Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I breed blood pythons where adults range from 20lbs to 35lbs. I currently use vision cages, most 6'x3' which I have some of those divided in half. The problem I have is sagging due to the cages stacked one on top of each other, weight of the cages and moist to wet cypress mulch. I have them stacked 4 and five high. I am looking for alturnitive caging. I like a display style versus a large sliding rack system.

I have looked at the Boafile and Animal Plastics cages on the net. I am looking a sliding or hinged glass versus hinged plexi glass or sliding plexi glass. I want to have two stacks of 4 footers with 12" to 15" high styles, one stack of three footers 5 to 6 high. My concerns with these cages are:

1. Multi piece construction(I keep a humid enviornment sometimes hoseing down the cypress much)will there be leak/mold issues in the seams?
2. Will they sag if I stack 5 high?
3. How do they hold up long term?
4. I have not been able to look at either one in person, how is the craftmenship? Will they last?

These cages seem to be better priced than visions, I like the visions but at 18" high I can get one or two more to a stack with these other cages. I also understand you get what you pay for.

If anyone has experience with these cages I would appriciate any input.

Thanks ahead of time...

Chris
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fargo731@aol.com

In my personal opinion, you are asking too much from plastic material. Yes it will hold up to moisture and outlast your snakes, but plastic does sag with weight. You will have to expect sagging at some point if you stack high enough, of course depending on the weight of the animals, bedding, etc.

So the answer is: whatever you choose, stack as high as you can whereby the sagging is minimal or acceptable.

AP cages are shipped broken down, to be assembled and sealed BY YOU with silicon. Will they leak? Up to you, but not likely. Boaphile cages are shipped whole and will not leak. Boaphiles are 1/4" PVCx, a much less "tough" material than HDPE (AP are HDPE).

Of course, you will have to ask if glass is available on their cages. I can tell you that most will not accomodate glass. What is wrong with acrylic? It doesn't shatter and is strong and less weighty (helps with sagging.) Bottom-hinged acrylic doors are less affected by sagging. Sliding doors are the worst if cages sag.

The cages from Constrictors Northwest www.constrictorsnw.com have a thick plastic bar that runs the length of the cage door inside ceiling to prevent sagging. But again, we are speaking of HDPE, and HDPE does sag at some point. What point that will be, I don't know. Contact them. Their cages are among the most rigid plastic cages.

There are MANY cages out there, not just Boaphile and AP. Try looking at Boamaster, Constrictors Northwest, Herp Enclosures, etc. I've used Boaphile with boa constrictors without issue, stacking 4 high, but that was with newspaper bedding and animals weighing in the 8-12 lb range. The bottom cage probably sagged a little, but with the swing down door, there was no problem.