So, this will be my first new thread, and as such I've chosen to tag it as a discussion thread to, hopefully, stimulate some interesting responses. Here's the deal: Over the years, I have discovered something about the general public, and about myself. It seems as though, especially after spending some time in the pet industry, there is a huge demand for the "$300 enclosure/$30 reptile" trend. The consumer base for large, expensive terrariums is enormous, while demand for only the cheapest and most easily attainable reptiles continues to grow. Personally, I'm one of the few that is reverse. I prefer the $300 reptiles and the $30 enclosures, and have even taken it as far as to contain the larger amount of my herps in simple totes with snap on lids with drilled vent holes. I get taller ones (at a horrifically high price of $20-$30) and use wire or string and plastic coated grills attached to the lids for heat and uvb. While I do take them all out and handle them regularly, only the most active and entertaining friends get fancy enclosures for the viewing of myself and guests. And honestly, it might seem weird or cheap or bad, but the colour tented totes I keep them in seem to produce a much stronger feeding response from most of the animals; especially the snakes. So with that said, the bottom line is this... Am I the only one who does this? And what are your personal thoughts on it? What do you do that is or isn't better, and lets get some cool pictures if you think your showcase is super dooper crazy awesome. What's your favorite style of enclosure? Any favorite brands? Glass or screen? Cause while I do appreciate and love a cool showcase.. if I can house a reptile and keep it healthy and happy in a cheap tote, then I'm sure as rain going to do it! Of course my iguana would be one of those showcase reptiles, and the adorable bearded dragon cause he's so energetic and fun to watch =]
Sure! I keep most of my dudes at the shop though, so I can't actually take any pictures until I go in tomorrow. I will take some in the morning though and upload them when I get home in the evening =D And I will grab a picture of the beardies' "showcase" too =]
Thats me..I have most of mine in bins or tanks.I have a big homemade double enclosure for my display animals which is currently a Jcp and a hypo boa.The boa will be replaced with the brazilian when he gets bigger.And the boa will go in an old Neodesha that I got on a trade. I dont buy cages.I get used ones or build my own.But I try and set them up as naturalistic as possible. Im currently building a triple enclosure, its almost done but the heat outside has made it hard to get finished.Its not going to be pretty like other one though.But functional and better then the bins. Unfortunately Im having to downsize my collection.Unforseen medical bills have cut into my feeder budget so Im trading my larger eaters for smaller animals like cornsnakes.
I'm same i go for lil bins or freebe tanks from my dads friend save the rest of the money for the expensive reptiles that i usually pay for myself
I have found that owners who have many herps tend to keep them in the more ergonomic enclosures - tubs, rack systems, etc. And owners who have one or just a couple of herps tend to have "fancy" enclosures. There are also the people who like to have as close to natural environments, people who love to have live tanks and care as much about the plants in the enclosure as the animals themselves. It's also very like the salt water fish/aquarium trade where people who have reef aquariums spend thousands of dollars on coral and the "system" as a whole and only add fish that will help with the "system." Where people who have fish only enclosures tend to spend thousands on the fish and very little to none on the reef itself (if there even is one in the tank). I believe it's all very personal in the end. What do you find is your ultimate goal? How do you characterize your relationship with your animals? What is best for your reptile? There are certain species that do better not being held (a lot of the more rare rhacs are too fragile to take a lot of handling so people have beautiful vivariums for them to live in and it's more of a display animal). Then there are others that do - beardies, iggies, leos, etc. Or reptiles that actually do better in opaque enclosures - like some of the snakes you mentioned you have. It's all very personal to both the owner and each reptile, I don't believe that there is a "better" way one way or another. For me personally when I started breeding the rack system was what worked best for me. I incorporated full up 20-30 gal tanks into a fixture that housed them all together (like a rack of 30 gal tanks, lol) and I decorated each tank very nicely and they were all unique, but for all of the hatchlings I had them all in tubs with the same type of "furniture." Then when I stopped breeding and downgraded my entire collection, I am now back to a mixture of mostly display cases and 2 "tub" enclosures. I just found that one of my leos does best when she can't see outside of her tank... the other tub enclosure is a garg that is still a bit too small for the larger tank I have for her eventually. Good discussion
All awesome questions =] Really I have no goal, I just love reptiles haha. I feel like I have a good relationship with all my animals, they all are very friendly and recognize me. And yeah, I have found that most leos prefer the totes too. I have 3 sand boas that I keep in totes cause they are always under the substrate anyway, and I keep ALL babies in totes no matter what. And it's pretty convenient really. Totes are so cheap and you can always find the right size to meet the needs of the species. Turtles do well in totes and pond liners also for cheaper housing. also I have the pictures, going to upload them when I get home tonight =]
ive got my croc skinks and my ball python in bins. my cresties used to be in bins too but i saved up for a nice tank for them. at some point i plan on getting a nice display tank for my skinks and ball but until then they are fine where they are. my leo on the other hand i love having in a nice tank in the front room to show her off since she is my favorite caged pet. ive got paintings of her as the background for her tank and am always bragging about her
I can't say that I have a Brand preference. But I do have preferences in Styles. I prefer front door systems over Top Opening. The way I set up my Wire Racks leaves little or room to open a top opening Tank I prefer 2 Doors over a Single Door. Leaves less of a Chance of a Escape I prefer kits without Accessories..I never use stuff from the Kits. I prefer Large Tanks over small ones. I believe that the more room an animal has the better it is I buy Cheaper ones over More Expensive ones. Sells help decide which Tank I get when I expand my Collections..You can't beat Petco's $1 a Gallon sell..makes 40 gallon breeders irresistible I display only Naturalistic Tanks..I won't do bins
wow! that is quite a set up you have there! that is sixteen tanks that I could count, and each one looks completely different!
Thank you My Collection is Currently from Left to right /Top to Bottom Left Rack Red Eyed tree frog / 4 White's tree Frogs Chinese Cave Gecko/ 2 Frog Eyed Geckos 2 Golden Geckos Middle Rack Kochi Day Gecko / Kochi Day Gecko / 4 Dendrobates Auratus Empty / 2 Mourning Geckos (& Eggs) & 2 Dendrobates Azureus Marble Gecko / Gold Dust Day Gecko Right Rack 1 Line Striped Gecko ( Skunk Gecko) & 1 Flying Gecko / 1 Lined Striped Gecko 1 Bribron's Gecko & 1 Crocodile Gecko 1 Leopard Gecko Sadly I just lost my Lined Leaf Gecko which was a Juvenile. My Central AC went out and Fortunately I did not lose everything.
