Advice On Getting Sorted Out

This will be long, so if you don't like reading long threads then just exit.:P

I've noticed that I always buy stuff that I don't necessarily need. Meaning, I buy snakes/reptiles that I don't really even benefit off of besides having the experience with owning that certain species. Even though that's a good thing to get the experience, I'm going to stop that.

Right now I'm figuring out which snakes I don't need. Lately since October or November of '09 I've been deciding on what I actually need, since I want to breed and I'm deciding what species I want to breed and which ones I have that I want to sell.

I'm keeping all of the Ball pythons of course, without a doubt. I've decided to keep my BCI for future breeding projects; he is a real nice looking Pastel after all, and is 50% PH albino, so maybe I could try to prove him out. My Dumeril's, Kenyan Sand boa, and nice Blood python I want to keep for future breeding plans. I've been deciding off and on about my largest King, but I don't want to feel regretful for selling him even though I'm not interested in colubrid or colubrid breeding. I definitely want my Common King, but I might just keep her at the reptile sanctuary I volunteer at so I can have more space at my house for more things.

So, I'm deciding to sell my meaner Blood and my Mexican Black King. My meaner Blood I just cannot work with, she is too pissy LOL. I want to do this all before the reptile expo in June and get everything sorted out in my house. I definitely need to get some AP Economy racks for the BPs since I'll be getting much more in the future. How long does it take for me to get one of those racks once I ordered it? I assume they need to build it first.

Question: Would it be okay to use a ReptiTemp 500R thermostat on flexwatt if I do happen to get that rack?

Anyways, I just need advice on how I can do this. I just looked around my room thinking "I really need to get sorted out." How do I start out with the selling, cleaning up the rooms, etc.? I'm not too sure how to go about it. What would you do?

BY THE WAY, I'm totally keeping my Beardie, I love her to death, she's probably the only reptile that would ever make me laugh. I mean come on, how can you not laugh when she jumps on your head while laying on the floor?:rofl::rofl: The other night (I was laying sideways on the floor talking on the phone) she jumped on my side and layed down then eventually was falling asleep. Nothing cooler than her!:D

Well the buying stuff you dont really need, that one is easy, it's called being a Woman... Congratulations you are growing up! :D

Is kinda hard for other people to tell you what you should get rid and dont, since you already said you are keeping the BPs and the Boas.

What you should really think about is what rack you are getting before you buy it. You have to think expansion too... I dont think you can expand to those AP racks?? RBIs and Boaphilies are stackable, and you could turn a very small place into many racks with those. Or you could build your own.

I dont know about AP. Haven't dealt with them, but my RBI was pretty quick, I'm thinking they already had some pre-made before I bought it.

Whats the watt usage in the ReptiTerm?

First you have to decide which animals you'll be selling for certain. Then put them up for sale and get them out. Once those are out, you need to decide on what breeding programs you want to do, and what you will need extra to do those breeding programs.

Write the breeding programs out, remembering that if you buy hatching animals, you'll have to figure in the years of raising them. Now you'll know what space you will need total. Figure in a couple extra slots just in case.

Figure out when you'll actually be breeding, and then you'll know when you will need hatchling racks for the babies.

Once you do all that, you should have a list of how many animals you want to have when. That gives you the number of slots in potential racks, and you can order up your racks(or buy them at a show, save on shipping) and figure out where they will go(don't forget a quarentine area somewhere away from your animals!! Very important!).

All that should get you started.

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Originally Posted by Danounet

Well the buying stuff you dont really need, that one is easy, it's called being a Woman... Congratulations you are growing up! :D

Is kinda hard for other people to tell you what you should get rid and dont, since you already said you are keeping the BPs and the Boas.

What you should really think about is what rack you are getting before you buy it. You have to think expansion too... I dont think you can expand to those AP racks?? RBIs and Boaphilies are stackable, and you could turn a very small place into many racks with those. Or you could build your own.

I dont know about AP. Haven't dealt with them, but my RBI was pretty quick, I'm thinking they already had some pre-made before I bought it.

Whats the watt usage in the ReptiTerm?

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I'll look into RBI and Boaphile,

ReptiTemp can take 500watts I believe, and I do have an extra ReptiTemp which is currently being used for that albino Burm.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

First you have to decide which animals you'll be selling for certain. Then put them up for sale and get them out. Once those are out, you need to decide on what breeding programs you want to do, and what you will need extra to do those breeding programs.

Write the breeding programs out, remembering that if you buy hatching animals, you'll have to figure in the years of raising them. Now you'll know what space you will need total. Figure in a couple extra slots just in case.

Figure out when you'll actually be breeding, and then you'll know when you will need hatchling racks for the babies.

Once you do all that, you should have a list of how many animals you want to have when. That gives you the number of slots in potential racks, and you can order up your racks(or buy them at a show, save on shipping) and figure out where they will go(don't forget a quarentine area somewhere away from your animals!! Very important!).

All that should get you started.

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Thanks for the good advice, I appreciate it much:)

As for breeding, I assume my little Spider boy will be ready to go next year, so in later Winter I'll pair him up with my normal female. Pastel girl won't be ready until most likely Fall 2011 which then I will breed my Spider to her. My normal male I have no more plans for, I just finished up his breeding sessions with the female normal. I may use him some time in the future, but for now he's just hangin' around in case I need him.

I believe I'm certain I want to get rid of my mean Blood, and to get rid of my large Kingsnake. I just don't need him and I think someone will take much better care of him. I'll check him over for any sicknesses (which he shouldn't have) then post him up on the forum when he's got his health check.

From what I noticed between RBI and Boaphile is that RBI costs quite a bit less, but it also comes with one less tub slot. Whether you are looking at the 28/32qt rack or the 41qt.

The best way to get started and have the motivation to move forward is by getting fed ex certified. Then advertise the snakes for sale. When they are gone reorganize your room. Clean out the closet and maybe get one of those organizer racks for the closet. Make sure you have a place for boxes and shipping supplies. A spare table for an incubator. The biggest thing is being organized. 2 of my racks are AP and I picked them up at a show but I got great customer service from them. Be sure to always leave some available tubs empty. Sit down and make a plan. Just do one thing at a time and go from there. Dont let it overwhelm you. I breed rats and got one of those big industrial storage shelf things from home depot. It has 4 shelves that fit rat tubs nicely. I use the top shelf for extra storage of supplies and boxes etc..

Boaphile racks weren't too bad, but they didn't have what I was looking for (in terms of cheap but good).

I'm still looking at the AP Economy rack for hatchling/juvenile. Seems fair enough since I'm still trying to get everything together.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

The best way to get started and have the motivation to move forward is by getting fed ex certified. Then advertise the snakes for sale. When they are gone reorganize your room. Clean out the closet and maybe get one of those organizer racks for the closet. Make sure you have a place for boxes and shipping supplies. A spare table for an incubator. The biggest thing is being organized. 2 of my racks are AP and I picked them up at a show but I got great customer service from them. Be sure to always leave some available tubs empty. Sit down and make a plan. Just do one thing at a time and go from there. Dont let it overwhelm you. I breed rats and got one of those big industrial storage shelf things from home depot. It has 4 shelves that fit rat tubs nicely. I use the top shelf for extra storage of supplies and boxes etc..

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Thank you! I was planning on selling the snakes locally, shipping seems too much of a hassle right now for me. Now that you mention cleaning out my closet, I need to do so LOL. And thanks for mentioning about a storage shelf, I need somewhere to put my rats when I get my other two females. I have the male in a 20g tank on a 20g metal stand.