The costs, man! The costs!

[Sonny1318]

Won't tell how much I have spent so far because the number are high for most average keeper, now what you need to tell yourself is that if you have one snale and spend $200 on caging and $100 on a reliable thermostat you are looking at a very cheap investment considering your pet will live 30 years or more that's only $10 a year.

And feeding is not gonna cost you all that much compare to any other pet you could have. same with vet care, if I compare a snake cost versus on of my dog cost it's nothing.

I know, I tell this to my daughters all the time. They want a dog but I’m very ill, on a budget. Four ball pythons are so much cheaper then just one medium sized dog. Tons cheaper, like you mentioned the yearly vet checks alone. And I don’t got to walk them when I’m sick and tired, lol.

[the_rotten1]

What's the most you all have ever spent on setting up your enclosures?

About $300 on my Exo Terra and everything in it. Took a bit of modificaiton to get the husbandry right, but I wanted a nice display cage.

What's the most expensive thing you've bought?

Besides snakes? I've definitely spent more on snakes than items. The most expensive item was my Herstat 2 Redline for $184.50 (bought it on sale). Most expensive snake was $305 (not including shipping or taxes for either, that would bring it up to $195 and $381, respectively).

Did you ever buy something that wasn't worth it?

Glass tanks and half log hides. Junk. Not even worth the tiny price tag.

[Sauzo]

I've spent up to $600 for a single cage with no accessories.....and I bought 3 of said cages. Then i got 8 other cages that ran about half that each. Add in 2 Herpstat 6 as well as a few Herpstat 1-2 as well as storage tubs, chest freezer and indoor propane heaters and other stuff for power outages, I've spent way too much. Then figure in the cost of the animals which 3 of them have broken the mid 4 digits price, I have really spent too much lol. And i still want a couple more which luckily will be low 4 digit prices haha.

[jmcrook]

$1200 on a 96”x32”x24” pvc enclosure with 190watt RHP and $800 on the snake that will eventually live in it several years down the road. So $2k for the acquisition and housing of one animal not including thermostats, substrate, cage decor, feeders, etc...


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[CALM Pythons]

You can NEVER go wrong with a AP pvc enclosure. I have 4’ for my Balls and Burms go into 8’.
AP 8’- with LED/Locks & Shipping - $950
Herpstat 2 -$195
2 Pro Panels in 8’- $400
Thermometers -$30
Substrate Butcher Paper-$60 for 1000’ last years.
Total 8’ aprox $1500-$1600.
Total 4’ aprox $ $1000.




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[ClarinetPhoenix]

Ohhh far too much.

First Ball Python($125) Bumblebee Morph

• Glass 20gal long enclosure, including UTH, heat lamp, water bowl, thermometer/hydrometer, 1 half-log hide and some aspen substrate(was a kit) $140
• Crappy on-off Thermostat, $30
• 1 extra hide(cause I knew she needed 2) $15( I was dumb and shopped at petco)
• Plants, decor. another $40(again, big-box pet store prices)
• Snake Hook, like $10
• Temp-gun, little cheap thing(need to get a proper one) like $10

Total: About $380 for my first snake setup.

Then I learned more about a good substrate, and ended up spending about $10 more on EcoEarth

Second Snake, Striped Carpet Python($125)

• Glass 12x12x18 front-opening enclosure kit(included heat lamp, substrate) $90
• UTH($25)
• RBI Hides instead of big box petstore hides($10)
• Leftover decor from Rei's enclosure(Free)
• Used current thermostat for heat sources(Free)

Total costs for second snake: $250

Knew a lot more about the basics a snake needs then and bought a lot less stupid crap.

Third Snake, BEL Ball Python($350)

• Tub(don't want no more glass enclosures) $12
• UTH's($40)
• Reused Hides and decor(free)
• Substrate(switched all the snakes to reptile prime so $21)
• Thermostat(free)

Total: $424
Now that is just setting them up in the past. Lately I've been moving ahead with the big spending for nice enclosures

In the past 3 months I have purchased:
(The BEL Baby, lol)
AP T10 with selected modifications for Rei, $380 + an RHP and new hides. So total like : $470
AP T12 with selected modifications for Mosaic, $529 + RHP and she will be reusing her hides: So $619
Herpstat4: $340
Six new Acu-rite Thermometer/Hydrometers(2 for each enclosure): $55

Total money spend on snakes in the last year? Around $2500. Its probably few hundred more, if you calculate food and electricity costs as well as the money I've spent on supplies to make decor for the incoming AP cages. lol
Mom thinks I'm crazy, but this is my hobby.

[-ryan-]

Long time lurker, figured this was an interesting post to dip my toe in the water...

I don't know what I have invested in the enclosures for my BP's. I only have 1.1 normals, and it appears as though replacement costs for both their enclosures, thermostat/heating, and some furnishings would be about $1850. So I guess I keep my $45 snakes in $925 habitats... which seems about right to me. They are long-term members of the family.

I have other critters too (mostly tortoises) and I really don't want to do the math and see how much it would cost in the event I needed to purchase replacement enclosures for all of them!

[BurntFrosting]

I’m in the middle of getting a $700 enclosure for my $250 boa. That doesn’t include the $170 heat panel and over $100 in enclosure supplies.... of course I’m not a breeder it’s just going to be a pet so I don’t mind putting in the extra work.

[MR Snakes]

$2k for housing (rack system) and $2k for 3-4 snakes. All budgeted.

[gunkle]

Just spent $300 ea to build 2 enclosures for snakes I don't have yet.