>>What would you get nowadays if you were in the market for a 6-foot cage? Something with depth, too, like 30 - 36 inches. At least 18" high.
Bill,
I suppose it depends on what you're wanting to house, but frankly I don't like many of the cages that are made in that large of a size. Vision makes a fairly big cage but it's gawd-awful expensive and I don't care what anyone says, they ALL sag in the middle, pinching the doors. Even with their lighting vents, they tend to be dark, and with no side vents they tend to have stagnant air issues that make them little better than glass aquaria. The Wildlife Discovery Center where I occasionally work part-time bought probably 40 various size Visions and the largest ones have sagged so much that one had to be taken out of use temporarily because the top sagged so much that one of the big glass doors started to fall out of it's track. Anyway, the other manufactures, like for instance Boaphile aren't much better. The Boaphiles don't have any ventilation - that 1/4 inch gap around the door is supposed to be ventilation? Please.
Anyway, to answer your question as to what I'd buy - well, at one point I would've said I'd make a cage that size myself, however after a couple days poring over the construction of a new style of cage [combination wood frame and 3mm Sintra PVCX], I've decided it simply isn't worth the cost and effort. So, I've decided I'm probably going to convert many of my cages over to Reptariums. Yes, Reptariums - those woven nylon mesh cages with zippers for access and a lightweight tubular frame. I've been using two of the 260 gallon Reptariums now for nearly 3 years to house two Taiwan Beauty Snakes and frankly they've worked out great. Humidity is often cited as a reason not to use these cages because being all screen they tend to dry out quickly. However, using a variety of water bowls and an automated misting system has helped me keep these fairly well humidified.
As a further testament, I have never had to assist either of these two snakes in shedding. Heating in winter has not been an issue either as my apartment has steam heat so I seldom have days any cooler than 78 - 75 F. Additionally, I supplement the ambient room temperature with a 120 watt 'white' infra-red basking light. Lighting for plants is provided by a 2 tube 4 ft. fluorescent fixture resting on top of both cages. Except for some binding issues with the zipper and recent problems getting the zipper to keep from separating on one cage I've been very satisfied with how these have worked out for the size and cost [roughly $99.00 with another $20.00 for a vinyl bottom liner]. A recent discussion on this forum where ventilation was mentioned has also had me thinking recently about cage designs with much better through ventilation. Finally, I've experimented off and on with live plants in a variety of cages from aquaria to plywood affairs and by far the plants have done best in the Reptarium cages.
So, I would have to say, taking into account species [I wouldn't house a large monitor or a massive constrictor in one of these], the Reptariums are the best buy for the money. The one caveat is that you have to put some effort into putting together some support systems for them - ie. lighting, heating, and humidification. I'm seriously considering shifting many of my species to these types of cages so that I can create a 'greenhouse' type environment with free air circulation, lots of live plants, and a much more open system of caging.
-----
Matt Campbell
25 years herp keeping experience
Full-time zookeeper
Personal collection - 21 snakes (9 genera), 20 lizards (4 genera), 6 chelonians (2 genera)
