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  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran WhompingWillow's Avatar
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    Productive weekend

    My husband and I are finally getting around to updating caging for all of our snakes. I've been trying out different companies with the hope of finding one that can balance quality with timeliness. I'm really not interested in waiting 16+ weeks for a cage, especially when we will be ordering one monthly vs. several at once - talking about you, AP. (Yes, I did see they should be able to decrease lead times within the next few months.)

    We just received our 3rd cage last week from a vendor I was hoping would be it. Quality is good and it was easy to assemble, but it took almost 19 weeks to get here when I was quoted 6-8. I will be ordering our next one from Reptile Basics. The hope is to eventually have everything matching once I find a company I like.

    Until now all of our snakes except for our corn have been in our bedroom. We picked up a different customizable shelving unit from Menards and have moved everyone in PVC down to our living room. The plan is to eventually have five 4x2x15 cages on each shelving unit, with two in the living room and 1 or 2 in our bedroom, depending on what we end up doing with the more arboreal snakes. It's been a bit of a puzzle to make everything fit, but I'm happy with our plan.

    Our Dumeril's is going to get the upgrade to the newest PVC, and then we'll play musical snakes with Buffy and Cher to give them larger enclosures. Just need to wait for it to finish airing out completely.

    To have this done on top of finding Zelda and doing lots of yard work has made this a great weekend.

    Sent from my H3123 using Tapatalk
    BALL PYTHONS: 1.0 Pied/Clark, 1.0 Pastel Vanilla Super Stripe/Sunny, 0.1 Dragon Fly/Buffy, 0.1 Pastel Vanilla Yellow Belly/Cher, 0.1 BEL (Mojave Lesser)/Arya, 0.0.1 Normal/Norm, 0.1 Cinnamon Enchi/Peaches, 1.0 Cinnamon Calico/Yoshi, 0.1 Pewter Het Dreamsicle/Ariel
    BOAS: 0.1 Dumeril's/Memphis, 0.1 BCL/Artemis, 1.0 BCO/Grimm, 0.1 Suriname BCC/Rhubarb
    CORN SNAKES: 0.0.1/Mushu
    MORELIA: 0.1 Bredli/Zelda, 0.1 Granite IJ/Bridget, 0.1 Caramel Diamond Jungle/Pixie

  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to WhompingWillow For This Useful Post:

    Alicia (04-08-2019),Bogertophis (04-07-2019),Dianne (04-07-2019),gunkle (04-08-2019)

  3. #2
    BPnet Veteran Dianne's Avatar
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    Re: Productive weekend

    I think you will be pleased with Reptile Basics. I currently have 4 of their 36”x24”x12” cages, purchased and shipped assembled. I just ordered 4 of their 4’x24”x12” double door cages and one custom size 4’x24”x24” for my new carpet. The new cages will also be assembled by Reptile Basics, but I’ve arranged warehouse pickup for these. The savings is worth the 3.5 hour drive for me. If all goes well, I’ll be ordering another stack after this to finish up the revamp of the snake room.
    Other Snakes:
    Hudson 1988 1.0 Colombian rainbow; Yang 2002 1.0 Corn snake; Merlin 2000 1.0 Solomon Island ground boa; Kett 2015 1.0 Diamond Jungle Jaguar carpet python; Dakota 2014 0.0.1 Children’s python

    Ball pythons:
    Eli 1990 1.0 Normal; Buttercup 2015 1.0 Albino; Artemis 2015 0.1 Dragonfly; Orion 2015 1.0 Banana Pinstripe; Button 2018 1.0 Blue Eyed Lucy; Piper 2018 0.1 Piebald; Belle 2018 0.1 Lemonblast; Sabrina 2017 0.1 Mojave; Selene 2017 0.1 Banana Mojave; Loki 2018 1.0 Pastel Mystic Potion; Cuervo 2018 1.0 Banana Piebald; Claude 2017 1.0 Albino Pastel Spider; Penelope 2016 0.1 Lesser

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to Dianne For This Useful Post:

    WhompingWillow (04-08-2019)

  5. #3
    BPnet Veteran WhompingWillow's Avatar
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    Re: Productive weekend

    Quote Originally Posted by Dianne View Post
    I think you will be pleased with Reptile Basics. I currently have 4 of their 36”x24”x12” cages, purchased and shipped assembled. I just ordered 4 of their 4’x24”x12” double door cages and one custom size 4’x24”x24” for my new carpet. The new cages will also be assembled by Reptile Basics, but I’ve arranged warehouse pickup for these. The savings is worth the 3.5 hour drive for me. If all goes well, I’ll be ordering another stack after this to finish up the revamp of the snake room.
    Thanks, Dianne! I've had my eye on RB cages for a while. My biggest debate has been over height and door style. Ultimately I think I've decided to go with the 15" tall ones even though they have a single door. It's nice that you live within reasonable driving distance to pick them up!
    BALL PYTHONS: 1.0 Pied/Clark, 1.0 Pastel Vanilla Super Stripe/Sunny, 0.1 Dragon Fly/Buffy, 0.1 Pastel Vanilla Yellow Belly/Cher, 0.1 BEL (Mojave Lesser)/Arya, 0.0.1 Normal/Norm, 0.1 Cinnamon Enchi/Peaches, 1.0 Cinnamon Calico/Yoshi, 0.1 Pewter Het Dreamsicle/Ariel
    BOAS: 0.1 Dumeril's/Memphis, 0.1 BCL/Artemis, 1.0 BCO/Grimm, 0.1 Suriname BCC/Rhubarb
    CORN SNAKES: 0.0.1/Mushu
    MORELIA: 0.1 Bredli/Zelda, 0.1 Granite IJ/Bridget, 0.1 Caramel Diamond Jungle/Pixie

  6. #4
    BPnet Veteran Dianne's Avatar
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    Re: Productive weekend

    Quote Originally Posted by WhompingWillow View Post
    Thanks, Dianne! I've had my eye on RB cages for a while. My biggest debate has been over height and door style. Ultimately I think I've decided to go with the 15" tall ones even though they have a single door. It's nice that you live within reasonable driving distance to pick them up!
    I looked at the 15” cages, but due to the number of critters I decided on 12” for stackability and not needing a stepstool to clean the upper cages like I use now. I’m trying to plan for when I’m a little old lady with snakes so that I have cage deminsions that are easy to clean, not too deep and not too tall.
    Other Snakes:
    Hudson 1988 1.0 Colombian rainbow; Yang 2002 1.0 Corn snake; Merlin 2000 1.0 Solomon Island ground boa; Kett 2015 1.0 Diamond Jungle Jaguar carpet python; Dakota 2014 0.0.1 Children’s python

    Ball pythons:
    Eli 1990 1.0 Normal; Buttercup 2015 1.0 Albino; Artemis 2015 0.1 Dragonfly; Orion 2015 1.0 Banana Pinstripe; Button 2018 1.0 Blue Eyed Lucy; Piper 2018 0.1 Piebald; Belle 2018 0.1 Lemonblast; Sabrina 2017 0.1 Mojave; Selene 2017 0.1 Banana Mojave; Loki 2018 1.0 Pastel Mystic Potion; Cuervo 2018 1.0 Banana Piebald; Claude 2017 1.0 Albino Pastel Spider; Penelope 2016 0.1 Lesser

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to Dianne For This Useful Post:

    WhompingWillow (04-08-2019)

  8. #5
    BPnet Veteran WhompingWillow's Avatar
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    Re: Productive weekend

    Quote Originally Posted by Dianne View Post
    I looked at the 15” cages, but due to the number of critters I decided on 12” for stackability and not needing a stepstool to clean the upper cages like I use now. I’m trying to plan for when I’m a little old lady with snakes so that I have cage deminsions that are easy to clean, not too deep and not too tall.
    I've gone back and forth on whether I'd like to try out a 12" tall one. Realistically my BP's don't really climb. They're kind of like expensive pet rocks, ha. I love the idea of clean stacks, too. Have you had any issues stacking several? We are putting them on shelving units for additional support (we plan to have these cages for a loooong time), but also because there's a little bit of storage space. It would definitely look better with just the cages, though.

    I'm kind of hoping RB offers more variety for arboreal cages in a few years. Otherwise I'll plan ahead and order arboreal cages for our carpets when they're ready, size-wise.
    BALL PYTHONS: 1.0 Pied/Clark, 1.0 Pastel Vanilla Super Stripe/Sunny, 0.1 Dragon Fly/Buffy, 0.1 Pastel Vanilla Yellow Belly/Cher, 0.1 BEL (Mojave Lesser)/Arya, 0.0.1 Normal/Norm, 0.1 Cinnamon Enchi/Peaches, 1.0 Cinnamon Calico/Yoshi, 0.1 Pewter Het Dreamsicle/Ariel
    BOAS: 0.1 Dumeril's/Memphis, 0.1 BCL/Artemis, 1.0 BCO/Grimm, 0.1 Suriname BCC/Rhubarb
    CORN SNAKES: 0.0.1/Mushu
    MORELIA: 0.1 Bredli/Zelda, 0.1 Granite IJ/Bridget, 0.1 Caramel Diamond Jungle/Pixie

  9. #6
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    The main thing I look at seriously at every reptile show I attend is caging and while AP has lead times that are heinous, I have yet to see anything else that stands up to their quality.

    I am interested in knowing who all you've tried and veto'd so far though. I am wanting some caging soon for some other non-snakes critters and am looking at all the options.

    Best,

    Paul

  10. #7
    BPnet Veteran WhompingWillow's Avatar
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    Re: Productive weekend

    Quote Originally Posted by pbenner View Post
    The main thing I look at seriously at every reptile show I attend is caging and while AP has lead times that are heinous, I have yet to see anything else that stands up to their quality.

    I am interested in knowing who all you've tried and veto'd so far though. I am wanting some caging soon for some other non-snakes critters and am looking at all the options.

    Best,

    Paul
    I have a pretty small sample size, with only three PVC cages so far, but I can go through the experiences I've had with the different types of cages and the companies.

    1st cage: BoaMaster. It's a 4x2x14" cage made out of PVC foam and sliding acrylic doors. Ships unassembled. Took about 4 months to receive, was expecting closer to 2 months. Cage arrived in good shape and was easy to put together. Price is also good. Ultimately decided that I wasn't thrilled with the material and was worried about their stacking stability long-term. Also wasn't happy with the ship time. The cage has held up pretty well so far.

    2nd cage: AP T10. I purchased this at Tinley in October. It was the only one they had for sale that wasn't a pre-order and I snatched it up by 7:45 AM lol. I don't feel like I can judge AP as a whole based on this one cage, though, because if I had ordered it I would have gotten something different. As it is it's a white cage with swing acrylic doors and a flourescent light. I'm not sure if they've updated their design, but these doors swing out, not down. Cage material is nice and smooth and easy to clean. The doors are awful. They already have a bit of trouble closing all the way and the hardware doesn't help. Very small clasps that loosen easily. (If I placed an AP order it would be for a black T10 with LED lighting and sliding glass doors. Maybe a shelf.)

    3rd cage: 4x2x15" from Herptastic with LED lighting and sliding glass doors and lock. I really like this cage, it looks nice and seems made really well. Ships unassembled, easy to put together. The guy who runs it, Chris, has fantastic customer service and is very responsive. There were a few false promises made, however. Main negative is that I was quoted a 6-8 week shipping window and it took almost 19 to get here. He did offer a credit towards a future purchase, which I feel is fair, but I'm not sure if I'll order again.

    I've also considered ordering from DW Geckos but haven't asked for a quote yet.

    I've seen a couple Reptile Basics cages at expos and they seem pretty nice. Right height, nice viewing window with the swing down door, solid hardware, right price. I also expect that they ship much faster than other companies. I'll let you know what I think when I get one.
    BALL PYTHONS: 1.0 Pied/Clark, 1.0 Pastel Vanilla Super Stripe/Sunny, 0.1 Dragon Fly/Buffy, 0.1 Pastel Vanilla Yellow Belly/Cher, 0.1 BEL (Mojave Lesser)/Arya, 0.0.1 Normal/Norm, 0.1 Cinnamon Enchi/Peaches, 1.0 Cinnamon Calico/Yoshi, 0.1 Pewter Het Dreamsicle/Ariel
    BOAS: 0.1 Dumeril's/Memphis, 0.1 BCL/Artemis, 1.0 BCO/Grimm, 0.1 Suriname BCC/Rhubarb
    CORN SNAKES: 0.0.1/Mushu
    MORELIA: 0.1 Bredli/Zelda, 0.1 Granite IJ/Bridget, 0.1 Caramel Diamond Jungle/Pixie

  11. #8
    BPnet Veteran Dianne's Avatar
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    Re: Productive weekend

    Quote Originally Posted by WhompingWillow View Post
    I've gone back and forth on whether I'd like to try out a 12" tall one. Realistically my BP's don't really climb. They're kind of like expensive pet rocks, ha. I love the idea of clean stacks, too. Have you had any issues stacking several? We are putting them on shelving units for additional support (we plan to have these cages for a loooong time), but also because there's a little bit of storage space. It would definitely look better with just the cages, though.

    I'm kind of hoping RB offers more variety for arboreal cages in a few years. Otherwise I'll plan ahead and order arboreal cages for our carpets when they're ready, size-wise.
    The 12" tall ones have worked great for me. The openings on the 3' cage are 8" x 31", so easy to reach into and clean plus put in hides, decor, water bowls, etc. The hardware is hands down better than any other of these type cages I have owned or seen. Heavy duty and secure. The doors drop down, which I prefer over sliding doors.

    I've had the bottom two cages since September 2018, then added the third in November and the fourth in December. There is no shelving between my cages, just stacked. The cages are routered with these little circles on bottom & top that small discs fit into, which keep the cages from shifting and provide a tiny air space between the cages. The four have been stacked since late December or early January with no sagging and the doors don't stick. They're just sitting on an industrial style coffee table from Target.

    I've added photos below of the overall stack, one individual cage with a close up of the door and latch, as well as the little circle in top that the disc would fit in to stack another cage on top.

    When I get the arboreal cage for Kett, I'll post pictures of the new stack. The max hight for shipping was 22" but I was able to order 24" since I'm picking them up from the warehouse. I would assume it would work the same if you meet them at a show. There might be other options if you have them shipped flat versus preassembled. Rich was super helpful when I was asking questions and getting a quote for Kett's new cage.


    Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
    Other Snakes:
    Hudson 1988 1.0 Colombian rainbow; Yang 2002 1.0 Corn snake; Merlin 2000 1.0 Solomon Island ground boa; Kett 2015 1.0 Diamond Jungle Jaguar carpet python; Dakota 2014 0.0.1 Children’s python

    Ball pythons:
    Eli 1990 1.0 Normal; Buttercup 2015 1.0 Albino; Artemis 2015 0.1 Dragonfly; Orion 2015 1.0 Banana Pinstripe; Button 2018 1.0 Blue Eyed Lucy; Piper 2018 0.1 Piebald; Belle 2018 0.1 Lemonblast; Sabrina 2017 0.1 Mojave; Selene 2017 0.1 Banana Mojave; Loki 2018 1.0 Pastel Mystic Potion; Cuervo 2018 1.0 Banana Piebald; Claude 2017 1.0 Albino Pastel Spider; Penelope 2016 0.1 Lesser

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