Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If you had a choice of cages built out of those two materials.. same size and shape. would it be worth spending an extra $30.00 on HDPE? or is there a negligible difference in the two plastics

It would completely depend on the thickness, color and specific brand of both plastics. HDPE might seem the easy choice but I have seen some that was of very low quality. And some of the expanded pvc products are very heavy and offer little if any additional strength or rigidity over their lighter counterparts. And they are not any cheaper.

On the other hand, all of the expanded PVC products I have seen in person would make an acceptable cage even though they would vary a lot in weight. I would say only about 75% of the HDPE products I have seen would make for an acceptable cage.

Lastly, I know of one company that makes both HDPE and PVCX cages. Talking to a customer, evidently the design is not the same between cages and the HDPE one has some interior contours that collect feces and are hard to clean. That's all I'm going to say about that. The upshot is that design also matters.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Hi Chris, you have sent me email long ago, regarding one question about PVCX, but know as i see you have a long experience in this material.i would apreciate so much if you can give me some answer for my question regarding deforming of PVCX with heating elements, i mean which heat mat you advaice, or if i can fix without any potential problem a buld like 150 w in the top of the cages without any deforming consecuences.
Any thing you can answer in this reegards, deforming pvcx becouse temperature elements will be very helpfull.

And i see you like gonys, and i used to spend, like right now, time in Indonesia, i want to show you a night pick i took last year.

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/photo.php?id=365623 in case is a wrong Url, please check in galleries of racers in kingsnake.

Thanks a lot

Vano

Ps: In case you answer to me i will apreciate if you answer to me to herprif@hotmail.com

That's a beautiful Gonyosoma oxycephala. I had two blue specimens but both died shortly after arrival.

I have not tested PVCX for heat resistance and deformation. I would not try mountning a 150 watt heat lamp on the top of such a cage, especially if it were a ceramic heating element.

Can you get Radiant Heat Panels where you live? What country do you normally purchased heating elements from?
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephala (Javan, mixed colors)

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback