My Boa Room

[Nefarion]

I got my new Rhinoraxx ballroom rack in last week and am really liking the way my boa room is looking these days. No more stupid glass tanks... no more spraying constantly to keep humidity up ... no more worrying about temps.

My boa room consists of:

1 - 322D Boaphileplastics cage. 3 Feet long, 17.5 inches high. It has double heat, expandable end, and light installed. Highly reccomended cages.

2 - 4ft Moonstruck cages that are basicly double 2ft cages that can be expanded to 4ft. Heat tape is in the middle which heats both sides. Wont be buying anymore of these and I reccomend you all stay far far away from them. PM me if you want details.

1 - BallRoom RhinoRaxx. Holds 4 good sized boas. Keeps temps/humidity perfectly, excellent gradient. Highly reccomended racks.

Here is the whole room. Ballroomrack on the right, moonstrucks in the middle, boaphile on the left.







Here is the RhinoRack and the Moonstruck.

The top left corner of the moonstruck is housing my Arabesque Albino Female; top right corner is housing my Harlequin Female; bottom left corner is housing my Scarlet Hypo Female; bottom right corner is housing my Salmon Male I got from Mrivera.

The RhinoRack is housing my Dubay Pastel female, Argentine Female, Het Albino Male (ph stripe), and Het Albino Male (Coral Litter).





Here is the RhinoRack. This thing is AWESOME.



Here is the temperature guage in my boaphile cage. Housed in the boaphile cage is my 2001 EBV Female. Amazing cage .. fit for an amazing boa ;D. I use velcro to attack my temperature guages inside each different type of cage. Makes it easy to monitor temperatures. All my cages ambient temps stay within 2 degrees of each other. The door looks dirty because she is in shed and I sprayed a few times in there... got all over the door and the flash really lights it up. All my cages stay sqeaky clean, no worries .



Here are the temps in the moonstruck



Here are the temps in the rhinorack. Hot side is a little warmer than I want it, still getting the probe placement exactly how I want it. Its a long reach way down to the heat tape in this rack. Hot side isnt getting any hotter then that though, thats its peak. Using one of Jeff stats for this rhinorack.



This is the BigApple BAH T-Stat I have controlling my boaphile at this point. This is just a budget thermostat that I plan on phasing out at a later date. I want all proportional (helix) T-Stats on my cages eventually. The ranco stat will eventually be used for my space heaters.



Here is the top of my moonstruck cage. Notice the screws sticking up in the middle. I got lazy and just screwed my lights in threw the top. This cage will have to be on the top of the stack always... no biggie . I waited for months on moonstruck to send me mounting pads to glue up in the top... got tired of waiting. Anyhow, the helix is closest... it is controlling the moonstruck cages. Jeff's ranco t-stat is on the end controlling the rack.



This is the convection heater I use to keep the boa room warm. Its an excellent heater, completely silent but works great. Built in T-Stat on it is decent.



Here is my quarantine room. The melamine rack I build is being used in there. I have one boa in here, my Argentine/Colombian Coral Albino Male. He got traded a few weeks back, I ended up trading him back. Upon return I had to put him in quarantine. I like this rack I built... its no rhinorack but it works. 4 inch heat tape in the back. Keeps temps really well. I also put lights in it which is really nice (floros in the back, when i slide the tubs to the back they hit the floros mounted to the ceiling on each level).



And thats it. This is just the begining I assure you . I will have stacks and stacks eventually. All boaphile cages and Rhinoraxx. Im going to finish off that moonstruck stack with some jungle cages or something of that nature (boaphiles are slightly smaller, wont stack correctly.. otherwise id finish it off with boaphiles).

	Heterozygous Heterozygous - the animal carries the gene for a genetic trait but does not outwardly demonstrate the trait. Example: A boa that is het for albino looks normal but carries the albino gene. When it is bred to another het for albino boa or an albino boa, a percentage of the offspring will be albino.

	Hypomelanistic Hypomelanistic - a genetic reduction in the dark pigment Melanin.

	East Bay Vivarium East Bay Vivarium - Specializes in the captive production of a wide selection of reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids. Located in Berkeley California

[ssscales]

Looks like your on your way! I'm in the process of expanding my reptile room with some more 4X2's, 3X2's, neo rubbermaid racks and yearling racks.

[Stormyva]

Very nice setup!

[The Big Squeeze]

Very nice enclosures you guys...!

[challenger]

What a relief-I thought I was the only obsessed RTB keeper.
I have a friend that owes me a favor and runs a rather large cabinet shop that makes commercial cabinets. I would like any input on a multi size enclosure. It can be 6' X 6' easy. I'd like recommendations on how to Humidify,heat,partition & size the project. It will be made from white melamine. I'm using precision right now and am thrilled-w-them and recommend them highly but I got a freebee comming and plan on a breeding program in the next several years. Thanks for any help.

[ssscales]

I love Melamine, weight is an issue for some, but I have mine on wheels and don't move them too often. I've used Melamine for over 5 years and have not had any issues. I seal all the edges and check seal periodically. I heat my enclosures with Flexwatt, humidity is managed thru humidity boxes when needed.

So far, so good.

[futureCROChunter]

Awesome setups guys!! Those looks great!
Hey Nafarion, for your quarantine rack system, did you measure the tubs you got and just built it so they fit perfectly in?
These aren't snake cages, these are my beardie cages, but I also LOVE melamine and i just wanted to show my melamine cages(w/plexi glass sliding doors in the front)

*TURN YOUR HEAD SIDEWAYS, lol*






Again, great setups/rooms guys!
Steven

[jonjpl]

WOW guys, all of the setups look GREAT. I have a question though. Its about handling, I've seen pictures of setups where people have alot of snakes. I know that you have to handle a snake to keep it tame, how do you find the time to handle all of these guys everyday? Do you have to handle everyday to keep a snake tame, every other day, a couple times a week....???? How often do you really have to handle to keep a snake like a BCI or Burmese tame?

Thanks,
james

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[Nefarion]

Thanks for the compliments everyone.

ssscales: Awesome setup! Looks like you got quite a few.

On the melamine: I have heard of people who used melamine for reptile cages long term and they rotted out. Jeff Ronne and Clay English I believe both noted this. I have no experienced it first hand.

futureCROChunter: Actually I screwed in the sides to the bottom first. Then I put the tubs in and sat the shelf on the tubs... then drew a line on the walls from the shelf thats resting on the tubs. I then took the shelf/tubs out and drilled holes slightly above that line and then screwed in the shelf.

I used 4 inch flex watt on the bottom for heating (in the back). I also installed 3 - 20 inch florescants in the back, the tubs actually slide back and hit the lights. I put a back on it to make it look nice and help support it all.

Here is a pic I took when building it:

[jonjpl]

Anyone have any input on the "handling" question??? Anyone, Please ! ! : ))

[ssscales]

I handle the younger snakes twice a week a side from cleaning. The adults get handled about once a week a side from cleaning. I usually handle them for 10-15 minutes at a session.

Nefarion: as for the melamine rotting, I've known a few guys to use it and have it swell on them within a year. I've used melamine for over 5 years and haven't had any complaints. I always maintain them very clean, very simple set up, any spills or accidents are cleaned up quickly and I re-seal the edges every other year or so to be on the safe side. I also cover the bottoms with water proof contact paper.

A 4X2X18 enclosure cost me about $100.00 to build. Compare that to one of those vision enclosures which were about $300.00 + S&H. If I get another 5 years out of these I will be happy. I would definitely build my own cages again.

[challenger]

If U build your own-w-melamine just seal EVERY seam & joint(and scratches were they to occur)-w-a good sealant. I used 3M 5200 marine adhesive. It takes a while to cure but will never need replacement. If moisture gets past the melamine to the particle board core it is toast.