Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone know the basic weight of some of the more popular plastic rack units on the market? I am talking about Animal Plasitics 7 shelf unit, Boaphile 6 sweater box, and any others like the Nature's Spirit etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I imagined that they would be very light but I thought I heard that an AP rack weighed about 80lbs. Thanks

The AP rack ways a bit more than 80 lbs. This is because they use 1/2" HDPE, a very heavy plastic. Although I've heard they have some with thinner backs that would weight less.

The Nature's Spirit racks weighh a lot less because they have fewer tiers and are made from 1/4" expanded PVC. Don't know exactly how much, however.

80 lbs is what I heard and I still can't believe that plastic would weigh so much. I worry because they would go in an upstairs bonus room that is over my garage and I would need between 4 and 7 of them. Somehow I imagined the plastics to weight more in the 30-40lb range.

Plastic is extremely dense. Expanded PVC (PVCX) is the least dense plastic available for cage construction. The 1/2" PVCX actually weighs the same as 1/2" plywood. All the other plastics used in cage construction (ABS, acrylic, HDPE, styrene)are more dense than plywood. The weight savings comes in when the thinner plastics are used.

But with that said, I believe 1/2" PVCX is the ultimate rack material. It's relatively light, escape proof, conducts heat well, and is flame retardant. The 1/4" PVCX is also nice but I'm not sure I would trust it for small to medium colubrids (Asian Elaphe, North American Milksnakes), or live bearing snakes with small young (Sand Boas, etc.).

For those species I would only trust Jason's Jungle Racks or Habitat Systems racks. Jason's are cheaper and I actually like them better.

All of the above comments re. plastic density were estimated from shipping weights I found on the net. As I'm sure you know shipping weights don't always match actual weights. But they're usually pretty close. If fact when it came to the PVCX and plywood comparison I've been able to confirm that they weigh the same at 1/2".

Here's a picture of a 7 tier rack I built that weighed well under 90 lbs. It has an open back and the sides are made from 1/2" plywood. The shelves are melamine. For a back I was able to tape on a piece of styrofoam.

Something like this could be assembled in your herp room once the pieces were cut.

Sorry about the previous pic. When I took the picture I was no longer using it to house snakes. Instead I used it for mealworms and herp equipment.

I forgot to mention that the Animal Plastics racks will be assembled by you. So you could carry the pieces up individually and assemble them. This is why they have so many tiers. A 7 tier rack already assembled cannot be shipped due to size restrictions. But again, they are not the best choice for the species I mentioned.

For those consider Jason's Jungle, Habitat Systems, or build them yourself with a lightweight design.

To save even more weight you could go with a design with open sides like the large box rack pictured below. Obviously you'd have to modify it for your box of choice.

I have thought about a sort of minimal system like that. How would it be heated and how efficient would that be? I am housing one Ball python, one albino calking, and about 60-80 rat snakes. BTW, thanks for all the info and good suggestions.

From reading your other post I do think a few well-constructed plastic racks would suit your needs the best.

The minimal setup I posted probably would not be ideal for bouncing up and down the stairs twice a year as you move from your warm room to your brumation area. If you're still interested let me know and I can answer your questions about them.

I don't think Animal Plastics racks are your best choice. They are very nice racks for the value but without welds I don't believe they will witstand the rigors of twice yearly moving.

Also, if you have any smaller ratsnakes I know that species like Diones, Twin-Spotted, and male Mandarins have escaped from them.

What are the smallest species you would need to house in these racks? It used to be when people said ratsnakes they meant the North American species. Now ratsnakes in the hobby vary from the tiny Bamboo Racers up to the large Beauty snakes.

The makeup of your collection will really determine which racks are best. There are lighter plastic racks than Jason's Jungle but his are very escape proof and have deep thermal welds. They will hold up better to moving up and down stairs. Since his are only 5 tiers tall (I think) they will be under 70 lbs. He posts here so hopefully he can respond.

Another issue is where you live. There might be a builder within driving distance - that could save you a lot of money on shipping.

BTW, do you keep any Gonyosoma? That's the only "ratsnake" I keep.

That is a nice setup. Ideally, I want something that I can move easily back and forth from the second floor into the basement when winter brumating time comes. In a perfect world I am looking for something that I can just take the tubs out and bring the rack downstairs (by myself-no help or tools like a hand truck) and then place the tubs back in it.

Just noticed this post ... My 7 unit sterilite tub rack weighs approx 70 lbs when used with a 1/2" back in the rack if you you go with a 1/4" back depending on material you use it knocks off about 8-10 lbs.

The HDPP i use weighs #45lbs a sheet for 1/2" 4x8 material the HDPE is around 70 lbs so there is a difference in the weight but the strength is the same on both types of materials. The insulation factor of the 1/2" vs 1/4" plastics is significant i am also in the process of exploring a few other avenues to lighten the racks up some more . hopefully soom that will happen as i understand weight is a concern to some people but the 1/2 is very solid therefore it illiminates any mishaps that can occur if a rack was to be dropped or slammed
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