Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What type of enclosures do you all use for your rainbows? I'm looking at buying some from AP (where I get all of my racks) and am wondering what dimensions and heat options are best for my adult Colombians (and also Argentinians considering that I just put a deposit on a male from Jeff -- OMFG so excited!)?
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Personally I use a Bophile 422 with a 1.5 heating source. It's a bit big but I only have two snakes and I like the way the cage looks.
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Thank you,

Tim

0.1 wc girlfriend- Melissa (still nippy even after a year and a half of loving care)
0.1 CRB- Tempest
0.1 JCP- Serenity
1.0 Black Cat- Chester A Arthur

I'd have to toss in another vote for Boaphile, I have two 1/2 stacks of his cages. Very nice cages and work really good for keeping in the humidity!!!!
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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:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I don't understand the heating term...?
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Sorry, let me try and clarify. If you order a cage from Boaphile you can have them add a heating option. They have three choices 1, 1.5, and 2. I got the 1.5 heating option with my cage and it works great. It is an undertank heater that evenly distributes heat over 1/3 of the cage. With a thermometer the temps stay in the perfect range for my CRB. I hope this clears some things up for you.
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Thank you,

Tim

0.1 wc girlfriend- Melissa (still nippy even after a year and a half of loving care)
0.1 CRB- Tempest
0.1 JCP- Serenity
1.0 Black Cat- Chester A Arthur

OK. The AP cage I'm looking at is their T12, it measures 48x24x24 and the two heat options are either belly heat and/or an internal heat shroud. Which would be the best for rainbows? My male doesn't climb much, but the female does.
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Personally, I would get the belly heat. They are nocturnal and gather warmth from the ground, not by basking, so the belly heat would make the most sense to me. I would have Dave or someone else who might have experience with either of those heating sources give an opinion though. They do have a lot more experience than I do.
-----
Thank you,

Tim

0.1 wc girlfriend- Melissa (still nippy even after a year and a half of loving care)
0.1 CRB- Tempest
0.1 JCP- Serenity
1.0 Black Cat- Chester A Arthur

The heat shroud would make the air on the entire warm side one even temperature, instead of just one belly spot of warmth. I wasn't sure if they would benefit from entirely warm air or just one warm area to lay on.
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Hey, I've got cages with heaters similar to both methods and both seem to work fine. I have boaphiles with belly heat, works fine. I also have RHP's (Radient Heat Panel) in my woodne cages and those are working great. Either way a good thermostat is a must!!
-----
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:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I would have to disagree with the idea that a thermostat is a must. IMO rheostats work great and they are cheap and simple to use. They work especially well in larger cages were you have a significant temperature gradiant, but I've also used them with plastic shoe boxs with no problems. In fact,I raised my first two brbs from two weeks old until the delivery of my first litter(28 healthy, no slugs or still born) with nothing but a rheostat.

I know from talking to people at shows who are interested in brbs, that a good percentage of them wouldn't even consider one if they thought they would have to spend a hundred or more on a thermostat.

This is just my opinion, but I think everyone benifits when people realize that it doesn't cost a lot to cage these animals.

Dan

Completely agreed, meant to say that the ability to adjust the temperature is a must with a dimmer being minimal and a thermostat being preferred. IMO

While a simple rheostat (dimmer switch) is a inexpensive alternative to a thermostat, it needs to be clear that a dimmer switch will need more monitoring than a thermostat. Checking cage temps for either method is a MUST. With a dimmer, you also need to watch seasonal changes to your home temps. ie on a hot day you may need to adjust down vs colder weather need to adjust up. Again, that's in reference to your home (or herp room) temps. If your home/room is very stable then less adjusting will be necessary.
-----
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:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats