Show me your (Individual) baby cage setup!

[cyberlocc]

Hey guys looking for ideas for Individual baby cage racks.

Was thinking wood, and still am as a possibility. I want to see what other folks have done! I was thinking glass cages, my concern is I would like the rack on wheels, and I am not sure how well that would work out, dont want it to fall over or something.

 

[snitz427]

We are still getting things setup and automated, but so far I think it likes it.

 

[cyberlocc]

We are still getting things setup and automated, but so far I think it likes it.

View attachment 264297

Needs more plants. Honestly that enclosure is so bare, its bordering on cruelty. What UVB are you using anyway???

 

[jamest0o0]

@snitz427

Disappointed you haven't gone bioactive yet.

 

[JoXie411]

We are still getting things setup and automated, but so far I think it likes it.

View attachment 264297

what no bed or teddies to cuddle?

 

[cyberlocc]

I think I may just go glass, seems they dont weigh as much as I thought. I sure hope my floor doesn't cave in though HAHAHAHA.
Might switch to wire racks, instead of building shelves, to take some of the weight off, hopefully .

Now I have to see about getting these thing directly from Exoterra hahaha, I guess if I have to fill out a business license to buy from them, oh well was going to anyway.

@salty dog I know you DIY Cages, show me your stuff! before I order 45 Exoterra 12x12x18s!

 

[Dbash44]

Hey guys looking for ideas for Individual baby cage racks.

Was thinking wood, and still am as a possibility. I want to see what other folks have done! I was thinking glass cages, my concern is I would like the rack on wheels, and I am not sure how well that would work out, dont want it to fall over or something.

I ended up using a 36" wide rack for baby enclosures. I believe its like 7 feet tall.

Since I was on a budget with this, I used 20 qt sterilite gasket containers. I got all 12 for about $140. Cut out the top of the lid and glued in screen.

The rack perfectly fits three tubs across each of the four shelves. Top shelf is used for fogging reservoir and breaker. To maximize the space, I use dimmable puck lights for heat and t8 fixtures for uvb, all ziptied into place. These fit under the lip of the shelf, which is empty space with the tubs in place.

For drainage I have egg crate false bottoms in each. Reptile carpet is placed on top of the false bottoms to block them off and give cushion in case something happens to one of the babies. I have structures built from wooden dowels. Since I clean the cages every other day, it's not a problem to have the drainage and carpets in the cage. The carpet and dowel structures are super easy to remove, too.

I bought an advanced mistking sytstem (which suits how many tubs I have plus 8 more). I drilled holes in the lids and added 1/4" ID hat grommets for the tubing. Bought DIG brand misting nozzles from Home Depot for about $1.50 a piece instead of the MistKing ones that are $14.25 a piece. They work great with the MistKing Pump. The way the misters are attached to the rack holds them in place in the chance one falls off.

In the future, I'll probably end up getting the Dragon Strand Nursury cages, but as I said this is what I've built on a budget. Don't know how much you're looking to spend, but it's an idea. Not ideal, but it works thus far.

If the DS cages don't work out I'll probably end up having to DIY a rack, build custom cages or settle for Reptibreeze Nano and attach corrugated plastic on the sides and back of each.

Ultimately, you'd probably be better off DIYing it so you get what you want. Just my two cents.

 

[snitz427]

@snitz427

Disappointed you haven't gone bioactive yet.

Give it about an hour or two and that cage will be bioactive, I promise.

 

[Dbash44]

Come to think of it, I believe there's an all glass nano terrerium, but at that point, it would be cheaper to diy a glass enclosure IMO

 

[cyberlocc]

Come to think of it, I believe there's an all glass nano terrerium, but at that point, it would be cheaper to diy a glass enclosure IMO

The glass cages are not too bad price wise. Its the weight the I am worried about.

My plan was to do the Exoterra 12x12x18s and use some foam PVC or something to split them into 2. That way I can have individual cages.

I was not sure, if the Nanos would be tall enough? They come in a max of 12 inches tall? How long will that height remain viable?For Panthers, as those are my biggest concern from a Height aspect. Of the breeding I intend to do, will be Panthers (and not many) minors and carpets which would likely be fine in a 12 tall till 4-5 months or so.

My bigger problem, is people dont want to ship exoterras, and those that do, severely overcharge for them and then you have to take into account the freight shipping of shipping 45 exoterra 2x12x18s.

I wrote an email to Exoterra, I am going to have a website, so dont mind peddling some small exoterra stuff, if thats what it takes to get them to deal with, but I dont have warehouse room for a bunch of exoterra vivariums.

Nanos are what I thought about using for the other side of the baby rack, as the geckos only really need that. However I will likely go with the same 12x12x18s, for them too.


I want to raise fully bioactively, for all of them (You pretty much have to for the geckos) so my plan for lights, was just double T5s, 1 for UVB, and 1 for normal plant light. The plant lights will be on year round, the UVB only when animals are in there. Figured that would be good enough heat wise, for the species I intend to raise.I have read it is before.

So my plan was to justify this lighting setup, with using the baby cages as a "Greenhouse" as well, when there is no babies. As producing and selling some rarer plants was also on the agenda, and this makes good use of my space. I can grow my plants and my babies in the same cage HAHAHA.


I did look at the DS nursery cages, but they are too rich for my blood. I would have to build soil bins for them, and they are almost 5x the price of using exoterras. I am not knocking bill, I know he was worried about that, and they are not launched yet so maybe the price is not set in stone. But currently on the site, they are 115 per cage (Not set, cage, the 6 cage set, that fits a 48 inch rack is 700) , I need 90 right now, and eventual goal, of 120 + some larger ones, thats just too much for me to justify.

 

[cyberlocc]

I know who to ask about height though!

@kinyonga Would a 8x8x12 be okay for a panther hacthling? and to what age, in your opinion?

 

[Dbash44]

The glass cages are not too bad price wise. Its the weight the I am worried about.

My plan was to do the Exoterra 12x12x18s and use some foam PVC or something to split them into 2. That way I can have individual cages.

I was not sure, if the Nanos would be tall enough? They come in a max of 12 inches tall? How long will that height remain viable?For Panthers, as those are my biggest concern from a Height aspect. Of the breeding I intend to do, will be Panthers (and not many) minors and carpets which would likely be fine in a 12 tall till 4-5 months or so.

My bigger problem, is people dont want to ship exoterras, and those that do, severely overcharge for them and then you have to take into account the freight shipping of shipping 45 exoterra 2x12x18s.

I wrote an email to Exoterra, I am going to have a website, so dont mind peddling some small exoterra stuff, if thats what it takes to get them to deal with, but I dont have warehouse room for a bunch of exoterra vivariums.

Nanos are what I thought about using for the other side of the baby rack, as the geckos only really need that. However I will likely go with the same 12x12x18s, for them too.


I want to raise fully bioactively, for all of them (You pretty much have to for the geckos) so my plan for lights, was just double T5s, 1 for UVB, and 1 for normal plant light. The plant lights will be on year round, the UVB only when animals are in there. Figured that would be good enough heat wise, for the species I intend to raise.I have read it is before.

So my plan was to justify this lighting setup, with using the baby cages as a "Greenhouse" as well, when there is no babies. As producing and selling some rarer plants was also on the agenda, and this makes good use of my space. I can grow my plants and my babies in the same cage HAHAHA.


I did look at the DS nursery cages, but they are too rich for my blood. I would have to build soil bins for them, and they are almost 5x the price of using exoterras. I am not knocking bill, I know he was worried about that, and they are not launched yet so maybe the price is not set in stone. But currently on the site, they are 115 per cage (Not set, cage, the 6 cage set, that fits a 48 inch rack is 700) , I need 90 right now, and eventual goal, of 120 + some larger ones, thats just too much for me to justify.

Yeah I get that. I just did a bioactive 18x18x36 and once all the stuff was added into it I could hardly lift it. I actually picked up that terrarium from LLL because it was like $120 to ship it from San Diego to Los Angeles..130 miles give or take. Maybe you can talk exo terra into sending you enclosures that aren't constructed and that would be helpful on the shipping price.

On two of my screen cages I removed the screen on the doors, put silicone in the groove where the spline goes and then put plexiglass into it. Works great so far even with long mistings and high 90% humidity at night. Maybe just get the screen cages and swap out the screens the way I did? Either that or find someone that sells the pvc panels (maybe that's what you meant by foam pvc) and silicone those in place instead. At that point, it might worth your time to just buy the screen frames and cut them yourself. That will probably be the cheapest way if you're trying to have custom panther enclosures.

Yes I believe the tallest nano is 12" tall in glass and 10" in screen. For any of the glass enclosures you plan to have for the other side of your baby rack it might be worth your time to hit up the YouTuber, Mike Tytula. He built his own glass enclosures for his chameleons that have sliding doors and frosted side panels.

Another great idea, is to convert an aquarium into a vertical terrarium. You might have already done this, but I'll attach a video for you. If you hit up petco when they have the dollar per gallon sale, you can achieve this for a pretty low price. These will work well for your green houses, too.




Yeah that's my struggle with the DS nursery cages, don't know if I can buy them unless I make a lot of money with my breeding project, which I'm not planning on. lol Hopefully he cuts the price a bit.

 

[Dbash44]

I know who to ask about height though!

@kinyonga Would a 8x8x12 be okay for a panther hacthling? and to what age, in your opinion?

From what I've researched, The 12" height is good until they reach about 3 or for months. That's only for one. That's my plan at least. I would be interested to know what she thinks, too.

 

[snitz427]

I know who to ask about height though!

@kinyonga Would a 8x8x12 be okay for a panther hacthling? and to what age, in your opinion?

I had an adult leaf insect in 8x8x8 and felt terrible... 8x8 is to small for much of anything IMO. I know that small cages are a reality of breeding, and an individual cage better than a group, though.

 

[kinyonga]

I used 10 gallon aquariums and kept maybe 4 in each one for maybe 2 or 3 months and then I would separate them to their own cages. If they fought or I noticed problems I'd separate them sooner.

(I used plant stands that had 3 shelves and two fluorescent fixtures over each and made them so that the shelves could be slid forward to put the lights at one end of the cage for circulation. 12 cages would fit on each plant stand.)

I like the ones in post #7 by @Dbash44 .

 

[cyberlocc]

From what I've researched, The 12" height is good until they reach about 3 or for months. That's only for one. That's my plan at least. I would be interested to know what she thinks, too.

Ya I can't find a height requirement. 8x8x12 are pretty usual for the geckos, some of which are about the size of panthers when full grown.

Its kind of trading height for width, but then again there is more width in the other way still.

I had an adult leaf insect in 8x8x8 and felt terrible... 8x8 is to small for much of anything IMO. I know that small cages are a reality of breeding, and an individual cage better than a group, though.

Right I mean that's the thing, when you have 3 clutches of babies hatch a time, even if 1 is panthers at 20 say and then the other 2 are carpets and minors, which BTW pretty much always have babies (3 month between clutches and 3 month incubation) then you have 40+ babies, everyone needing their own cage, a 18x18x36 or whatever is not feasible lol.

Bills nursery are 6x15x15, my OG exo idea would be 12x12x18s cut in half, so 6x12x18. So thats about a 6 gallon vivarium per baby.

 

[cyberlocc]

I used 10 gallon aquariums and kept maybe 4 in each one for maybe 2 or 3 months and then I would separate them to their own cages. If they fought or I noticed problems I'd separate them sooner.

(I used plant stands that had 3 shelves and two fluorescent fixtures over each and made them so that the shelves could be slid forward to put the lights at one end of the cage for circulation. 12 cages would fit on each plant stand.)

I like the ones in post #7 by @Dbash44 .

He is group raising them. I am trying to indivually raise. Every cham gets its own cage from day 1. I don't have room for 40-50 of those lol.

I could group raise, like you suggest and then xfer to smaller cages, but at the end of the day that costs more with Exoterras. They are oddly priced lol. Could be a little easier to deal with, unexpected hatches though.

I would still need to get 12x12x18s for the end though.

 

[jannb]

 

[cyberlocc]

View attachment 264308View attachment 264309

How tall are those tubs? How long do you keep them in said tub? Where do they go after that?

Im not allergic to money, or saving it I should say . I thought about building a rack system, that holds tubs like that.

Splitting them up, becomes more of the concern, but I am sure a tub exists for that too.

 

[cyberlocc]

So Madcham, is using the 12x12x18s, that I thought of splitting, as caging for groups of 5 for Panthers and Carpets, the Minors that I also intend to breed, they are saying will need separate caging though.

they are also not specifying, when they are moved from these cages to larger ones.

https://www.madcham.de/en/aufzucht-von-jungtieren/

If I went that route, could get away with 45 cages, so if singles are needed, I would have them available and raise in groups in the meantime. The space isnt wasted, as I am going to double the cages as greenhouses.