Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone out there use rubbermaids, not racks, to house bp's? I'm converting the rest of my collection over sometime when i have money, wanna see how it's done by you guys so I don't screw up. If you got pics, that'd be awsome.

Also, do they work well with heat panels and heat pads? Any comments on them would be great.

Oh, and are they secure?

Thanks
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Ball-Pythons.Net

My rack is MADE out of Rubbermaids. You've confused me.

Rubbermaids like this, with good ground area, and plenty of height.

This is what I mean by racks

[/img]http://www.ball-pythons.net/albums/album14/bprack.jpg[/img]
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Ball-Pythons.Net

I thought the purpose of using rubbermades was for saving space.......by using them within a rack system. If so.......then yes. They work great and I bet 90% of the people on here use them in a rack system. I hate stacking tubs....it works against you.

Brandon Osborne

I'm no breeder, and I don't have an extreme ammount of ball pythons. I'm a hobbyist, so three or four big rubbermaids is perfect.
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Ball-Pythons.Net

whatever is easiest for you. I know most breeders on here don't stack them, but rather build a rack so the rubbermaid containers can easily slide in & out of the rack.

48 sterilites work perfect in the small bookcases you can buy from Walmart. What I've done is buy 2, and connect them one behind the other. I have a 4 hole 48 quart rack for $30 that way. Then get some flexwatt or heat rope and presto, you've got a rack for about $60.
Hope this helps!
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Greg Holland
G&M HERPS
www.imageevent.com/gmherps
gmherps@sbcglobal.net

I'm a bit confused there on which pre-made walmart book shelves you are using and which sterilite tubs. I'm all for less work and less money~ put please spell it out very slowly for those of us overworked by the holiday season~ we need a bit of extra help please!

I'm confused too. I use rubbermaids IN my racks.

Mark

>>Does anyone out there use rubbermaids, not racks, to house bp's? I'm converting the rest of my collection over sometime when i have money, wanna see how it's done by you guys so I don't screw up. If you got pics, that'd be awsome.
>>
>>Also, do they work well with heat panels and heat pads? Any comments on them would be great.
>>
>>Oh, and are they secure?
>>
>>Thanks
>>-----
>>Ball-Pythons.Net
>>

CONS:

A stack can be unstable. Don’t laugh, it COULD be tipped over. Do you have any kids or pets? What if a largish snake escapes and climbs up your stack of tubs?

Not as secure. Some animal sometime is going to probe the right spot on a lid hard enough and escape, especially from the topmost tub in your stack. Tiny snakes escape with greater ease than larger ones.

Works against timely maintenance. It is easier to slide out a box in a rack for a quick check on the cleanliness of the container then it is to unstack a stack of boxes to check on the one on the bottom.

More difficult to fine tune the heat. How ARE you going to provide supplemental heat to a moveable stack?

Add enough weight and a lid may fail. Either heavy occupants in the tubs, or heavy weights on the top lid to contain all the occupants in the stack, will probably produce more forces than the lids were designed to withstand. A lid on one of the lower tubs may eventually crack and perhaps cave in due to the weight from above.

PROS:

Other than being spared the expense of the rack, I can’t think of any.

PLEASE NOTE: As much as I hate to admit it, all examples are from personal experience.

-Joan

I would also suspect that with ball pythons the extra height and light of not using a rack would not only be a waste but it would actually be a detriment to the ball python's well being. In the wild ball pythons spend lots of time down small holes. They are very shy animals. Although they will climb, big open cages can tend to make them feel insecure. You might be able to compensate with a good hide spot. People like the extra height and visibility of something like a glass aquarium but IMHO those are much worse for the snake for safety, mental well being, heat and humidity.

I love Freedom Breeders.
Going to get another one just to house all the snows I am going to produce this year.
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RicK Denmon

Ball Boutique,Inc.