Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok my girls need an upgrade so its out with the melamine and in with the plastic. But I have some questions.

1) What is the best material and why? PVCX, HDPE, etc... weight, strength, etc...

2) Who makes great cages at a good price? I've seen a lot of sites but don't know how to judge the best construction methods.

3) Are 12" cages actually tall enough of should I stick with 18" like my melamine cages?

I need to stack the cages and was leaning toward the boaphile package deals but need some insight first.

I am an Animal Plastics fan myself...very strong and good quality materials. A T10 cage is about all you will need .. it is 4 ft x 2 ft x 15 inches and is plenty for all but the largest of boas. (I believe they are on sale at the moment for about 200 bucks as well)
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I'M IN SKIN!!!

I really don't like the swing out doors, and althogh I don't mind sliding glass, I would like to be able to completely open the cage for cleaning.

I suppose it is all a matter of preference. I love the only half at a time open system (especially for animals that aren't quite as tame because it allows me to access the side of the cage that the animal is NOT on without the front being wide open. I am so used to it that it has become second nature to clean them. Good luck with your search.
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I'M IN SKIN!!!

Boaphile is the best for all of the reasons already posted by others. I have had a variety of other cages in the past and I have sold most of them for some reason or another. I like the boaphiles over all and plan on buying more in the near future.

Marcus Williams

n/p

You might check out RBI plastics, which advertises on kingsnake. The 4 ft cage with heat for $250 shipped is very nice.

My personal preference is a well-built melamine, but for plastics, I love my 2 Boaphiles.
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2.1.0 Kidletts
1.0.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 Okeetee Corn
2.2.0 BCI
0.1.0 Cat (Ginger)
1.0.0 Pughuahua (Ranger)

1) What is the best material and why? PVCX, HDPE, etc... weight, strength, etc...

I prefer the HDPE. It's a very strong material and it's easier to clean. It makes for a slightly heavier cage, but they're very durable.

2) Who makes great cages at a good price? I've seen a lot of sites but don't know how to judge the best construction methods.

Boaphile cages are very good and well constructed. They're lightweight. The prices are very good too. The only thing I don't like about Boaphile cages is that they're not made with HDPE. Other than that they're a very good choice.

Here's a URL for cages made with HDPE. You can read about the construction as well.
http://constrictorsnw.com/cagessupply/largecaging.html

3) Are 12" cages actually tall enough of should I stick with 18" like my melamine cages?

Cages that are 12" high work just fine. It's all a matter of personal preference as to the height of the cage.

If you were going to buy a Corvette, would you want a REAL Corvette, or a copy? Especially in this case, where the copy costs more money!
Jeff Ronne, being the originator, quite simply has more experience building them than anyone else.
Also, The Boaphiles customer service is second to none!

Having a center piece on the front of the cage, separating the doors, can be a pain when trying to pull an animal out. They like to wrap around the center piece.
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sounddjinn@yahoo.com

Things always get cloudy, just before transformation.

Jeff makes the best product for the price you can get. My animals are very happy in the cages and breed very well in them. Ive tried other caging, sold it, and bought more from Jeff. No doubt in my mind! Dan Klopson.

Have worked well for us for the past 5 years. We just had a 71/2 ft. female give birth to 32 healthy babies in a 4 foot cage. Our boas have done very well in them. They are lightweight and sturdy and have been trouble free.

I have not used HDPE caging so I cannot offer any info on them, but the Boaphile cages work well, are affordable, and easily available!

Denny

I own other plastic cages, they simply do not stand up to the boaphiles.

I just ordered two more. Any/all of my plastic caging with be from Mr. Ronne. Prices are competetive and quality is top notch.
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Take Care,

-Ryan Homsey

www.topnotchboas.com

I may be biased, but could a expandeded pvc cage take a hit with a hammer? Would it break if it were dropped? If I were to swing a hdpe cage at an expanded pvcx cage you'd break the pvcx cage, I have made both types....LOL...

Not saying the other cages aren't a quality product, I think they are, but some folks are working harder for your money, using more expencive materials.

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Ed Lilley, www.constrictorsnw.com
www.reptileinsider.com

I'm glad I'm not the only one that's partial to the HDPE cages.

I think cages made from HDPE are the strongest cages out there. They cost a few dollars more, but they're worth it.

We only have boaphiles, and they've worked great for us. The only thing i would suggest is not going the hidebox route. We decided to get the 5ft with built in hidebox but it has turned out an inconvience when it come to cleaning and removing the animals (although they seem to love the box, lol).
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0.1 Het Albino
1.0 DH-Sunglow
1.0 TH-Moonglow

I just got this stack of assorted sizes and they are gorgeous! I love the hardware on them, no cheap stuff here. Jeff does an awesome job with installing heat too. Outrageous quality and every cage got here without a scratch.

Is a 12" cage tall enough?

At first I was hesitant about one that low, but it would be nice to add more cages in less space. Also they are a lot cheaper and should be easier to heat.

What do you think.

Yes, 12 inches is tall enough. If you prefer taller I'm sure they're available in taller sizes. I know the HDPE cages are 14 inches high.

pvcx are also available in 12 , 15 , 18 , 21 , 24 height sizes , but yes 12 " is enough space for your snake to thrive in and be happy mine are very happy
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signature file edited, contact an admin 6/12/06

i hate to be the only one to say that i'm a vision fan. i have never owned a boaphile cage, but other cages like them. to me the visions are constructed well and are sturdy. also when the cage is dirty pop out the sliding glass doors and the cage weighs vertually nothing and can be carried outside by only one person to be sprayed clean with a hose. they heat simply also. i know everyone has thier own opinion, but for now vision to me is the best.

I have a Vision cage.

Unfortunately it's been sitting empty for years. It's not my favorite cage. I think it's the uneven bottom they have. It's also harder to clean.

I still think it's a good cage. It's sturdy and economically priced.

Im an AP fan myself. I did a lot of research before I started setting up my facilities, and making the decision to buy my caging from Animal Plastics was one of the best choices I've made. I have zero problems or complaints about how they function.

I've never used Boaphile, and dont know Jeff. But, I do know how well my AP cages work, and I've NEVER experienced the level of customer service I've recieved from Mark and his crew anywhere else, and that counts for a lot as far as Im concerned. You get what you pay for. Thats my .02 for what its worth.

reptiletubs.comi have 2 of the biggest ones and they work

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1.2 leopard geckos1.0 jungle carpet python
1.1 columbian BCI

I only have experience with the Boaphile cages. I bought one last year, 17" hi, and got a 12" hi one this year. The taller one requires more heating devices and doesn't stay as humid after spraying. The 12" one is a little low for reaching in and doing stuff. I love the quality of these cages, they are sturdy, easy to clean, and secure. Pretty, too (if that's important). They look great as a piece of furniture. Now if I could only hide all the wires and thermostats! The only problem I had was with a neonate crawling up onto the hardware and getting stuck between the locking mechanism and the glass. I put vet-wrap around it so the space between the mechanism and glass was too small for the snake and that solved it. I like the way the doors fold down - easy to access. You can also drill through it to add other things. I plan to use more Boaphile cages as my collection grows. They are just plain nice.
Donna