So I bought my first BP a few days ago...then I got 4 more. Now I need help w housing

[SoapDish]

Ok so it's not as bad as it sounds. All of the snakes are on hold waiting for warmer weather to be shipped. I'm guessing I'll get them in April or May since I live in the Tundra. I have fostered a few bp's for a local vet 12-13 years ago and really enjoyed them. However, a lot of the old care info I was given by the vet has changed or was wrong, surprise!
I had originally planned on making a rack and spent a lot of time looking for a flexible system. The snakes are currently 60-265g but I'm not sure how big they will be when I get them and I don't want to have to keep building more racks as they get bigger. However, I found out that "normal" room temp and "normal Tundra" room temp are not the same. My house is at 58 at night and during the day when I'm at work and 65 when I'm home. As far as ease and cost, would I be better off using glass tanks or making cages for them? My main concern with building something is the risk of fire.

[angllady2]

With room temps that cool, your only option if you want to keep them and keep them healthy is to invest in a small room heater and have a dedicated snake room you can keep warmer. Even with belly heat, those rooms temps are too cold and you run a real risk of dealing with constant illness because of it. It's a lesson I had to learn the hard way.

Now, as to housing, don't waste your time and money on glass. With your temps, that is the worst thing you can do. You best bet is a simple yet functional rack system with plastic tubs. Now, I don't know exactly where you mean by Tundra, but I am guessing you can't just make a run to the local wal-Mart or Home Depot to get what you need. Wooden frame racks, built DIY and done right, are lightweight, sturdy, and inexpensive. They can be modified if needed by moving the shelves up or down, which is something a pre-made rack like Animal Plastics cannot do. Heat tape, also known as Flexwatt, is ideal for heating. It can be run the length of each shelf, multiple strips can be wired together and then into a single cord which will run to your thermostat.

Plastic tubs are good for housing, they hold humidity much better than glass, and have the added benefit of locking lids based on what style you buy. An added bonus is, you can make your rack to fit a certain height of tub, for when your snakes are adults, and if you buy locking lid tubs, everything from hatchlings to adults can be housed on the same rack. That's how our system works.

Most of these things can be ordered online if necessary. And if you spend some time looking through the DIY Forum here, there are LOTS of great ideas and plans for making racks, running Flexwatt, wiring, and most everything else you'd need to build your own rack, minus some basic carpentry skills, and some electrician skills. My husband built all three of our racks, each one complete including heat and tubs were under $100 each. Minus the thermostats.

As to the fire risk. Yes it is there. Anytime you work with electricity there is risk. You minimize the risk by purchasing quality heat sources, whether heat tape or under tank heat pads. You also invest in a high quality thermostat, cheap ones tend to malfunction and this greatly increases the risk of fire or damage to tubs and snakes. If you choose to use heat tape, there are good videos here to show you the best way to wire it to minimize the risk of fire. Of course, if you are less than confident in your ability to wire something and have it be safe and work correctly, you can use under tank heat pads and a power strip to plug them in.

Since you have a few months to get ready, you can purchase supplies a little at a time, and still have everything ready by the time your new babies come home.

Congratulations by the way, and welcome to the wonderful world of Ball Python Addiction.

Gale

[SoapDish]

Thank you for your help Gale, By "Tundra" I mean Northern Wisconsin. We do have a Walmart near by and the closest Home Depot is 70 miles away. A room heater is a great idea. I didn't think of it because I never use them. I had it in my head that I would need to use UTH and ceramic heaters. I like your idea of heating the room that simplifies everything. I have been looking through the IDY section and the amount of info is almost overwhelming. Thankfully I have plenty of time. There is a design I had been looking at using the white or black precut shelves that looks nice and seems to be easy to make. I'll keep looking though and see if there is one that might work better for me. Thanks again for the ideas and info

[jplehmann]

angllady2 would you mind posting a link to a kind of wood design rack you guys are building that is under $100 with tubs? That sounds like a great cost.