Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I am finally working on moving out of my parents' house.

Drawback #1 finding a room to rent where I can keep my 7 BRB (5 Adults, 2 yearlings) one BP, one African Brown House Snake, and 2 Western Hognose snakes, not including 6 crested geckos and my kitten, not to mention whatever babies I will have this year.

NOTE!!!! Noah and Dudette have been locked up every day since I put them together on Saturday....SWEEEETNESS!

Fortunately it looks like people arent all crazy and think that allowing pets is ok. A guy offered me a room for a decent price in San Jose and is willing to allow me my pets. He has kids, which is cool and they only visit on weekends....anyway thats not my point.

I know I will have limited space where ever I live and finding room for my "collection" in a 10x13 (I doubt I will even get this big of a room) will be complicated to say the least. I am defiantely going to work some rack system out for the hatchlings (while I have them) and the smaller snakes (I might possibly have to find new homes for my BP and hognoses which I dont want to do). But my dilemma is the adults, while I am living with my parents I have a nice snake condo that my stepdad built and houses them now (although they are paired in two of them).

What I am wondering is if anyone has had issues with housing ADULT BRBs and breeding them in a rack system. I am looking at some cages from Repti-racks and have seen a rack for $379 for five containers, heat, whole setup but the regulator, which I have no problem taking one from my current setup.
If I have to, I will wait a few more months to save up for vision cages or whatever I need, but since i should be expecting a nice tax refund (approx. $400) I figure I might look into my options before I rent a room.

Let me know what you guys think, just keep in mind, I have searched hi and lo on Craigslist and kingsnake for a CAGING system that might work in a small room. I would hate to get rid of any of my snakes, but I am going to be 21 soon and still living at home...how lame.

On another note, very busy week for the forum, nice to see we're getting popular.
Also, my search for names for my new snakes didnt come up with much (sorry I saw 300 in Imax and it was ok...the nipples scared me!) so I have named them after two of my favorite characters from my dorky teen fantasy books, Daine for the female and Numair for the male. Dave your girls MIGHT have read the Tamora Pierce books.

Anyway, goodnight to all!

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Jess
2.4 adult brazilian rainbows
1.1 baby BRBs born 6/18
1.0 normal corn
1.0 african brown house snake
0.1 hypo Boa constrictor
0.1 normal ball python
2.3.1 crested geckos
1.1 western hognoses
0.2 kitties Marina (aka Mayhem)and Chaos
1.0 boyfriend to keep me spoiled
1.1 paranoid parents "too many snakes!"

One thought, the largest piece of furniture in your room will be the bed, If it were raised, aka like a bunk bed, you would have a lot of cage space underneath. Of course, it's not exactly the "grown-up" sleeping arrangement, having a bunk bed over your herps but would be more efficient with your space.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
20.28 BRB
13.18 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I'm not very interested in doing the "grown up" thing all the time...

We need to start a "Herps'R'Us"... ya know, where a Herper can be kid!

Good luck with the move. The only solution I ever found to my collection over the past 5 years was to rent 2 rooms if possible - One for your bedroom/sanity, one for the never ending collection.

It'll all work out - it always does!
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-Iman

1.1 BRBs (Ying and Yang)
1.1 JCPs (Striker and Sheila)
0.0.2 BPs (Spot and Speck)
5.5 Fish (Insert your favorite names here)
1.0 Miniature Daschund (Rue)

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

So the rack system for the adults wouldnt be recommended? It would probably be the step above the ball python racks, I might even manage to make my own. It would be temporary until I could afford the cages that I want for them.
All in all it seems like i might have to wait until after I sell all my babies (or most of them) to move out, that way I will have some extra funds for nicer cages for the adults.
Hey Dave, did you build your tower cages for your BRBs or did you hire someone?
hehe, herps r'us, maybe thats what i'll name my pet store. Although I would want to incorporate other pets too, which is why I am going to stick with my original name for the store "Jess' pets" bringing quality pets home.
Cheesy huh!

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Jess
2.4 adult brazilian rainbows
1.1 baby BRBs born 6/18
1.0 normal corn
1.0 african brown house snake
0.1 hypo Boa constrictor
0.1 normal ball python
2.3.1 crested geckos
1.1 western hognoses
0.2 kitties Marina (aka Mayhem)and Chaos
1.0 boyfriend to keep me spoiled
1.1 paranoid parents "too many snakes!"

IMO racks would NOT be optimal for breeding. Every breeder I know uses cages fro breeding. I do know some (myself to be included) house animals in racks. Males and/or not being bred females. Racks might work fine, really don't know.

I built my tower cages, quite expensive for just the materials. IMO, boaphile cages would have been cheaper and served gthe same purpose. Mine do look better though

Awesome pic BTW, love that perfect coil!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
20.28 BRB
13.18 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

As far as keeping them under a bunk bed, I dont think I could downsize back to a twin after having a full sized bed for so long, I move around in my sleep too much, for example, I woke up at the END of my bed this morning.
Also, I would only keep them in the tubs after they are done breeding, so far everything seems to be running smoothly in that department, although I dont know if Cherry is gravid, she is still eating like crazy.
I looked at walmart and saw some 41 quart tubs and I think I will probably build my own rack until I can get the boaphiles.
BTW which do you guys recommend more? Vision or boafiles? I cant figure out how to setup heat for the boaphiles, unless its heat pads underneath and then it doesnt seem like it would be very effective.
I already have a couple people lined up for babies, and one guy who owns a petstore said he would buy 10 at $70 each. We'll see if that stays true.
Also, Copper is the one in the perfect coil, I took this right before I got my BRB tattoo on my back, it kinda solidified my design.

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Jess
2.4 adult brazilian rainbows
1.1 baby BRBs born 6/18
1.0 normal corn
1.0 african brown house snake
0.1 hypo Boa constrictor
0.1 normal ball python
2.3.1 crested geckos
1.1 western hognoses
0.2 kitties Marina (aka Mayhem)and Chaos
1.0 boyfriend to keep me spoiled
1.1 paranoid parents "too many snakes!"

Doesn't have tpo be a "bunk bed" setup, just elevate it so there's enough room underneath so you can have one high caging.A typical 6 foot bed could easily house 4 - 3' or 6 - 2' cages underneath. The cages could even be the support for the bed. Might be a pita to clean though so I'd go a little higher and have the cage floor 6" off the ground.

Or go the reverse and have a bunk bed looking setup where the upper "bunk" is the caging. And yes, it could be full size. You'd want to be real carefull about sealing those cages, sleeping underneath them and all!! )
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
20.28 BRB
13.18 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Jess,
...You could take Dave's idea for an elevated bed and make it into a sleeping loft 5 or 6 feet off the floor with plenty of room for your custom BRB caging unit under it. I have lived in quanset huts in Korea and we would build elaborate sleeping lofts in them to free up some floor space.
Jeff

>>Doesn't have tpo be a "bunk bed" setup, just elevate it so there's enough room underneath so you can have one high caging.A typical 6 foot bed could easily house 4 - 3' or 6 - 2' cages underneath. The cages could even be the support for the bed. Might be a pita to clean though so I'd go a little higher and have the cage floor 6" off the ground.
>>
>>Or go the reverse and have a bunk bed looking setup where the upper "bunk" is the caging. And yes, it could be full size. You'd want to be real carefull about sealing those cages, sleeping underneath them and all!! )
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Dave Colling
>>
>>www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
>>
>>0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
>>0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
>>
>>LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
>>20.28 BRB
>>13.18 BCI
>>And those are only the breeders
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

yeah honestly you could easily fir 3 adult cages under a queen size bed without raising the bed above standard height. Take a look at waterbed frame construction and you'll see what I mean. If you combine this with a single shelf unit of cages/racks you could well accomodate everyone plus a little. Also keep in mind you can have the bed stick out into the middle of the room to maximize useable wall and storage space.

Haha! Dave, I was actually planning to do this exact thing! I live in a 1br apartment, and I have a descent amount of space, but the BRB's take up much more room than my colubrids. I was going to raise up my bed to house the BRB's underneath! Like you said, not the "grown-up" look, but it means more snakes!

I am also planning on moving to a bigger place next year, so it might be temporary. Jess, this method would probably work very well for you if you have to keep them all in one room. Great thinking Dave!
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©

Hey Jess,
Do you have to move out? I know that you said 21 and still at home--kinda lame. So what. Big deal. Look at it this way. If your parents are willing to let you still live at home for another year or so, stay there. Sell your babies, breed them again and sell those. Put all the $$ in a savings account.

Save as much $$ from your job as possible. Come up with a budget that you will have to live with if you were out on your own. Make payments out every month for things like rent, electricty, water, new caging system, cable etc and put that money in the bank. Then when you finally decide on what type of caging system you really want, you'll have a good amount to put towards it. Really ready to move out, you'll have some money to do it right. This is advice my wife and I have been trying to give my 18 yr old son, who just doesn't listen. He has moved out and is back again after 3 weeks because he lost his job and ran out of money.

As far as the rack system goes, how about instead of a typical rack system, just get the tubs the correct size you will need and stack them. They can be put in a corner or in a closet. Heating them might present a challenge though.
Hope this gives you some ideas. Best of luck to you,
Rob
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own" Adam Savage
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-Ziggy
1.0 Creamscicle motley corn
0.1 Creamscicle corn
0.0.1 Normal corn
0.1 Black Pine - Spazz
1.0 Bearded Dragon - Gomer

Thanks, I appreciate your advice, I have been considering that and am taking this all into serious consideration. If I cant move my snakes so that they are done breeding and birthing, I wont move. I would prefer to have everything taken care of first, which makes sense.
I might stay until spring, although I do have some issues with my parents at home I think I could stick it out for 8 months longer or something. Maybe by then my boyfriend will decide he wants to be more committed and move in together, although he doesnt like my snakes very much either, he's got 40 geckos though.
I definately dont want to have to move back home once I move out and although I know I will keep my wonderful job (I'm NOT being sarcastic, I LOVE IT!) there are certain circumstances that would make it impossible for me to move if things dont move my way at the office.
I appreciate all of your guys' advice, more than you know.
Have a great evening!
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Jess
2.4 adult brazilian rainbows
1.1 baby BRBs born 6/18
1.0 normal corn
1.0 african brown house snake
0.1 hypo Boa constrictor
0.1 normal ball python
2.3.1 crested geckos
1.1 western hognoses
0.2 kitties Marina (aka Mayhem)and Chaos
1.0 boyfriend to keep me spoiled
1.1 paranoid parents "too many snakes!"