Built a BIG Rack!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Soooooo as we have all established I've just had a birthday! And a mighty good one it was too! For my birthday.... Eddie and I designed and built a large snake rack that hold 8 Iris CB-110 tubs (38" x 20" x 6") as well as 3 little tubs up top. This is for housing some of my not-garter stuff, Most of my garters live in caging. I've rearranged my entire snakeroom and broke down a shelf to bring it in, but it maximizes the space I have available. For as large and nice as it is, it cost surprisingly little. The only tools we needed were a screwgun, a grinder, and a soldering iron. The Home Depot cut the wood to our specifications. Eddie bought the lumber and the tubs for this project. The Iris tubs are a bit on the pricey side at $18 each, but they are really nice tubs, a good size, nice and clear, and are rather hard to find and a highly valued tub in the reptile world. If you used a tub that was similar but cheaper you could build this even cheaper! We hunted all over the freaking place and these were the best tub we found. I like these tubs especially because they have very small nubs on their bottom, which would allow you to slide a heating pad underneath the tub with ease.

When we built this rack we stacked the tubs as we went. Some of them were just a tad too tight. So I used a grinder to take a bit off the nubs on the bottoms of the tubs. It worked like a charm, now they slide in and out easily.

For ventilation.... I use a soldering iron to melt holes into the tubs. If you drill holes, you get sharp edges and cracked tubs. With a soldering iron, you get nice smooth holes... you just have to do it outside because of the smoke!

For the water bowls, I grabbed some standard plastic VanNess no-tip bowls for $1.20 each. These are the best for a rack because they can also double as a hide thanks to the holes for picking them up.

For the hides, I bought 8 plastic shoeboxes at the dollar store, turned them upsidedown, cut out an entrance out with my trusty soldering iron and the spray painted them black. making these hides took maybe 20 minutes tops, painting and all.

I am covered in spraypaint residue... sore from moving heavy things around in the snakeroom... but boy was it worth it!!!

So here's the damages:

8 Iris CB-110 Tubs..........$144
Wood...........................$100
Spraypaint....................$12
8 VanNess Water Bowls...$10
8 Plastic Shoeboxes........$8
---------------------------------
Total...........................$274


And here is the result.... sorry, didn't take any pics of the building process. It's pretty straight-forward. Stack the tubs and shelves as you go... take a drill and screw it all together!

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/edd1af06.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/50ffc113.jpg

With one of my goofy brothers for size comparison:
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/053d4d55.jpg

And here it is, heave-ho'ed into the snakeroom, with substrate, hides, and bowls added. I didn't have time to put any of the snakes in tonight.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/d29d1410.jpg

Here are the hides that cost me a whopping $1 each to make!
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/6b39a140.jpg

Also while we are here... here's another new rack... this one was a FREEBIE. Well, the shelf itself was. We got it in at work over a year ago a a shelf to display these handmade dog dish things. I called dibs as soon as I saw it... The shelves are short, and go back really far... perfect for shoving tubs into. I got lucky in that it holds the sterlite ultra's I picked out for it really well, they stick out a few inches, but I'd rather have these bigger tubs than stick small ones in it.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll86/aSnakeLovinBabe/c6d2c184.jpg

[gregmonsta]

Nice work ;)

[drache]

very nice

[charles parenteau]

oh yeah very nice rack!!good work!

[ConcinusMan]

I like big racks. *tee hee*

I could never put my snakes in a rack. It's hot there and people are getting killed. :p

[guidofatherof5]

Looks like it should work very well. Nice job.

[jere000]

Nice I'm building one with 74 qt sterilite tubs that is 6 high i hope for it to look similar but we will see lol.Good job.

[De Foezel]

is it just for hybernation(winters rest)
or to keep the snakes in thier whole lives?

[mtolypetsupply]

I like big racks. *tee hee*

I could never put my snakes in a rack. It's hot there and people are getting killed. :p


LOLOL!!!!!

Nice rack, Shannon! I like the black melamine, gives it a nice sleek look. What residents have you chosen for it?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

LOLOL!!!!!

Nice rack, Shannon! I like the black melamine, gives it a nice sleek look. What residents have you chosen for it?

Thanks! It's actually really nice plywood that I spraypainted black. In fact.... I spraypainted for so long that I couldn't hold down the nozzle with my finger anymore. I had to use my thumbs for the last bit, and yesterday and today, the tendons/muscles that control my hands in my wrist are so sore that I can't even turn a doorknob... hold a cup of coffee or write with a pen!!! I'm typing all slow... haha. I've never had this happen before.

So far, I have put Bandit and Trouser in it, those are my pair of california kings. I also am putting in my pair of whitesided black rat snakes... my female king rat snake, possibly my male albino too... and the rest I am not sure yet :)

[ssssnakeluvr]

very nice!!! nice shirt too....goes with my simpsons jammies :eek:

[ConcinusMan]

Who's the kid anyway? The new harry potter?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Hahahahaha.... EVERYONE says that to him. That he looks like harry potter. That's my youngest brother Drake. He's 14! I can't wait to show him that post :P

[ConcinusMan]

Might want also tell him, the girls think harry potter is a babe. How does he keep them off his back? LoL.

[Napta]

Hello, I have a question about the racks. They look very practical (and are also used in France) but made how you manage the light ? The tamnophis being diurnal, I thought that an intake of light similar to their natural cycle would be significantly beneficial for breeding.
Thank you for your reply.

Napta

[Napta]

Oh I have my answer in another post. The rack system is not really cool for garters. That's what I thought. Mine seem far more happy and active (and curious, fearless) when several in a large terrarium
So I guess this big rack is not for thamno, and I am very happy.

Napta

[ConcinusMan]

You don't. I hate racks. Actually, I don't know. I have a hard time with grasping why one would use racks in the first place. Looks more like a place to stash files or other junk, than a place to keep snakes. "Oh here, I got some new snakes. I think I'll stick them in a drawer"

Pretty much the same reason why I don't understand heating an entire room full of racks 24/7 and putting species with totally different needs all in that room. People do it. I'm totally confident that Shannon knows what she's doing though.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

You don't. I hate racks. Actually, I don't know. I have a hard time with grasping why one would use racks in the first place. Looks more like a place to stash files or other junk, than a place to keep snakes. "Oh here, I got some new snakes. I think I'll stick them in a drawer"

Pretty much the same reason why I don't understand heating an entire room full of racks 24/7 and putting species with totally different needs all in that room. People do it. I'm totally confident that Shannon knows what she's doing though.

Actually yes I do know what I am doing... and even though you addeed that last part, this comment is still rather insulting. rack systems are extremely efficient for keeping larger numbers of snakes. Especially larger snakes like the ones living in it. there are no garters in the big rack system, this is for my larger colubrids and my sumatran short tailed python as well. A tub is not any worse an enclosure than one made of glass... in fact it's better. It's easier to clean and to lift. the problem I am running into is that lifting off my 20 long tanks from the shelf to do maintenance is hard and I have trouble maneuvering them. I am probably going to be dissasembling that shelf and selling the 20 longs because they are too damned heavy and i almost dropped one not too long ago. I have two 10 gallon tank shelves, those are very easy to maneuver but they aren't very efficient space-wise and large females are too big for them.

My snakeroom is heated as follows: the animals that definitely need supplemental heat sources (pythons, the boa, etc...) are in spots where heating elements are directly applied. The animals that require ambient temps that are more in a neutral range are not near a direct heat source (ie. most of the garters and the water snakes) because my snakeroom would overheat at that point and would kill half of my collection. It's working well for me and it always has. Snakes that are in tanks or wall caging get coil bulbs that do not give off heat. They still sit under them all day.

A lot of my garters are living in tanks or wall caging. Unless they are babies or juveniles, then they are in the baby rack. One thing I have learned is that garter snakes and rack systems DO NOT mix at all unless you put them in very big tubs for their size (hence the rack with large sterlite ultras). these tubs provide almost TWICE the space of a 20 gallon long, but are much more efficience to clean and to take the snakes out for feeding. I am sorry but I would rather have cleaner enclosures than keep all of my snakes in tanks. With a tub I can carry it outside with one arm, hose it down, and take it back in. with a tank, I can't do that. Anything larger than a 20 requires 2 people to move and the glass with sharp corners is much harder to get clean. Also, instead of dumping out the substrate I have to scoop it out, then vacuum it out just to get it all out. Again with tubs I can just dump them.

Again 10 gallon tanks work well but are too small for a lot of snakes. Just because a tub is slightly less clear than glass, because that's ALL it is.... does not mean I am hiding all my snakes away in a file cabinet. It means I am using a much easier to clean, lighterweight, and space-saving enclosure that is better for both me and the snakes. It means I have MORE time to spend working with and enjoying my snakes, and taking them outside for photos. You can still put fake plants in a tub, and put plenty of things in for them to crawl around on.

The snakeroom has two large windows and many lights that are shining all day, and so the snakes still get the difference between day and night. The rack with sterlite ultras is actually different in that the tubs stick out about 6 inches, allowing the garters to come further out into full light if they choose. And they do! But not always, they like to go to the back and hide too.

So now tell me, what is soooo bad about keeping snakes in racks? They STILL get the temps they need. They STILL get exposure to light, natural light even in my case so that their photo period is on track with the outside world. They STILL get well fed, they are much easier and less time consuming to clean up after and even better, I have MORE free time to do the parts of snake keeping that I actually enjoy, such as photography and walking around the snakeroom, pulling out random snakes and admiring their beauty. AND I can maintain a much larger collection than I could with just tanks. I spend at least a half hour every day pulling out random snakes to look at them, to admire how they are growing or how they've just shed and they're looking so beautiful. And any snakes that have different needs, have their needs met, but most of my snakes (garter and water snakes) all have the same needs!

[Napta]

I was not criticizing Shannon :)
I just wondered about the use of racks for the garter. I had to make the answer I was looking for another one of your posts where you stated that this was not really suitable for thamno, which confirmed my idea.
I understand very well the usefulness of racks for solitary nocturnal snakes that have no use for a nice scenery. And I'm quite reassured to know that you do not destine this big rack for our dear little snake alive, curious and social.

Thanks, your opinion is very interresting.

Napta

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I was not criticizing Shannon :)
I just wondered about the use of racks for the garter. I had to make the answer I was looking for another one of your posts where you stated that this was not really suitable for thamno, which confirmed my idea.
I understand very well the usefulness of racks for solitary nocturnal snakes that have no use for a nice scenery. And I'm quite reassured to know that you do not destine this big rack for our dear little snake alive, curious and social.

Thanks, your opinion is very interresting.

Napta
Oh no, I know you were not the one criticizing... don't worry! :)

The people who criticize racks usually have never actually experienced using them when maintaining a large collection and how easy it makes everything.

[Stefan-A]

I think a certain point is being missed here. The size of the collection is no argument at all for using racks. In fact, if one is convinced that racks are inadequate from the animal's perspective, one could argue that if you're forced to use racks to house the collection, it's the size of the collection that needs to be addressed.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I think a certain point is being missed here. The size of the collection is no argument at all for using racks. In fact, if one is convinced that racks are inadequate from the animal's perspective, one could argue that if you're forced to use racks to house the collection, it's the size of the collection that needs to be addressed.


I am not at all forced... it just makes my life easier. If one thinks that racks are inadequate, that's their opinion... not a fact. The fact is that many animals thrive in racks. If racks were so inadequate, I don't think they'd be be used by many, many keepers to easily maintain large collections. I used to not own any rack systems at all and I got along fine. But I spent a lot more time cleaning. The racks just happen to make my life a little easier. This is not just a casual hobby for me... this is my life. My goal is to be THE natricine snake keeper... it's going to take years and years of work, and locating specimens of various natricine animals... and that naturally means a large number of snakes. These are my goals and I'm not going to let anyone tell me I can't do it successfully. I know I can! I'm not just talking garters... all types of natricine snake. Maybe someday when we move and I have the chance to build a new snakeroom from the ground up I can employ all wall caging.... because I would love to. I would love to be able to walk down a row, slide open glass doors, change water bowls in seconds and be on my way.... but right now I can't do that, so I will make do with what I have.... and what I have is one heck of a fine collection that is doing very well!

[Stefan-A]

Understood, but it's a mistake to assume that ease of maintenance would be a hard-hitting argument, when people who are against racks generally hold that position because they don't think that racks are adequate for the snake. Frankly, you need to convince them that racks are adequate, because the well-being of the snake is the top priority.

[Hollis_Steed]

Shannon,
I don't question your motives for a moment. I can tell you are a wonderful caretaker and that you are doing what's best for your snakes. To each his own. I trust that you will indeed become "THE natricine snake keeper...". Keep up the good work, and the good advice!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Understood, but it's a mistake to assume that ease of maintenance would be a hard-hitting argument, when people who are against racks generally hold that position because they don't think that racks are adequate for the snake. Frankly, you need to convince them that racks are adequate, because the well-being of the snake is the top priority.



I get what you are saying. but if people want to be so closed minded... I don't have the time of day for them... In that case I could keep gong until I am blue in the face... But that would be stressful... And I need less stress in my life as is! All people need to do is look at my snakes to see that at least in MY case... The racks are adequate. If others don't like that, so be it!

[guidofatherof5]

Nice rack, Shannon.:D
I just couldn't resist. Please forgive me.:D
No disrespect intended but it was served up so nicely. I just had to.

[Stefan-A]

I get what you are saying. but if people want to be so closed minded... I don't have the time of day for them... In that case I could keep gong until I am blue in the face... But that would be stressful... And I need less stress in my life as is! All people need to do is look at my snakes to see that at least in MY case... The racks are adequate. If others don't like that, so be it!
How does this have anything to do with being closed-minded? It's the same debate that people are having regarding the conditions we provide for the animals that we farm for food or fur.

[jere000]

With those blood pythons and that short tailed python you have plastic bins and other cages like boaphiles are your only option a glass cage can't hold the correct humidity without a lot of work.I might think this way though considering i have only ever really owned boids including a blood python very cool species.Again though congrats on the rack and good luck with all of your animals.

[prattypus]

Holy crap this turned out to be a charged thread. I think I will rethink posting pics of my IKEA organizer. Don't want to open that can of worms.

Shannon- That's a neat set up you have there-

[guidofatherof5]

Holy crap this turned out to be a charged thread. I think I will rethink posting pics of my IKEA organizer. Don't want to open that can of worms.



The snakes won't mind the can of worms. :D

[gartermorphs]

I definetly believe that shannon has a point for people with larger collections a rack would be very uesful exspecialy when your using clear plastic tubs butfor people that have one or two snakes terariums are easy for us because we dont hav to take care of them in large numbers.

[gartermorphs]

i think everybody should just drop the subject we all dont need to have the same beliefs
one good thing about everybody as an individual is our different ideas and beliefs

[mustang]

racks are adiquate...when you get a little snake a big tank what do they do? they hide in a corner and curdle up! what do they do in the wild? same thing thats what!(most cases)
side note shannon ur brother should have my last name... McGonagle its spelled differently in the hp books though McGonical or somthin with 2 c's

[mustang]

I like big racks. *tee hee*

i agree with you compleatly on that aspect:D

[Nir]

Wish I had seen this earlier... hehe

I use racks. They are not adequate for every species, but I think anyone will agree with this.

But racks are more than adequate for small to medium size terestrial snake. They offer a stress free environment in which it is very easy to set-up the "cage" let's the snake feel secure. They let you control humidity and heat much more better than open tanks. And these are the two reasons I need to convince me that racks are adequate for snakes.

I've worked with some delicate species in the past. And snakes that are stressed and don't eat in tanks will often pick right up when housed in a tubb.

The only downside of using tubbs is to the owner. The difference between a beautiful display tank and a melamine rack to the eye cannot compare. I enjoy much more looking at the 4-5 display tanks I own that looking at my big racks... hehe

+1 for racks (it's my opinion of course)

[ConcinusMan]

That's pretty much what I was getting at. I think. I just don't like them, it's not that they're inadequate for the snake. I like to be able to see my snake without disturbing it by opening a drawer. I also like to use ceramic heat emitters so you can see why I wouldn't want my snakes in a drawer. I'm constantly finding screen top tanks very cheap so I use those. As far as ease of cleaning goes, I buy liners from the local dollar store. They are a cinch. They get all poopie I just pull them out, wash them, and put 'em back.

It started out, I got them because I am expecting babies and didn't want to deal with substrate during this time, but it turns out, the snakes don't seem to care and it's been very easy to keep them clean.