Out of curiosity, what EXACTLY do you guys look for in a cage?

[piscivorus]

Out of curiosity, what EXACTLY do you guys look for in a cage?

For everyone who has preferences, tell me your idea of the "perfect plastic cage" and compared to what is out there, tell me what you'd wanna change.

My personal problem with plastic cages is price; it's insane, and I'm not keen on paying over $200 for a cage and then having to put it together. For people with large collections (or small wallets lol), quality plastic cages could cost thousands of dollars and i find it ridiculous that a plastic shelf with sterilite tubs costs as much as it does. The quality is great on some, but is it worth it? Do we NEED bulletproof cages that will last 400 years or will a regular old cage that lasts OUR lifetime (maybe longer) suffice?

The reason I ask is because if the demand is there, I will build them on the side for folks.

I've been building cages for myself for years, out of everything from plywood and MDF to plastic (pvc, HDPE, etc).

The least expensive option for plastic cages seems to be Barr's, but their size selection leaves much to be desired from my perspective.

The way I have made plastic cages in the past (and had no problems at all) is by taking 1/4" HDPE and thermoforming the bottom/back out of one section, then adding a vented top piece (chemically welded on) and then the side pieces (chemically welded on) with either a sliding 1/4" acrylic front or with hinged doors on the front. I've played around with all types of configurations just to maximize my own space and prefer a front opening side and/or bottom hinged door since a sliding front requires space on the sides, which means you move the cage to a place with space each time you open it or you just leave enough space on the sides where it is located. I personally don't have "extra" room and like the swinging front doors.

Now, some will say 1/4" is too thin but I've never had even the hint of an issue and the price isn't bad for a sheet of 1/4" material. Overall, the cage is totally efficient and totally dependable. I personally don't need a cage that could withstand a stampede. It's still more resistant to damage than an all glass aquarium and people have used those for years. It's also very light but completely solid.

I'm gonna take suggestions into account and play around with some of the basic/generic designs and then post some pictures if there is an interest. I just hate that there is so much of a wait for what I consider an overpriced product. The last cage i made would house a 6' snake easily and took all of 45 minutes to construct and after sitting overnight, would be ready to go.

I'd love to be able to offer a quality product capable of withstanding what the average person puts a cage through without all the excess thickness, weight, and durability that really isn't necessary. Some of us don't need or want that and would be better off paying ONLY for what we DO need; a nice, solid, cage design.

Here are the sizes I've used for myself:

12" tall, 24" long, 24" deep (big 2'x2' square, plenty of floor space, adequate head room for non-arboreal species)

36" tall, 24" long, 18" deep (still plenty of floor space with climbing room for arboreal species, but not so tall that heating becomes an issue)

18" tall, 56" long, 24" deep (plenty of room for a large snake and worked great for tortoises under 10" in shell length)

and I've used other sizes to take up any free floor space or to make use of leftovers. I also made a rack that took up 56" wide/56" tall/16" deep of wall space and held enough sterilite tubs to hold 20+ snakes of various sizes; I staggered the tubs so that i could use vent holes on each shelf just to keep the air circulating as much as possible and to cut down on humidity for temperate species. I did a universal vent pattern so that i could swap tubs for larger or smaller snakes and use as much of the space as possible. A lot of tubs are the same height even though some are 16qt and some are 72qt and this came in handy.

[Ranger]

I look for a Boa in a cage!

Seriously now, I look for security, ease of heating & holding humidity, and ease of cleaning. Stackability is a great thing. Boaphiles (my favorite commercial cages) have stacking pins so they line up perfectly. I also look for low wattage flexwatt to reduce fire hazards.

[HARTSOCK]

piscivorus, do you got any pics of your cage..?
I pretty much look for the same as what ranger said, although at this point I don't have any plastic cages for the fact of what you said about them being too expensive. I hope to get a stackable set that is at least 4x2x2 where I can keep my 5 corns and 2 rat snakes in. I realize that for that many I would probably need two sets. As far as the bigger snakes, my boas, they one is in a Boamaster 4 x 2 x 2 and he'll be okay for awhile the other 3 are in a Boamaster rack system and I will need something else for them in about 6 months to a year. I bought the Boamasters at the last Hamburg show because Mark was selling them cheap as they were displays. I have been happy with them and the look of them, but they are heavy. if I can find a good quality, stackable that isn't an arm and a leg, I would pick them up, but for now I have only browsed and not done real serious looking.

Oh, I also like the hinged doors but then I haven't used any of the slidding glass ones...I don't know which I would pick.

[piscivorus]

No pictures of anything. My computer crashed a while back and I lost a ton of photos (family, animals, cages, everything). Live and learn I suppose.

My thing has always been efficient use of space. The more room I have, the more I wanna use.

As for sliding vs. hinged, the only difference to me is the space necessary. With a front opening design (regular cabinet-style, swinging left to right or vice versa, not up and down), you can stick the cage in much tighter spaces. With smaller cages w/ sliding doors, it doesn't matter since you can easily pick it up, set it on a table and have as much room as you want/need. With larger cages w/ sliding doors that aren't as easy to move, you need that side room to give the door somewhere to slide to and sometimes, that will force you to leave open space where a nice, snake-filled cage could go.

I was thinking last night about the design too, and it seems people like slant-front cages (doesn't really matter to me whether they slant or are straight) and while keeping the scrap plastic down to a minimum (i.e., cost/price), a one piece bottom/back/top shouldn't be an issue at all. I would probably be better off using acrylic doors that swing on the front (hinges on sides, out-swinging doors) than sliding or top to bottom opening doors. Every cage that opens top to bottom has a far greater risk of hinge malfunction due to gravity and the likelihood that a snake will land on that door and cause problems at some point in that cage's life.

It also seems that people are leaning more toward the flexwatt heating method which is easily incorporated, too.

I'd like input on what size cages you guys prefer (i prefer lower-profile cages with more floor space since a snake is just fine in an 8-12" tall cage with plenty of floor space).

I'd like to make a cage that is 6" tall and 2'x2' (rough dimensions, depends on what works out better in terms of lack of scrap) and I also love flexibility, like when a 4x2x1 cage can be used as TWO 2x2x1 cages with a simple divider insert.

I also wanna offer an inexpensive rack system capable of holding a lot of neonate boas or whatever hatches/pops out, but can also be used for the smaller species of snakes (4' and less).

I just had to fix one car and buy another today, so in the coming weeks, I'll build a few that I can use but still show some variety in size and the build quality and if people want them, awesome, if not, more free time for me lol.

I have found a local source for plastic at a good price via some connections (old highschool friends come in handy AT LAST) and everything else is easily sourced so price shouldn't be hard to keep down where I want to keep it.

Various colors, hinge options, handle options, size options, and even design options shouldn't be a problem either. I've been building all types of things for many years and I'm told I have a knack for it. I've always had high standards too, mainly because I'm too lazy to have to go back and fix something that could have been done properly the first time lol. Build time isn't a factor even though they'll definitely be hand made, shipping options are plentiful and special designs will be no problem since I actually enjoy anything even remotely artistic/unique.

[boaterr]

I would like more selections than the ones I am faced with, because most commercial cage builders do not build enclosures that I feel are large enough to properly house adult female retics. Cagesbydesign prices are through the roof and monstercages makes 10+foot cages but they do not answer my emails(A real problem when I want them to build me cage that will cost over 2 grand). I am contracting my build to boamaster since he has a good reputation for honesty and he can build me the colossal cage that my precious retic deserves. I just wish the materials my cage will be made out of did not weigh so much

[piscivorus]

Originally Posted by boaterr

I would like more selections than the ones I am faced with, because most commercial cage builders do not build enclosures that I feel are large enough to properly house adult female retics. Cagesbydesign prices are through the roof and monstercages makes 10+foot cages but they do not answer my emails(A real problem when I want them to build me cage that will cost over 2 grand). I am contracting my build to boamaster since he has a good reputation for honesty and he can build me the colossal cage that my precious retic deserves. I just wish the materials my cage will be made out of did not weigh so much

Well see, that's what I'm talking about, we all have our needs or just preferences that don't necessarily fall into any of the categories of cages that are out there. Nowadays, plastic is simply the way to go for many reasons (less porous surface, lasts longer, lighter, more options).

How large of a cage are you talking about exactly. You see, not everyone even agrees on how much space is adequate. Some folks anthropomorphosize more than others and that leads to "needing" a larger cage that what "others" feel is necessary. This is important when concerning height AND floor space. Some will happily trade off one for the other just depending on many factors.

But how large do YOU consider adequate for a 15-20' snake?

In my opinion, unless "showing" the animal is a real concern, a 4x8 cage would be large enough but then you run into the problem of rigidity which 1/4" material probably couldn't provide when it comes to moving the cage with anything in it. a 4x8 cage built of 1/2" HDPE would cost a few hundred to build for almost anyone. at $120 or so per sheet, you'd need a sheet for the top, a sheet for the bottom, and another sheet for the front/back/sides and in materials alone, that's $350-400. Granted, this is a very large cage (middle support could prove to be an issue).

It's really a matter of what the owner considers acceptable for his/her snake. For the most part, large boids lay around in one corner. Actual rooms/walk-in closets are far more cost efficient.

[boaterr]

The First cage I need built needs to be 8*4*4. The second cage that I will need by next year must be at least 10*5*4 or larger is feisable, I would prefer a walk in enclosure. Cagesbydesign has the cage I want but it seems like you have to pay for everything with their cages. An Example is any background on the back of the enclosure I want would be at least 600bucks and the cheapest shipping method is over 500 bucks even though I live 2 states away from them and it would also take 4-5 weeks to get the freakin cage! I believe all retics over 14 feet should be giving as large a cage as possiable but under no circumstance will I ever keep an adult(retic over 14 feet) in less than a 10*3*2 enclosure. If dog and cat owners will spend thousands of dollars each year on pet spas, expensive dog and cat clothes, and other toys for their pets amusment and well being, then their is no excuse for a retic owner not to shell out the extra money to make sure his or her baby has as much room as possiable. Most would consider my perspective on cageing extreme to say the least but it just enrages me to see the king of all constrictors jammed in the corner of a 6 foot vision cage, my retic is very active in her cage and I use to watch a giant retic at the Atlant Zoo that was always climbing, swimming, and crawling around in her enormous cage. If the cage is built and set up right a retic will give it's owners the chance to see a giant snake doing what it does best "amaze everyone that watches it".

I

[telefrag]

I think the void left by neodesha was a hard one to fill, and nothing has really even come close to filling that niche, except maybe vision, but the sliding glass, the weight, and the tracks keep me from using them.

I prefer the barrs now to any others, mainly because they are fairly priced, they fit all my requirements (lightweight, durable, and you can remove all fasteners used to hold doors and vents) so they can be completely sterlized.

If Doug doesn't have a size you want, all you have to do is ask.
He's more than happy to work with you on dimensions.

Im in the process of phasing out my now 10 year old neos, with barrs.

[piscivorus]

Originally Posted by boaterr

The First cage I need built needs to be 8*4*4. The second cage that I will need by next year must be at least 10*5*4 or larger is feisable, I would prefer a walk in enclosure. Cagesbydesign has the cage I want but it seems like you have to pay for everything with their cages. An Example is any background on the back of the enclosure I want would be at least 600bucks and the cheapest shipping method is over 500 bucks even though I live 2 states away from them and it would also take 4-5 weeks to get the freakin cage! I believe all retics over 14 feet should be giving as large a cage as possiable but under no circumstance will I ever keep an adult(retic over 14 feet) in less than a 10*3*2 enclosure. If dog and cat owners will spend thousands of dollars each year on pet spas, expensive dog and cat clothes, and other toys for their pets amusment and well being, then their is no excuse for a retic owner not to shell out the extra money to make sure his or her baby has as much room as possiable. Most would consider my perspective on cageing extreme to say the least but it just enrages me to see the king of all constrictors jammed in the corner of a 6 foot vision cage, my retic is very active in her cage and I use to watch a giant retic at the Atlant Zoo that was always climbing, swimming, and crawling around in her enormous cage. If the cage is built and set up right a retic will give it's owners the chance to see a giant snake doing what it does best "amaze everyone that watches it".
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See, you don't want a cage but a zoo-quality display, which is usually thousands of dollars for a reason. There is a creative price-tag that comes along with that usually. That's something that you'd be better off creating yourself.

This may sound corny, but going to Home Depot's weekly seminars (masonry, framing, painting) and sucking it up and just attacking the project will prove to be VERY worthwhile and probably fun. While cage building isn't really that much of an american past time for good reason, something like a zoo-quality display/enclosure is something you can really get creative with and even playing around with wire and mortar to create that "rocky wall" look is fun.

Another option is to ask around and find some folks willing to do it locally as a side job. During colder weather, a lot of guys on construction sites are looking for extra work to make up for the days they can't do their thing. Simply asking around will be effective in weeding out the posers from the guys with real talent and reliability. Most are capable of doing different aspects and just a couple could handle a job like that in only 2 or 3 days time.

Just a thought. You'd save thousands doing it that way and I promise you that almost anyone is capable of doing a great job. I'd love to sink my teeth into something like that.