Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need to purchase some cages for my growing pythons. The candidates are Animal Plastics, Boaphiles or Visions. What is the concensus on which is the best. I need to get six of them. Anyone have any expirence with these products??

I got several Boaphiles earlier this year and love them. If you get them you won't be sorry.

Roxanne

I've used Boaphile in the past and was really happy with the product. The one serious drawback about boaphiles is moving them. It's a real pain to relocate the cages if you move. If you checked the classifieds you will see that almost every ad with used boaphiles is for Pickup Only. I have switched to Animal Plastics for racks and love the fact that they can be disassembled, boxed up, and relocated real easy. Same with their cages. They have great customer service, a good product, and built with lots of attention to detail.

If you have ever looked at the classifieds for used cages, the used visions sell for almost as much as the new ones.

I have tried to buy used ones before and was shocked when they were always sold very quickly and at prices that were close to the new price.

I have some 8 year old visions and they still look brand new.

I don't own any commercial cages and don't forsee owning any. But I have helped a friend of mine with his large collection. He has all three cages in his rooms, albeit only the older versions of the AP cages. He also has cages from one or two other companies.

I prefer the Visions by a long shot for the following reasons:

1) He bought his used a few years ago. I think they were about seven years old so that would make them about ten years old now. His used Visions are in better shape than any of his other cages that are less than three years old. To be fair, my friend is pretty tough on cages. When I build stuff for him I take a lot of extra care.

2) I like the extra depth of the 4' cages. I think AP also offers a deeper 4' cage but like I said I have not seen their cages since they switched to a different plastic so I will refrain from further comment.

3) I like the perforated aluminum for vents and the amount of ventilation. Like I always say, it's easier to cover excessive ventilation in an occupied cage than it is to add ventilation to a cage, even if it's unoccupied.

4) They are the only cages that I would feel comfortable dragging up a flight of stairs from the basement, tossing into the back of my truck and blasting with a pressure sprayer at the local DIY car wash. I'm very impressed by the strength to weight ratio.

5) I prefer sliding doors. I have found that if Visions are kept on a flat surface and the tracks are waxed the doors work fine.

6) When I'm pulling a python out of his cages the Visions stay the most secure when the snake hooks its tail onto the cage. The older AP cages with their heavy 1/2" HDPE are the second best but the top cage can still shift. With the boaphiles you have to have a hand on the cage and only one hand on the snake, regardless of where the snake is in the rack.

7) Longevity (basically the same as #1). I was in a petstore in Colorado who had a wall of the original Visions. I don't remember how old they were but they were the original product. They were even a different color. Red, I think. Still looked and worked like they were brand new. The owner of the store says to go down to the local car wash in the back of his truck a few times every year.

8) Believe it or not, I even kind of like the often mentioned lip around the door of the cage. It is sort of a nusance in that snakes hide there and you can get the occasional food strike, but my friends snakes really seem to enjoy the lip and spend a lot of time there. If the snakes like it that's good enough for me. I say this with all honesty that I would choose to have the lip around the door of the cage even if there was an option not too.

Now, with all that said, I want to emphasize that all of the above comments are for the 4' versions of cages from each company. I have zero experience with the larger cages from any of those companies. I thought I should mention this since you did not say what species of python these will be for.

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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

Nobody mentioned heating.

If you need to maintain a warm, humid environment and the room you will keep these in is cold, like during Winter, then Boaphiles might be your best bet. I haven't seen the newer AP cages, so I don't know how well those retain heat, but if they are 1/2" thick, they probably do as well. Visions are tougher to keep warm in a cold room, and take more wattage to do so.

For strength, Visions are indestructable. AP are extremely tough too. Boaphiles are the least tough but can be repaired very easily. Boaphiles aren't made to throw into the back of a truck and let them bang around, then pressure wash them. Not at all.

Boaphile 4ft cages are fine. I just don't know about housing a 13ft retic for example in 1/4" thick PVCx. Take that in consideration if the pythons are big.

For heat and humidity retention, Boaphiles work very well. I guess I said that already.

I tend to like hinged, acrylic doors. Some people prefer sliding glass. Which do you prefer? For a big burm, glass may be necessary.

You can make it work whatever you get. So pick what is most important to you. If you are talking big pythons like Burms and Retics, then I would have strength of the cage material be high on the list.

Mark, good points as always.

I should add that my already mentioned friend relys mostly on room heat so the heating is a non issue for him. But as he has learned, a Vision or any other cage kept in an unheated room is easy to heat if you wrap it with a few bucks of Reflectix insulation and increase the thermal mass inside of the cage.

Be very careful when doing this, however. Many people don't realize how good Reflectix is at blocking radiant energy and find their cages can get extremely hot. It's a good idea to use a Tstat as always and adjust the wattages of heating elements in some cases.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

I have 4 Vision 221s and have had them for a little over a year. My comments on them are as follows:
Plus Side:
1. Extremely light
2. Nice pieces of glass used on the doors
3. Easily stacked
4. Easy to modify (drill holes in and close them up if need arises)
5. Well ventilated
Minus Side
1. Not very good at holding in heat (I live in PA so winter temps are harder and even in a/c rooms it can be tough)
2. Plastic will mold around items if you stack say books on it for a period of time.
3. The tops sag in the center over time especially with RHP heat.
4. The ridges down the centers of each side that let them stack so well are a real pain in the butt come cleaning time.
5. No matter what anyone tells you, the do stain with urine. I keep extremely clean cages and two have urine stains in them that remained even after bleaching.
6. Due to the shape of each cage, your heating options can be limited. Example would be RHP; I had to buy what fit the cage instead of what was best for my settings.
7. The ledge is a pain due to snakes hiding there (this may or may not be a problem for you) but mostly because if a snake decides to do its business in there it is not a simple cleaning process. You have to get in there and dig it out.
8. When using mulch in these cages it was a real mess changing it out. The shape and ledge factors haunted me.

I have built my own cages and will be selling my visions or maybe saving them as hatchling cages. I think if they redesigned the shape of the cages to be more user friendly it would help a lot. For me, the heatloss was a real problem as I don't heat an entire room for my snakes.

Opps I meant to delete my comment about plastic molding around the cage because I explained the sag and that was more like what I meant.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Yes, the snake house is heated, but other heating for individual cages is required also. The snakes are indeed large retics (17' and 18') and tame as garter snakes!! From the information you all provided it will eithr be the Visions or AP. Again, thanks for all of the feedback. It has really helped.

Dan

If I was you and I am not, I would build custom rooms for retics that size or go with the vision's.

1)Durability retics are big havey snakes that abuse cages just on those parimeters alone. Not to mention with the fecal material adn urates Retics put out it may be easier to aquire a commercial shelving unit with a shelf for each vision. Than you couls simply remove the cage for once a year pressure washing or in the even you need to do maintenance on one unit you don't have to unstack the whole bunch. Just my 2 Cents

2)Drop down doors are nice for removing the whole snake. But sliding doors come out just as easy and every reptile room should have a good bench or counter to place them on. Plus getting a big snake back in a cage is easier if one half is closed. I remove my Big Red Tail this way since she loves to grab the door on the way out and well she hates going back in.

Those are just a few things on top of all the other things people mentioned that were good about Vision's. To me the only downfall (I heat my room to 80') is the color. I wish it was available in something else.

Good Luck and Lets see the happy couple (snakes), I think retics are an awesome species.
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.10 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.2 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child -coming soon-

Well I guess my comparison of 4' cages is not a lot of help then. For snakes that large I would definately consider custom enclosures of some sort. If you're not a DIY kind of person you could always find some local person to build the cages for you. This is not as hard as you might think.

Otherwise, definately rule out the Boaphiles. I'm sure Vision and/or AP make something that would work but I know nothing about that end of their product line. I have seen many of the 6' Visions at large breeders and behind the scenes at zoos so I assume they are pretty good. But I don't know how their larger cages are much less what they make.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

When it comes to caging for large constrictors it is often best to open the discussion over on the appropriate species forum. I have found some pretty good caging threads over on the retic, burmese and anaconda forums. Really best to hear from people who have housed giant constrictors.

I have only housed one large constrictor, a burmese, and that was in a 4x10 custom enclosure made from concrete block. It was actually pretty reasonable to build, at least based on the prices of 15 years ago. I think concrete block and is a lot more expensive and labor costs have also gone up.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

I know there is a guy who has one of them and I believe he keeps only large snakes. I know that he keeps either a retic or anaconda in that cage. They might be an option for you too. I also know that the last cages he orders for retics and anacondas were from AP. I am not sure if he is on these forums but i know he visit the NERD one often. His name is Ben Redick I believe and I hope that was okay to post. I would see if you could find him and ask.

My Burm is just a baby so I am not much more help than that. I do intend to build my final Burm cage myself though.

www.monstercages.com is actually Boaphile. Jeff owns the domain name.

Like yourself I think in the end he will be happier with custom built enclosures.

Funny you mentioned NERD they actually sell Zoo Products made by Animal Habitats.

Here is the Link www.zooproducts.com

Their 96" cage is a very good product from what I heard.
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.10 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.2 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child -coming soon-

Wow! I had no idea they were the same company. That is good to know. I love the looks of Kevin's cages but $$$ is too hard to come by for me to buy them.

I am totally into this cage building just as Chris warned me about. I am looking at snakes all the time and thinking "I can build a cage for that snake...I should buy it!" It is one of the few things that I can do with my husband and my 4 teenagers don't bug us while we're doing. I mention "Snake Cages" and they tear out of the house.

I am really excited about building the Burmese cage though. I have decided to do it in two 5ft sections as you and Chris suggested. I have figured out how to have a slide-in partition between each section. To covered the gap were I would slide in the board, I will have a door. I really didn't want a gap even thought I know the snake wouldn't be able to get through it. I was worried about heat loss and my cat.

I have one more 4'x2' cage for the male Borneo to bang out and then it's Burmese time.

Am I the only girl that is building cages?

Oh btw, we have acquired and entire woodshop full of tools and woodworking equipment now. Fun!!!!

Am I the only girl that is building cages?

No there are a few others, you just seam to bve the most popular as of late.

A lady by the name of Krystal was on here a lot a few months ago but it has been some time since we have heard of her progress.

Oh btw, we have acquired and entire woodshop full of tools and woodworking equipment now. Fun!!!!

No need to brag, I am so jealous!

Keep us posted.

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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.10 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.2 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child -coming soon-

There was a woman who came here and a bunch of us gave her some tips on building a cage for her Uromastyx. I think she was a graduate student at Purdue.

Regardless, she built a great cage and made a nice online tutorial. She even became a sort-of regular here for a while.

Let me say this. Man or woman, I do appreciate it when someone comes here asking for advice and actually follows through with it and posts pictures. On that note, I did see your thread "Cages so far" and appreciate the update. I was out of town and by the time I saw it I figured it was too burried to reply.

Cage building is not hard. It can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. And, quite honestly, I do believe some of the homemade cages are the best looking, not to mention cheapest.

And it's addicting.
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Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

I love building.. anything really. I built my iggy a cage a few years back.. don't have any new pics of it but here is an older one while I was still in the process of finishing it.

But as you learned you have to be careful, once you build one you HAVE to build more. I am in the works of building a few tall viv type cages for groups of tokays and skunk geckos. Not in the same cage of course as well as putting together some rodent racks next month to increase my supply for my ever increasing snake collection.

Roxanne

It is an Addiction!

How big is your Iguana I have three my Largest has a whole room 9' x 7' x 83"H.

Cage looks great!

Good Job
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.10 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.2 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child -coming soon-

Thanks Jeremy! She is a bit small for her age... She is 9 1/2 years. I was one of the many that listened to the pet store as to care when I got her.... grrr. So she is just under 4 feet. She would be over 4 feet but last year she smacked the tip of her tail on her outdoor cage while trying to tail whip some pigeons eating right outide her cage.. ugh, injured her tail and lost a few inches.

Her fav spot in the yard when we let put her hip leash on.. Is a dead elm that I don't feel like cutting down. Lazy.. but hey it comes in handy!! haha

Does she stop at the nice low branch where I can easily get her down?? no.. where she always ends up... LOL fun to get her down from 8 feet up..

Roxanne

There is a company named Monster Cages and its not affiliated with Boaphile as far as I know. Heres a link to Monster-Cages ... the "about us" section. Monster-cages is Matt Martin.

http://monster-cages.com/about.php

Both companies are located in Minnesota but in different cities.

Heres the link to Boaphile "about us". Boaphile is Jeff Ronne.

http://www.boaphileplastics.com/aboutus.html

Of course maybe Jeff has the rights to the name Monster Cages and thats why Matt uses Monster - Cages ???

Both make good enclosures as far as I've seen / heard.
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Pete

1- 0.1 Boa Constrictor
1- 1.0 Patternless Green Burm
1- 0.1 Pueblan Milksnake - Apricot phase
1- 0.0.1 Honduran Milksnake - Tangerine phase
1- 1.0 Ball Python
1- 0.1 Rainbow Boa
1- 0.0.1 Cornsnake - Blood

Just to make your decision even harder, I will mention these cages. They are similar to AP. You can see them at their website (something like nwconstrictors.com maybe) or on www.beanfarm.com.

These cages are HDPE like Visions, are very strong and have swing-down doors. You can make an 8ft cage with 2 4ft cages, they sell that option, and that is one thing Vision cannot do.

That is, Constrictors Northwest.