Forget the Tank - You CAN Afford the Better Cage Now!

[Puck]

So, I just got a ball python and, since I've been on this forum, I have noticed several people talking about how they're just going to keep their snakes in a glass terrarium until they can afford a cage like Boaphile or Animal Plastics... Well, even with my very small level of experience, I say, YOU CAN AFFORD IT NOW!

Seriously, you can, because once you add up all the costs of putting together a glass tank, you could have gotten the better designed cage to begin with.

I am so PO'd at myself, looking back on how much I spent on this tank. The thing is so hard to take care of that I want to scream. It takes up a TON of space, I have to reach in from the top, the humidity is hell to control, it's tough to get a read on the temps, heat rises up since it's way taller than necessary, and I *have* to use a lamp because I can't get the ambient temp right with a UTH. Because people would be able to see into the cage, I talked myself into getting "cute" things for it, which are annoying to mess with and cost way too much. I wish that I had gone with tubs from the very beginning, and to anyone who is trying to "save money" until they can "afford better"--don't do it. You are NOT saving NEARLY enough money for the effort! Just go ahead and invest in that seemingly more expensive cage, because all the costs of keeping a glass tank add up, and they're a lot more work in the end.

My personal experience:

20L Zilla Terrarium - $64.99 Hidey Rock - $7.99 Hidey Tree - $12.99 Rock Water Dish - $9.99 Heat Pad - $12.99 Aspen Bedding - $7.99 Heat Lamp - $19.99 Red Bulb - $6.99 Thermometer - $12.99 Thermostat - $32.99 Light Dimmer - $4.99 Insulation to Keep Humidity In - $14.99 Aquarium Background - $15.00 Eight Hours of Headache Trying to get Temps Right and the Continuous Pleasure of Having to Reach in From the Top - WAY TOO MUCH	Boaphile 30"x24" Cage - $199.00 including shipping Under Cage Heat x2 - $35.00 Thermometer - $12.99 Thermostat - $32.99 Paper Towels - $2.99 Two Hidey Bowls - $1.98 One Water Bowl - $.99	Boaphile 4 Spot Ball Room Rack -$399.00 including shipping and heating 4 Thermometers - $51.96 4 Thermostat - $131.96 Paper Towels - $6.99 8 Hidey Bowls - $8.00 4 Water Bowls - $4.00
TOTAL: $224.88	TOTAL: $285.94	TOTAL: $601.91 for 4 Snakes ($150.48 per snake)

Seriously, if you can afford a terrarium, you can afford a cage made for snakes, and it will be worth it in the end. It's a sixty dollar difference between getting a cage from Boaphile Plastics and putting together a glass aquarium, and IMHO, that's worth the cost of not having to deal with continuous frustration throughout your BP's entire life! And if you have more than one snake, you CANNOT beat a rack!

[MasonC2K]

I don't think that's an accurate comparison. The item list on either side should be nearly identical aside from the cages themselves to be fair. All things being equal, the reality is the the terrarium set up is easily $100 cheaper than the Boaphile. $100 is a lot for me and I imagine a lot of folks.

[TheSnakeGuy]

Self built rack with heat to hold 6-41qt tubs: 132$(built as good if not better that those purchased online)
Tubs(6): 54$
Herpstat 1: 147$
Heavy crock water bowls(2): 6$
Paper towels(6 rolls): 3$

Altogether for a grand total of 344$. That's how you do it! Now to start on the hatchling rack. . . .

[CrystalRose]

If I ever end up with multiple snakes,I will probably have my husband build me a rack. He's really good at building things so I lucked out that way lol.

[MsMissy]

I don't think that's an accurate comparison. The item list on either side should be nearly identical aside from the cages themselves to be fair. All things being equal, the reality is the the terrarium set up is easily $100 cheaper than the Boaphile. $100 is a lot for me and I imagine a lot of folks.

X2

Plus... lets face it, first time buyers typically buy snakes as an impulse buy at which time of course, an enclosure is an immediate need. Not exactly something one can wait two weeks for purchase, build and shipping for<depending on where you order it from>. Upgrading however, much more thought can/should be put into it. For someone like me, who never 'plans' to have more than say...two, terrarriums are perfectly fine and I could care less how much they cost me.

Honestly, this isn't a cheap hobby to begin with so someone on an insanely limited budget shouldn't plan on going nuts. You never know when things are gonna go south and you need an emergency vet trip.

Coming here whining about how bad you have it because you screwed up and purchased 15 snakes with your tax return <draining your bank acct> and one got sick 2 months later so amassed a $300 vet bill is not gonna get much sympathy <well, I'll feel sorry for that one and the 14 others>. Harsh? Perhaps....Perhaps not.

[Puck]

Yeah, I wish I was handy. At ALL. I have a tendency to hit myself with hammers, though. I wonder if it would be cheaper to hire someone locally to help make me a rack... I dunno. And @MasoonC2K the comparison wasn't equal because, like I said, having an aquarium made me want to purchase prettier things since it would be seen more (like I said, this was my personal experience on how much I spent setting up a tank that is a huge hassle).

I am definitely going to be buying an Animal Plastics, Vision, Boaphile, or getting some kind of custom rack made because to me an extra hundred bucks is worth all the huge amount of effort it's going to take to keep that cage at proper temps and humidity compared to tubs. Long term value of my time and stress levels, LOL.

[Puck]

X2
Coming here whining about how bad you have it because you screwed up and purchased 15 snakes with your tax return <draining your bank acct> and one got sick 2 months later so amassed a $300 vet bill is not gonna get much sympathy <well, I'll feel sorry for that one and the 14 others>. Harsh? Perhaps....Perhaps not.

Uh... was that supposed to be aimed at me? Not sure if you meant it to be or not since it doesn't make any sense... I just posted this to try and be helpful, sharing my experience of the frustrations I've had since I've been spending money on my tank setup. Last time I checked, it never hurt to share experiences and try to help out other people who might end up feeling the same way.

[MsMissy]

Of course not, I was typing same time you were It was a general statement towards anyone who 'happens' to find themselves in that sort of predicament.

[Neal]

Terrariums and tanks work better for some and racks and other things work better for others.

I use a day/night light cycle for my snakes. Now do I need to? No. I just look at it if the situation were reversed I'd rather be kept semi close to how I would be naturally versus what's convenient. Now I'm not knocking any rack keepers because when I start keeping ball pythons again I'm going to use a rack. Plus with me keeping my RBS communal a terrarium works great. Though I don't feed them together so I make sure they all eat, so one hungry one doesn't view the other as a meal. Though I wouldn't keep ball pythons communal. So my theory is depending on the snakes you keep terrariums and tanks work better than other things.

[Luke Martin]

Check out these guys. Basically single tub enclosures for those with only a few animals and wanting to have them in tubs over aquariums.

https://www.facebook.com/DahlHouseReptiles?ref=stream