Why order a new rack when you can build your own?

Well, the contractors are finally getting started on finishing my basement off and doubling the size of my snake room. With the additional space I have really started trying to figure out if I want to go along the lines of the "professional" look with regards to a rack/cage system. Or, do I simply repeat my current rack setup? After much thought, even though I most certainly enjoy the nice clean lines of a stack of visions etc, I believe I am going to stick with my current rack.

When my collection of boa's started accumulating to the point that I was having difficulty moving I built a solid 4x8 rack system that can house upwards of 40 adult boa's. Keep in mind that a large majority of my boa's are dwarfs but this system can easily be adapted to adult boids as I have several in my collection at the 8 foot level.

I ordered from my local lumber yard around 30 2x4's 8 feet in lenth, 8 sheets of plywood and a box of lag bolts/wood screws. I cut the 2x4's to length and outlined the 4x8 sheet of plywood. I also spaced evenly 4 2x4's width ways on the plywood. Imagine looking at the botom of the plywood it would look like this [1111].

I then took 1.5 inch polystyrene (pink insulation sheets) and filled in the void inbetween the plywood on only 1 sheet of the plywood (the sheet that would be on the very bottom of the rack to insulate against the concrete floor that it would sit on. I then placed my sterilelite tubs on this sheet and set the next sheet of plywood on top of the sterilite tubs. I continued this pattern and as I did I would screw a 2x4 to each corner and secure each shelf to these 2x4's. This pattern continued until I had 8 shelves in place with about 10 inches inbetween shelves.

Once that was completed, I took approximately 70 feet of 11 inch flexwatt and ran a continuous strip through each shelf and taped this down with reflective tape. With this setup, my rack is still only 6 foot in height (I'm 6'6" so height is not an issue with me) and I can place 4 sterilelite tubs that are approximately 44x22x10 on each shelf. This gives me room for 28 tubs with room to add 2 more shelves for a total rack system of 36 tubs in an area that is 4 foot deep and 8 foot long. My total expenditure for this setup was around $700 (Heat tape/thermostat was the most). That would be the same cost for 3 comparably equipped boaphiles.

I have had my animals in there for a solid 3 months now and they are all doing great not to mention that my humidity is right on the money. I keep the room at 82 degree's via a seperate heating system and the heat tape at 93. Given the length of the tubs I have a wide margin of temps in which the animals can regulate. You could also run the tape down the middle of the rack and go 2 tub deep if you were using smaller tubs. I am planning on installing pegboard to the outside of the rack to give it a more finished look. I will also be duplicating this setup on a smaller scale for a rack system for my neonates.

Anyways, just thought I would share what I have done in the hopes it might help someone else.

Griz

Sounds like a nice set up. Got any pics?

Actually, I don't but I will. My office is closed tomorrow so I will be taking the time to go through everything and will try to take some pics.

Griz

Oh yeah, pictures are a must. I do have trouble with only directions and no pictures. I'm getting ready to build two more rack systems and I'm researching as many rack designs I can find.

I know this is redundant by now but---pictures please!!!!!!! Plenty of them from all angles, and god bless you!!!!

Sorry for the delayed response. This is the first winter that I have had a snakeroom in my basement and I am finding out that the block exterior walls are really sucking up the heat in my snake room! I am in the process of insulating the room with commercial freezer block insulation so that has taken up a lot of my time. I will try to obtain better pics here within the next month once I have things back to where they belong. Even with my heating system at full blast I cannot get the temps up to 80. I am hovering a few degree's below that on nights when it drops into single digits outside.

Griz