natural overhead heat using a thermostat.
Color Options
The optional colored red, blue, yellow, green, and gray PVC can sometimes vary in color shade due to manufacturer availability, different batches over time, or discontinuation of a particular brand. We aim to get the same color from the same manufacturer, however, sometimes our suppliers cannot guarantee color matched availability.
What enclosure is best for me?
There is not a perfect formula when working with living creatures, and that is what makes it such a fun and exciting learning experience! Despite other manufacturers and perhaps people in online groups stating that “X setup is perfect for X animal”, the answer is not that simple when dealing with different climates, species, animal size, animal temperament, keeping experience, and space for the enclosure among other variables.
We have enclosures categorized by size, type (IQ, Custom Shop, Tub Systems, Condos), and even a Species Kit category with common options for some the most popular species including ball pythons, bearded dragons (and other arid species), arboreal snakes, and semi-arboreal snakes. Once you find a size of enclosure that fits your space and needs for the animal, you can refer to our handy Accessory Information page with links to the manufacturer’s websites to determine what accessories you would like included. For example, our Ball Python Kit includes a radiant heat panel for cool side ambient and nighttime ambient heating, halogen for a UVA and heat basking spot, dimmable LED for illumination with options to add a Deep Heat Projector if you want to offer a larger basking spot, a nighttime basking spot for nocturnal species, or just want to add additional heating if you live in a colder climate, as well as option to add UVB. If you want to install your own accessories, the IQ series of enclosures offers popular sizes with fast lead times where you can set them up to your heart’s content!
Do you have any in-stock enclosures?
In Stock Quick Ship enclosures are sometimes created from the machining of additional space on the 4×8 sheets of the standard queue of enclosures. They are occasionally available under the In Stock Quick Ship tab and are only available as listed.
Sometimes damaged materials come from the manufacturer or panels otherwise get damaged. There are occasional Scratch & Dent discounted enclosures with dents, scratches, or corner rounding sold as-is.
In Stock Quick Ship and Scratch & Dent typically ship in 1-2 business days after placing your order.
Do you have Payment Plans?
Payment plans through a PayPal invoice are accepted on a case-by-case basis for orders over $500. Payment Plan orders are added to the production queue once half down is met with corresponding lead times taking effect at that point.
Do you offer any discounts?
We do not have any discounts or promotions available as costs are not reduced any in relation to quantity ordered. Our Made in the USA models are made to order rather than a widget that can be pulled off a shelf, and priced as low as possible for everyone when factoring in machine time, shop overhead, materials, credit card processing fees, and labor.
Do you take any custom Enclosure Requests?
We are currently not taking custom orders due to standard model demand. A custom request for a different size, venting, etc. might sound easy, but even simple changes require a CAD redesign and machine reprogramming that can take hours of labor.
Do you have more information on different materials used?
We take pride in using American-made PVC on an American-made CNC machine! Not only is it higher quality, but by working with us you are doing your part to support our American economy. Many other PVC enclosure manufacturers use Chinese PVC or resell Chinese-built enclosures. You’d be surprised at how many big names are resellers of Chinese enclosures. Looking for more information on our hardware colors and materials used? Check out the Materials page that includes descriptions and photos!
Enclosure Assembly
All enclosures are preassembled for fitment. Most are then disassembled for flat pack shipping. We take great steps to make the reassembly process after shipment quite easy with numbered panels and corresponding step-by-step instructions. We have Assembly Instructions available in digital form if you want to get familiar with the process.
What happens once I place my order on the website?
First off – thank you for deciding to become a part of the Focus Family!
Once you place you order you will receive an email from the automated commerce system with your order information. If you do not receive that email in your Inbox, check your Spam/Junk folder as they can often go there. If you still do not find an order confirmation email, you can contact us to check if maybe the email address on the order may have been misspelled (surprisingly quite common) and we can manually send the order confirmation we receive. The production process is outlined in that email below your order information.
Are enclosures shipped assembled or disassembled?
All enclosures are preassembled before shipment. Most enclosures are then taken apart and shipped flat for package size and safety via FedEx. Some smaller models for neonate/hatchlings are shipped assembled. The type of shipping is outlined on each model’s order page in the Shipping dropdown.
Each enclosure is shipped separately in its own box for safety and multiples cannot be combined in one box.
Large enclosures require freight shipping crated on a pallet. Freight shipments are usually shipped disassembled flat for a particular weight class and use less crating/packing material. Some large enclosures can be shipped assembled as long as they can fit on a pallet, however, the cost of the shipment will increase. Specific freight quote info can be found below.
What if I want to pick up my order at your Montgomery, TX location?
Since all enclosures are preassembled, local pickups are available assembled. Simply select “Local Pickup” on the order page in the Shipping dropdown, and we will reach out once your order is complete with information to schedule your pickup.
The local pickup enclosures are wrapped in stretch wrap for travel. Please have the adequately sized vehicle/trailer for your enclosure pickup. Enclosure dimensions are typically available at the top of each order page to check if the enclosure(s) will fit. Please keep in mind headliner curves, side, trunk and rear door opening sizes, etc. when measuring your vehicle for carrying capacity. Do not leave a PVC enclosure in an unattended hot car or back of a truck in the sun as the PVC can possibly warp above 130-140 degrees F. If travelling in an open truck bed a truck, let us know and we can wrap your enclosure in UV resistant pallet wrap.
What about Order Changes after placing my order?
Your order specifications are locked once production begins. We can accommodate some changes before that time within reason. If order changes are made, any order changes on separate invoices done after you place your order through the website will not be added to the automated commerce system production and completion emails as that system is not editable.
How do I find order status/lead time info once I place my order?
Your order confirmation email has information on what to expect as your order progresses with lead times. Simply scroll down in the email to find the info. If you did not receive the automated order confirmation email in your Inbox, they often go to Junk/Spam depending on your email settings.
Refunds
As a small business, each order goes towards paying for shop space, equipment, inventory, and material procurement operating expenses to keep the workflow rolling. Please be sure you understand the lead time info and have the correct enclosure with all of the options and accessories you want before sending payment. Credit card processors charge a transaction fee for each order, and that fee is not refundable in the event of an order cancellation. No refunds are available once an order enters production or is shipped. All refunds on orders that have not entered production are subject to a 10% of the purchase price plus non-refundable merchant card processing fees. This is agreed to in the Terms and Conditions upon checkout and available for you in both the FAQ as well as the previously mentioned Terms and Conditions.
Canadian & International Shipping
Canada
We ship smaller flat pack enclosures to Canada via USPS & FedEx. Shipping costs average around $40-$80 USD for Exo Replacement Tops depending on quantity and size, and usually around $120-$210 USD for enclosures up to 4 feet depending on size and location. Customs taxes and fees are not included in the quote, and the recipient is responsible for any charges by Customs. For a Canadian shipping quote, we need a postal code and which enclosure (s) would be included in the shipment.
Overseas
Unfortunately, we are unable to ship overseas due to the air freight shipping expense being more than what the enclosure costs. If you have access to an overseas shipping broker, you are welcome to use that and we can provide the shipment dimensions and weight for you to handle the overseas shipment.
How do I get a Freight Shipping quote?
Larger enclosures too big for FedEx ground or large quantity orders are typically shipped via freight disassembled for flat pack and crated on a pallet.
Please contact us for a freight quote with **ALL** of the following information: enclosure model/quantity, zip code, commercial or residential address, and if you need a truck equipped with a liftgate (needed for residential deliveries without a forklift or loading dock).
We are one of the only PVC enclosure manufacturers who fully crates freight shipments for safety and take as much care packing the shipment as manufacturing the enclosure. Enclosures except the MOB 8x4x4 can be shipped assembled upon request, however, an assembled & crated shipment typically has a much higher freight cost.
A freight quote must be obtained before purchase unless picking up locally at our shop in Texas. Palletized freight shipments vary depending on the distance from Houston, Texas, size, weight, residential or commercial delivery address, and liftgate service – quotes on average can range anywhere from $450-$1500. If possible, it is usually more economical to rent a Uhaul or bring a trailer to pick large enclosures up locally at our shop in Montgomery, TX to save on freight and crating costs.
Shipping Damage
Great care and time goes in to packing enclosures, but the size and weight of enclosure shipments make them more vulnerable to improper carrier handling. Unfortunately, damage still happens, especially after COVID and the higher amount of goods being shipped and handled by shipping carriers.
While shipping damage is rare, please follow the below guidelines in the event of shipping damage. We understand it is neither our nor your fault that the shipping carrier mishandled the shipment, however, without the proper documentation outlined below once you receive the shipment, a shipping claim will not be accepted by the carrier.
FedEx, USPS, UPS Express & Ground Damage
Packages may require a signature. Be prepared to be available to receive the package(s) or get with carrier for appointment or hub pickup that suits your schedule.
The necessary carrier requirements to send us to begin a shipping a claim can be found in your order completion email and on our Terms & Conditions page.
Freight Damage
**If significant damage to packing, pallet, and multiple pieces, take photos of damage outlined below and REFUSE THE SHIPMENT**
The shipment will be returned to us where we can file a claim and manufacture the new pieces.
Failing to refuse the shipment in the event of significant damage will likely result in a damage claim denial.
Freight damage MUST be noted on the Bill of Lading (BOL) upon delivery.
The word “DAMAGE” must be written on the BOL for any chance of a damage claim approval
Photographic evidence of package damage, as well as damage to the enclosure and pallet, is REQUIRED (see Ground carrier damage claim process above for guide reference). Video evidence while the driver is present is highly recommended to help the damage claim approval process. The drivers are instructed on the BOL to remain at the location for the shipment to be unpacked.
The person who placed the order for the enclosure will need to be present at delivery in order for a claim to be submitted. If the word “damage” with reference to all damage including scuffs, punctures, tears, scratches, and ANY other shipping damage is not noted upon delivery on the BOL or the shipment is not received by the person who made the order – there is little chance the damage claim will be honored by the carrier.
What if I misplaced my assembly instructions?
No worries, we have all of the instructions available on the Instructions page.
Terms & Conditions
The Terms and Conditions are agreed to upon checkout and purchasing of the product. Please read through the Terms and Conditions for more information.
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How do I contact you?
For questions not answered above, you can contact us via email below or on our Focus Cubed Habitats Facebook and Instagram pages!
With only the two of us working in a loud shop monitoring the machines, we currently do not accept phone calls. Our order volume is so large that the majority of our time is dedicated to getting orders out the door to our amazing Focus Family!
Stephen and I aim to respond to messages within 1-2 business days as we are happy to answer any genuine questions or thoughts you may have. Our Contact Form replies often end up in email Junk/Spam, so please check if you do not receive an email reply in your inbox.