Homemade Rack Gap

Hi All,

I would like to move my Ball Pythons to rack systems, I've seen a million of DIY guides I get the jist of what's expected.

The question I have is how thick the gap should be from the top of the tub to the ceiling of the rack? I've seen people making racks with a 1/8" gap for adults, but what about hatchlings? Can a hatchling manage to squeeze through a 1/8" gap, what would you recommend?

Little back story, it took a bit of convincing to get my wife's approval, the stipulation is that if a snake gets out i'm out kinda deal. I would love to build a rack secure enough to give my wife peace of mind lol.. Any help is appreciated!

I try to get the gap as small as possible where the tubs still pull out easily. For BP hatchlings 1/8" is okay if the tub and rack material are really sturdy, but if the tub plastic or rack is flexible, they might be able to put enough pressure to make a bigger gap and squeeze out. For smaller hatchlings, even 1/8" is too much, so if you are considering ever getting any other species, you might want to make it less.

What kind of materials and tubs are you using?

When I made my racks i used CDs to space the tub and the shelf above it. In my opinion, unless you're handy I would just buy a professionally made rack. Building one is a pain in the a** and if you make it out of melamine like I did it will be insanely heavy. I since have switched to a C serpents rack and will probably never build a rack again

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nikkubus

I try to get the gap as small as possible where the tubs still pull out easily. For BP hatchlings 1/8" is okay if the tub and rack material are really sturdy, but if the tub plastic or rack is flexible, they might be able to put enough pressure to make a bigger gap and squeeze out. For smaller hatchlings, even 1/8" is too much, so if you are considering ever getting any other species, you might want to make it less.

What kind of materials and tubs are you using?

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Thank you! I'll be using melamine, heat tape & sterilite bins.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snow Balls

When I made my racks i used CDs to space the tub and the shelf above it. In my opinion, unless you're handy I would just buy a professionally made rack. Building one is a pain in the a** and if you make it out of melamine like I did it will be insanely heavy. I since have switched to a C serpents rack and will probably never build a rack again

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Appreciate the CD Idea, will probably do this. One of my best friends is a carpenter so it'll be a case of beer jobby but i'm sure we'll get it done. I looked at professionally made racks, I would love one, but there's not much available in Canada and shipping across the border will cost a small fortune. For now, i'm better off crafting something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Capn

Appreciate the CD Idea, will probably do this. One of my best friends is a carpenter so it'll be a case of beer jobby but i'm sure we'll get it done. I looked at professionally made racks, I would love one, but there's not much available in Canada and shipping across the border will cost a small fortune. For now, i'm better off crafting something.

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Understandable. How many levels are you making the rack?

Sterilite tubs are pretty flexible and melamine will end up sagging over time. To have the best chances at it lasting longer, I would avoid making it very tall, cd should be an appropriate gap, and I would put dividers between every tub for support, every other tub should be okay if you are using shoebox size for really young hatchlings. Don't be too stingy on screws and space them too far either.

Pax wardrobe from IKEA and realy useful boxes work well


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