Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought these "used" cages a few years back from Barry Berg. 4'wide x 32" deep and 18" tall plus 6" pedestals making the stacks 6' tall - perfect....

Pretty cool cages, obviously industrial grade malamine and well sealed as they have held up with no swelling whatsoever. Glass bypass dorrs on roller tracks with lock mechanisms. Each cage has two "Habistat" dimming thermostats (proportional) clearly older technology t-stats. One controlling a CHE on the ceiling and the other controlling a couple sections of flexwatt underneath the floor.

One of the CHE stats started acting up, not powering on the CHE, I messed with it and it started working. I think it was the fuse not making good connection but not sure. So, I decided it was time for an upgrade. I don't really care for the CHE's, IMO the flexwatt underneath is useless trying to heat through 3/4" melamine and the stats while proportional are analog, not digital which make them hard to make fine adjustments to temps. Soooooooo......

I've ordered 2 Herpstat Pro's (1 for each stack) and RHP's for all 6 cages. Plan being to remove all existing T-stats, flexwatt, CHE's and protective wire cages around the CHE's and go with one RHP per cage. Will have one "spare" channel on each Herpstat Pro.

Then the real lightbulb flashed on!!!!

Each cage has a 6" pedestal. Very necessary for the floor cage and also needed for flexwatt and under cage wiring for all. BUT, if I get rid of the flexwatt and go with RHP's, there is no need for anything underneath any of the cages. That makes the pedestals on the upper cages useless. If I were to remove all the pedestals on the upper four cages, 2 per stack, that would lower the overall stack height by just a tad over 12". Now the stacks would be just under 5' tall. Leaving room for an additional cage on top!!!! And I have spare capacity on my herpstat Pro's!!!!!

I just made room for two more boa cages in my boa room!!!!!

BTW the pedestals are not structural, just attached underneath with angle brackets inside.

What ya think???
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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:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Makes sense to me, although the thought of reaching into a 32" deep cage that high off the floor does not appeal to me, especially since it's only 18" tall.

But space is space...
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

The top cage won't be as deep..

Still happy to have room for two more!!!
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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:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

>>The top cage won't be as deep..
>>
>>Still happy to have room for two more!!!

Chris is just jealous as he'd still need a stool...somewhat vertically challenged and all. LOL

Good Luck Dave, glad I don't have to help you move them...
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

Chris is just jealous as he'd still need a stool...somewhat vertically challenged and all. LOL

Somewhat??
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Dave, I just built a cage exactly like the ones you have shown. Instead of using flex watt, I ordered a RHP from Rich at Reptile Basics. Just got it today. I have been trying to get it right for the past couple hours, and think I might have it now. Instead of trying to control the hot spot, I have the probe set half way up the back wall, and in the middle of the cage, and have it sticking out about 3". In other words, I am actually controlling the ambient temp. I have the Helix at 82 and it seems to be working pretty well. The hot spot is staying about 90-95, and the ambient is 82. this is in a 4x2x1 cage and using a 40 watt RBI heat panel. If it stays good, I will put an animal in it tomorrow and then proceed to build a few more cages. They were VERY easy to build, and I get melamine at dealer cost, so they are cheap to build as well.

Yeah, that would be a long reach to the back of the top cage at that height.

Why not build the new top cages to the same front dimensions but shallower?

Regardless, I like the setup.

Post pics of the build.