Hatchling Tubs

I am going to take a shot at building some hatchling racks. Where is the best (cheapest) place to get the tubs?

where i am its target.

I just picked up like 20 6 qt tubs (sterilite) at dollar general, $1 a piece....

I really want to go with a larger tub, like 12-15 qt. I would like something atleast 18x7x4. My current rack uses 6qt and I have to clean them every 3-4 days, they get filthy fast!!

The 16 qt tubs were like $2 or $3 bucks each (sterilite as well). Good luck.

I made my rack with vision hatchling tubs. I like that the tubs are so long.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...1/DSCN0746.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pfan151

I made my rack with vision hatchling tubs. I like that the tubs are so long.
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...1/DSCN0746.jpg

---

Thats where I am leaning, $3.29 each but I also like the length. Beats $9.00 for FB tubs. Not as good as 6qt for $1.00 but I am feed up with 6qt. What material did you use to build this $$$$$?????

Big Lots here has that size for around $2 each.

The material is melamine.

Melamine is really cheap material too, if you hadn't already decided on using that. I was actually looking at melamine at Home Depot and saw that I'd only spend around 30 dollars in just the melamine to make an 8'x2'x2' enclosure...buut I don't think my reply has anything to do with your initial question so I'll just be moving along :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lateralus_Love

Melamine is really cheap material too, if you hadn't already decided on using that. I was actually looking at melamine at Home Depot and saw that I'd only spend around 30 dollars in just the melamine to make an 8'x2'x2' enclosure...buut I don't think my reply has anything to do with your initial question so I'll just be moving along :P

---

Thanks for the imput...I actually haven't decided between melamine or expanded pvc. The melamine sounds cheaper.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

I am going to take a shot at building some hatchling racks. Where is the best (cheapest) place to get the tubs?

---

Probably anyplace where you don't have to have them shipped. I just picked up 48 tubs from an online dealer and the shipping charges came to $5.20 per tub. $250.00 bucks JUST for shipping.

Theyre a little more expensive but I would use the ARS tubs w/ the built in bowls, they are a good size too around 15qts

my rubbermaid 12 qts were right around 4 a piece at walmart but they do have 6qt sterilite tubs at walmart for a 1dollar each tub

One note on melamine - apparently, this weekend on Reptile Radio, Dan Sutherland talked about melamine being deadly to ball pythons - it's not a fast deadly, but slow over time, affecting them. I'm still listening, but it was brought up on another thread somewhere.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

One note on melamine - apparently, this weekend on Reptile Radio, Dan Sutherland talked about melamine being deadly to ball pythons - it's not a fast deadly, but slow over time, affecting them. I'm still listening, but it was brought up on another thread somewhere.

---

WOW....that could cause a lot of problems. A lot of companies have been selling melamine racks for years!!

you are right that could be very bad. I am going to keep an ear open on this one, and if it is proven I will scrap my racks in favor of something that will cause them NO harm

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

One note on melamine - apparently, this weekend on Reptile Radio, Dan Sutherland talked about melamine being deadly to ball pythons - it's not a fast deadly, but slow over time, affecting them. I'm still listening, but it was brought up on another thread somewhere.

---

Wow really? My ball python racks aren't melamine but my baby colubrid rack is and I was just getting ready to make up a 15 qt rack for juvi balls but if that's the case I'll scrap that. I'll have to do some more research on that and listen to that RR episode(I'm pissed, I missed it this weekend cuz I left my laptop charger at my girlfriends house and haven't had a chance to get it from her lol).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

One note on melamine - apparently, this weekend on Reptile Radio, Dan Sutherland talked about melamine being deadly to ball pythons - it's not a fast deadly, but slow over time, affecting them. I'm still listening, but it was brought up on another thread somewhere.

---

This rumor has been around for decades. Melamine will off gas formaldehyde which is used in it's manufacture, it's probably not that great for anybody. But as far as it killing your snakes slowly, personally I think it's baloney. I've got a homemade melamine rack that has snakes in it that have been in the rack all of their lives and some of them are between 15-20 years old. Besides, even if you got rid of the melamine racks you have plenty of other things in your home that use formaldehyde in their manufacture. Most of your cabinets, a lot of your carpeting. Even the underlayment on your floors is made of particle board which is the same thing as melamine without the plastic coating.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MarkS

This rumor has been around for decades. Melamine will off gas formaldehyde which is used in it's manufacture, it's probably not that great for anybody. But as far as it killing your snakes slowly, personally I think it's baloney. I've got a homemade melamine rack that has snakes in it that have been in the rack all of their lives and some of them are between 15-20 years old. Besides, even if you got rid of the melamine racks you have plenty of other things in your home that use formaldehyde in their manufacture. Most of your cabinets, a lot of your carpeting. Even the underlayment on your floors is made of particle board which is the same thing as melamine without the plastic coating.

---

hearing this does make the deadly melamine rumor to be untrue and a load of crap. This is great news

I havent listened to reptile radio yet but remember a few months ago the scare of melamine from china? Only makes sense when used in racks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FIREball

I havent listened to reptile radio yet but remember a few months ago the scare of melamine from china? Only makes sense when used in racks.

---

The melamine used in racks is melamine resin which is the plastic coating on the wood. The melamine used in the China food fraud fiasco is melamine powder that has been added to food items such as wheat gluten and milk powder.

The reason that melamine is added to food is because it is very high in nitrogen content. What is looked for in food to determine protein levels is the nitrogen content using certain chemical tests that they run. The higher the nitrogen content of the food item, the higher the protein level. Melamine powder is added to the food stuffs to fake a high protein content so that they can use cheaper fillers and additives and still appear to have a product that will pass inspection for acceptable protein levels even though the actual content is much lower.

Melamine in high enough levels has been shown to cause liver damage. So in addition to consuming a product with no food value because it's protein content is a fake, you're also damaging your liver.

However, there is a big difference between ingesting a chemical and living in a rack manufactured using it as a coating. And as I said before, I've got a melamine rack with snakes that are 15-20 years old and they appear no worse for the wear.

OK - if you listen to Reptile Radio - Dan speaks to this around 55 minutes into the show. He said the following - I took notes! LOL

In 1995, they were using all melamine racks, and they had a lot of sick animals, enough sick animals to be concerned with. Someone suggested melamine racks being the culprit.

So, they had air tests done inside the racks, and the lab called them and said "where exactly are you testing this?" And Dan told them "uhhh, snake racks" and he was told that the formaldehyde levels were at levels that would kill a human. He said he still has the test results somewhere that he can pull up.

Take it for what it's worth!

At 57 minutes in the show Dan says that as long as you are not notching the heat into the wood everything is okay.
Trey

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

Thats where I am leaning, $3.29 each but I also like the length. Beats $9.00 for FB tubs. Not as good as 6qt for $1.00 but I am feed up with 6qt. What material did you use to build this $$$$$?????

---

I used melamine, but I did end up covering the underside of the melamine with clear contact paper because no matter how many holes I put in the tubs the humidity was starting to make it swell slightly. It has been fine ever since.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RichardA

Big Lots here has that size for around $2 each.

The material is melamine.

---

Big Lots rocks for stuff like this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mxrider42

At 57 minutes in the show Dan says that as long as you are not notching the heat into the wood everything is okay.
Trey

---

so im guessing its in the wood not the melamine. its purpose it probally to inhibit insect infestation like alot of insulation is.

i think most of us are not routing heat tape in our melamine and are just using back heat. does anyone know if it was test that way as well or not?