Melamine Racks

[FatBoy]

How many of you have concerns about useing melamine racks with your bp's?
Reptile Radio featured the Snakekeeper and Dan expressed some concerns about safty due to chemicals. What do you think?
Yes...I have concerns
No....I do not have concerns
I have no idea...self explanitory

[mooingtricycle]

Lots of people have been using them for years.

I never had any problems when i had mine.

I think with adequate ventilation, its not much of an issue.

[nixer]

i have not really heard that clip, but they had some stuff about it on the local radio about it. they add this too many foods to add empty protein(aka filler) while im sure its not healthy to ingest it ground up i still have yet to see any papers on it used in a product thats not typically ingested. as for the chemicals added to the melamine some are toxic.


on another note did they say anything about asbestos in vermiculite! that just plain causes cancer in everything!

personally i dont use it. i didnt vote because i have yet to see any studies or fact other than their word, which isnt really questionable, but i like to go upon more fact than word due to the amount of ppl that have used this stuff for many many years

[AjBalls]

I have a 20 (or 24) slot hatchling rack made of melamine. It was good at first, but then the top shelf has seen to been sagging and its quite hard to pull out the middle tubs on the top row.

I'm just saving up for an ARS hatchling rack...

[MarkS]

The problem that has been stated is the off gassing of formaldehyde. This isn't a problem with the melamine itself (the melamine part is the plastic resin coating), but with ALL particle boards. As I stated in the other thread you have particle board already throughout your house. Cabinets, parts of many pieces of furniture, your counter tops, the underlayment on your floors, all have pieces or are entirely made of particle board. It's kind of hard to get away from.

However I don't doubt that newly manufactured particle boards may contain much higher levels of formaldehyde then stuff that's been around for a while. If you have any worries, you may want to leave your racks in the garage for a month or so after you've built them to allow most of the off gassing to occur in a ventilated area.

Here is an interesting web site that may prove helpful.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/e...rmaldehyde.htm

[MDB]

The problem that has been stated is the off gassing of formaldehyde. This isn't a problem with the melamine itself (the melamine part is the plastic resin coating), but with ALL particle boards. As I stated in the other thread you have particle board already throughout your house. Cabinets, parts of many pieces of furniture, your counter tops, the underlayment on your floors, all have pieces or are entirely made of particle board. It's kind of hard to get away from.

However I don't doubt that newly manufactured particle boards may contain much higher levels of formaldehyde then stuff that's been around for a while. If you have any worries, you may want to leave your racks in the garage for a month or so after you've built them to allow most of the off gassing to occur in a ventilated area.

Here is an interesting web site that may prove helpful.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/e...rmaldehyde.htm

I thought I was concerned until I read MarkS original post in another thread. All of my racks are made of melamine, and I have read members post that have had their 15-20year old ball pythons in the same rack their whole life with absolutely no problems, and they are made of melamine. I say we call mythbusters,lol. But seriously they is no health issue and the link that Mark posted proves this.

[Patrick Long]

I met The Snake Keeper in person, and he is ONE RUDE SOB.

I can see why he talks down on melamine, he doesnt make it.



I was just trying to shoot the breeze with him and talk about new morphs that were comin up and he goes...no joke people

"ITS ALL CRAP. THERE IS NOTHING NEW AND EXCITING ON THE MARKET EXCEPT MY TRI-STRIPE."


I can say with great pride, that I will NEVER buy anything from him.

[MDB]

can somebody post a link to that specific radio show. Thanks in advance

[anendeloflorien]

I say we call mythbusters,lol.

YES! Love that show.....

But seriously, while I am somewhat concerned about this as I do have my hatchling and sub-adult colubrids in a melamine rack that I made I haven't seen any adverse effects from them being in there, the room is adequately ventilated and all the tubs are ventilated so that probably helps.

However, even though people are saying that they've had their snakes in melamine racks for 15-20 years I'm sure that there's different manufacturers of melamine who use different preparation methods and possibly more or less formaldehyde in their processing. It would be interesting to see if there is anything behind this just for my own peace of mind.

[MDB]

YES! Love that show.....

But seriously, while I am somewhat concerned about this as I do have my hatchling and sub-adult colubrids in a melamine rack that I made I haven't seen any adverse effects from them being in there, the room is adequately ventilated and all the tubs are ventilated so that probably helps.

However, even though people are saying that they've had their snakes in melamine racks for 15-20 years I'm sure that there's different manufacturers of melamine who use different preparation methods and possibly more or less formaldehyde in their processing. It would be interesting to see if there is anything behind this just for my own peace of mind.

well now that you put it that way, lol. Yes I wouldnt mind knowing myself. Do you think mythbusters would actualy do it? and if so how would we go about getting it on the show.