All of the above is do-able! really; I'e built my own racks, and they are definately cheaper, have a higher wattage of heat, etc. But it is time-consuming, and the fit & finish leaves a lot to be desired compared to professionally built racks. I have one prof. built rack, a 32 qt., which may be an RBI, I dunno-picked it up used; and it is excellant. I would say-build your own, RBI, Animal Plastics, Boaphile, Vision, etc. are are excellant, as long as they fit your needs. I personally don't keep my snake room a steady 80 degrees year-round; so I need belly-heat. And for a 3' long rack, I need more than 3 inches of flex-watt. Also-I prefer the fully enclosed racks to the open air, such as Vision, Freedom-Breeder, etc, for holding heat & humidity. Also , ball pythons seem to love the "cave-like" environment; either with or without a hide.