Animal Plastics?

Looking to purchase a decent enclosure to get my new BP out of the aquarium. I've seen a few people mention the Animal Plastics brand and I'm looking for opinions on them. Compared to other similar enclosures they seem to be competitively priced and are at the top of my list of options so far. Also, if I decide to go with this brand, is the flexwatt option worth it? Is it similar to an UTH and requires a stat? I will already have a stat for the RHP but have no problem purchasing a second if the flexwatt option is deemed worthy. If any of you have any other recommendations I would be grateful for any advise. If this has already been discussed elsewhere I apologize. Thank you!

I only have a rack from them but I really like it. I have never seen anybody complain about their cages or their customer service. They are both top notch.

As for the flexwatt I believe it is worth it. It is a type of under tank heater and yes it needs a tstat. The stuff can really get hot so get a good tstat to pair with it.

I highly recommend Animal Plastics. I have 6 racks from AP and they're awesome with the customer service to match. AP also makes custom racks, so if you have a idea in mind they can build it :-)

I use the 3 inch belly heat option on all my AP racks and have never had a issue.

Let me know if you have any other questions or would like any pictures of the racks :-)

Thanks for the replies! I have not seen much in the negative column for their products and I'm glad to hear customer service is good, I'm a stickler for that. I would like to eventually do a rack set up, but it was difficult enough to talk my girlfriend to allow ONE snake in the apartment. I'll convince her more are necessary, but it will take a little time :P

I have a Monster Cage for my boa, but Animal Plastics is good too. You' need a Tstat for every type of heat source, especially flexwat. It depends on your room/house temps whether you need RHP and flexwatt. I have both in mine because when I purchased it I lived in an old drafty apartment where it snows a lot and I didn't have the heat high enough. Now that I live down south and they have their own room that is set to a certain temp...I only run the flexwatt. They're worth the money if you want the nicer look. I got mine for my boa because it has the locks, all my balls are in racks. But if I only had one ball I'd consider getting one to show him off.

Not only are they more functional but they do look nice as well. I will need a RHP due to the cold winters we have here, and the fact that my apartment has electric baseboard heat that I have to manually control independently. (no stat) Since the flexwatt sounds like a good idea I will likely order my enclosure with it installed and just get a second stat so that I know i'm good. For right now my BP (Burt) may be an only child so to speak, but if someday I'm able to add a second or third, stacking even a few of the T8's for example, would look pretty nice in my opinion. Are the locks to keep the snake in? I guess I always looked at them as more of a security measure, silly me lol.

Can't go wrong with AP

Animal Plastics have great products and great customer service, the only downside is the lead time but if you are prepared and know what you need in advance it is not an issue.

All my hatchling racks (using 6 quarts tubs and v18 tubs) are from them, so are my 32 quarts tubs racks.

Their product is light yet sturdy and easy to assemble.

Flexwatt is different then Radiant heat panel and like any heat source it must be controlled by a UTH.

If you are looking for a cage that uses a radiant heat panel you might want to contact Chris at C-Serpents, his cages are great, great customer service also and great lead time.

I love AP cages. Simple to assemble, easy to maintain and the price is right. I like the T3 for adult balls. You can add a removable divider for $20 and keep 2 sub adults in a single cage.

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Originally Posted by Wildwa

Are the locks to keep the snake in? I guess I always looked at them as more of a security measure, silly me lol.

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It's both. I've had a snake open the door of an unlocked cage!

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Originally Posted by DennisM

I love AP cages. Simple to assemble, easy to maintain and the price is right. I like the T3 for adult balls. You can add a removable divider for $20 and keep 2 sub adults in a single cage.

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I was looking at the T3, but interestingly enough the T8 is actually cheaper for some reason :confusd: is 48L too big for an adult BP?

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Originally Posted by Wildwa

I was looking at the T3, but interestingly enough the T8 is actually cheaper for some reason :confusd: is 48L too big for an adult BP?

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No it's not.

I'll likely settle for the T8 unless I find something better between now and when I am ready to purchase something. I really like what I see with the Boaphiles as well, and they are actually located only 20 minutes from where I live, but I have not been able to find a reason I can justify twice the price... AP seems to have the best deal going.

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Originally Posted by Wildwa

I'll likely settle for the T8 unless I find something better between now and when I am ready to purchase something. I really like what I see with the Boaphiles as well, and they are actually located only 20 minutes from where I live, but I have not been able to find a reason I can justify twice the price... AP seems to have the best deal going.

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Believe me - you're far from settling when you choose the T8. They're really nice enclosures and more than a few members of this site use and recommend them (myself included).

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Originally Posted by Wildwa

Are the locks to keep the snake in? I guess I always looked at them as more of a security measure, silly me lol.

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I have locks for my boas cage only, for my son's sake. If he gets tagged by a ball python nothing is going to happen, but my boas won't hesitate so it's mostly to keep my son from getting too curious. He would never go in the reptile room without me, but for my own peace of mind I don't want to have to run up the stairs to a screaming 7 year old because he got curious and my big boa got him lol.

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Originally Posted by Skittles1101

I have locks for my boas cage only, for my son's sake. If he gets tagged by a ball python nothing is going to happen, but my boas won't hesitate so it's mostly to keep my son from getting too curious. He would never go in the reptile room without me, but for my own peace of mind I don't want to have to run up the stairs to a screaming 7 year old because he got curious and my big boa got him lol.

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Makes sense! My kids are older now and have little to no interest in my new found hobby, I'm not too worried about them getting too curious. I would however feel better knowing that they are secure either way. I only have a single Ball Python right now as it is, but would like to someday get a couple more... oh and maybe an Argentine Boa :P saw some at the reptile show today and I feel like I need one. :)

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

Believe me - you're far from settling when you choose the T8. They're really nice enclosures and more than a few members of this site use and recommend them (myself included).

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That's good to hear, I have not found any negative feedback whatsoever!

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Originally Posted by Wildwa

I'll likely settle for the T8 unless I find something better between now and when I am ready to purchase something. I really like what I see with the Boaphiles as well, and they are actually located only 20 minutes from where I live, but I have not been able to find a reason I can justify twice the price... AP seems to have the best deal going.

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You won't get any type of discount or speedy manufacture by living close to Boaphile. I was looking at those cages at one point, and I called, actually spoke to Jeff and was told, the price is the price. He just includes shipping as part of the cage price. I think they'd be a nice cage for a royal, but I'd say you are on the right track with AP. They are nice looking cages.

Here is what I went with.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...light=boa+cage

I don't want to confuse you further, but having a few options is nice.

I'll eventually move the royal to the top cage here, and get the coastal/carpet in a cage similar to the boa constrictor cage on the bottom.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/DSC01373.jpg

You'll have some lead time no matter where you decide to go.

Another option is to look on Craigslist. You can sometimes find some great deals there.

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Originally Posted by Gio

You won't get any type of discount or speedy manufacture by living close to Boaphile. I was looking at those cages at one point, and I called, actually spoke to Jeff and was told, the price is the price. He just includes shipping as part of the cage price. I think they'd be a nice cage for a royal, but I'd say you are on the right track with AP. They are nice looking cages.

Here is what I went with.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...light=boa+cage

I don't want to confuse you further, but having a few options is nice.

I'll eventually move the royal to the top cage here, and get the coastal/carpet in a cage similar to the boa constrictor cage on the bottom.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/DSC01373.jpg

You'll have some lead time no matter where you decide to go.

Another option is to look on Craigslist. You can sometimes find some great deals there.

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Nice write up, and nice looking enclosure! I had not seen this particular brand before, so I appreciate the heads up. I'm big on customer service, especially in a competitive field such as this, with so many manufacturers out there you should be delivering the best possible service you can, and it sounds like Ed does a pretty good job. On the flip side I have read less than stellar things about Jeff and Boaphiles. It has not been my experience, but after a handful of similar complaints the legitimacy becomes more likely, which is a shame.

I really appreciate all of the replies, I have no doubt that when I do finally place my order I will be ordering with confidence. I'm sure what ever decision I make will make not only myself happy, but also my snake!

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Originally Posted by Wildwa

Nice write up, and nice looking enclosure! I had not seen this particular brand before, so I appreciate the heads up. I'm big on customer service, especially in a competitive field such as this, with so many manufacturers out there you should be delivering the best possible service you can, and it sounds like Ed does a pretty good job. On the flip side I have read less than stellar things about Jeff and Boaphiles. It has not been my experience, but after a handful of similar complaints the legitimacy becomes more likely, which is a shame.

I really appreciate all of the replies, I have no doubt that when I do finally place my order I will be ordering with confidence. I'm sure what ever decision I make will make not only myself happy, but also my snake!

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Jeffs cages are absolutely second to none. They blow the doors off of every other caging company ive used or seen in person. They're the Cadillac of snake cages. That being said the customer service complaints about jeff are legitimate. But you wont find a better cage at any price than his, so it really just depends how much you value service vs price vs quality

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Originally Posted by CryHavoc17

Jeffs cages are absolutely second to none. They blow the doors off of every other caging company ive used or seen in person. They're the Cadillac of snake cages. That being said the customer service complaints about jeff are legitimate. But you wont find a better cage at any price than his, so it really just depends how much you value service vs price vs quality

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Well that's interesting, I had not heard this until now... lots of choices

So what's so special about Boaphile cages?

I love my Animal Plastics terrariums. I have 3 from them so far. They look great and I like the sliding glass option. Ali's customer service is second to none. Always gets back via email regarding any concerns that you might have.

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^^ Second Mr. Misha's recommendations. I also have T8s and I love them. I haven't had any issues with them at all. A lot you can do with them.
http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3d8b7129.jpg

As you can see I have a divider in the top cage which currently has an adult on the left and a hatchling on the right. The bottom cage has my 1600g female.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

So what's so special about Boaphile cages?

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Since you asked (queue shameless plug)

Honestly its a whole bunch of small subtle things that dont sound like much, but add up to an amazing product. Dont get me wrong, at the end of the day a pvc snake box is just that. If function is your main priority there really isnt much difference between any of the products mentioned in this thread.

All that being said, specifics: I cant stand any cage that has a piece of PVC running down the middle of the door area, it makes the cage 10x more difficult to clean thoroughly. Since we a talking about cages that are tough to get all the way into no matter what (because they are so short) anything that makes that problem worse is is a no go for me personally. I also hate sliding doors. At different times ive used every door style you can find, and in my experience and opinion the best doors are single pane drop down acrylic. So that makes AP a no go for me, because they dont offer that kind of door.

Jeffs cages are assembled and glued in shop and shipped complete, there is no assembly. Because he uses PVC glue (which literally melts the plastic and bonds ito together) there is NO hardware on the seams of your cages. No screws, nothing. And his seams are perfect. It seriously looks like the whole cage was somehow cut out of a single huge block of plastic. There are no edges anywear. No exposed unfinished pvc edges. That is also a far better seal on the seams than anything I could do myself with a caulk gun.

His hardware on his doors are better than anything else ive seen. Simple, look good, and work perfectly. The internal side of the hinges have completely smooth, rounded edges, so there is nothing for a snake to potentially snag on.

If you buy a heat panel from him he builds it into your cage with a custom pvc housing surrounding it. Which just looks awesome and also hides any screws for the panel, as well as hiding the power cord. Neccicarily? Not at all. Looks freaking fantastic? Ya.

Like I said before this is all fairly subtle, cosmetic stuff. But If you put a boaphile 421D side by side with an AP T8 it would be immediately obvious which one is the nicer product. So boaphiles are nicer, The lead times average about the same, and AP wins on customer service and price. So like I said initially it really just depends on how you prioritize price, quality, and customer service.

Of the companies discussed in this thread my order personal order of preference is as follows, with base model pricing and shipping included:
1)Boaphile 421D for $269
2)Constrictors NW proline 4x2x1 for $250
3)AP t8 w/ swing doors for $230

Once you start looking at buying heating separately vs included and any other add ons you might consider obviously the price comparison becomes trickier.

I didnt mention it before, but Ed of constrictors northwest is awesome too. His lead times are usually way faster than everyone else, and Ive been very impressed with his cages that ive seen in person. Dont own any myself tho.



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Quote:

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Originally Posted by CryHavoc17

Since you asked (queue shameless plug)

Honestly its a whole bunch of small subtle things that dont sound like much, but add up to an amazing product. Dont get me wrong, at the end of the day a pvc snake box is just that. If function is your main priority there really isnt much difference between any of the products mentioned in this thread.

All that being said, specifics: I cant stand any cage that has a piece of PVC running down the middle of the door area, it makes the cage 10x more difficult to clean thoroughly. Since we a talking about cages that are tough to get all the way into no matter what (because they are so short) anything that makes that problem worse is is a no go for me personally. I also hate sliding doors. At different times ive used every door style you can find, and in my experience and opinion the best doors are single pane drop down acrylic. So that makes AP a no go for me, because they dont offer that kind of door.

Jeffs cages are assembled and glued in shop and shipped complete, there is no assembly. Because he uses PVC glue (which literally melts the plastic and bonds ito together) there is NO hardware on the seams of your cages. No screws, nothing. And his seams are perfect. It seriously looks like the whole cage was somehow cut out of a single huge block of plastic. There are no edges anywear. No exposed unfinished pvc edges. That is also a far better seal on the seams than anything I could do myself with a caulk gun.

His hardware on his doors are better than anything else ive seen. Simple, look good, and work perfectly. The internal side of the hinges have completely smooth, rounded edges, so there is nothing for a snake to potentially snag on.

If you buy a heat panel from him he builds it into your cage with a custom pvc housing surrounding it. Which just looks awesome and also hides any screws for the panel, as well as hiding the power cord. Neccicarily? Not at all. Looks freaking fantastic? Ya.

Like I said before this is all fairly subtle, cosmetic stuff. But If you put a boaphile 421D side by side with an AP T8 it would be immediately obvious which one is the nicer product. So boaphiles are nicer, The lead times average about the same, and AP wins on customer service and price. So like I said initially it really just depends on how you prioritize price, quality, and customer service.

Of the companies discussed in this thread my order personal order of preference is as follows, with base model pricing and shipping included:
1)Boaphile 421D for $269
2)Constrictors NW proline 4x2x1 for $250
3)AP t8 w/ swing doors for $230

Once you start looking at buying heating separately vs included and any other add ons you might consider obviously the price comparison becomes trickier.

I didnt mention it before, but Ed of constrictors northwest is awesome too. His lead times are usually way faster than everyone else, and Ive been very impressed with his cages that ive seen in person. Dont own any myself tho.



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Thanks for the clarification, all good info!

Well, not to turn this into a cage debate but the Pro-Line cage height is wrong by a little bit which makes a difference in head room value. It's 14" tall VS the 11" Boaphile. With a semi arboreal snake like a carpet or BC that is a nice bit of space for a starter cage. AP also tops out at better ceiling 1 model up.

Not really a big deal for a royal though.

The hardware on the Pro-Line is bullet proof and will not squeak or rust. The hinges are extremely thick, durable plastic and the locks do not intrude into the cage. The HDPE plastic the Pro-Line is made of is IMO the best plastic out there, you can drop it off a truck and it won't crack, nothing sticks to it and it's thick, I have heard AP uses a higher quality plastic than Boaphile as well.

All of that said, you really can't go wrong with the cages mentioned here.

I know some keepers really like the sliding doors if they have to deal with a wild feed response. AP cages let you slide one door to sneak the prey in one side without being struck at.

I think the aesthetic look of the Boaphiles is beautiful, and they are a lot, and I mean a lot lighter weight than the Pro-Lines. My 48"x30"x20" is very heavy. I like that though. I don't think either the Pro-line or the AP are very tough to assemble. I like that Boaphile is ready when it arrives though.

Personally I'd check around for used cages. There are lots of "in and out of the hobby, selling everything" people out there.

And just to blow warm fuzzy feelings everywhere; I would not turn down any one of the brands mentioned if they were sold to me at a great price.



We all have our favorites, and I like the fact everybody is giving you their two bits!