Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was looking at the rack systems.. is it safe/possible to purchase sweater like boxes at walmart, cut out and screen in the top and stick a UTH or heat tape on the bottom? Can it be done this way? I wouldnt have a big enough collection for the big racks. What have people used when just starting out in this hobby/buisness?
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

old school used hommade cages.......plywood and floor tile , old cabinets, aquariums, all kinds of stuff......tanks usually

......check out BoaPhile's Ballroom Rhino Raxx........they come in 4 box units......they have heat tape.......and anyone will end up with 4 balls or other snakes......

......hommade are ok......but till you make it and all might as well buy better......time is money and escapes happen in here with hommade and home-rigged tanks......

.....go to Exotics by Nature also..they used to have plans for making racks....work for mice and can be modified for snakes..........works for me...but I heat the room.........

...there are alot of homemade plans online..Google search it...
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How big are your snakes, how many do you plan to have, and what sort of climate do you live in?

I live in cool and dry Colorado so screen tops or any of the commercial mesh tops would not work well for me. The people around here I know of who have those end up covering most of the top to get decent sheds. Those probably work great on the humid coasts or with large collections that end up heating and humidifying the whole room anyway.

I use Wal-Mart/Sam's Club sweater boxes of varies sizes. Because I have a small enough collection that maximum cleaning efficiency isn't required I built my few racks to hold the sweater boxes with the lids on. Sure it takes a little extra time always popping and closing lids after removing the sweater box but sometimes they get messy and I wash the underside of the lid with the rest of the sweater box. I think most people now days don't use lids and I suppose that limits you to easily washable shelf materials. I drill small air holes (need to be way too small for even a hatchling to try to work their nose into) around the upper sides and that is enough ventilation while still holding in heat from the tape and humidity.

My smaller two racks are made out of particle board and melamine. My biggest one uses some huge sweater boxes I've only seen at Sam’s (nearly 20 inches by almost 40) and is made out of hollow core doors.

You can spend a lot of time and even money building your own racks so they might not be the savings you expect them to be. But if you have the time and perhaps some scrap (most of the hollow core doors where from a remodel project) it might work out for you. Of course if you aren't very handy and have more money than time it's nice that we now have several commercial choices which do look very nice.

Well right now I will have only one, So a 20L will be my setup for now. But i'm overly prepared sometimes, and am planning for the future.

I live in Florida. I have a handy hubby and others who are good with wood working who can make me a rack system. But being as I only have 1 in my collection. although he wont be here until Jan. (see what I mean by over preparing) I want to know what to expect and or prepare for. As I plan on picking up several more within a short time frame. So i am planning on a system I can add to easily.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

Well you probably couldn't be a more different climate than me here in Colorado. Hopefully we can get someone in Florida to give you more relevant advice. Where I am aquariums don't work very well but with your warm and humid background they might be great. I suspect you could do with a lot more air flow than what I can tolerate to hold heat and humidity in.

I don't know if I'd go with the cut out section, screen top route.
balls spend a lot of time trying to escape, I would be concerned about nose rubs on the screen.
I use the lids on my hatchlings(6 quart) tubs, and put holes in the tubs themselves. Then when they go up to bigger tubs, my racks are built so there is about 1/8th inch gap between the tub and next shelf up.

other than that, yes lots of people use these setups.

I prefer to use laminate ply hardwood, and polyurathane them, and flexwatt on the shelves, been using them for many years never had any problems.

TomChambers

and went through some growing pains. When we only had a couple of balls, we used aquariums, then moved to sweater boxes, then to a homemade rack and then to racks commercially made.

Aquariums with screen tops created humidity problems for us even here in Florida since we keep the snakes in our air conditioned house. We ended up covering most of the screen to keep the humidity in. I would think you might have the same problem with a sweater box if you cut out and put on a screen top.

A sweater box with a tight fitting lid with some small holes (we drill 3 or 4 on each side) cut at the top of the plastic box seems to work the best until you have several snakes and want to get or build a rack. We still use the old sweater boxes with holes when we get a new snake and put it in quarantine.

When you get to the point of needing/wanting a rack, think twice about building it yourself. If you have someone who is very handy building wood furniture it might be a snap, otherwise . . . We probably spent more in time and effort than a small one cost us.

Good luck in Janaury when you snake arrives!
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Alice Cobb
Florida Reptile Room

Rich Crowley has a nice home-made rack plan on his website. I actually have these racks.

One small comment about the sterilite containers and the Iris tubs. I LOVE the iris for cleaning. The have such a smooth texture that nothing sticks. Non reptile tend to be a bit harder to clean.

I have attached the rack link. I have two of these right now and going on my third.
Rack Directions

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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

can you attach UTH's to either of those.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

>>can you attach UTH's to either of those.
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>>This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown
>>
>>2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
>>1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

My racks have flexwatt. I use the iris tubs, so yep.
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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!