Homemade tub setup

[skimo281]

I've been lurking for about a week and decided it was a good time for my first post. I got my first ball python less than a month ago and it seems like a hobby that's going to get out of control fast. Over the weekend I took the family to Repticon which resulted in another addition to the family. My first one is housed in a glass aquarium but knowing I could potentially be adding several more to my collection I decided to go with a tub setup. Now my first ball is doing awesome and is an amazing eater so I'm kind of nervous about switching her around but hopefully it's a smooth transition.

I came across a 4 tier shelf at walmart for 20 bucks which will allow me to have three 7qt, two 15qt or one 32 locking lid sterilite per level. It's not the best use of space, but for the price especially considering it looks decent right out of the box and requires no tools to assemble I think it's hard to beat. I'm waiting on my order from basicreptiles which includes a 10' roll of 6" heat tape and a vivarium ve200. The plan is to run 26 inch strips across each level for the 9 and 15 qt tubs. The depth of the shelves gives me some room to slide them forward or back to adjust amount of heat.

Does this sound like a decent setup for the amount of money I've spent? I spent probably all day yesterday reading about appropriate tub spaces based on the size of the snake and it seems like everybody has a different opinion. For now both of my snakes are under 200 grams so I think 7qt will be good for awhile. I'm still not sure if I'll go to 15qt then 32qt or just straight to 32qt. Sorry for rambling just getting excited to get them in a new setup with the possibility of adding more. Hell I can add another shelve with tubs and heat for under 50 bucks.

[Ax01]

lol that rack is no beauty but if u get wiring set-up, sure it will be functional. i would start off with some holes in each individual tub and add more to correct temps/humidity. also if possible, u should think about covering the back and sides. adding some darkness or covering would help your BP's feel more secure.

also those are 7quart tubs? looks at least 15. maybe they're just tall.

[skimo281]

I'm still undecided on what to do for the sides but how well it holds heat will help me decide later this week. Also I couldn't find a good answer on how many holes per tub so I figured I'd wait until the heat tape arrived and experiment from there. The dimensions of the tubs are 14 3/8 x 8 1/4 x 6.

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[Ax01]

the holes in the tub depends on alotta factors. your geographic location and climate, room temp and humidity, etc. etc. that's why it's recommended to make a few holes, let the temp and humidity stabilize and add additional holes from there to get the ideal settings for a BP. also temps and humidity will also vary by seasons. so if u have too many holes than needed, u can actually cover it up with something like duct tape.

[skimo281]

In my glass tank I have a digital thermometer that also reads humidity. Is this something I should worry about in my tubs? For humidity if I really need a constant reading I was going to go with an analog setup like cigar boxes use but a lot of people don't seem to bother with it in tubs. The humidity now runs a pretty constant 50% on the low side and that's with a screen top and heat lamp so I figured I wouldn't need to worry about it with a more efficient setup.

[bcr229]

Nothing wrong with using commercial shelving units to make snake racks. You can even cut down the supports between the levels so that the tubs just barely fit, and combine another shelving unit to add more levels, which saves on floor space.

[skimo281]

I've been trying to think of the best way to do this. Each support has a male and female end and they screw together so I can't just cut it down like you would on a plastic shelving unit.

[locolobito]

My Wal-Mart shelf n tub set up. Each tub is 38 liter locking lid. Still got enuff room to go higher.

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[chrid16371]

I've been trying to think of the best way to do this. Each support has a male and female end and they screw together so I can't just cut it down like you would on a plastic shelving unit.

You can't cut them and screw them into the shelves? I'm trying to imagine what your talking about.

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[M.P.C]

You can't cut them and screw them into the shelves? I'm trying to imagine what your talking about.

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It means the ends are threaded and screw into the shelfs instead of smooth like you normally see with plastic shelfs