Using plastic boxes for cages?

[AllGeckos]

Right now I have a collection of 13 geckos in 6 cages all glass. I want to expand/ will be having babies, I know I can use those plastic boxes just wondering how to you properly ventilate them? will my light melt it.(need to be suspended above?) Can I use a heat pad and where do you get them wal-mart? how much about?
Sorry for the 87 questions anything would be useful! Thanks guys and girls!

 

[Halley]

If I was going to have babies, in Rubbermaid, Sterilite, or iris tubs, I would get a rack.

How to you properly ventilate them?

Well if you get vision racks, you just have to slide the boxes in, as they have a ventilation system build right in, for other racks you will have to put holes into the plastic containers themselves. The best way to do this is with a soldering iron. This way the holes are even, have no sharp edge, and the tub will not crack, like if you used a drill.

Will my light melt It. (need to be suspended above?)

I wouldn’t use a light to heat the tub. One hatchling tubs are too small, to be heated with a light. This causes an improper heat gradient, which isn’t good for the geckos. So what I would do is either heat the tubs with heat tape, or heat cable. I recommend heat cable, it seems to have a more even heat, and there is a lesser chance of fire.

Can I use a heat pad and where do you get them wal-mart?

Use heat cable, or heat tape, with a thermostat, wal-mart heat pads, I guess they could work, but they are not recommend, at least by me. If you where going to house them all with a heat pad, for each gecko's cage, get a Zoo-med UTH.

How much about?

Heat cable, is not very expensive. I will leave a link at the bottom of the page, to heat cables.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ion-racks/-/zoo-med-39-foot-repti-heat-cable/

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ion-racks/-/zoo-med-23-foot-repti-heat-cable/

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ion-racks/-/zoo-med-52-foot-repti-heat-cable/

Here is the thermostat I use, to control my temp.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...acks/-/helix-dbs1000-proportional-thermostat/

Here are the tubs, and the rack I use. In these tubs, you can grow a hatchling to an adult.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog.../vision-racks/-/vision-hatchling-plastic-tub/

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog.../vision-racks/-/vision-60-tub-hatchling-rack/

They do have hatchling racks that have fewer tubs that take up less space, and are cheaper. I do highly recommend these racks, and tubs. I did try to build a rack once. That didn’t work to well. I don’t know what your price range is, but if it large enough, I would get these.

Hope I answered all your questions, and helped you a little bit.

 

[AllGeckos]

Halley thank you very much for all the info the tubs would not just be used for babies I would have adults in large ones thats why I don't really want a rack system and for the heat pad I was not planning on buying that at wal-mart just the tubs I do spend the majority of my money on these guys at lll I love them guys!

 

[Halley]

Well for adults I use 32-qt tubs. I find them to be big enough, while still be a reasonable size, at a reasonable cost.

Here is a pic, of what the inside of my adult tubs look like.

I really don't know what you want to do besides a rack. What exactly are you looking for? Where are you going to put the tubs? I will try to help more, I just don’t think I completely get, what kind of set-up you want.

 

[AllGeckos]

I am talking about a more permanent home for them for leos and cresteds so I will need large tubs I dont want anything to be cramp and even larger tubs for my cresties and in some time more tokays and whatever else I decide to buy!
Basically I want to have a much larger collection but I have found ( atleast with my arboreal geckos) I spend about $300 to $500 on cage and everything else. so I am going broke! and I already bought craigslist out of cages

 

[AllGeckos]

More like this is what I am thinking
http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=22358

 

[jmlslayer]

she has a rack but not like we do

 

[Halley]

so you want racks, that don't act as tops?