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Is anyone using the Reptile Basics Racks?

Skeet said:
Don't get me wrong, they were very helpful on the phone and I actualy had a great experience with them. I just thought that I would be able to use the tops too and was disapointed about that. Now that I had some time to look at it and set it up, I am happy with it and I am gonna keep it. I am gonna drill hole through the shelves and lip of the containers and use some sort of clip to lock them in place, I still feel like if the tubs arn't totaly inside they may be able to get out, but it does seem pretty good as is.
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I'm glad you posted this, because I like to use the lids in the racks too. There's just enough clearance in my Animal Plastics racks to use them. I guess if I explore other rack manufacturers, I need to ask if the lids can be used. Thanks.
 
I took some pics to show what I was talking about, but I can't figure out how to put them in a post. If anyone could help me I'd appreciate it.
 
Skeet said:
I took some pics to show what I was talking about, but I can't figure out how to put them in a post. If anyone could help me I'd appreciate it.
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Before you send your post, scroll down to 'Additional Options' and click the 'Manage Attachments' button. This opens a window which allows you to select photos by browsing your computer's folder directories. Just make sure the pics don't exceed 800 pixels wide and 600 pixels high.
 
Ok here we go.
First one is the rack. Second is where the shelf meets the lip(looks like a bigger gap in person). Then there's cypher my 04 male anery in his new bin. Last is Mel my 04 female amel/motley in her's.
 

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I like the looks of them. Doesn't look like a big enough gap for larger snakes to escape. I would love to see pics of the baby (12 bin) rack in use.
 
I don't know; I like lids. I have all these crazy ideas, several of them impossible by the laws of physics, that make lidless too unsettling for me. That gap looks too small even for a hatchling, but is there any way a large corn could brace itself in the tub and push up and back on the rack shelf ceiling with enough force to push the tub out, even a little? I realize that a snake is unlikely to get much grip on the ceiling, but...

Thanks for posting the pics.
 
I hear you, dude. Thats why I'm gonna get something that i can put through the bin and shelf to lock it in place. i feel it'll be too easy to not have pushed the lid far enough in, and they be able to get out. I need a saftey, or some kind of lock to make sure a friend doesn't leave it open not knowing or something.
 
ultimuttone said:
Dean, you really are paranoid!;)
Click to expand...

Be careful what you type to me Traci; THEY're always monitoring me...

How about this scenario:

Your cat hooks a claw into a ventilation hole, or under the lip of the lid, and pulls it out just far enough to facilitate an escape. Could happen, right? Or should I start looking into therapy? (Don't answer the latter question. ;) )
 
Well, it looks good :)

Does anyone other than me wish that there were some nicer big tubs? Doesn't life get boring living in such a short tub with nothing to do but eat and drink?

But anyway, as racks go this one looks terrific! May I ask what the mess of cords is on the first pic? Tell me you only have to have one plug to heat the rack? This is my main selling point to my husband on building my rack is that I will be able to cut down to just two plugs, one for a rope light, one for flexmatt...


Rebecca
 
pgr8dnlvr said:
May I ask what the mess of cords is on the first pic? Tell me you only have to have one plug to heat the rack? This is my main selling point to my husband on building my rack is that I will be able to cut down to just two plugs, one for a rope light, one for flexmatt...


Rebecca
Click to expand...

don't worry....those were all the old cords and dimmers, from the old fish tanks. Just one plug for the rack. I do wish they had a bigger sized tub, but it looks like its pretty roomy just not very tall.
 
pgr8dnlvr said:
Does anyone other than me wish that there were some nicer big tubs? Doesn't life get boring living in such a short tub with nothing to do but eat and drink?
Click to expand...

There are nicer, bigger tubs out there, and you can always build or custom order a rack to accommodate. My largest corn is just under 400g, so 32qt. Sterilite is fine for my whole collection-- for now. I just can't see a 1,000g+ giant like Blutengel's Miami in a 32qt. If I need larger than 32qt, I might look into large Iris tubs to use as stand-alone vivs; I like the idea that they're transparent. I'm hooked on plastic, and I'll never go back to glass. I shudder at the memory of my 45 gallon tall tank in which I once kept a group of corns. What a beast to handle and clean properly. It made cutting corners in hygiene very tempting. You could lift a similar volume tub with one finger.
 
Roy Munson said:
but is there any way a large corn could brace itself in the tub and push up and back on the rack shelf ceiling with enough force to push the tub out, even a little? I realize that a snake is unlikely to get much grip on the ceiling, but..
Click to expand...
Dean,

Go to Drizzt80's website www.Dakotacorns.com and click on cages/housing. Looks like he places a dowel in front of his tubs to keep his "push up" capable snakes in their respective tubs.:grin01:
 
dwyn127 said:
Dean,

Go to Drizzt80's website www.Dakotacorns.com and click on cages/housing. Looks like he places a dowel in front of his tubs to keep his "push up" capable snakes in their respective tubs.:grin01:
Click to expand...

Thanks Danny. If I ever go lidless, I'll have to do something like that.
 
I thought that was the whole point of a rack, to negate the need for lids?

After having dealt with tubs with lids for a few years now, and this year being my most escaped year (6 snakes out, 3 still MIA) I am looking to get away from lids altogether. Lids are just another distraction I don't need anymore, aside from cleaning or temporary housing.

I seriously doubt most corns could push the tubs out of the shelves. Their means of escape would generally have "external help" if they did happen to escape that way, i.e. cats, you not pushing it back all the way, etc. And even then in the hatchling rack, most hatchlings lack the strength needed to pull that kind of stunt off.

The smallest tub I keep my adults in is a 34.75" x 16.5" x 6" anyway, I don't like cramming them into smaller tubs in order to suit my convenience. While many many people keep their adults in tubs that commonly fit in racks, I don't feel proper doing that. If I'm going to own beautiful snakes, I want to be able to see them and enjoy them. Not treat them like another sock drawer. So the sweaterbox rack they have may be useful for juveniles/yearlings that I'm not ready to spend the money on a complete display cage for yet.

I am really eager to try out the hatchling rack. As it'd free up much needed table space in my spare bedroom and perhaps even facilitate the move to the basement since its got a heatsource already with it. One of these days I'm going to have all of my snakes in the basement. I'm sick of freaking out and packing everyone to the basement in the event of severe weather. Plus, it'd be nice to not creep non-snake loving guests out by sleeping in a room with 50 snakes.

For those of you with the hatchling racks already, which thermostat did you use? I'm a total newbie at thermostats. But I'm guessing you take the plug on the rack and plug it into the thermostat, probe set in a tub to the highest temp and voila. I'm sure its terribly easy when you've got one in front of you to practice on. Also, do most thermostats come ready to use? For some reason I have this idea that they don't come wired.
 
Taceas said:
I thought that was the whole point of a rack, to negate the need for lids?
Click to expand...

For some, maybe. For me, the rack is another level of security. There is no concievable way for a corn to escape a lidded, racked tub. You could stuff a small anaconda into a lidded tub, and it could not escape. I like that level of security. Maybe that's why out of dozens of corns over a score of years, I've never had a single corn escape.
 
Roy, your message somehow got cut off at the end and I couldn't understand what you were saying... are you pro-lid?

Does anyone know how big the tubs are that Cathy Love keeps her adults in?

Any experienced breeders out there that can tell me what size they have their adults in and if they are happy with the size?

I can't find the 34" tubs you were talking about... All I can find are the 30 X 16 X 6 out here in bc canada.... Do you feel that the 34" tubs are big enough? How do you feel about the 6" dimension?

Thanks guys, I am so interested in these debates, don't worry I know that it boils down to personal opinion and what YOU are comfortable with, I just want a general feel from the herp society. I want to design my rack right the first time, take a bit of the trial and error out of it at least! :)

Rebecca
 
For the paranoids in the audience, how about some little wooden shims, sort of like a tiny wooden door stop. Put a tiny piece of double stick tape or rubberized shelf covering toward the wide end, and it isn't going anywhere, no matter how hard the corn pushes. Unless, like me, you have a cat with thumbs....

I'm not paranoid....and they are out to get me.
 
pgr8dnlvr said:
Roy, your message somehow got cut off at the end and I couldn't understand what you were saying... are you pro-lid?

Does anyone know how big the tubs are that Cathy Love keeps her adults in?

Any experienced breeders out there that can tell me what size they have their adults in and if they are happy with the size?

I can't find the 34" tubs you were talking about... All I can find are the 30 X 16 X 6 out here in bc canada.... Do you feel that the 34" tubs are big enough? How do you feel about the 6" dimension?

Thanks guys, I am so interested in these debates, don't worry I know that it boils down to personal opinion and what YOU are comfortable with, I just want a general feel from the herp society. I want to design my rack right the first time, take a bit of the trial and error out of it at least! :)

Rebecca
Click to expand...

I'm pro-lid for me, Rebecca, but people have good reasons for wanting to go lidless in their racks. I'm a worrier, so peace of mind is important to me, but I think that some of the lidless security suggestions in this thread would work out fine. I don't find the lids inconvenient in any way, so I prefer to keep using them.

I don't know what Kathy uses, but I do know that she went to bigger tubs at some point to allow more exercise opportunites for her adults. I guess this was in response to muscle tone issues surrounding egg laying/binding.

My local Target store has the best selection of Rubbermaid and Sterilite around, but I don't think they carry Iris.

They say a 20 gallon long tank can accommodate even a large adult, so you could use those dimensions (30"x12"x13") to make a decision as to what tub size you may want to use. Floor space is more important than vertical space, but I know that I would like a little more vertical space for a large adult than the 6" provided by a Sterilite 32qt.
 
I am looking at going to a rack system (4 corns, 1 Black Rat, 1 Dekay). I will probably build my own.

I LOVE the looks of those pictured and linked here, but It is hard for me to pay over $200 for 10 or so pieces of plywood or equivalent plastic or melamine. They are making a HUGE profit on those things!

I could see paying $125 or so plus shipping, but that is where I draw the line. Any bit of skill could build the same thing for around $60.

I might even use metal wire shelving for my racks, with 1x2's as support. With Flexwatt and Tubs I am looking at a total of about $70. Paint the support boards gloss black, and you have one pretty good-looking piece of snake-ware there.

I wish I could afford to just buy one, but that extra money buys a lot of Aspen and Mice (or another snake :rolleyes: ).

They sure do look great, though! I envy those of you that have them.
 
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