Retic cages...

So I have two options for cages was wanting feedback.

1st choice is a cage made of melamine ½ in. All edges sealed .. pre-installed fluorescent light fixture installed. Sliding glass doors .. their more mass produced for a local reptile store quality is excellent but there's no custom size.. so it would be a 6 foot by 2 foot by 20 inch tall cage..


2nd choice....
There's a guy that does it out of his home build the cage to your specification with whatever material you want whatever size you want.....

Both will cost roughly the same..

I did include animal Plastics because they're shipping cost is just too much I've already got a quote...

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If they're gonna cost about the same I'd go with the second option and have a pvc cage made to the size you want

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avoid melamine, go with the second option.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

avoid melamine, go with the second option.

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On the wood cage what steam can I use to protect the wood and not kill a snake from the fumes

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I would go with PVC over wood since retics like to play the "I'm gonna dump my water bowl every day" game, but there's no way it will be as cheap as a 6x2 melamine enclosure.

I've never used this and I don't know how much surface area one gallon will cover, but have seen it recommended to seal wood in a reptile enclosure:
http://agralifeproducts.com/products...nel-Seal-1-Gal

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Originally Posted by robert7107

On the wood cage what steam can I use to protect the wood and not kill a snake from the fumes

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I used primer, which sealed the wood really well. Then to be thorough, I painted the primered wood with water-proof deck paint. My oak plywood water-sealed rack is indestructible now. lol. Seriously though, If you can, get a cage done with PVC. I only used wood as a second choice, because I couldn't afford the ridiculous shipping charges for PVC sheets.
If you do go with wood, use ¾" oak plywood, it is smooth and very, very strong. It is easy to seal with primer and deck paint. Boom, done.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

I used primer, which sealed the wood really well. Then to be thorough, I painted the primered wood with water-proof deck paint. My oak plywood water-sealed rack is indestructible now. lol. Seriously though, If you can, get a cage done with PVC. I only used wood as a second choice, because I couldn't afford the ridiculous shipping charges for PVC sheets.
If you do go with wood, use ¾" oak plywood, it is smooth and very, very strong. It is easy to seal with primer and deck paint. Boom, done.

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Animal Plastics was my first choice but for a 6ft by 2ft cage to California it's going to cost me over $620. Shipped.. I can get 2 cages built for the price of one

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by robert7107

Animal Plastics was my first choice but for a 6ft by 2ft cage to California it's going to cost me over $620. Shipped.. I can get 2 cages built for the price of one

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Yeah, then get em built. Post photos when you get them. I would like to see how he builds them, and what they look like finished and heated with giant pythons in em!

There are two other recent threads about PVC caging. I posted in one, I think it was Boaphile vs AP.

I explain my mistakes by buying melamine and also having someone build me some AP copies.

I sure wish I just went with AP from the beginning.

You can divide those shipping charges by saving up and buying multiple caging at the same time. That’s the only way I could have afforded my T-25s and A25.

Buy once, cry once. :( Try to cut corners and you will be constantly singing the blues.

But then, had I never bought an AP, I’d be none the wiser. :rolleyes:

Good luck

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Originally Posted by Reinz

There are two other recent threads about PVC caging. I posted in one, I think it was Boaphile vs AP.

I explain my mistakes by buying melamine and also having someone build me some AP copies.

I sure wish I just went with AP from the beginning.

You can divide those shipping charges by saving up and buying multiple caging at the same time. That’s the only way I could have afforded my T-25s and A25.

Buy once, cry once. :( Try to cut corners and you will be constantly singing the blues.

But then, had I never bought an AP, I’d be none the wiser. :rolleyes:

Good luck

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I've own Burmese pythons in the past with melamine cages that have lasted 8yrs plus...
Cages we're sealed with silcone ..

$640 for one cage from AP and their not fail prove id personally rather spend $600 on two cages that last me even 6 year's I would be happy... remember when vision cages came out they were the must have... I've seen them sag an bow in the same length of time the melamine cages ... Also see big breeders like NERD an prehistoric Pets using wood an melamine together.

Who knows in 5 yrs from what will come...

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Unless I can somehow get a hold of PVC sheets for cheap, I will continue to build all my racks and cages out of oak plywood, with waterproof paint. Still way cheaper than buying commercially made stuff. And it will last forever!!! ¾" oak finish plywood is very expensive though. I would love to find a way to get PVC sheets without the crazy shipping, simply because it is lighter and easier to clean and 100% waterproof without primer or paint.

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Originally Posted by robert7107

I've own Burmese pythons in the past with melamine cages that have lasted 8yrs plus...
Cages we're sealed with silcone ..

$640 for one cage from AP and their not fail prove id personally rather spend $600 on two cages that last me even 6 year's I would be happy... remember when vision cages came out they were the must have... I've seen them sag an bow in the same length of time the melamine cages ... Also see big breeders like NERD an prehistoric Pets using wood an melamine together.

Who knows in 5 yrs from what will come...

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Nothings is Fail Prove and a PVC enclosure can last the life of a snake instead of 6 happy years with your other choice. Do whatever is best for you, but id never go back to any of the Melamine I had (8x30x36 for a adult Burm) after the AP's I now have. Im not trying to talk you into a certain brand just the material hahahaha. Id never spend $300 every 5/6 years when I could spend $600 and still sell it if I wanted years later looking like it did when I bought it. There is no sagging on the exterior walls of AP where doors tracks are ect..... The larger 8' AP have center Bracing too. Good look with whatever you get.


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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

Unless I can somehow get a hold of PVC sheets for cheap, I will continue to build all my racks and cages out of oak plywood, with waterproof paint. Still way cheaper than buying commercially made stuff. And it will last forever!!! ¾" oak finish plywood is very expensive though. I would love to find a way to get PVC sheets without the crazy shipping, simply because it is lighter and easier to clean and 100% waterproof without primer or paint.

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Your local Home Depot carries 4'x8'x1/2" PVC sheet.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...AWS6/205309788

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Your local Home Depot carries 4'x8'x1/2" PVC sheet.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...AWS6/205309788

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No, unfortunately it does not. I looked everywhere before building my rack and nobody carries it without expensive shipping. I was looking for ¾” sheets for my large rack shelves as ½” is kind of weak and flexy.

Robert, I did not mean to imply that melamine did not last. My BoaMaster is well beyond 6 years and is holding up fine. I just will not go with anything that is so unbelievably heavy again.

I will be very upset if my APs only last 6 years. I expect them to last the rest of MY life! Assuming that they will not be disassembled and reassembled over and over.

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Originally Posted by robert7107

Animal Plastics was my first choice but for a 6ft by 2ft cage to California it's going to cost me over $620. Shipped.. I can get 2 cages built for the price of one

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Wha!!?? I ordered 3 AP T25 which are the 72x30x18 cages with a stand and the shipping to Washington State cost me $319. And honestly, they are awesome. Well worth the cost. I got them loaded though with the LED lighting, locks, shelves and flexwatt. Could have pieced it together for cheaper but i have no problem paying a little extra to help out a great business plus the loyalty :)

And if it was me and I had mainlands, i would definitely go with 8x3 cages. Heck i might end up getting one for Caesar here this summer along with an AP A20 for Pat if he grows a lot. He is going into shed for the second time since i got him. I think the extra helping of mouse pushed him into a shed lol. Him and Rango are both being antisocial.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Wha!!?? I ordered 3 AP T25 which are the 72x30x18 cages with a stand and the shipping to Washington State cost me $319. And honestly, they are awesome. Well worth the cost. I got them loaded though with the LED lighting, locks, shelves and flexwatt. Could have pieced it together for cheaper but i have no problem paying a little extra to help out a great business plus the loyalty :)

And if it was me and I had mainlands, i would definitely go with 8x3 cages. Heck i might end up getting one for Caesar here this summer along with an AP A20 for Pat if he grows a lot. He is going into shed for the second time since i got him. I think the extra helping of mouse pushed him into a shed lol. Him and Rango are both being antisocial.

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Ya I'm not paying $620 for one cage hell the shipping cost is almost as much as the cage an your paying for it flat stacked you still have too build the damn thing... My biggest problem is I have 3 females two mainlands that will all be going into a cage around the same time couldn't imagine the cost of shipping for three cages. Funny thing is when I spoke to an associate at AP about a quote for shipping she asked where I lived and she said before she even calculated it that was going to be high.....

Where I live their is guy that builds them using wood of your choice.. I'll give the local guy the business I've seen his work it's amazing to say the least....
I may go 8ft .....



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I get it, the costs for cages and shipping can suck, along with the wait time. I made some mistakes along the way that I've learned from. I have a T8 for my royal with an RHP and a T10 for my Retic with an RHP. The wait time sucked, and I miss judged Genes size. I have always feed every 7 days and appropriate size, his parents were both at 6', Gene is pushing 9'. He actually has enough room in the T10 if I don't clutter it up.

I am decent at wood working, but there are a lot of negatives. Even wood ones will cost a lot if you make them correct. Dry lock will seal it, but then they are not visually appeasing. Glass or plexi glass is much more than you would think. The weight and possibility of mold or for isn't worth it. Animal plastics are the only enclosures I'd ever buy. I love mine, and their support is top notch. These will last a life time.

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Originally Posted by Stearns84

I get it, the costs for cages and shipping can suck, along with the wait time. I made some mistakes along the way that I've learned from. I have a T8 for my royal with an RHP and a T10 for my Retic with an RHP. The wait time sucked, and I miss judged Genes size. I have always feed every 7 days and appropriate size, his parents were both at 6', Gene is pushing 9'. He actually has enough room in the T10 if I don't clutter it up.

I am decent at wood working, but there are a lot of negatives. Even wood ones will cost a lot if you make them correct. Dry lock will seal it, but then they are not visually appeasing. Glass or plexi glass is much more than you would think. The weight and possibility of mold or for isn't worth it. Animal plastics are the only enclosures I'd ever buy. I love mine, and their support is top notch. These will last a life time.

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6ft.by 2ft by 18 tall.
Birchwood 3/4 ply. With fiberglass resin coating to protect against moisture an sliding doors with lock.....

$320.00 includes cost of cage an material an rental truck an fuel
Wait time 6-12 days.


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Vision cage is cheaper then AP to ship and it's assembled...$139 for the vision 600 plus the cage $439.

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This is how I'm looking at it I got 3 females that are in 41 quart tubs right now that will most likely outgrow these tubs within the next 3 to 6 months I've already got one 6 foot by 2 foot cage built I need to build two more.. so I'm looking at about seven hundred bucks if I get even six years out of these cages I would be happy at that time I can put a little money aside and I can get the animal Plastics or the vision cages for their forever homes.....

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New here, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I just recently purchased 2 AP T65's. I haven't gotten them yet, but after much research they seemed to be the "standard" per say. I will say for shipping, one was going to cost me $182 to Oklahoma, well I decided to order another and it only went up to $242. My thinking was I want to buy one cage and never have to buy another again. I am putting a Female Hypo Burm and a Female Sunfire Super Tiger Retic into these. They are both not ready for a large cage of this size, but as I stated I do not want to have to buy more cages in a year or 2. BUY ONCE CRY ONCE!!!

P.S. The customer service from Ali is honestly the best I have ever experienced with any company I have ever dealt with. So, that is a huge plus for me!!

I scour Craiglist and local-based exotic animal Facebook forums for deals on used enclosures so I'm currently sitting on four racks, two 8' PVC enclosures, and two T8's that are empty. If you have cash and a pickup you can score.

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Originally Posted by robert7107

Ya I'm not paying $620 for one cage hell the shipping cost is almost as much as the cage an your paying for it flat stacked you still have too build the damn thing... My biggest problem is I have 3 females two mainlands that will all be going into a cage around the same time couldn't imagine the cost of shipping for three cages. Funny thing is when I spoke to an associate at AP about a quote for shipping she asked where I lived and she said before she even calculated it that was going to be high.....

Where I live their is guy that builds them using wood of your choice.. I'll give the local guy the business I've seen his work it's amazing to say the least....
I may go 8ft .....



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The $315 was shipping for all 3 cages AND the stand. So each cage boiled down to just under $100 each for shipping. There is no way you will get around the shipping on big cages as FedEx and UPS have limits on what they can carry so anything big will have to come by way of freight. Only way to avoid it is to either build your own or find someone to do it locally for you and then find the mats or have said person buy the mats which there will be an upcharge on it obviously.

And you talked to Ali. When i was talking to her, she told me anything going west of the mountains would be expensive.

I would avoid wood at all costs. Something strong enough plus that size, is going to take a small army to move and if you try and stack it, its going to weigh a ton...literally lol. Plus honestly, i would be worried about wood cages considering the humidity you need plus how much retics piss. Up to you but as you are learning now, owning large constrictors and especially retics is not a cheap hobby. Like i've said before, with 9 AP cages, stands and 2 Herpstat 6, i got close to if not more than $5000 in it...and that's not even factoring in the price of my snakes.

I personally believe in doing it only once even if it costs more initially. Better to pay more upfront and not ever have to mess with it again than to have to bubblegum and tape stuff together every month or 2 forever.

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Originally Posted by robert7107

This is how I'm looking at it I got 3 females that are in 41 quart tubs right now that will most likely outgrow these tubs within the next 3 to 6 months I've already got one 6 foot by 2 foot cage built I need to build two more.. so I'm looking at about seven hundred bucks if I get even six years out of these cages I would be happy at that time I can put a little money aside and I can get the animal Plastics or the vision cages for their forever homes.....

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I would skip Vision cages. Why you say. Talk to people who own 6+ foot Visions and they can tell you lol. I too was torn between them and AP cages when i was looking to switch over from my Constrictor NW cages and after talking to a lot of people, the general consensus was Vision cages are not worth the cash and provide too many problems.