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large collections vs. small, breeding vs. pet-keeping

X

Xelda

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I'm getting near the point where if I want to continue acquiring herps, I'll have to start employing the use of a rack system. But I'm not sure if that's something I really want to do. I always figured it was a shame that people who own some of the most beautiful reptiles out there keep them tucked away in rack systems. It's like these animals are collected and used only for breeding purposes.

But then, I look at the other side of the coin and realize that some of these animals probably do better in rack systems. They get their privacy, they're housed (usually) singly without worries about predators or competition for food, and breeding simply lets them act out a natural part of their life cycle. Sounds like the perfect stress-free setting.

Maybe I'm the one exploiting my own pets. I put them in full tank displays, as if they're trophies meant to be shown off. I like to observe the individual herps that I own, so I know which ones would surely thrive in a rack system environment. But still, I've got the other ones who make use of all the space and furniture they get in their enclosures.

Here's another issue I've also been thinking about since I just recently bought my first "high end" leos. Is it bad if I intend to just keep them as pets and not breed them? I don't want their colors to fade from breeding, even if I have the chance to produce better-looking offspring. Some people would look at it as a waste of an opportunity, but I don't think my personality is cut out to do commercial breeding. (I'd want to keep 'em all!)

I guess what it all boils down to is what makes the herp hobby enjoyable for people. I know there are different aspects of it. For me, I'd rather own just a small collection so I don't spread myself too thin, and yet it's so tempting to own one of everything!

Anyway, I guess this is some pointless rambling, but I'd like to see what everyone else thinks.
 
We provide our animals with the best housing we can, in the space we have available, and with the funds we can afford to spend on them.

MANY of our animals do much better in a rack system than they would in an aquarium... We try to keep our aquariums reserved for fish.

Custom caging is a great way to work around using racks, if you are hesitant about keeping your animals in rubbermaid bins.

I don't want their colors to fade from breeding
Click to expand...

I have absolutely NO CLUE what you are talking about... Sounds like someone took you for a ride on the gullible train.
 
Actually I notice that some of my breeders will darken during breeding and brighten back up afterward. It's not somehting you'd notice unless you look at pics taken a few weeks apart. This only happens with some of my females (as far as I can tell), and not others.
 
Rack systems

Hello, i have over 100 snakes which half of them are colubrids and the other half is large boids. The colubrids do great in rack systems as well as the boids when they are smaller, but as they grow they need to be in larger cages of course. Like Mark said leave the aquariums for the fish... I custom build my cages, or buy them, new is expensive but there are always some used ones for sale.. I have a couple snakes that i keep in a custom enclosure in my living room 1.2 trio of jungle carpets, i really like to watch these guys.. But whatever you want to do should be your own choice, if someone doesn't like it tell them to not worry about you and worry about themselves..... Good luck and keep on Herpin Mike Leonard..
 
I say keep them as pets, and in the future if you wish to breed them, feel free too. Rack systems work out great, better for the geckos, and easier to clean for the human slaves.
 
Rack systems may be fine for breeders or for very large collections; however if you want to put your animals on display then glass tnaks or reptile caging or enclosures with glass fronts are the best in my opinion. Of course there is absolutely no9thing wrong with keeping an animal in a display tank, and there is nothing wrong with not breeding them. In fact breeding them may cause quite a few problems, over population of a species being one of them, and that can resulkt in low proced throw away pets.

Back to display type set ups: My 14 year old son currently keeps a young Standing's Day gecko in a 10 gallon high tank. It is planted nicely with houseplants that are thriving. It is a beautiful display. This is something you are not going to achieve with a rack system with opaque bins. His green thumb and his lizard care skill and his like of herps make me quite proud of him.

I am always amazed at the herpers who in a seemingly purist sense shun the use of glass tanks or 'aquariums' (they are not really aquariums until a water environment is added) and say use them only for fish not for herps! Yet, some of those same people use shoe and or sweater boxes to house their animals. Makes me laugh each time, just seems sort of funny to me.

I use whatever is suitable to house my animals and I like to be able to observe them, so lots of mine are in glass enclosures. As a matter of fact, it would likely be somewhat awkward to keep my Musk Turtle, and my Fire Bellied Toads in less than an aquarium or aqua-terrarium.

All the best,
Glenn B
 
I use shoebox's !

...for my baby Ball pythons :D .

However,i do have a 55/gal aquarium in my "living room" that changes occupants every 6 months to a year.
Right now it houses a male Thayeri Kingsnake from my 1.1 pair.(pictured below).However my female Thayeri does not do well in an aquarium AT ALL.She even refuses to eat.
So ...it varies...


:)
 

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Okay, I've taken all of your feedback into consideration and decided to invest in some plastic caging. That way I can stack them all in my room. I find it incredibly calming to see my geckos sleeping contently in the morning. lol
 
i say keep them as pets,its what i do with my animals.ofcourse im only 11 years, the only reptile i've ever had was a leo,and the pets i have right now are a goldfish,a betta,a frog,and a dog.never mind.dont take any of my advice.
 
Most of my animals are in racks. I mainly own boids and will eventually have to get the plastics. I personally like the plastics as to be able to view the animals. The rack system is great for high end animals and in my personal opinion they eat and shed better in rakcs. I have nevr had an animal have a bad shed or go off feed in a rack but have in an aquarium. I house my juvi JCP's in 10 allon aquariums with lexan over most of the screen lid and they seem to do fine in there and most have switched to rats. I guess like others have said it is all a prefrence and what kind of money you can spend. Most of the herpers I kow will provide the best houseing for there animals that they can afford. SO...racks ok cages ok
-Matt
 
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