Best sized Vision cage for Ball Python?

[squale]

I want to get a cage for a Ball Python. I will buy the Ball Python as a baby but want a cage that is big enough to house the snake for it's entire life. I was looking at the Vision cages and was thinking that might be my best bet.

What do you guys think in particular about the models:
#332

or

#322

here:

http://www.visionproducts.us/cages/htm/medium.html

or are there better cages I should consider?

[elevatethis]

the 332 would be better. You are going for floorspace, not cage height, when finding suitable housing for a ball python.

I like these cages better, I've got two of the T3 Model (36x24x12), and they are great. Made by Animal Plastics.....cheaper than vision too if i'm not mistaken....

http://animalshare.wantapet.com/anim...ial/index.html

[squale]

what do you like better about them?

how do you even get into them?

and also for a Ball Python, you don't need Heat Lamps right? you just use an under the tank heater pad like FlexWatt right?

[kavmon]

you could not go wrong with
animal plastics
barrs
visions
boaphile

all good cages, just your preference. for a bp i would look at 2-3 ft wide by 2 ft front to back and 12 inches high for an adult bp. you could do bigger or smaller you just have to provide the proper heat and humidity for the entire cage.


vaughn

[Schlyne]

I like the animal plastics cage or the boaphile cages more myself. I know I've looked at the barr's, but I dont' recall anything about them at the moment. The vision cage isn't flat on the bottom for one thing. Also, you can order belly heat installed in AP or boaphile cages.

[mlededee]

a cage that isnt' flat on the bottom has potential to be a big pain to clean. it's a lot easier if you don't have to worry about getting into grooves and stuff i think. i have a used barrs cage and a used ap cage and both are fabulous. the ap cage has built in belly heat which is really nice--it has two doors that swing open horizontally. the ap cage is definitely heavier and more substantial than the barrs cage, but i also like how lightweight and portable the barrs cage is in comparison. if you are looking for a good cage for the best price i would go with a barrs cage. if you are looking for a good all-in-one type of cage i would go with an ap cage with the belly heat option.

[squale]

isn't belly heat the same as putting FlexWatt heat tape on the bottom of the cage?

Does anybody make nice looking stands for Vision cages?

[elevatethis]

No, the belly heat is actually heat cable that is routered into the floor of the cage on the left 1/3 of the cage. You can't see it, except for a cord coming out the back of the cage. Controlled with a thermostat, it will stay at a constant temperature. It even keeps my ambient air temps as stable as the floor. The material that the AP cages are made out of insulate the inside of the cage from the outside world, so everything stays pretty constant in there.

[squale]

hmm, not sure if I like the idea of that.. I think FlexWatt would be better for me because I don't liek all in one integrated things, cause if one thing breaks, well you know the rest

what's the best thermostats to use by the way with FlexWatt?

[Neumann]

Greetings,

I own a couple of Vision cages that I've used for a year or so, model 211 (24" wide - 22" deep - 14" high). The floor space is a little more than a 30 gal. long aquarium style cage. We keep an adult corn in one and I'll be moving our male BP over this weekend. I think the cage size will be fine for a smaller BP like our male. He's currently 28 inches long and about 11 months old, but if he outgrows it I'll move him into something else.

IMHO the Vision cages are pretty nice but a little expensive. I had a problem with humidity in the corns cage. Whenever I placed wet, freshly cleaned, furniture and substrate in the cage the humidity would go to 100% for a couple of days. To remedy this I used a hole saw and cut a hole in the side of the cage and covered it with a plastic grate style vent (the kind used to cover PC fans). The mod looks professional and was very cheap to install. I'll do the same for the BP cage if I have to, but since it's on the top of the stack I suspect it won't be necessary.

Here are my opinions of Vision #211

Pros:
Very light weight
Easy to clean
3 sides enclosed (helps critters feel secure)
Stackable
Nice looking
Sliding front doors

Cons:
Expensive to buy
Expensive to ship
High humidity may be a problem (see above)
Larger cages can sag in the middle (so I've heard but no problems with #211 so far)
Suction cups will not stick to the plastic sides (often used for decorative plants and vines)
No built-in heat lamp fixture (a 5" aluminum lamp cover works fine as long as it's for the top cage)

Just my 2 cents...
Jason