CHECK OUT this CAGE!!!

What do you guys think of this cage for a Ball Python? Better than a Vision cage, etc?

Description:

This cage was custom made by professional cabinet maker, and has many nice features. As you can see from the pictures, the cage's front corners are angled, and the glass was specially beveled so as to enable greater viewing of the animal(s). Even the back of the cage is glass so as to offer a full view of your pet.

A specially cut "snake plate" is included should you decide to house a snake in this cage. This piece of perforated plexiglass prevents the snake (or any high jumping lizards) from gaining access to the inside upper level of the cage.

The measurements are as follows: 37.5 inches wide, 26 inches tall and 24 inches deep. The formica is a rich wood finish. The top of the cage lifts up and a recessed brass latch enables the top to be lifted with ease.

The tank has two recessed light fixtures for heat lamps and a full spectrum florescent light across the back of the tank.

The large piece of driftwood in the picture also accompanies the cage.

Four (4) vents ensure the tank does not overheat and offers some air exchange to avoid stale air. To better monitor the temperature of the tank, a heat regulator will accompany this cage at no extra charge. This electronic unit uses a thermostat to regulate the amount of heat being put out by the heat lamps. An additional thermometer is already enclosed inside the cage.

Pics:
http://www.cybassist.com/jkevin/cage/cage1.jpg
http://www.cybassist.com/jkevin/cage/cage2.jpg

probably costs around $2000...my guess. I never really cared too much for those fancy cages. I would rather spend the money on some ball pythons.:) But, maybe i would speak different if I won the lottery. I wouldn't want to use that for a ball python personally, but it would be great to display an adult green tree python.

what would make this a bad cage for a ball python?

is wooden cages a big problem?

well I am getting just 1 ball python as a pet and the cage will be in a living room, so high visibility.

the thing that concerns me about this cage is:

1.) I think it's wooden inside so I am not sure if that is a hugely bad thing or not for heating reasons and also cleaning, bacteria buildup, etc.

2.) It opens up through the top so I am not sure if this will make it a real pain in the butt to clean and also make it more likely that the snake will bite you when you go to pick them up versus a side opening cage?

3.) Can you FlexWatt heat tape on a cage like this? I am not sure if flexwatt heat tape can be applied directly too wood, and if so, will the heat go through the wood and into the cage to addequately provide the right heat for the snake?

BTW... this is a local person that is selling this cage, they used to have 3 bearded dragons in it and then later a Ball Python. I can probably get the cage for about $200 if this matters to your opinions... they had this custom built so I would imagine they spend MUCH more money on it initially. I think the cage is about 3 years old..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by squale

what would make this a bad cage for a ball python?

is wooden cages a big problem?

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It's not necessarily a bad cage for a ball, just an impractical one. Balls tend to spend most of their time in their hides and really only come out at night. I suppose if you're up at night a lot and have a night light to view them with, then it's fine. Otherwise, the cage seems better suited for a more visible snake like a GTP.

what would make a awsome display enclosure for a living room or any other hi vis location. That design gives me ideas for my next custom enclosure.

that looks like an aquarium like perfecto, all glass, oceanic. i used to have reef aquariums. i don't think it would be "bad" for a bp per say. i do think it is hard to properly heat and keep ideal conditions in. some bp's may be stressed in all glass environments. you can flexwatt most tanks/cages and yes a tall tank is a pain to clean.


vaughn

my first thought was that the enclosure is very large for a ball python. It seems that having that much air to heat would be a nightmare, especially if you keep it in a nice cool living room. Like I said before, it would be great for an different type of snake...my first thought was a jungle carpet python. If you could get the temps right that would be an awesome enclosure.

1. it depends....is it finished smooth...or is it rough? if it is rough there may be some trouble cleaning.

2. opening from the top is no problem.

3. You can flexwatt everywhere as long as it will not be exposed to water. Heat does not go through wood that well.

Thats a great enclosure for 200 bucks. personally, I would buy it(cause it seems nice and cheap). I would not put a bp in it however...but I would definately find something else to put in it :). look into JCPs they can be very colorful...and are good begineer snakes.

It's a very nice looking cage, but it's likely to be difficult to clean properly (how well can you reach the bottom from the top?) and difficult to keep a good thermal gradient in, especially if only heating from above. It will look nice in a living room, but I think it will look nicer if it can be cleaned from front or back rather than top and will contain one or more animals that would really use the space it provides.

That cage looks pretty nice, i use a glass tank as well and have so far had great luck with it. Its pretty much just a matter of what your prefur. Do you NEED to spend that much money on a snake tank, absolutly not, but if your ok with that then it would make for a really nice tank as well as not make the area its in look ghetto hehe.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by squale

well I am getting just 1 ball python as a pet and the cage will be in a living room, so high visibility.

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Honestly...if you want a cage with an animal for display, a ball python is probably one of the last animals I would choose. You can make the enclosures look cool, but 99 out of 100 ball pythons choose to hide most of the time as opposed to be out exploring.

If you want something that would be visible, go for a GTP or ATB. You can make really cool bearded dragon setups as well, and they will be up all day running around for you.

i think this cage is great. But it might be to big for a young bp. but it would be fine for an adult snake. You might consider putting a divider in the cage and get two bps instead of one.

The outside of the cage is Formica and the inside is also Formica with the floor of the tank white melamine. So I am not sure if you can use heat tape underneath can you?

also, is this material on the inside and floor smooth and waterproof? or it is porous and will allow water to sink in and warp it?

I am not very knowledgable on anything but plastic cages as I used to have only a Neodesha for my last snake.


If I don't go with this cage, what's my best option for a Ball Python.. a Vision cage? I was thinking maybe the Vision #322 might be the best cage out there? http://www.visionproducts.us/cages/htm/medium.html

remember it has to look half way decent cause it's going in a high visibility area.

Thanks

what has made you want to go with a ball python? I just ask because they tend to be very solitary, are hidden during the day, and are kinda boring at times. of course...I am not trying to sway you from getting a ball python, they are wonderful animals. I just think that if you are looking for something to display in a 'high visibility area' you might want to reconsider and get an amazon tree boa, jungle carpet python, green tree python, green tree boa, brazilian rainbow boa, etc. They tend to be much better show animals. :)


btw...the formica and melamine should be easy to clean.

Beautiful craftmanship but I'll stick to my uber cheap lightweight rubbermaids

about my decision on a Ball Python..

I used to own a Jungle Carpet python for my first and only snake. Housed in a 4" Neodesha cage. Was indeed a beutiful animal and very interesting while young to watch climb the fake tree in the cage, etc. But what happened was the snake became sort of nippy. Everytime I went to open the cage he sort of got into strike position and a couple times bite me. One time I know was my fault cause I had rat smell on my hands. But other times he just was pissed off I guess, not sure. But anyhow, being my first snake, I didn't know everything I should of and I should of done more research cause I feed him in hiis cage which I think now was a big NO NO... cause everytime I went to open the cage to hold him, I think he thought it was food coming in. And boy he was so eater.. never had a problem there, he would eat and eat and eat. But besides this stuff, one of the biggest things that was annoying at times was trying to hold him. He would NEVER sit still for a second and ALWAYS got that little thin tail wrapped around something.. and once that sucker got a grip on something, it was a project getting him off let me tell you. So it was sort of hard to ever sit on the couch and hold him or ever let others hold him cause of how much he moved around and how fast he was. so anyhow, after some research, I came to the conclusion that a ball python will probably be the best snake for me because I understand they are EXTREMELY docile hardly ever biting if at all, and they like to just sit and relax on your arm while holding them.

Yes it would be nice to have a snake that climbed around and was cool display wise, but after doing a bit of research on the Tree Boas and Green Tree Pythons, etc.. it seems that these snakes are not the friendliest things and bite a lot. Since this is going to be my only snake and my pet snake, I want something I can definately hold often and let others hold and trust the snake won't be mean and bite. Cause let me tell you, it's hard enough convincing somebody that isn't too fond of snakes in the first place to hold one, let alone if they see that snake bite me or attempt to...

so that's my short story on why I think a Ball Python is my best bet..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ehctex

You might consider putting a divider in the cage and get two bps instead of one.

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Im not sure that would be such a good idea. sickness could be pasted throught a divider so that would almost be like having then in the same cage with no divider.

so a Ball Python you guys think is still the best snake for me right?

a ball is a good snake for beginners as long as you do the research.

but this "cage" just looks like a huge fish tank. if your gonna buy this cage you might aswell save some money and get a regular tank for 50 bucks.

well what I was comparing it to was like a Vision #322 cage which I can get for $200 delivered brand new to me. I an also get this custom cage for about the same price, so I was wondering which would be my best bet..
obviously the custom cage looks way better IMO but I just don't know if it will make the better house and maintenance wise for me

It's an attractive cage no doubt - but as far as functionality in maintenance goes you'd easily have a better time with the Vision on that. After that JCP you had a ball python sounds like a good move - and the fact that you are here makng all the inquiries show some good diligence on your part. You have aney breeders lined up as potential sources?

I have a few breeders I have spoken with. But all the breeders only have Balls born last April-June time frame. So that makes them about 10 months - 1 year old. The new Balls will be available in June and July but I don't want to wait that long. So I was wondering if it's a good idea to buy a 1 year old Ball versus say like a 1 or 2 month old Ball? I am just afraid that the 1 year old Ball will have a worse temperment from being kept in a small pull out tub it's entire life. And also I know that the breeders don't usually hold the snakes, etc. when they have them, so the snakes are not used to human interactive as much and that may not make them the best pets. So that's why I was thinking maybe getting a fairly young Ball would be a better bet? what do you think?

Especially if you get a known established eater it would give you less to stress about. You needn't worry about the temperment - Balls like small cozy tight places - makes em feel more secure ;) We've gotten a few at varying stages from breeders - were you planning on getting one in person? If so just give it a handling to allay those worries.

I still don't think that a ball python is going to thrive in that cage...there's just no sense of security for them in there.

Have you thought about possibly getting a boa? Perhaps a dumeril's or other boa that tends to stay smaller than redtails. Especially if you get a male boa, most species other than redtails stay under 7 feet as adults. I've got a mexican boa whose parents, at age 17 and 22, were no longer than 6 and half feet long.

Some individual boas tend to hide less as they become adults also, making a better display snake....

for the snake I want if I have to rank what's most important to me..

1.) Handling and being Docile (no biting)
2.) Likes to chill out on your arm while being held. Doesn't move around like crazy making it a hassle to hold the snake.
3.) Good eater
4.) Nice colors
5.) Nice display snake

so given the above, I think the Ball Python would be the best bet, with maybe Jungle Carpet following in second but like I said the number 2 reason, the Jungle fails miserable on.. that's one of the reasons I got rid of my first Jungle..

What about a rainbow boa?

1) BP well suited
2) per snake - but they are a lot more sedate when being handled than other species I have
3) If you get one that's known "established eater" you ought to be fine.
4) I love the "normals" - no 2 alike - but there are a jawdropping variety of more expensive "morph" options
5) Well they are nocturnal and (by day at least) spend a good deal of time chilling in their hides - but there are exceptions to every rule

(neither my jungle nor coastal will pass up an opportunity to give me a love nip - but they are juveniles and it doesnt surprise me)

I was just skimming through this post and everytime I look at the photos of that cage I start day dreaming about terrarium/vivarium setups. A nice colony of gecko species, or even a nice mantellla frog setup.
Well that gives you no help as neither of those types of animals are snakes..hehe.
I agree with Smulkin's posts.
It's a nice showcase tank, but maybe not the right way to display a ball. In the end it's up to you anyhow.
Just my two cents
Thanks
Rusty

yeah I think I might just go with the Vision cage. But now I came across another good looking cage by ShowCase cages: http://www.showcasecages.com/cage_details.htm

What do you think is the BEST specific cage for a Ball Python? I have not seen any of the Vision, Animal Plastics, Biophile, etc cages in person so I can't judge the quality of these versus each other..

Best in terms of aesthetics? Ease of maintenance? Good for your balls?

Those are nice looking cages - especially in that wall inset. Need to win me some Powerball so I can upgrade!

Honestly I am very pleased with Sterilites - only drawbacks are lack of transparency (no go for a display cage) and the need to add escape-proofing to them in some way shape or form. And I was a 100% glass person a year ago.

I have not had any personal experience with Vision, Animal Plastics etc and wouldn't feel comfortable offereing hearsay on them - so I am of little help there. I'd like to see some folks who ARE using those cages put some reviews up though . . .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by squale

for the snake I want if I have to rank what's most important to me..

1.) Handling and being Docile (no biting)
2.) Likes to chill out on your arm while being held. Doesn't move around like crazy making it a hassle to hold the snake.
3.) Good eater
4.) Nice colors
5.) Nice display snake

so given the above, I think the Ball Python would be the best bet, with maybe Jungle Carpet following in second but like I said the number 2 reason, the Jungle fails miserable on.. that's one of the reasons I got rid of my first Jungle..

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I also think you would be better off with a Brazillian Rainbow Boa. They are VERY tame, slow-moving as all boas, usually are great eaters, BEAUTIFUL irredescent pattern, which all makes for a great display snake.

And for more info, check out our caresheet:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=15

there are a bunch of rainbow boas.. what are the best temperments and make the best pets, like to be held, etc? how do they compare in these aspects to Ball Pythons?


are rainbow boas climbing snakes too? more so than say a Jungle Carpet?

Most of the brazillians I've had experience with generally like to burrow in the moss that is necessary for them, as they need quite a lot of humidity compared to other boas.

I would say their temperment is nearly identical to that of a ball python, assuming you are getting a captive bred specimen.

how about compared to a Jungle Carpet python?

and how much do Rainbows usually cost... CB that is..

what is the name of that one cage maker, like Dar or something weird, can't remember the name... does anybody have any ideas..
they are pretty popular competting with Vision, Biophile, etc

barrs! doug barr at www.herpcages.com



vaughn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I also think you would be better off with a Brazillian Rainbow Boa. They are VERY tame, slow-moving as all boas, usually are great eaters, BEAUTIFUL irredescent pattern, which all makes for a great display snake.

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BRB's while they are slow moving they love to explore so they wont jsut "hang out" with you. They are very tame well atleast the one I own and the ones I have delt with are.