Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok I'm trying this again.

I've looked at several different cages. I am trying to find stackable cages that would hold garters.

Everytime I think I have a cage there is something wrong with it.

My vet recommends full spectrum lighting... I'm not going into the story that convenced me.

I looked at bophile cages... they seem to be the best match... except for two things. 1. their "vent" is the door itself and I don't think it can be a small enough gap to hold in babies. 2. they say they use a specal ultra thin florecent fixture... it takes a T-4 bulb. I've been trying to find out if I can put other bulbs in there because I can't find T-4 blubs in full spectrum or uv. [do not tell me snakes don't need it they should provide a way anyway if I were to put a bearded dragon in their cages... and I don't want to repete the story my vet told just say it can't hurt ok? ]
All I want to know is if I can put t5 blubs in... I have discovered that very thick (t-12 blubs) and thinner (t8, t5) have the SAME PLUGS so you can use them in the same fixtures... I just want to know if it's the same here!

Vision cages don't have a hole in the back for the heat mat and I don't want to squish them when stacking if I put it on the outside... I'd allso get the smallest so no heat bulb...

Also has slideing doors which are escapeable apperently.

Cage by design cages are just too expecive once you buy all the extra pieces.

PLEASE can anyone help me? does anyone use the above for their garters? can anyone recomend a cage? I'm tired of posting versions of this and getting no responce. [I asked about the florecenss in several forums this morning and it's this evening... it's Sunday people should post more on sunday.

ok so I'm impationat... so shoot me.

- Sharon

I have kept my garters in tanks with sliding doors for over ten years. They are calmer (if you can use that word to describe a garter). I've honestly never sweated the light issue and have no idea about the bulbs you are talking about. You might try contacting the maker of the cages you are looking at and see what they say.
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I don't think you should use a larger bulb than a T4 in the fixture if that's what it says they should take... It's not a matter of the plug or size of the fixture itself, it's a matter of the voltage.. The fixture will have a rating on it and the bulbs you choose cannot exceed that rating or you're risking fire and/or breaking bulbs.. You don't want shards of glass in and around your snake's cage..

I'm sorry I can't be more help about the cages themselves, I know nothing about stackable cages... With the heatmat problem couldn't you just use the ultra-thin heatmats? I think mine is a cobra (or maybe T-Rex, I remember there being a cobra on the box) and it's as thin as paper.. It sits underneath the cage on a table and does a wonderful job, and it doesn't appear to hurt it to be squashed..

All of my non-adults are in 10 gallons with overhead light.my adult are in melamine cages with incandecent fixtures.The cages will hold the babies from escaping.They are just heavy and a pain to move.The only place I know selling them is in nj and you have to pick them up.Definitely the cheaper way to go.

I keep over 50 garters of varying species in 10 gal aquariums with screen lids that are on a drawer roller system that allows me to stack the tanks 1" on top of one and anothe.The is no light except the peripheral light that come from a large window I had installed in front of the cages. They eat, breed, and do fine in this set up. Some people keep them in sweater boxes, and I have done that also, but they tend to be much more nervous and fly out of the container when you slide the door open. In the 10 gallon tanks, they are much more calm and easier to feed in these.

Thank you for the replys! They were helpful.

I talked to someone in chat last night that may be able to help me too.

- Sharon