How to build a cheap, fast, and easy snake rack (Do It Yourself)

[@christinacapen8926]

I was hoping you would post today lol I kno I'm lame but I found something else I haven't watched yet..

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Hey Christina what where you hoping I post today? My youtube isn't showing me any of the old messages

[@mistyabernot]

By far the best DIY rack system I’ve watched on KZbin! Thanks brotha!

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Your so welcome 🐍🐍

[@billthorpe6227]

Nice job. I like how you showed your DIY build and talked about the more expensive option at the end. It showed the value of the work you put in. Also, please stop making these videos...you make me want to breed our snakes. I am already getting a dream kingsnake because of your videos. My wife says you are a "bad influence" Ha Ha. Just kidding. She would never have agreed to another snake without your beautiful collection. She gained a real appreciation for their beauty. Thank you.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Man this is why i make these videos to pass my bad habits on to all hahaha. I really appreciate you and knowing you and your wife watch the videos gives me a real feeling of accomplishment that people enjoy them. Your wife might block you from watching my videos😂😂😂

[@zennozangetsu1164]

THIS IS SUPER HELPFUL

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

I'm glad you liked it I have a few more to build I may do more videos on this

[@oodlez_uv_doodlez]

This was very informative! Thanks!

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thank you for the positive feedback Nikkie

[@travelroomiesand2pits629]

Awesome I was Just looking for snake racks and saw how expensive they are I almost lost hope until I saw this 💪💪

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

yeah I you can save alot of money building your own. if you need to really budget you can make it out of wood but pvc is definitely top notch

[@PiedmontPlasticsInc]

Thanks for the shoutout! What a great and unique use of our PVC material.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thank you for taking the time to watch the video and your welcome. Can't wait to order more for my next build

[@user-rl9ub7nz2h]

Really impressive, you have skill

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Much appreciated

[@theowias3]

Nice work! Appreciate the share, as this is on my to do list one day.

[@FOD-x1e]

Please never stop making coffee and making these DIY vids

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Ah thanks. I'm glad you found the channel

[@ecwcorn3666]

Awesome bud. Our Lowes finally got pvc sheets now. Might be putting some together myself.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thanks Eric and thats good to hear🐍🐍

[@js92css]

Is it black or white sheets?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

@@js92css the pvc is 1/2 inch black

[@willettej100]

Great job

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

thank you wiliz. its fun work

[@waldoblanco2895]

Man your making big moves. This rack came out beautiful. Your killing me with your pics and gifs 😭😭😭. Best channel around. Are you going to make a video updating us about what snakes you put in the rack and show us how it’s working for you?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Hahaha yeah i throw thows in for laughs. Yes im actually pairing my snakes today to breed and then 8n a month or so ill do a rack update for sure. Hey thanks for the support

[@mistyabernot]

He wasn’t joking when he tells us to throw the top piece on 😂🙌🏻

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Just throw it on top😄

[@rickylopez9260]

Awesome build! 👏🏼 Any update on that new substrate your got from the expo ?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thanks, yes i put the hemp bedding in 5 of my bins 2 weeks ago. Ill give you a update once i can sit and compare the pros and cons. So far so good

[@crowdenfarms3344]

Awesome! I'll try this. There is a piedmont plastic near me. What material did you use?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

1/2 inch Black foam pvc . Thanks for the positive feedback

[@commercialelectrician133]

Great video I want to ask if the heat tape burns the PVC

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thank you . No not at all. I'm sure if you keep it very hot it may make.some burn marks but for the temps we use it's fine.

[@vett0111]

Nice. I guess I overthink building racks and talk myself out of doing it.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Yeah before making my first one I almost backed out a few times thinking if I screw up I'll waste all that pvc or risk losing a snake...but I couldn't find anything reasonably priced and went for it.....now I'm so happy I can make these

[@vett0111]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 I need a colubrid hatching rack for this up coming season . Racks are crazy price right now. Thinking of ideas to make one.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

@@vett0111 how many bins would you like it to hold? I recomend the fb5 bins from freedom breeder for hatchlings. This comes with water cup holders.

[@vett0111]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 70 +. Lol. This year was a good year for colubrids babies. 1 male and 2 females I produced 62 babies. I’m looking to add other colubrids down the line. Mexican black king and Texas leucitic rats snakes ( growing2 females up right now👍🏽) will be my next investment snakes to breed. I’m m thinking two racks with 60-72 bins each. Rather have to many bins than not enough. I breed ball pythons. So any extra bins will be used by them. I’d have more colubrids breeding if I had racks to hold the babies. Looking at racks, prices and lead times of racks. I’m holding back on getting more colubrids right now.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

do you have Instagram? I can send you some photos. the rack I have can hold up to 60 fb5/v15 bins the beauty about this rack is you can swap these bins out for the next size larger since the height on the fb5/v15 is the same as the fb8/v18

[@realdealreptiles4326]

Nice

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thank you

[@ButchRaw1017]

Does that actually provide enough heat? My house stays around 70 degrees as i live in a state where its colder all year round besides summer and i feel like my python would feel cold to touch with this type of heat installment

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Usually for cooler states I would recommend belly heat. This works great for me since the snake room stays around 77 degrees most of the year and its a tropical climate.

[@EndeavorReptiles]

sweet brother. Love it. I have only two snakes right now but would love to breed some day. Picking up a few more corn snakes next week. I see a few of these self made racks in the future for me. thanks Living in upstate NY I will need to do the belly heat. How would you run the heat tape? If it was in and out wouldn't it be doubled and have to bend at 90 degrees to go out and up to the next level?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Hey I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully you pick up a few more and start breeding down the road. It's kind of hard to explain and easier to show. The tape goes along the bottom towards the back of the shelve then runs up the side to the next level then on the bottom of that level and then run up the side again and so forth or you can have precut heat tape with a cord so say you have 8 levels you would order 8 cut pieces of tape with the wire connected so each level you just lay it on the bottom of the shelve just plug the cord into the outlet. I'm building a other rack soon I may show you what I mean

[@EndeavorReptiles]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 thank you. where do you suggest buying the tape. I would love to start breeding down the road. Just for fun and for my grand kids to be involved. I appreciate you time and knowledge. Sadly I am not a coffee guy. I am more a green Monster Energy drink guy...

[@gavinlabuschagne975]

very cool dude, what thickness PVC are you using?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thank you. It is 1/2 inch black pvc

[@iamLeBlu]

What size was the back pvs piece?

[@joshuabrackenbury2313]

Great build... What size tubs do you recommend for adult colubrids?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thank you. Depends on the type of colubrid. The standard adult bin size would be a v70 that is a great.size for almost any adult Colubrid. For smaller snakes such as Arizona mt kings a v35 is fine

[@camarorider62]

im looking to do a build of my own but what was your thickness on the PVC foam board you chose? loved the video super helpful!

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

For snake racks the standard is 1/2 an inch and thinner and the levels bow/bend any thicker and the rack is too heavy

[@heliumhubcryptocollective9337]

JUST A CUP OF COFFEE......NO SPLIFF TOO LOL

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

excellent relax and enjoy🐍

[@dylanchamberland4389]

Wry nice! What do you do for heating with these?

[@seanna262]

What was the length of the pvc that you got? Along with all the dimensions.

[@carlitosverduzco88]

Nice I did enjoy the video my only thing is that I personally would not want to keep my snakes in there it seems like the space is to small I rather have my snake in a large 4x2 x 4 or something like that vivarium. I believe the snake would be much happier there than in a small plastic space.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thanks, I some beautiful natural bioactive set ups for my garter snakes which are very social. I wish I could do that for every snake. most of the corns and kings do great in the bins in the rack they have heat eat like beast. The reality is as a keeper with a few snakes why not build big naturalist enclosures but this is how Breeders do it. if we didn't utilize rack systems we wouldn't have 75% of the species available today. I often examine my snakes take them out in the sun let them move on the trees and plants. if I see snakes declining in health of not thriving I would stop using the racks but they seem to actually like the sense of security. I do appreciate your comment and concern. be safe and keep watching 🐍

[@carlitosverduzco88]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 ok man got it thanks for info its just that I look at it like its a small space for them to be in kinda like if they are in jail lol but I understand. Good videos man I like coffee myself I just finish a cup.

[@kaylamuniz1424]

hi! i live in florida and my house sits at around 72.. should i do belly heat? also how do i control heat?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Back heat is fine. Belly heat is needed up north when it's winter time . You need a thermostat. I got mines from reptile basics online and recommend vivarium electronics brand. The heat tape has a plug that goes into the back of the thermostat and you plug the thermostat into the wall outlet. You just set the temperature you wish and it regulats the temperature.

[@andrewsmith9980]

And chance you can share your cut sheet? Do you have a pdf? Is the bottom and top 1 inch wider than the other shelves? Thanks

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Rite now I'm at work but the build cuts are in the video. When I get home I can double check the specifications of the rack and send you the info..I don't have a pdf . I will contact later today

[@chadpaquin7060]

This looks killer, great job man and thank you for this tutorial! A quick question: how much did this build cost you all together? (PVC and bins)

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thank you Chad. This cost me around $300 plus the cost of the bins. A rack like this which they don't normally make this tall would have been around $800 or more dollars professionally made. Keep in mind if I made this rack now it may cost $450-$500 because pvc which was already expensive has almost doubled in price in the last 2 years

[@chadpaquin7060]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 thank you so much for that info! Even with the price jump in PVC, that’s MUCH cheaper than what I’ve been finding online!👍🏼👍🏼

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

@@chadpaquin7060 Your welcome, I've noticed many of the professionaly made pvc racks are small and I asked one of them years ago to build me a taller rack that holds more bins and they told me buy 3 of their racks and I can stack them...but each one costalot so building your own gives you that freedom to build it how you like it. I will say the ars racks are expensive but that's a rack I plan to buy in the future...built to last forever and stunning in person

[@killerclownsaquatics751]

Is this a hard plastic or foam board PVC? Because that changes the price point!

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

@@killerclownsaquatics751 foam pvc board

[@js92css]

Any chance you could let us know how much that PVC was from Piedmont?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

I belive it was $315. You can find it cheaper at some homedepots or lowes but they dont cut pvc only wood so you would have to have the proper saw and know how to cut it...

[@TL-wp6fv]

What size screw did you use? Thank you!

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Sorry for the late response this comment got mixed in with lots of others. I'm using 1 1/4 multi purpose construction screws from spax. Spax #8 1 1/4 to be exact

[@VariousLizards]

This is a great video, I love your energy :D I plan on making a rack for crested gecko hatchlings when I breed, It will be a little different than this one but it's a great guide for any type of rack. I will probably need less space between the bin and the next shelf to prevent escape, it'll be snug but not too snug that it wont open.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thanks for the good feedback and I'm excited for your future build. I'll be doing another rack build in the next few days so except a new video up soon. these racks are great for geckos aswell. I'm excited to start and once built its such a great feeling

[@511Bullycamp]

Where do your get the pvc from

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Piedmont plastics

[@511Bullycamp]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 thank you

[@jasonlucas5114]

Hey bud I just found a much better way and you wouldn’t believe how it’s turning out! I’m working on it at the moment! I had to look your video back up because I ordered the FB28s because your video and even built a rack like yours! But 8 levels high because I’m not tall 😂 But if you wanna know how it turned out let me know. You’re not gonna believe it when it’s done today

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Oh that's awesome yes let me know. I wanted to make another one like this but for the fb70s to give some of the adults more leg room. Yeah it would be hard to work with the top level if your not tall lol

[@JohnGarcia-mm2ej]

Been watching your videos and love the coffee and snake variety you have. I wanna get a rack for my colubrids since I wanna start breeding soon. Are the Fb28 large enough for a full grown corn snake or king snake?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

yes and no. fb28s are good for full grown mountain kingsnakes that normally don't get more than 3.5 feet. these are also perfect for the smaller adult cornsnakes and kingsnakes that tend to max out around 3.5 feet. I use these as grow out bins and will keep my adults in them. for the few that are larger and hit 4ft or larger I recommend the fb70 or v70 . so small to average adults it's perfect for larger adults 4ft + go with the v70

[@JohnGarcia-mm2ej]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 awesome thank you for the info, just what I needed. Keep up the awesome work!!

[@brianzaghoul7968]

Hello, I'm looking to build my own PVC rack like this one. I'm just wondering if the heat tape doesn't melt the plastic bins? Is there a specific plastic bin you use? Also, do you keep the temperature probe on the side of the tub that faces the heat tape? Thanks

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Hello, any standard bin ment for reptiles will not melt with heat tape. Remember you need a thermostat that controls the temperature so your range should be from 82-88 or so . I like 86 for my climate her in South florida. Buns I recommend are freedom breeder and then 2nd vision bins. I keep the probe on the heat tape

[@raybrozzo7850]

Yes be very careful with the heat tape cause if you don't have a thermostat on it may not melt the plastic completely but it can burn your snakes and you WILL cook them if they stay too hot for too long

[@dylanchamberland4389]

Haha nvm I commented right before you got to it 👍

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Yeah towards the end i show the heating tape i use from reptile basics

[@LDReptiles]

another thing you could do to make life easier is cut shelf spacers out of wood and lay the shelves onto the spacers and screw them in. By this I mean if your tubs are 4 1/2" tall and you want a 1/8 air gap take 4 1/2 add 1/8= 4 5/8 tall. take the length of your shelf let's say 24" cut yourself two pieces of wood 4 5/8 wide by 24" long x 2. Then you have something solid to rest the shelf on as you screw it in as appose to using the tub and just supporting the middle, once the shelf is screwed in remove the spacers put them onto of the shelf you just installed and repeat, I've built so many racks for my friends it's not even funny anymore. great video though!

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Thanks for the tips

[@sansonetime]

Hi, what is the "pvc" called on piedmonts site? How thick is your PVC?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

1/2 inch black pvc foam board. Anymore questions feel free to ask

[@seaknsmash]

Is it safe to use birch plywood instead of pvc?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

I'm not sure about ply wood I know melamine is the preferred wood of choice when building a wood rack.

[@icreptiles8532]

Issue with wood is keep in mind the snake touches the bottom of the shelf above. That means it get splash back, the rub against it and it won't do well against moisture over time. Pvc is the way to go melamine is heavy and brittle along the sides so if you miss a screw and blow put the side it causes issues.

[@WillGotFie]

How thick is your pvc?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

1/2 half an inch. That's the standard for reptile and snake racks

[@WillGotFie]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 what you think about pvc foam?

[@WillGotFie]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 for a snake rack 41qt 6 level

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

@Big Willy I use black foam pvc board that's what is used by the professionals aswell.

[@ashton007misunderstood4]

1yr late but 👍

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

It's never too late

[@NathansWildLife]

Would like the bigger snakes be able to like push themselves out of the tub

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Not corns or kings... boas or ballpythons it's possible but not likely because I built the rack 2 inches deeper than the bin so it pushes deep in the rack so even if the snake moves.it alittle it would take alpt to push the bin open

[@NathansWildLife]

@@cloudcolubrids4603 could I do the same thing for gopher snakes?

[@MELoV]

Hey what are the Dimension of this rack

[@sworeptiles]

Hmmmm well I am guessing you don't use em for Colubrids cause they can fit through and get out almost anything

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Yes I built this rack for Colubrids. The small babies would possibly escape this rack but I use them for my small and medium adults.

[@robertdavies3842]

What’s the pvc you use ?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Black 1/2 inch pvc foam board

[@damonfortis4345]

Today this PVC racks is not cheap anymore

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

No it's not. It would cost me about $200 more to make that same rack rite now.

[@dakel7]

how much it cost you and what are the dimensions you used?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

pvc cost was $320 but there was a lot of extra pvc left over so you can use that towards a 2nd rack. I'm at work and not by the rack to measure it but the dimensions are in the video

[@dreambigger8570]

How much was the PVC altogether?

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

For this build I belive it.was around $280 and after you get your pvc they will give you the excess pvc they didn't use since they charge you by the sheet and there's always left.over. I made an extra 5 shelves for a.future build

[@dreambigger8570]

Thanks a lot man I just started my collection of ball pythons

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

@@dreambigger8570 yeah pvc is expensive but well worth the money. For this rack in melamine it would be around $75 or so

[@Marzyxx]

$550 per sheet in AUS

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

Whoa, I would make wood racks 😁

[@Marzyxx]

Yeah melamine is pretty much the only option unless you got bulk 💰

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

@Marzyxx yeah at that price. I remember in 2019 when I made my first rack it was $79 a sheet ...

[@nathanguy981]

​@@MarzyxxFormply probably a cheaper and better option. Definitely better moisture resistance.

[@ryanward8039]

Piedmont only sells 12"x12" squares of what you are using to make that. Interstate plastics is charging almost $900 for needed materials. You might wanna rethink the title of your video before you start leading people down this rabbit hole. If you think it's cheap to build these, then you probably have something really good other than tobacco in that cigar your smokin.

[@cloudcolubrids4603]

I just put my cigar down 😅. So I don't order from the website. I speak with the manager here in Pompano directly and there selling I believe 9x6 sheets I may be off on the size it's been awhile since I ordered. These sheets were $79 when I made this rack 2 years ago. The cost is almost triple that now so yes to make these now is much more costly. I have spoke to others in some of the comments, letting people know it's not cheap anymore to build these. Just like buying a home pre.covid was much cheaper alot has changed in the past 2