Quote Originally Posted by spitzu View Post
  • From Target: 28 - 15qt tubs, 13 - 32qt tubs, 1 - 60qt tub = $293
  • Reptile Basics: 100ft 3in heat tape, 50 clamps = $261
  • Helix Controls: 4 Helix thermostats = $549
  • Wal-Mart: Appropriately sized water bowls for 27 juvenile tubs, 13 adult tubs , and 1 huge adult tub = $156


$1200 today and I still need like 3X more tubs and water bowls, a large cooler to turn into an incubator, materials for 3 large snake racks, materials for the rat rack, and heaters for the snake room, garage, and quarantine room. Oh...my...god! I was *completely* clueless as to what I was getting in to when I let my wife talk me in to this. lol...

I love all of these little guys to death, but can the unforeseen expenses be over now? Please?
To the OP, the price of tubs is hard to get around..but a lot of your other prices could have been decreased(a bunch) by buying from different places..or buying different products..for example, buying heat tape & metal clamps from a different place could have saved you around $50 and I dont mean to mean to advertise for anyone *cough*beanfarm.com*cough*...also if you had gotten different thermostats for example simple on/off thermostats (atleast to start with) it would have only cost you like $100 for 4 of them, and as far as water bowls...$156?!?! For around $40-$50 you could have gotten a long piece of 4"-5"PVC then cut it into 3" sections and put deli cups in them...I mean really, unless you really like to clean water dishes and/or your wife will let you run 40 possibly poo covered water dishes through your dishwasher..you're going to wish you had done that! But in all honesty, dont get discouraged, you bought a lot of top quality items that will probably last a long time so thats why it cost so much. I've found though, that in this 'occasionally(very occasionally) profitable' hobby..if you can find a way to decrease costs(without sacrificing the animals safety or well-being of course)...DO IT!!!