Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking into getting 4 and 6 foot AP cages for my blood pythons. I've been using vision cages with heat bulbs and haven't been satisfied. How easy are the AP cages to clean? Any problem areas? I was planning on using flexwatt for heating, but heard it doesn't bring up the ambient temp. The temp in my snake room is 73. Would I use 3" or 11" tape and do you apply to the full length of the cage or only a section? When stacking the cages can the heat tape just be sandwiched in between the cages? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Yes, there is a spot routed out for a thermostat probe, so you can stack them and have the flexwatt in between. I personally like their heat coild method too, but that deffinitely has to be on a thermostat. It is not quite as even, but convenient for moving since it is set in well.

Any floor heat is not going to bring the ambient temp up "too" much, but that can be a good thing. AP cages are amazing at holding temps and humidity, so you will get a great gradient with a room temp of 73 and 11" heat tape.

I would do an 11' strip of heat tape on one side of the cage that runs the depth of the cage (2ft).

Only problem with cleaning is the cracks. You arent used to them because visions are injection molding, while AP are CNCed sheets. I personally don't seal them anymore because it comes off too easily and is more pain than its worth. They minimal difficulty with the cracks I honestly don't have a problem with, and I have only seen a TINY amount of liquid ever make it through them even when they arents sealed. I keep all tropical snakes on a misting system, and I would be pissed if they leaked and ruined my marble floor, so the fact that I'm comfortable should say a lot.

You can see my set up in the link below and I am very happy with AP cages.

Get the extra vent its easier to close off excesses vents than drill more holes...

Track is a PITA to clean.

Edge of the front panel is next to impossible to keep white...buy Black.

Heat is pretty awesome the bottom comes routed for heat rope and tape left is one right is the other.

Material is like wood in that it is easy to drill and will hold screws into the face really easy. Makes for mounting a RHP real easy.

If you can get any options I would ask for safety glass vs tempered but that's me.

Also if I had to do it over being they only make white and black I would have Black front and bottom panels and white everything else.
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.3 Normal

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

A very fine grain sandpaper will clean the edge that is difficult to clean, and it doesn't wear down the plastic enough to even notice. It actually just smoothes out the rough edge dirt gets caught in a little bit and makes cleaning a tad easier after that. I only do it to that edge if I need to present something soon.

Thanks for the quick response guys. A couple more questions, if the temperature isn't high enough, would running a section of heat tape on the back of the cage, say towards the middle help? And how many strips of heat tape could I run through a thermostat? I see most of them have 4 plug inserts, so is that the limit? Thanks.

I am a fan of radiant heat panels (RHP), especially for larger snakes in cages in unheated rooms. If your room was say 78 deg, then I would say Flexwatt is the way to go. 73 is probably OK to just use Flexwatt, but is on the borderline.

If the cage is 12 inches tall, then an 11x11 RHP will be great in a 4ft cage. In a 6ft cage, perhaps go with the 11x16 RHP.

Actually, your Vision cages are great for blood pythons, especially if you use RHPs. The molded polyethylene plastic is the easiest to clean of all plastics, and the cages do not leak. Covering the outside glass door with inulating foam helps alot. SO does covering the back with a piece of foam insulation. Seems to me, making these mods and using RHPs is a good deal less expensive than buying new cages.

You can install RHPs in a Vision. Depending on the cage, you may need to use wood spacers. Just depends. I used 11x11 RHPs in the Vision 221 for Childrens pythons and small boas. Awesome. Way better IMO than jacking around with Flexwatt, having the heater at 88 deg while the cold spot was 70 deg. The RHP really makes a nice gradient.
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Mark

I thought of trying AP cages but have not so far. I do have a lot of Visions with boas and pythons, including bloods. I don't use heat bulbs but undertank heat pads such as the old style Exoterra Heatwave (not the new ones) and ZooMed pads. Constrictors thrive on belly heat and pads/heat tape won't raise the ambient temp which really is not needed but UTH won't dry out the humidity like bulbs will. For bloods I seal off most of the Vision vents and my snakes have thrived for many years. If you already have Visions try working with them instead of buying new cages. Bill
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