Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone use this rack system? I was curious to what the heating system is like and how easy it is to maintain constant hot and cool temps. As of now I simply keep a normal as a pet in an aquarium, but thinking of getting a CB80 and a couple morphs to try my hand at breeding.
Thanks!

I have a V70 rack, which I like. It seems to have too much ventilation for my ball pythons, but I just taped up about half of the holes. As far as the heating goes, it is very relative to the room they are in. Because the racks are so open and have great air-flow, they also stay much closer to the room's ambient temp. I live in a basement and my roommate likes the house FREEZING! So I insulated two sides of my rack with cardboard and it seems to help. I am also going to add another heat cable, for the winter.
Pics are before the insulating:

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Andrea Kamp

1.4 Normal
1.0.3 Pastel
0.1 Pinstripe
1.1 Woma
1.1 Cinnamon
1.0 Lesser
0.1 Yellow Belly
1.0 Ivory
1.0 Albino

1.3 Leopard Gecko

0.1 South Carolina Mutt

Hmm, Buddy of mine suggested I try http://www.dragons4you.net/
They don't have their own heating, but I was going to use an UTH with Zilla heat controller, which is what I use on my guy. Keeps the temp real steady even during the MA winters! Any opinion on these?

1.0 normal ball
0.1 normal leopard gecko
1.0 green cheek conure
1.0 mastiff mix
0.1 persian cat

I would be careful when you have to provide heat yourself. Especially if you want to use the commercial heat pads, that's a lot of wires and putting a lot of faith in the heaters to do what they are suppose to. I would highly recommend getting some sort of heat tape or cable and a GOOD thermostat. The individual heat pads are okay for the aquariums, but I don't trust them to be used in a rack system- you have to be EXTREMELY careful to allow airflow around one side of the heat pad. I've tried to use them and they have burned through the tub and burned the table they were on.

I have also used the AP racks, which are (IMO) perfect as far as ventilation, but aren't built well, so the drawers don't pull out easily or go in easily. The IRIS tubs have "feet", which get caught on the place where the heat tape goes.

If I had the money, room, and use for a freedom breeder with their 30+ tubs in a rack, I would def. go for one. I'm not in that place yet, so I have to make due.

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Andrea Kamp

1.4 Normal
1.0.3 Pastel
0.1 Pinstripe
1.1 Woma
1.1 Cinnamon
1.0 Lesser
0.1 Yellow Belly
1.0 Ivory
1.0 Albino

1.3 Leopard Gecko

0.1 South Carolina Mutt

How cute that your dog is all curled up in a ball, he must have been living around your ball pythons so long he thinks he is one...

I use both Vision racks and Boaphiles, haven't tried the other one you mention. With the vision racks I have to be on top of who goes into shed and mist their cages every couple days from when they turn blue until after they shed to be sure they get good sheds. With the Boaphiles I have the opposite problem, end up with alot of condensation just from the water bowls being in there and have to wipe the fronts dry a few times a week to prevent the aspen from getting moldy. I'd love to find one that's a happy medium that doesn't end up being too dry or too wet...
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Have you been hugged by your snake today?

Ball Pythons
1.1 100% het Caramel Albinos (Edward & Bella)
0.1 66% ph Caramel Albino (Rosalie)
0.1 Caramel Albino (Bellatrix)
0.1 High Contrast Albino (Princess Buttercup)
1.0 Butterscotch Ghost (Nick)
1.0 Honey Bee (Aragog)
0.1 Pastel Orange Ghost (Nagini)
0.1 Spider 66% ph Ghost(Nymphadora)
1.1 Mojaves (Lucius & Renesme)
0.1 Pastel Lesser (Narcissa)
0.1 Pinstripe (Arwen)
1.0 Pewter (Salazar)
0.1 Bumble Bee (Alice)
0.1 Lemonblast (Luna)
0.1 Blond Pastel (Katie)
1.0 Bell Pastel (Jasper)
0.1 African Dinker (Esme)
0.0.9 Eggs in the incubator (Edward x Bella)
0.0.3 Eggs in the incubator (Jasper x Esme)

Corns
1.1 het Amel, Anery, Charcoal, Bloodred (Romeo & Juliet)
1.0 Blizzard het Bloodred poss het Anery Lav (Tumnus)
0.1 Fire het Anery (Ginny)
0.1 Anery Lav (Lucy)
0.1 Plasma (Victoria)
0.1 Opal (Jewel)
0.0.23 Eggs in the incubator (Romeo x Juliet)
0.0.18 Eggs in the incubator (Tumnus x Lucy)

Hogs
1.0 Albino Western (Hogwarts)
0.1 het Albino Western (Hufflepuff)
0.1 Tri Color (Molly)

You should try Animal Plastics, great prices, great products. Great customer service from Ali. Comes with heat tape, can get casters, just get tubs. Their economy line is great, little less plastic, so cheaper, ventilation is good with a single row of holes drilled in tubs, best deal for the money.

Eric

Same thing with my boaphile rack. I'm thinking of putting some holes in my tubs to see if i can get the right combination. I love my new freedom breeder cb70 rack you choose what type of ventaltion is best for your set up.

I have holes in my boaphile tubs, lots of them actually, helps a little but doesn't totally eliminate the condensation, I'm thinking of making the holes larger, but I use them for small corns and hogs so can't make them too much bigger than they are now.
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Have you been hugged by your snake today?

Ball Pythons
1.1 100% het Caramel Albinos (Edward & Bella)
0.1 66% ph Caramel Albino (Rosalie)
0.1 Caramel Albino (Bellatrix)
0.1 High Contrast Albino (Princess Buttercup)
1.0 Butterscotch Ghost (Nick)
1.0 Honey Bee (Aragog)
0.1 Pastel Orange Ghost (Nagini)
0.1 Spider 66% ph Ghost(Nymphadora)
1.1 Mojaves (Lucius & Renesme)
0.1 Pastel Lesser (Narcissa)
0.1 Pinstripe (Arwen)
1.0 Pewter (Salazar)
0.1 Bumble Bee (Alice)
0.1 Lemonblast (Luna)
0.1 Blond Pastel (Katie)
1.0 Bell Pastel (Jasper)
0.1 African Dinker (Esme)
0.0.9 Eggs in the incubator (Edward x Bella)
0.0.3 Eggs in the incubator (Jasper x Esme)

Corns
1.1 het Amel, Anery, Charcoal, Bloodred (Romeo & Juliet)
1.0 Blizzard het Bloodred poss het Anery Lav (Tumnus)
0.1 Fire het Anery (Ginny)
0.1 Anery Lav (Lucy)
0.1 Plasma (Victoria)
0.1 Opal (Jewel)
0.0.23 Eggs in the incubator (Romeo x Juliet)
0.0.18 Eggs in the incubator (Tumnus x Lucy)

Hogs
1.0 Albino Western (Hogwarts)
0.1 het Albino Western (Hufflepuff)
0.1 Tri Color (Molly)

I picked one up a couple months ago, it is the 15 qt versa rack. I have it set up with 12 15 qt tubs and 4 32 qt tubs. All running off the the same heat cable (ran it different for the 2 different size tubs of course). Maintains a hot spot of 91-92 and ambient of low/mid 80s. This is in a room that is usually about 71-72 degrees. A few picky eaters are going strong in it among the rest of the animals.

We use the vision versa racks and could not be happier!!!!!Takes some patience to get the heat cable set up right but once you do they work great!!!!Thanks
Shane & Kim

especially if you HATE drilling holes in tubs, like I do. Vision racks are super easy to assemble, super easy to move, easier than any other system to disassemble for MAJOR moves, as well as disinfect-and are the least expensive option as well! We love them here, and have over two dozen!!

For balls, the only other rack I believe is superior is the ARS system-but it is easily twice as expensive.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase and Striped Desert California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles