What is the best rack?

[PaulNStubbs]

What is the best rack for me? Atm I have an adult breeding pair of kenyan sand boas, and a male pastel ball python. It just doesn't seem practical anymore to be messing with all these under tank heaters and lights. So I will need enough space to house, A breeding pair of ball pythons and their babies. A breeding pair of sand boas and their babies. Also I am hoping in the future I can get a pair of hognose along with their babies. So what's the best and most important safe option for fire hazards and such. Also anybody have any input on how the snakes will feel about this? Size, light and overall happiness wise of being in racks? Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

[The Serpent Merchant]

A single rack for all of those different types of snakes really doesn't exist. The closest you will be able to get is a rack that is big enough for the largest snake, and have to have the heating for each different species be run with separate flexwatt on separate thermostats. Plus there is the issue of cool side temperatures. In racks the cool side temperature of the tubs is determined by the temperature of the room. this means that you will have to heat the room to at least 75 degrees (80 would be better for ball pythons) year round. I'm not sure what the cool side requirements are for the other species that you keep, but if they are much different you might run into issues.

Personally I would house them in separate smaller racks, or in PVC cages.

Here are 2 good manufactures of racks and PVC cages:

Animal Plastics: http://www.animalplastics.com

Reptile Basics: http://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-rack-systems

I personally use PVC cages. Here is a thread with more info on them: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

No matter what set up you go with I would recommend that you get a multi-channel thermostat (basically multiple individual thermostats in a single unit) These are cheaper than purchasing multiple individual thermostats, but work just the same. I would either get the Herpstat 2 (2 thermostat channels) or the Herpstat 4 (4 thermostat channels)

http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html