Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Thanks to those that helped with my last post. I have decided that it would be better just to buy them for now. But I do have one question, which is better HDPE or PVCX. Weight is not that big an issue as long as a 4x2 cage is still movable with one person. I am more worried about sagging, durability, and cleaning.

So what do you think? Thanks in advance.

I'd give the edge to HDPE for durability and ease of cleaning. But at any given thickness I think PVCX is less likely to sag. To be fair HDPE varies dramatically in quality and other characteristics for that matter so the plastic used by one company might not be the same as that used by another. I would not be at all surprised if there are HDPE's that are sag resistant.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

Sagging is the most important thing. I'm housing snakes in them not using them to play baseball.

If I bought a stack of cages for $$$ and 3 years later they were sagging I would be highly @#$! off. Cleaning and durability are second most important.

If I bought a stack of cages for $$$ and 3 years later they were sagging I would be highly @#$! off.

It does seem to be a common complaint. With shipping costs and complaints about weight I do believe modern cages are susceptible to sagging.

I don't use any commercial cages so I can't say with any certainty which way you should go. Good luck.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

PVCx seems to insulate a bit better for air temps and provides a nice thermal mass for undercage heat. HDPE is tougher and even easier to clean but doesn't insulate quite as well. That is my opinion based on the commercial cages I have used.

For example, in a 4ft Vision (HDPE) in a room with temps of 65 deg, it took alot of wattage to keep the air temps up for the adult boa in there. In the same room, a 4ft Boaphile cage took less wattage to maintain the temps. So for my application, I would have picked the PVCx cage for the next cage. But if my room was kept reasonably warm, I would have gotten an HDPE cage for the next cage because they are nearly indestructable.

The HDPE cages I've seen (Vision, Reptile Depot and Northwest Constrictors or Constrictors Northwest) were absolutely fine stacked 3 high.

If say, your stack of 4 cages produces problems on the bottom cage, then remove a cage from the stack. Easy. Or use 2x4s and those preformed metal brackets to make a rack to hold the cages.

I would just offer that most of my cages are of the 4x2x2 plastic pvcx variety. They don't warp badly (4 years running now), but they also aren't the sturdiest thing in the world. Cleaning these is not what I would call "easy".

I also have a number of HS cages that are a shade under 4x2x2, and I THINK they are made of hdpe. I could be wrong though...

If in fact they are made of hdpe, I will never get a cage made from pcvx again. They are so easy to clean it is insane. Now, HS uses hollow core technology, so maybe that is to blame for the lack of sagging, but these cages haven't sagged at all.

Having said all this....any 4x2x2 cage is not easily moved by one person (imo)- possible, but not easy.
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Ben Team
Mark Davis
New Paradigm Herpetoculture
Captive Bred Morelia
404-438-2135
chondro776@yahoo.com

Looks like you have a room full of PVC after all.

Habitat Systems cages are made from PVC, but not expanded PVC. HS uses hollow-core PVC panels with a ribbed internal structure that makes it very rigid yet keeps the weight down.

HS cages are the best for insulation and rigidity, just not for the wallet. I think there is no better caging for boas/pythons.

I hear you on the 1/4" thk expanded PVC cages. They do hold up but "feel" as if they are made of posterboard. Still, the material is extremely useful and can be applied very well for keeping herps. I like the 3/8 thickness better.

this may be a little late but i work in a plastics plant and deal with both of those everyday do to i am a material handler...hdpe is much clearer and harder..pvc tends to be softer and it melts with less heat from my expierce naturally either or would have to be thickly made so you wouldnt have a heat melting problem.. but i would recommend hdpe to u ...good luck