Im building a terrarium for my Boa and I have some questions..

Question
I wish to make some light in the cage, if I use a normal neon tube light (like the ones in houses) it's good / it dosen't harm the snake? or it's better if I buy a reptile neon tube ( some say it gives vitamin D, the snake's colour looks nicer etc.. and some say that in the long term it may harm the snakes bones etc..) ?

I am planning to build a custom made terrarium and I wasn't sure which silicone I was going to use as there are toxic products for reptiles. Is aquarium silicone safe for my snake?

The terrarium I'm building will be 7ft (length) x 2ft 6inches (width) 2ft 6inches (height). As a heat source I will be using heat mats controlled by a thermostat (heat mats will be under artifitial turf) because I don't have much space for a heat lamp. It should be ok with heat mats? also because heat mats come in rectangular sizes -for example 11" x 30",  should I buy two mats and place them near eachother to cover the width of the terrarium and half the length ?

Also on heat mats I'm going to attach to the floor a piece of glass with silicone so if the snakes pee on the mats it is water-proofed, what do you think?

I wish to put a log inside the cage. I have cut a log from my olive tree in my back yard and I have a problem how I should put it in the cage i.e. shall I put it live/ fresh and disinfect it or should I dry it first?

I thank you for all the help and for your time in advance,  Jonathan.

Answer
Hey Jonathan,

Ok, the first thing to ask is are you dead set on building a tank? Vision cages build some great tanks for a great price. I have bought three of them.

I myself built a tank and loved it, but when I bought my first vision tank I realized these would be better for controlling the environment. You should check them out. Visit http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/vision-cages-racks-tubs-and-visionariums/vis...

If you are dead set, then an aquarium silicone is what you would use for the seems. The lighting is up to you. Snakes don't get any nutrients from light. I used florescent lights from Walmart. Allow the silicone to dry for about 48 hours before you put your snake anywhere near it.

You should allow the tree to dry out completely. The best way to prevent any un wanted pests is to use heat on it. This will kill them as well as dry it out faster. Depending on the size you could place it in the oven at around 150 degrees for about an hour.

Hope this helps,
Eric