Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I AM BUILDING A RACK FOR BALL PYTHONS. IT WILL EB FOR ADULTS. WHAT SIZE TUBS HAVE YOU GUYS USED. THANKS

I really like the Iris CB-110 box. If I were to get back into BP's I would use these. The Sterilite Xmas Wreath box is also nice (about 28" x 28" x 8" but is an odd size and you will waste a lot of wood compared to the Iris CB110.

The CB110 dimensions (without the lid) are about 39" x 19.5" x 6". I like them because they have reinforced bottoms and are very sturdy. Many other "under bed storage boxes" are flimsy and can develop cracks when used in a lidless rack system. Also, the bottoms are flat and don't have raised "feet". This allows them to slide well in lidless racks.

Due to the reinforced floor this box is faily shallow. This saves space but also provided a feeling of security for a BP when it's coiled up in the back portion of the rack.

Also, there are a couple of breeders in NE Ohio who distribute these boxes. There prices are very cheap. Here's their link:

reptiletubs.com/cb110.htm

I have built two ball python racks and used Sterilite boxes that measure 36"x16"x6" and they work perfectly. I used the design that Markus Jayne built. It's made out of 3/4" melamine, it's heavy but extremely sturdy. The tubs are perfect and the rack allows just the right temperature gradient and also a natural dark hide in the rear of the tub. I have attached a picture of one of the racks.

Hope that helps!!

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Michael

THAT IS A GREAT LITTLE RACK. I AM IN THE PLANNIGN STAGES NOW. I THINK MY HOUSE SNAKES WILL FIT IN THERE ALSO

can i get all the info and pictures you have on building this cage? because i would like to build one my self with the as little as possible wrong with it.

How many sheets of melamine did you use for that?

how do you heat that?

I used an 11" piece of heat tape running down the back of the rack. The back piece of the rack is pegboard so it allows heat to enter the rack sufficiently but still allows for ventilation so that the heat tape does not accidentally overheat. I have a thermostat plugged in and a digital thermometer to monitor the temps and it seems to work perfectly. The temps near the back reach 90-95 degrees while the front stays around 78-83 during the day. It acts like a perfect heat gradient.

Hope that helps.
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Michael

I was able to construct two racks identical to the one in the pic for around $200 including heat tape and tubs. I bought the sheets of melamine at Lowes and had them precut them for me to my desired size, which saved a ton of time, plus they were perfectly square. I then bought the tubs at Target and starting building from the top upside down. It was very easy to build and didn't take much time at all. I added casters to the bottom of each rack to make it easier to move since they are so heavy. The snakes love them and they hold heat and humidity well. I plan on building more racks identical to this one as my collection grows.

Hope that answers everyone's questions. Thanks for the compliments.
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Michael