AP Cage Questions

[artgecko]

hello everyone,

I'm considering getting an AP cage (T10) that may be used for a small locality boa or a BP (possibly). I've looked at their website, but have a few questions because I've never used this type of cage before (only converted glass tanks).

1. I assume the cage comes with no heat tape because that is shown as an additional charge. Is this accurate and if so, would you recommend adding the heat tape (or is there a "home" solution to this)?

2. Should these cages each have their own "channel" on a thermostat? (i.e. my herpstat 4 could run only 4 cages)

3. I like the look of the sliding doors, but are there disadvantages to them (and is glass / plexi preferred)?

4. Is it typical to need to "modify" the cage after purchase (i.e. add ventilation holes, etc.)?

5. Would you recommend adding any of the other "options" they give (i.e. screens, lights, etc.)?

6. Are there any similar cages that would be a good alternative that aren't crazy expensive?

Thanks so much for your time and help!

[skittles24]

Hey there, Glad to hear your thinking about getting some Ap cages. I have multiple and I absolutely love them. And whenever you call Ally who is there customer service rep is amazing with helping you out. Now on to your answers.

1. They offer heat tape as an addition. I've never used heat tape though. They mount there's on the bottom of the cage and I was worried about the heat gradient it would have. I went with Reptile Basics Radiant Heat panels. They were a little pricey but I think well worth it now.

2. I keep all of mine plugged into one thermostat. As long as the snakes require the same high/low temps you should be fine. But you also have to make sure you don't go over the wattage for the thermostat. I think my max is 1200watts and I have 4 65watt heat panels and have never had a single problem.

3. So far the only disadvantage I've had with mine is opening them with either wet or dirty/greasy hands. They're super easy to remove for cleaning. They're heavy enough so the snake won't be able to open them and they offer a great view for whoever is looking in

4. All the cages come precut with vent holes in the back. On mine I have vents on both sides as well as the back and they seem to work fine.

5. I would add lights to all your cages. I think they're 10-20 dollars extra to add but are totally worth it. I have all mine wired to a power strip so I just flip the switch and they all come on. The downfall to the lights they use is the on/off switch is located on the light so in order to turn them on/off you have to open and go into the cage.

6. Price wise I think AP is the best. I ordered through Boaphile before and cancelled because it took almost 5 months to hear that they were about to start my cages. I told them to pound sand and give me a refund. I hear good things about boa master but have never used them. Also, vision cages makes nice cages but I don't think they come in any color but grey.

All in all I love my Ap cages. Their customer service was incredible. Ally kept me up to date with everything and answered all my questions I had about the cages. They were crazy amounts of easy to assemble. Everything is pre-drilled and you just line the holes up and screw away. They are actually really light as well. I have all t8 cages so I'm assuming your's will be the same weight.

[Mr. Misha]

I have a T12 enclosure and I love it. Personally, I'd get the heat tape from reptilebasics.com (with hardware) because you can get a piece as big as you want. It's also only $3/ft. I personally run a 12x24 heat tape in my enclosure. I would also suggest getting a radiant heat panel (RHP) because unless your room is properly warm, the enclosure will get cold.

I like the glass sliding doors and if you get the plastic "pull" tabs from Lowes, they're easy to open. The two options I'd get would probably the cage locks and lights. Not only is it another wave of defense against your animal escaping, you can keep the humans at bay as well.

I'd check out this thread about the AP-T8 setup. You'll find a lot of good questions, answers and comments here.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

[The Serpent Merchant]

hello everyone,

I'm considering getting an AP cage (T10) that may be used for a small locality boa or a BP (possibly). I've looked at their website, but have a few questions because I've never used this type of cage before (only converted glass tanks).

1. I assume the cage comes with no heat tape because that is shown as an additional charge. Is this accurate and if so, would you recommend adding the heat tape (or is there a "home" solution to this)?

2. Should these cages each have their own "channel" on a thermostat? (i.e. my herpstat 4 could run only 4 cages)

3. I like the look of the sliding doors, but are there disadvantages to them (and is glass / plexi preferred)?

4. Is it typical to need to "modify" the cage after purchase (i.e. add ventilation holes, etc.)?

5. Would you recommend adding any of the other "options" they give (i.e. screens, lights, etc.)?

6. Are there any similar cages that would be a good alternative that aren't crazy expensive?

Thanks so much for your time and help!

1. Heat tape is sold separately. I would suggest saving a little money and buying 2 feet of 12" THG heat tape from reptile basics along with a wire set/ reptile basics will wire the heat tape for free when you buy the wire set with the heat tape.

2. You can attach multiple cages to one thermostat, but I wouldn't recommend it. It isn't very safe and your cage temperatures will be less consistent.

3. Sliding doors are best in my opinion. Go for the glass ones. The plexi doors will be prone to scratching and warping over time. If you do get the plexi doors don't use windex on them as this will discolor them.

4. AP will modify the cages to your exact specs no need to do anything yourself. That said their standard cage setup has adequate ventilation.

5. I would get at least 1 of the white fluorescent light fixtures per cage. I personally use 2 per cage.

6. There are a few other companies that make similar cages but they are all similarly priced. These are very high quality cages.

[artgecko]

Thank you so much everyone for your input / advice!
Aaron / Misha- Would I mount the heat tape on the bottom of the cage (as you would with a glass tank)? and if I used that much (2' of 12" tape) would I still need a RHP?

Skittles24- Where did you mount your RHP, and do use it as the sole heat source?
I had heard the same things about boaphile's customer service.

After loading a T10 with a light fixture and door lock into my cart my total would be $296 (with shipping). The heat tape / connector would be roughtly $11 + shipping, (I'd probably order with other stuff), so about $307 total.

Boamaster has a similar cage and I think it comes with flourescent light fixture.. and with shipping would be $229. The doors are only available in acrylic, but have a built-in "locking system". I think their doors are only acrylic though.

They also have a new "economy" cage that is 4x2x1 that come shipped for $175. I know this one wouldn't work for a boa, but might be big enough for a BP (it also doesn't have a light fixture and panels are thinner on some sides.

Has anyone ordered a cage from cserpents? I have heard many good things about their racks and know they do cages special order, but have never known anyone that bought one. I may contact them to get a price quote as well.

Thank you again everyone for your help and advice!

[dkspftw]

If you're considering a BP, why get a T10 rather than a T8?

The T8 would save you money, no?

I agree with pretty much everything said above, except that I'm not a big fan of the lights that AP provides. They come in a sort of opaque housing that softens the light too much, and to me it looks like a flashback scene in a soap opera or something.

What I've done with my T8s is to have them drill the hole and put in the screws as though the light was included, but not actually include the light unit. Then, being the aquarium freak that I am, I instead mounted my own low profile 6500k 12'' LED strips and moonlights on the top panel of the enclosure. Aside from having a better looking fixture, providing better looking light for less electricity and never needing a bulb change, they're also generally pretty water-resistant or waterproof, making them easier for cage cleanings.

The specific ones I use are these TrueLumen guys:

[The Serpent Merchant]

Thank you so much everyone for your input / advice!
Aaron / Misha- Would I mount the heat tape on the bottom of the cage (as you would with a glass tank)? and if I used that much (2' of 12" tape) would I still need a RHP?

Skittles24- Where did you mount your RHP, and do use it as the sole heat source?
I had heard the same things about boaphile's customer service.

After loading a T10 with a light fixture and door lock into my cart my total would be $296 (with shipping). The heat tape / connector would be roughtly $11 + shipping, (I'd probably order with other stuff), so about $307 total.

Boamaster has a similar cage and I think it comes with flourescent light fixture.. and with shipping would be $229. The doors are only available in acrylic, but have a built-in "locking system". I think their doors are only acrylic though.

They also have a new "economy" cage that is 4x2x1 that come shipped for $175. I know this one wouldn't work for a boa, but might be big enough for a BP (it also doesn't have a light fixture and panels are thinner on some sides.

Has anyone ordered a cage from cserpents? I have heard many good things about their racks and know they do cages special order, but have never known anyone that bought one. I may contact them to get a price quote as well.

Thank you again everyone for your help and advice!

You will only really need a RHP if the room the cage will be in drops below 65 of a regular basis. Otherwise the combination of heat tape and fluorescent lights will be enough.

I would also recommend just going with the T8. It is cheaper, will get to you much faster (2 weeks vs 6+ weeks for a T10 and boa master will probably take just as long) The size difference between a T8 and a T10 is really negligible for BP's.

[nick654377]

I have one t10 and 3 t8s for all my boas. I run a herp 4 one setting for each tank. I also use RHP. I would not go with heat tape because if you get more tanks you will need to space them out otherwise the heat tape could fail and over heat/melt the tank. one thing ap cages does not tell you, all you have to do is ask them for the pull tabs and they will give them to you for free. I have lights in mine but only use them to clean the tanks. I will only go with animal plastics because of their customer service. I need a t8 by the end of the week because I was going out of town. ali had it shipped and on my door by Friday. Her customer service rocks. If I could do it again I would not order the t8's. yes they do come fast but the t 10 is so much nicer and easier to work in.

here is a picture of my three t8's and a t 10 on top.

[artgecko]

Thanks so much for your advice guys!
I'm trying to decide exactly which model to go with still... It looks like I may be getting a boa (either male BCI or BCA), so I may need the extra space a T10 allows...

That said, I am hoping to eventually have at least one more cage (for a BRB) so will probably need to be able to stack the cages at some point. Would I still be able to use the heat tape in that configuration, or would I need to do RHPs on the back of the tanks (I assume that yours are mounted on the back of your tanks nick)?

I may also look into the DIY forum and see if anyone has experience building these cages and what I would need to do. I have a father-in-law that is very into woodworking, so maybe he could build me something suitable.

[nick654377]

no my RHP are attached to the top of the tank. a lot of people will say including my self with the heat tape between the tanks there is no air flow and can over heat. that will lead to a fire. I think it was lllreptile that did a huge write up on it. I keep my apartment at 68 and my bedroom stays about 65. with the rhp my hot spot stays at 90 with the ambients from cool to hot are 75-80