A beat to death question but She might be sayin there's a chance!!!!!!!

[Gio]

Hola boa folks,

I know several people have asked, and the questions have been answered with a "personal preference" response.

I have been wanting a boa since we got my son a Royal last May. We did the typical first time snake buyer, glass tank purchase, which I then ended up modifying by insulating it, getting a Herpstat II, fun paper back drop, heat lights, furnishings and so on.

So the story goes,,, I have been moping and pouting and asking to get a boa. "NO" is the usual response. My B-day is quickly approaching and I was sent a "How much do one of those cages cost?" text. After almost crapping myself with surprise I have had to re-evaluate and restart my caging quest.

Keep in mind "Yes" was not the answer, just "How much do those cages cost?". To me, that means there is a slight chance.

Out of these 3: Animal Plastics, Proline and Boaphile, I have leaned toward AP or Proline but not ruled out Boaphile.

The snake I would like to have would "ideally" would be a larger male Colombian BCI. When I say larger, I mean 6'-8' adult size, but I'd probably search for a snake that is 1 year old or under.

Having that in mind, I'd like to hear what the experienced boa keepers here think.

The Boaphile cage, 421D to me, seems a little short at 11.5 inches high. I think getting my shoulder in there for cleaning would be a pain, and I like the fact that boas will climb a bit if given the option. I'm not sure I like the type of PVC the cage is made of either. But I do like the fact Jeff will build and place everything you need in the cage.

I like the AP T-8 even at just 1/2 in taller than the Boaphile, or the T-10. Both reasonably are priced after shipping. I'd put a perch in if I could.

I like the Proline because of the plastic used, and the simplicity of putting it together. I would probably opt for the 14" high model because the 18" starts to price out higher than I want and the AP 15" high model seems a better value if I go for more ceiling.

So who uses what, and why do you like it?

Also, is there an advantage to acrylic doors VS glass? Sliding doors VS 1 single front, drop door? What should the height be to keep heat and humidity but have a bit of space for the snake?

I have read reviews on customer service and and elsewhere. I have spoken to Jeff (Boaphile) by phone he was very nice. I spoke to Ed (Proline) by phone and he was very nice too.

I e-mailed AP and they were very nice and quick to respond. Lead time is not a huge deal for any of them as I have no date to get a snake.

I've looked at the previous posts on this subject, but just wanted to get some boa owner opinions and customize things for me and go from there.

PS. I am not a handyman, but would be OK with self assembly if it's not overly involved. The Proline looks like a breeze, AP I'm not sure, and Boaphile is all set.

[ewaldrep]

I was in exactly the same place as you were in and I decided to go with the Prolines because of the HDPE and I like the one door that opens all the way across. I did not want to have to fight to get my boas out when they get larger. I hear others that like the sliding doors too so I guess it comes down to preference. I just go my prolines in the mail so I have not set them up yet but I will post them when I get the chance. I wish the boaphiles were HDPE because I would have gone for those in a heartbeat. Good luck and keep us posted on what you choose.

[3skulls]

I'm wanting to go with T10s as soon as I can get some money together.

I have a couple of Boaphiles with the drop down door. They are a pain in the butt. I prefer the glass sliding doors because you can just pop them out when cleaning.

The Boaphiles are also thinner. Makes them lighter but they don't hold in heat as well.

That's about all I can add until I can purchase a T10

[Daybreaker]

I can't say for which brand I like since our vivs are homemade (if they're done correctly they can last a long time too).

For size, my '10 Colombian male is about 6' - 6' 1/2 feet and he's in a 4 foot x 2 foot x 18" high viv and it's perfect for him. I like 18" height for boas personally, IMO length and width are more important over height. His viv has two acrylic doors that are on hinges that open downward: I really like them since I only need to open one door to feed or clean but can open both if needed.

I have one of my bigger '10 Colombian female (a little smaller than the male) already in a 6' vivarium so she can grow into it. She has sliding glass doors on hers and I can't say if I like those better than the dropping, but I do like the acrylic better than the glass. Just preference.

[Evenstar]

Well, there are a couple of things to consider first off. Will this be your ONLY boa? If you don't plan to have a large collection and need to conserve space, buy the largest cage you can possibly afford for your boa's adult cage. For a male BCI, I would go with AP's T10 as a minimum but if you have room, go with the T12 or even a T20. Boas are active snakes and while they can live in smaller enclosures (again, the T10 should be the minimum for a male BCI), bigger is better.

Second, if you get a baby, it's going to need something smaller than that for a while. Boas are not Ball Pythons and do not need small, cramped spaces to feel secure, but a baby will be lost in a T10. I start babies in a 32qt tub up to 1yr old. 1-2yr olds are in a 41qt tub. At 2yrs old, they are moved to their adult enclosures.

As for brand, I love www.pvccages.com. Jim makes them complete and you can have them shipped fully assembled or broken down for simple DIY. Animal Plastics is great too and has more choices for size and you can get all the accessories (heat, light, shelf, etc) with it too. Plus I think they are very reasonably priced. I have not ordered from Proline, but I'm seriously thinking of it for my next set. I will never order from Boaphile again. Here is my experience with him. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...phile+feedback. And, incidentally, I also contacted Jeff PRIOR to ordering and he was super nice - it wasn't until I placed my order that the trouble started.

Your choice really is dependant on personal preferance, but I understand your question. I like 2ft high cages because I can have a shelf in there - boas will climb if given the chance and that adds some floor space and a hiding place too. Acrylic can be harder to clean and may scratch more easily than glass, but glass is obviously more fragile so both have merits.

Good luck with your choice! Between AP or Proline, you'll be quite happy with whichever you choose!

[Gio]

WOW!! Thanks to all so far. Answer to one question: YES THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BOA! If it even happens. Evenstar, I'm very glad you popped in as I respect/value your opinion. I think my cage size will have limits so I'm probably going be looking at 48x23x14 Proline, or a 48x24x12 AP or a 48x24x15 AP.

I will have a looksy at the PVC cages since you like them. I have to keep costs down IF I can do this or my wife will be quite unhappy. I like the idea of the "pop out glass" on the AP cages and did not know that.

I will have some heating issues as I think I will have to keep the cage in the basement. I'm wondering if I should use the heat lamp option on the AP or try an RHP and a UTH. I am not sure I want to use Flexwatt. I want to be able to put a probe from the Herpstat II I will have to get between the pad and the bottom of the cage. I know the PHP only heats surface areas so if not using a heat light I would need a black or infrared cage light to keep the inside a bit warmer.

Keep throwing out ideas. Evanstar, I'd love a huge cage, but are the current sizes I have adequate? I see a lot of 4x2x12 keepers out there. Again if I could, I'd go bigger but this may be what I'm stuck with.

[KMG]

I bought three 4x2 cages last year and went with the 15" tall model. I'm very glad I did. I can tell I would have hated a shorter cage for cleaning and getting the snakes out. Two handfuls of a blood python its hard to get through a thin space.

[Gio]

I was in exactly the same place as you were in and I decided to go with the Prolines because of the HDPE and I like the one door that opens all the way across. I did not want to have to fight to get my boas out when they get larger. I hear others that like the sliding doors too so I guess it comes down to preference. I just go my prolines in the mail so I have not set them up yet but I will post them when I get the chance. I wish the boaphiles were HDPE because I would have gone for those in a heartbeat. Good luck and keep us posted on what you choose.

What are you doing for heat and such? What size Proline did you go with? How was the lead time on the Proline? Thanks for the post as I think I'm getting the green light here (fingers crossed).

I think I'd get a perch or 2 with the cage.

[3skulls]

You can also add a shelf to the AP cages.
I have read that people that just use Flexwatt have no problem keeping the temps right in a room that's in the lower 70s.

Oh. I'm also going with glass just because I feel it will hold up better over time. Not that I'm using a wire brush on the plexiglass or anything :p

I'm not 100% sure but I think there is a spot for the probe on the bottom of the AP cages.

[Gio]

Hey 3skulls and KMG, I'm leaning toward the T-10 for the same reason. I just don't think 12" cuts it. I would however consider 14" which is what the Proline has.

I know "Serpent Merchant" Aaron is a big AP fan and he has not steered me wrong yet. I think I'd even drive from MN to Iowa and pick up the cage if I went with AP. If I remember correctly from an e-mail they sent me they would assemble it and I save on shipping, of course the drive would ruin that, but I'd be going with my son on a fun trip : )