Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm wanting to get my ball pythons, corn snakes, uromastyx, and armadillo lizards into a rack system, but I'm not sure where to start with it. I want to use plastic tubs, but I need to know sizes, lid types, and heating.

When using the plastic tubs, do you use heat lamps, or just heat pads? Is there a certain size suggested for small, medium, and large ball pythons?

I pretty much need all the details of starting a tub/rack system.

Thanks,
Brendo
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1.0 Saharan Uromastyx (Jaina)
1.1 Armadillo Lizards (Turbo & Jet)
0.0.1 Chinese Water Dragons (Indra)
2.2 Ball Pythons (Scooter, BigBoy, Fatman, Wookiee)
0.1 Red Tail Boa (Killer)
1.1 Emperor Scorpions (Hacker & Chopper)
1.0 Rose-Hair Tarantula (Hera)
0.1 Stripped-knee Tarantula (Zeus)
1.1 Gerbils (Pinky, Factory) ^_^

The benefits of a rack system diminish when they are used to house basking lizards like you have. It can be done but you have to leave enough space for the overhead light and radiant heat sources these species require.

If it were me I'd stick with stacking cages for the lizards but consider putting everything else you have in a rack, including the invertebrates, if space savings is a concern.

I have seen adult ball pythons kept in some pretty small boxes but personally would want something the size of a CB-70 at a minimum.

Most people just use heat pads, heat cable, or heat tape to heat racks.

It's pretty much an issue of picking out a box and building a rack around that size.

What type of material were you considering for your rack? What's a bigger concern for you, saving money or making a light rack?
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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 would probably build it out of 3/4" MDF. As far as heat pads, cable, and tape, I'm assuming they'd go on the bottom rather than inside?

Where is the best place to purchase the CB-70 and smaller tubs? And I actually planned on keeping the uro, and armadillo lizards in their tanks. I could put the 4 balls, 3 corns, 2 scorpions, and 2 tarantulas in the rack. What about a red-tail. I guess they don't make a tub big enough for a 7ft snake?

Thanks for the info! Insert plugs for tub and heating retail companies.

Brendo

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1.0 Saharan Uromastyx (Jaina)
1.1 Armadillo Lizards (Turbo & Jet)
0.0.1 Chinese Water Dragons (Indra)
2.2 Ball Pythons (Scooter, BigBoy, Fatman, Wookiee)
0.1 Red Tail Boa (Killer)
1.1 Emperor Scorpions (Hacker & Chopper)
1.0 Rose-Hair Tarantula (Hera)
0.1 Stripped-knee Tarantula (Zeus)
1.1 Gerbils (Pinky, Factory) ^_^

Heat pads or heat tape typically are mounted to the shelf and the box slides over them and gets heated from underneath. But some people also use back heat, room heat, or a combination of both.

For heating supplies I'm partial to the bean farm, although I have not ordered from them in years.

Reptiletubs.com sells a variety of Iris boxes, including the popular CB-70. Vision also sells a version that is supposed to be very good and very sturdy. Iris does make one massive tub for storing plastic Xmas trees that would probably work for a 7' snake but I don't think you'd be gaining anything by putting it in a rack.

Usually when building a rack its best to use one size tub per rack. It sounds like you need a variety for a fairly small collection.

3/4" mdf is fine but needs to be sealed. And last time I checked it hardly saved any money over melamine which is already sealed. And boxes slide better on melamine.
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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)

Thanks for the great info. I'll look into the Melamine. Didn't see any of it at Home Depot or Lowes. I made Killer (boa's) tank out of MDF, only cost $40 for a 120 gallon cage. I am concerned for the durability of the unsealed MDF, but it is cheap enough to be scrapped if need be.

Anyhow, I will probably get the CB-70 for the balls and corns, and maybe an exact half-sized tub for the scorps and tarantulas. That way 1 tub fits on a rack to itself, and 2 smaller ones fit perfectly onto the same rack.

Thanks again, keep the ideas and suggestions coming!
Brendo
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1.0 Saharan Uromastyx (Jaina)
1.1 Armadillo Lizards (Turbo & Jet)
0.0.1 Chinese Water Dragons (Indra)
2.2 Ball Pythons (Scooter, BigBoy, Fatman, Wookiee)
0.1 Red Tail Boa (Killer)
1.1 Emperor Scorpions (Hacker & Chopper)
1.0 Rose-Hair Tarantula (Hera)
0.1 Stripped-knee Tarantula (Zeus)
1.1 Gerbils (Pinky, Factory) ^_^

One thing you could do is make your rack so the CB-70's slide in widthwise. For slower moving snakes like BP's and corns this is no problem.

Then you can have two or three smaller sized boxes of the same height that slide in lengthwise. I believe Sterilite still makes a trio of boxes that work this way. The largest is a bit smaller than the CB-70 but BP breeders do use it.

Even if the smaller boxes are not the same height they can still be used. Just build the rack around the taller of the boxes and then use shims to make the other levels work for the shorter boxes.

I did this years ago and it worked great. I had sheets of plastic cut to fit each level and I think two pieces shimmed each level perfectly for the shorter box.
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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)

These rack systems work well for permanent housing? And is the CB-70, or its slightly smaller 'domestic' variant, big enough for more than a single ball python per? I'll probably have one for each, but will probably keep the 2 I'm trying to breed together for a while.
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1.0 Saharan Uromastyx (Jaina)
1.1 Armadillo Lizards (Turbo & Jet)
0.0.1 Chinese Water Dragons (Indra)
2.2 Ball Pythons (Scooter, BigBoy, Fatman, Wookiee)
0.1 Red Tail Boa (Killer)
1.1 Emperor Scorpions (Hacker & Chopper)
1.0 Rose-Hair Tarantula (Hera)
0.1 Stripped-knee Tarantula (Zeus)
1.1 Gerbils (Pinky, Factory) ^_^

For many species rack systems do work well for permanent housing. I'm not a huge fan of them but ironically they are all I use for now.

I'm not a BP guy but a lot of breeders use them. Probably the most popular box.
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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)

A lot of BP Breeders use seperate cages for breeding Ironically because large females get cramped in even a CB-70 I suppose I they would be comfortable in a CB-110 but thats a personal call. I use cages for breeding and racks for raising/housing.
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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
1.0 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
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child

That works, I guess. I saw a 5'6" ball python female that was 6" around in the middle...though she's a massive exception to the norm, I can go with the CB-70 for now, and when they do reach bigger size, move up.

Thanks for the advice, now time to look into heating. ^_^
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1.0 Saharan Uromastyx (Jaina)
1.1 Armadillo Lizards (Turbo & Jet)
0.0.1 Chinese Water Dragons (Indra)
2.2 Ball Pythons (Scooter, BigBoy, Fatman, Wookiee)
0.1 Red Tail Boa (Killer)
1.1 Emperor Scorpions (Hacker & Chopper)
1.0 Rose-Hair Tarantula (Hera)
0.1 Stripped-knee Tarantula (Zeus)
1.1 Gerbils (Pinky, Factory) ^_^