Do these enclosures look salvageable?

[Snagrio]

Been looking around in online classifieds for enclosures to upgrade for my BP, and I've found a couple fixer-uppers that I'm not sure about pursuing further. To quote the ad:

"They are heavy duty steel frame cages with bolt in melamine. They are 4 foot long 22inches wide 18 inches tall. The wood can be replaced and the acrylic can be replaced but it is all fine. Heating pad and light socket are built into each of these cages. some of the wood is splintering and some of the acrylic is cracked but with some simple work these can be very nice cages again."









They're asking $150 for both, which will obviously be offset by needed repairs but even still. Plus I have a mother who's very DIY-orientated who'd be able to help with that sort of thing.

[Bogertophis]

I'd sooner start from scratch & build something good- sorry, but I'd run the other way from these.

And not only that, but what I've always said about buying used glass tanks applies here too: you have to wonder what the previous occupants died from, & how on earth are you going to disinfect this?

To me, not worth the risk or the trouble. They remind me of that old movie "The Money Pit" about a couple that buys a huge "bargain" of a house that just needs a few fix-ups- but it turns out to be way more than they bargained for, & not in a good way.

[wnateg]

I build all my enclosures with melamine.

For one, it’s insanely heavy. But it’s also insanely cheap.

You could potentially build brand new melamine enclosures from scratch for $150. It wouldn’t have the steel frame, but that part isn’t really necessary.

[Charles8088]

Agree with all the above. You really are better off buying the material and building it yourself. It's much easier than it seems. You just need time... and, buying these would be equally (if not more) time-consuming.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Snagrio]

I feasibly could build one myself, but it'd require a good amount of help from my mother (my construction skills are poor) and she's already got a lot on her plate with building projects of her own. We just started a redoing of our garden beds to get ready for spring for example.

That and when I was lamenting about my enclosure upgrade issues to her earlier, she asked why don't I just move him to the 55 gallon I have sitting around (used to have fish in it but I recently upgraded to a bigger aquarium so it's sitting derelict). But I REALLY don't want to deal with a tank for him again. Not only would I have to yet another round of retrofitting like getting a screen lid, blocking off 3 sides and try to find a better humidity-retaining top, but the taller height will make it even harder to clean. Not to mention all the vertical space would be wasted. Haven't seen him climb on the branches I set up for him since his first month living here.

[Bogertophis]

Then I'd keep looking for better options if I were you. I'm not exactly in "construction" either, but I've done some furniture modifications (for snakes & other purposes) over the years, as well as building cage tops for all my tanks. The more stuff you try, the more satisfying it is to tinker around with things. I've done some furniture finishing too. It's not that hard, but the amount of work those enclosures need is worse than starting fresh. You might consider hiring a handyman to help you with part of it & still come out better than trying to fix up those things. Once wood starts splintering & acrylic is cracking (etc) it's the equivalent of a car that's been in a wreck bad enough to fire off the air-bags, which is why insurance companies throw in the towel & say they're totaled.

[Snagrio]

Yeah... Wasn't too hot on them from the get-go honestly, but figured I'd get extra opinions anyway.

There's this 6'x23"x11.5" one for $350 with built-in LEDs, but it'd be something of a drive.



Unless I'm missing the point and should avoid used enclosures altogether? I don't know, I'm just trying to find a solution that isn't going to take half a year, break the bank, cause my folks too much inconvenience (my mother in particular has been stressed about a number of things as of late so I'm trying my best to not bother her too much), and all without sacrificing quality to give my BP the best home he deserves.

[Bogertophis]

Unless I'm missing the point and should avoid used enclosures altogether? I don't know, I'm just trying to find a solution that isn't going to take half a year, break the bank, cause my folks too much inconvenience (my mother in particular has been stressed about a number of things as of late so I'm trying my best to not bother her too much), and all without sacrificing quality to give my BP the best home he deserves.

It's totally your decision, but consider that every little crevice (inside & out!) needs a thorough cleaning & disinfection, otherwise if the previous occupant of a used cage died of something like IBD, please realize that (a) the person selling the cage isn't going to volunteer that information, & (b) you're putting your pet's health at risk if you don't do a thorough job of cleaning it. So just the cleaning is a real hassle (see below*) to be safe, not counting repairs you need to make, & hauling it home. Many people do buy used tanks & enclosures to save money, it's your decision. You just have the one BP to house? How big & how old is he? That second one above is 6' long...are you sure that's what you want or need for a BP? The bigger the cage, the harder it is to heat, don't forget (& especially if you live in a colder climate). Your intentions are admirable, but I'd hate to see you rush into a bad choice. Shop around for a while.

*https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=1#post2749346

[Snagrio]

Yeah it's definitely way too big for him... He's 9 months old and 383 grams last I weighed him.

Sorry, I'm probably panicking a bit. It's just from watching him grow it's apparent how soon it'll be that he'll start to get cramped where he is now. I've been saving his shed skins and from his first shed here to the third one he just sloughed off today he's about doubled in size. I get that I have more time than I realize given it's a BP (he's as textbook as they come and barely moves 99% of the time), but I'm nonetheless antsy about finding a solution for his permanent adult home.

[Bogertophis]

Yeah it's definitely way too big for him... He's 9 months old and 383 grams last I weighed him.

Sorry, I'm probably panicking a bit. It's just from watching him grow it's apparent how soon it'll be that he'll start to get cramped where he is now. I've been saving his shed skins and from his first shed here to the third one he just sloughed off today he's about doubled in size. I get that I have more time than I realize given it's a BP (he's as textbook as they come and barely moves 99% of the time), but I'm nonetheless antsy about finding a solution for his permanent adult home.

So really, take your time- if you still want to consider a used enclosure, you don't want to be buying someone's "train wreck"- be picky! (Might try running a free "want" ad too?)

I'm not a fan of the PVC-acrylic enclosures (I tried a couple in the past, but I keep mostly colubrids & much prefer glass tanks), but anyway, I'm trying to recall, there used to be one or 2 companies that would send you the pieces to assemble the enclosure yourself. That saves a lot of $ on the shipping, & it's faster because they don't have to make it & store it someplace- but I just don't remember which ones did that, nor do I know if anyone still does? -but others here might know, so just ask.

IF for any reason you can't find or afford what you really want & you feel your BP needs more room quickly, you could always do a "tub" conversion as a temporary solution- it's not my personal preference, but many here use tubs one way or another & can advise you on setting one up. That would honestly be better than buying a used enclosure that's in bad shape, risky for your pet, or the wrong size. That would "buy you plenty of time" to shop for just the right thing.