DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

[taxcollector]

hey guys i have been flipping through forums for a couple hours now and my RTB's are going to outgrow their glass tanks. I hate glass tanks already and i have only had snakes for 2 weeks! Temps and humidty are a pain and 4 ft girl will outgrow her 40 gallon breeder in no time!

I have found some nice customs cages like this one here and was wondering how much this one would cost to make do you think? As well how would i get heat for an UTH? IS this melamine?

[Jessica]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

BUY! BUY! BUY!

Seriously though, buy a Boaphile. That looks like melamine in the picture, and those cages suck. They're super heavy, a pain in the arse to build, and usually ends up costing you MORE money to build one than to just spend $229 (right?) on a 421D. Not to mention the fun of heating a melamine cage (UTH has to go inside). Plus, any type of wood cage isn't going to have the longevity of a Boaphile. Seriously. Buy one.

EDIT: http://www.boaphileplastics.com/cages.html There's the link... just buy it. Almost anyone on here who has built a cage will tell you it wasn't worth the trouble and they wouldn't do it again.

[taxcollector]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

For a boaphile how do you get it heated? what do you use for belly heat and what do you use for a heat light as there are not holes in the top to set a light in from what i've seen. The custom tanks seems nice because you can place a heatpad/flexwatt down on the floor under lino for belly heat and insert a heat bulb in the tank with a wire cage around for protection, no?

[Jessica]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

You heat it with a UTH (flexwatt) and a thermostat. You do not need a heat light. If for some reason your house is abnormally cold and your cage's ambient temp is below 70 degrees then you can get an RHP, which you just screw right into the cage (you can order one installed from Jeff, and the cage will be shipped with it). If your house is at a normal temperature then your ambient temp shouldn't be a problem and you will not need an overhead heat source.

To clarify: if your house/apartment/whatever is above 70 degrees then your ambient will be fine with just flexwatt. On a good day my house is 72-74 and my cages ambient are just below 75. If it gets up to 76 in my house then my cages are usually around 77 or 78. If you find you need additional heat in the room your cages are in you could always use a space heater (or just get an RHP).

[Boa Amarali]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

Here is my basic answer . . . . In the end going with Boaphile Plastics - click Here
is the best way to go plain and simple :shade:

That image you show of the DIY cage is a well built cage by the way IMO . . . . . . .

My Cage building Links to my threads

Enclosure Just Finished


Wood Cage Ideas




All that said . . . . . I'd just buy Boaphile Plastics - click Here

Also here is more quick Links to Boaphile Plastics

Plastic Reptile Cages, Tanks and Racks. Snake, arboreal, lizard and turtle light weight custom flexwatt heated enclosures.


Boaphile Plastics - click Here

OUR 4 FOOT 421D CAGE JUST... $229.00 DELIVERED !




Available in Black, White or Gray at the same low price !



ACCESSORIES

CAGE HEATING


RADIANT HEAT PANELS


RAYTEK


LIGHTING


THERMOSTATS

[Add Keyed lock Center.***






Why Boaphile Plastics?

[taxcollector]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

flexwatt alone will keep the basking side at 90? im assuming that is the point of the thermostat? As i dont have a stand for my tanks i will have to figure out a way to put the flexwatt inside the tank? after purchasing flexwatt boaphile and thermostat that will cost loads more than building?

[tsblair]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

You tape the flexwatt to the bottom of the Boaphile.

The price is negligible and your hot spot (belly heat) is easily maintained at 90.
Tim

[Jessica]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

after purchasing flexwatt boaphile and thermostat that will cost loads more than building?

Flexwatt is super cheap and you'll have to get a thermostat for a custom build cage too. You never want to use a UTH without regulating the temp via thermostat. I have some cages sitting on top of my dresser with the flexwatt taped to the underside of the cage and no problems--you don't need a stand (do not put the flexwatt in the cage, always under).

[Boa Amarali]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

flexwatt alone will keep the basking side at 90? im assuming that is the point of the thermostat? As i dont have a stand for my tanks i will have to figure out a way to put the flexwatt inside the tank? after purchasing flexwatt boaphile and thermostat that will cost loads more than building?

These links here take you to the heating options . . .




CAGE HEATING


RADIANT HEAT PANELS





/


All this below info will be found at this Link

http://www.boaphileplastics.com/cages.html - click it

I always like to go with the 2 X / Two Times Heat and then a thermostat is something you have to invest in no matter what type caging
you are using . . . Thermostats are part of keeping Boas and you can pick and choose what ever type you would prefer . . . .

I've grown very fond of the Herpstat Pro 4 . . .I think that's what they're called now . . .But there are plenty of
decent out there thermostats to choose from.
One warning buying a cheap thermostat is a really bad idea . . .The Thermostat is the most important tool and bad thermostats fail
and cook your Boas . . . .So I suggest doing a little research in the thermostat department



Next

[Boa Amarali]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

Scroll down for heating, lighting and other option pricing

You can click our "ADD/ORDER" buttons to calculate pricing for our cages including many options listed below. Simply click and add the items you are thinking you might like and our server will automatically calculate your pricing. Please note addition discounts start at the $1000 point but must be calculated by a real person. Please contact us for any assistance you might need making any calculations for you. We accept checks, Money Orders or Credit Card payments. We happily accept Credit Cards through PayPal on-line. For your convenience we have set up an automated on-line ordering system found above using the "ADD/ORDER" buttons. After clicking the button you will be taken to our secure server at PayPal where you can place your order safely and securely. Please note I will assume you would like black unless you specify otherwise.FREE SHIPPING!!!

We have 10 other Combination Big cage sizes available. Click here to check them out.
We have 9 Arboreal Cage sizes available as well. Click here to check them out.
]We have 5 Multi-Cage sizes available as well. Click here to check them out.
We have 4 Two Door Cage sizes available as well. Click here to check them out.

OPTIONS

	Item #	PIC	Add/Order	Price
	Under Cage Heat X 1			$25
	Under Cage Heat X 1.5			$30
	Under Cage Heat X 2			$35
	Radiant Heat Panel Installed			$87

Next

[AaronZav]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

You can always build it cheaper yourself. But with a pre-made cage all the leg work has been done for you, you just plug it in and stock it. I have gone through the whole spectrum of cages, glass tanks, plexiglass, self-made etc. I really think that one of the huge bonuses of a PVC type cage is the weight. Melamine/wood cages of size are large and heavy and truly a pain to move around/stack etc. Listen to the masses and do it right the first time and I gurantee you wont regret it. We all know that nobody keeps just one snake and with this in mind, think of the future, my stack of 6 boaphile cages weighs what one melamine cage would weigh(give or take). I think the boaphile cages are great but there is also other options out there that plenty of people are satisfied with. TRUST me when I say that a little extra spent now will make every aspect of your snake keeping days easier. Of course there are some die hards that swear by making their own cages, but I think all of them if asked to tell the truth would go back and use all PVC type of cages, problem is that some of them have so many snakes the cost would be a ton up front now. Again I am by no way saying its the only way to go, but it is def the best option over-all. I mean lets be real, I kept a boa for near its whole life in a glass tank with a spotlight and a heat-rock. lol Those were the early days! hahah

[Boa Amarali]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

	2 Black Hinges			$8
	3 Black Hinges		[	$12
	4 Black Hinges (Towns/Coupes)			$16
	Florescent Light Installed			$39
	Incandescent Light Installed			$30
	Expandable End Installed			$25
	Expandable/Dividable Right End			$30
	Expandable/Dividable Left End *			$50

FREE SHIPPING!!!

[Boa Amarali]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

And the final bit . .. Wow was that a lot of work changing colors and fonts and cleaning it up so I could post each of the portions in
several consecutive posts so it would work out properly !
Because there is only a limit of 20 images per post well . . . . . . each little icon is an image so I had to edit each one
and count icon images per post to make it work

@The_Boaphile ,


Shewww Weee . . . . . . . . the Stuff I do . . . . . . the work I put in to promoting for Boaphile Plastics - click Here

2 Keyed locks vs. Latches***			$10
Add Center]Latch [/FONT]. **[/FONT]			$10
Add Keyed lock Center.***			$15
The Boaphile Shelf[			$100
Vertical Pass Through			$25
Thermostat			$100
"Double Thermostat"			$190
"25 Foot" Double Thermostat			$210
Boaphile Boa Breeding Video			$50

[Spo0led]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

Building is always fun, but buying is more cost effective. Even if materials come out to about the same as the cost of buying one, you still need to factor in the cost of putting it together, make the mess, cleaning it up, going to and from the hardware/lumber store several time (I always seem to just NOT have enough screws/glue/whatever). I think my last rack cost me about $200 to build and about $200+ in tubs. I think racks can be built cheaper but definitely BUY a cage.

[taxcollector]

Re: DIY custom cage or purchase Boaphile?

so my question now is because i have a glass tank with just a heat pad under 1 side along with a heat bulb. If i where to build a melamine enclosure could i not just insert a heat pad, covered by lino covered my substrate and be just fine? everyone seems to complain about how to get belly heat on a custom built cage... i feel like i've just had 10 people shove boaphile advertisements at me because its all they believe in. building a cage im sure is A LOT cheaper as i am good at carpentry then buying a boaphile and i dont have $600 to just throw down on 2 boaphiles. My collection is 2 snakes atm and will be staying that for a long while. 1-2 years + before i even think of buying another pet.