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Cage idea

markbrown Nov 23, 2007 06:07 AM

Here's an enclosure I dreamed up a few years ago and I've had great results with it.....maybe it'll be useful to someone else. It's NOT space-efficient, but my goal was visibility. I was really looking for something similar to the Vision/Neo cages without the investment. I've made a couple dozen of these cages and they're cheap and simple. The aluminum channel is from the home supply and the 3/16" plexi from the local plastic supplier....total cost about $15 for those and the Sterlite box. I also got 1/5" strips of plexi to put at the bottom front for a dam. The aluminum channel attaches to the Sterlite box with aquarium silicone and the plexi slides in the channel. I painted the outside of the plastic box with white paint, which leaves an almost impervious surface inside, making for very easy cleaning. Just about nothing sticks to that plastic, which also made painting it a challenge. There are now spraybomb paints designed to stick to the stuff. On several of the cages, I've added holes at one end to put a loop of wire through to keep the front from sliding, but I've really never had a snake move the front. Snakes seem to be pretty inept at moving sliding cage fronts.

About the only problem I've had with them is the fact that the silicone tends to loosen after a few years and you have to take the channels off and reattach them. Other than that, no issues at all....I'm very happy with the results. I keep a couple of sweater box racks, but I really like to be able to observe my animals and I'm sure they don't mind the extra space. And the ease of cleaning is a big bonus.

Again, they're pretty big and don't make the best use of space, but I've gotten to the point where I'd rather have fewer animals in better/more attractive housing. Maybe someone else has similar preferences and can make use of this idea too.
Image

Replies (7)

markbrown Nov 23, 2007 06:31 AM

And here's a shot of a group of the cages. This wall will hold up to a dozen with the right shelf arrangement, with four more on the adjacent corner wall.

One minor caveat about these enclosures.....the channel holds the plexi far enough away (1/16" or so) that the enclosures aren't suitable for small snakes that can wedge their heads between the plexi and the box. I generally wait, for instance, until corn/rat snakes are a year or so old, so that they're big enough that they can't get their head in there. Never had an escape from one of these, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious.
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bakeaway Nov 23, 2007 12:39 PM

Mark,
Great idea,,,and looking cages. Are you heating them with flexwatt? or something else.

David
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Ball Python
Jungle Carpet Python
Eastern King
Mexican Black King
Sonoran Gopher
Aberrent Cal King
Anduran Milk
Hypo Brooks

I love the smell of aspen shavings in the morning...lol

"To serve man..it's...it's a cookbook!"

markbrown Nov 23, 2007 01:33 PM

No, I just keep the house warm in the winter, and since I'm in Texas, it's not that big an issue. Been keeping snakes down here without cage heating for almost 30 years without any problems. The biggest problem down here is trying to cool them, if you need to do that for breeding.

diggy415 Nov 23, 2007 05:53 PM

Ahhhhh what about the light bulb being too hot, or them wrapping around it and breaking it, im not catching where there is safetly on that.
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1.4 various boas(Flicka,Felony,Nova,Alias,Alibi,confessa,custody,Ms.Demeanor)
0.1 BRB Abalone; ABBI
1.0 Rott X (OSO)
2.0 cats (Simba, Morris)
fish & feeders

markbrown Nov 23, 2007 06:15 PM

They're only 15w bulbs, they just get slightly warm, not hot. Never had a problem with snakes breaking them....it'd take a pretty heavy snake to break one of those little bulbs.

Chris_Harper2 Nov 24, 2007 02:30 PM

I am always surprised that more people don't use this style of cage. I have built every a lot of different types of cages, including zoo exhibits, and these are among my favorite cages. If I kept small species or could find a box big enough they would be the only cages I would use.

Here are some of mine.

Side view of 50 gallon sterilite tote.

Front view of same cage. Still have this one.

One 20 gallon tote and two, 8-gallon trash cans.

Top view showing trash cans.


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Currently keeping a small collection of various Gonyosoma. Both G. janseni and G. oxycephala.

markg Nov 26, 2007 02:15 PM

Nice job, Mark. I love simplicity, even if it gets complicated
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Mark

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