Most inexpensive, yet effective and visually pleasing display tank for adults?

[BigCeC43]

I know many here use tub systems, but I'd prefer not to since I don't plan on having "too many" snakes. I looked at many including different aquariums, Repti-Racks, Animal Plastics, Boaphile Plastics, Reptile Basics, etc...
I'd also like to know what dimensions most of you (with adults) are going with. If you had to pick what would it be?

[littleindiangirl]

I think if you wanted a very naturalistic set-up, go with the larger size, with many natural things added. I believe done properly, you will actually encourage natural behavior in your snake, and that is an A in my book. I also recommend picking up The art of Keeping snakes by de Vosjoli if you wanted to step up your vivarium a bit. (Or a lot )

[Royalherper]

Most of mine are in a rack system. I do have two stackable enclosures that I built about 8 yrs ago. They house my oldest and biggest BPs. The dim. are 4' x 18" x 18". They have sliding glass doors and I stained them golden oak ( I think). I used oak plywood for everything but the bottoms. On the bottoms I used melamine.

I don't know about any commercial enclosures. I can't bring myself to buy anything that I can make myself. I don't know what access you have to tools. You can buy melamine shelving thats pretty close to size and screw them together. I get an equal amout of joy building racks and enclosures as I do caring for the snakes.

[Blue Apple Herps]

I'd pick custom, hands down. Here's a design I made for corn snakes. If I was going to display a bp, I'd just modify the dimensions for a bp. You could build enough display vivs to house 4 adult bps for the same price you'd spend on buying one. Not a knock against AP, Boaphile, etc, this just works better for me.

[Royalherper]

You could build enough display vivs to house 4 adult bps for the same price you'd spend on buying one.

Amen to that.

[BigCeC43]

littleindiangirl,
I was actually thinking I'd like to go with a larger size and add alot of "natural looking stuff." I'll have to check out that book.

For everyone else,
Out of curiosity... Where do you buy all of your supplies to built your cages? I don't have tools for cutting wood, glass, etc..., but if I could make one with some basic tools I'd do it. I was also wondering if you guys even had trouble with maintaining heat/humidity, I used to work at a place that built custom cabinets, but I don't trust myself building a cage that will hold heat properly. I've got plenty of time so this may be my best bet.

[Blue Apple Herps]

The design above I made with people in your very situation. Everything but the acrylic is bought from Home Depot, etc. All you need is a drill and tape measurer; have Home Depot do all your cuts for you. And they hold humidity just fine. On my design, you could just tape off some of the holes on the outside to up the humidity if it was too low.

[ChicaPiton519]

i have built a few cages, mostly by turning old things into cages... like this old cabinet style tv... turned ball python cage for my largest ball.
im getting ready to totally revamp this thing, its going to be split because my fatty doesnt really use the upper room, and i dont decorate it up as much any more... so it will be split where that shelf is in the middle and then my largest girl will be in one of those halves.


doing that only cost me about $60-70, consitering the fact that the original tv was givin to me... i also turned a melimine shelf thing, they run about $50, into a cage, its actually 3 cages, with the possibilaty of adding another one on the bottom if needed. curently im not using the bottom cage, and havnt moved supplys onto the very bottom level =]
i use this for my smaller ball pythons, but my bigger girls are in 41qt rubbermaids...


BTW, i like that viv design, if i ever build more display cages that would be a nice addition =]