hatchling rack idea...will it work?

[Kels88]

So hubby and I are looking to rig up something cost & space effective for about a clutch worth of hatchlings. It also has to be 99.999% escape proof for the sake of the other people in our apt building.
We were at Michael's last night (craft and hobby store, fyi) and found something interesting :idea:
It's one of those stacked plastic drawer things, but each drawer is made to easily slide completely out and has a latching lid.
There are 6 drawers, just over 1'x1' ea., about 3" deep (made to hold scrapbook paper & whatnot).
We would put a divider, front to back, in each one and run heat tape underneath along the divider. We would also put in temporary dividers horizontally to give us room for 24 neonates. those dividers could be removed to give us space for 12 snakes up to about 2.5 ft.
It's $70, but they frequently have a 40% off one item thing in the ad. That puts me at $42 plus heat costs for 24 snakes.
there isn't a pic of the shelf online, but I made one on paint that may be helpful (or at least mildly entertaining) for the visual people out there.

Anyone see major flaws in the plan?

 

[Kels88]

 

[Feuerhak]

I like the purple one

 

[Crimson.Dawn]

sounds like the same storage thing that's at target for 20$ would u like a link?

 

[Kels88]

sure!
The only difference between this one and the others I've seen are the individual lids and that the drawers slide out instead of "locking".
But if there's one like it at target for cheaper that would be AWESOME

 

[Crimson.Dawn]

http://www.target.com/Sterilite-7-D...-bin,target_com_size-bin,target_com_brand-bin long lik, this one locks too

 

[Asbit]

Having looked at the target link, the only concern that comes to mind for me is the possibility of over heating.

If you have 7 drawer/boxes, slid in place that means that 6 of them will have heat tape under and directly above them. Thus I would be concerned that with out a traditional rack divider(ie: a wood product) to block the conduction of heat between hatchling units, it might be virtually impossible to obtain an optimal heating range.

Now if you had an old book shelf and were going to run a strip of flex watt along the shelf it's self and then place this plastic shelves on it, you would still be looking at approx $20 plus taxes for 28 hatchling units(if you do it the way you mentioned) and then just the flex watt and a thermostat to control the heat tape.

That would leave you with hatcling houses for less than a $1 a piece still nothing to complain about.

My personal opinion I don't feel that 6 inches x 6 inches would be enough room to give much of a thermal gradient, I really can not visualize being able to have a warm hide, a cool hide, a water dish of some sort in that small of a space and that cool hide being able to have much of a different temp. Maybe someone else with breeding experience can chime in and give their experienced opinion, but I know I have bought 6 qt shoe sterilite containers for my hatchling rack.

The other potential problem I see is that using something like that with the snap down lid means that, when you open it you have now opened the hatchling units for 2-4 very quick, very small snakes, all at one time. I see this as a potential risk of loosing hatchlings or injuring them when they are trying to escape as you are trying to close 2-4 units at one time.

 

[Jadie.Glitch]

I've really been wanting to use those drawer racks that you can find at Target or WalMart for a LONG time now and every time I go by that section I test them out to see if they've designed them any sturdier and if they can be used for hatchlings, however I always come to the conclusion that the snakes can push out of the gaps between the drawers.

There's no top on those drawers, just the bottom of the drawer above it that keeps it contained. I reach my hand inside and if I can get my finger through to the outside by pushing gently on the plastic walls then I assume the snake can do the same.

I'm always disappointed when I leave that section because from an outward perspective those seem like the perfect, cheap, attractive solution. I just with they made them fit closer together, or maybe the walls sturdier...

 

[Crimson.Dawn]

I've really been wanting to use those drawer racks that you can find at Target or WalMart for a LONG time now and every time I go by that section I test them out to see if they've designed them any sturdier and if they can be used for hatchlings, however I always come to the conclusion that the snakes can push out of the gaps between the drawers.

There's no top on those drawers, just the bottom of the drawer above it that keeps it contained. I reach my hand inside and if I can get my finger through to the outside by pushing gently on the plastic walls then I assume the snake can do the same.

I'm always disappointed when I leave that section because from an outward perspective those seem like the perfect, cheap, attractive solution. I just with they made them fit closer together, or maybe the walls sturdier...

the on i sent a link too has a snapping hinged lid actually ... which is why i linked it

 

[Kels88]

There's a breeder at the local petstore that used to use the drawers with the gap and then "shoved pizza boxes in the top to close the gap"...apparently it worked for him but I'm leaning toward gladware myself now

 

[germantank22]

I am actually using the target version (with snapping lids) right now. I was able to drill holes in the sides and on the tops of the containers with no problems. I have one hatchling pet right now and she has never been able to get out. My goal is similar in that I plan on dividing each of the drawers, but I will only divide them in half. so thats a 1'x 0.5' section per snake which should probably be adequate for a hatchling.

 

[Lobovasco]

what do you do for heating with the target version?

thanks

literally going to target right now lol

 

[cobained]

not a rack idea, but i saw someone using the divided rubbermaid reusable/disposable rectangles...small side was filled with water, and there's enough room for a hatchling to crawl over the divider even with the lid on. i'm looking in to getting these, and just keeping the room warm (it will be anyways due to impending summer temps). i think they're $2.50 for 2.

 

[germantank22]

for heating, I bought like 23' heat rope from either LLLreptile or petco (don't remember). I first attached some cardboard in between each level so that the heat rope is only touching the bottom of one container (and not the top of the other). Then I taped the heat rope onto the cardboard so that about 1/3 of the container will receive heat. and that's really about it, hook it up to a thermostat and you're good to go.

 

[Stormy]

We tried something like this for a few snakes we got last summer. Needless to say that night we had two escapees. After closer investigation we realized the plastic drawers had to much give between the back of the drawer and the back of the container holding the drawers. There was also an area between the top of the drawer and the stop of the container they could squeeze out of.

 

[Buzzard]

I think its a neat idea. However, (sorry I am play devils advocate) wouldnt it be easier to buy the $1.00 shoe boxes and place them on a shelf with heat tape under or on the back side?

 

[Stormy]

I think its a neat idea. However, (sorry I am play devils advocate) wouldnt it be easier to buy the $1.00 shoe boxes and place them on a shelf with heat tape under or on the back side?

This is what I had planned on doing. And way easier to store them when you are done with them to!

 

[Buzzard]

This is what I had planned on doing. And way easier to store them when you are done with them to!

Exactly, what I do during breeding season.

 

[Naagas]

I know a woman who has boas and uses those drawers- the ones without lids- for her boas.
I didn't know that they made them WITH lids. That is neat. Nice, compact.

They are out of stock at the Target site. How much are they? (It won't show me a price on out of stock items)

 

[germantank22]

Ummm, If I remember correctly they were like $40