a lot harder than i thought

am i a bad owner if i can't afford a rack built by a company? should i not breed if i think a igloo cooler with my spider thermostat and flexwatt tape in the bottom is sufficient... and my rack is made of Steel shelving with cutting boards and uth on them attached to my thermostat is "working"... i was just told that i am hurting my snakes by a breeder i met with what i have set up... if i'm using different materials to get the same results as your name brand stuff aren't i doing it better than he is since i'm spending less( all the heaters and shelving i had b4 i ever had snakes i had green iguana, water dragons bearded dragons a pac man frog and anoles(15 after they bred twice) am i really hurting the eggs if i can hold temp at 89 degrees and my snake room ambient temp is 82 and the hot spot is 90 degrees on the racks... please i want the truth i'll go buy an AP rack and an AP incubator if i have too but these i feel i invented... and they work... please reply

if your temps and humidity are fine, your doing just as good as anybody else:gj:

IMHO If you can keep the temps and humidity correct your snake doesn't care what your rack looks like or is made of. Heat is heat. Humidity is humidity. Make sure you don't have spikes and such, but other than that I don't see a problem.

Snakes need a particular set of conditions, not a particular brand or style of housing.

If your snakes needs are being met, all is well.

If you care about your animals and you're doing the best for them - keeping them fed and clean - then you're on the right track.

Almost everything I have was purchased for discount - tubs during a walmart sale, shelving with a coupon, hides and water bowls from the dollar store. Does that make me a bad owner? Nope - just gives me more money to buy more snakes, lol!

everything i have is kinda thrown together on wat was cheaper ATM. would i like to get an AP rack, yes, is it really necessary over what i have, not really. everyones set up is unique and if they were all the same then that would be kinda boring and there wouldnt be a million threads and posts on the subject, which oddly keeps everyone entertained every time it comes up. the breeder who told you you were a bad snake owner is either a jerk or jealous because he spent way more on something prebuilt instead of being smart and economical by building his own. snakes happy = good set up.

As long as your snake's need are met I do not see any problem.

Many people including breeders have built their own racks for their animals.

And as for your incubator if it fits your needs no reason to be ashamed of it either, I started off with a cooler as well.

thankyou this guy i really respect he is the only "designer morph" breeder in central iowa he has a spot next to Brian from BHB at Tinley last year and is apparently on a first name relationship with him He has gotten me a few morphs at dirt cheap and he is able to get morphs i can only dream of buying... I just live my life away from debt i have too much from when i was younger so after i got married the wife and i said no more cards no more loans buy it in cash or dont buy it... i got a buddy who has racked up serious debt buying balls with loans and cards! and he'll never(in my opinion) make that money back if you want to be a breeder you cant go into debt trying to get there...IMO:confused:

oh and he made a new morph this year if anyone wants to see a REALLY cool "chromed" snake its a "silver bullet lesser" on WORLDOFBALLPYTHONS.COM

If your snakes are healthy then no need to worry.................:fishslap: him and dont let it get to you.
If you are doing right by your snakes and it is working for you then all is good.:gj:

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

If your snakes are healthy then no need to worry.................:fishslap: him and dont let it get to you.
If you are doing right by your snakes and it is working for you then all is good.:gj:

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hit him in the eye with a fish?? lmao that is awesome! i just may have to hit him in the eye with a fish

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Originally Posted by Atherosdragon

hit him in the eye with a fish?? lmao that is awesome! i just may have to hit him in the eye with a fish

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just make sure its a raw fish, not frozen, you want to make sure you get fish slime ALL over him lol

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Originally Posted by Atherosdragon

should i not breed if i think a igloo cooler with my spider thermostat and flexwatt tape in the bottom is sufficient

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Having performed tests regarding the insulation performance of $30 Igloo coolers versus $400 yeti coolers, I will tell you this:

Igloo coolers are awesome, particularly for their price point. They are REALLY, REALLY good at keeping things insulated, hot OR cool depending on your needs.

That said, you know what's even better at insulation?

Styrofoam and packing tape.

Yuppers, a $10 styrofoam box I bought at wal-mart in Alaska and brought frozen salmon fillets home in performed better in ice retention than any commercial coolers we tested. Pack it, tape the seams, it will hold heat (or cold) incredibly well.

The problem with coolers is that in making them more structurally sound than styrofoam creates bridges of thermal conductivity, so plenty of heat leaks in/out of the base.

The good thing is that with a 70 degree difference in temperature between the inside of the cooler and the outside air temp, you still only need roughly 1-6 watts of power to make up the difference (if your heating/cooling element works at 100% efficiency). Due to heat loss being related to the difference in temperature (heat exchange happens faster if the temperature difference is greater), if the difference in temperature is minimal (such as 80 vs 90 degrees), then the energy required is extremely minimal, and can be very finely controlled to maintain a very precise temperature point.

Oh my goodness. I understand this breeder is top notch (I was at Tinley, I know exactly who you are referring to), but I have to point out that if he's that fantastic, why would he falsely allow you to believe you are hurting your snakes? Your set up sounds wonderful. Oh and hitting people in the head with fish is definitely the way to go. I mean, no one expects to get whacked with a fish!:D

A lot of breeders (not all) tend to believe they are walking encyclopedias. Bustling with information and facts and unfortunately opinions. As long as your snakes needs are being met than there is no issue with your DIY rack regardless of what a breeder tells you. I had a "breeder," try and explain to me that thermostats are useless, and another one told me that BPs need the humidity so high that there should be condensation on all the tubs. Do your own research, find the facts yourself, and try not to listen to bull advice LOL - Just because someone has been successful in this business doesn't mean that they know everything. With that said, criticism is an awesome tool to help you improve your operation and should always be considered so I applaud you for asking the questions and exploring the issue. Keep doing your thing and your research and you'll be fine.

Cheers,

Chris.