Reptile & Amphibian Forums

this was only 50 bucks and it took like 5 min to set up!! I think its the best 50 I've spent in a while!

wrong in soooo many ways.................
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Chris & Alliey
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If you want instruction on how to build a simple and inexpensive rack system e-mail me at epaker@adelphia.net. The most expensive part is the plastic tubs and they are pretty cheap. You need a rack that fits the tubs tight enough to act as a top, believe me a couple pieces of duct tape won't keep strong healthy snakes from escaping from tubs, You also need some heat tape or other source at one end to create a gradient and ollow for thermoregulation. It really isn't hard to do. I posted some pics earlier of my cages, including a rack system. I have been building cages for 25 years and will be happy to give you all the help I can. I will post the pics again. By the way I am not a photographer and my camera sucks but you get the idea.

I thought racks were supposed to be convenient?? You would have been better off spending $50 on more bins and stacking them on top of each other... Personally I like the clear underbed bins with wheels, they have a snap tight top with a center hinge so you can open from one side at a time, they are also 19.5x42x6.7, pretty good for 5 and 6' males. You can find them all over the place. Linens and Things, Menards, and a few others.

That's a 4.5' boa in it for a size refference..

Here's how I used to keep the bins, had 6' males in some and they were never able to get out and god knows they tried..

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Joe Lydon
Got Boids?

Okay, with some modification, you could probably end up saving more space, and have the rack a little more conventional. If the shelves have small enough spacing for the snake inside, they could become your "lid" for each cage. If the spacing is too great, you could come up with a way to attach a plastic "mesh" of some-sort and make the "lid" escape proof. Then, provided those tubs will slide BETWEEN the posts, start modifying(cut down the length)the posts so that every next shelf becomes the lid. Just looking at the picture, I'd say you'd get atleast twice as many animals in the same space. Use the shelves off the rack next to that one for the extra shelves after you modify those corner posts. Turn the rack so the narrow end is out, which will give you more wall space, to expand. Run your 4" heat tape, or whatever your using across the back of each shelf, and just snake it all the way from top to bottom. There are thousands of ways to make a cheap rack. Vision makes the "adjustable" rack....that from what I hear isn't too adjustable after you get it, but I have heard of a pretty "adjustable" rack you can build rather cheap. Buy four of those threaded poles(come in various lengths and diameter), and enough bolts(4 per shelf) to thread down the poles to make the stop for each shelf. It's VERY easy.....start with nuts at the very end of each threaded post...this will give SOME adjustment for leveling the rack if necessary. Then drill 4 holes in a melamine/plywood/plastic shelf(drill all shelves together if possible to make holes exact or set up a jig on a drill press) one in each corner, to slide down the threaded poles. Drop your first "shelf" down to the nuts. Then thread on four more nuts(one each post) and run them down until your roughly at the opening size needed for your tubs. Drop on the shelf...fine tune the height. Drop on next four nuts, do the same thing. Keep going until you run out of height for more shelves/lids. Throw a nut above the top lid to secure it, cut off extra length if you want, or leave it in case you decide to put in a "Tall" tub somewhere down the line....then you can just adjust the nuts/shelves. Hopefully that all made sense. If not, and your interested, just e-mail me. It's really VERY easy, but sometimes it's hard to write it understandably. If I had any of them, I'd just take a pic, but I don't. This was a friends method. Take care

Paul

A very easy quick fix would be to cut the poles on the shelving unit down. Make each shelf have just enough space to slide the tubs in. This modification should help hold the snakes in without the duct tape, however an extra nut / bolt installed on the center of each side of the tub may also be a smart idea.
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Mickey Hinkle

"I am the lizard king, I can do anything"....Jim Morrison