Racks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kitedemon

Racks are great on one level and poor on others just like everything they certainly do not solve all problems magically.

They do save space tons of space.

I spend the same amount of time cleaning my rack as I do enclosures. There is no spot cleaning a rack just change everything and monthly cleanings are a right pain, the top of each shelf is a nightmare to clean, I have taken to flipping the whole rack upside down to do the underside.

The cost is a bit less in the short term but more in the long term they are very very poor for holding in heat so the result is you either need to heat the room or heat the rack somehow (cool end)

The keeper makes the captive environment correct not the rack it can be set up just as poorly as a enclosure.

I am not trying to talk you out of a rack just keep your eyes open to the reality of it, there is no just get a ___ and all your problems are fixed. The reality is get a ___ and have new problems. I like my rack I also like my enclosures and the rack took much more tinkering with to get temps correct.

---

Thanks for all the advice. I do like that your pointed out the cons of racks, and how they can be just as a pain as lets say a critter cage. I don't expect all my problems to be over with by purchasing a rack. I'm just thinking what is the best living enviorment for my ball python, and future ball pythons. Also I would really love to add other snakes,lizards,etc, and racks make it easier to provide more space for more reptiles.

Personally the best living space it one that is in the control of a careful keeper. It terms of space and normal behaviour it is a hard call. I rotate my snakes in and out of the rack and find massive behaviour differences in and out. Feeding is about the same, but other behaviour is very different the snakes in enclosures seem more confident and less timid and less likely to hiss as well. (2 animals one sometimes hisses in enclosures but always does in the rack one sometimes hisses in the rack but never has out of it) They are less fearful when handled and calm down faster. It isn't a scientific just my personal observations of my 8 I have. I would never say a rack is better or worse that enclosures just different.

Ok this is off topic, but has anyone bought a cage from lllreptile? What do you think of this vision cage for a ball python?
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/...ages-and-tubs/
V332 models

I have a vision 211 that is good a bit small for an adult. The 332 is a good size for an adult (big adult) but is quite large for a Juvie. The visions are easy to clean and well made. Over all I like mine quite a lot. Mine does have a large top vent that allows a bit more humidity to escape that I'd like so I blocked some of it up with a plastic sheet. It also sags a bit in the middle although a small foot in the centre fixed that completely. The doors are nice, the lip for the door mount makes a ledge that is a bit difficult to reach not too bad but just a bit awkward. I'd recommend getting a lock as I have a houdnin snake whom has figured out how to slide the doors open, Rack drawers too I use a door stop on all the rack wedged in between the drawer and bottom.

I bought mine directly from Vision, I personally have not ever dealt with lllreptile I have friends whom like them however.

I recommend build your own. Here is a link to one I just built this weekend for my bigger girls and I made it so that you can still view the snakes as well.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...new-41-qt-rack

They are super easy to make and there are a couple step by step instructionals in the DIY Forum. For thermostats I have only used Herpstat, but I will never use anything else because they are easy to use and the temp alarm on the ND version is useful as well. For the hot spot I use 4 inch flexwatt for both this rack and the ones for my smaller snakes.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...86#post1168886

Here is the other one I built a while back for the smaller tubs.

The good part about making your own is you can customize it to how you want it. (paint, stain, plain ole wood)