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Is anyone using the Reptile Basics Racks?

I posted a thread in my forum about what type of containers I use for my adults, they are the IRIS CB-110. They are 39L by 19W by 6 1/2 tall. I love them, and so do the snakes. There are plenty of bigger tubs out there, but the IRIS tubs are now my favorite due to clarity and ease of cleaning (they dont have those indentations on the bottom that are sometimes impossible to get into)
And I managed to find them at my local Sams Club, for about $10 each.
 
I moved my new 3 month old hatchling into the adult rack, and there is no way he's getting out. These racks are really made well, they really surpassed my expectations. I drilled holes through both the shelves and tubs and put a clamp through it, now it is completely imposible for anyone to escape.
 
I just thought I'd add my feedback from the new Reptile Basics hatchling rack I received for Christmas from dear hubby.

I've gotten hatchlings moved into it, and I can say I am truly pleased with the quality of the workmanship and the overall appearance of it. And after having hatchlings in it for a week and when feeding day came, wow, I couldn't be happier. I was so sick of having to: unstack tubs, remove 2 rubberbands, lift lids, plop mouse in/add water, re-lid, re-add rubberbands without spilling water, and re-stack. The rack was poetry in motion, slide tub out, drop in/fill up, slide tub back in.

Unlike some folks, I don't have anal-retentive paranoia about tub security in a rack. It would take a truly talented snake to be able to slide a tub out, I imagine. ;)

Not to mention how much I adore Iris tubs. I picked up a couple boxes of 12 shoeboxes from a Montana Costco last year and Fedex'ed them to myself. They're very clear, a nice inside dimension, and like DevilzNight said, cleaning them is a breeze compared to Sterilites/Rubbermaids. Now if only I could find larger ones for my larger snakes locally.

Anyway, I see myself ordering more of the hatchling racks, and with the heat included, you can't beat the price. As for their juvi/adult rack, I don't like the tubs only showing the short side, I like to see ALL of my snake's tub, not just the smallest portion. So not too sure about if I'd venture on one of those just yet. Plus, it'd stick out quite a ways, and I like most of my longer tubs to be along the wall to minimize the space. So we'll see.

Other than that, two thumbs up on the hatchling rack.
 
Well, after going to the hardware store and figuring out design and materials and labor and flexwatt and and time and such....

I decided to order from Reptile Basics as well. Should be in this week.

Animal Plastics was a bit overpriced for me, considering they don't include tubs.

Vision is nice, but again - more expensive.

Another I looked at, nsreptiles, which got great reviews, only had 3 tubs instead of the 4 on the Reptile Basics. Though I loved the bigger tubs offered I wish it would have had 4 slots and not taken 3 or more weeks for a custom order.


I can't wait to get my reptile basics adult rack. I plan on buying another in a few months to stack on top of it. For $199, it was worth my time to buy it.
 
Roy, here's how I "lock" my racks:
racks.jpg


rack_close.jpg


Overlook all of the stuff on top of the racks. I'm still working on my building and racks so my tools are laying around everywhere.
 
knox said:
Sweet set-up! I need to take a little trip to your area of the Volunteer State :).
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LOL...you might not leave empty handed if you come for a visit! ;) All of these babies can be quite hard to resist!
 
Nice racks Terri, I like the clean symmetrical look. Maybe I'm just picky, but I detest the thought of having mismatched stuff. With my upstairs house furniture, that's fine, antiques go together whether they're Shaker or just some handmade cabinet from Western Kentucky. New stuff however, doesn't, sad to say.

Sure anyone can build with plywood, but seeing as how expensive wood is in general after the year's prodigious hurricanes, melamine might actually be cheaper, lol.

Made them yourself eh? Share some plans/tips/tricks perhaps? ;)

And everyone has junk sitting around in their snake room. I've got baskets/boxes/tubs/towels/hemostats/tweezers/etc. Looks like a twister went through a dollar store sometimes.

My main obstacle is going to be figuring out how to wire flexwatt and thermostats. I am electrically challenged. How many people do you know that touch a metal light switch cover twice to make sure that was what shocked you or if it was a pinched nerve in your elbow. :rolleyes:

But at least I get it honest, dad was wiring up our polebarn and he accidently touched the metal screwdriver tip to one of the hot wires while wiring up a new breaker, and Bzzt. I now have a partially melted and blue metal screwdriver.
 
Thanks Misty! I will admit that not all of mine match, but they still look OK. I eventually hope to have all melamine racks because they will match. I did build some plain racks for the snakes that are in brumation right now. By the way, two of the adult racks cost me less than $200.

The flexwatt is not very hard to wire. The biggest problem I have with melamine racks is that they are SO heavy! I'll try to put together some plans for you Misty. I've been working a lot of overtime, however, so it may take some time.

Glad to know I'm not the only one with junk sitting around...LOL
 
GOOOOOOOOOOOORGEOUS!!! I LOVE your racks! The heat is coming from the back right? What size tubs are those you have in there? I'm drooling, almost as much as I did at Cavman's racks! I can't wait to get mine put together! :)

Rebecca
 
pgr8dnlvr said:
GOOOOOOOOOOOORGEOUS!!! I LOVE your racks! The heat is coming from the back right? What size tubs are those you have in there? I'm drooling, almost as much as I did at Cavman's racks! I can't wait to get mine put together! :)

Rebecca
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Are you talking about mine? If so, thanks! I have the 28 quart tubs in the pictured racks. I also have some that hold the 41 quart tubs. I'll try to get a picture of one of them soon. I tried using the lids with the big racks, but didn't have enough room to have the lid on the top one. I ended up using 2 locks on it and it works great. The rest of the racks were made without lids. It is SO much easier to feed/ spot clean, etc. when I am not having to fight with lids!
 
Yep, it was your work of art I was oggling over. If you don't mind my asking what are the measurements of the 28 quart tubs? Have you been breeding corns long? At what age do you move your snakes to bigger tubs and what is the largest tub you use with your adults?

Thanks so much
Rebecca
 
Well I'm not Terri, but the 28qts she uses look to be the same ones I use. The model number is 1856. The dimensions are: 22 ¾" x 16 ½" x 5 ½".

However, Sterilite has a new model set out, 1956 would be the new 28qt with dimensions of 23" x 16 ¾" x 5 7/8".

For me, they're too small for a typical adult corn snake. It just seems extremely cramped to me. Plus, if they were to have a monstrous poo, there would be no avoiding it. There just isn't enough room in there for a single hide, water bowl, and an adult snake. I'm sure some people do it, I don't.

I use the 28qts for juveniles and small adults. It seems to fit them comfortably. However, if you're not using them in a rack, the lids are extremely flimsy and when coupled with a smaller statured snake, the risk for escapes are a lot higher. Trust me there. :rolleyes:

Picture of my 2003 Hypo Lavender in a 28qt (Yes, I know she's small. Its seemingly beyond my control as she eats like a horse, just grows slowly)
28qt.jpg


I don't think there is a "set age" to move them up. Move them up when they're looking cramped in their current container.

I typically move hatchlings out of their shoeboxes when they're feeding on fuzzies, then they go into 12qt Sterilites. When they're feeding on weaners or small adults they go into a 28qt. When they're handling adult or large adult mice, they go into my 41qts or the 96qts (I believe it is). I can't find the 96qts anymore. They have the same footprint as the 41's, but are like 18" tall, rather than 6" tall.

You can see the 96's on the left of this picture, the 41's are holding adults in brumation atm:
TubArrangement.jpg


Hope that answers your questions. =)
 
This may have been addressed already, but I am too lazy to look through 6 pages right now :p
I am really considering these racks. However I don't yet have the space for 30+ full size tubs and I would like to be able use a midsize tub for yearlings. Would you be able to fit say 6-12qt tubs in the hatchling rack? Or something similar?
 
Thanks Taceas! You answered the questions perfectly and I LOVE the pics! :) What is the footprint in inches of the largest tubs you use may I ask? Do you have a rack built for them as well or do you just heat the room they are in?

Thanks
Rebecca
 
Hey I just wanted to resurrect this thread for the purpose of hearing about how these racks have been working out for everyone. I am currently interested in purchasing a few racks of my own, and this is one of the kinds ive been looking at.

Has anyone had any escapes? The no lids does bother me, but i am willing to give it a chance or at least put fasteners. A few people that are so adimate about no lids also seem to be a little more liberal about escapes, but I am definitely not haha. If it works though, then I have no reason not to buy into it which is one reason why i'd like some comments from people. :)

Also, how comfortable is a year old corn in these? I'd like to purchase the rack for juvies and adults sometime this summer for my '05 corns.

Any comments would be great...this is a very educational thread. Thanks
 
So far, I still love mine. Don't know how I ever lived without a rack. I don't see how a cornsnake (especially a hatchling) could ever manage to push a tub out, so I'm not OCD about the no-lids thing unlike Mr. Dean. ;)

But it makes general care a breeze compared to un-doing two rubber bands holding the lids on my other Iris shoeboxes. By the time you do this by yourself, you've spilled the water you just filled up.

I'm saving up for another hatchling rack before breeding season, only $40 more dollars and I'm there. And thanks to the Helix thermostat my husband got me for my birthday, I'll be closer to finally getting "people" to the basement where I have room to make a mess without occupying the spare bedroom.

On a side note, the hatchlings in the rack are a lot more aggressive feeders than they were in a mostly clear box or compared to those of mine still in the boxes w/ lids. I don't know if the darkness really has anything to do with it, but they seem to feed a lot more consistently and more coiling than you typically see with youngins.
 
Interesting, and how about the one year old corn question? Do you think a one year old corn anywhere between 15-26 inches or so would be comfortable?
 
jzal8 said:
Interesting, and how about the one year old corn question? Do you think a one year old corn anywhere between 15-26 inches or so would be comfortable?
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Just to ask again, can anyone give me their input, and other user experience as well?
 
I was wondering about this as well. Is the hatchling rack too small for juveniles? Does the adult rack have too much space between the top and rum for the little ones?
 
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