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How are your snakes housed?
- Thread starter caz223
- Start date
At the moment I'm trying to retrofit a compaq 7142 rackmount computer enclosure for use as a snake rack. I got a pair of them at a junk store for $45 each, complete with front and back doors (No sides.)
Sides would have been nice, but if I need them I'll have to fabricate.
The 7 stands for 7 feet tall.
The 42 stands for 42u (units) of usable space.
I was hoping they would be deep enough for cb-70 tubs, but it doesn't look like it. The width is good, but the rack is about 3" too shallow. I bet a 9142 would have worked. Oh well. No 9142s at that price. I'm trying to do this on a budget, otherwise I would have just bought a bunch of 3u full length vented shelves and called it a day. Those shelves would be more than the entire rack cost me. Each. Trying to keep it all steel. Wood would be easy. If I can't figure out a way to do it, they are still cheaper than buying a plastic rack for aquariums in the rat room. Worst case scenario, and the snake rack doesn't work out, the next step is a rodent rack. If I do a little sheet metal work and build sides for them, I can enclose and vent them through a HEPA filter and make it rat escape proof, should they chew their way of the tubs.
Right now I'm trying to find plastic peg board or something similar for the vented tops for snakie rack (Similar to the new style freedom breeder rack tops.) but it's proving expensive.
I'm trying to avoid regular peg board, as it sags, absorbs odors, and would be lousy to mount flexwatt to. Gonna have to resort to junk store or surplus store shopping, maybe goodwill would have something.
Sides would have been nice, but if I need them I'll have to fabricate.
The 7 stands for 7 feet tall.
The 42 stands for 42u (units) of usable space.
I was hoping they would be deep enough for cb-70 tubs, but it doesn't look like it. The width is good, but the rack is about 3" too shallow. I bet a 9142 would have worked. Oh well. No 9142s at that price. I'm trying to do this on a budget, otherwise I would have just bought a bunch of 3u full length vented shelves and called it a day. Those shelves would be more than the entire rack cost me. Each. Trying to keep it all steel. Wood would be easy. If I can't figure out a way to do it, they are still cheaper than buying a plastic rack for aquariums in the rat room. Worst case scenario, and the snake rack doesn't work out, the next step is a rodent rack. If I do a little sheet metal work and build sides for them, I can enclose and vent them through a HEPA filter and make it rat escape proof, should they chew their way of the tubs.
Right now I'm trying to find plastic peg board or something similar for the vented tops for snakie rack (Similar to the new style freedom breeder rack tops.) but it's proving expensive.
I'm trying to avoid regular peg board, as it sags, absorbs odors, and would be lousy to mount flexwatt to. Gonna have to resort to junk store or surplus store shopping, maybe goodwill would have something.
I'm getting closer to building the metal rack. I have settled on the pieces and parts that are going to be used, and I've certainly blown my budget by 100%, but I looked to make it better and better rather then cheaper.
I think I overshot some pretty ambitious design requirements.
1. Able to interchange heating elements with ARS 7010 and/or Freedom Breeder large reptile compact.
2. Able to utilize the rackmount without modifications, while using it as a snake rack. (Should you want to install a stereo system, DJ amp, or rackmount UPS, you can.)
3. Be 100% reversible, with no permanent changes to the racks functionality.
4. Able to hibernate snakes in a basement with a below freezing ambient, and hold the tubs at a constant 55F or better.
5. Redundant heating system.
6. Use rackmount hardware, when possible. (Big name rails, etc.) The rails wound up being by far the biggest expense. If you already had rack and rails, you could build it way cheaper. (I used APC rails.)
7. Use as much crap that I already have laying around to simplify and make building this thing fit into my budget.
8. Uses simple hand tools, no precise measuring or cutting, as modular and versatile as possible, and basically assemble like an erector set for big kids.
Edit: I'm afraid soldering, basic wiring, running flexwatt, and metal cutting are unavoidable. Nothing too serious.
I'm getting really close to being able to take pics. Another week or 2.
I think I overshot some pretty ambitious design requirements.
1. Able to interchange heating elements with ARS 7010 and/or Freedom Breeder large reptile compact.
2. Able to utilize the rackmount without modifications, while using it as a snake rack. (Should you want to install a stereo system, DJ amp, or rackmount UPS, you can.)
3. Be 100% reversible, with no permanent changes to the racks functionality.
4. Able to hibernate snakes in a basement with a below freezing ambient, and hold the tubs at a constant 55F or better.
5. Redundant heating system.
6. Use rackmount hardware, when possible. (Big name rails, etc.) The rails wound up being by far the biggest expense. If you already had rack and rails, you could build it way cheaper. (I used APC rails.)
7. Use as much crap that I already have laying around to simplify and make building this thing fit into my budget.
8. Uses simple hand tools, no precise measuring or cutting, as modular and versatile as possible, and basically assemble like an erector set for big kids.
Edit: I'm afraid soldering, basic wiring, running flexwatt, and metal cutting are unavoidable. Nothing too serious.
I'm getting really close to being able to take pics. Another week or 2.
SquamishSerpents
Katia
TribalWolf77
New member
My two adults are in 40 gal breeder vivs (36 x 18 x 16), my 2 babies are in 10 gal vivs (20 x 10 x 10).
