Constructing a viv stack

I build all my own vivs and find viv stacks to be the most economical in terms of space, and also easy to heat. Below is a photographic diary of a viv stack I built for yearling carpet pythons last year

Starting to build the carcass of the stack


Carcass completed


Top and bottom slips added


Outside detail of bottom slip


Inside detail of bottom slip


Edge moulding added


Detail of edge moulding


Plywood back added


Vent holes drilled into back


The completed woodwork is varnished 4-5 times


Screw caps added


Detail of edging, top slip and top glass runner


Detail of edging, bottom slip and bottom glass runner


Vents secured into place


Woodwork and fixtures completed, ready for glass doors


Glass doors and heat mats added, ready for use!

excellant post morelia, just what i was looking for

Morelia few questions for you

do you use 188mm ply for viv?

where do you get ur glass runners and vents?

do u varnish it first then water seal it, or water seal then varnish?

and finally do you drill pilot holes thru first piece of wood, or just drill screw in thru both without pilot holes?

thanks B

lol i meant 18mm ply

Yes I use 18mm exterior plywood for the carcass of the viv stack. I glue all the joints and edges several times before coating with varnish, and then add 4-5 coats of varnish to fully waterproof. This way there is minimal chance of water seeping in through the edges, joints or faces of the plywood, and even if it does, these vivs are kept warm and not designed for high humidity levels, so there is minimal risk of water damage such as delamination or warping of the plywood layers.

Any good hardware shop will stock the circular vents and glass runners, if not then many can order them in at no additional cost.

Nearest place to you brodi for glass runners is Antrim Builders Centre and they're cheaper than e-bay even before p+p is added .

Excellent Post! Very good instructions.

Quick question regarding your design though... Do you have any trouble with heat transfering from one viv to the one directly above or below it? I'm only asking because i see you have no gaps or insulation between each viv and i've heard of people having this sort of trouble with stacks before... :?: Unless you're running each heater off a separate stat appearently it can be difficult to maintain an even heat throughout the stack...

I only have a single viv myself so no experrience on this at all, just curious to hear about your experiences for when i start expanding my collection....

Heat transfer can be problem if the heat mats and stats aren't sorted properly, with the lower one or two tiers being cold and the uppermost tier being too warm. How I get around this depends on what I'm keeping in the stack.

If its all tropical / subtropical species that are not being cooled for breeding, then I have the upper tiers connected to one stat which is set at, say, 24C. The bottom tiers are connected to another stat and their temp is set at around 27C. As the heat rises up into the upper tiers they increase the temps there to around 27C - so all of the tiers are 27C when I check them with a temp gun.

If there are temperate species / animals being cooled for breeding in the stack, I actually use the natural temp gradient wihtin the stack to my advantage - I put these animals into the bottom tiers where, being close to the ground, they will sense the cooler air regardless of what I set the stat temp at; I also drop the stat temp down a few degrees to aid with cooling. Because there will be less heat transfer upwards to the upper tiers during this time I increase the temps in those a few degrees to compensate.

Temperatures can be adjusted to sit at a given level in each of the tiers with a bit of thought and planning, depending on what you are housing and the time of year. With viv stack heating that is not thought out you risk the bottom tier being too cold and the top tier overheating; regular temp checks also help to prevent this happening.

where do you get the glass? do you have to order it?

Really look nice when complete, the varnish really sets it off as plywood looks a bit nasty on its own. Very economical way to do it as well !

Good work !