Racks!

Hi I am currently thinking about getting a rack set up for my snake. Funny enough I only have one snake, but for future ball pythons. I notice more people use racks over a display cage for their ball pythons.

Few Questions:

What is a great reliable website I can purchase a good rack?
What is the best heat source?
What thermostat do you recommend?
What is a good size for adult ball pythons?
How safe are racks and do I need to be worried about escape, and if so how to prevent it from happening?

1/ I like Animal Plastics racks http://www.animalplastics.com/ (Sturdy, affordable and good looking)

2/ Heat tape

3/ I prefer Herpstat and Herpstat ND (ND are only used for my breeder racks)

4/ 32 Quarts for male and 41 quarts for females.

5/ Safe never had an escapee

I have animal plastics racks also and I love them. Bins fit snug. No threat of escape. Good stuff!

I love the look of those racks, but I don't see where the heat is? or the ventilation? :confused:

It's flex watt heat tape. They run it across the back/bottom of each shelf with a hole in the top back of the rack for your thermostat probe. Which is then taped to the flexwatt.

Ventilation?? Most of us don't even put holes in our tubs. The gaps between the top of the tub and the shelf are enough. For smaller tubs, a few holes can be put in the front of the tub to prevent condensation build up. That's plenty of ventilation.

Awesome, thank you!

The hatchling tubs often need holes or excess condensation can build up since they are more humid and warm.
http://tapatalk.com/mu/43a34993-8e4c-25bf.jpg

This is an Animal Plastics economy line rack. They are good if the rack will be in a warm room. See the flexwatt along the back of this shelf? It heats half the tub for the hot side.
http://tapatalk.com/mu/43a34993-8e9d-fac5.jpg

The big racks that take the 41 qt tubs don't really need holes. They are so long that holes can allow too much heat and humidity.http://tapatalk.com/mu/43a34993-8f52-5894.jpg to escape if they are not in a warm room.

1/ I like Reptile Basics racks http://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-rack-systems (Sturdy(my have one year and still looks brand new), affordable and good looking, keeps humidity very well and Rich is really good guy to do business with )

2/ Heat tape

3/ I prefer Herpstat

4/ 32 Quarts for male or female up t0 1600-1800g and 41 quarts for larger females.

5/ Safe never had an escapee

P.S. Sorry Deb for reap your template ;)

Ok I am really new to this. Can someone show me the link of what of what rack they recommend the most. I’ve got a male ball python, and hopefully more pythons to come! Thanks for all the support and guidance!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

The hatchling tubs often need holes or excess condensation can build up since they are more humid and warm.
http://tapatalk.com/mu/43a34993-8e4c-25bf.jpg

This is an Animal Plastics economy line rack. They are good if the rack will be in a warm room. See the flexwatt along the back of this shelf? It heats half the tub for the hot side.
http://tapatalk.com/mu/43a34993-8e9d-fac5.jpg

The big racks that take the 41 qt tubs don't really need holes. They are so long that holes can allow too much heat and humidity.http://tapatalk.com/mu/43a34993-8f52-5894.jpg to escape if they are not in a warm room.

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i have the 41 qt animal plastics economy rack. i had to put holes in my tubs to lower the humidity.

its all relative to the ambient temp and humidity in the room you keep your animals. i would suggest you dont put any holes in your tubs at first. at least until you test them. its easier to add holes than to fill them.

good luck :D

Very true! I agree about not putting holes for awhile until you see if you need them :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Druzy

Ok I am really new to this. Can someone show me the link of what of what rack they recommend the most. I’ve got a male ball python, and hopefully more pythons to come! Thanks for all the support and guidance!

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http://www.reptilebasics.com/iris-sw...y-or-back-heat

That's the one I'm using at the moment my male is around 1150g my female around 990g

Ok I know that I must inlcude belly heat, but what are tub dividers?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Druzy

Ok I know that I must inlcude belly heat, but what are tub dividers?

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With divider you can separate tub for 2 compartments for smaller snakes.... if you plan buying small balls in the future (hatchings, yearlings) set of two can be useful.. if You decide buy rack for them check they hide selection they are very nice as well... I'll use medium hide up to 1000g and large for my bigger male...
Hope that helps :cool:

Edit: this is a link to tread about RBI dividers with exact rack I use...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t=tub+dividers

Ok one more quick question do you perfer display cages over racks? I personally love display cages, but with a snake like a ball python I believe the rack system is a excellent enclosure. Plus with a rack system that means more ball pythons!!!!

Even with so many amazing colorful morph... ball python is not a display animal and they best feel in secure enclosure... so rack system is Ideal for them...

If I ever decide to stop breeding/collecting I will probably get rid of the racks and get some displays for the 3 or 4 favorites that I'll keep. There is just no room or time for that now.

I use to have mine in tanks and it was just to much room being taken up, when I changed over to racks it was so much easier and a nicer set up. I will be getting a third and forth here shortyly for my hatchlnigs.

I do like the rack system better for ball pythons for:
1.The snake is more happier
2.Less cleaning
3.Takes up less space
4.Seems like you save more money
5.Also if I ever get into breeding

Also what snakes should not be housed in racks?

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.

Quote:

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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.

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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)