Boaphile vs Animal Plastics

I'm trying to decide between a Boaphile and an Animal Plastics cage. I have been searching but a lot of the threads are kinda old. I was wondering what you guys thought, besides AP having better customer service. It will be housing a male common boa.

I love my Boaphile setup. See review down below.

Took 6 weeks for all 5 tanks I needed, many with different requirements.

Customer service was great! AS LONG AS YOU CALL Jeff Ronne. Email does not work well with him. He says it and is correct. Calling I get a response quickly or he picks up. I still call to pick his brain sometimes. He is always respectful and kindly answers my questions.

I think the cost for a tank by itself is more, not sure, but I imagine it's comparable with everything you will need for your BCI.

I have a 6X2' setup, but have a female BCI. A 5X2' or 4X2' may work okay. However, 6X2' would work fine and give you options for more 6X2' as you go, in case you want a female one day :).

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...up-With-Review

Good luck and I am sure more people will chime in.

I cannot comment on AP because I have zero experience. However, have read good things.

Another similar thread going on now, FYI.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=1#post2593538

I am biased towards AP cages but here are a few of the things about both.

Boaphiles-
-Use a more porous PVC which after a year+ will smell like piss and stain.
-One piece construction which is nice but if a piece breaks, you need to replace the whole cage.
-Modular which is really freakin awesome....reading this Ali?? Make AP cages modular.
-Bang for the buck is poor. The prices for taller cages and shelves and accessories is expensive. I mean even black coated hinges are expensive. Regular hinges will rust after a few years.

Animal Plastics-
-Use a more 'compact' PVC which doesnt stain as much and doesnt soak up piss smell. Although Caesar has managed to stain his floor with his battery acid piss.
-Sliding glass doors. Much better than acrylic. Doesnt scratch. Can double as a shield for happy eater. Wont warp over time from heat and moisture. No metal hinges to worry about. Doors are easily lifted out if you need full access.
-Comes in pieces. So if something happens to a piece, can just replace it and not need a whole new cage.
-Very sturdy and well built.
-Tons of options from routed LED lighting in the top to shelves as well as pretty much any customization. Just have to call Ali and talk to her.
-Best bang for the buck hands down. Shelves, locks, LEDs all fairly priced and built well. Except the LEDs, I have had 7/9 of them burn out on me but Ali is awesome and replaced them all free of charge even after a year.

I could go on more about AP cages since i know them and have dealt with them and used them. The Boaphiles, i havent but if you google AP vs Boaphile cages, you should find a thread on another reptile forum which i wont name from a guy named Ace or something like, been awhile since i been there lol. He gives pretty much the same breakdown i just typed. So i pretty much just repeated what he said, but he has used both Boaphile and AP cages for years so he has first hand knowledge of both where as i only have first hand knowledge of Constrictor NW cages and AP cages.

I don't own boaphiles, but used to be on a forum where a lot of people did (was a boa forum that no longer exists). The number one complaint after the customer service I saw, was the staining / odor mentioned by Sauzo...That they were difficult to clean, etc.

I have been very happy with my AP cages.. I can say that the glass and PVC feel very heavy duty and well-made. The lead time is brutal though, but that is the case with all the cage manufacturers.

I have boaphiles including a couple almost ten years old and there's no staining or odor, haven't had any problems although wish he offered led strips would be my only issue. They aren't difficult to clean at all.

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Originally Posted by artgecko

I don't own boaphiles, but used to be on a forum where a lot of people did (was a boa forum that no longer exists). The number one complaint after the customer service I saw, was the staining / odor mentioned by Sauzo...That they were difficult to clean, etc.

I have been very happy with my AP cages.. I can say that the glass and PVC feel very heavy duty and well-made. The lead time is brutal though, but that is the case with all the cage manufacturers.

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Jeff at Boaphile switched to a lighter, different type, of plastic about 1-2 years ago. I don't know if it makes a difference for cleaning, but so far, no issues there.

I do love how light the tanks are, but not really an issue once in place.

I have the 11.5" high tanks on 4 and a 17.5" on 1 (height/space limitations). Not terrible, but it is a little harder to clean the 11.5" than the higher ones.

Having said that, they maintain heat and humidity fantastic.

Goingpostal- I was just going off of what others had said. One person posted a picture showing urate stains inside the BP cage.. They said that even with scrubbing and trying different methods / chemicals, it would still not completely come off. Now, I don't know what they had used to clean (which could have effected the result) but it looked pretty convincing to me. Others at the time corroborated and said that they liked their BP cages but that they too had staining issues from urates in particular.

It was maybe ~4 years ago when I remember seeing that post, as I was in the market for my first pvc cage at the time and had been scouring caging forums for info. I think that, and wanting sliding glass doors, were the main reasons I went with AP over BP. All that said, there are many people that are very happy with their BP cages, so he must be doing something right.

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Originally Posted by artgecko

Goingpostal- I was just going off of what others had said. One person posted a picture showing urate stains inside the BP cage.. They said that even with scrubbing and trying different methods / chemicals, it would still not completely come off. Now, I don't know what they had used to clean (which could have effected the result) but it looked pretty convincing to me. Others at the time corroborated and said that they liked their BP cages but that they too had staining issues from urates in particular.

It was maybe ~4 years ago when I remember seeing that post, as I was in the market for my first pvc cage at the time and had been scouring caging forums for info. I think that, and wanting sliding glass doors, were the main reasons I went with AP over BP. All that said, there are many people that are very happy with their BP cages, so he must be doing something right.

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I wonder if staining has a lot to do with time the waste is left there and what cleaning materials were used.

Additionally, I wonder how the newer material plastic Jeff at BP is using compares to the older stuff.

I'll keep everyone up to date if I have staining or smell, etc. So far, so good.

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Originally Posted by dakski

I wonder if staining has a lot to do with time the waste is left there and what cleaning materials were used.

Additionally, I wonder how the newer material plastic Jeff at BP is using compares to the older stuff.

I'll keep everyone up to date if I have staining or smell, etc. So far, so good.

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Very good points. I wondered that too.. I know with fabrics, if you clean an animal-based stain with the wrong cleaner, it can "lock in" the odor or stain. I wonder if it is the same with plastics. I think the people with issues had had their BP cages for a long time, so not sure how frequently or quickly they cleaned up urates either.

I will be very interested to hear how your cages hold up for you. Maybe the newer material he is using is easier to clean.

The one thing I really like about the Boaphile, is the one single door that drops down. To me, it looks more sleek without having that middle bar that the AP cages have. That's the only thing stopping me from getting an AP.

But, the odor that people are complaining about does kinda scare me away from the Boaphile.

I just don't know which one to get. It's driving me crazy!

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Originally Posted by svtvenom

The one thing I really like about the Boaphile, is the one single door that drops down. To me, it looks more sleek without having that middle bar that the AP cages have. That's the only thing stopping me from getting an AP.

But, the odor that people are complaining about does kinda scare me away from the Boaphile.

I just don't know which one to get. It's driving me crazy!

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Frankly, I would call AP and call Jeff at Boaphile.

Price out what you need for your BCI. Size, heating elements, etc. Jeff is a BCI breeder, so he will have good advice on that, but many posts here about that as well. Also look at lead times, door design, etc. For feeding, I like sliding doors, but it's really not an issue with the opening out doors. Also very sturdy and easy to clean with those.

Also, ask Jeff what his new material is and if it is better with stains/odors, etc. He seems like a very stand up and honest guy. I'd be interested in what he says too.

I definitely think you will need a RHP and UTH for the hot side, and worth putting in a smaller UTH for the cool side - even if it barely runs. Cheap insurance.

Also of note, Jeff and BP uses on/off thermostats and sells and recommends double thermostats. I have had good success with these, but he has a whole piece on his website about why her prefers the on/off ones. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A DOUBLE THERMOSTAT/REDUNDANT THERMOSTAT! Totally worth the insurance of not losing an animal.

Also, BP thermostats can run up to 1500 Watts, so many tanks. So, if you upgrade in the future to the same tank design, heating elements, etc. and same species (or one with similar requirements - like a BP) , you won't have to invest in another thermostat.

Regarding the thermostats, I do not know what AP uses.

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Originally Posted by svtvenom

The one thing I really like about the Boaphile, is the one single door that drops down. To me, it looks more sleek without having that middle bar that the AP cages have. That's the only thing stopping me from getting an AP.

But, the odor that people are complaining about does kinda scare me away from the Boaphile.

I just don't know which one to get. It's driving me crazy!

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The middle beam gives it support so the cage doesnt sag over time. I had Constrictor NW cages with no middle brace and they sagged after about 3 years. Luckily i didnt have problems closing the door but another guy on this forum did and had to literally lift the center roof of his cage to close his door.

Well i can guarantee you will pay a lot more for an equivalent sized Boaphile cage with all the trimmings to an AP cage. My T10s were about $400 each with shelf, LED lighting, locks and flexwatt including shipping.

Dakski, thanks for the great info! I will most likely go with the bellyheat and then contact Pro Products for an RHP. I do have the Herpstat 2 already so I'm good on thermostats.

Sauzo, thanks for pointing that out. I didn't realize that was the reason for it. Since I'm spending so much on a nice cage I definitely don't want one that's going to start sagging. I'm going to go with the Animal Plastics! :D

Good luck and keep us in the loop.

Thank you! I will.

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Originally Posted by svtvenom

Dakski, thanks for the great info! I will most likely go with the bellyheat and then contact Pro Products for an RHP. I do have the Herpstat 2 already so I'm good on thermostats.

Sauzo, thanks for pointing that out. I didn't realize that was the reason for it. Since I'm spending so much on a nice cage I definitely don't want one that's going to start sagging. I'm going to go with the Animal Plastics! :D

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Good decision imo but then I'm partial to AP cages as i got 9 of them lol.

And in the future if you get anything over 4 foot in a cage, for sure get one with a brace. I have heard Vision cages have issues with sagging on stuff larger than 4 feet. One guy who had the 6 foot ones said when he stacked them, you couldnt even slide door closed on the bottom cage as it bound up. Plus other issues with Vision cages like a gap around the front top where snakes can wedge themselves into i guess. Again, i have no experience with Vision cages, just second hand from people i have talked to. I too did a lot of research when i was looking for new cages as i just dove in on my Constrictor NW cages and wasnt happy with them at all. I tried the AP cages as i heard nothing but goo stuff and after getting my first set, i loved how the little things werent overlooked like rounding off and sharp edges or corners so the snake couldnt cut of scrape itself if it pushed and stuff like that.

Yeah, the sagging issue.

I have 6X2’ boaphiles. But they are 3X2’ cages joined together. So I do not anticipate an issue.

And although new to Boaphile, I have been very impressed. So I am biased too. Lol.

I have to stop checking in on this thread... Enclosure envy. I have a really nice custom-built rack, that I love, but it is a rack, designed for a breeding project. NOT a display cage! And everyone reading this thread, knows why I would want a display cage like Boaphile or the like. o well, GOALS.

The flip down doors (IMO) are in the way. Cleaning and all you have to be careful you hit them. The same with any Hinge door I say. I love my Sliders and wont ever get any other style. Plus they pop out as quick as they open if you want.


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I think I will skip over AP and Boaphile and buy a PVCcages.com cage. Excellent!

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

I think I will skip over AP and Boaphile and buy a PVCcages.com cage. Excellent!

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I like a center brace.. Cant stand sagging.


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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

The flip down doors (IMO) are in the way. Cleaning and all you have to be careful you hit them. The same with any Hinge door I say. I love my Sliders and wont ever get any other style. Plus they pop out as quick as they open if you want.


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Even more important is a drop down door leaves you open to hungry attack if you have snakes like mine who are angels when there is no food but when they smell food, they bite first and taste second lol. Many a times has a sliding door saved my bum from Caesar haha.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Well i can guarantee you will pay a lot more for an equivalent sized Boaphile cage with all the trimmings to an AP cage. My T10s were about $400 each with shelf, LED lighting, locks and flexwatt including shipping.

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I don't know about a lot more, when I bought my 421s it was about $381 for cage with heat panel, flexwatt, black hinges and discount for buying several. Think his lighting would bump it a bit over 400 and prices maybe raised since a couple years ago idk but would recommend installing your own led instead either way. Haven't noticed any sagging in my stacks either so far since I've seen that brought up a few times.

The sagging issue is what really made me choose AP over Boaphile. I didn't even think of the annoyance of the drop down door when cleaning the the cage or if you have a really feisty eater. Luckily, my boa isn't much of a crazy eater..yet. Thank you everyone for your input! :)

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Originally Posted by svtvenom

The sagging issue is what really made me choose AP over Boaphile. I didn't even think of the annoyance of the drop down door when cleaning the the cage or if you have a really feisty eater. Luckily, my boa isn't much of a crazy eater..yet. Thank you everyone for your input! :)

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I had two more thoughts, although it sounds like you made up your mind, maybe others will have similar questions.

1. I imagine most "sagging" issues are due to cage being too long without support and how they are resting/what they are resting on, and what's on top of them! Material probably plays a part as well.

I had a big (5X2X2') molded PVC enclosure. It sagged and was difficult to operate the sliding doors. The temp in the room mattered too. If the room was very warm, it sagged more. I had 4X2' cages from the same company, stacked one on the other, and they never sagged (at least noticeably).

My point is, a properly level tank, with even weight distribution on top, or none at all, should not sag. I admit, I moved on from those tanks and into Boaphile because of that and other heating and humidity issues. They were also not cheap.

I cannot comment on sagging, again, as I have only had the boaphile tanks for 3 months now. However, having two 3X2' tanks making one 6X2' tank means there is a lot of support. I also felt on the old tanks there was too much door and not enough frame around it. I do not feel the same about the tanks I have now.

2. Weight.

How much do AP tanks weigh? Not being snarky, just curious. One of the reasons I went with boaphile is that the new material Jeff is using is very light. Fully loaded with RHP, flex watt, etc. my 6X2X1' enclosure cannot weigh more than 40-45 pounds, tops. They breakdown to two 3X2' tanks that I can hold with one hand.

Less weight = less to sag. Not saying it is an issue with AP at all. I am confident with the lighter tanks and smaller tanks that they will not sag. However, I will keep everyone in the loop.

Additionally, I liked some things about sliding doors, like feeding, but having two smaller open out doors has not created any problems, even with my aggressive feeders (Figment and Behira). I just don't open the front all the way. I open it a little, put in the prey item, and shut the door on the tongs. They come grab it.

Also, how hard are AP tanks to assemble? I imagine pretty easy, but for people not comfortable with that or who want plug and play, that could be at least a minor obstacle.

Finally, when I ordered from Jeff and Boaphile, I knew that I was getting the same product(s) he uses for his Boa collection. That helped me sleep at night (along with a double thermostat, etc).

I was re-reading this thread and thought of these questions/answers.

Again, I just want everyone to have all the knowledge and be happy with what they get/have. Different tastes for different folks.

I am also biased because of how happy I am with my new setup. However, never having had AP, I cannot compare. I do feel Jeff gets a bad rep in customer service though. I had called multiple times (probably close to 50+) to make sure everything was the way it should be and I wanted it (getting specs right). He never complained and took the time, every time. He also spent countless phone calls helping me set everything up.

If I had to do it again, I would consider talking with AP as well. Feeling it out, and seeing what to do.

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Originally Posted by dakski

I had two more thoughts, although it sounds like you made up your mind, maybe others will have similar questions.

1. I imagine most "sagging" issues are due to cage being too long without support and how they are resting/what they are resting on, and what's on top of them! Material probably plays a part as well.



2. Weight.

How much do AP tanks weigh? Not being snarky, just curious. One of the reasons I went with boaphile is that the new material Jeff is using is very light. Fully loaded with RHP, flex watt, etc. my 6X2X1' enclosure cannot weigh more than 40-45 pounds, tops. They breakdown to two 3X2' tanks that I can hold with one hand.

Also, how hard are AP tanks to assemble? I imagine pretty easy, but for people not comfortable with that or who want plug and play, that could be at least a minor obstacle.

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I can't answer 1, because I've never owned a boaphile. I can say that having a center brace on the front of my AP cages makes me feel more secure about it preventing sagging. I think I remember people commenting about sagging had a stack of cages (same size) and were having sagging with cages that were under others. But I haven't had personal experience with it.

2. I can't compare them to other cages, but my AP cages are light... I'm 5'1 female without a lot of muscles (lol) and I could easily life one of my 4'x2' AP cages by myself.. They are long though, so easier to maneuver with a second person. Also note that I remove the glass when I have to move them and AP does use heavy glass.

As for assembly, myself and my husband can assemble an AP cage using a screwdriver (manual, not power) in about 20 minutes. Sealing takes maybe 5-10 minutes depending on how careful you are with it, then the sealing needs to cure for about a week before use. Assembly though, is pretty easy. My husband has assembled one by himself before too when I wasn't at home. Now, I don't think the assembly instructions are that great, but the pieces are labeled and once you've done one cage, it's pretty easy to remember how to do others.


I guess what you really need is someone that has owned both types to give you a fair comparison.. As it's hard to do having only owned one kind.

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Originally Posted by artgecko

I can't answer 1, because I've never owned a boaphile. I can say that having a center brace on the front of my AP cages makes me feel more secure about it preventing sagging. I think I remember people commenting about sagging had a stack of cages (same size) and were having sagging with cages that were under others. But I haven't had personal experience with it.

2. I can't compare them to other cages, but my AP cages are light... I'm 5'1 female without a lot of muscles (lol) and I could easily life one of my 4'x2' AP cages by myself.. They are long though, so easier to maneuver with a second person. Also note that I remove the glass when I have to move them and AP does use heavy glass.

As for assembly, myself and my husband can assemble an AP cage using a screwdriver (manual, not power) in about 20 minutes. Sealing takes maybe 5-10 minutes depending on how careful you are with it, then the sealing needs to cure for about a week before use. Assembly though, is pretty easy. My husband has assembled one by himself before too when I wasn't at home. Now, I don't think the assembly instructions are that great, but the pieces are labeled and once you've done one cage, it's pretty easy to remember how to do others.


I guess what you really need is someone that has owned both types to give you a fair comparison.. As it's hard to do having only owned one kind.

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Thank you for the info! The more info the better!

Good point on taking the glass out.

Anyone out there have both the new boaphile tanks and AP?

Well, I am sure over time, we will get more posts here as people buy tanks and try different brands etc.

Thank you again!

I have: 2 Boaphiles
4 AP, plus 2 more on order since Oct
1 BoaMaster melamine
2 copies of AP

My favorites are the AP and Boaphiles (BP) with more lean toward AP.

I absolutely LOVE the thick drop down doors on the BP. It really helps with ease of cleaning, changing water bowls, or pulling the snake out.

I have a Boa that is just as vicious as any Retic at feeding time. (I have helped feed Mainlands and SD/D at a local breeder). I find the drop down door is not a problem. If I can’t enter the food from the opposing door, I just slide it in as far away from the snake as possible, then close the door with just enough room to slide my 16 inch hemostats across toward the Boa. Thus, the drop down door can be used as a shield just as easily as sliding doors.

BP hardware: I have one cage with Black, one standard. They both have stainless steel hardware on the hinges on the inside of the cage. On the outside, the nonblack hinges have minor oxidation. Of course the black just looks much better, but overall a minor issue.

Now the Cons; someone said lighter weight material means less sag while stacking. Yes, only if you are stacking BPs! Otherwise anything else on a BP will cause sagging. You can put most anything on an AP and it will not sag.

The other problem with BP is it is too thin to mount anything with screws that are short enough without protruding. If you think that you may want a RHP at some point you better order it installed by them with their special reinforcement for horizontal mounting. I had to use through bolts after the fact to mount a different RHP. This means that I can not stack on that cage. Not that I would anyway, the top is soooo caved in, it is beyond sagging.

Lastly, height limitations on BP. I just prefer higher cages than they offer.

Since this his is a long post, I will stop here and post about the others separately.

While I have no experience with the plastic BoaMasters, I do with the melamine. In a word, stay away, run away!

These are EXTREMELY heavy, but if you ever wanted to stack a truck on one you probably could.

AP copies. Don’t do it unless you really know the builder’s skills well. My guy made shortcuts that had I have had to redo over time. I learned the hard way here. I now have more $ tied up in these 2 than if I bought 3 AP 4x2’s.

AP is the the clear winner for me. That’s why I keep reordering. Yeah they are slower than a slug, but I KNOW THAT and plan accordingly.

They are the toughest in the plastic category and have the best options FOR ME.

Hard to assemble? Heavy? Compared to..... I built a 6 foot T-25 and an A-25 4x4 with one arm a few days after having 4 surgeries on my strong arm and hand. I even stacked that T-25 on top of a stack of 2 T-25s.
Im not bragging on my strength. On the contrary, I’m an old fat man way beyond his prime. :oops:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2e744cd322.jpg

Everybody has different needs as well as time constraints. I don’t think that you will be unhappy with any of the PVC cages mentioned in the late few threads posted. For me and my big snakes, I doubt that I will ever order anything but AP.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...47d3efab4c.jpg

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Originally Posted by Reinz

I have: 2 Boaphiles
4 AP, plus 2 more on order since Oct
1 BoaMaster melamine
2 copies of AP

My favorites are the AP and Boaphiles (BP) with more lean toward AP.

I absolutely LOVE the thick drop down doors on the BP. It really helps with ease of cleaning, changing water bowls, or pulling the snake out.

I have a Boa that is just as vicious as any Retic at feeding time. (I have helped feed Mainlands and SD/D at a local breeder). I find the drop down door is not a problem. If I can’t enter the food from the opposing door, I just slide it in as far away from the snake as possible, then close the door with just enough room to slide my 16 inch hemostats across toward the Boa. Thus, the drop down door can be used as a shield just as easily as sliding doors.

BP hardware: I have one cage with Black, one standard. They both have stainless steel hardware on the hinges on the inside of the cage. On the outside, the nonblack hinges have minor oxidation. Of course the black just looks much better, but overall a minor issue.

Now the Cons; someone said lighter weight material means less sag while stacking. Yes, only if you are stacking BPs! Otherwise anything else on a BP will cause sagging. You can put most anything on an AP and it will not sag.

The other problem with BP is it is too thin to mount anything with screws that are short enough without protruding. If you think that you may want a RHP at some point you better order it installed by them with their special reinforcement for horizontal mounting. I had to use through bolts after the fact to mount a different RHP. This means that I can not stack on that cage. Not that I would anyway, the top is soooo caved in, it is beyond sagging.

Lastly, height limitations on BP. I just prefer higher cages than they offer.

Since this his is a long post, I will stop here and post about the others separately.

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Great info! Thank you.

I would be interested to see what you think of the newer BP tanks.

I have 5 stacked, and no problems so far, but as you say, I am stacking BP on BP and they are 3X2' joined to make 6X2'.

The height of my snake tanks (12 inch) can be annoying, however, I have limited space and a 6.5FT ceiling!. The stacking worked perfect with a 12 inch base, 4 6X2X1' and one 6X2X1.5' for Frank, my BTS who needs UVB.

So, in my case, wanting to stack and save space, but still have 5!!!! tanks, that worked out great for me. I know this is unique.

You also mention everything is pre-assembled or beware with BP. I liked that component. However, one of my female geckos, Cleo, became aggressive towards her two sisters right after I ordered the BP tanks. It got worse in the new tank.

I had to remove her (the other two females get along fine and they all grew up together). Jeff sent me dividers (free of charge and with longer bolts) and I paid him for another RHP and thermostat (double thermostat). When he sent the RHP, he sent it with the mounting plate, screws already in the RHP, and gave me instruction (verbally) of how to install and what glue to use etc. It could not have been easier to add a (admittedly his) RHP. My father in law drilled the holes for me as that is not my forte. He has the touch.

So now, not from BP directly, I have two 3X2X1' for my geckos as part of the 6X2' stack.

So, that worked out fine. I am not sure if that's a new thing for Jeff/BP, or not. Again, I was very happy with is customer service.

Thanks again. Good to know from someone who has used both!

Dakski, You have an awesome setup, it looks fantastic. I’m sure you are the envy of many.

If I came across negative on the pre-assembly of BP I did not mean to that is a huge plus!

:rolleye2: Dummy me never thought about using glue. Probably because most glues and heat don’t go together well. But that mounting plate probably makes a big difference.

You are so right, everyone has different criteria. One shoe does not fit all. :)

I had a 5 stack of Boaphile 4x2s, got them in 2002 and sold them in 2014 - they held up great. Details and photos can still be seen at my ad on fauna: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=479181
Photobucket so may not show:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ps5752dbe9.jpg
I never had any staining or odor issues with them, they housed boas. If he changed the material used since then, then I don't know but with those I never had any issues. Never had any big issues with sagging either thank goodness. The hardware did rust (bolts/nuts and screws are easy to replace though). I like the drop down doors but I did have an issue with an escape. I used large heavy ceramic water bowls in these, usually in the middle of the cage, and my largest boa (who was a known escape artist) figured out she could leverage her body against the heavy dish to push out the middle of the door and squeezed out. (coming home to see my 7' boa's locked cage empty was quite a shock haha). I moved her into a ProLine after that, none of my other boas figured it out luckily. So my advise for a single drop down door is to add an extra latch in the middle to keep them secure.

I have some AP tub racks and have been really impressed with the quality of those. BF's dad uses AP caging for all his snakes and I like them so far.

I originally sold the Boaphiles because all the herpcages my ATBs are in are white and I liked Proline (NW Constrictors) caging that I already had and wanted everything to match white. The old Proline caging is great but does sag if anything heavy is put on top (learned this the hard way) even with the center divide. I got some of his new style cage stacks but he changed the material used which is now quite porous and I have had issues with staining which I am not happy about.

So I got a Freedom Breeder rack to replace the Boaphiles which I've been using for the last 4 years and it just isn't working for me. My set up/room doesn't allow me to full pull out the drawers and I hate the rounded corners with the bedding I use. I will be selling that (hopefully) before I move and getting some AP caging instead. Looks like I'll be back to having both white and black caging again. Oh well.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

I originally sold the Boaphiles because all the herpcages my ATBs are in are white and I liked Proline (NW Constrictors) caging that I already had and wanted everything to match white. The old Proline caging is great but does sag if anything heavy is put on top (learned this the hard way) even with the center divide. I got some of his new style cage stacks but he changed the material used which is now quite porous and I have had issues with staining which I am not happy about.

So I got a Freedom Breeder rack to replace the Boaphiles which I've been using for the last 4 years and it just isn't working for me. My set up/room doesn't allow me to full pull out the drawers and I hate the rounded corners with the bedding I use. I will be selling that (hopefully) before I move and getting some AP caging instead. Looks like I'll be back to having both white and black caging again. Oh well.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

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AP makes white caging too, so you should still be able to match your existing caging. I hate to read that about the pro-line caging now staining...I had been considering that company for an upgrade cage for my carpet, but not if his material is porous.

My AP tub racks are black so it's too late now anyways XD
I'll see if I can get close up photos of the NW cage material to show you the texture.

I believe that one of my BP is old style and one is new style.
Smell has never been an issue. No bad staining either, though it might take a tad more effort to get the original stain out than AP.

If if someone is having odor issues with a BP I can’t help but wonder if those folks are cleaning up a week or so too late?