terrestrial gecko rack

i found these sterilite drawer units at walmart and decided that they would make a much cheaper alternative to purchasing racks for my growing leopard gecko colony. i purchased two different sizes, one for groups of adults and one for individual adults and/or groups of juvies. they were about $6-8 each, so figure however many you need plus heat tape and that's it!

(i don't recommend these drawers for snakes. while i do feel that they are secure enough for terrestrial geckos such as leos i do not believe they would make a secure enclosure for a ball python or any other type of snake.)

drawer units in the 2 different sizes that i purchased:
https://ball-pythons.net/images/misc...werrack-01.jpg

heat tape installed down one side of the bottom of each drawer:
https://ball-pythons.net/images/misc...werrack-02.jpg

slot in the back of each drawer for heat tape connectors:
https://ball-pythons.net/images/misc...werrack-03.jpg

I've seen these, but I've seen different types. Do you have 3 drawers there stacked ontop of eachother, or is that one whole unit? Looks like 3, but I thought I'd ask :) Also, would you mind posting some photos of them when they're inhabited? Thanks!

I saw those at target the other day and was thinking that they might work for balls. Are there security issues with them? I didn't really look that close.

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Originally Posted by buckdawg

I saw those at target the other day and was thinking that they might work for balls. Are there security issues with them? I didn't really look that close.

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There's some really large gaps between the edges of the drawers and the frames that a snake could easily squeeze through, or even use to push the drawer open enough to get out. I wouldn't recommend them for anything that has the ability to reach the tops of the drawers.

Do you think something like this would work for arboreal geckos (aka cresteds)? I was thinking about making a rack for the babies and breeding couples, anyway, but I saw this and it made me wonder: could I punch a bunch of little holes in these for ventilation? Also, would it ever be safe because the little guys could get on the top----and when you pull the shelf out, they'd get toes and tails stuck?

What do you think?

each drawer is an individual unit and you can stack as many as you like. in these units in particular there is actually a much smaller gap above the drawers compared to other drawer units in which there is quite a large gap, and since they are completely enclosed as opposed to just a frame in which the drawer sits they are much more secure. however, i can fit my finger through the gap so i am sure that a crested gecko or any snake would be sure to wedge itself through the gap and find a way out of the unit. i have yet to find any kind of drawer unit that would work for arboreal geckos or snakes just because they aren't secure enough. these are the best i've found, but still only good for terrestrial species that won't be able to reach that gap in the top to escape.

i'll post some pics of the inhabited cages tonight. :)

Awesome... I'm interested in seeing them :)

here are some shots of 2 of the inhabited drawers:

https://ball-pythons.net/images/misc...werrack-04.jpg

inhabitants exposed :)
https://ball-pythons.net/images/misc...werrack-05.jpg

sans humid hide which will be added tomorrow night
https://ball-pythons.net/images/misc...werrack-06.jpg

and here is a little girl who is still in the baby rack but is soon to be upgraded to one of the smaller drawers (she's saying, "where the heck is my mealworm dish?!" as i had removed it for filling :). )
https://ball-pythons.net/images/misc...werrack-07.jpg

do you plan on selling any of the oranges also i heard meal worms is bad for leos i used to have two but my buddy wanted them so i gave them to him and now they are turning pretty colors i wish i had them back. But crickets cost so much anymore do you feed yours crickets also?

mealworms are a fine staple diet for leos. i feed mainly mealworms (and superworms for adults) along with crickets once or twice per week.

you can see what i have available on my site at www.cookreptiles.com/available.html. this past season i bred shtct's (the ones in the second pic are female breeders, the one in the last pic is one of the babies) and this coming season i will also be breeding patternless las vegas albinos (the ones in the third pic).

how much do you have in the rack with heating and everything did you put the flex watt togeather your self or what

well like i said the drawers were about $6-8 each depending on size. the flexwatt i ordered from mgreptiles.com a while back already wired up and everything. i don't remember exactly what it cost but going by the prices on his site, maybe $10 per pre-wired strip cut to fit the larger drawers (1.5 feet of tape)? (i have no idea if that's right the way i figured though really, you'd have to ask matt :).)

It would run ya 11.47 for a 1.5" strip of 3" flexwatt:)

Emily,

It looks as if the flexwatt you have installed on those drawers covers quite a bit of the floor of the drawer unit itself; are you finding that you don't have much of a cool-side and the flexwatt is heating the entire enclosure too much, or does the heating stay concentrated to it's particular area of the drawer like it should, especially in the smaller units?

I was looking at some of these in more detail last night, and was thinking if having the flexwatt in the back of the drawer (as opposed to the side, as you have it) would be easier to control hot- and cool-sides. What do you think?

I appreciate the feedback and photos!
Aaron

Edit to add: do you remember which quart-sizes those two types of drawers were?

You can run 11" flexwatt down the inside back of those chests pretty easy

back heat would be a good option as well, i just didn't consider that for this rack since i already had the pre-wired strips on hand. there is still a nice gradient and definite cool side, it is just slightly warmer (1-2 degrees) on the cool side of the smaller drawers than the larger ones (they are all on the same thermostat). running the tape vertically through the drawer seemed like the best option with the tape wired the way i have it but back heat would definitely be doable i think if you drill/solder/cut an opening for the cord to come out through the back. i think the drawer fits too snugly for the cord to be run across the bottom and through the openings there.